17 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend beyond compare, become bitter, cast thy burden upon the Lord, cast your every care on him, cating all your care upon him, celebrate the Lord's Day, come boldly unto the throne of grace, disappointment, discouragement, don't allow the devil to steal your joy, every woe He sees and feels, faith, falter on the way, feel alone and forsaken, find grace to help in time of need, for he careth for youcloud cover, God cares without partiality, God sympathized with my situation, God understood, God's faithfulness, God's sufficiency, gospel truth, great joy filled his heart, he heals the broken heart, he shall sustain thee, he whispers comfort, He will pardon you today, hearsay, hold fast our profession, holy spirit, Jesus cares, Jesus Christ, Jesus the Son of God, Jesus will not fail, John Willard Peterson, LOVE, meet Him at the throne of mercy, mercy, Moody Bible Institute, my mind was diverted from my difficulties, negative experiences, never be discouraged, never suffer the righteous to be moved, No one is so near so dear as Jesus, no one understands like Jesus, obtain mercy, personal experience, rain, righted their ships, sailing on a godly course, salvation, self-pitying, sorrow, sympathize with our weaknesses, tenderly, the best thing we can do, the bitter experiences, the broken heart he heals, the foes of life assail, the great compassion of God, the presence of the Lord, though you fail him, touched with the feeling of our infirmities, truth, turn to Almighty god, waiting for you there, was in all points tempted like as we are, we have a great high priest, when the days are dark and grim, wisdom, without sin
1 Peter 5:7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Well, thankfully, we finally got some rain early this Sunday morning, for that blessed commodity has been in short supply around here for a while. But though there’s some cloud cover, the sun’s out now, bright and shiny, so we have no excuses for not going to the Lord’s sanctuary to celebrate His day, where we will give thanks and praise and in return receive His strength and grace to handle the upcoming week.
And today we’ll open our worship with this amazing but rather appropriate song for these trying times. It’s titled ‘No One understands like Jesus!’ and was written by one John Willard Peterson (1921-2006), an ex-Air Force pilot, who later attended the Moody Bible Institute, and served on their radio staff for several years. He was a well known gospel music writer and musician, and penned this hymn after a very disappointing and frustrating situation.
Apparently, while working at a well-known gospel ministry, and being led to believe he would receive a promotion to a supervisory position, a great joy filled his heart by the challenge and prospect of the new position. However, as so often happens, someone from outside was brought in to fill the position. That obviously caused him much disappointment, but he fought to not become bitter. Then, after spending an evening with the new supervisor, who was unnecessarily and uncharacteristically rude and caustic to him, his hurt became even deeper.
He says: ‘Later that evening, after returning home, I was sitting in our living room thinking about the events of the past days and about the bitter experiences of that evening. I began to feel very alone and forsaken. Suddenly, I sensed the presence of the Lord in an unusual way and my mind was diverted from my difficulties to His faithfulness and sufficiency. Soon the thought occurred to me that He fully understood and sympathized with my situation–in fact, no one could ever completely understand or care as did He.
Before long, the idea for the song came and I began to write. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you” (Ps. 55:22). And Peter, who witnessed the perfidy of Judas, echoed his words: “Casting all your care [anxiety] upon Him, for He cares [is deeply concerned] for you” (I Pet. 5:7). Discouragement gripped him. He felt alone and forsaken, and was tempted to become bitter, until he began thinking about the great compassion of the Lord. Who cares? He does!’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! The Lord cares for each and every one of His creations, without partiality!
And having heard the story behind the song, let’s offer it up with sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, sincere, heartfelt rendition. Singing: ‘No one understands like Jesus. He’s a friend beyond compare; Meet Him at the throne of mercy; He is waiting for you there. (Chorus: No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim; No one is so near, so dear as Jesus– Cast your ev’ry care on Him!) No one understands like Jesus; Ev’ry woe He sees and feels; Tenderly He whispers comfort, And the broken heart He heals. (Chorus)
No one understands like Jesus When the foes of life assail; You should never be discouraged; Jesus cares and will not fail! (Chorus) No one understands like Jesus When you falter on the way; Tho’ you fail Him, sadly fail Him, He will pardon you today. (Chorus: No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim; No one is so near, so dear as Jesus– Cast your ev’ry care on Him! No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim; No one is so near, so dear as Jesus– Cast your ev’ry care on Him! Cast your every care on Him, Cause no one understands like Jesus.’
More gospel truth again my people, NO ONE understands like Jesus! And why is that eh? Because Jesus experienced all the emotions and negative stuff that we experience. As the author of Hebrews writes: ‘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. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities (sympathize with our 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)
Yes my brethren, Jesus can understand our troubles better than anyone else because He also experienced them. And we know that when you experience something, you are better able to offer help and hope when someone else is going through the same thing. So when disappointment, sorrow or some negative experience occurs in our lives, let’s not allow the devil to steal our joy and make us become bitter and self-pitying, but instead, let’s turn to Jesus, who has experienced it all and truly cares to help us in whatever we’re going through.
As Bruh David say in Psalm 55: The Plea of the Fearful – ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken.) (Ps. 55:22) And that’s for certain sure, because Bruh David was not writing from hearsay, but from personal experience. The same goes for Peter when he advises: ‘Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:7)
Yes friends, those two men of God, fell from grace at certain times in their lives, but then saw the light and repented of their sins, then the grace, mercy and LOVE of God, righted their ships and kept them sailing on a godly course. And if the Lord can do that for them, then He will certainly do the same for us if we place our sincere care and trust in Him. So let’s be wise and sincerely turn to Almighty God today nuh. It’s the best thing that can ever happen to us! Much LOVE!
…regardless of what we do…or what happens to us…God cares…please believe that…it will stand us in good stead…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, apologies, Bible, Chrisitans, continue thy righteousness, drink of the river of thy pleasures, endure to the end, ever-faithful is God's name, expereince with God builds trust, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, filled with wonder, God cannot deny Himself, God is indeed faithful, God's faithfulness, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, how excellent is thy loving-kindness, I look forward with joy, I remember all that you've done, in thy light shall we see light, Jesus Christ, lift up my heart to you in trust, LOVE, mercy, not looking back, nothing is too hard for you, one of those days, praise your name, reacheth unto the clouds, remembering what God has done, salvation, so glad to be alive, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the children of men put their trust, the essence of faith, the essence of faithfulness, the fountain of life, think of your great faithfulness, thou preservest man and beast, thy faithfulness, thy judgements are a great ocean, thy righteousness is like the great mountains, to a glorious future with Jesus, to seeing your plans fulfilled, truth, under the shadow of thy wings, Wednesday Wail, when I don't understand an outcome, when things look impossible, wisdom, you come through in amazing ways, your are faithful, your ways never fail
Psalm 36:5. Thy mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
Oh my people, please accept my heartfelt apologies, but it was just one of those days, when everything that could happen, happened. I did not even get to go to my Wednesday morning prayer group because I wasn’t in such good shape, then I had a doctor’s appointment in the noonday, and that took longer than I expected. Then, with the running of a couple of necessary errands, I did not return home until late in the afternoon, and by then I needed to rest. So the Bit was put off until now!
I even toyed with not writing it, but did not want to miss any more days than I’ve already done in the last week or so. Therefore, this will be short and sweet. (smile) And today we’re going to have a short talk about God’s faithfulness. And if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you will know that God is indeed faithful. And before we get into any scripture, let’s read this prayer from one of the prayer cards recently put out by the In Touch Ministry, so aptly titled ‘God’s Faithfulness.’
So, please pray with me: ‘I’m filled with wonder, God, when I think of Your great faithfulness. When things look impossible, You come through in amazing ways. Truly nothing is too hard for You. I remember all You’ve done in the past and praise Your name! When I don’t understand an outcome, I will lift up my heart to You in trust. You are faithful, and Your ways never fail. I look forward with joy to seeing Your plans fulfilled. Thank You for Your perfect works.’
And believe me friends I can certainly testify to the faithfulness of God, back in the past and also right now in the lengthy health problems that I’m going through. As the prayer says: ‘When things look impossible, You come through in amazing ways.’ And I saw that happen today. Something that should have taken weeks to happen will now happen in days, because of God’s faithfulness.
And the important thing that so many of us forget to do, is as the prayer says: ‘I remember all You’ve done in the past and praise Your name!’ Yes friends, that’s the essence of faith and faithfulness; remembering what God has done, and thus knowing that He can and will do it again. But too many of us don’t remember God’s faithfulness, that’ why our faith is oftentimes so small when it needs to be big.
Then there are these most important words that come from that faithfulness in God. ‘When I don’t understand an outcome, I will lift up my heart to you in trust. You are faithful, and your ways never fail.’ Now that’s where true faith comes in! You know God’s faithfulness and although you don’t understand what’s happening, you still put your heartfelt trust in Him, because you’ve seen Him come through for you many times before. And that’s one of the benefits of having a long personal relationship with God, your experience builds your trust.
And since we promised to be short and sweet, (smile – it is possible) let’s turn now to the scripture quoted on the card for the Lord’s faithfulness, a most amazing, positive and uplifting one. Please read with me, these faithful words of Bruh David from Psalm 36. ‘Thy mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains (lit. mountains of God); thy judgements are a great deep (ocean): O Lord, thou preservest man and beast.
How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-KINDNESS, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy LOVING-KINDNESS unto them that know thee: and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.’ (Ps. 36:5-10)
And you can bet your bottom dollar my fellow believers, that if you truly know God and His righteousness, then He will continue to be faithful to you right until the very end! Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure right to the very end with Christ, then it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s plan to meet at the very end nuh, and enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the Lord is faithful even when we’re not…for EVER-FAITHFUL is His name…and He cannot deny Himself…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a good attirude, a physical sign, a real crisis, a strong will, a successful Christian life, abundance, all who walk with God face conflicts, answer your letter, anticipate as you wait, Bible, bounden duty, cast thy burden upon the Lord, children of God, christianity, clear direction for my life, common task, conflicts, courage, creativity, curse, daily grind, faith, favour, fear not, Gideon, glorify God's name, God is never too late, God is not a God of confusion, God loves His people, God never contradicts himself, God sends only silence, God wants to buttress us, God will never disappoint our hope, God will work everything out for good, God's agenda is the truth, God's faithfulness, God's highest intention, God's infallible word, God's supernatural wisdom, good health, grow in spiritual maturity, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, he shall sustain thee, he will not fail thee, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, holy spirit, hope in a promise, I asked for a sign, incorrigibly hopeful, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, joy, know His will, lo I am with you always, LOVE, mercy, negative word, neither be dismayed, no sudden hailstorm, not baby us, on our own two feet, One Year Book of Bible promises, our only evidence, permit the righteous to be shaken, presumptuous, provides wise advice through the Bible, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, seek signs, self-control, sincerely believe in God, stand strong, step out to do God's work, still waiting, talent, thanksgiving, the dry fleece, the festivities are over, the hope that He himself implants, the Lord doth go before thee, the promises in God's word, the wet fleece, Thursday Blessings, to free us from unnecessary props, train us to trust His word, trials, tribulations, trust and faithfulness in God's promises, truth, urgent decisions, wisdom, writing in the sky, you can't see ahead, you don't stand alone
Psalm 55:22. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).
And then it was Thursday; the second day of this new year of 2025! Can you believe it? All the festivities, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, are now over and we, unfortunately have to go back to the daily grind and common task. It’s back to work and the slogging it entails, especially when we got a bit of snow this morning, which makes driving and walking even more hazardous than normal.
But we are God’s children and are expected to endure whatever trials and tribulations come our way, with a good attitude, still filled with joy and thanksgiving, knowing that our wonderful God has promised to work everything out for our good eventually. (Rom. 8:28) And if there’s one thing we’re sure of is God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises. So let’s get out and do what we have to do to glorify His great name! End of Sermon! (smile)
And today I want to share an interesting and a most appropriate writing for these turbulent and uncertain times, from Our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is titled: ‘I Asked for a Sign.’ Don’t know if I’ve ever shared it before, but if I have, it’s very worthwhile sharing again. (smile) So please read with me.
‘Even as I answer your letter, you are perhaps still waiting while God sends only silence. There is no sudden hailstorm, no writing in the sky. The crisis is real, and you don’t want to be presumptuous. Like Gideon in Judges 6, you want to feel the wet fleece. Or the dry fleece – you don’t care which one. You just want to know!
You don’t stand alone! All of us who walk with God face conflicts that involve urgent decisions. God is not a God of confusion. We can know His will. When our faith is very new, He may send a sign to fortify us. However, I am convinced that God’s highest intention is to free us from unnecessary “props.” He wants to buttress us, not baby us. Above all, He wants to train us to trust His Word, not the wool!
When He encourages us to hope in a promise, that hope may be our only evidence. At this moment you can’t see ahead. However, you can still be incorrigibly (not given to change) hopeful! You can anticipate as you wait, knowing that God will never disappoint the hope He Himself implants. He is never too late. Remember: Not the wool but His word.’
And will it ever do us much good if we remember that for this new year. It’s not about signs and wonders, but about trust and faithfulness in God’s promises found in His inalienable (cannot be altered), infallible (flawless) Word! And yes, many of us seek signs before we step out to do God’s work, and sometimes we might be blessed enough to get them, as when we’re young believers, but as the writing says, the Lord wants us to stand strong, on our own two feet, as it were, not always desiring ‘props’ from Him.
Once we know that He is faithful and will not let us go astray, we can stand strong and step out in faith. Obviously, we must seek His advice on the matter, but we don’t always have to be like Gideon and need a physical sign. No. We read His Word and the Holy Spirit will speak to us His indomitable but calm and quiet manner…if we’re listening.
And there are two statements in the writing that I think bear reiterating. The first is that we don’t stand alone! No! Never! For our omnipresent God is always by our side. He promised that way back in time to the Israelites, when Moses assured them: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8)
Jesus also assured us of His faithfulness when He promised the disciples: ‘… and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) And so did the author of Hebrews, when speaking of the Lord as our helper. ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Heb. 13:5) So there you have it; God is always with us.
And the second statement I want us to consider is that God is not a God of confusion. Certainly not! He has every move planned out down to the last minute, to the last detail. And Bruh Paul states it loud and clear when talking about the Author of Peace to the Corinthians. ‘For God is not the author of confusion (disorder), but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.’ (1 Cor. 14:33)
And what does that mean? This commentary explains it thus: ‘God never contradicts himself. He never has to go back and apologize because he “misspoke.” His agenda is the truth, pure and simple. He LOVES his people and provides wise advice through his written word, the Bible.’
Yes friends, it’s in the Bible, the Lord’s Word, our Guidebook for Earthly Living, that we will find the basics of all we need to know. That’s where we truly get to know Him, and we will never know Him unless and until we dig deep into it and meditate constantly on what it says.
And before we forget, (smile) the Bible promise for today’s reading comes from Psalm 55; these most encouraging words of Bruh David: ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken). (Ps. 55:22) Now that’s another important promise that we need to take to heart if we’re to grow in spiritual maturity and intimacy with God in this new year.
And the great thing about our God is that He gives us all the tools we need to do His work; for instance what we call our undeserved Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having said all of that, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…to live a successful Christian life…one must sincerely believe in God…and the promises in His Word…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a confused and chaotic world, a light unto my path, according to thy word, afflicted, an everlasting inheritance, an inheritance, Bible Christianity, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, God's faithfulness, guides our feet, halfway home, hands on the plough, Happy Holidays, holy spirit, I do not forget thy law, I erred not from thy precepts, I have taken as an heritage, inclined mine heart, Jesus Christ, keep thy righteous judgements, laid a snare for me, live the righteous life, LOVE, mercy, Merry Christmas, my life is continually in danger, my soul is continually in my hand, not turning back, perform it, praise his holy name, revive me, salvation, shows us the path to walk, strength to learn God's word, sworn it, teach me thy judgements, thank God, thansk and praise, the Bible is our guidebook for earthly living, the birth of Jesus Christ, the breath of life, the dampness seeps into your bones, the enemy, the help of Jesus, the reason for the holidays, the rejoicing of my heart, the wicked, thy testimonies, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to a glorious future with Jesus, to perform thy statutes always, to recover my energy, traps, truth, wisdom
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Oh my Scrip-Bit friends and families, I’m truly sorry that the Bit is so late, but as I do on most Wednesdays, I went out to my prayer group this morning, then had to run some errands afterwards. And believe me, running errands in this wet, drizzly, dark weather is no fun, especially for elderly people like me. (smile). And it’s not the cold that gets to you so much as the dampness in this kind of weather. It just seems to seep into your bones. However, with the awesome help of Jesus, I was victorious in running my errands. Praise His holy name! But by the time I got home I was tired and had to have a li’l nap, to recover my energy.
And do I have an interesting story. Earlier on, as I was exiting the grocery, a lady behind me greeted someone else with ‘Happy Holidays.’ I immediately turned around, and saw that her style of dressing showed that she was of another faith, but I still said; ‘It’s not Happy Holidays, but Merry Christmas.’ She replied that she didn’t celebrate Christmas, and that it was the holidays. And I said yes, but what was the reason for the holidays. Obviously she evaded the question, and by then we were outside in the drizzle and she said. ‘Have a pleasant day sir.’ And I replied, ‘You too my dear.’
Yuh see, people nowadays are something else. Because she didn’t celebrate Christmas, she could not acknowledge the reason for the holidays she enjoyed. But when their faith has a high holy day, they expect everyone to acknowledge it. Ah Lord eh! No wonder why our world is so confused and chaotic. And by the way, don’t say that I don’t practice what I preach, (smile) as I keep telling us to make sure that everyone knows that the reason for this supposed holiday season is the birth of Jesus Christ!
Now, as I was looking through the Good Library for something to talk about, I happened to browse through the Psalms, Psalm 119 in particular and was led to contemplate this section titled NUN. And though the opening verse is well known to us, the rest of it might not be. So let’s read and inwardly digest it. ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform (confirm it), that I will keep thy righteous judgements. I am afflicted very much: quicken (revive) me, O Lord, according unto thy word.
Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, Lord, and teach me thy judgements. My soul (life) is continually in my hand (in danger): yet do I not forget thy law. The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred (strayed) not from thy precepts. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage (an inheritance) for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes always, even unto the end.’ (Ps. 119:105-112)
Yes my fellow believers, those are words many of us should take to heart, because they are just as applicable today as they were back when the psalmist wrote them. For instance the first verse; the Lord’s word, His revelation in any form, still guides our feet and shows us the path we should tread. And many of us have sworn to keep His righteous judgements, or the decisions God has made as a judge in order to make earthly behaviour conform to His heavenly standard. And we do try to keep them as best we can.
And don’t talk about affliction! Today, so much of the world is badly afflicted and most of them don’t know what to do with themselves. But we Christians know what to do: that’s turn to Almighty God for His awesome help, His faithfulness in keeping His promises! And in so doing, we offer up sincere thanks and praise, asking for His strength to learn His word. For our lives are in continual danger in this ungodly and evil world, and we do our best not to forget His law; that’s what the Lord has taught us in His Word, what He requires of us.
Yes, although the enemy have laid traps of all kinds, all over the place for us, yet we still haven’t strayed from His righteousness. We’re continually trying to live the righteous life that He granted us through the sacrifice of His wonderful Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And His testimonies, the content of God’s Word, that He has testified of Himself and His will, have we taken as an everlasting inheritance, because they enrich and cause enjoyment to permeate out hearts, minds, bodies and souls.
Consequently, we have determined to accept (engrave on our hearts) and thus permanently keep His unchangeable regulations. So you see, the Lord’s Word is still our guide book for successful earthly living, and anyone who says or does otherwise, needs to have many prayers prayed on their behalf. (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Jesus Christ.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we stick with Jesus right to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So hoping to see you there! Much LOVE!
..to live a successful earthly life…your guidebook MUST be the Bible…
15 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a tone of expectation, a tone of rejoicing, all the days of thy life, all the earth, as far as the curse is found, because of Jesus, Bible, break forth n song, bring forth to thee, Christ's blessings, Christ's Millennial Reign, Christ's Second Coming, Christmas, Chritianity, cursed is the ground, eat the herb of the field, eaten of the tree, eternal life, every heart prepare him room, extending victoriously, faith, faithfulness, fellowship, fields and floods, for thy sake, forgiveness of sins, God's faithfulness, God's royal kingship, gotten him the victory, he has done marvellous things, He rules the world with truth and grace, hearkened unto the vice of thy wife, heaven and nature sing, his holy arm, his right hand, his righteousness, his truth, holy spirit, immeasurable, in sorrow, in the sight of the heathen, in the sweat of thy face, insatiable, isaac watts, Jesus Christ, joy to the earth, Joy to the world, let all the joy spill out of our hearts, let earth receive her king, let men their songs employ, LOVE, loving-kindness, made known his salvation, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, make a loud noise, make his blessings flow, mercy, no more let sins and sorrows grow, openly showed, over the realm of sin, Psalm 98, rejoice, rejoicing at the arrival of god's kingdom, repeat the sounding joy, return unto the ground, rocks and hills, sacrificial praise, salvation, shalt thou eat bread, shout joyfully unto the Lord, sing praise, sing unto the Lord a new song, the coming of Jesus, the Gaudete Sunday, the glories of his righteousness, the Lord is come, the Lord's sanctuary, the Royal Psalms, the saviour reigns, the third Sunday of Advent, the undeserving children of men, thistles, thorns, thorns infest the ground, thou shall eat of it, thus thou art, toward the house of Israel, truth, unbreakable love, unconditional, unto dust shalt thou return, wisdom
Psalm 98:4. Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise (break forth in song), and rejoice, and sing praise.
And it’s Sunday my fellow believers! The third Sunday in the church season of Advent, where we look forward to the birth of Christ and His Second Coming. On this the third Sunday though, called Gaudete (rejoice) Sunday, we simply rejoice, let all the joy spill out of our hearts souls, bodies and minds. Why?
Because as this commentary tells us: ‘The third Sunday in Advent (Advent III) focuses our hearts on rejoicing at the arrival of God’s kingdom with the coming of Jesus. The third Sunday in Advent (Advent III) shifts from a tone of expectation of Christ’s coming to one of rejoicing at the arrival of God’s kingdom with the coming of Jesus.’ And what better way to let that joy spill forth than in ecstatic fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary.
And today we’ll open our worship with the most-published hymn associated with Christmas in North America in spite of it not being a Christmas carol. It’s simply but oh so appropriately titled: ‘Joy to the World!’ It was written around 1719 by the English minister and Master Hymnist, Isaac Watts (1674-1748). And was supposedly based on Watts’ Christian interpretation of Psalm 98 and Genesis 3. But enough talk for now, let’s lift our voices in sweet sacrificial praise to high heaven, letting all the true joy from our hearts flow out in this up tempo, scintillating version of ‘Joy to the World!’
Singing: ‘(Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; let ev’ry heart prepare him room and heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.) Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground; he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found. He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his LOVE, and wonders of his LOVE, and wonders, wonders of his LOVE.’
Wow! What sacrificial praise my people! Heaven was truly awakened and surprised by the level of joy in Jesus that emanated from us in the singing of that song. And why not eh? For it’s because of Jesus we have Christmas, Forgiveness of Sins, Salvation and Eternal Life!
Now, earlier on we mentioned that the song was Watt’s interpretation of Psalm 98 and Genesis 3, and was not meant to be a Christmas song, as there was no mention of Christ’s immaculate conception or virgin birth but one celebrating Christ’s Second Coming. Somehow or the other though, it’s become one of the most popular Christmas tunes. Psalm 98 is one of the Royal Psalms (Psalms 93-100), so called because they all emphasize God’s royal kingship in various ways.
Psalm 98 especially emphasizes our joy in the face of God’s kingship over all the earth. And it bids us in no uncertain terms: ‘O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed (revealed) in the sight of the heathen (Gentiles).
He hath remembered his mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), and his truth (faithfulness) toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise (break forth in song), and rejoice, and sing praise.’ (Ps. 98: 1-4)
Oh friends, that’s exactly what we ought to be doing; rejoicing, and singing praises to our great God, who has created us, LOVED us with an insatiable, unconditional, immeasurable and unbreakable LOVE, despite our disobedience and rebellion! And that’s the kind of emotion Rev. Watts tries to evoke in the first two verses of ‘Joy to the World. The Lord is come! Let earth receive her king; let ev’ry heart prepare him room and heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.’
As the scholars explain it: ‘The coming reign of the Lord on the earth is here celebrated as an event of great joy. Therefore three groups are called upon to rejoice: God’s people (vs. 1-3), the whole earth (vs. 4-6), and all of nature (vs. 7-9).’ Yes sir! All of the universe, all of God’s creation ought to rejoice when He comes back to fulfill His Millenium Reign on Earth! There are no ifs, ands or buts about that! But it just so happens that the song can also be associated with joy over the birth of Christ, another joyful occasion in the annals of man.
And as per the third verse ‘No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground; he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.’ Watts is probably alluding to God’s curse on mankind, particularly Adam, after their fall from grace, found in Genesis 3:17-19.
‘And unto Adam he (God) said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow (toil) shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.’
Yes friends, that certainly gave us a tough row to hoe. But, as one commentary says: ‘this speaks of Christ’s blessings extending victoriously over the realm of sin, rather than to the psalm text. The cheerful repetition of the phrase “far as the curse is found” has caused this stanza to be omitted from some hymnals. But the line makes joyful sense when understood from the New Testament eyes through which Watts interprets the psalm. Stanza four celebrates Christ’s rule over the nations. The nations are called to celebrate because God’s faithfulness to the house of Israel has brought salvation to the world.’
And so it has my fellow saints; blessedly, so it has! There is no refuting that the world has been granted a reprieve from eternal separation from Almighty God by the most timely coming of Christ to earth to put God’s plan of salvation into action. First to the Jews, then to all the world! And as such all the world ought to rejoice and sing God’s praises for His mercy, grace and LOVE to the underserving children of men. Please, let’s concentrate on doing that this Christmas season, more than on the worldly aspects of it! Much LOVE!
…any coming of Christ to earth…is a cause for much celebration…
21 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend beyond compare, a man lay down his life for his friends, alone, Bible, bitter, cast thy burden upon the Lord, cast your every care upon him, casting all your care upon him, Christ is our best friend, christianity, come unto me all ye that labour, comfort, discouraged, disillusioned, exalt you in due time, faith, family struggles, fellowship, forsaken, God's faithfulness, God's sufficiency, greater love hath no man than this, he careth for you, he shall sustain thee, He will pardon you today, help us through the fog, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I will give you rest, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Willard Peterson, loss of freedoms, LOVE, my burden is light, my yoke ie easy, no one understands like Jesus, our souls and spirits rejuvenated, sacrificial praise, salvation, solace, song of praise, the days are dark and grim, the Father of mercies, the God of All Comfort, the gospel truth, the great invitation, the Lord's Day, the presence of the Lord, the throne of mercy, truth, wisdom, you falter on the way
1 Peter 5:7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Wake up people, it’s the Lord’s day! Time to make our way to His sanctuary, to gather in fellowship, offering thanks and praise, while having our souls and spirits rejuvenated by His awesome LOVE, grace and mercy! And today’s song of praise and worship is an interesting one, written in the later years of the twentieth century by Kansas born Christian musician, Army Air Force Pilot, Moody Bible Institute Attendee, John Willard Peterson (1921-2006) The hymn is titled ‘No One understands like Jesus,’ which is the gospel truth, and it’s one in which we all can find comfort and solace from our worldly problems, just like the author found them when he wrote the song.
The story goes that Peterson was employed by a gospel ministry when a supervisory position came open, and he was led to believe that he would receive the promotion, but instead someone from outside was brought in to fill the position. Obviously he was disillusioned and discouraged but tried not to get bitter. Then one night he happened to meet the said man, who, though he seemed to be a pleasant person, that night made several hurting and caustic remarks to Peterson.
And according to Peterson: ‘Later that evening, after returning home, I was sitting in our living room thinking about the events of the past days and about the bitter experiences of that evening. I began to feel very alone and forsaken. Suddenly, I sensed the presence of the Lord in an unusual way and my mind was diverted from my difficulties to His faithfulness and sufficiency. Soon the thought occurred to me that He fully understood and sympathized with my situation–in fact, no one could ever completely understand, or care as did He.’ And that’s how this immortal, most appropriate song for hurting hearts was born.
So let’s sing it now, raise our voices in sweet, sacrificial praise, in a soulful gospel fashion, echoing all the sincerity and truth it contains. Singing: ‘No one understands like Jesus. He’s a friend beyond compare; Meet Him at the throne of mercy; He is waiting for you there. (Chorus: No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim; No one is so near, so dear as Jesus– Cast your ev’ry care on Him!) No one understands like Jesus; Ev’ry woe He sees and feels; Tenderly He whispers comfort, And the broken heart He heals. (Chorus)
No one understands like Jesus When the foes of life assail; You should never be discouraged; Jesus cares and will not fail! (Chorus) No one understands like Jesus When you falter on the way; Tho’ you fail Him, sadly fail Him, He will pardon you today. (Chorus: No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim; No one is so near, so dear as Jesus– Cast your ev’ry care on Him! No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim; No one is so near, so dear as Jesus– Cast your ev’ry care on Him! Cast your every care on Him, Cause no one understands like Jesus.’
And as we said before, that’s the gospel truth! No human being can ever reach the level of understanding that our Lord and Saviour has for us! And I like how this commentary shows the appropriateness of the song in all of our lives. It says: ‘All of us go through periods when we feel all alone, and nobody seems to care. The problems seem so heavy, and we wish that we just had somebody who could help us through the fog that we face. The difficult times that we are now living in have brought new, heavy tensions. Unemployment, bills, mortgages, illnesses, family struggles, fears, terrorism, loss of freedoms, uncertainty – heavy burdens to bear. Unfortunately, during the past year three acquaintances of mine have committed suicide to escape their troubles. A hymn by John Peterson has often been a comfort to me when I have faced these seemingly “impossible” pressures.’
And no doubt it has also been a comfort to many more of us, especially in the trying and troubled times that we’ve recently been through, and are still going through. So what’s the scriptural basis for the song? Peterson says that as the song came to him he began to write the comforting words from Psalm 55: The Plea of the Fearful, where Bruh David solemnly advises us to ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be shaken.’ (Ps. 55:22) Now that’s another surefire promise that the Lord will always keep!
Then Peterson, turned to Peter, who had witnessed the perfidy of Judas, and also his own denial of Jesus three times, but then went outside and wept bitterly (John 18:15-27) He echoes the words of Bruh David. ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 6-7) And nobody knew this better than Peter, because Christ eventually forgave him for his denials.
Christ is also our best friend as the opening verse of the hymn intimates. Remember Christ’s words to the disciples: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.’ (John 15:13-15) And there you have the greatest bond between friends, the sharing of knowledge, then Jesus went out and laid down His life for us all! You could not get a better friend than that!
And I believe there’s no better scripture to end with today than Jesus’ Great Invitation, where He invites all and sundry to come to Him, regardless of our trials and troubles. Thus, He says: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Yes my fellow saints, let’s remember those most inviting words and take advantage of them, because we will certainly not find that kind of faithful and true invitation anywhere else. Much LOVE!
…Blessed be God…even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…the Father of mercies…and the God of ALL Comfort… (2 Cor. 1:3)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
31 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a covenant keeping God, a peace that endureth, all I have needed, bright hope for tomorrow, chameleon qualities, eternal separation from Almighty God, faith, fellowship, God never changes, God works in our lives daily, God's faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, heart-wrenching stories, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, morning by morning, new mercies I see, New Year's Eve, no shadow of turning, pardon for sin, strength for today, the commercial aspect rules, the dark night of the soul, the facade, the Father of lights, the unfailing faithfulness, Thomas Chisholm, thy hand hath provided, truth, whose hope is in the Lord his God, William Runyan, wisdom, with whom is no variableness
Lamentations 3:22. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! New Year’s Eve Sunday! Another damp and cloudy day! Time for the year’s biggest party, as all around the world the old year will be rung out and the new one rung in with all the hoopla we can manage. And I don’t know why we continue to fool ourselves with the façade of the big New Year’s Eve bash nuh, because nothing much, if anything changes. We keep on doing the same evil, ungodly things; the wars won’t stop, hunger and poverty won’t be eliminated, or even greatly reduced. We might even get more hunger and poverty with all the displaced people from the strife torn parts of our world.
And I don’t mean to be a spoilsport or killjoy, but as always, the commercial aspect of it all rules the roost. Thankfully though, it’s also Sunday, which means a fantastic gathering of believers in the Lord’s sanctuaries, singing, praising and worshipping His Holy Name. And to help us get started we’ll sing this most appropriate hymn titled ‘Great Is Thy Faithfulness.’
Apparently the song was written as a poem in 1923 by one Thomas O Chisholm (1866-1960) born in Franklin, Kentucky, who held several jobs including teacher and newspaper editor until he entered the ministry in 1903. He eventually sent the song to William Runyan in Kansas who was affiliated with both the Moody Bible Institute and Hope Publishing Company. Runyan set the poem to music, and it was published that same year by Hope Publishing Company and became popular among church groups.
It seems that Chisholm’s ‘aim in writing was to incorporate as much Scripture as possible and to avoid flippant or sentimental themes.’ And I like how Gregg Scheer explains it in his commentary. He says: ‘Unlike many hymns that have heart-wrenching stories behind them (for instance “It Is Well With My Soul”), “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is inspired by the simple realization that God is at work in our lives on a daily basis. He (Chisholm) wrote, “My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me on until now.
Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.” The hymn reminds us that God doesn’t only work in dramatic or miraculous ways, but also in simple, everyday ways. It also reminds us that Jesus has never failed us in the past, so we have no reason to doubt his faithfulness in the future.’
And all true believers know that! So, having some insight into the history of the song, lets offer it up with sincere sacrifices of praise, in a mid tempo, joyful version. Singing: ‘Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be. (Refrain: Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!)
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and LOVE. [Refrain] Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! [Refrain: Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!’
Oh my people those are indeed true and marvellous words, and we sang them beautifully. (smile) Right in the opening verse we see one of the great statements about our wonderful God; ‘there is no shadow of changing with thee. Thou changest not… as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.’ That’s His immutability, His unchangeability, as stated by James in his epistle. ‘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.’ (James 1:17) And because of God’s unchanging nature we can comfortably and safely place our trust and faith in Him, unlike mankind who displays chameleon-like qualities; erratic, unpredictable and constantly changing.
Then the chorus itself is amazing as it reflects the words of the prophet Jeremiah, when he was going through a rough time. One commentator puts it thus. ‘Chisholm led a pretty ordinary life. He did not write this hymn during a period of intense grief or after encountering God in a profound way. Instead, he found truth in the words he encountered in Lamentations 3:22-23: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’
Jeremiah, on the other hand, was in tumultuous circumstances when writing Lamentations. The people to whom he prophesied did not listen, and he was ostracized and completely alone because of what God called him to do. He also lamented the consequences of their faithlessness. God allowed them to be conquered by the Babylonians, resulting in their entire world being laid to waste.
But in the midst of that utter devastation, Jeremiah still offers them hope on the horizon: they are not completely destroyed because of the LORD’s compassion and faithfulness, and in the morning, after this “dark night of the soul,” things will be better. So whether we are at a place in our lives where everything is pretty ordinary, or whether we are in a period of grief: no matter what our circumstances, God never changes and is faithful to us, sustaining us in his compassion and faithfulness each and every day.’
Yes friends, it’s because of the Lord’s overwhelming LOVE for us that we have not been totally consumed, been wiped off the earth. His LOVE for us is so great and unchanging that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross so that we could be saved from eternal separation from Him. As the song says: ‘Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!’
And just to make sure that we know how much He truly LOVES us, every day He showers us with new LOVE! Wow! What an awesome God we serve my brethren. We’d certainly be foolish not to appreciate all that He’s done, is doing, and has promised to do for us in the future. So, as we ring out the Old Year and ring in the New One, please let’s concentrate on counting our blessings, and stop complaining about what we lack, while being obedient to His will, so that God has a good reason to keep showering us with mercies, compassion and LOVE, each and every day! Much LOVE!
…happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help…whose hope is in the Lord his God…. (Ps. 146:5)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
13 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a covenant with Christ, abject misery, all things work together for good, be not dismayed, better must come one day, called according to His purpose, fear thou not, George Banton, God rested on the seventh day, God's faithfulness, his anger endureth but for a moment, Hold On Better must come, hold on till the end, I am thy God I will strenthen thee, in each life a little rain must fall, in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, Jesus will fix it, joy cometh in the morning, like the clouds give way to the sun, like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, LOVE, sacrificial praise, the darkest night is just before the dawn, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, this too shall pass, to them that love God, toiling in the boiling sun, weeping may endure for a night, woke up with sunshine on my mind, your change is going to come
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
And it’s Sunday once again friends! That marvellous awakening we call the Lord’s Day, when we rest from our labours and gather together to praise and worship our great God! Why is that you ask? Because as His Word, the Holy Bible tells us: ‘For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.’ (Ex. 20:11)
And furthermore, just in case we couldn’t figure it out on our own, (smile) He specifically instructed: ‘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…’ (Ex. 20:8-10) So we have no excuses whatsoever for misunderstanding His intentions. Therefore, be it Sunday, or whatever day we choose, we must keep one day of the seven in each week holy before our great God, as His Sabbath.
And as is our custom, we open the day’s festivities with a song of praise and thanksgiving. Today’s offering of worship is aptly titled ‘Hold On, Hold On, (Better Must Come One Day).’ And if you’re a true believer in Jesus Christ, then you will know and acknowledge that awesome fact, that one day better must come, if we hold on to the end with Jesus. The song is taken from Jamaican Canadian Gospel Artist, George Banton’s 2002 Album, ‘Jesus will fix it for You.’ And He most certainly will, if we allow Him to.
Now today we’re doing a slow version of the song, and thus we need to get really soulful, let the music and the words come up right from our hearts, from the very core of our beings, with the soul that our forefathers felt when they were toiling in the boiling sun, but praising and worshipping a God who seemed to have forgotten them in their abject misery. However, their faith was strong, they acknowledged Him faithful who had promised, and so they stood strong and held on, just like we’re doing today, because we know that better must come. The Lord promised it, and He doesn’t lie.
So, in all sincerity, let’s send up our sweet, harmonious voices to heaven in sacrificial praise to our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Singing: ‘You know in each life, a little rain must fall, and sometimes the darkest night is just before dawn. I’m here to tell you, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Oh let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. I woke up this morning, with sunshine on my mind, but as I looked through my window, there were clouds all over the land.
Then I thanked the Lord for giving me another day. And when I opened my eyes, there was sunshine everywhere, telling me to hold on, hold on, better must come some day. The clouds were all rolled away, yes they did, And I’m here to tell you, Oh I just can’t keep it to myself now, I’ve gotta tell somebody else, to hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Hold on till the end, and don’t give up now, I know your change is going to come, like the clouds give way to the sun.
Whenever you’re down and out, and you have no one around, remember this song, telling you to be strong. Let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. The sun will shine, yes it will! So, go tell your friend, go tell your mama, tell your sister about it, tell your daddy, to hold on, hold on, better must come one day. And sometimes when you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, and happiness is nowhere in sight. But I’m here to tell you that trouble don’t last always, behind each dark cloud there’s a silver lining. Yeh, let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day, better will come, I know, Oh I know it will,
Hey, hey, you’d better hold on, hold on, for better must come one day. I’d like to share this with every man, every woman, with every boy and every girl. Let me tell you, you’d better hold on. I don’t know about you nuh, but sometimes I get a little weak, yes, I’ve been there, and know that the sun will shine again, so I’m holding on, and you’d better hold on too, hold on, for better must come one day, Yes hold on, hold on, for better must come one day…better must come one day…’
And that’s the God awesome truth my people! The Lord promised it, and He doesn’t lie. Listen to this eye-opening and full of God’s promise scripture that encompasses all that we’ve spoken about. Bruh Paul writes to the Roman church to encourage them to stand strong and steadfast in their faith. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) And that is a monumental scripture that we all need to take to heart, especially in what seems like the last days, when the whole world is topsy turvy and there are no true strongholds, no place of real refuge besides Jesus.
Then there are these most meaningful and encouraging words of Bruh David from Psalm 30. ‘Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness (His holy name). For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ (Ps. 30:4-5) Yes friends, though the Lord may get angry with us for our disobedience, He will not stay angry for long, and though things look rough, they will only be rough for a season, but eventually the good times will appear again, if we have the faith and cling steadfastly to Christ.
As the old saying goes: ‘this too shall pass.’ And everything certainly passes away at some time or other. It’s been promised that even this earth and heaven will eventually pass away, and a new earth and heaven will take its place, (Rev. 21) so nothing but our God is everlasting and eternal. And this promise proclaimed by Isaiah epitomizes God’s faithfulness. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded (disgraced): they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.’ (Is, 41:10-11)
Now friends, if we can’t believe God’s words and promises, whose can we believe eh? But please note all that stuff doesn’t happen automatically just because we claim to believe. No, since we are in a covenant relationship with Christ, a two-way operation, we need to keep our part of the bargain and live the way He desires us to live, be obedient and faithful, etc. etc. for all those promises to come to pass. But please have no doubt that if we live sincerely for Christ, that He will take care of us! Much LOVE!…one can only hold on successfully…if you’re holding on to Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Sep 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thorn in the flesh, be exceeding glad, Covid-19, dependence on God's grace, devoid of wise and encouraging words, distresses, divine help, easier said than done, exalted above measure, for Christ's sake, forgive us, glorying in his own power, God's faithfulness, great is your reward in heaven, he said unto me, heal our land, hear our prayer, I besought the Lord thrice, I take pleasure in infirmities, Jehovah Rapah, mental acuity, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, natural disasters, negative situations, pandemic, persecutions, racial strife, rejoice, reproached for the name of Christ, reproaches, say all manner of evil falsely against you, sincere repentance, the God who heals, the Lord is always near, the messenger of Satan, the spirit of glory, the weakness of God is stronger than men, we have all sinned, we have Christ to enable us, we not giving up, we soldiering on, when men shall revile you, zeppo
2 Corinthians 12:9a. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness (weaknesses).
Oh friends, the old fella is feeling somewhat ‘achy, breaky’ this Monday morning in soul, body and mind. Hn! That means his mental acuity is not up to scratch and thus he is devoid of any wise and encouraging words at this present time. (smile) But don’t despair, for the Lord our wonderful God is near – He always is – and in His time, He will fill me with guidance and direction as to what wonderful, LOVING sentiments He desires me to convey to you all today. (smile)
Yeh mih people, the ole fella shaking it a tad rough this morning, lack of enough rest I believe, but we not giving up, we soldiering on because we have Christ with us to enable us with His strength and grace…. Oh mih bredrin ah just got the zeppo I was waiting for…Glory be!
Yuh see I wasn’t lying when I said that the Lord would eventually tell me what He wanted me to talk about today. And He just did that – today’s topic mirrors my present predicament; tiredness, a kind of weakness of body, soul and spirit that causes unavoidable dependence on God’s grace and mercy. And one of the best examples of that in the scripture is Bruh Paul’s conversation with the Lord about removing ‘the thorn in his flesh.’
As he puts it in his first letter to the Corinthians. ‘And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet (beat) me, lest I should be exalted above measure.’ (2 Cor. 12:7)
Yeh friends, Bruh Paul had some bodily or mental problem, no one knows for sure what it was, but it was painful (a thorn) and somewhat embarrassing, and he believed it was the devil’s doing, and it also prevented him from exalting himself, from glorying in his own strength and power, because of the amazing revelations that the Lord had showed him.
And he further explains: ‘For this thing I besought (pleaded with) the Lord thrice (three times), that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness (weaknesses).’ (2 Cor. 12:8-9a)
What a bam-bam mih people! But it’s the same thing that the Lord is saying to us today, and what He just demonstrated in my life, and has done so often over the thirteen years that I’ve been writing the Bit. I’m trying to do His work, I didn’t ask Him for it, He offered it to me, against my wish (smile), so He keeps on showing His faithfulness, never leaves me in the lurch.
But that doesn’t mean to say it’s always easy. No sir! Sometimes he makes me work very hard to find out what I need or want to say. But in the end, He always comes through. That’s why I can testify to His awesome faithfulness and the fact that He never gives you something to do without giving you the wherewithal, the anointing to do it.
But getting back to Bruh Paul, as a result of God’s proclamation, about His ‘strength is made perfect in weakness,’ he then declares (yehhh!) ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:9b-10)
Oh friends, ah sorry, but I haven’t reached Bruh Paul’s level yet nuh! I can’t say I take pleasure in those things – don’t know if I’ll ever say so – but I know that I can stand strong and handle them with God’s help because I’ve been doing it, the pleasure part though, that’s a different story. (smile) So all it means is that when we are weak, not up to scratch, it’s the opportune time for God to show up and demonstrate His might on our behalf. Look how often He did it for Bruh Paul, through all the trials and tribulations He allowed Him to go through. So He’ll do it for all His people, if we’ll just believe and have faith in His word and His promises.
And Peter offers an interesting statement, re being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘If ye be so reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.’ (1 Pet. 4:14) Yeh friends, when you suffer for Christ, you are blessed.
As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12) Yeh precious people, I know that’s easier said than done, but with Jesus’ strength, power and authority, we can do it.
So let’s go home now offering up our Monday Battle Hymn to Almighty God, asking for His divine help to do what needs to be done. All together now, in confident voice, but humble heart. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world.
We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land 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 always, sincerity ought to lead to action. So what we waiting for eh? Much LOVE!
…the weakness of God…is stronger than men… (1 (Cor. 1:25a)
08 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: call upon the Lord, eternal trust, even today do I declare, everything that comes against us, eyes fixed straight ahead, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, God's faithfulness, halfway home, hold on tight to our faith, hope deferred makes the heart sick, I shall not want, I will love thee O Lord, I will render double unto thee, in this will I be confident, in whom I will trust, it is a tree of life, keep the commandments of my God, king of heaven and earth, learn to live with it, let me not be ashamed of my hope, my buckler, my deliverer, my fortress, my heart shall not fear, my hiding place, my high tower, my rock, my sheild, my strength, no weapon formed against us, not looking back, omnipotent deity, reverence God, summer flies by, the breath of life, the cold winter season, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the horn of my salvation, The Lord is my shepherd, the name above all names, the power of Christ's Holy Spirit, they stumbled and fell, time of pandemic and strife, to a glorious future with Jesus, to eat up my flesh, trust in Christ Jesus, turn you to the stronghold, we will conquer, Wednesday Wail, when the desire comes, when the wicked came upon me, will prosper, worthy to be praised, ye prisoners of hope
Zechariah 9:12. Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.
Well friends, it’s Wednesday the 8th of July already! I can’t believe how the days are flying by, although that’s how the summer usually passes, like in a blur of time, barely noticeable, then the cold winter season comes along and lasts for ages. But that’s life, and however it comes, we must learn to live with it, in fact conquer it!
And with the power of Christ’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we can and do and will conquer everything that comes against us, for our heavenly Father has decreed that NO weapon formed against us will prosper, and that through Christ Jesus we can do whatever is necessary because He strengthens us!
Wow! And all of God’s children declared a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise and glory to the King of heaven and earth, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, whose name is higher than any other name, and to whom ALL heads will bow when He comes to reign in His holy kingdom!’ And if that sacrifice of praise doesn’t uplift us fellow saints in Christ, I don’t know what will nuh! (smile)
Ah mih people, it’s so good to be alive on another glorious summer day, that thanks is all that ought to flow out of our mouths. Yes, life is rough for many of us, but again, once we have life, then we can have hope that things will turn around, as they say: ‘better must come!’ And so it will, if we hold on tight to our faith and hope and surrender and trust in Christ Jesus! For He has promised to make our lives worthwhile, and He is indeed faithful to keep all His promises.
And if there’s one thing the Bible is chocked full of is verses on hope. That’s why this morning I want to remind us of some of them, in particular this one that touches my heart ever so much. The words of the prophet Zechariah to his people Israel, and words that are ever so appropriate in our current time of pandemic and strife. ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ And some of us ask, who or what is our stronghold, where can it be found, and why should we be prisoners of hope?
Well my people, Bruh David answered those questions for us long ago. Listen to him. ‘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, fortress).’ (Ps. 18:1-2)
Oh mih bredrin, is there a more comprehensive and powerful entity than that described by Bruh David? Certainly not! Just look at how many positives he’s laid at the Lord’s door nuh: his strength, his rock, his fortress, his deliverer, his buckler or shield, the horn of his salvation, his high tower! Mama Yo! How could there ever be another being with such power and strength and authority eh? NEVER! That’s why such awesome wisdom lies in putting our entire hope in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
As Bruh David continues: ‘I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:3) Glory be people! If we can’t call upon such an omnipotent Deity with perfect assurance, then whom else can we call on eh? That’s also why Bruh David could later on write: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1)
And I am proud to say the answer to those questions is definitely NOBODY! Yes friends, when we reverence the great God of Israel, put our sincere trust in him, we need not be afraid of anything or anyone. For as Bruh David proudly and most assuredly proclaims: ‘When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ ( Ps. 27:2-3)
Oh my people, my people, in these troubling times that’s the kind of confidence and assurance we need to show in our God! And what I truly LOVE about Bruh David, is that all the endearing and confident words he speaks about his awesome God are not based on hearsay, but on his personal experience. And I’m sure that most of us have some, enough of that same kind of experience of Jehovah God’s everlasting faithfulness, which ought to enable us to completely surrender to Him and place our eternal trust in His mighty hands.
Friends, Bruh David surely knew on which side his bread was buttered, and so too should we, if we’re wise and thinking straight, not ensnared by the lies, deceits, the evil and the plentiful poppycock that’s currently running through our society. But as the psalmist asserts: ‘Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Hold thou me up (uphold me), and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto (observe) thy statutes continually.’ (Ps. 119:114-117)
What more can I say eh friends… except to add these momentous words of Cousin Sol to our mix: ‘Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.’ (Prov. 13:12) Yes fellow saints, when we lose hope, we become sick, get depressed. But when our hope is realized… oh me oh my, we are refreshed, revitalized, renewed, and move on with a new vitality. And I know that these anxious times tend to dry up our hope, but please, please, let’s not allow that to happen nuh, let’s stay full of the hope that God has placed in our hearts, and remember that this too shall pass, it’s only a matter of time.
And having said that, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. With sincere hearts and strong voices: ‘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 we don’t let our hope die, we WILL enjoy a glorious future with Christ! Much LOVE!
…the Lord is my shepherd…I shall not want…
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