16 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a foolish man, a profound understanding of salvation, all my hope and stay, all other ground is sinking sand, an anthem of testimony, at the last trump, beat upon that house, bolster our confidence, built his house on sand, built his house on the rock, Christ is our sole means of salvation, Christ is the rock, come with trumpet sound, counsel, darkness veils His lovely face, devious schemes, dressed in his righteousness alone, Edward Mote, egotistic, faith, fellowship, followers of the enemy, frustration, God's grace, great was the fall of it, handle Satanic attacks, hard tiems, his blood supports me, holy spirit, I am the Lord I change not, I rest on his unchanging grace, in every high and stormy gale, in the twinkling of an eye, in the whelming flood, it fell, it fell not, it wwas founded upon the rock, Jesus bore our sins at Calvary, Jesus Christ, Jesus' blood and righteousness, lean on Jesus' name, liken him unto a wise man, LOVE, meet in the Lord's house, mercy, my anchor holds, My hope is built on nothing less, my soul can move, narcissistic, never to leave nor forsake us, not earth nor hell, on Christ the solid rock I stand, our pilot in times of storm, persecution, power, power to resist and rebuke the enemy, praise, promise, regardless of the circumstances, renew our faith, rest upon his unchanging love, salvation, shortsightedness, stormy gale, the dead raised incorruptible, the evil antics, the floods came, the parable of the wise and foolish builders, the rain descended, the rapture of the church, the trumpet shall sound, the winds blew, topical nature, trials and tribluations, trust His righteous character, trust the sweetest frame, truth, unchanging grace, unchanging love, we shall be changed, whoever hears these sayings, wisdom, world of chaos, worship
Matthew 7:24. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock:
And after another tough week of world chaos and frustration, we’re all glad to see Sunday roll around, so that we can meet in the Lord’s house, or anywhere at all, and in sincere fellowship worship and praise Him, while renewing our faith and bolstering our confidence which will enable us to handle all the Satanic influenced nonsense that the world is currently bombarding us with. What a sentence friends! I’m sure Bruh Paul would have been proud of its convolutedness (complicated, difficult to understand). (smile)
Anyway, let’s get on with the proceedings, and today we’ll open with a rather appropriate song for these times when our hope and faith are being seriously challenged by the evil antics and devious schemes being perpetrated by the numerous followers of the enemy, who are just basking in their newfound power. But in their foolish, narcissistic and egotistic shortsightedness, they don’t realize that we believers also have power, and a power that’s even greater than theirs, we just have to be wise and use it to rebuke and resist them.
And that song is the popular and well-known uplifter of faith, titled ‘My Hope Is Bult On Nothing Less.’ It’s supposedly the only hymn that the English author Edward Mote ever wrote. It was published in 1837 and soon became a favourite amongst believers because of its true and topical nature. And believe me, it is still true and topical today, maybe even more so than when it was written, since believers are undergoing so much more hard times and persecution.
So, as always, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise with all sincerity and truth in an up-tempo but soulful, scintillating, heartfelt rendition of the song. Singing: ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. (Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.)
When darkness veils His lovely face I rest on His unchanging grace In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil. (Refrain) His oath, His covenant, His blood Supports me in the ‘whelming flood When all around my soul gives way He then is all my hope and stay. (Refrain) Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move; I rest upon His unchanging LOVE. I trust His righteous character, His counsel, promise, and His pow’r.
[Refrain] When He shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in Him be found, dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.’ Oh thank You Lord…You solid rock… for all other ground is merely sinking sand…’ Yes my people, that was an awesome rendition of a truly biblical song! Heaven surely knew that we meant every word of it.
And one commentary tells us: ‘From what we know of the author’s life, “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less” was just as much an anthem of his own testimony as it has become for believers all over the world. Having grown up knowing nothing of God or His existence, Mote first attended church and became a Christian as a young adult. While still a new believer, he was compelled to try his hand at hymn writing. Thus, Mote wrote from a basic, yet profound understanding of his salvation.’
And hopefully, all of us modern day believers will acquire and/or achieve that profound understanding of our salvation for it’s what enables us to withstand the trials and tribulation of this evil and ungodly world. And the elements of that song did make a difference in Mote’s life, for he spent the last 26 years of his life as a Baptist Minister.
Now let’s look at a few of the biblical references in the song. First off, we know that the chorus ‘On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, refers to Jesus’ Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Builders, using the analogy of Christ as a rock with a firm basis in scripture.
Jesus said, ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt. 7:24-27)
That just goes to remind us friends, that we ought to build our lives on the sayings of Christ because they are strong and true. In other words, Christ is our sole means of salvation, He is our only hope. Anything else is sinking sand or worthless. The opening of the song is based on God’s grace, then it continues with the practical application of that grace in troubled times. It tells us that ALL HOPE is built on Jesus’ shed blood because that’s the source and foundation of our salvation.
And Jesus is the ONLY One we can trust: ‘I dare not trust the sweetest frame (the best person or human you can find),’ because humans are fickle and unfaithful, while Jesus is faithful, strong and true, as He proved when He bore our sins at the cross of Calvary. Therefore, we can depend on His unchanging grace, for He doesn’t change, as He says in Malachi: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) And are we ever thankful for that! (smile) That’s why the author could also trust in His unchanging LOVE.
And I like this line: ‘I trust His righteous character, His counsel, promise, and His pow’r.’ Now that’s showing true and undeniable support for all that Jesus is! And if He’s our pilot in every storm, then we know that our anchor will hold, we will not be moved or shaken, because He’s promised not to leave nor forsake us, regardless of the circumstances. And you can find that promise in both Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5.
And the last line of the song ‘When He shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in Him be found, dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne,’ is a fitting ending, for it corresponds with when Jesus returns for His church in the Rapture, as outlined by Bruh Paul in 1 Corinthians. ‘In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump (trumpet): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.’ (1 Cor. 15:52)
Oh my fellow saints, please, let’s live sincerely for Christ, so that we will be amongst those who are risen and changed at the sound of that last trumpet. Much LOVE!
…in this sinful, ever-changing, deceitful, corrupt and ungodly world…Jesus is the ONLY ONE…who stands tall, strong and true…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: about the tough rows I've hoed, according to his riches in glory, all at once, all things work together for good, and was dead, appreciate what we have, battle to the death, be in good health, be of good cheer, Bible, called according to His purpose, christianity, Christians are not pushovers, consider one another, courage, don't know our right hand from our left, don't worry about that much, Drinking from my Saucer, earthly sojourn, eternal second death, ever-faithful, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, fight the enemy, giving up is never an option, go along life's journey, God never fails, God will provide for all of our needs, God's strength is made perfect in my weakness, gospel truth, have the keys of hell and death, He is faithful that promised, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, I am alive for evermore, I am he that liveth, I encourage you today, i have overcome the world, I pronounce a blessing on your life, I shall not want, I thank God for all his blessings, I'm already blessed enough, I'm happy anyhow, I've got a friend in jesus, I've never made a fortune, I'll not ask for other blessings, if God gives me strength, in Jesus economy, in me ye might have peace, in the name of Jesus, Jabez, Jesus Christ, learn to be contented, like clockwork, living in LOVE, Lord help me not to grumble and complain, LOVE, mano a mano, may I never be too busy, mercy, my faith wore somewhat thin, never never give up, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, our cup is overflowing, our Triune God, reaping better than I sow, remain steadfast in faith, salvation, sometimes the going's rough, staying faithful, stop complaining, sweet sacrifices of praise, thanks be to God who gives us the victory, that makes me rich enough, the dark clouds broke, the last days, The Lord is my shepherd, the mercies he's bestowed, the sun peeped through again, times things went wrong, to go on living, to help others bear their loads, to provoke unto love and good works, to them that love God, too late now, trials and tribluations, truth, upon your family, We can do all things through Christ, when the way grows steep and rough, wisdom, you must prosper, you see the day approaching
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Oh friends, if there’s one thing we know it’s that one day follows the next like clockwork, because that’s the way God made it. That means Sunday always follows Saturday, which further means that it’s time for true believers in Jesus Christ to gather in His sanctuary, or wherever possible, to engage in fellowship with Him and with each other. And we’ll open today’s fellowship with a true and sincere song by Jamaican Gospel Artiste Jabez, titled ‘Drinking From My Saucer, from his album God Never Fails!
And we all know that as gospel truth! So let’s offer up some sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid tempo, soulful rendition of this truth-laden song. But before we sing, we pray: ‘We Worship You Lord, we worship You with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds.’ Then, singing: ‘I’ve Never Made A Fortune, And It’s Probably Too Late Now, Oh, but I Don’t Worry About That Much, Cause I’m Happy Anyhow. And As I Go Along Life’s Journey, I’m Reaping Better Than I Sow. I’m Drinking From My Saucer, Because My Cup Has Overflowed.
I haven’t Got A Lot Of Riches, And Sometimes The Going’s Rough, But I’ve Got a friend in Jesus, And That Makes Me Rich Enough. I Thank God For all His Blessings on me, And The Mercies He’s Bestowed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. I Remember Times When Things went Wrong, And my Faith Wore Somewhat Thin, But All At Once The Dark Clouds Broke, And the Sun Peeped Through Again,’
(Monologue:) ‘You know, right now you may be going through some rough times in your life, but I’m here to encourage you today, not to give up. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! I pronounce a blessing upon your life, upon your family. You must prosper and be in good health in the name of Jesus. I believe it with all my heart.’
(Singing:) ‘So Lord, Help Me Not To Grumble and complain About The Tough Rows That I’ve Hoed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. And If God Gives Me Strength And Courage to go on living, When The Way Grows Steep And Rough I’ll Not Ask For Other Blessings Jesus, For I’m Already Blessed Enough, And May I Never Be Too Busy, To Help Others Bear Their Loads, Then I’ll Keep Drinking From My Saucer Lord, Because My Cup Has Overflowed! Yes, I’ll keep drinking from my saucer Lord, Cause my cup has overflowed, Oh my cup has overflowed…. Yes My cup has overflowed… Thank You Lord, that my cup has overflowed…’
Ah mih people, almost all of us believers can agree on the truth of those words, encompassing the many trials we’ve experienced, but also the many blessings that the Lord has bestowed on us during our lifetime, especially in those times when we didn’t know our right hand from our left, or what step to take next. And that’s the beauty of our Triune God, He saves us, just when we’re about to go under. And though we might never accumulate many riches, we will always be contented if we walk with the Lord, for as Bruh David says in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps.23:1)
Now that should stop all worries, but He’s also promised that we can do all things through His strength, (Phil. 4:13) and will provide for all our needs, (Phil. 4:19), as well as His strength is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9) And we all know one of His many names is Ever-Faithful, so what’s there to be worried about eh?
Remember what the author of Hebrews also writes: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25)
Yes friends, that’s what we ought to be doing: staying faithful, living in LOVE, gathering to celebrate our faith and encouraging each other to do good works. And that’s especially important in these evil and ungodly times, when it seems like the last days are upon us. Now, more than ever, we need to be strong and take on the enemy, mano a mano and let him know that we Christians are not pushovers, but mighty in Christ Jesus, willing to battle him to the death!
And although many of us are still finding the going tough, believe me, we’re living better than most of the world, so let’s stop complaining and appreciate all that we have, for compared to may others, our cup is truly overflowing, so that we must drink from our saucer. Let’s also remember, that in Jesus’ economy, giving up is never an option. Those words don’t occur in His vocabulary.
And we need to hold on to this awesome promise found in Romans: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) That assures us that although things might go wrong during our earthly sojourn, in the end, the Lord will make it all right. Remember how Cousin Sol said it in Ecclesiastes: ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.’ (Eccl. 7:8)
In other words, ‘The end of a matter being better than the beginning highlights the importance of perseverance. We are encouraged to remain steadfast in our faith and actions.’ And that’s what following Jesus is all about; remaining steadfast and strong, true and faithful, despite the trials and tribulations we will undoubtedly face. And what better words to end with than these most reassuring one from Jesus, where He encourages the disciples thus: ‘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 we know that’s true because Bruh Paul says it in his first letter to the Corinthians: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor, 15:57) Meaning that ‘Jesus broke the power of sin and its relationship to death. His death on the cross paid for our sins so that believers will not face the eternal second death. His resurrection from the dead conquered death.’ And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, you might believe Jesus Himself when He says to John in Revelation: ‘I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (hades) and death.’ (Rev. 1:18)
Now, if you can’t believe Jesus, then something’s seriously wrong with your faith, and you’d better check it out immediately. Much LOVE!
…though trials will come…if we stand steadfast and true…the faithful promises of God…will help us triumph over them…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a peculiar people, according to the riches of his grace, after offering once and for all time, all blessings to impart, all glorious in the sky, all glory to his name, as a cloud, as a thick cloud, be acceptable in thy sight, believest thou this, Bible, blotted out, break forth into singing ye mountains, champion his cause, Christiaity, eternally to save, exalted there on high, exhort, expresses the confidence, faith, fellowship, for I have redeemed thee, from the depths of degradation, from the depths of our hearts, future generations, glorified himself in Israel, grants me daily breath, he lives, he lives to bring me safely there, he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, he that believes in me, his own special people, his sinless life for our redemption, holy spirit, I am the resurrection and the life, I know that my Redeemer lives, I shall conquer death, in a spot of bother, in gratitude to Christ, in whom we have redemption, Jesus Christ, judge him favourably, let everything that hath breath praise the Lord, let no man despise thee, let the words of my mouth, looking for that blessed hope, LOVE, loves me to the end, mercy, my ever living head, my hungry soul to feed, my kind my wise my heavenly friend, my mansion to prepare, my Prophet Priest and King, my Saviour, O Lord my strength and my redeemer, on the cross of Calvary, Praise ye the Lord, prayer, purify unto himself, reading of God's word, rebuke with all authority, recorded for posterity, redeem us from all iniquity, restore your faith in God, salvation, salvation is God's greatest gift, Samuel Medley, shout, shout Hallelujah, sinful ingrates, Sing O ye heavens, still the same, sweet sacrifices of praise, the forgiveness of sins, the glorious appearing of the great God, the Lord hath done it, the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, the meditation of my heart, the shed blood of Christ, the sweet joy this sentence gives, these things speak, though he were dead yet shall he live, through his blood, thy sins return unto me, thy transgressions, to bless me with his love, to calm my troubled heart, to comfort me when faint, to grant me rich supply, to guide me with his eye, to hear my soul's complaint, to help in time of need, to plead for me above, to silence all my fears, to wipe away my tears, triumphant from the grave, truth, vindicate him, what comfort this sweet sentence gives, while he lives I'll sing, who once was dead, whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die, wisdom, worship, ye lower parts of the earth, zealous of good works
Job 19:25. For I know that my redeemer (kinsman) liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter (last) day upon the earth.
Come on down friends, it’s Sunday once again, that means despite the cold weather, (smile) it’s time to join in fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary with other believers and renew and restore your faith and confidence in Almighty God, through worship, prayer and the reading of His Holy Word! And on tap for today’s worship session is an old 18th century hymn written by ex-army officer turned pastor, Samuel Medley (1738-1799). We know it as the old faithful ‘I know that My Redeemer Lives.’
And surely He does, for Jesus Christ after offering once and for all time, His sinless life as a sacrifice for our redemption is alive and kicking, sitting at the right hand of the throne of God waiting for His enemies to be made his footstool. (Heb. 12-13) So, in sweet sacrifices of praise, let’s offer up this champion song in gratitude to our Lord and Saviour, in a soulful but joyful mid-tempo version, revealing from the depths of our hearts, that we truly believe what we’re singing.
As one joyful and grateful voice: ‘I know that my Redeemer lives! What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, he lives, who once was dead; he lives, my ever-living head! He lives triumphant from the grave; he lives eternally to save; he lives all-glorious in the sky; he lives exalted there on high. He lives to bless me with his love; he lives to plead for me above; he lives my hungry soul to feed; he lives to help in time of need.
He lives to grant me rich supply; he lives to guide me with his eye; he lives to comfort me when faint; he lives to hear my soul’s complaint. He lives to silence all my fears; he lives to wipe away my tears; he lives to calm my troubled heart; he lives all blessings to impart. He lives, my kind, wise, heav’nly friend; he lives and LOVES me to the end; he lives, and while he lives, I’ll sing; he lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.
He lives and grants me daily breath; he lives, and I shall conquer death; he lives my mansion to prepare; he lives to bring me safely there. He lives, all glory to his name! He lives, my Savior, still the same. Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives! He lives; all glory to his name! He lives, my Savior, still the same. Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives!’
And if you don’t truly know and believe that friends, then I’d say you’re in a spot of bother, and ought to get it fixed right away, for all that the song says of Jesus is true, and the Bible proves it. And we can begin with this assured confirmation from the mouth of the patriarch Job. After the Lord had humiliated him, and his supposed friends were crying him down, he turned on them and proclaimed: ‘For I know that my redeemer (kinsman) liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter (last) day upon the earth.’ (Job 19:25)
Oh my people, let’s hope that we’re all as sure of those two facts as Job was…our Redeemer lives, and He will be standing beside us on the last day! I like how the scholars put it; ‘But from the depths of degradation he (Job) expresses the confidence that if his case could be recorded for posterity (vs. 23-24), future generations would judge him favourably. Furthermore, he knows confidently that he has a Redeemer. One who will champion his cause and vindicate him. Clearly Job viewed God Himself as the Redeemer.’
And it so happens that Job’s words were saved for posterity, and we do judge him favourably, and Jesus Christ has redeemed us all, through His shed blood on the cross of Calvary. And the word ‘redeemer’ has been used of God all through the Old Testament, for example in Psalm 19:14, a verse which we all know well. Bruh David writes: ‘Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (rock), and my redeemer.’
Isaiah also talks about it when he reminds Israel on God’s behalf that although they were sinful and disobedient, God will not forget them. “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.’ (Is. 44: 22-23)
Now that’s exactly what we should be doing; singing, breaking forth in true joy, or as Psalm 150 says; ‘Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah)!’ (Ps. 150:6) That’s because the Lord our God has most definitely redeemed us through His Son Jesus Christ! And of a fact, Salvation is the greatest gift our God could ever have given us sinful ingrates!
And who can deny these poignant and powerful words on the subject of redemption that Jesus spoke to Martha, Lazarus’ sister before He raised Lazarus from the dead. ‘Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26)
Now friends, that’s a most important question we should all be asking ourselves, and if the answer is no, then get to changing it immediately! And Bruh Paul made it very clear to the Ephesians that their redemption in God, was brought about through Jesus Christ: ‘In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.’ (Eph. 1:7)
And we could not end with better verses of scripture on the subject of redemption, than these three from the Epistle of Titus. ‘Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people (his own special people), zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.’ (Titus: 2:13-15)
What more can I say friends, but exhort us to go and do as the apostle says, if we consider ourselves true believers. Much LOVE!
…Jesus became the Redeemer of mankind…because He was the ONLY One capable of doing it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gospel music standard, a sacrifice for mankind, and to your children, be as wool, be baptized, be made the righteousness of God in Him, be reconciled back to Him, be red like crimson, be white as snow, Bible, bringing salvation to mankind, by the one offereing, Christ offered His sinless self, Christians, come now and let us reason together, Edwin Hawkins singers, even as many as the Lord will call, faith, fellowship, for the remission of sins, God placed all of our sins, good news, he hath made him to be sin for us, He taught me how, holy spirit, I will remember no more, imbued by the Holy spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ, It is finished, Jesus Christ, live rejoicing every day, LOVE, mercy, offered one sacrifice for sins forever, Oh Happy Day, on Jesus' sinless shoulders, on the cross of Calvary, once and for all time, perfected forever, pro, put my laws in their hearts, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, repeating the same sacrifices, repent, sacrifices of praise, salvation, salvation is for anyone who desires it, sat down on the right hand of God, that can never take away sin, The Day of Pentecost, the gift of salvation, the mountains of snow, the promise is unto you, the promise of redemption, their sins and iniquities, them that are sanctified, though your sins be as scarlet, till his enemies be made his footstool, to all that are far away, to watch and fight and pray, Triune God, truth, we could be set free, what a momentous day, when Jesus washed my sins away, who knew no sin, wisdom, write them in their minds
1 Corinthians 5:21. For he (God) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
It’s Sunday once again friends, and I don’t believe we’ll have to cancel the sanctuary visits and in person fellowship this weekend because the snow is all on the banks now, the roads are clean and the temperature has finally dropped a couple of degrees. The good news is that in the early part of next week we’re supposed to be getting temps above freezing for the first time in ages. And who says our God is not a good God eh? Let’s hope that it will be warm enough and long enough to melt away all the mountains of snow by which we’re now surrounded.
And since we can now get to church without too many impediments, I think our song of worship for today is rather appropriate. It’s that 1967 gospel music arrangement of an 18th-century hymn by clergyman Philip Doddridge, recorded by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, which became a big hit in the last years of the 70’s decade, and has now become a gospel music standard. We’re talking about “Oh Happy Day.” So, let’s put our hands, voices, and souls together as we offer up sacrifices of praise for being able to see another day, to join in fellowship in God’s sanctuary, and to be thankful for it. And please don’t forget the marvellous calls and responses: (smile)
Singing: ‘Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) (Repeat) He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day Every day Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day)
When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day (Good God) Every day Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, it’s a happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, Lord (Oh, happy day) Mmm, good God (Oh, happy day) Oh yeah (Oh, happy day) Mmm, oh (Oh, happy day).’
Oh yes friends, it’s certainly a happy day, because even though we might not be kicking too strong, we’re alive and imbued by the Holy Spirit of our Triune God. And there’s been no happier day in this universe than when our Lord and Saviour Jesus washed all our sins away. Wow! What a momentous day that was! And there are so many scriptures that refer to that tremendous day, that we can never cover them all, but will look at a few.
And I believe we can begin with this one that’s filled with the promise of redemption from the prophet Isaiah, when he promised on the Lord’s behalf: ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ (Is. 1:17-18) And that promise was faithfully kept when the Lord Jesus Christ offered his sinless self on the cross of Calvary as a sacrifice for all mankind, once and for all time.
Yes, when He cried out, ‘It is finished, and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.’ (John 19:30) That meant the work of bringing salvation to mankind had been successfully implemented for then and forevermore. No more sacrifices of animals and blood that could not erase, but only cover sin for a while. It took Jesus’ shed blood to lift the sins of all mankind. It was an awesome price that the Father desired, but Jesus willingly paid it for our benefit. As Bruh Paul writes in 2 Corinthians: ‘For he (God) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (1 Cor. 5:21)
Oh my people, the Lord placed all of our sins on Jesus’ sinless shoulders and made Him bear them so that we could be set free, be reconciled back to our Creator, which was His heart’s greatest desire. The point is that Jesus was the only one capable of doing that because He was sinless. That’s why on the famous day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit began indwelling believers, and Peter and the apostles addressed a large crowd who after hearing about Jesus and His crucifixion asked them what to do.
‘Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord shall call.’ (Acts 2:38-39) Ah my fellow believers, that’s why the gift of salvation is so important; it’s for anyone who desires it, for now and all time.
Wherefore the author of Hebrews could write thus: ‘And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes (repeatedly) the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man (Jesus), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting (waiting) till his enemies be made his footstool. For by the one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he hath said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities (lawless deeds) will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.’ (Heb. 10:11-18)
The author of Hebrews is there quoting Jeremiah 31: 33-34. And all of God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill to men!’ because that is exactly what Jesus came to earth to bring. So, my fellow saints, with the many promises of the Old Testament fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament, believers ought to be the most joyful people on God’s great earth! And if you’re not joyful, then something is seriously wrong with your faith, so please take a moment today and turn to God and ask Him to help you become as joyful as you ought to be! Much LOVE!
…if Christians were as joyful as they ought to be…then this world would be such a wonderful place…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, ashamed, Bible, burdened, by the example that we set, choosing the cross, Christ died to free us, christianity, come to the realization, come unto me, condemning ourselves, Consider This, desperately crying out for help, divine aid, does not impact God's love, easier to feel guilty, embrace your love and compassion, faith, faithfulness, falling short, feel inadequate, fellowship, find rest for your souls, for your fellowship in the gospel, free us from the slavery of sin, Friday chant, from God our Father, from the first day until now, gentle and humble, God's awesome hel, grace be unto you, holy spirit, I thank my God, I will give you rest, if the Son sets you free, In Christ I am enough, in every prayer, in every prayer of mine for you all, in His own way and time, inhabit God's rest, introudce a new flock of believers, It is finished, Jesus Christ, Jesus declared striving is over, Jesus paid it all, learn from me, LOVE, making request with joy, meditating on god's word, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, nothing left to do, omnipotent help, peace, peace and communion with God, problems are escalating, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, simmering unrest, sinful world, source of spiritual truth, sticking with me, take Jesus at His word, take my yoke upon you, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the great invitation, the Lord will bless you, the servant to sin, the throne of grace, there's' no achieving our way to God, through thick and thin, too good to be true, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, upon every reemembrance of you, wake up and smell the coffee, whatever we've done, whatever we've left undone, wisdom, wise guidance, you are free indeed, your faithfulness will not go unrewarded
John 8:36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be indeed.
A Good Friday Morning to all you my faithful Scrip-Bits friends and families. And as Bruh Paul would say, ‘Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.’ (Phil. 1:2-5)
And that’s the truth, friends. I thank the Lord for your journey with me every time I remember you, for I could not have done it without your continued faithfulness and God’s awesome help. Thank you ever so much for sticking with me through thick and thin. Your faithfulness will not go unrewarded, the Lord will bless you in His own way and time.
So, on this bright, sunshiny, cold winter’s day, after all the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ have gone up to high heaven, down here on earth there’s something I want to share with you from the February In Touch Devotional, it’s titled ‘Consider this:’ Please read with me. ‘As believers, we know that whatever we’ve done or left undone does not impact God’s LOVE at all. There is no achieving our way to God. Our peace and communion with Him simply are. So why do we sometimes still feel as if we’re falling short?
Maybe it’s easier to feel guilty than to be truly free. Or perhaps condemning ourselves feels more familiar. It could even be that Jesus’ freedom seems too good to be true. There must be a catch somewhere, right? But there is no catch. By choosing the cross, Jesus declared our striving is over, so take Him at His word. Anytime you feel inadequate, ashamed, or burdened, remind yourself, “In Christ, I am enough” or “It is finished.” Inhabit God’s rest – that’s what He wants for you.’
What wisdom my fellow believers! Because all of us feel at some time or the other that we’re not worthy, etc., etc., and some of us don’t feel right unless we feel guilty, and as they say, some of us feel it’s too good to be true. But friends, this is one time when it feels like it’s too good to be true, that IT IS TRUE! Christ died to free us, to relieve us of our earthly burdens and give us a heavenly attitude and concept. Why therefore these scriptures.
Jesus spoke to the people saying: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant (slave) to sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: But the Son abideth ever (forever). If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be indeed.’ (John 8:34-36) And it’s the gospel truth friends, because whom the Son sets free is indeed free, for Jesus died to free us from the slavery of sin.
As this commentary tells us: ‘Jesus is explaining the enslaving nature of sin, as compared to the freedom He offers in salvation. Jesus has already claimed to be the one and only source of spiritual truth (John 8:12), and that accepting this truth would rescue a person from sin and spiritual slavery (John 8:31–32).’
So why can’t we simply accept it and be done with all of our doubts, anxieties and fears eh? Because we’re still somewhat enslaved to sin and the foolishness of this ungodly world! And the only way to successfully let that go, is by growing in faith in Christ Jesus, which means plenty meditating on His Word and then putting it into practice in our lives. And as per the burdens of this world, please remember Christ’s Great Invitation, where He offers solace and peace to one and all.
‘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) Yes mih people, that’s what Christ offers if you take Him seriously, take Him at His word! And the only way to find out if it’s true is by accepting him as Lord and Saviour! For all that’s promised in the Lord’s word depends on accepting Christ!
If you don’t accept him as the pre-eminent person in your life, then none of what He says will apply to you. It’s like some of the slangs we have in the world; like ‘the taste of the pudding is the eating,’ ‘if you don’t jump in at the deep end you’ll never learn how to swim,’ and how can you know if the water is hot, unless you feel it.’ It’s the same way with Jesus ; if you don’t check him out seriously, you’ll never know what He’s really about, and won’t know how very much you’re missing. It all comes down, like most things in life, to personal experience!
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking God’s aid in these turbulent and ungodly times. 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!’
Oh friends, it certainly is time that we all come to the realization of how sinful and ungodly our world has become and be convicted that we do something serious about turning it around! That is, if we truly desire divine aid! Much LOVE!
…when Jesus said, “It is finished,” (John 19:30)…he meant there was nothing else to do, nothing left to pay…He paid it all—totally, completely, permanently…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to his riches in glory, all these things shall be added unto you, Bible, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, cancelled church services, christianity, come exalt His name forever, condolences, delivered me from every fear, down on my knees, every day and night, everything perfectly executed, faith, fellowship, from the bottom of my heart, gladness, glorify the Lord with me, God hears our prayers and worship wherever we are, he answered me, He'll give you everything, heavenly hosts, holy spirit, I sought the Lord, imagine myself, Jesus Christ, joy, let us bless the Lord, let us exalt His name together, LOVE, magnifying our great God, may our incense rise, mercy, my God will supply all your needs, my hands lifted in worship, never ending praise, not in tune with God's will, o magnify the Lord with me, O taste and see that the Lord is good, obedient to God's will, picturesques scenario of white, praising the name of God, raise our voices in sacrificial praise, raising their voices in one accord, salvation, saved me from mine enemies, seek ye first, Shane Barnard, the gospel truth, the kingdom of God and his righteousness, the Lord heard me, the Sermon on the Mount, the Son of God surrounds His saints, they'll never be ashamed, this poor man cried, those who look on Him are radiant, to the King of Kings, truth, walking with God, wily like the devil, wisdom, with all the other saints, worshipping in heaven, worshipping online
Psalm 34:3. ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’
And the snow began falling on Saturday…and except for a couple of short breaks…it’s still falling on Sunday afternoon. Brother, it’s just a picturesque scenario of white silently covering everything. It’s been so bad that several churches, including mine, canceled Sunday services in the sanctuary because it would have been difficult for most people to get out. So, today’s an online and television day for worshipping and fellowshipping. But it’s all good, for our great God hears our prayers and worship wherever we are.
And today in our session of afternoon praise and worship we’re going open with one of my all-time favourite songs, taken by songwriter Shane Barnard from the marvellous words of Bruh David in Psalm 34, Praise to the Lord, and so aptly titled ‘O Taste and See that the Lord is Good.’ And no one does it as beautifully as the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. So, without further ado, let’s raise our voices in sacrificial praise to high heaven, in gratitude for all that we are and have through the amazing and selfless sacrifices of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Singing: ‘I sought the Lord And He answered me And delivered me From every fear. Those who look on Him Are radiant They’ll never be ashamed They’ll never be ashamed. This poor man cried And the Lord heard me And saved me from My enemies. The Son of God Surrounds His saints He will deliver them He will deliver them. Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good Oh blessed is he Who hides in Him.
Oh fear the Lord Oh all you saints He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. (Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Repeat) (Let us bless the Lord Every day and night Never ending praise May our incense rise. (Repeat 4 times) Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. {Repeat} Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. …He’ll give you everything…’
And that is the gospel truth if you are obedient to His holy will! He’s promised that so often in His word. Even Jesus reminded us of it, when He declared in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And Bruh Paul reiterated it in his letter to the Philippians: ‘My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 4:19) No wonder we don’t get a lot of what we desire, because we’re not as in tune with His will as we ought to be.
But, getting back to our song, if you’ve never heard it as done by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, then I strongly suggest you do so as soon as possible. And even better yet, check out their video of it. It’s such a total picture of worship, as these commentaries on it so joyfully declare. This first one says: ‘This is how it would be like in heaven. Every voice, musicians, race, soul praising the name of God. Amen!!’ And the second is like unto it: (smile) ‘Every frame, every beat, every note, perfectly executed. THIS is musical perfection in gospel music.’ Without a doubt my people!
And the song is merely a different arrangement of Bruh David’s words found in Psalm 34, verses 3-10, that begin with ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’ put to glorious music. And what catches me most about that video is the way the musicians themselves get into it. You can see the joy and gladness as they play. And believe me, that is often the most important part of any song rendition, how much the musicians themselves are motivated to play.
And to tell the truth, this late in the afternoon, I don’t know what else to say nuh, (smile) because the words of the song says it all. You can read the psalm for yourself and see how the song was ingeniously extracted from it. So, we’ll just close with a couple more interesting commentaries on the song, that say so much more than I ever can.
Please read with me: ‘I work in ER, single parent, university student, worked through the pandemic. Got really bad Covid end of January. Still on long term recovery. Got too painful last week and I found myself ‘telling’ God what He could do to fix this. Went on YouTube and this song came up. I stood up and started worshiping even though I did not know the words. Before I knew it, I was down on my knees with my hands lifted up in worship. I’m back at work in ER but I have not stopped playing this song. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this worship. My deepest condolences to everyone who lost a loved one. God bless you and keep you safe.’
Then there’s this: ‘Every time I listen to this song, I imagine myself along with all the other saints in heaven worshipping. This song carries a strong anointing. You can feel the presence of the heavenly hosts.’ And what about this one? ‘The worship that the people utter after the song is like Heaven, every race, every tongue raising up their voices in one accord unto The King of Kings.’ And there’s nothing better to close with than this commentary: ‘I just imagine being in heaven worshipping with this magnificent choir, just magnifying our great God! Hallelujah!!!’ Amen, my people, Amen!
Now that’s how a song of worship ought to affect us; have us all thinking about heaven and us singing along with all the heavenly hosts. (smile) So, let’s hope that what we’ve said today has uplifted and encouraged us despite the crazy, snowy weather outside. And if you do have to go out in it, please be very careful, because it looks innocent, but it’s like the very devil himself; wily and very dangerous. And above all, please make sure that you are walking with God as your Guide, Protector and Friend! Much LOVE!
…our God LOVES to hear us worship Him sincerely…so why don’t we worship Him more with our hearts…and not merely our mouths eh…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grave, a grave in the angry deep, a great storm of wind, a raging storm, and of the Holy Spirit, and of the son, asleep on a pilow, baptizing them, Bible, Bill and Gloria Gaither Homecoming, blessed time, bring you successfully through the storm, bringing order to a chaotic situation, calm the storms of our lives, carest not that we perish, chaotic state of the world, christianity, clinging tightly to Jesus, demons, divine help, each moment, even the winds and the sea obey him, even to the end of the world, evil men, faith, fellowship, fellowship with God, get down on your knees, get up Jesus, go ye therefore, God is always with you, God will give you peace, having Jesus as Lord and Saviour, He will never leave nor forsake you, He will sustain you, holy spirit, how can you lie there asleep, how is it that ye have no faith, I am with you always, I have commanded you, in all of your needs, In the Midnight Hour, in the name of the Father, in the stern of the ship, in times of storm, Jessy Dixon, Jesus Christ, Jesus constantly questions, Jesus is the only answer, Jesus reveals His authority and power over nature, joy, last days, LOVE, make disciples of all nations, Mary A Baker, mercy, no help is nigh, no shelter, no water can swallow the ship, overshadowed with blackness, pass over unto the other side, peace be still, praise, put your trust in the Lord, quiet the storm, rebuked the wind, regain our focus, renews our faith, restores our confidence, said unto the sea, salvation, shall obey thy will, so madly is threatening, start taking the battle to the enemy, sweet sacrifices of praise, talk to Jesus, teach all nations, teaching them, tempestuous times, thanksgiving, the best defence is strong offence, the billows are tossing high, the Great Commission, the Lord can speak peace to your situation, the Lord will give you peace, the Lord's saving power, the Master of the ocean earth and sky, the Prince of Peace, the sea of Galilee, the sky, the storms of life come your way, The tempest is raging, the tempestuousness of the times, the vim and vigour, the waves beat into the ship, the wind ceased, the winds and waves, the wrath of the storm tossed sea, there was a great calm, time to gather in the Lord's sanctuary, to do the Lord's work, to heart, to observe all things, to spur people to deeper trust, truth, when you feel lonely, wherein lies the master, why are ye so fearful, Wilfred Graves, wisdom, words of encouragement, worship
Mark 4:40. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
Sunday, Sunday, most welcome Sunday! That blessed time for believers to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary and observe His special day with praise, worship, joy and thanksgiving! And that’s a must, especially in these turbulent and tempestuous last days, because fellowship with God and with others, renews our faith, restores our confidence and gives us the vim and vigour we so desperately need to get out into our troubled and evil world and do the very important work that Jesus desires of us, as stated in our 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 to the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20) And from the very chaotic state of our world, it’s obvious we haven’t being our duty to the best of our ability, that’s why we need to regain our focus and start taking the battle to the enemy, instead of waiting for him to come to us. Remember, the best act of defence is strong offense.
So, today, we’re going to open our worship session with a very appropriate song for these tempestuous times, titled, ‘The Tempest is Raging!’ It’s a Mary A Baker composition, wonderfully done by the Chicago Gospel Artist, Jessy Dixon in concert with the Bill and Gloria Gaither Homecoming Ensemble. So, without further ado, let’s open our hearts, mouths and voices in sweet sacrifices of praise, as we render a most soulful and heart rending version of this marvelous song.
Singing: ‘Master, the tempest is raging, Oh, The billows are tossing high The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness Oh, No shelter, no shelter or help is nigh – Carest thou not that we perish? How canst you lie, How canst thou lie there asleep When it seems like each moment so madly is threatening, Oh A grave. a grave, a grave in the angry deep?
Get up Jesus because! The winds and the waves shall obey thy will. All you got to say is, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still. Whether the wrath, the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, Or demons, or evil men, or whatever it be No water can swallow the ship wherein lies The Master of the ocean, the earth and sky They all shall sweetly obey thy will, If You say, Peace, peace, be still They all shall sweetly obey thy will, If You say, Peace, peace, peace, be still.
The Lord will give you peace, He wants to give you peace, In the midnight hour, When there’s nobody else there, God will give you peace, When you feel lonely, You have someone who will give you perfect peace. He‘ll be your friend, Yes He will, The Lord will give you peace, If you’re looking for peace, in all of your needs, in all of your days, get down on your knees and talk to Jesus, Yes talk to Jesus. Yes whenever the Lord says, there will be peace, there will be peace, For He knew it, yes He knew it, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still Peace, be still…..’
Oh that was wonderful my fellow believers! And yuh know why, because it truly evoked the tempestuousness of the times we’re living in, as well as the unsettled and unpeaceful situations in so many of our own personal lives. And the only way to handle both a tempestuous world and a tempestuous personal life is by having Jesus as Lord and Saviour and clinging tightly to Him. For remember, He is the Prince of Peace! (Is. 9:6) And ONLY He can calm the storms in our world and in our own lives. Or as the song says, ‘No water can swallow the ship wherein lies The Master of the ocean, the earth and sky.’
And we all know the story on which the song is so competently based. Mark tells it thus: ‘And the same day, (Jesus, after speaking in parables to the multitudes), when the even (evening) was come, he saith unto them (the disciples), Let us pass (cross) over unto the other side. (The other side of the sea of Galilee). And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there was also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full (already filling).
And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part of the ship (the stern), asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master (Teacher), carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the winds and the sea obey him.’ (Mark 4:35-41)
And that last question is an easy one to answer. The wind and sea obey Him because like us, He is their Creator and Controller and sets their boundaries and directions. Meanwhile, as per Jesus’ question to the disciples about their lack of faith, the scholars tell us that ‘Jesus constantly questions in order to spur people to deeper trust.’ And since many of us can use a sense of deeper trust in these tough times, we should possibly ask that question of ourselves right now: why is our faith not as great as it ought to be? And then turn to the Lord and ask for it to increase. (smile)
Now, let’s end on this note of encouragement from an article by Wilfred Graves on the subject of ‘Peace be still.’ He writes: ‘In our text, Jesus reveals his authority and power over nature by bringing order to a chaotic situation. He says to a raging storm, “Peace, be still!” Immediately, the winds and waves obey his command. No matter what you may be going through in your life right now, the Lord can speak peace to your situation.
When the storms of life come your way, you can put your trust in the Lord and He will sustain you. He is always with you and He will never leave nor forsake you. The Lord will either quiet the storm that you are in or He will bring you successfully through the storm. Sometimes God saves us from trouble; sometimes he saves us in trouble. In either case, divine help comes to those who put their trust in the Lord’s saving power.’
Oh friends, I could not have said it any better. So let’s take those words of encouragement to heart nuh! Much LOVE!
…in times of storm…Jesus is the ONLY answer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lifelong relationship, Ah cyar leave Him, ah cyar live life without him, an unbreakable seal, being justified by his blood, Bible, chocked full of truth, Christ died for the ungodly, christianity, Christians, come from the darkness, Denyse Plummer, divine ownership, eternal separation from God, faith, fellowship, for God I go dead, For God man I living, from revelry to righteousness, from sin to salvation, full of life but so empty, gather in the Lord's house, gave my life to Jesus, getting to know Jesus, glee, go tell my enemies, God commendeth his own love toward us, gospel lyrics, He came to earth and died on the cross, he is my shelter, heard the word of truth, heat up the place, holy spirit, hot hot hot, I am under the rock, I found the truth, I recommend you try him, I saw the light, in due time, in his arms you'll find me there, in times of storm, in whomw I will trust, Jahovah, Jahovah hides me, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the best upgrade, Jesus is the cause, Jesus offered up his sinless life, Jesus shed blood on the cross, journey down south, justification, kept forever by the power of God, King of Kings, land of carnival and calypso, LOVE, mercy, more than gold, more than silver, my deliverer, my fortress, my god, my high tower, my strength, Na Leaving, never condemn or forsaken me, no remission of sins, on my way to a fiery end, our great high priest, reconciled to God, reverence, reworked song, righteousness, rose up just like a boss, salvation, sanctification, saved by his life, saved from wrath, sealed until the day of redemption, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, someone told me about a Saviour, surrender our all to Jesus, the amazing transformation Jesus brings, the Christian walk, the darkness of sin, the death of his son, the gospel of salvation, the greatest decision, the horn of my salvation, the identification mark of a believer, The Lord is my rock, the reason I'm still living, the rock is higher than I, the soca hit, the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, to save us from eternal death, tribute, truth, wallowing deep in a pig pen, when we were yet without strength, when you see me smiling, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, why are ye so fearful, why don't you have faith, wisdom, without the shedding of blood, Yahweh, Yeshua
Romans 5:6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly.
Another Sunday! Another occasion to gather in the Lord’s house and fellowship with other believers. But since it’s somewhat cold and cloudy, we’ve decided to take a much-deserved break from those dreary weather conditions and for today’s worship session journey down south to the beautiful twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, the land of calypso and carnival. And we’re going to warm up, no heat up the place, hot, hot, hot, with this beautiful meshing of African and East Indian riddims that we call chutney soca. It’s a reworked song with gospel lyrics based on the soca hit ‘Na Leaving’ by the late calypso songbird Denyse Plummer.
And just as ‘Na Leaving,’ was a big hit as it celebrated all the good things of T&T, that those who were leaving would miss, likewise the renamed song ‘Ah Cyar Leave Him!’ referring to Jesus was, still is, and will always be a mighty gospel hit! So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise with a sincere and heartfelt, scintillating rendition of this gospel song ‘Ah Cyar Leave Him,’ one so chocked full with everlasting truth!
And as the sweet, easy rocking chutney soca music starts, we hear a couple bars, then we shout out ‘Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah! From revelry to righteousness…Cyar leave Him. From hell-bound to holiness…Cyar leave Him. From sin to salvation…Cyar leave him. A kingdom destination…Cyar leave Him. There I was, in my glee, wallowing deep in a pig pen, full of life, but so empty, on my way to a fiery end. But someone told me about a Saviour, who said He LOVES me and He cares. In times of storm He is my shelter, so in His arms you’ll find me there.
Yuh see ah cyar live life without Him, He is my King of Kings, He’s the reason I’m still living. Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. Never condemn or forsaken me dread…Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. For God man I living, For God I go dead. There are so few, who made it through, and come from the darkness of this world. But I saw the light, I found the truth. I have more than silver, more than gold. I gave my life over to Jesus, the greatest decision I’ve made. Boy I recommend you try Him, Jesus is the best upgrade. He came to earth and died on the cross, rose up just like a boss, when yuh see me smiling, He’s the cause.
Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. Never condemn or forsaken me dread…Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. For God man I living, For God I go dead. I am under the rock. The rock is higher than I. Jahovah hides me. I am under the rock. Go tell my enemies, that I am under the rock. Jahovah hides me, I am under the rock. I am under the rock. The rock is higher than I. Jahovah hides me. I am under the rock. Go tell my enemies, that I am under the rock. Jahovah hides me, I am under the rock.
From revelry to righteousness…Cyar leave Him. From hell-bound to holiness…Cyar leave Him. From sin to salvation…Cyar leave him. A kingdom destination…Cyar leave Him. Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah! (And we shout again) Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah!’
Wow mih bredrin, that sure was wonderful! And yuh better believe that all of heaven, even the Father, was rocking along and singing with us as we gave much deserved praise to our great High Priest, our Lord and Saviour, our King of Kings, the One and Only Jesus Christ! And though Jesus seemed to be a li’l embarrassed by all the praise, nonetheless, He too was tapping His feet and clapping His hands as the sweet soca chutney melody permeated heaven and raised the level of joy normally found there!
Now that’s certainly saying something, for heaven usually has a very high level of joy. But the fact is that all the song says is true, and heaven acknowledged it with us. And yuh better believe that is the kind of difference, the amazing transformation Jesus performs in our lives when we surrender our all to Him! He does bring us from ‘revelry to righteousness, hell-bound to holiness and from sin to salvation.’ For remember that the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.’ (Rom. 6:23)
Yes friends, through His shed blood on the cross of Calvary, Jesus saved us from hellfire and damnation and brought us holiness and salvation instead. And when we were joyfully wallowing in our pig pens, clothed in the darkness of sin, but truly empty of God and heading straight for hellfire, we’d better thank the Lord that someone told us about Jesus who LOVES and cares for us, so much so that He freely offered up His sinless life to save us from our sins and eternal death, meaning eternal separation from the Father.
As Bruh Paul writes in Romans. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having been) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being (having been) reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.’ (Rom. 5:6-10)
Oh my people, all the good things that have happened to us, like salvation, justification, sanctification, reconciliation, righteousness, etc. etc. have all stemmed from Jesus’ shed blood on the cross, for without the shedding of blood there’s no remission of sin. (Heb. 9:22) And He not only saves us from sin, but also shelters us from the storms of life, because He can calm the seas and the winds as He did when crossing the Sea of Galilee with the disciples. And ended up saying to His terrified companions: Why are ye so fearful? How is that ye have no faith .’ (Mark 4:40)
And that word faith plays a rather big role in our walk with Jesus, for if we don’t believe, have strong faith in Him, then we will not have a successful Christian life. That’s the first step in our Christian walk, after we see the light and find the truth, which is worth so much more than silver or gold. And believe me friends, giving your life to Jesus is the best decision you can ever make, for as the song so rightly says, He is indeed ‘the best upgrade.’ (smile)
And the scriptures, especially the psalms tell us that Jehovah is indeed our rock, our shelter from the storm. Bruh David says it well in Psalm 18: ‘The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower.’ (Ps. 18:2) We couldn’t get a better description than that friends!
And most importantly, once Jesus comes into your life, you cannot get away from Him, even if you want to, as the Bible tells us: ‘In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,’ (Eph. 1:13) In other words, ‘it is the mark of identification that the believer is truly God’s own and is kept forever by the power of God. It is an unbreakable seal of divine ownership and salvation.’
Wow! But yuh know what, my fellow saints, even without that seal unto the day of redemption, (Eph. 4:30) once we truly get to know Jesus, it’s simply impossible to leave Him, for such is the great LOVE and compassion He inspires in us! So please, let’s pay Him the awesome tribute and reverence that He deserves! Much LOVE!
…getting to know Jesus…is a beautiful lifelong relationship…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grain of mustard seed, accept calamity, all the days of my life, an encouragement to many people, bankrupt the business, Bible, blessed be God, bnelievers in Christ Jesus, burn out, Christian, christianity, comforts us in all tribulation, curse God and die, don't lose faith, eliminate debts, faith, fellowship, for being god in my valley, God on the Mountain, God will come through for you, have faith in God, He'll make them right, holy spirit, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, I will fear no evil, in God's name, in the presence of mine enemies, is still god in the bad times, is still god in the night, is the God in the valley, it's down in the valley, Jesus Christ, life is easy when you're on the mountain, loaded with debt, LOVE, make serious inroads into, mercy, mired in negative situations, my cup runneth over, not receive evil, O ye of little faith, our God is a good God, receive good at God's hand, retain your integrity, retake the world, reverence God, salvation, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, sweet sacrifices of praise, swimming pools, talk a good talk of faith, talk comes easy, thank you locrd, the evil world system, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the gifts we're given to share with others, the God of Comfort, The God of the day, the God of the good times, the God on the mountain, the grace to comfort others, the valley of the sahdow of death, therapy, things change, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Tracy Dartt, trials and temptations, truer words were never spoken, truth, up on the mountain, up our ante, wake up from slumber, we are comforted by God, we can comfort those in trouble, when life's at its best, when things go wrong, when you're down in the valley, where your faith is really tested, why are ye fearful, wisdom, worship, you have peace of mind, you're never alone
Psalm 23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Now, the year 2025, and the month of January seem to be making a headlong dash for some unknown winner’s wire, because both of them started out so quickly. We just celebrated New Years, and the month is already half done. That means we believers in Christ Jesus have to up our ante right away, if we intend to make any serious inroads into the evil world system. And this Sunday, the second of the year gives us the opportunity to do just that, as we gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship, worship, give thanks and receive encouragement in our faith.
So let’s get to some worship right away, by singing that soulful, but oh so true song, written by Tracy Dart, in the mid 1970’s, so aptly titled ‘God On the Mountain.’ Yes, let’s offer up sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt version, sincerely meaning all we say. Singing: ‘Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known. But things change, when you’re down in the valley. Don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone. For the God on the mountain, is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day is still God in the night.
You talk of faith when you’re up on the mountain. But talk comes so easy when life’s at its best. But it’s down in the valley, of trials and temptations That’s where your faith, is really put to the test. For the God on the mountain is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day, is still God in the night. The God of the day, is still God in the night.’
And isn’t that the living truth my fellow believers! Our God is the One and Only True God; meaning He’s there in the day and the night, in the tough times and the good ones, as well as up on the mountain top or down in the valley. He is omnipresent, all-pervasive, as no other supposed God is! That’s why we worship and LOVE and give Him the thanks and praise that we do!
And the story behind the birth of that song is really interesting. Apparently in 1974, Dartt and his wife were building swimming pools in the California desert, in partnership with a friend. Things were going well, and they even founded a country gospel group called the ‘Country Congregation’ that sounded pretty good, with Dart writing most of their music. However, as life unfurled, their business began to fail, and eventually his partner, who had suffered a severe case of burn out while trying to right the business, gave the business to him loaded with debt and no money to build the swimming pools they had on order.
But our God is a good God, and if you believe and have faith, even as much as grain of mustard seed, He will come through for you. Mr. Dart writes: ‘In the midst of the turmoil, I awakened from a troubled sleep one night. It was two o’clock in the morning. A tune was echoing in my troubled brain. I picked up a tablet and a pencil and began to write, “Life is easy when you’re up on the mountain, and you’ve got peace of mind like you’ve never known. But, when things change and you’re down in the valley, don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone.”
“Thank You, Lord,” I prayed, “for being God in my valley.” The chorus came, “The God on the mountain is still God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right…” In all, it took about thirty minutes. I again prayed, “Thank You, Lord,” and then settled back down to sleep. Morning came, breakfast and prayer time. “Lord, show us Your will.” I went off to work.
Shortly after arriving at the office, the phone rang, “Mr. Dartt, could you please help us?” I grabbed my brief case and went to see the people who had called. Their son was a gifted athlete, but had been in a motorcycle accident and was paralyzed from the waist down. His doctor had recommended a swimming pool for the therapy the young man needed in order to walk again. I began the process of designing and building a pool for them.
A few days later, another call came, “Mr. Dartt could you come talk to me about a pool?” So, through the off-season, we ended up selling and building 12 pools in all, at a time when no one else was building pools. The building season came, and all of a sudden, we were able to finish all of our construction and eliminate our debts. We were free and clear, without having to bankrupt the business. God had taken us through the valley.’
What more can you say eh? And that’s precisely why we praise and worship and glorify the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Now,the song has been recorded by numerous artists and translated into several languages. And as Dartt says: ‘This simple little song, comprised of 72 words and 4 chords, has been an encouragement to thousands of people. “Thank you, Lord, for the mountains and the valleys, and the gifts we are given to share with others.” And that’s exactly how our great God works; giving us gifts in times of need to share with others.
And what better scripture to reflect that, than these famous words of Bruh David from Psalm 23: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:4-6) Truer words were never spoken my people!
And another famous scripture on faith during adversity is this one from Job, when the Lord allowed Satan to bring him low. While Job was scraping the boils from his body in the ashes, his wife said to him: ‘Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil (accept calamity)? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.’ (Job 2:9-10) I wonder how many of us could have lost all of our many material possessions and children through no fault of our own, and still retain our integrity like Job did? Not many.
And we’ll close with this all embracing and true scripture passage, titled the Comfort of God. Bruh Paul writes to the Corinthians: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Yes friends, our God can comfort us in any situation, and that also gives us the grace to comfort others who are mired in negative situations. What a great and merciful God we serve! And if we truly reverence Him, then, please, let’s wake up from our slumber and retake the world in His awesome name nuh! Much LOVE!
…why are ye fearful…oh ye of little faith… (Matt. 8:26)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's voice is known by multitude of words, a man's word is his honour, all the days of his life, ambassadors for Christ, anxiety, ascended to high heaven, backsliders, barren woman, barter with God, be better witnesses for Christ, be not rash with thy mouth, be resposible, better is it that thou shouldest not vow, Bible, bitterness of soul, break our oaths, broken with impunity, burn out, character, chores, christianity, Christians, confusion, contracts, covenants, crying out for your help, deceitful, deceitful world, defer not to pay it, disciples of Jesus, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, error of their ways, faith, fellowship, forget our part of the bargain, fraudulent, Friday chant, give me a man child, go our merry way rejoicing, God hath no pleasure in fools, God is in heaven, God pulls us out, Hannah, high esteem, holy, holy spirit, housework, I will give him unto the Lord, in olden times, integrity, Jesus Christ, lack of cooperation, let not thine heart be hasty, let thy words be few, LOVE, mercy, new flock of believers, no razor shall come upon his head, not held sacred, omnipotent help, our Number One Job, our sinful world, partying, pay that which thou hast vowed, prayed tearfully, problems are escalating, promises, promises are made to be broken, promises should be unbreakable, sacrosanct, salvation, Samuel's mother, simmering unrest, sindul behaviour, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, sullies our reputation, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, than thou shouldest vow and not pay, the example we faithful believers set, the fiery furnace, the priest Eli, the throne of grace, thou upon the earth, to utter anything before God, took him under his wing, totally binding, truth, ungodly generation, ungodly times, vows, wake up and smell the coffee, wept in anguish, when thou vowest a vow unto God, wisdom, wise guidance
Ecclesiastes 5:5. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.
So friends, Friday’s here at last, and numerous shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ have already ascended to high heaven. And it’s good to have the weekend come around, but please, let’s remember to not use it just for partying and idle, sinful behaviour, but for the purposes that it was granted; that’s rest, relaxation and fellowship with other believers in Christ Jesus! And that’s because we need to have our minds, souls, bodies, and faith renewed and refreshed so that we can go back into the world the following week and once again work diligently for Christ.
Now, I know that many of us have lots of housework to do, chores that couldn’t be done during the work week, but please don’t let the weekend be all about housework, make time to get in a reasonable amount of those renewing and refreshing factors of life. (smile) That way, we will escape burn out from too much work and worry, and continue being useful ambassadors and disciples of Jesus, which is our Number One Job.
And today we’ll talk about vows, promises, covenants, contracts, things that today are not held sacred, but are broken with impunity, helped by the lax law of the land. In olden times a vow, promise, contract or covenant was totally binding, but in this deceitful, fraudulent and ungodly generation those things are not held in high esteem and agreements are disregarded without much thought or fear. A man’s word is no longer his honour. We seem to believe the saying; promises are made to be broken.
But friends, breaking a promise or contract is one of the worst things we can ever do, for it sullies our reputation, while damaging our integrity and our character. Our word will no longer be trusted by others, and we will suffer judgement and lack of cooperation by those we desire to work with. So, it’s not wise to break our oaths without very good cause, especially one made to God. Yuh know how we like to barter with God, especially when we find ourselves in tough situations, with words like: ‘Oh God, if you will only do this or that for me, I will do this or that in return.’ And when the Lord pulls us out of the fiery furnace, we forget all about our part of the bargain, and just go our merry way rejoicing.
Now that won’t wash with God, for He doesn’t like people who don’t keep their promises. We need to be people of integrity, especially with God. People like Hannah, the prophet Samuel’s mother. Remember how she was barren for a long time and prayed tearfully to the Lord to have a son. The scripture tells it thus: ‘And she (Hannah) was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore (in anguish). And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then will I give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.’ (1 Sam. 1:10-11)
And we know that the Lord heard Hannah’s prayer, and did indeed bless her with a man child, whom she named Samuel (heard by God), and when he was probably about three years old she took him to the temple in Shiloh and presented him to the priest Eli, who took him under his wing and taught him about the Lord and the workings of His service. Now that’s what meant by keeping your word, your vow.
And, as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, Cousin Sol issues a very strong warning on the subject. He writes: ‘Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven and thou upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business (effort, activity); and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it: for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:2-5)
Oh my fellow believers we cannot get any better advice than that. And please, let’s also do it in all our communications with man, not just with God. That’s the only way we will bring some integrity back into our forlorn and deceitful world. And I like how the scholars explain it. ‘The emphasis of the passage is on the folly of an empty religious profession before a sovereign God: God is in heaven, and thou upon the earth. God expects sincerity and meaningfulness in worship; He is not impressed with foolish vows.’
Oh, how I wish that many of us could understand that and stop trying to barter with God. Cousin Sol tells it thus in Proverbs. ‘It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy (to devote rashly something as holy, consecrated), and after vows to make enquiry (reconsiders his vows).’ (Prov. 20:25) Yes friends, let’s not speak too quickly, or too much, for it will only get us in serious trouble, both with God and man. So now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help in these troubled and trying times.
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!’
Now, let’s not forget, that for divine aid to be doled out to us, we need to become better, more faithful witnesses for Christ! Much LOVE!
…promises…both to God and man…should be held inviolable…unbreakable…sacrosanct…holy…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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