16 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great high priest, a Sunday afternoon stroll, access with confidence by the faith of him, all God has done for us, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, an high priest who can sympathize with our problems, assurance of being heard by God, be a good christian witness, cannot walk, come boldly to the throne of grace, come boldly unto the throne of grace, come to seek and to save, come unto me, confession of faith, Daniel Herbert, dare not talk, do much better with Jesus than without Him, ever was the same, faith, faith doesn't make it easy, faith makes it possible, feel and know, fellowship, find grace to help in time of need, find rest unto your souls, freedom of speech before God, gentle and humble, give thanks, guilt and sin, he makes alive, hears the sigh or groan, hold fast our profession, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, I will give you rest, I'm lame, in all points, in whom we have boldness, Jehovah is the sinner's friend, Jesus Christ, Jesus fills the throne, Jesus the Son of God, lay your load at Jesus feet, learn of me, LOVE, makes the blind to see, makes the dead to hear his voice, mercy, my burden light, my yoke is easy, passed into the heavens, plead what he has done, poor bankrupt souls, praise, preach good tidings unto the meek, proclaim liberty to the captives, receive forgiveness, relying upon Christ, renewed confidence, set the prisoner free, sincere and heartfelt version, sincere repentance, some soul may say, spiritual strength, stopped my mouth, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, temptation can be a reality apart from sin, tempted as we are, that which is lost, the hell of sin within, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, the Lord will take you in, the opening of the prison, the right of entering into god's presence, the selfless sacrifices of Jesus, the sinner lost He came to save, the Son of man, the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, the unsearchable riches of Christ, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears, those he kills, though lost and blind and lame, to be tempted by Satan, to gain God's ear, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach good tidings to the meek, to them that are bound, truth, we may obtain mercy, wisdom, with confident humility, worship, ye wretched sinners come, yet without sin
Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
One more Sunday to add to our long list of them my fellow believers, which means another time to go to the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship with other believers; that’s to sing, praise, worship and give thanks for all our good God has done for us, and has promised to do in the future. In return for our praise, worship, and thanksgiving, we receive forgiveness, renewed confidence, faith and spiritual strength, so that we can go back out into the workday world this week and be a good Christian witness for Christ.
And today for our song of worship, we have a beautiful Christian hymn whose words were penned way back in 18 something by Daniel Herbert (1751–1833) with music written by Clint Wells and Brian T. Murphy, in 2004. The song is most appropriately titled ‘Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace.’ So, since we’re invited to do that, let’s do it nuh, offering up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, scintillating, sincere and heartfelt version.
Singing: ‘Come boldly to the throne of grace, Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet, And plead what He has done. How can I come? Some soul may say, I’m lame and cannot walk; My guilt and sin have stopped my mouth, I sigh, but dare not talk. Come boldly to the throne of grace, Though lost, and blind, and lame; Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same. He makes the dead to hear His voice; He makes the blind to see, The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free.
Come boldly to the throne of grace, For Jesus fills the throne; and those He kills, He makes alive; He hears the sigh or groan; Poor bankrupt souls, Who feel and know, the hell of sin within; Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in. Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in…the Lord will take you in…Yes the Lord will take you in…take you in.’
And that’s for certain sure my faithful brethren! If we go boldly to the throne of grace our good God will surely take us in! And why is that a sure thing, you ask? Because the Lord’s Word itself tells us to do so. Listen to this most enlightening scripture from the author of Hebrews:
‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with our infirmities (weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
What a delightful, encouraging and uplifting scripture my fellow believers! That’s why we can go to the throne of grace boldly, which means with confident humility, not arrogance! For our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our new high priest, experienced temptation here on earth like we do, yet never sinned, therefore He can sympathize with what we go through, and thus encourages us to come to Him seeking mercy and grace.
One point the scholars make here is that ‘Temptation can be a reality apart from sin.’ In other words, though Jesus could not sin, He was well able to be tempted, as we see from when the Holy Spirit led Him directly after His baptism by John the Baptist, into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. (Matt. 4:1)
Then there’s this other scripture from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, where in talking of the Unsearchable Riches of Christ, he says: ‘In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of (in) him.’ (Eph. 3:12) And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘This verse affirms that Christians have boldness (freedom of speech before God) and access (the right of entering His presence) with confidence (assurance of being heard by God) by the faith of him (through relying upon Christ to gain God’s ear).’
Yes friends, all that we have comes through the selfless sacrifices of Jesus! Without Him, we’d have nothing! We certainly could not go to the throne of God with the assurance that we’d be heard. That’s why it’s so foolish not to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. Just look at what the song says we can do because of him: Wretched sinners that we are; we can still come and lay our burdens at His feet. And why is that? As the song further says: ‘Though lost, and blind, and lame, Jehovah is the sinner’s friend. And ever was the same.’
And that’s the gospel truth my brethren. For even when we were yet sinners God would not turn us away if we came to Him in sincere repentance. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to this most wonderful invitation issued by Jesus to all and sundry. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Oh my people, what a beautiful invitation to come to Jesus and receive all the good stuff He has lined up for those who believe in Him. And no, it won’t just be a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park, but you will certainly do much better with, than without Him. That’s a proven fact!
The song says, ‘The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the captive free.’ And that’s exactly what the scriptures tell us. Jesus Himself said this: ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:10) Then the prophet Isaiah, said this about Him. ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath appointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek (poor); he hath sent me to bind up (heal) the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.’ (Is. 61:1)
And remember that day in the synagogue when Jesus read those words from scroll, (Luke 4:18-19) what He said afterwards? ‘This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (hearing).’ Luke 4:21) That just goes to show that all the words of the song are ever so true, and we’d be real foolish not to accept all that Jesus has to offer us. So please, let’s be wise and accept Him as Lord and Saviour…right now! Much LOVE!
…Faith doesn’t make it easy…but Faith surely makes it possible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heart full of thankfulness, a modicum of circumspection, a perpetual reason for gratitude, a personal attitude, a powerful expression of faith, an act of worship that glorifies God, be careful for nothing, be ye thankful, before taking action, called in one body, cautious and prudent, celebrate God's goodness, communal worship, considering all circumstances and consequences, divine aid, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, encouraging gratitude in all circumstances, enjoy the celebrations, enjoy the festivities, excellent weather, faith, firewaorks, food, for all the wonderful things He's done for us, give thanks, give thanks to God with sincere hearts, give thanks to our heavenly Father, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, God's enduring love and faithfulness, God's gooness is constant, God's marvellous grace and mercy, Gratitude as a way of life, Happy Thanksgiving Day, his mercy endures forever, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, in all wisdom, in every situation, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in every thing give thanks, in psalms hymns and spiritual songs, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, let your requests be made known unto God, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, music as a powerful expression of our thankful hearts, negative situations, O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, permeate every aspect of a believer's life, pray, prayers, public gatherings, reckless escapades, regardless of our circumstances, reinforcing trust in God, salvation, see god's hand and goodness, shifts our focus from our worries to God's provision, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord, song and dance, songs, strong faith in Christ, teaching each other, testimonies of God's wonderful deeds, thanksgiving, thanksgiving as worship, thanksgiving is a crucial element of prayer, the ball is in our court, the foundation for our gratitude, the God who heals, the power to solve our many problems, the recognition of God's unchanging love, the weekend, the will of God in Christ concerning you, this blessed land of Canada, ties thankfulness to the peace of Christ, times of abundance, times of trials, tis evil world, to alleviate our problems, truth, turn from our evil ways, two warnings, whatsoever ye do in word or deed, wisdom, wise guidance
1 Thessalonians 5:18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY CANADA!
Oh friends, it’s good to be alive on this Thanksgiving Monday and be able to give thanks to our heavenly Father for all the wonderful things He’s done for us down through the years, and for what He’s promised to do in the future! What would we do or be without His marvellous grace and mercy eh? Certainly not as much as we are today. And although today looks somewhat cloudy, we also need to give thanks for the excellent weather we’ve experienced so far this important weekend, so that families could get together without too many problems and celebrate God’s goodness to this blessed land called Canada!
I certainly saw that in my area yesterday, where the roads and driveways were lined with more parked cars than normal. Today will also be the same, as the weekend culminates in public gatherings featuring fireworks, food, song and dance and whatever other pastime we choose to occupy the rest of the day. But this thanksgiving rhetoric would not be complete without two warnings; the first is to remember to actually give thanks to God, with sincere hearts, and not only enjoy the festivities like we often do.
And secondly, let’s not overdo the partying and the reckless escapades we tend to get into on these occasions, for remember tomorrow is a workday and we cannot book of sick, or go to work all dragged out and tired. In other words, as that wise man Jeeves would say, let’s totally enjoy the celebrations, but with a modicum of circumspection, that’s being somewhat cautious and prudent, carefully considering all circumstances and potential consequences before taking action. End of the sermon! (smile)
Now, today, we’ll look at some scripture verses that speak of thanksgiving. But before we do that here is some commentary on the matter from the Christianpure website. They break it down into three specific aspects: (1) ‘Gratitude as a Way of Life: The Bible teaches that thanksgiving should permeate every aspect of a believer’s life, encouraging gratitude in all circumstances, not just in times of abundance but also in trials. This perspective transforms how we view our experiences, prompting us to see God’s hand and goodness in every situation.
(2) God’s Enduring LOVE and Faithfulness: Central to the theme of thanksgiving in the Bible is the recognition of God’s unchanging LOVE and faithfulness as the foundation for our gratitude. The verses highlight God’s goodness and mercy as constant reasons for thanksgiving, inviting believers to respond to His LOVE with a heart full of thankfulness.
(3) Thanksgiving as Worship: The act of giving thanks is depicted not only as a personal attitude but also as an act of worship that glorifies God. Through prayers, songs, and testimonies of God’s wonderful deeds, thanksgiving becomes a powerful expression of faith and adoration, drawing believers closer to God and reinforcing their trust in Him.’
And now, having a more in-depth idea of thanksgiving, let’s look at a few verses that fit the bill, beginning with this verse from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians, which sets the stage for all the others. ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18) Now that could not be any more specific; in everything we are to give thanks, be grateful regardless of our circumstances, because that’s what the Lord desires of us through Christ Jesus.
Then we have the opening verse of Psalm 107, which is repeated several times throughout the Bible. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 107:1) And as the commentary from the Christianpure website tells us: ‘This Psalm highlights God’s enduring LOVE as the foundation for thanksgiving. It reminds us that God’s goodness is constant, providing a perpetual reason for gratitude, reflecting on His unchanging nature and faithful LOVE.’
And what about these verses from Colossians? ‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:15-17)
And the commentary reasons that ‘This passage ties thankfulness to the peace of Christ and communal worship. It suggests that gratitude is both a personal attitude and a communal practice, enriched through sharing and teaching, with music as a powerful expression of our thankful hearts.’
Unfortunately though, we have time for just one more verse, another one we ought to know quite well. This from Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.’ (Phil. 3:6) And per the commentary: ‘This verse teaches that thanksgiving is a crucial element of prayer, transforming anxiety into peace. It implies that gratitude shifts our focus from our worries to God’s provision, encouraging a trustful surrender to His care.’
Now hopefully we have a somewhat deeper and richer understanding of thanksgiving, (smile) so let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid for our strife-filled world. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And as our prayer indicates, now that we’ve prayed, we must begin turning from our evil ways, and sincerely seek God’s face, if we desire to receive divine aid. That means the ball is now in our court. So please, let’s do something productive and worthwhile with it! Much LOVE!
…giving thanks is what God expects from us…in every circumstance…so why are we so reluctant to do it eh…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a raging storm, all my heart to him I give, be of good cheer, be saved today, Bible, bid me come to thee, by his love, by your grace, christianity, deeply stained within, diligence, even the wind and sea obey him, ever his praises sing, faith, faithful loving service, far from the peaceful shore, fellowship, from the waters lifted me, give thanks, god, grace, heard my despairing cry, holy spirit, how come ye have no faith, I was a mess, I'm not good enough, In his blessed presence live, in the fourth watch, in the stern of the ship, It is I, James Rowe, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the Real MCcoy, Jesus was asleep, lift us out of despair, Lord save me, lost in sin, LOVE, love lifted me, love so mighty and so true, mercy, merits my soul's best songs, my sin is too much, not by my strength, now safe am I, out of the angry waves, peace be still, Peter walked on the water, praise, sacrifices of praise, salvation, sincerity, sinking in sin, sinking in water, sinking to rise no more, sins are not my master, souls in danger look above, take courage, the Lord's Day, the Master of the sea, the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes, the violent wind, the well being of grace, thou art the Son of man, truth, walking on the sea, went up into a mountain to pray, what manner of man is this, when nothing else could help, why are ye so fearful, wisdom, worship
Matthew 14:31. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Another Sunday, another Lord’s Day on God’s good earth! So let’s hie hither to His sanctuary, there to praise, worship and give Him thanks, while also fellowshipping with other believers, encouraging and uplifting each other, so that our faith and confidence can be refreshed and renewed, and we can continue doing the Lord’s work with all diligence and sincerity in the upcoming week.
And after that mouthful, (smile) let’s get right into our song of the day, one most appropriately titled, ‘LOVE LIFTED ME.’ It’s a popular hymn written in 1912 by James Rowe (1865-1933), an English born, Irish immigrant to the U.S. And as this commentary tells us; ‘The lyrics draw from the stories of Jesus and His disciples at sea from the book of Matthew (and Mark). Rowe plays upon the idea of sinking in water to sinking in sin and that Jesus can lift us out of despair to salvation.’
And He certainly can! So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, soulful and sincere version, allowing the awesome truth of the words of the song to both echo in our hearts and our voices. Singing: ‘I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more; But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, now safe am I. (Refrain: LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me. LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me.)
All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling, In his blessed presence live, ever his praises sing. LOVE so mighty and so true merits my soul’s best songs; Faithful LOVING service, too, to Him belongs. [Refrain] I was a mess, lost in my sin. Your LOVE has lifted me from the pit. Thank you God, your LOVE has lifted me. Not by my strength but by your grace sins are not my master anymore, Hallelujah! Your LOVE has lifted me. (Refrain):
Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves; He will lift you by His LOVE out of the angry waves; He’s the master of the sea, billows His will obey He your Saviour wants to be, be saved today. [Refrain] LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me. LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me. When I thought my sin was too much, when I say I’m not good enough, when I think it will not be restored. Jesus will lift me. When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me.’
And believe me friends, if you want to be a successful Christian, you have to totally believe that Christ can lift you from the murky mire, and place you safe on dry land. Otherwise you have no hope of ever living the abundant life He died for us to have. And we all know that the song is based on two biblical stories that deal with Jesus and His disciples on the Sea of Galilee. The first one comes after Jesus fed the five thousand men, beside women and children, with the five loaves of bread and two fishes. (Matt. 14:13-21)
However, right after the miraculous feeding, Jesus compelled the disciples to get into a boat and go over to the other side of the sea. Then He sent the multitudes away and went up into a mountain by Himself to pray. But by the time the evening came, the boat was in the midst of a raging storm, being tossed to and from on the waves from a strong wind. The Bible tells it thus: ‘And in the fourth watch of the night (3-6 a,m.) Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit (ghost); and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer (take courage), it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he (Jesus) said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind boisterous (violent), he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.’ (Matt. 14:25-33) Yes friends, Jesus will indeed lift us out of any billows we find ourselves in, and deposit us on safe ground.
Meanwhile the other scriptural inspiration for the song is one we know oh so well. Jesus and the disciples are in a boat out on the Sea of Galilee when suddenly a raging storm crops up and threatens to overturn the boat, filling the boat with water. However, through all of this drama, Jesus is asleep. Mark relates it thus: ‘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, 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 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 wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark. 4:38-41) It’s obvious why the wind and the sea obeyed Jesus…He is their Creator and Controller, just like He is ours!
Ah friends, Jesus is indeed the Real Mccoy! For our own sakes, let’s believe it nuh. He can lift us out of anything, save us from any situation, if we only have the faith to believe. And this interesting commentary is a fitting conclusion to our Bit today. It says: ‘Rowe’s hymn masterfully incorporates both stories, using sinking or being swamped into the sea as an illustration for “sinking deep in sin…sinking to rise no more.” Jesus, “Master of the sea,” hears our pleas for help, reaches out to us in LOVE, and lifts us up into the well-being of grace.’
Now isn’t that just a beautiful situation to behold! (smile) Much LOVE!
…crying out to Jesus for help…is the wisest decision we can ever make…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great King above all Gods, angels will attend, be singing as the days go by, burdened with a load of care, Christ has promised wealth untold, come before his presence with thanksgiving, concentrate on the good things, count the negative more than the positives, count your blessings, every doubt will fly away, faith, give thanks, go to the Lord's sanctuary, God is over all, heavy the cross you are called to bear, help and comfort give, in every thing give thanks, Jesus Christ, Johnson Oatman Jr., let us sing unto the Lord, LOVE, make a joyful noise, money cannot buy your reward in heaven, name them one by one, opportunities hiding in your difficulties, overlook the small blessings, pray, rejoice evermore, sacrifices of praise, salvation, see what God hath done, shout joyfully unto him with psalms, sing up a storm, tempest tossed, thanksgiving weekend, the Lord is a great God, thinking all is lost, this is the will of God in Christ, to the rock of our salvation, to your journey's end, truth, upon life's billows, wisdom, your are discouraged, 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 though it’s a somewhat cloudy and chilly Sunday, this Thanksgiving weekend; it ought not to stop us from making our way joyfully to the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship with other believers and give our wonderful God much praise and thanks for all He’s done for us down through the years.
It’s as the psalmist declares: ‘O Come, let us sing unto the Lord” let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all Gods.’ (Ps. 95:1-3)
And that’s the indisputable truth my people! So lets’ do as the psalmist advises and offer up sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, scintillating, sincere, heartfelt and truthful version of this perfect Thanksgiving song, one we all know and LOVE, written by American hymn writer and pastor, Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856-1922), simply, but most appropriately titled ‘Count Your Blessings.’
But before we sing, let’s ascertain what it means. In general, it means to be grateful for the good things in our lives, while it also often means to stop ourselves from becoming too unhappy about the bad things, which we ofttimes can’t do anything about. So now that we know, let’s sing up a storm this Thanksgiving Sunday!
‘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: 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.)
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, one of our bad attitudes is that regardless of how many good things we have in our lives, we choose to dwell and agitate over the few negatives more than the many positives. But that’s exactlty the kind of attitude this song is attempting to turn us away from. As the chorus so wisely advises us: ‘Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your blessings, see what God hath done;’ If we concentrate on the good things in life, rather than the negative ones, we will be ever so much happier and contented.
Or as this commentary rightly reminds us: ‘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.’ That’s more gospel truth; for in our difficulties positive opportunities are always present.
And the website www.godtube adds their two cents worth by reminding us that ‘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.’
Now right in there is another serious matter on the topic of blessings. We tend to overlook the small blessings that the Lord bestows on us every day. They’re usually so small that we either don’t notice them or take them for granted, only considering the big things as blessings. But there again we’re wrong, for the Lord bestows many more small blessings on us than large ones, and if we just wait to number the large ones to be thankful, then we will be waiting a mighty long time.
So, as of today, right now, let’s stop counting only our large blessings, but look with joy on the many small ones the Lord bestows on us every day. And if we’ll just take a moment to think about it, I’m sure we’ll all be able to come up with quite a few small ones that we’ve never paid any attention to. And the song gives us so many occasions on which to count our blessings:
‘When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost… And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. – Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?… ev’ry doubt will fly, And you will be singing as the days go by. – When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; … money cannot buy Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. – So, amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged, God is over all; … angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.’
Oh my fellow believers, just look at all the things we can defuse and reject by just counting our many blessings nuh! Why do we then allow life to make us so miserable and discouraged when we have the great and faithful promises of God, our Creator and Provider? That’s why Bruh Paul was able to write thus to the Thessalonians: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
And those are exactly the things God desires for us so that we can live the abundant life that Christ died for us to have starting right down here on earth. Much LOVE!
…count your blessings…pray…rejoice…and give thanks…that’s the Christian motto…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Oct 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every other name, Advocate, at the name of Jesus, became obedient unto death, between a rock and a hard place, but as thou wilt, Danny Gokey, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, Fernando Ortega, give me Jesus, give thanks, high priest, in the morning when I rise, Jesus is Christ the Lord, King of Kings, let this cup pass from me, Lord of Lords, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, My God my God, my rest and my refuge, not as I will, remember the Sabbath day, sing songs of praise, the answer to my prayers, the calm in the storm, there I am in the midst of them, to keep it holy, to the glory of God the Father, when I am alone, when I come to die, when I lay my head down, wherever two or three are gathered in my name, why hast thou forsaken me, you can have all this world
Matthew 18:20. For wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Come on down friends, it’s time once again to gather, by whatever means possible, and sing songs of praise, give thanks for our many blessings, and offer up worshipful adoration to our great God Jehovah, on this His day, Sunday! Consequently, we adhere to His commands to ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy,’ as well as to restrain from toil for one day of the week, like He did when He created the world and all therein. (Ex. 20:8-11) And thankfully, that day is today. (smile)
So let’s open with a short prayer. ‘Oh heavenly Father, we thank you for this day and all that You have prepared for us to enjoy in it. We thank You also for enabling us to gather in worship, and ask that Your holy presence be amongst us as we do so in sincerity and truth, remembering the faithful promise of Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour: ‘For wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ Please be in our midst as we open our hearts and souls to you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.’ And that promise of Jesus can be found in Matthew 18:20.
Now, let’s raise our harmonious voices in sacrificial praise as we render a sweet, scintillating and oh so soulful version of this favourite song, written by Fernando Ortega, so aptly titled, ‘Give me Jesus!’ Wow friends, there’s no better gift we can ever receive than Jesus. So let’s make that plain as we sing it loud and clear, in all sincerity and truth, a la Danny Gokey’s version with the wonderful background voices of the diverse choir and the stirring music of the full orchestra. (smile)
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. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, You can have all this world, You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus, He’s all I need. 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… Just give me Jesus…’
Oh my fellow saints, that was ever so touching and heartfelt! And yes, the words are simple and somewhat repetitive, but the emotions of gratitude and appreciation they convey as they float over the rich music is certainly amazing, especially when they are sung sincerely from the heart, like we just did. And why is Jesus so important that we’d be willing to give up everything else in the world just for Him?
Because He is our Lord and Saviour, our Leader, Guide and Good Shepherd! He left His privileged position in heaven, at the Father’s request and came to earth in man’s form to sacrifice His sinless life so that our abominable sins could be forgiven, have everlasting life and be once again made right with the Lord. Now if that isn’t the best example of selflessness, and therefore deserves our total surrender, thanks and gratitude, then I don’t know what is.
And if you don’t believe me, then, please listen to how Bruh Paul explains Jesus to the Philippians. ‘Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made (coming) in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:6-11)
Wow! That’s how special Jesus is my people! He left heaven as the Son of God and came to earth like a lowly servant, and learned obedience as a man, and gave His life to please the Father. And it’s not that Jesus so badly wanted to sacrifice His life nuh, but the Father desperately desired to save His ungrateful, disobedient, sinful creation called mankind, but found Himself between a rock and a hard place. Meaning, that to uphold His righteousness and justice, sin had to be paid for by death of a sinless soul, and since Jesus was the ONLY sinless soul available, He had to band His jaw and sacrifice His one Son. That was the ONLY way to carry out the LOVING feeling in His heart.
And as we said earlier on, it wasn’t that Jesus badly wanted to take the sins of the whole world on His shoulder, for remember the night before His crucifixion, in the Garden of Gethsemane, three times He knelt and prayed to the Father: ‘O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:39)
Now, according to the scholars, that didn’t mean that Jesus obviously feared death, ‘but it is more likely the cup represents the wrath of God against sin, the divine wrath Christ would incur on the cross as man’s sin-bearer. In the awful anguish of that moment, the sin of the world was poured on Christ, and He became “sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21) Thus, the Righteous One dies a substitutionary death for guilty mankind.’
Remember His heart-breaking cry on the cross: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt: 27:46) Yes friends, it broke Jesus’ heart because that was the ONLY time the Father ever turned away from Him, because He was ugly and repugnant in the Father’s eyes, burdened with the sins of the world. But then, three days later, He rose victorious from the dead, having defeated Satan on his own turf and ascended back to the Father to take His rightful place at His right hand.
And that’s why He’s all we ever want and need! He’s such a magnificent example to all of mankind, in terms of sacrifice, obedience, and every other thing you can think of, why He’s in such high demand, why He’s our empathetic High Priest and Advocate, as well as the Lord of Lord, and King of Kings! Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing…or no one to compare with JESUS…it’s as simple as that…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
31 Jul 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abide in me and I in you, as the ssssssssssssSon of man came not to be ministered unto, ask for divine help, down on my knees that where I learned to stand, ecnourage each other in the joy of the Lord, end of summer 2022, every foundation besides Jesus is sinking sand, flimsy pottery spinning on the potter's wheel, give thanks, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I can't even walk without you holding my hand, Joyce and Colbert Croft, man was made to serve Jah, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, our sufficiency is of God, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, to give his life a ransom for many, virus of monkeypox, whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister
John 15:5b. …for without me ye can do nothing.
Wow friends! I can’t believe another Sunday has come around so quickly! And to make matters worse, today is also the last day of July, meaning that the summer of 2022 is almost over, only August left to go. And at the rate time seems to be travelling these days, that will soon be over too, and we’ll be back into the harsh reality of winter. But that’s okay, (smile) we’re true and staunch believers in Christ Jesus, that means we can handle anything that comes against, be it heat or cold, fire or flood, hell or highwater.
Seriously though, with all the problems our world is currently facing, like the pandemic of Covid 19, which isn’t going away, but seems to be coming back again strong, the new virus of monkeypox, aided by all the strife and dissension, plus the many natural and man-made disasters, we don’t even have time to think about the speed with which the days are passing.
But that’s one of the reasons why we gather every Sunday, either physically in God’s sanctuary, or by technological means, so that we can pray and give thanks and ask for divine help to deal with what’s going on around us. Also to encourage each other in the joy of the Lord, and be comforted and encouraged by our omnipotent God, so that we can go back out into the world and face it mano-a-mano, without fear or worry.
Therefore, as we always do, let’s open with some worship, with a song aptly titled, ‘I can’t even walk without You holding my hand.’ And believe me friends that’s the gospel truth! Without Christ, we can’t’ do much of anything. But we’ll talk about that later, right now let’s raise our voices in sacrificial praise, sincerely singing the wonderful words that Joyce and Colbert Croft apparently penned. In a heartfelt, medium tempo, soulful, harmonious version, let’s do it justice!
‘I thought 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 I could do a lot on my own I thought I could make it all alone I thought of myself as a 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 The mountains are too high and the valleys too wide Down on my knees that’s where I learned to stand Oh Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand –
I think I’ll make Jesus my all and all And if I’m in trouble on his name I’ll call 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 – Oh Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand The mountains are too high and the valleys too wide Down on my knees that’s where I learned to stand ‘Cause Lord I can’t even walk without you holding my hand Oh Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand Yes my Saviour, I can’t walk without you holding my hand. Thank You for teaching me that through your Word…I can’t even walk, without holding your hand.’
And if you don’t believe that’s the God-awesome truth, then something’s wrong with your mind! (smile) Now, it’s not like we’re fishing and/or floundering for that truth, because Jesus said it with a straight face, a long time ago, when He told the disciples: ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 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 15:4-5)
That should make it very clear friends. Without Jesus, we’re nothing and can do nothing. But with Him…Mama oh Mama! We can do any and everything, even moving mountains with faith only as big as a grain of mustard seed! Yes friends, as Bruh Paul faithfully proclaimed to the church at Philippi: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) And the same thing applies to us; we can live under any conditions, adapt to any circumstances, be they good, bad or in-between, through Christ’s help and strength, most ably led and guided by the third member of the Trinity, the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Meanwhile, in his second letter to the church at Corinth, Bruh Paul wrote these stirring words to them. ‘And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:4-5) And it’s not like we don’t know that the words of the song and the Good Book are very true, that we can’t do anything of value without Christ. But it’s just that we are so stubborn and pig-headed, we refuse to acknowledge it because of foolish pride.
And please remember my people, one of the things the Lord dislikes with a burning passion is pride, because it detracts from His glory. It makes us feel He’s not important in our scheme of things, we don’t need Him, we are sufficient in and of ourselves. And that’s exactly how the world is feeling today, and why we have such a busload of unsolvable problems. I don’t know what more it will take to make us acknowledge that we can’t help ourselves, and without God we’re nothing; nothing but flimsy, flaking pottery spinning on the potter’s wheel.
Now let’s look at a couple of statements from the song and see how they play out in real life. Right from the very beginning we get it wrong: ‘I thought number one would surely be me…I could be what I wanted to be…I could build on life’s sinking sand.’ But Jesus refutes every one of those ideas. To be number one in his kingdom, one must first learn to serve, as He told the disciples. ‘…but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister (servant). And whosoever will be chief (first) among you, let him be your servant (slave). Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (to be served), but to minister (to serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Matt. 20:26-28)
And, as per building life on sinking sand, Jesus also addressed that problem, when he preached about the two foundations for building in this life, the Rock: that’s Himself, His example and His words. And everything else, which is sinking sand, that will be washed away when the rains fall and the floods come. But those who keep His words, build on Him, their foundation will stand the test of time and nature, because it was built on solid rock. (Matt. 7:24-27)
The same thing goes for these foolish and egotistic words: I thought I could do a lot on my own…could make it all alone…thought of myself as a mighty big man…’ No friends, those are all self-serving and untruthful words, which Cousin Sol warned us about very long ago, when he wrote: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) Now, those are really the only words we need to live by yes, my fellow saints! We satisfy all the requirements when we do those things.
And I’ll close with my favourite line of the song: ‘Down on my knees, that’s where I learned to stand.’ And that’s the glorious truth friends! When we get down on our knees before Almighty God and declare our sincere LOVE for Him and great desire for His fellowship…that’s when we truly begin standing; standing strong in His awesome name and glorious majesty! As Luciano’s song so rightly says: Man was made to serve Jah…and to live together forever! Much LOVE!
…only safe and secure in Christ Jesus…are we anything or anybody…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
22 Aug 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ask and it shall be given to you, be careful for nothing, come unto me all ye that labour, delight thyself also in the Lord, enter in to his gates with thanksgiving, give thanks, He came to me when I needed Him, He gave me wealth untold, he shall give thee the desires of thine heart, He's only a prayer away, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name, I asked the Lord, I count all my blessings each day, I only had to pray, I thank the Lord for everything, I will comfort you, I will give you rest, I'll lift your cares away, if we ask anything according to His will, in everything by prayer and supplication, Jimmy Duncan, Johnny Lange, LOVE, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, praiseworthy, righteous, soulful gospel touch, takes your breath away, that your joy may be full, the great invitation, The Lord is good, this is the confidence that we have in Him, when things weren't going my way
Psalm 37:4. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Oh my fellow believers, it’s Sunday! That means it’s time to come together, once more, to worship Christ in all sincerity and truth! Oh yeah! Nothing can be better, more beautiful or righteous and praiseworthy than that! And as always, we begin our worship with a song of praise and thanksgiving. Today’s song is a Christian contemporary song written in the last century by a couple of American Hit songwriters. It’s titled ‘I asked the Lord.’
And what’s interesting about this song is that the writers, Jimmy Duncan, 1927-2011, and Johnny Lange 1905-2006, both had a hand in writing some non-gospel hit songs. Duncan wrote the famous country/western hit ‘My Special Angel’ for Bobby Helms in the late fifties, and Lange wrote the gimmicky song ‘Mule Train,’ made popular by Frankie Laine in 1949. You folks of the younger generation won’t know those songs, but they are classics from your parents’ days. (smile)
And we are indeed thankful that Duncan and Lange collaborated to give us this wonderful Christian song. I hadn’t heard it in a long time, until a couple of days ago, when someone sent it to me through a WhatsApp video. And I just knew that we had to sing it today because it’s so beautiful and applicable to our lives in these trying and troubled times. Now some people sing it slow, but we’re going to put a medium tempo with a solid, soulful gospel touch to it today.
So let’s sing: ‘I asked the Lord to comfort me When things weren’t going my way; And He said to me, “I will comfort you And I’ll lift your cares away.” I asked the Lord to walk with me, when darkness was all that I knew; And He said to me “Never be afraid, and I will see you through.” I didn’t ask for riches, but He gave me wealth untold, The moon and the stars, the sun in the sky, and He gave me eyes to behold.
I thank the Lord for everything, and I count all my blessings each day; For He came to me when I needed Him, I only had to pray. And He will come to you, if you ask Him to, For He’s only a prayer away. I thank the Lord for everything, and I count all my blessings each day; For He came to me when I needed Him, I only had to pray. And He will come to you, if you ask Him to, For He’s only a prayer away.’
And is that ever the gospel truth my brethren! God is only a prayer away from us, and all we have to do is ask Him to come and He will gladly come, come running too! Oh friends, Jesus said it several times and several different ways. Let’s hear some of them nuh. This first one He says when He talks about not judging. ‘Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7-8)
And after He cursed the fig tree, He told the disciples: ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt. 21:22) Then in John, when Jesus declares that He is the only way to the Father, He tells the disciples: ‘And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.’ (John 14:13-14) And when He talks about the vine and the branches, He states: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.’ (John 15:7)
Then this final scripture, when Jesus tells the disciples about going back to the Father and leaving them, and seeing their sorrow, He offers comforting words. ‘Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy shall be full.’ (John 16:24) So you see friends, asking is a big part of our relationship with God. However, that asking is not to be frivolous and self-centred, but in the will of God. Hear John explain it in his first epistle. ‘And this is the confidence that we have in Him (Christ), that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’ (1 John 5:14)
And remember too that Jesus said we should ask in His name, that means as His agents or ambassadors, to be able to do His work. God always wants to give us good things, but we must ask persistently, unselfishly and in faith. The important thing my brethren is that we get into God’s will, want what He wants. And when that happens then this wonderful verse from Psalm 37 will come into play. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4)
As one commentator says: ‘The key here is that the heart of the seeker is changed—when we delight in the Lord, God’s desires begin to become our own. When our desires match God’s, then our prayers are automatically aligned with His will.’ So, asking is good and right, but there are conditions.
A couple of other important scriptures can be derived from the song. Where it says: ‘And He said to me, “I will comfort you And I’ll lift your cares away.” That points right back the Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (humble and gentle): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Yes my fellow saints, there is no other place to find rest, comfort and succour than in the arms, or under the umbrella of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And I want to close with this other important attitude we can derive from the song, that of counting our blessings and giving thanks. Listen up to these wonderful scriptures on the subject. Bruh Paul to the Ephesians: ‘Giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Eph. 5:20)
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.’ (Phil. 4:6) And finally from the psalmist: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (Ps. 100:4-5)
That says it all my people! Much LOVE!
…when you consider the greatness of our God…it just takes your breath away
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
01 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good man showeth favour, a servant of the Lord, Absalom, as the shining light, bounden duty, calamitous times, compassionate heart, curse, dark and dubious times, divine blessing, don't have to be scared, full of compassion, give thanks, hate evil, have seen a great light, He preserveth the souls of his saints, I will fear no evil, I will not be afraid, interact with Jehovah God, it's scary, lay me down in peace and sleep, let your light so shine, light is shown in the righteous, Lord lift up, makest me dwell in safety, more than in the time, negative word, of ten thousands of people, promotion, prosper, Rejoice in the Lord, self-control, succeed, that shineth more and more, the days passing by quickly, the first day of October, the land of the shadow of the death, the light of the world, the light of your countenance, the path of the just, the penultimate day of our work week, the people that walked in darkness, the remembrance of His holiness, the salt of the earth, the shadow of death, their corn and wine increased, this too shall pass, thou art with me, thou hast put gladness in my heart, though I walk through, Thursday Blessings, thy rod and thy staff comfort me, tough people do, tough times don't last, unto the perfect day, welcome to Thursday, words of faith, ye that love the Lord
Psalm 4:7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased.
Welcome to Thursday friends, the penultimate day of our work week, and this particular one that’s the first day of October in our crazy year of 2020. And though you must be tired of hearing me say it, (smile) the days are just running by like lightning! September just started, we just celebrated Labour Day, now September done already! It’s already Thanksgiving time in Canada. I don’t know if is me alone who find that the days passing by quickly nuh, but it scary, especially in the kind of year we been having.
But the good thing about being a servant of the Lord is that though the times may be scary, we don’t have to be scared, because as we said yesterday our Lord, Creator and Guide looks after those who serve Him. ‘‘There may be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’ (Ps. 4:6-8)
Yes my people, when we seriously and sincerely interact with Jehovah God, He brings gladness and joy to our hearts, and we can lie down and sleep without any problems. As Bruh David so wisely says in Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God – when he fled from his son Absalom, who was fomenting discord and revolution against him. ‘But thou O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) mine head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps. 3:3-6)
Oh friends, what powerful words of faith!Now it’s definitely not a pleasant or easy thing when your son is trying to overthrow you, to kill you and take over your kingdom. (2 Sam. 15) But in one of Bruh David’s lowest times, he kept his faith supreme in the God of his forefathers. And what happened? The Lord pulled him through those tough times successfully, he eventually got back his kingdom from Absalom. (2 Sam. 18)
Now that’s the kind of faith we believers need to exhibit in these pressing and uncertain times. And if we do, the Lord will see us safely through them, for we all know that this too shall pass, these times can’t last forever, but the ones who will come out successfully are those who hold on tightly to the hands of the Lord God Almighty.
Yes, these are certainly dark and dubious times, but let’s look at some scripture that ought to uplift us as believers in God. The psalmist proclaims with authority: ‘Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance (for the memory) of his holiness (his holy name).’ (Ps. 97:10-12)
Now that’s the kind of thing believers ought to be doing right now; faithfully believing in the Lord, worshipping Him and rejoicing in His awesome goodness and glory! Now is the time my friends when we are expected to be more than ever the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Believers are expected to rise up when times get tough. As Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) so famously coined: ‘tough times don’t last, but tough people do!’ And we believers are expected to be tough people! And why not eh, since we have the Creator of the universe looking after us?
Hear this verse from Psalm 112 – Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. ‘Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man showeth favour (is gracious), and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion (justice).’ (Ps. 112: 4-5) Now that’s the kind of person we’ve been called to be, especially in these hurting and calamitous times; gracious, giving, lending, LOVING, just, and all the other things that describe a true believer!
And yuh know Cousin Sol must have a word of wisdom to offer. (smile) ‘But the path of the just is as the shining light (bright light), that shineth more and more (ever brighter) unto the perfect day.’ (Prov. 4:18). Mama Yo! Trust Cousin Sol to say it like it is. Our lights are supposed to get ever brighter friends as we count down the days to Jesus’ triumphant return!
And we all know this immortal verse from Isaiah. ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) Yes, these disturbing times seem like we’re walking in the shadow of death, but remember the light that’s Jesus is constantly shining down on us despite our tough circumstances.
But please my brethren, let’s remember these most powerful and memorable words of Bruh David from his immortal psalm – The Lord is my shepherd. ‘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.’ (Ps. 23:4) Yea, mih people, the Good Shepherd is looking after us, so there’s no need to fear! That means we can now go home declaring (ah Lord eh…) our Thursday Blessings, which God has so generously blessed us with so that we can do His work.
All together now in strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And though I shouldn’t have to remind us, just to be on the safe side, I will. (smile) Now let’s go out and share those blessings with others just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. That’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!
…let your light so shine before men…in these calamitous times…
05 Sep 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grateful heart, all things are possible with Jesus, aspires to inspire us, Cleanse your hands, create in me a clean heart, divisive enemy, draw nigh to God, faith conquers fear every time, fervently, fight tooth and nail, get the victory, give thanks, he shall lift you up, humble yourselves in the sight of God, LOVE one another, measurment, one thing or another, our Lord God Jehovah, pre-eruption lava, purify your hearts, renew a right spirit within me, repentance, reward someone, seething like magma, thanksgiving, the biggest room in the the world, the enemy never makes it easy, the first step that leads to control, the gospel truth, the Lord looketh on the heart, violence and war, we can do all things with Christ's help, with a pure heart, ye doubleminded, ye sinners
Psalm 51:10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.
Ah friends, it’s so true that if it isn’t one thing, then it’s another, and when one thing happens, another soon follows it. Steups! I already got up late then I had some computer problems…possibly because I didn’t know what I was doing. (smile) But the enemy never makes it easy, he’s always trying to get in a word edgewise or a toehold somewhere. But don’t worry, we going to drive the ole fool right outa town because after all these years of going to and fro about the earth, he still hasn’t learned the gospel truth that faith conquers fear and anxiety each and every time!
And though the sunny Saturday has opened somewhat on the rough side, we going to bring it right into line with God’s Word and get the victory He has so faithfully promised. Glory Hallelujah! So let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week as he aspires to inspire us for tomorrow. Hear this first one: ‘The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.’ Now if that isn’t the awesome truth, I don’t know what is nuh!
Oh my people, our world is in such a mess, such a state of uproar and dissension, of strife, resentment, anger and hatred, like we’ve never seen it before that there is a whole lotta room for improvement. And the sad part is that what we’re seeing is only the half of it, because a whole lot more negative emotions are quietly seething below the surface and could break out any day, any time now in full blown violence and war.
And that helps us segue right into the next quote. ‘Measurement is the first step that leads to control and eventually to improvement. If you can’t measure something, you can’t understand it. If you can’t understand it, you can’t control it. If you can’t control it, you can’t improve it.’ Now that applies so perfectly to our world that it’s not funny. We can’t measure the amount of unrest, dissension, distrust and division that’s currently running riot in our world, so how can we control it eh?
In fact, it seems that things are daily getting more out of control. The worldwide unhappiness that’s been seething like the magma (molten rock and gas) of a boiling volcano for so long, is now rising in a groundswell of public outcry and indignation! The volcano that’s our world is bubbling and boiling, with pre-eruption lava already flowing down the sides, and who knows when the whole thing is going to erupt eh? That brings us to this next quote: ‘Don’t say it cannot be done, rather say, you don’t know how to do it yet.’
Ah friends, a lot of us are saying that our world cannot be saved, because we don’t how to fix it. But we believers ought never to say that because we know that with Christ ALL THINGS are possible, and we can do ALL THINGS through Him, who strengthens us! Mamacita! What a blessing and Saviour He is to us! The logic here now is simply this: if all things are possible with Christ, and He gives us strength to do all things, then the solution to our worldwide problem is to turn en masse, like one big, full body to Christ, with repentance and thanksgiving!
But the enemy doesn’t want that, that’s why he’s fighting tooth and nail to keep the volcano bubbling and boiling hoping that it would erupt and turn things in his negative, warlike favour. That’s not going to happen though, because Christ’s army of saints are going to stand strong in Christ and fight tooth and nail to defeat the divisive enemy! Glory be!
Now listen to this next quote: ‘If you can’t reward then you should thank.’ And that makes sense. If you can’t reward someone for what they’ve done, then the next best thing is to thank them. Hopefully they’ll understand. Although the way our society is greedy and selfish nowadays, many won’t. Instead they’ll clamour for a tangible reward. But there’s one person who will never do that, who will be ever grateful for just our thanks. That’s our Lord God Jehovah!
Yes, He doesn’t want, or rather we can’t give him a reward, since everything in the world belongs to Him, but He does want to hear our thanks for all He’s done, is doing and has promised to do for us. That’s all He really desires from us. That’s why Bruh Paul repeatedly told us about the giving of thanks. ‘In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18) ‘Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;’ (Eph. 5:20)
But yuh know my people, giving thanks is only possible when one thing is present. Our last quote tells it: ‘Thou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing… a grateful heart.’ Yes mih bredrin, only when we have a grateful heart is the giving of thanks truly possible! And that’s’ why our world is in such turmoil; there aren’t enough grateful hearts in it. That brings us to this most important point; a truly grateful heart can only be obtained through sincere communication and reverence with the Lord. That’s why there are so many scriptures about the heart in His Word.
Why yuh think Bruh David desired the Lord after he repented of his sin with Bathsheba – ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps. 51:10) Because when our hearts are of full of unrepentant sin, we can’t be truly grateful. And remember too what the Lord told Samuel when he sent him to anoint Bruh David as the next king of Israel and Samuel was looking at the outward appearances of Jesse’s sons. ‘For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7b)
And that’s why James, Christ’s brother warns us so passionately: ‘Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:8, 10) Oh my people, I don’t think we can have a better scripture to ponder on this Saturday morning. So let’s do that nuh. Much LOVE!
…see that ye LOVE one another…with a pure heart…fervently… (1 Pet. 1:22)
02 Sep 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a benevolent young couple, a privilege and honour, all knees must bow, Alpha and Omega, at thy right hand, clothing, compassions, crowded city of New York, difficult is the way, felt cheated, food, give thanks, go a whoring from God, God's LOVE, gospel truth, halfway home, hasten after another god, he is at my right hand, He is enough, how narrow is the gate, I ask forgiveness, I shall not be moved, I will bless the Lord, idolatrous worship, in Him there is enough faithfulness, in thee do I trust, in thy presence is fullness of joy, in whom is all my delight, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my great enough, my hands are fixed, my limited concept of God, never enough of anything, new upon us every day, nothing apart from thee, One Year Book of Bible promises, pleasures for evermore, Ruth Harms Calkin, satisfy the longings of my heart, securely on the plough, shelter, the attitude of the righteous man, the breath of life, the Lion of Judah, the name above every other name, the path of life, the Prince of Peace, the question of faith, there is none like our Lord, thou wilt show me the path of life, to a glorious future with Jesus, to God the Father, vast expanse of water, warmth, Wednesday Wail
Psalm 16:11. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Well another day of God’s LOVE, mercy and compassions are new upon us! Glory be! What a privilege and honour to have Him refresh our lives each and every day. That’s why we say there is none other like the Lord our God, our Jesus! He is the Alpha and the Omega; the Frist and the Last, the Prince of Peace, the Lily of the Valley, the Lion of Judah, the Rose of Sharon…and so many other things, like the name that’s above every other name, and the One to whom all knees must eventually bow and give thanks through Him to God the Father!
Wow! Isn’t He loverly…isn’t He wonderful? Most certainly! And that leads us quite nicely into this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, titled ‘He Is Enough.’ Bless His holy name! Please pray with me: ‘She lived in the most deprived section of the crowded city of New York, where there was never enough of anything – never enough food or clothing, never enough warmth or shelter, never enough compassion.
But one day a benevolent young couple invited her to spend a week at the seashore, to experience a piece of life she had never known. Hour by hour she breathed deeply as the crashing waves brushed against her small frame. She looked at the vast expanse of water – and then, without warning she began to sob. For the first time in her life she saw something of which there was enough!
Today I ask forgiveness for my limited concept of God. At times I’ve secretly felt cheated – as though somehow He was not enough to satisfy the longings of my heart. I need to learn and relearn that in Him there is enough faithfulness, enough LOVE, enough grace, enough joy! May I never forget that God Himself in now and forever my Great Enough!’
And that is the living truth my people: our great God is more than enough of everything for everyone He’s ever created! But until we learn that most important point – I’ll repeat it (smile) God is more than enough for all of us, we will never be satisfied, or joyful in this evil world! And that’s where the question of faith comes in. The more faith we can muster the less doubts and anxieties will plague us, and the more joyfulness and assurance we will feel and exhibit in the Great I AM!
And that’s why Bruh David could write these immortal words in Psalm 16, as he seeks preservation and blessing. ‘Preserve (watch over) me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee (is nothing apart from thee). But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent (they are the excellent), in whom is all my delight. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.’ (Ps. 16:1-4)
Yes friends, if we go a whoring after other supposed gods our sorrows will be seriously multiplied, for we are nothing, apart from the Lord our God! Jesus said it quite plainly: ‘for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5b) And Bruh David learned this at a young age, possibly from being alone in the wilderness caring for the sheep with only God to help Him. He certainly had to rely on God more than if he was doing a regular 9-5 job in safe surroundings. (smile)
Hear how he puts it: ‘The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou manintainest (upholds) my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage (inheritance). I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel; my reins (heart) also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (Sheol; the abode of the dead); neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps. 16:5-11) And that’s all gospel truth my precious saints of God! But until we learn and accept that being in God’s presence is the greatest thing that could ever happen to us, we’ll never be satisfied or fulfilled. And that last sentence is also the Bible Promise for our poem above.
Now listen to the scholars: ‘Psalm 16. The attitude of the righteous man is described in life (vs.1-8) and death (vs. 9-11). In life his attitude is one of trust (vs. 1), gratefulness for God’s goodness (vs. 2), delight in God’s people (vs.3), separation from idolatrous worship (vs. 4; cf. Ex. 23:13; Deut. 12:3), satisfaction in God’s gracious provisions (vs.5-6), praise for the Lord’s counsel (vs.7) and steadfastness in spiritual devotion (vs.8).
In facing death, the righteous man rejoices and is hopeful (vs.9). He is confident that God will preserve him from the decay of death and that death will not result in his corruption (vs.10). Rather, he will travel down the path of life, that is, the path leading to life, which will terminate in God’s joyful presence (vs.11). David’s confidence in his ultimate destiny is valid for him (and for all believers) only because Christ has traveled down that path and paved the way for all who believe in Him (Acts 2:25-28).’ And that’s why Christ could truthfully say, without Him, we are nothing.
Now for those of us who truly believe that, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, telling all and sundry of our wonderful position in that most wonderful person, Jesus Christ. All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if you truly believe, then you’ll know that if you endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious than you ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…think on this…how narrow is the gate…and difficult is the way…which leads to life…and there be few that find it… (Matt. 7:14)
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