28 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of repentance, aboilshed in his flesh the enmity, acces by one Spirit unto the Father, all one in Christ, an IOUa certificate of debt, being dead in your sins, Bible, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, broken down the middle wall of partition, christianity, contrary to us, dressed in its Sunday best, experience the hope of your salvation, faith, fellowship, For christ is our peace, forgiven you of all trespasses, Gentiles, gift of salvation through grace, I come to the cross, in one body by the cross, indebted to God, into the presenece of the King of Kings, into your strength, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jews, looking like riff raff, LOVE, mercy, nailing it to the cross, one new man, open our hearts and souls, out of my weakness, paid the price for my guilt, preached peace, quickened together with him, reconcile both unto God, remember me, salvation, seeking mercy and grace, show some respect to the Lord's sovereignty, spiritual life, sweet sacrifices of praise, tears in my heart, the Mosaic Law, the uncircumcision of your flesh, the wonder of Christ's crucifixion, to make in himself of twain, to them that were nigh, to you whcih were afar, today thou shalt be with me in paradise, took it out of the way, truth, when thou comest into thy kingdom, wisdom, you call me by name, you died in my place, you welcome this child that was lost, your arms are open
Colossians 2:14. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.
Here comes Sunday, here comes Sunday, dressed in its Sunday best! Ah friends, remember the days when going to church was a fashion show? Everybody dressed in the clothes they only wore on Sundays…and the ladies with their fantastic hats. No lady would go to church without a hat! Now that might have been a bit much, because many of us just went to church to see what our friends and neighbours were wearing and to gossip about their ensemble later on.
But today things have turned right around, people go to church looking any ole how. And technically speaking, we’re not going to church for the clothes, because the Lord will accept us anyhow, once our hearts are sincere. But with the Lord’s sovereignty we should still show some respect by going into the Lord’s house looking decent. We don’t go into the presence of earthly kings looking untidy and unkempt, so why go into the presence of the King of Kings looking like riff raff eh?
Anyway, enough of my spiel, let’s talk about our opening song. It’s a song written in 2003 by Bob Somma and Bill Batstone, and very wisely titled ‘I come to the Cross.’ It’s basically a song of repentance and salvation, of where our strength lies, where the foundation of our faith is laid – in the cross of Jesus. So, let’s offer up sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, heartfelt version. And as we sing the poignant, touching words, let’s imagine ourselves at the foot of Jesus’ cross, offering repentance for our sins, and receiving His offer of salvation through grace.
Like one of the two criminals crucified with Christ, who confessed his sin, and said unto Jesus: ‘Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ (Luke 23:42-43) And before we get into the song, let me share this commentary on that scripture:
“Today, you will be with me in paradise.” Let that soak in, that for all who trust in who Jesus is, and what Jesus has done on the cross, in the moment you die on this earth, that day, that moment, you will be with Jesus in paradise, in heaven. You will experience the hope of your salvation.’ It couldn’t get any better than that friends!
So let’s sing: ‘I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Humbly, I come to the cross. I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross. Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame,
Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross. I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross. Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame, Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross Jesus, I come to the cross…Jesus, I come to the cross….’
Oh my people, the words of that song ring so true that there can be no doubt about them. And to show how powerful they can be, please read this comment on the song from an impressed listener. She writes: ‘Praise the Lord. Thank you for the wonderful song “I Come To The Cross.” When I first heard this song, I was so touched by it and found tears in my heart because He died on the cross for my sins and this song really opened my eyes and my whole being to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior for as long as He allows me to live. So again, thank you for your wonderful ministry. May God bless you and may your ministry touch someone else the same way it touched me. Your sister in Christ, Salaia.’
Yes friends, that’s the way the words of the song ought to touch us; to open our hearts and souls to the wonder of Jesus crucifixion on the cross of Calvary and what it accomplished on our behalf. Then to bring us to our knees before our Lord and Saviour, admitting that we’re helpless without Him, and offering much thanks and praise for His selfless work in our ungodly and sinful lives.
And this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Colossians admirably explains the song, or vice versa, the song explains the scripture. (smile) ‘And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. (Col. 2:13-14)
And the scholars offer this explanation of those scriptures. ‘2:13. As per You … hath he quickened: God gave them new spiritual life. 2:14. The handwriting of ordinances: They say, in secular literature, this “handwriting” was an IOU signed by the debtor. Here it might be paraphrased “a certificate of debt consisting of decrees.” This refers to the Mosaic Law, which the Jews had contracted to obey, and to which Gentiles by conscience were obligated. Owing to man’s inability to fulfill this obligation of obedience, he was therefore indebted to God. But through Christ this debt was graciously blotted out.’
Making it the most wonderful gift of God ever! Now, listen to this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, on ‘Christ Our Peace,’ which also helps us understand the selfless and magnificent job that Christ has done on our behalf. ‘For he (Christ himself) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition (division) between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make (create) in himself of twain (the two) one new man, so making peace.
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain (put to death) the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to you which were afar, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.’ (Eph. 2:14-18)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s indeed a wonderful scripture! For, Christ’s coming to earth and dying an atoning death in our stead and with His philosophy of peace and LOVE, had turned the two antagonistic groups of Jews and Gentiles into one single new group, the Christian church.
The scholars tell us, ‘He did this by removing the middle wall of partition, that is, the Mosaic Law. The law was meant to protect Jews from pagan corruptions; but by misconstruing the purpose of the law, the Jews felt superior to Gentiles, who were incensed at this arrogance. So Jesus abolished this enmity (hatred), caused by an abuse of the law, by making the law invalid for His church. Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles now compose this “one new man” or Christian church.’
Oh friends, what a Master Builder was our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Only He could have broken down those walls of enmity and hatred and brought us all into one group, His church. Therefore, considering that magnificent work, shouldn’t we be more LOVING and tolerant of each other, members of the same organization, who all found our salvation at the cross of Christ? Of course! So please, let’s spend some time today pondering the many divisions and dissensions in Christ’s church, and how we can reduce them. Much LOVE!
…through Christ…we are all one…and one for all…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, all have sinned, Bible, carnal desires, Christ died for us, Christ's atoning death, christianity, clean up our act, come short of the glory of God, compassion, crying out for help, divine aid, eternal life through Jesus Christ, every good and perfect gift is from above, faith, fellowship, firstfruits of his creatures, Friday chant, god, God commendeth his own love toward us, God is the same yesterday today and forever, grace, gratitude, in whom I will trust, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my deliverer, my strength, no shadow of turning, omnipotent help, reciprocate God's love, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, set free from bondage to sin, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the earth is the Lord's, the error of their ways, the Father of lights, the fulness thereof, the gift of God, the horn of my salvation, The Lord is my rock, the throne of grace, the wages of sin is death, the weekend, the word of truth, trusting faith, truth, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, while we were yet sinners, wisdom, with whom is no variableness, worthwhile examples of Christian living
Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.
And then it was Friday, that magical day, where much of the world joyfully shouts ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last! No more dreary and dreadful work for a couple of days! Thank The Lord!’ Then we go off for the weekend, do our own carnal and lustful thing and entirely forget about the Lord who granted us the weekend away from the dreary and dreadful work! Now that’s gratitude for you! Forgetting about the One who has given you all good things!
Remember what James, Jesus’ brother says about that? ‘Do not err (be deceived) my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:16-18)
Yes friends, God is the creator and owner of everything in this universe, as Bruh David so rightly informs us in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2) And as James tells us above, He’s good and faithful and all good things originate and emanate from Him.
Then He’s also stable, solid as a rock, He doesn’t change! He’s the same yesterday, today and forever! And there could be no more appropriate scripture to show that attribute than these words of Bruh David from psalm 18: ‘I will LOVE thee. O Lord, my strength. 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 (stronghold).’ (Ps. 18:1-2)
And furthermore, on top of all of that, God has redeemed us to be the first step or first fruits in His redemption of all creation! And isn’t that the most wonderful fact ever! It most certainly is! For if God didn’t LOVE us with an immeasurable passion, we would all be headed straight for hellfire and eternal damnation. But because of His great LOVE, as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his great LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Wow mih bredrin! Can you imagine a Creator LOVING His creation so much that He would move heaven and earth to give them a chance to survive their sinful and rebellious nature and be reconciled back to Him? Well that’s exactly what our great God did! He put a plan in place that we could have a second chance; that we could repent, believe on His Son, Jesus Christ and be set free from our bondage to sin and live in eternity with Him. Now, if that isn’t the greatest and most unselfish gift ever, then I don’t know what is!
Remember friends, the Lord broke His own heart on our behalf, by pinning all our abominable sins on His sinless and selfless Son, and having Him die the death we were supposed to die. And let’s not forget what the Good Library says on that subject. ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom. 3:23) Consequently the scriptures say: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23)
So, my fellow believers, you can see that Jesus death on the cross of Calvary had the greatest impact in this world, since its original creation! It was an atoning death! A death in our stead! Imagine a father condemning his only son to death to pay for a bunch of ungrateful, rebellious people nuh. Very few fathers, if any, would make that great sacrifice. But our God did it on our behalf! That just goes to show how much He LOVES us!
That then raises the question, why can’t we reciprocate that LOVE, which is only good and proper, compassionate, longsuffering, filled with grace and mercy, amongst many other attributes. It just boggles the imagination that after the Lord did so much for us, that we still have the ‘boldfaceness,’ the audacity to refuse His LOVING attentions and turn to the sinful and death bearing things of the evil one, Satan, the ex-archangel Lucifer, who got kicked out of heaven for having the audacity, the foolish pride, to try to overthrow God’s kingdom!
He forgot that he was only a creation of God, and how can the created overthrow the Creator eh? But, unfortunately, it’s the same thing that so many of us are doing right now; thumbing our noses at God and blatantly fulfilling the carnal desires of our flesh, devilishly and selfishly encouraged by Satan. Oh friends, it’s time for us to get wise to the devil’s shenanigans. He doesn’t care one iota for us. He’s just looking for company in eternal separation from God. Meanwhile Almighty God cares so much for us, as He’s proven through Jesus Christ.
Now, let’s go to His throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, and ask for His help to handle our earthly problems in these desperate times of need. 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!’
Let’s be aware though, that no divine aid will be forthcoming, until we clean up our act and show ourselves to be worthwhile examples of Christian living. Much LOVE!
…God has done all He can to win our LOVE… the rest is up to us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mighty big man, be what I wanted to be, Bible, blaspheme His holy name, build on life's sinking sand, Christ's heroic efforts, christianity, cleanse the leper, could make it all alone, cry out to God for help, do a lot on my own, don't even know my way back home, down on my knees, exhorting each other, faith, fellowship, finally saw the light, free choice, from now till next never, glory to God, god, hael the lame, head out into the world, holy spirit, I am the vine ye are the branches, I can't even walk without you holding my hand, I learned how to stand, I'd be less of a man, if I didn't trust Jesus, if I'm in trouble, Jesus Christ, Joyce and Colbert Croft, Lazarus come forth, like a battered ship in a storm, lost and floundering, LOVE, make Jesus my all and all, make the blind to see, mercy, number one would be me, on that powerful name I'll call, peace be still, prayer, receive the Lord's blessings, salvation, sharing praise and thanks, show Jesus obeisance, song of worship, stand strong in the faith, sufferation, sweet sacrifices of praise, tear-jerking, the mountain is too high, the number one requirement, the valley is too wide, the wisdom of the ages, the world throws us for a loop, truth, unable to help ourselves, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing
John 15:5b. for without me ye can do nothing.
Oh friends, for the umpteenth time past, and the umpteenth time to come – it’s Sunday! That means fellowshipping in the Lord’s sanctuary with other believers; sharing praise and thanks to our great and wonderful God, encouraging and exhorting each other to stand strong in the faith, regardless of our circumstances, and receiving the Lord’s blessings as we head out into the world for another week of work, which can ofttimes be frustrating and difficult.
Now, today’s song of worship is one that truly shows how weak and ineffective we are without God’s strength and help. It’s a song written by Joyce and Colbert Croft and titled: ‘I can’t even walk without You holding my hand.’ And is that ever the gospel truth my brethren! Without God’s help, we’d be incapable of doing much of anything at all. But right now, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a real, sincere, soulful, tear-jerking rendition of the song. (smile)
Singing: ‘I thought, that number one, would surely be me. I thought I could be what I wanted to be. I thought I could build on life’s sinking sand. But now I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. – I thought that I, could do a lot on my own, I thought, I could make it in this big world, all alone. I thought, thought of myself as a mighty, mighty, mighty big man, But Lord I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. –
Oh Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand, For the mountain, is too high, and the valley, is too wide, It’s down on my knees, that’s where I learned how to stand, Because I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. Glory to God! And I think I’ll make Jesus my all and all. And if I’m in trouble, on that powerful name, I’ll call. And if I didn’t trust Him, I’d be less of a man ‘Cause Lord I can’t even walk without you holding my hand.
Ohhhh Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand, For the mountain is too high, and the valley is too wide, It’s down on my knees, I learned how to stand, I learned how to pray, Because Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. Lord I’m lost without you. I don’t even know my way back home Lord unless you lead me. Yes, my Saviour, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand. Thank you for teaching me that through your Word…I can’t even walk without, without holding your hand…Yes Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand…’
And anyone who thinks differently needs their mental faculties thoroughly checked, for those words are the indisputable truth! For we have all been through times when we were simply unable to help ourselves in our own strength and had to turn to God. All of us believe we can go it alone, be big, mighty men, until the world throws us for a loop. And then what? We are forced to turn to God. Because as the song so rightfully says: ‘the mountain is too high, and the valley is too wide, and it’s down on my knees where I learned how to stand.’
And that’s also the God awesome truth my people! It’s in the deepest and darkest hours of our lives when we were down our knees in prayer, that we learned how to stand strong in faith in Almighty God. It’s when we finally saw the light and decided to call on the powerful name of Jesus and would be rather foolish if we didn’t. Yes friends, without the God who made us and still guides and protects us, where would we be eh?
Lost and floundering like a battered ship in a storm, which Jesus pointed out very clearly when He spoke these words of awesome truth. ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) I doubt any sensible and mentally intact person could contest those words. But Bruh Paul corroborates Jesus’ statement with his own words to the church at Corinth. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5)
And to tell the truth, we don’t even need Bruh Paul’s corroboration nuh, for if Jesus could calm the howling winds and raging sea by simply saying, ‘Peace, be still,’ (Mark 4:39) then why would we not believe when He says we can’t do anything without Him eh? And furthermore, if He could raise Lazarus from the dead with a cry of ‘Lazarus, come forth,’ (John 11:43) why would we question anything He says? And if He can heal the lame, make the blind to see, cleanse the leper, as He proved while down here on earth, why would we doubt anything He says?
Now, some would dare to say that the prophets and the apostles did the same things, and some did, but NONE, No One, could ever do His most noteworthy deed; that’s paying the price for our abominable sins with His sinless life on the cross of Calvary! For that alone we need to bow down and worship Him, show Him obeisance from now till next never, because it’s only through His heroic efforts and unjust ‘sufferation’ that we can talk about salvation and all the other good things His crucifixion did for us.
Oh my people, there’s absolutely no doubt that Jesus is the answer! The answer to our every problem and our every need! And it hurts my heart to hear people bad talk Him, blaspheme His holy name and mock His perfect character. But that’s what comes from the Lord giving us free choice. Some of us just don’t listen and/or use the brains God gave us, so we end up making fools of ourselves by trying to do things by ourselves, or with other weak and selfish humans.
And it’s only when we’re going under for the third and last time, that we wake up and cry out to God for help, when we could easily have avoided most of our negative circumstances by calling on our Creator much earlier, for He’s always there, ever willing and ready to help and guide us on our earthly journey. We only have to call out sincerely for His help, and He will provide it. And I do hope that any of us who are going through tough times right now, will wake up and cry out to God for help, because that’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…only in Jesus…are we anything at all…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new heart also will I give you, a new spirit will I put within you, Amy Sky, as ye see the day approaching, Bible, can't find your direction, cause you to walk in my statutes, christianity, clean from all your filthiness, come unto me all ye that labour, communal worship, compassion, consider one another, create in me a clean heart, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, finding strength through surrender, god, heavy laden, I will give you rest, idols, in your holding in, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep my judgements, kept on our toes, let go and let God, let the signs remind you, lost the will to trust, LOVE, no spark to feed the flame, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, Olivia Newton John, pressure, renew a right spirit within me, Sabbath Day, sprinkle clean water upon you, strain, surrender, the great invitation, the well of hope runs dry, to stir up unto love and good works, we are passengers, wisdom, your courage fails you, your dreams are broken in the dust, your faith is a dying fire, your heart won't guide you home
Ezekiel 36:26a. A new heart also I will give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:
So it’s another Sunday, another Sabbath Day in the long string that permeates our lives! And all for our good too, because it keeps us calm and on our toes, as on each Sunday, we fellowship in God’s sanctuary with other believers, encouraging and exhorting each other in our Christian faith. And for those who don’t thing that gathering together in fellowship is worthwhile, then they’d better think again and read the wise words of Hebrews.
‘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. 10:24-25) Yes friends, it’s rather important that we gather together regularly to encourage, strengthen and stir up each other, by participating in communal worship and fellowship as the body of Christ.
And as we do every Sunday, let’s open with a song of praise by the Australian performer Olivia Newton-John titled ‘Let Go and Let God,’ which comes from her Grace and Attitude Album. It was composed by Newton-John, American pianist- composer Kim Bullard and Canadian singer-songwriter Amy Sky.
It’s a song about finding strength through surrender, something Olivia Newton-John did after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. Her cancer returned in 2017 and again in 2020, but she remained resolute, telling the Guardian: “I see it as my life’s journey. It gave me purpose and intention and taught me a lot about compassion.” Unfortunately though she passed away in 2022, at the age of 73.
And now that we have some idea of the song’s origin and purpose, let’s offer it up in sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, heartfelt attitude of surrender. Singing: ‘When you can’t find your direction, and your heart won’t guide you home – Let go -and let God. When your dreams are broken in the dust, and you’ve lost the will to trust – Let go – and let God.
(Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – In your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in.) When your faith is a dying fire, and there’s no spark to feed the flame – Let go – and let God. When your courage fails you, and the well of hope runs dry – Let go – and let God.
(Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – In your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in.) Let the signs remind you -to surrender, to surrender, to Let go – and let God, let go- and let God’
Oh my people, there are no better or wiser five words we can ever use in this life, than ‘Let go -and let God!’ That s for certain sure, because when we do that, when we totally surrender to Almighty God, our Creator and Provider, then there’s no strain or pressure on us, because He takes it all and sees us through whatever problems we might encounter in this evil and ungodly world!
And yuh better believe that there are numerous occasions for us to just let it all go and let God. Like the song says: When you’re directionless, and your heart can’t guide you home… When your dreams are broken in the dust, and you’ve lost the will to trust…there’s no better advice than to let go, to surrender, and let God do what only He can do: that’s restore our sense of direction and trust, renew a right heart in us, and give us back the dreams we’ve lost along the way.
Like Bruh David says to the Lord in Psalm 51, where he’s pleading for forgiveness of his sin with Bathsheba: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps. 51:10) And that’s exactly what the Lord will do for us when we reach the breaking point and surrender our all to Him. And it’s not like He didn’t promise the nation of Israel to do just that long ago through the prophet Ezekiel.
Hear these lifesaving words: ‘Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also I will give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:25-27)
Oh friends, that’s exactly what God does when we turn our whole lives over to Him; He makes us right with Him through the sacrificial work of His Son Jesus Christ, cleansing us, giving us a new heart of LOVE, and putting His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to lead, guide and comfort us. One can’t ask for more than that! And all we have to do is cry out to Him in all sincerity!
So, ‘When your faith is a dying fire, and there’s no spark to feed the flame… When your courage fails you, and the well of hope runs dry,’ as we all experience from time to time, that’s the moment to let Go and let God! The time to surrender and let Him run the show. For remember, we’re only passengers down here; this is not our home, and there are signs all over reminding us of that salient fact.
Oh my fellow believers, what will it take for us to truly give our all to Christ eh? He’s more than willing and able to take all that we have and make our way straight. Remember His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28)
Now, there could not be a better invitation that that, especially in this evil and ungodly world in which we’re currently living, where so many of us are indeed labouring and carrying heavy burdens. So today, let’s stop trying to do it in our own strength nuh, because we simply cannot, but God can. Therefore, let’s be wise and… Let go – and let God! Much LOVE!
…life is filled with many ups and down…and the ONLY One who can truly pull us up…is Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to the will of God, and my words abide in you, be careful for nothing, Bible, christianity, consume it upon your lusts, don't give up, don't say you're done, Ds Flame, every trial mountain and sea, faith, feel battered, feeling like and outcast, fellowship, God answers prayer, God is the answer, goodness, groanings, he sees every tear drop, he sees every weakness, He that searcheth the hearts, He wipes them for me, holy spirit, I get down on my knees, I say Saviour help me please, if ye abide in me, if you're ever feeling down, in everything by prayer and supplication, in the midst of all your heartache, in the morning, it shall be unto you, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus to pray departed into a solitary place, knows th mind of the Spirit, LOVE, not knowing what to pray, O thou that hearest prayer, one thing is for certain, prayer, problems overflow, refresh our souls, release the frustrations, remember in the hard times, rising up a great deal before day, shall keep your hearts and minds, sweet sacrifices of praise, the biggest privilege in the Christian faith, the error of our ways, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the Spirit maketh intercession for us, truth, unto thee shall all flesh come, wisdom, ye ask amiss, ye ask and receive not, ye shall ask what ye will, you have nowhere to go, you may be broken, your battles are already won, your strength will surely come
Psalm 65:2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
One more Sunday; one more time to attend the Lord’s sanctuary on His day, and in association with other believers, to offer up sincere thanks and praise for His goodness and mercy towards us. And why do we do it? Because the Lord commands it, so that we can have joint fellowship, to release the frustrations and pressures of the past week and refresh our souls and spirits for the upcoming one.
So, let’s get right to today’s song of worship, one from the female Gospel Artist known as Da Flame and very truthfully titled, ‘God Answers Prayer.’ And we’re going to offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a rich, soulful, heartfelt, mid tempo version. Singing: ‘If you’re ever feeling down and like you have no where to go. If you’re feeling like an outcast as your problems overflow, just remember there is someone, and all it takes is for you to know, is that God is the answer, and God answers prayer.
(Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer.) You may be broken and feel battered, but your strength will surely come, in the midst of all your heartache. Your battles are already won. Just remember in the hard times, don’t give up, don’t say you’re done, because God is the answer, and God answers prayer.
(Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer. Oh, He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. So, let’s get down on our knees, and say, Saviour, help us please. Because one thing is for certain… our God answers prayer.’
And of that very thing we can be one hundred percent sure my people: God does answer prayer…although there are some whys and wherefores and addendums attached. (smile) But before we get into the nitty gritty of the prayer situation, let’s get a definition of prayer.
Prayer is our biggest privilege in the Christian faith. It’s basically talking to God, but in the greater scheme of things it is so much more. One commentary tells us that ‘Prayer is the complete submission of my heart, mind, body and soul to Him. We are told that sometimes we don’t even know what or how to pray so the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans and utterances.’
And we find the scripture to corroborate that in Bruh Paul’s letter to the Romans. ‘Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (weaknesses): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.’ (Rom. 8:26-27)
Yes friends, when our inner being is in so much turmoil that we don’t how or what to pray, the Holy Spirit steps in and interprets those innermost groanings. ‘And the Father who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.’
Now that statement ‘according to God’s will’ is a most important one, because if what we pray for, even through ignorance, is not in His plan for us, or in His general will, then most likely we won’t get it. As James says in his epistle: ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (pleasures).’ (James 4:3)
And that’s no lie, for many of us take the scriptures for granted which say, ask and ye shall receive, (Matt. 7:7) so we ask for all the lustful stuff that goes against God’s will, and when we don’t get them, we wonder why, and complain that God is not real or truthful.
But then, sometimes God gives us stuff that we ask for that is not in His will, to show us the error of our ways. Instead, we should be taking account of this scripture from Jesus: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you.’ (John 15:7) So the best way to know God’s will is to read His Word and talk to Him, through the medium of prayer.
Now here are two interesting scriptures on prayer. This first one we all know from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) That’s the awesome power of prayer my fellow believers!
Then there’s this verse from Psalm 65 – Praise to the Lord, where Bruh David says in no uncertain terms: ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ (Ps. 65:2) And that’s the gospel truth friends, for all of us, even the staunchest unbelievers, when we suddenly find ourselves between a rock and a hard place, the first words to come out of our mouths are ‘O God!’
And there’s so much that can be said about prayer, but the greatest reason for us to turn to prayer is because of the example that Jesus set. Although He was the Son of God, and deity in His own right, He never made any serious decisions without consulting His heavenly Father. There are numerous places in the Bible where we see Jesus going off by Himself to pray. But my favourite scripture on Jesus’ prayer life is this one from the gospel of Mark. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
Oh my fellow saints, prayer was such an important part of Christ’s life that before the day even dawned He was up and about communing with His father in a quiet place. So if Jesus needed prayer continually, what about us eh? Now that’s an example we all should try to follow, so that our lives will have more heavenly guidance. Much LOVE!
…prayer…being able to go to God without fear…any time…anywhere…with anything…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Annie sherwood hawks, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, bankruptcy of any inherent righteousness, be not far from me, Bible, bless me now my Saviour, christianity, come quickly and abide, come unto me all ye that labour, early will I seek thee, faith, fellowship, filled with the sense of nearness, god, God rested on the seventh day, hallowed it, holy spirit, how one could live without christ, I need thee every hour, I need thee oh I need thee, I will give you rest, in a dry and thirsty land, in joy or pain, in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life is vain, LOVE, make haste to help me, make me thine indeed, mercy, my flesh longeth for thee, my hour of sweet serenity and peace, my soul thirsteth for god, my tears have been my meat, no tender voice like thine, oh God my strength, our inconsolable loneliness, our utter poverty without Christ, out of fellowship with God, remember the sabbath to keep it holy, rest from our toil, Robert Lowry, six day shalt thou labour, so panteth my soul after thee O God, stay thou nearby, sweet sacrifices of praise, teach me thy will, temptations lose their power, the colossal truth, the comforting power, the great invitation, the hollow emptiness, the impotence of our own strength, the living God, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, the need for Jesus is undeniable, the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God, the shadow fell over my way, the world's godless gain, thou blessed Son, touched the great throbbing heart of humanity, trouble is near, truth, uplifting words, When shall I come and appear before God, when thou art nigh, where is thy God, wisdom
Psalm 42:1. As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
And then it was Sunday, the day on which we rest from our toil and labour, and instead go to the Lord’s sanctuary to praise and worship Him in the company of other believers. Now that was His idea not ours, as He said to the children of Israel when He gave them the law. ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work… For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it (made it holy). (Ex. 20: 9-11)
That’s why we’re in the Lord’s house on a Sunday to offer thanks and praise and receive His awesome blessings for the upcoming week. And as always, we begin the day’s proceedings with a song of praise, which today is one we all know and LOVE, one that’s ever so timely. It’s titled, ‘I Need Thee Every Hour.’ Now that’s the gospel truth friends! We need Jesus Christ…and badly too…every hour of every single day. The lyrics of the song were written in 1872 by American poet and gospel hymnist Annie Sherwood Hawks with her Pastor Robert Lowry adding the music.
Mrs. Hawks described the song and its origins thus: ‘One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words, I Need Thee Every Hour, were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me…
I did not understand at first why this hymn had touched the great throbbing heart of humanity. It was not until long after, when the shadow fell over my way, the shadow of a great loss, that I understood something of the comforting power in the words which I had been permitted to give out to others in my hour of sweet serenity and peace.’
Yuh see that my bredrin; the song was technically a prophetic gift from God, rather than one born of Mrs. Hawks own personal experience, and it was only long after, when she finally encountered a great loss, that she fully realized the worth and the magnitude of the hymn. So, knowing all of that, let’s finally raise our voices to heaven in sweet sacrifices of praise, in a mid-tempo, sincere, and heart-felt soulful version of the song.
Singing: ‘I need thee every hour, Most gracious Lord, No tender voice like thine, Can peace afford. (Chorus: I need thee oh I need thee, Every hour I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee.) I need thee every hour, Stay thou near by, Temptations lose their power, When thou art nigh (Chorus) I need thee every hour, In joy or pain, Come quickly and abide, or life is vain. (Chorus)
I need thee every hour; teach me thy will, and thy rich promises in me fulfill. (Chorus) I need thee every hour, Most holy one, Oh make me thine indeed Thou blessed Son. (Chorus: I need thee oh I need thee, Every hour I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee. I need thee, Oh I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee…I come to thee…’
Oh my people, are those ever true and uplifting words! And they echo the heartfelt cries of several psalms. For instance these words of Bruh David from Psalm 22 – A Plea for God’s Presence. When he finds himself alone and in trouble, he cries out: ‘I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help…But be thou not far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.’ (Ps. 22:10-11, 19)
And we all know this heartfelt cry from the Sons of Korah in Psalm 42 – My Soul Thirsts for the Lord. They declare: ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?’ (Ps. 42:1-3)
Then what about these faithful words of Bruh David from Psalm 63 – A Thirsting Soul, when he was in the wilderness running for his life from King Saul. He cries out: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.’ (Ps. 63:1) And that’s how badly all of us need God in these angry and strife-filled days, where truth and justice don’t seem to amount to anything, while all the negative actions of Satan and his evil cronies rule the roost.
Now, here’s an excerpt from article on the hymn by Jon Bloom from the desiringGod.org website. He writes: ‘One of the sweetest refrains in English Christian hymnody is this: “I need Thee, O I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee; O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.” Thank God for Annie S. Hawks who wrote these lyrics and her pastor, Robert Lowry, who composed the music. The lyrics could hardly be simpler, and yet they capture one of our heart’s most profound longings and can be prayed in the sweetest, most sorrowful, or most mundane moments in life.
The prosody (the patterns of rhythm and sound) of the music, the way the melody and meter aligns with the wording, could hardly be more perfect. But it is not the skill of the hymn’s construction that makes it so powerful. It is the colossal truth it so beautifully expresses. O I Need Thee!
Yes, We need God. It is not until we feel in the depths of our souls our utter poverty without Christ, our bankruptcy of any inherent righteousness, the impotence of our own strength and self-sufficient planning, our inconsolable loneliness when we are out of fellowship with God, the pathetic pretentiousness of our pathological pride, the hollow emptiness of all the godless gain of the world, our utter helplessness in the face of personal, institutional, cosmic, and molecular evil, that we know just how much we need God.’
Ah my fellow believers, unfortunately it’s not until we are wallowing deep in the mire of sin and Satan, with the slime up to our necks, that we truly realize how much we need Almighty God. And we are certainly blessed to know that if we sincerely cry out Him even at that late stage, He will indeed help us. Because that’s the kind of gracious, merciful, forgiving and LOVING God we serve.
But please, let’s be wise nuh, and don’t wait until we’re drowning to cry out to Him for help. Instead, let’s take the proverbial bull by the horns and go to Him right now, regardless of what state we’re in, for He’s ready and waiting to welcome us. Don’t you hear Him calling: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28) So in wisdom, let’s accept that Great Invitation right now, and thus turn our lives and our world around, because there’s none greater than it! Much LOVE!
…the need for Jesus is undeniable…because that’s how we were created…to need Him…and ONLY Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bountiful serving of grace mercy and love, a chaotic world, a pipe dream, a Red-Letter day, angels will attend, be careful for nothing, Bible, blameless and harmless, burdened with a load of care, children of God, Christ has promised you His wealth untold, christianity, count your blessings, counting our blessings, counting our problems, discouraged, do all things without murmurings and disputings, does the cross seem heavy, every doubt will fly, faith, fellowship, frustrated believers, frustrated in your difficulties, give you comfort, god, God is over all, guard your hearts and minds, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in every thing give thanks, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Johnson Oatman Jr., LOVE, money cannot buy your reward in heaven, name them one by one, opportunities hiding in them for a turnover, see what God has done, shine as lights in the world, singing as the days go by, sweet sacrifices of praise, tempest tossed, the great invitation, the peace of God, the will of God, thinking all is lost, to your journey's end, truth, unknown circumstances, upon life's billows, wisdom, without rebuke, your home on high
1 Thessalonians 5:18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
And as it does every seven days, Sunday is on board, meaning it’s time to hie ourselves to the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship with other believers, to give thanks and praise to our great God and receive a bountiful serving of His grace, mercy and LOVE as we embark on another week of unknown circumstances and actions in this chaotic world.
And the song we’re going to open with today is one that’s ever so appropriate for these vile and ungodly times. It was written by Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856-1922) an American Minister, but also a prolific hymn writer, and it’s fittingly titled ‘Count Your Blessings!’ It’s a song we know and LOVE, but obviously don’t pay sufficient attention to its words, otherwise so many of us believers would not be as miserable, anxious and frustrated as we are.
Anyway, today we’re going to work on that by offering up that song with sweet sacrifices of praise, in a heartfelt, up-tempo mode. Now, we’re going to begin with a rollicking rendition of the chorus to set the overall atmosphere, and while singing, let’s mentally count our basic blessings, like life, LOVE, friends, family, food, shelter, clothing, a job and a church to fellowship with other believers.
Singing: ‘[Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your blessings, see what God hath done; Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.] When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. [Refrain] Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly, And you will be singing as the days go by.
[Refrain] When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; Count your many blessings, money cannot buy Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. [Refrain] So, amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end. [Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your blessings, see what God hath done; Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.] (2)’
Ah friends, what a wonderfully wise and encouraging song! But it’s ever so sad that we don’t do what it says on a regular basis. For as this commentary from the website www.godtube tells us: ‘God truly gives us so many blessings each and every single day. Some may even be so small that we might overlook them. The classic hymn ‘Count Your Blessings’ truly reminds us to stop and give thanks for all God has done in our lives. This is definitely a pause we all need to take. Amen.’
And is that ever the indisputable truth! For if we would take advantage of counting the many blessings we have, instead of counting our troubles, our lives would be way more joyful and productive, and we’d end up giving God the thanks and praise He truly deserves. As another excerpt from the Godtube website says: ‘‘If you always find yourself numbering your troubles, you will never find time for counting your blessings. There is no use becoming frustrated in your difficulties while you have all opportunities hiding in them for a turnover.’
We cannot deny that, because our difficulties are often God-given opportunities for us to explore and become more kingdom oriented, rather than moan and complain about life being so tough and God not as good as He claims. As Bruh Paul warns us in Philippians: ‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings (quarreling among yourselves): That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:14-15)
And that’s a fact. If we believers would cut down our complaining and quarreling amongst ourselves, out witness would be ever so much improved. But we like the easy, comfortable and convenient life, without any problems or sacrifices. But in this deranged world, that’s nothing but a pipe dream, especially if you intend to live for Christ. Anyway, on a more pleasant note, (smile) the song basically is about thanksgiving and praise, and Bruh Paul has constantly drummed into our heads how important those two things are for believers.
In Philippians, he lays it out on a painter’s palette for us: ‘Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:5-7) What’s in that we don’t understand eh? If you want godly peace of mind, then you have to pray and give thanks, and not murmur and complain.
Then in 1 Thessalonians, Bruh Paul tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18) What’s wrong with us that we cannot understand such simple language eh, especially if we claim to be such great believers in Christ Jesus?
And besides all of that, every verse of the song is filled with some reference to the scriptures. For example: ‘When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost…’ That reminds us that Christ is the calm in our storm. Just like He calmed the winds and the sea while on the ship with the disciples, (Mark 4:35-41) He will also calm any storm in our lives if we place it in his hands.
Then there are these words in the second verse. ‘Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?’ Now that should automatically call us to Jesus’ Great Invitation (Matt: 11:28-30) where He invites us to lay all our cares upon Him. And the other verses are the same.
Oh friends, I’m pleading with us to make this a Red-Letter day in our lives; one where we promise ourselves to stop complaining about every li’l difficulty, and instead start seriously and sincerely counting the numerous blessings we do have. That will certainly improve our quality of life and help to make our world a much better place to live in. Much LOVE!
…it’s time for Christians to stop counting their problems…and begin counting their blessings…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Andrae Crouch and the Disciples, be not conformed to this world, be transformed, become unfruitful, Bible, blessed are they, broad is the way, choke the word, christianity, dry my weeping eyes, enter ye in at the strait gate, faith, feel so far from you Lord, fellowship, few there be that find it, fickle and faithless times, fills the hungry soul with goodness, god, he satisfieth the longing soul, holy spirit, I first believed, I first received you, I hear you calling me, I need your help Lord, inner satisfaction, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lost faith in God, LOVE, meditating on god's word, mercy, mirrors the state of Christ's church, my soul'd not satisfied, narrow is the way, renew my faith, restore my joy, sincerely seek God, take me back, that leads to destruction, the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, the good acceptable and perfect will of God, the renewing of your mind, the simple things, thoughts that don't line up with scripture, thy word is truth, to make it home, truth, trying to make it on our own, unhealthy thought patterns, which leads to life, wide is the gate, wisdom
Matthew 5:6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Hello Sunday! So glad to see you, because you bring the joy of going to the Lord’s sanctuary to worship and fellowship with other believers; a joy that nothing in this world can surpass. For when we worship our sovereign God, when we give Him the thanks and praise He so rightly deserves, then our hearts are opened and refreshed, as His goodness and mercy float into our spirits and raises the levels of our confidence and spiritual maturity, which gives us the strength, wisdom and patience to carry on with the Lord’s work in this evil and ungodly world.
And our opening song of worship this morning is a relatively young one, only about three decades old. (smile) Its that famous gospel soul tune done by the then popular gospel group, Andrae Crouch and the Disciples, titled ‘Take Me Back Dear Lord,’ from the album of the same name. Many of you might not know it, and I only rediscovered it myself a few weeks ago. I’d completely forgotten how sweet and soulful it was, and how the lyrics resonated especially well for these sad times of lessening and lost faith in Almighty God.
So let’s raise our voices in sacrificial praise, in a sweet, soulful, heartfelt and harmonious version of the song. And we begin with a double dose of the haunting chorus: ‘(Chorus: Take me back, take me back dear Lord, To the place where I first received you. Take me back, take me back dear Lord, to where I first believed) (twice) I feel, that I’m so far from you Lord, But still I hear you calling me. Those simple things that I once knew, The memories are drawing me. I must confess, Lord I’ve been blessed, But yet my soul’s not satisfied. Renew my faith, restore my joy, And dry my weeping eyes.
(Chorus ‘Oh Lord, Oh Lord Take me back…) (Bridge:) I tried so hard, To make it all alone. I need your help Lord, Just to make it home. (Chorus: Take me back, dear Lord, Please take me back, to the place where I first received you. Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I first believed. Ohhh Take me back dear Lord, Take me back, I’m pleading dear Lord, I’ve got to get back there, to the place where I first received you! Take me back, dear Lord, Back to the place where I first believed.’
Ah friends, it’s a simple song, but it says oh so much. And right now I believe it mirrors the state of Christ’s church in these fickle and faithless times. It calls, it cries out for a strong renewing of our faith. For us to go back to the time when we first received Christ. How we were excited and overjoyed to be His disciple, to do His work. Not like we currently are, lazy, cynical, and joyless. Yes my people, we need to get back to those times when we truly believed in God. For as the song says, so many of us feel so far from God, but we still hear Him calling us; the memories keep drawing us back to Him.
And to truly find ourselves, we need to get back to the simple things we once knew. For, although we know we’ve been blessed, yet there’s still dissatisfaction in our souls because with all the confusion and temptations in this world, we’ve strayed from the path God set us on. Remember what Jesus said: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
Yes my people, many of us have unfortunately strayed from that straight and narrow path where life is found, and we desperately need to get back to it, so that our faith can be renewed, our joy restored and our tear-filled eyes dried. We’ve become like Jesus said in the parable of the Sower: ‘He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care (cares) of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.’ (Matt. 13:22)
It’s sad, but true that we’ve fallen prey to the pretty baubles and bangles that the world advertises and we’ve forgotten God and been trying to make it on our own. But that’s a total impossibility. We can NEVER make it on our own. No! Never without the Lord’s help. And how do we get back to where we began? I believe the first thing is to remember these encouraging words of Jesus from the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6)
Yes friends, we need to regain that deep desire for personal righteousness. We need to realize our spiritual poverty and hunger and thirst for that inner satisfaction which only God can give. As the psalmist so rightly says in Psalm 107: ‘For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107) That’s the gospel truth! And how do we do all of that you ask? I guess we can begin with these words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2)
And what does renewing your mind mean, and how do we do it in practical terms? This simple commentary explains it in a down to earth manner. ‘Renewing your mind means doing away with unhealthy thought patterns and replacing them with true, godly ones. You take notice of thoughts you have that don’t line up with scripture (truth), and when that thought comes up, choose not to keep thinking that thought.’
But then, to do that means you have to know the truth, for as Jesus said, ‘…thy word is truth.’ Now that in turn means meditating continually on the Word, so that it’s truth can fill you, and you have it right there to use when needed. And believe me, it’s always needed in these turbulent times. So let’s get serious about our faith and turn back to God, hungering for His righteousness, renewing our minds and meditating on His Word, so that we can faithfully walk the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal! Much LOVE!
…only as we sincerely seek God…will we find Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a kind of first fruits, a kingdom destination, a refreshed Spirit, acknowledge our gratitude, Ah cyar leave Him, begat us with the word of truth, Bible, christianity, chutney soca, Denyse Plummer, every good gift, every perfect gift is from above, faith, fellowship, for God I go dead, For God man I living, from hell bound to holiness, from revelry to righteousness, from sin to salvation, full of life but so empty, go tell my enemies, god, he is my shelter, He loves me and he cares, He's my King of Kings, holy spirit, I am a light into the world, I am Alpha and Omega, I am the way the truth and the life, I am under the rock, I found the truth, I saw the light, in his arms you'll find me there, in times of storm, Jahovah, Jahovah hides me, Jesu is the best upgrade, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the cause, LOVE, mercy, miracle worker, Na Leaving, never condemn or forsaken me, no shadow of turning, no variableness, of his own will, on my way to a fiery end, rose up just like a boss, salvation, should not abide in darkness, sing God's praises, someone told me about a Saviour, Sunday, the amazing transformation Jesus brings, the beginning and the end, the Father of lights, the First and the Last, the greatest decision, the reason I'm still living, the rock is higher than I, truth, wallowing deep in a pig pen, when yuh see me smiling, whosever believeth on me, wisdom, with God all things are possible, worth much more than silver or gold, Yahweh, Yeshua
John 12:46. I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
Sunday, oh Sunday! What a blessed day! One for joining in fellowship and worship with other believers in the Lord’s sanctuary, to offer thanks and gratitude and receive a refuelled and refreshed Spirit from our heavenly Father. Or as James puts it: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. (Who) Of his own will begat us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:17-18)
Yes friends, that’s how important we are in the creation of the universe; we rank first! And that’s why it’s also important for us to join other believers at least once a week, if possibly on Sunday, the Lord’s day, to acknowledge our gratitude and sing His praises. And our song of praise and worship today certainly exemplifies how important our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is in our every day lives, for we going down south for the music, some sweet chutney soca from T&T; the beautiful meshing of African and East Indian riddims. It’s title says it all: ‘Ah Cyar Leave Him!’
Oh yes, it’s the reworked soca hit of the late departed Queen of Soca, turned Gospel Chanteuse, Miss Denyse Plummer. The original was titled ‘Na Leaving,’ which celebrated all the good things those who were leaving T&T would miss. Now, ‘Na Leaving’ was always one of my favourite soca songs, both for the lyrics and riddim, so you can imagine when she changed the lyrics to gospel it immediately became one of my favourites. But enough talk, I can’t wait to sing this wonderful song. So, lets raise our sweet voices in a sacrifice of praise in a scintillating, up-tempo down south, passionate version, remembering both Jesus Christ for His life saving work on our behalf, and Miss Plummer for giving us this beautiful piece of music with which to uplift Him.
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! What sweet worship! 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! And yuh know what? Once we get with Him, it’s impossible to leave Him! No, we just cyar leave him at all, at all, at all. Mama Mia! Such is the LOVE and inspiration He inspires in us! And why won’t we be ecstatic eh, when we moving from ‘unholy revelry to righteousness… from hell-bound to holiness…from sin to salvation…a kingdom destination…’ We ought to if we’re wise, because then we’re moving in the right direction.
And yuh see what happens when we tell others about Jesus? They stop wallowing in a pig pen and come to the One who LOVES and truly cares, as He so definitely showed when He gave His sinless life so selflessly on the cross of Calvary to settle our sin debt in full. In times of storm He is definitely our shelter. And glory to God, He never condemns nor forsakes us! What a wonderful Saviour is our Jesus! And when you find Jesus, you indeed find the light and truth of it all, for He is the light of the world, as He says: ‘I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.’ (John 12:46)
And as per the truth, He let’s us know in no uncertain terms: ‘I am the way the through and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Yes my people, you’ll never see, much less enter through the pearly gates of heaven unless you accept Christ as Lord and Saviour! That’s for sure!
And believe me, when you have Jesus, not only is it the best decision you’ll ever make, but you also have much more than either silver or gold, for seeing that He is the Creator and Controller of the universe, everything in the world belongs to Him, and He’s able to protect you from your enemies. He’s bigger than your biggest problem. What’s impossible for man, is not for God, for with God, all things are possible. (Matt. 19:26) So you have nothing whatsoever to fear when you have Jesus as your Lord and Saviour.
And I like how the song puts it; He’s the best upgrade. And you can’t deny that, for once you have Him on your side you’ll never need to make any other improvements. For as He so rightly says: ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last!’ (Rev. 22:12) Now whom else do you need when you have that amazing, compassionate miracle worker in your life eh? NOBODY! So please, if you haven’t yet chosen Jesus as your be all and end all, I’d strongly advise that you waste no more time and do it today! Much LOVE!
…with Jesus in your corner of the ring…you need no seconds…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every other, all knees will one day bow, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, before the foundation of the world, Bible, bowing to the Father's will, burst your eardrums, complete the good work He's begun, confess that Jesus is Lord, Danny Gokey, earthly comforts, faith, fellowship, free will, give me Jesus, god, him that cometh to me, holy spirit, I only want Jesus, in the morning when I rise, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is all I need, Jesus is enough, Jesus' ferocious goodness, LOVE, my rest and refuge, omnipotent god, selfless Son Jesus, set free from Satan's evil talons, Sunday, tears of sorrow, the answer to my prayers, the calm in the storm, the Lion of Judah, the Lord's sanctuary, the way the truth and the life, thou lovedst me, to the glory of the Father, truth, when I am alone, when I come to die, when I lay my head down, when I wake up, will I in no wise cast out, worship, you can have all this world
John 6:37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out.
One more Sunday…one more visit to the Lord’s sanctuary…to meet with friends and neighbours…to celebrate God’s goodness…and give Him thanks and praise for all He’s done for us, especially sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross of Calvary to atone for our sins! Oh what a majestic sovereign, omnipotent God and heavenly Father He is!
That’s why we LOVE and adore Him so much, and the same goes for His salty, light filled, sinless and selfless Son Jesus, who, though He did no wrong, bowed to the Father’s request and bore the sins of the whole world on His shoulders, suffering great indignity and cruelty so that we could be set free from Satan’s evil talons. And for that unselfish deed, the Father gave Him the name above every other name, and to whom all knees will one day bow, and confess that He is Lord, to the glory of the Father. (Phil. 2: 9-11)
Yes friends, one day, both believers and unbelievers will acknowledge Jesus as Lord and bow to Him in submission and worship, giving Him the honor, respect and glory He so richly and rightfully deserves. And we’ve said all of that so we can open our worship with this beautiful song that pays homage to Jesus, assenting that we want nothing else but Him, that He is indeed enough for us. And the name of the song is simply titled, ‘Give Me Jesus.’
And what does it really mean eh? This commentary puts it very succinctly: ‘The words “give me Jesus” are more than just a saying. To say, “you can have all this world, but give me Jesus” is to let go of all earthly comforts and things and take hold of what truly matters, Christ.’ Yes mih bredrin, Christ is all that really matters in this world.
And where did the song come from you ask? No one seems to really know, but it seems that the earliest known version of “Give Me Jesus” was published in the United States in 1845 by the Rev. Jacob Knapp, a Baptist minister from New York. By 1849 the Methodists published a version, and the song was popularized in the mid-nineteenth century through various camp meetings and hymnals. Anyway it became very popular down through the ensuing years even been sung by the African Slaves on the Southern American Plantations.
Consequently, it’s been changed and rearranged numerous times, but today we’re going to sing a version done by Danny Gokey, in a soulful, scintillating mood, accompanied by hauntingly beautiful music and background voices. (smile) So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in all sincerity and truth. Singing: ‘Ohhh ohhh, Give me Jesus… In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise Give me Jesus. (Chorus: Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.)
When I am alone, Oh When I am alone, When I am alone, Give me Jesus. (Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. For He is all that I need. Just give me Jesus) When I come to die, Oh, When I come to die, When I come to die, Give me Jesus. (Ohhhh Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Oh it’s all I need, all I need is Jesus.
So Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, He’s all I need. Give me Jesus…in the morning when I rise…when I lay my head down… when I wake up, when I lay my head down, said I need him, said I need you… said I only want Jesus…when I wake up… Just give me Jesus. All I need is him. We worship you, we worship you, say we worship you Lord. You’re the answer to my prayers, you’re the calm in the storm, you’re my rest and my refuge…oh yeahhh…’
Ah friends, that was wonderful…and heartfelt too. Such sweet singing doesn’t occur unless one feels it in one’s heart. And wonder of wonders, I discovered a blog written by Trevin Wax on the song in 2021, and I’d like share some of it with us today because He does get the right idea and enthusiasm that comes with hollering out for Jesus, and wanting ONLY Him in this crazy world.
He writes: ‘Crying out for Jesus is more than yearning for safety; we want His ferocious goodness. The Lion of Judah’s roar can burst your eardrums, but in His mane you can bury your head and cry out all your tears of sorrow. Untameable, unfathomable, unexplainable—He’s a fire that bursts into a blaze, burning away our sins, yet still warming our hearts. And so, friend, wherever you may be at this time, a year after so many things in our world changed, don’t lose sight of the One who saved you, the One who even now sustains you when you don’t sense His presence—the One who promises to complete the good work He has begun in you. (Phil. 1:6)
We sing “Give Me Jesus” because we want what He wants. He is the One who prayed that we would be with Him and see His glory (John 17:24).’ And I’ve included that verse, which says: ‘Father, I will (desire) that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou LOVEDST me before the foundation of the world.’
‘We sing “Give Me Jesus” because we trust wehave been given to Him, and we believe His promise that we will never be cast out (John 6:37).’ And that verse is our Bit for today: ‘All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out.’
We sing “Give me Jesus” because on the cross, when the glory and LOVE of God was manifested in the Son bowing to His Father’s will, His heart was singing for us, “Give me my Bride.” Jesus LOVES me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’
And it certainly does my people! But it’s up to us to believe it. The Lord gave us free will, and we can choose whatever we want, but just remember that there will be a serious price to pay if we don’t choose Jesus! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the way…the truth…and the life…and no one enters the pearly gates…except through Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 