07 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of salvation, accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour, amazing pity, At the cross, bathed in its own blood, believers have great reason to be happy, Christ the mighty maker died, come unto the knowledge of truth, decline in the world's noise level, devote that sacred head, did my Saviour bleed, did my sovereign die, dissolve my heart in thankfulness, drops of grief can ne'er repay, eternal life, face another week of work with confidence, faith, fellowship, for crimes that i had done, for man the creature's sin, for sinners such as I, gave himself a ransom for all, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God so loved the world, God's love baffles us, grace unknown, he gave his only begotten son, he groaned upon the tree, hide my blushing face, his dear cross appears, his soul in anguish stood, holy spirit, I give myself away, I received my sight, in the sight of God our Saviour, isaac watts, it was there by faith, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ securing salvation for us, Jesus sacrifice is proof of God's wish for all to be converted, LOVE, love beyond degree, man can never repay the debt of love he owes Christ, melt my heart to tears, mercy, now I'm happy all the day, one mediator between God and men, proof given at the right time, renew your soul and spirit, sacrificing of a sinless person, salvation, shut his glories in, sincerely from our hearts, sweet jesus, sweet sacrifices of praise, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the burden of my heart rolled away, the debt of love I owe, the firm mark of wrath divine, the horrific task of paying for man's sins, the Lord's Day, the man Christ Jesus, the sun in darkness hide, the world through him might be saved, there is one God, this is good and acceptable, thy body slain, tis all that I can do, to be testified in due time, truth, where I first saw the light, will have all men to be saved, wisdom, worship with other believers
1 Timothy 2:5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
It’s got to be Sunday friends, for there’s a slight decline in the noise level of our world, and that only happens on Sundays, the Lord’s Day. (smile) That means we must get up and out to His sanctuary to worship and fellowship with other believers, so that our souls and spirits can be renewed and refreshed, thus enabling us to face another week of work with confidence and calm.
And our song of worship for today is one we all know and LOVE, and one I found myself singing a lot this week. I don’t know why, but that made me believe we should sing it today. The hymn is simply titled ‘At the Cross.’ It’s one of the many popular hymns written by the famous hymn writer Isaac Watts (1674 –1748). He became a pastor and wrote poems and hymns to go with his sermons. This one was published in 1707, and quickly became a favourite, and has been used by many evangelists during their crusades.
The song is basically about salvation, which means it ought to be very important to us. So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, heartfelt version of this great song. And to get it rocking and rolling, we’ll begin with the wonderful refrain. Singing: ‘(Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I?
(Refrain:) Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. (Refrain) Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree! (Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.
(Refrain) But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do. (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! Now I am happy all the day…happy all the day…happy all the day…’
That was a great rendition friends, for it came sincerely from our hearts, showing how thankful we are to Jesus Christ for securing salvation for us. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy, re prayers for all men. ‘For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’ (1 Tim. 2:3-6)
Yes friends, there’s only ONE God, and He desires that all men, regardless of colour, creed or race, be saved and come to know the truth. And He’s provided for that through only ONE Person, His Son Jesus Christ who gave His life on the cross of Calvary that mankind could have the option of being saved, by accepting Him as Lord and Saviour. Note that Christ gave His life a ransom for ALL, not merely some. And the scholars tell us that ‘to be testified in due time, (or, proof given at the right time) means that Jesus’ sacrifice is “proof” of God’s wish for all to be converted.’
And Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf was so great that we can hardly believe it. But when we look at the cross that’s when the light of His glory shines forth on us. As the refrain so sincerely puts it: ‘At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!)’
Oh my people, there is indeed great reason to be happy all the day, because when we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, we receive salvation and eternal life. For as Jesus said to Nicodemus, ‘For God so LOVED world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
That says it all my brethren! God desired to save His human creation, and the only way it could be done justly and righteously was through the sacrificing of some sinless person, and Jesus was the only sinless person in the universe, thus the horrific task of paying for man’s sins fell on His shoulders. And we’re proud to say, that He bore them like a man.
That’s why the song says in great wonder: ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!’
Now, although it’s hard to believe, that’s exactly what happened. God’s LOVE was so profound that it baffled us then, and still baffles us today. That’s why the song ends: ‘Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe: Here, Lord, I give myself away ’Tis all that I can do.’
Oh my fellow believers, that’s oh so true! For though our tears and grief may be truly heart felt, they can NEVER repay the debt of LOVE that we owe Christ. And the only way to mitigate some of our debt is by surrendering ourselves completely to Him, thus making Him our Lord and Saviour. That’s wisdom of the highest order! So, please let’s attain to it nuh! Much LOVE!
…all Christ desires of us…is to accept the salvation He’s so sacrificially provided…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heartrending act, a higher level of love and sacrifice, all which he hath given me, as the heavens are higher than the earth, believest thou this, Christ died for the ungodly, deepen my breath, do anything we want, everyone who sees the Son and believes on Him, faith, God commendeth his love toward us, God created us to spend communal time with Him, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God so loved the world, handle the ups and downs of this strife-filled world, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he that believeth in me, hectic work week, holy spirit, I am the resurrection and the life, I came down from heaven, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I shall lose nothing, I want to be with you now, I will raise him up at the last day, if any man will come after me, in due time, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, laze on the couch, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him deny himself, LOVE, mercy, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, my ways are not your ways, my ways higher than your ways, no doubt of God's great love for mankind, not to do my own will, our eternal destiny, perhaps for a good man, quiet my soul, raise it up again at the last day, read a good book, reconcile them back to Himself, relax my muscles, relax my musclesslow my thoughts, salvation, scarcely for a righteous man will one die, shall have everlasting life, sinful rebellion against God, some would even dare to die, spend time with the Father, take up his cross daily and follow me, thank you for this tenderness, the righteousness of God in christ, the ups and downs, the will of him that sent me, the world through him might be saved, this is the Father's will, this is the will of him that sent me, this strife-filled world, though he were dead yet shall he live, truth, warms the cockles of God's heart, when we were yet without strength, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Oh boy, it’s Saturday; our lazy-day Saturday where we can do anything we want! Now isn’t that a wonderful feeling? It surely is! Except for those who might have young children or old parents to look after. (smile) But otherwise, we can laze the day away, in bed, on the couch in front of the TV, or just sit in our favourite chair and read a book we’ve been dying to read for ages, but could never find the time during our hectic work week. And thankfully I did get to laze away some of the morning hours in bed. But one thing we must not forget to do though, is offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth. (smile)
So please pray with me: ‘‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And it’s oh so wonderful when we spend time with or ask the Father to help us get to know Him better, because it’s only through greater knowledge of and intimacy with Him, that we’ll ever be able to handle the ups and downs of this strife-filled and angry world. And as I always remind us, our heavenly Father desires nothing more than His human creation seeking to spend intimate time with Him, for that’s one of the reasons He created us in the first place; so that we could commune deeply together. And there’s’ nothing that warms the cockles of His heart like us coming to Him seeking closeness and sincere time with Him.
And if you don’t believe that God truly LOVES us and wants to be a major part of our lives, then tell me why He’s done all that He’s done for us, when He was not required to do so, especially after our sinful rebellion against Him? But He did it because He created us to spend communal time with Him and He LOVES us more than any of His other creations. Just think on these scriptures nuh, and tell me if what I’m saying isn’t true.
Hear this first one from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome: ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:6-8) Now that’s one of my favourite scriptures, because it shows how much God really LOVES us, in that He didn’t wait for us to come to Him, like most other supposed gods would, but He came to us through the birth, death and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ.
And I like how this commentary explains it. ‘The saying highlights a contrast between a “righteous” person, who follows the law, and a “good” person, who is seen as noble and selfless. The passage immediately uses this idea to explain that while it is rare for someone to die for a “good” person, God showed his LOVE by having Christ die for “ungodly” people, demonstrating a higher level of LOVE and sacrifice.’
And why not eh, since as He tells us in Isaiah: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) Therefore it’s not surprising that our magnificent and magnanimous God would do such and unheard of thing like sending His sinless Son to die for bunch of abominable sinners, placing the whole weight of their sin on His shoulders, so that He could reconcile them back to Himself as the righteousness of God in Christ, because of Christ’s payment for their sin.
Only someone who truly LOVED someone else would ever dream of doing such a heartrending act. But as Jesus said to Nicodemus when he came searching for answers: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now friends, that’s what true LOVE looks like; sacrificing one’s own heart for an undeserving other. And that’s why Jesus expects those who claim to be His disciples, His followers, to follow His example and sacrifice themselves for others, as He so expressly specifies in the gospel of Luke. ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That shows that following Jesus is a daily thing. We need to do just like He did, that’s follow the will of His heavenly Father.
And He said it out loud and clear: ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:38-40) Yes my faithful brethren, it could not be any clearer than that: The will of the Father, is that everyone who believes in Jesus receives eternal life and will be raised up on the last day.
And as Jesus said to Martha, shortly before He raised her brother Lazarus from the dead: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26)
Now that’s a question we would all do well to seriously consider and ponder on this rainy lazy-day Saturday in the middle of November 2025, because our eternal destiny hinges on it. Much LOVE!
…if one reads the scriptures…there’s no doubt of God’s great LOVE for mankind…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a clearer vision of one's path, a constant state of readiness, a doh care attitude, a revival time hymn, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, a thirst for spiritual food, anointed me to preach the good tidings, as ye see the day approaching, be on fire for the Lord, bind up the broken-hearted, but by my spirit, celebrate God's goodness, consider one another, crapaud smoke we pipe, cry for salvation, exhorting one another, fall prey to Satan, first snowfall of the season, give me faith in my heart, give me joy in my heart, give me love in my heart, give me oil in my lamp, God so loved the world, God's greatest attribute, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, He is faithful that promised, he that cometh to God must believe that He is, hold fast the confession of our faith, in hope of a brighter day, Jesus answered our cry, keep me burning, keep me praying, keep me singing, keep the fires of faith burning brightly, like a thief in the night, nor by power, not by might, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, opening of the prison, our Christian birthright, Remembrance Day weekend, saith the Lord of hosts, sing hosanna, spiritual food, stewardship, stirs up the blood, sweet sacrifices of praise, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the Love of Christ, the oil of the Holy Spirit, the parable of the ten virgins, the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, till the break of day, to get one through the darkest of times, to keep me sharing, to light up their life, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to provoke unto love and good works, to them bound in chains, watch therefore, wherein the Son of man cometh, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, without faith it is impossible to please God, without wavering, ye know neither the day nor the hour
Zechariah 4:6b. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
It’s the first day of the week friends! The Lord’s Day, and the church bells are ringing for the early morning gathering in the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship and worship our great God Jehovah. Unfortunately though on this Remembrance Day weekend, our first snowfall of the season might inconvenience you, but at some time during the day, do your best to join with other believers to celebrate God’s goodness to the children of men. Yes friends, the white stuff has made it’s presence felt early on in the season. But thankfully, it was mostly wet snow, and at midday, it’s petered out and the streets seem to be fairly clean, although the sidewalks, trees and rooftops are covered with the white stuff.
Now, today, our song of worship is an old gospel spiritual titled ‘Give Me Oil in My Lamp.’ It’s an old revival time hymn that stirs up the blood and gets you dancing, clapping and opening your heart in true joyful worship. But it’s not a frivolous song, because it asks for things that are near and dear to our faith and which can only be had from Jesus. It’s based somewhat on the parable of the 10 virgins. (Matt. 25:1-13).
And I like what this commentary says about it. ‘For the religious, one interpretation is that it signifies a thirst for spiritual food—spiritual food to get one through the darkest of times in hopes of a brighter day, a clearer vision of one’s path or until one gains their salvation.’ And do we ever need that inspiration, reassurance and spiritual food in these evil and ungodly times. So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in an up-tempo, revival time, heartfelt version of the song. Letting all and sundry know that we’re serious about what we’re crying out for.
Singing: ‘Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Give me oil in my lamp, I pray. Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning, burning, burning. Keep me burning till the break of day. (Refrain: Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King of kings! Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King!) Give me LOVE in my heart, keep me sharing. Give me LOVE in my heart, I pray. Give me LOVE in my heart, keep me sharing, sharing, sharing… Keep me sharing till the break of day. (Refrain)
Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing. Give me joy in my heart, I pray. Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing, singing, singing. Keep me singing till the break of day. (Refrain) Give me faith in my heart, keep me praying. Give me faith in my heart, I pray. Give me faith in my heart, keep me praying, praying, praying. Keep me praying till the break of day. (Refrain: Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King of kings! Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King!)’
Oh friends, all that we are asking for is our birthright as Christians. It’s what we get from Jesus when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour. The oil in our lamps to keep us burning. Like this commentary states: ‘In the song someone is asking God for the “oil” of the Holy Spirit to light up their lamp – or their life – and keep them “burning”. I think they want to be on fire for their Lord!’ And why not eh? That’s why He came to earth and died for us. So that we can be His representatives and keep the fires of His faith burning brightly.
And you can’t have a fire without some kind of fuel to feed it. It’s like Isaiah says: ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach the 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 (in chains).’ (Is. 61:1) That’s Isaiah’s introduction to Jesus who came to do those things and afterwards sent His Holy Spirit to keep us keeping on. And here’s how Zechariah puts it: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Zech. 4:6b)
Keeping our lamps burning also teaches us about stewardship and readiness. Jesus speaks of the 5 virgins who were wise and took extra oil for their lamps in case the bridegroom was late, while the other five did not contemplate such a situation and when their lamps ran out of oil they had to go and purchase more, but by the time they got back the bridegroom had arrived and the doors were locked, effectively keeping them out of the party.
That’s why Jesus warned: ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 25:13) That means we must be in constant readiness for Jesus can comeback any time, like a thief in the night, and if we’re not ready, then crapaud smoke we pipe!
Oh…and there’s’ nothing we need more than LOVE, the LOVE of Christ in our hearts, so that we can share it with others. It’s God’s greatest attribute and the reason He sent Jesus to sacrifice His sinless life for us. As Jesus told Nicodemus, the Jewish teacher who came to Him under cover of night for answers: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Only a great and precious LOVE for His human creation could have caused the Lord to sacrifice His only Son, and we ought to be everlastingly grateful for it, instead of the doh care attitude so many of us show.
And then there’s’ joy my people; the joy of the Lord which is our strength. (Neh. 8:10) Yes, for without that joy and the strength it gives us, the enemy would walk right over us. And that’s why he tries to steal our joy before anything else. The joy of the Lord keeps us singing, walking tall and being proud of who we are, because we know that once we have that joy, nothing can stop us. That leaves faith.
Wow! That’s what we get from being followers of Jesus, that allows us to undergo any trials and tribulations that may come against us. And if you read Hebrews 11, you’ll see all the people of great faith who stood up strong and did the Lord’s bidding. As the author says; ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6)
Sadly though, a lot of us don’t have strong faith and thus fall prey to Satan and his evil schemes. But again, we need to do like the author of Hebrews tells us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25)
And that says it all my fellow believers! It gives us good reasons for gathering together in the Lord’s sanctuary. So, let’s get out there today and do that nuh, because Jesus’ return gets closer with each passing day! Much LOVE!
…It’s right to sing Hosanna to the King…that cry for salvation…because Jesus answered our cry…and saved us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a comforting poem to dying child, a heartfelt version of the song, agape, agape love, all the way, angels, Anna Bartlett Warner, as he loved so long ago, being merciful, brotherly LOVE, Christ died for us, confidence building, despite our sins and faults, disloyal creation, disobedient beings, divine Love, eotic love, eros, eternal life, faith, Father forgive them, for the Bible tells me so, generous, generously giving of oneself, God commendeth his love toward us, god is our strength, God is with us each step of the way, God loves everyone, God loves us all, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God so loved the world, God will never leave our side, God's enemies, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he who died heaven's gate to open wide, he will wash away my sin, holy spirit, human reciprocal love for God, I am persuaded, I will henceforth live for thee, in God's opinion, Jesus Christ, Jesus Loves Me, Jesus loves me still today, Jesus loves people, kind, let his little child come in, let them come to me, little ones to Him belong, LOVE, love entails sacrifices, love is God's greatest attribute, love should be our greatest attribute, mercy, neither death nor life, patient, philia, poems set to music, praise and worship, principalities or powers, salvation, separate us from the love of God, spiritual renewal, spoken words, stay close beside me, sweet sacrifices of praise, sympathetic, taking children on his knee, thankful for Jesus' incomparable love, Thanksgiving Sunday, The Bible tells me so, the cross at Calvary, the fatherely love for humans, the highest form of love, the sacrificial death of Jesus, the world through him might be saved, they are weak but He is strong, they know not what they do, things present, things to come, this I know, thou hast bled and died for me, to all who live, to give light and love, truth, walking with me on my way, wanting as a friend, while we were yet sinners, whosoever believes in him should not perish, wisdom, yes Jesus loves me
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
So here we go again, another Sunday and that means another trip to the house of God for praise and worship, spiritual renewal and confidence building. But this is also a special Sunday, Thanksgiving Sunday, where we raise the level of our thanks all over the country, for all that the Lord has done for us. And it’s interesting that after I picked a song for today’s worship, I found myself wondering if I had picked one appropriate for Thanksgiving.
But then something told me, of course you have! This is the best song you could have picked because the topic of the song is the biggest thing we have to give thanks for in this crazy world. And that’s quite true, for the name of the song is ‘Jesus LOVES Me.’ And what else is there in this world that we should be more thankful for than eternal life and salvation earned through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary? Absolutely nothing is bigger and more important than that in the life of a human being!
“Jesus Loves Me” is a Christian hymn written by Anna Bartlett Warner (1827–1915), an American writer, the author of several books, and of poems set to music as hymns and religious songs for children. The lyrics first appeared as a poem in the context of an 1860 novel called Say and Seal, written by her older sister Susan Warner (1819–1885), in which the words were spoken as a comforting poem to a dying child. And with its simple, direct message, it is one of the first hymns missionaries teach to new converts. But it’s also very appropriate for adults.
So, enough talk, let’s get to offering up our sweet sacrifices of praise on this Thanksgiving Sunday, in a mid-tempo, scintillating heartfelt version of the song, letting the whole universe know how thankful we are for Jesus and His incomparable, unconditional, everlasting LOVE.
Singing: ‘Jesus LOVES me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong. (Refrain: Yes, Jesus LOVES me! Yes, Jesus LOVES me! Yes, Jesus LOVES me! The Bible tells me so.) Jesus LOVES me! This I know, As He LOVED so long ago, Taking children on His knee, Saying, “Let them come to Me.” (Ref) – Jesus LOVES me still today, Walking with me on my way, Wanting as a friend to give Light and LOVE to all who live.
(Ref.) – Jesus LOVES me! He who died Heaven’s gate to open wide; He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in. (Ref.) – Jesus LOVES me! He will stay Close beside me all the way; Thou hast bled and died for me, I will henceforth live for Thee (Refrain: Yes, Jesus LOVES me! Yes, Jesus LOVES me! Yes, Jesus LOVES me! The Bible tells me so.)’
And you’d better believe that it does, in oh so many ways and places, that if you read the Bible, you will have absolutely no doubt about it! Listen to this most illuminating verse that Bruh Paul wrote to the Roman church: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Wow! That’s one of the most important verses in the Bible! Why? Because it proves just how much God LOVED us; in that while we were yet sinners, yes, while we were still His enemies, He sent Christ to save us. If that doesn’t prove how much God cares for His human creation, then I don’t know what does!
And if that verse doesn’t convince you, then listen to these from Jesus Himself, as He enlightens the Jewish leader Nicodemus. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) Now tell me, why would you want to save a proud, disobedient, disloyal creation if you did not care deeply for it eh?
Then there are also these verses from Bruh Paul to the Romans, where he confidently proclaims: ‘For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God.’ (Ron. 8:38-39) How much more do you want to hear to convince you eh? There’s much more, but we don’t have time for it. There are other things to explain; like what is God’s LOVE called?
This commentary explains it thus: ‘In the New Testament, the Fatherly LOVE of God for humans, is called AGAPE, as well as the human reciprocal LOVE for God. In Scripture, the transcendent AGAPE LOVE is the highest form of LOVE, and is contrasted with EROS, or erotic LOVE, and PHILIA, or brotherly LOVE. And true LOVE in God’s opinion, always entails qualities like sacrifices, generously giving of oneself, being merciful, compassionate, sympathetic, kind, generous, and patient. And that’s the example He showed when He sent Jesus to die on our behalf; one of Divine LOVE!
And don’t for one moment think that God LOVES only believers in Christ Jesus, for that’s the furthest thing from the truth. As this commentary informs us: ‘Even when Jesus was being killed by people that hated him and mocked him and rejected him, he said “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Jesus LOVES people whether they respond to his LOVE or not. And God is exactly like Jesus (Hebrews 1:3). God LOVES everyone, not just believers.’
And we should try to follow in their footsteps as closely as humanly possible, for that’s God’s plan for His human creation. And we’ll close with these encouraging and reassuring words form the Godtube website. The Bible tells us that God loves each and every one of us, despite our sins and faults. Be comforted by the simple lyrics of ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and remember that our Creator is almighty and ALL-LOVING. He is with us each step of the day and will never leave our side. We may be weak, but He is our strength.’ Let’s not forget that on this Thanksgiving Sunday of 2025! Much LOVE!
…LOVE is God’s greatest attribute…and should also be ours…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of sinful ingrates, accounted sheep for the slaughter, angels, anyone who's seen the light of Jesus knows the truth, be able to separate us from the love of God, by grace are ye saved through faith, dead in sins, deepen my breath, distress, duped by the devil, eternal life, faith, famine, for God so loved the world, for thy sake, God broke His own heart for us, God commendeth his love toward us, God gave Jesus as a sacrifice, God who is so rich in mercy, God's love for mankind, he gave his only begotten son, holy spirit, I am persuaded, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in all sincerity and truth, in all these things, increase my awareness of you today, it is the gift of God, Jesus Christ, kept in total darkness, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lest any man should boast, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, man's foolish decisions, mercy, nakedness, neither death nor life, never doubt God's great love for mankind, Nicodemus, nor any other creature, nor height nor depth, nor powers, not of works, peril, persecution, principalities, quickened us together with Christ, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, salvation is the gift of God, Satan's evil machinations, seeking greater intimacy with God, shunned intimacy with God, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, the sword, the truth will set him free, things present, things to come, tribulation, truth, we are killed all the day long, we are more than conquerors, which is in christ Jesus our Lord, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Another lazy-day Saturday…and is it ever bright and sunshiny! Brother! September is really treating us to some beautiful summer weather! And I hope that we won’t be angrily complaining when the cold weather at lasts sets in. (smile) But I know that’s just a pipe dream, because in this modern day society, complaining has become an integral aspect of our lives, even to the point of complaining just for complaining sake. Fortunately though, there’s nothing for us to complain about today since it’s so beautiful outside and we don’t have to go to work.
But to help ease whatever anxiety we might still possess, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as we say every Saturday; there’s nothing better than seeking and achieving greater intimacy with Almighty God, our Creator. For intimacy is one of the main reasons for which He created us. But unfortunately, down through the years, mankind, for whatever reason(s) has shunned intimacy with God, obviously much to God’s disappointment and man’s misfortune. However, our God is so wonderful, compassionate and LOVING, that He has never given up on us, even sent His One Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross so that we could be reconciled to Him, to get that intimacy we both were denied through Satan’s evil machinations, and our foolish decisions.
Now, on the subject of God’s LOVE for mankind, there are two most relevant scriptures. The first is where Bruh Paul declares to the Roman church: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) That just goes to show that God did not wait for us to come to Him with clean and pure hearts. No! He instigated the whole affair of salvation and eternal life, because of His great LOVE for His most important creation, and not wanting to lose any of them to the evil Beelzebub.
That’s why Bruh Paul could also write these magnificent and reassuring words to the church at Rome: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake, we are killed all the day long; we are accounted sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
Mama Mia! What powerful and reassuring words from Bruh Paul, letting us know that nothing whatsoever can ever separate us from God’s LOVE, which comes to us through Christ! And just in case you didn’t know, (smile) that scripture is found in Romans 8: 35-39.
Now, the second poignant scripture we spoke of earlier, comes from the lips of Jesus Himself. That happens while talking with Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who had come to Him under cover of night seeking answers. Jesus candidly informs him: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) So what more do we need to see and understand that Almighty God’s LOVE for us is extremely important to Him? So important, that He was willing to break His own heart, to give His Son as a sacrifice, to suffer so much pain and abuse, for a bunch of sinful ingrates!
No wonder, Bruh Paul could write thus to the Ephesians. ‘But God, who is so rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kingdom toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph. 2:4-9)
Yes friends, God LOVES us with such a fierce fatherly LOVE that He’s done everything in His power to give us the opportunity to get back into His good graces. And having seen and heard all of that, how can we then not desire greater intimacy with God eh? Not unless we are totally duped by the devil and his evil cronies and kept in total darkness and falsehood. For anyone who’s seen the light of Jesus knows the truth, and the truth will set him free from the evil and lying wiles of Satan. (John 8:32)
So my people, we can doubt many things in this world, but there’s one thing we can NEVER doubt, that’s God great, unconditional, undying, absolute and everlasting LOVE for His most wonderful, but sadly most foolish creation, human beings! Consequently, on this beautiful lazy-day Saturday, as we laze around doing not much of anything, let’s take some time to ponder that age old, but oh so true question of God’s undeniable LOVE for us nuh! Much LOVE!
…if God didn’t LOVE us…why did He sacrifice His Son Jesus…so that we could be reconciled back to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sound bite, all our gratitude, amazing pity, At the cross, bare our sins in his own body, bathed in its own blood, become extinct, by whose stripes ye were healed, Christ suffered for us, Christ the mighty maker died, Christians, committed himself, devote that sacred head, did my Saviour bleed, did my sovereign die, dissolve my heart in thankfulness, drops of grief can ne'er repay, eternal life, faith, faithful obedience of Christ, for crimes that i had done, for man the creature's sin, for sinners such as I, gave himself a ransom for all, God so loved the world, grace unknown, grateful to the Father, happy all the day, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he groaned upon the tree, he threatened not, hellfire and damnation, hereunto were ye called, hide my blushing face, his soul in anguish stood, holy spirit, horrendous sacrifice, I give myself away, I received my sight, if ye love me keep my commandments, improve our witness for Christ, in the sight of God and our Saviour, invading their private spaces, isaac watts, it was there by faith, Jesus Christ, Jesus work on the cross, leaving us an example, like a dodo bird, live unto righteousness, LOVE, love beyond degree, melt my eyes to tears, mercy, neither was guile found in his mouth, now I'm happy all the day, now returned unto the shepherd, on the tree, one mediator between God and men, praise and worship, put our hearts, reviled not again, salvation, selfless sacrifice, shut his glories in, sweet jesus, sweet sacrifices of praise, that magnificent avenue for sinners, that we being dead to sins, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the bishop of your souls, the burden of my heart rolled away, the debt of love I owe, the everlasting option of salvation, the firm mark of wrath divine, the great love of God, the happiest people on the planet, the help of the Holy Spirit, the horrendous brutality of the cross, the last bell is ringing, the miserable lives of believers, the sin defeating power of the cross, the sun in darkness hide, there is one God, this is good and acceptable, thy body slain, tis all that I can do, to be testified in due time, to come unto the knowledge of the truth, to follow his steps, to him that judges righteously, too much noise, truth, unchristian-like attitudes, when he suffered, when he was reviled, where I first saw the light, who did no sin, who his own self, who will have all men to be saved, wisdom, worship Christ faithfully, you were as sheep going astray
1 Peter 2:24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed.
Oh friends, Sunday has opened somewhat chilly and cloudy, but listen well, the last bell is ringing from church! That means if it stops and we’re not there, we’re late. And we don’t want to miss even one minute of praise and worship to our great God, so please, let’s get a move on!
Ah, those were the days when the bells would toll, inviting believers to come to the Lord’s sanctuary for spiritual renewal. But like many, old, but oh so good things, the ringing of church bells has become extinct like the dodo bird. People today would complain of too much noise, of invading their private spaces, but there’s more noise in the world today than there’s ever been, and a few church bells on a Sunday morning would not only remind us that it’s time for church, but would also add a good sound bite to the early morning air. (smile)
And on this first Sunday in September, we will open our service with a most wonderful and appropriate hymn, aptly titled ‘At the Cross.’ This is one of the many hymns written by Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748) and was published in the year 1707. It is an extremely popular hymn, even being used by many evangelists during their crusades. And it basically tells us about the horrendous sacrifice Jesus bore so that we could have the everlasting option of salvation.
But enough talk, let’s get to offering up sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, scintillating, mid-tempo version of the song. And as we sing, let’s remember that it was the only the great LOVE of God and the faithful, unswerving obedience of Christ that wrought that magnificent avenue for sinners, called salvation. A debt we can never repay, so let’s put our hearts and all the gratitude we have into it. And we’ll begin with the rocking refrain. (smile)
Singing: (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? (Refrain) Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. (Refrain)
Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And LOVE beyond degree! (Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. (Refrain)
But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do. (Refrain) At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! Now I am happy all the day…happy all the day…happy all the day…’
Now that was a truly heartfelt version, and so sincere, that it even had heaven singing along with us. (smile) And yuh know what friends, with all the selfless sacrifice that the Father and Jesus offered for us to achieve salvation and eternal life, we ought to be happy every single day! Yes, ALL believers ought to be happy that they’re no longer headed straight for hell fire and damnation because of Jesus’ work on the cross.
But one would never believe that we’re on our way to heaven, or wherever Jesus and the Father are, to spend eternity with them, judging by the sour, miserable and fearful lives so many of us supposed believers are living! Christians are supposed to be the happiest people on the planet. However, a stranger visiting planet earth would never believe that by the unhappy, unchristian-like attitudes we display.
And the first thing we need to remember about the cross and its sin defeating power is that it all stemmed from the Father’s great LOVE for His sinful, disobedient creation. As Jesus proclaimed to Nicodemus: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
That’s why we should always be so grateful to the Father, and worship Christ so faithfully and steadfastly, because He was the one who bore the horrendous brutality of dying on the cross, being buried, then being resurrected so that our abominable sins could be paid for.
And this scripture that Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy concerning prayers for all men, throws some light on our subject. He says: ‘For this (praying for all in authority) is good and acceptable in the sight of God and our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’ (1 Tim. 2:3-6)
Yes friends, Jesus gave His life for us. There’s no doubt about that, and it’s a debt we can never repay, but neither Him nor the Father expect repayment, all they are looking for is to LOVE them and keep their commandments. As Jesus said: ‘If ye LOVE me, my commandments.’ (John 14:15) It’s as simple as that!
Then there’s the scripture, where Peter, in talking about submission to rulers and bearing our tribulations patiently, writes: ‘For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again (in return); when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2:21-25)
And all of God’s children gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Lord! Thank You for Jesus and Your Unconditional LOVE for us poor ungrateful sinners! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
Now my fellow believers, having seen all that Christ has selflessly done on our behalf, lets’ go out and improve our witness for Him nuh, it’s not too much to ask, especially since we all have improvements we can make! Much LOVE!
…in this evil world…it’s not easy to live righteously…but the help of the Holy Spirit makes it possible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better place for our children, a bunch of ungrateful sinners, a modicum of circumspection, both morning and evening, breaking his own heart, Christ died for us, divine aid, ease the pain, faith, fight valiantly to retain our benefits, God commendeth his own love toward us, God so loved the world, God's compassionate heart, God's unfailing love, goodness and mercy, grateful praise, Happy Labour Day, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, heartfelt appreciation, hellfire and damnation, holy spirit, humble servants, I will triumph, in the works of thy hands, it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, labour benefits, license to go overboard, LOVE, made me glad, mercy, negative situations, obeisance, paid the price for sin, repentance, rising up to God, sacrifice His sinless Son, salvation, show our gratitude, sincerely seek your face, the depth of feeling, the gift of salvation, the God who heals, the Lord's faithfulness, the Lord's love for us, the throne of grace, this evil world, through thy work, thy faithfulness every night, to alleviate our problems, to shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning, to sing praises unto thy name, truth, turn from our evil ways, upon an instrument of ten strongs, upon the harp, while we were yet sinners, whosoever believeth in hims should not perish, wisdom, wise guidance, with a solemn sound, you have made me gald through your work
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
HAPPY LABOUR DAY!
Well, it’s September first, meaning the summer vacation season is over. And since this is the first Monday in September, we’re also celebrating Labour Day in honour of all those who put up a strenuous fight over the last century, for us to get the labour benefits many of us now currently enjoy. It was not an easy fight, and many died and suffered so we could enjoy these gains. So please, as we enjoy the holiday, let’s not forget those who made it happen, and promise to fight valiantly not to allow the labour situation to revert to anything like it was back then.
Labour Day also means that the CNE Exhibition down by the lakeshore ends today, and schools reopen tomorrow. So this is the last big party of the summer, but that doesn’t give us license to go overboard with celebrations, for tomorrow is also work for most of us and we cannot afford to book off sick or go to work obviously suffering from the effects of too much partying. Consequently, we need to apply a modicum of circumspection to the celebrations. (smile) End of sermon.
Ah friends, as I was just browsing through the Good Library for an interesting topic to expatiate on (smile), I came across these wise and marvellous words of Psalm 92. ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth (declare) thy LOVING-KINDNESS in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lute, lyre); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonious, melodic) sound. For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the work of thy hands.’ (Ps. 92:1-4)
Now that’s how it ought to be all over the Christian world! As we enjoy triumph through the marvellous work of the Lord’s mighty hands, our grateful praise and thanksgiving should be rising up to Him, both morning and evening…and even during other times of the day! Yes, my people, because of the Lord’s innate faithfulness and LOVE for us, He’s gone out of His way to do a lot of stuff on our behalf, stuff we certainly don’t deserve.
And though we can never truly repay Him for His goodness and mercy towards us, we can certainly attempt to show our gratitude and heartfelt appreciation by genuinely returning His LOVE and offering up much praise and thanksgiving! And that’s all the Lord really desires of us, because He created us and knows that we don’t have the wherewithal to do better.
And for those who would dispute the Lord’s goodness, His unconditional LOVE and compassion for man, we simply need to look at the great gifts of salvation and eternal life He’s bestowed on us, through the sacrificial death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. And why did He do it? As Bruh Paul writes to the Romans: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Now that’s one of my favourite scriptures, and it tells me that unlike most rulers who would call and/or wait for us to change before giving us the gift of salvation, the Lord God Jehovah LOVED us so much that He gave us the gift before requiring our obeisance. And Jesus Himself spoke of God’s great LOVE for humanity, when He poignantly informed Nicodemus, the Jewish Leader: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
Oh my people, those two verses of scripture are possibly the most important in the Bible, because it shows why the Lord sacrificed His Son for a bunch of ungrateful sinners; the word is simply a deep and satisfying LOVE for His human creation. After we had become so steeped in sin, disobedience and rebellion, God could have just given up on us and allowed us all to head to hellfire and damnation with Satan, whom we seem to admire much more than Him.
But His compassionate heart, His unfailing LOVE would not allow Him to be so callous. So He had to find a way to remedy the situation. And believe me, because of His sense of righteousness and justice, the proper price for sin had to be paid, and the only choice available was to sacrifice His sinless Son. Obviously, it was not an easy choice, for it meant breaking His own heart, but He did it, thus showing the depth of feeling He had for us. And we’d be truly a sad bunch of sinful ingrates, if we did not attempt to be grateful and thankful for all God’s done for us.
And one of the things that we get to do through His work, is go to the throne of grace to receive grace and mercy in time of need. And are ever in a time of need right now! So, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, let’s confidently, but humbly approach the throne of grace for divine aid.
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, from our prayer, it’s very easy to see what we need to do to get divine aid – turn from our evil ways, with sincere repentance in our hearts. So please, I plead with us, let’s get up and do it nuh, right now, so that we can make this evil and ungodly world a better place for our children and grandchildren! Much LOVE!
…God has been so good to us…that His praise should come naturally from our lips and hearts…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a light unto my path, all I'm asking from you, all that I am, ammunition, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, be strong and of a good courage, but of power love and a sound mind, cheating, crime, crowding my mind, do you remember, every tongue, fighting the good fight for Christ, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, for God so loved the world, give me the strength, glorified together, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, heirs of God, help me believe, help me today, holy spirit, I have to climb, I'm only human, if we suffer with Christ, if you're looking below, in what I could be, it's worse now than then, Jesus Christ, join the joyful throngs, joint heirs with Christ, LOVE, Marvia Providence, mercy, need to listen carefully, no weapon formed against thee shall prosper, one day at a time, one day at a time sweet Jesus, praise, pushing and shoving, responsibly handle the challenges of today, rise against thee in judgement, salvation, show me the stairways, show me the way, stealing, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, thanksgiving, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the bells are ringing, the children of God, the heritage of the servants of the Lord, the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the Lord's faithful promise, the Lord's sanctuary, the morrow, the Sermon on the Mount, the Spirit of adoption, the spirit of bondage, their righteousness is from me, they are the sons of God, thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, thou shalt condemn, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to do everything I have to do, tomorrow may never be mine, tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself, truth, turn to the left, violence, walk in the footsteps of Christ, we cry Abba Father, we're born to faith not fear, when ye turn to the right hand, when you walked among men, where our bread is buttered, wisdom, with God as our guide, worship
Romans 8:14. ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons (daughters) of God.
The bells are ringing on this beautiful but a tad cloudy Sunday morning my people! That means it’s time to join the joyful throngs heading to the Lord’s sanctuary to offer up praise, worship and thanksgiving and receive grace, mercy, forgiveness and strength to fight the good fight for another week. And opening today’s worship is a Christian contemporary song authored by Marijohn Wilkins and Kris Kristofferson, most appropriately titled, ‘One Day At A Time Sweet Jesus.’ And that’s all we can handle, even if we foolishly and selfishly wish for more.
And today we’re going to offer up a rich, scintillating, Reggae version of the song, per Jamaican Gospel Artiste, Marvia Providence. So, let’s open our mouths and hearts and allow sweet sacrifices of praise to reach up to high heaven, beginning with the rocking chorus. Singing! ‘(Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Give me the strength To do everything that I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time)
I’m only human I’m just a woman (man) Help me believe in what I could be and all that I am. Oh show me the stairways I have to climb Lord for my sake teach me to take One day at a time. (Chorus) Oh do you remember? When you walked among men? Well Jesus you know If you’re looking below That its worse now than then Oh there’s Cheating and stealing, violence and crime. There’s pushing and shoving And its crowding my mind So Lord for my sake teach me to take One day at a time.
(Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Just give me the strength To do everything that I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time Oh help me today Show me the way One day at a time… One day at a time…Sweet Jesus…Teach me to take One day at a time…One day at a time…Lord help me today…Show me the way…One day at a time.’
And if you are sincere, He will help you to do just that. For remember we recently read in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus offered that exact wise advice, when He said: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) That means, everyday has its own problems, that need to be handled right then, and although we should make some rough plans for the morrow, we ought to concentrate on what’s happening today, and not too much about tomorrow.
For if we don’t responsibly handle the challenges and responsibilities of today, we might not even get to tomorrow. Yes, as the song says; ‘tomorrow may never be mine.’ But if we do see tomorrow, with God as our guide, we will be able to responsibly handle those troubles and problems it creates. That’s our Lord’s faithful promise. But believe me, with all the confusion and otherwise that’s constantly happening around us, learning to take one day at a time is not always easy, that’s why the song asks for help to do it.
We’re only human, frail and fragile beings, so we need help to believe in what we could be and what we truly are. And there are a few scriptures that can help us do just that beginning with this most encouraging scripture from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) That’s the first thing we must acknowledge; we’re not born to fear, but to faith.
Then know who we are in Christ. As Bruh Paul writes the Roman church. ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons (daughters) of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.’ (Rom. 8:14-17)
Ah my brethren, if we believe in Christ, we need to realize that He’s freed us from fear and eternal death, and thus caused God to adopt us. And if we are children of God, then nothing can harm us. ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) More ammunition for us to be strong and not fear, once we link up with Jesus.
That brings us to this magnificent scripture, where the Lord Himself warned Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) Now that is scripture we should have at the forefront of our lives, every day! For it’s the backbone of our faith; the continual and everlasting presence of our wonderful and faithful God walking beside us all the time.
As the prophet Isaiah further reminds us. ‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’ (Is. 30:21) That’s the guiding and leading of the Holy Spirit that indwells us, softly whispering to us as we daily try to walk in the footsteps of Christ. The problem though is that if we truly want to hear that guiding voice, we need to listen carefully, for it’s not a loud, invasive or intrusive one, but a gentle, comforting voice.
And we cannot end without possibly the most important verse of scripture in the entire Bible; these marvellous, reassuring words of Jesus to Nicodemus: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Now that shows just how much the Lord cares for His human creation. Therefore, let us stand strong in the Lord, and keep fighting the good fight for Christ, for that’s where our bread is buttered! Much LOVE!
…thy word is a lamp unto my feet…and a light unto my path… (Ps. 119:105)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pardon receives, a sacrificial lamb, all ye servants, Alleluia, Amen, appreciation for wonderful things, both great and small, broke God's heart, celebrates the greatness of God, christianity, Christians, come to the Father, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, do all to the glory of God, Dwight L Moody, eternal death, faith, fall at the feet of the cross, Fanny Crosby, fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, fellowship, forgiveness of sins, give him the glory, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, God so loved the world, going up in the sky, great things he hath done, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he gave us his son, holy spirit, in atonement for sin, in word or deed, Ira Sankey, Jesus Christ, let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice, let the people rejoice, let us be glad and rejoice, LOVE, magnanimous gesture, mercy, one fine day, opened the lifegate, perfect redemption, praise our God, Praise the Lord, Praise ye the Lord, salvation, shout Hallelujah, so loved he the world, sweet sacrifices of praise, that all may go in, that great cloud of witnesses, that moment from Jesus, the BIBLE, the eternal union of Christ and the church, the four and twenty elders, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, the marriage of the Lamb is come, the promise of God, the purchase of blood, the Rapture, the vilest offender, the voice of many waters, the voice of mighty thunderings, through Jesus the son, to be sung rejoicefully, to every believer, To God be the glory, truth, visit the Lord's sanctuary, whatsoever ye do, whatsoever you do, whether therefore ye eat or drink, who truly believes, whoseover beleveth in him should not perish, wisdom, ye that fear him
1 Corinthians 10:31. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Sunday’s up friends, meaning it’s time to visit the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship with others and give the Lord thanks and praise for all He’s done, while being refreshed in body and soul to keep on fighting the good fight of faith in Jesus’ mighty name! And we have a great song of worship to sing today, one aptly titled ‘To God Be the Glory.’ It’s a hymn authored by that wonderful hymnist, Fanny Crosby. Although she was blind that didn’t stop her from writing oodles of beautiful hymns.
For this one, Fanny wrote the lyrics and William Howard Doane the music. It was written somewhere in the early 1870’s, but was first published in 1875 in Lowry and Doane’s song collection titled, ‘Brightest and Best.’ However, by then it was already popular in Britain, having been introduced there by the great gospel singer and composer Ira .D. Sankey during the evangelistic campaigns of Dwight L. Moody in 1873-1874.
And believe me, the song deserves to be among the brightest and best! For, as the Godtube website tells us: ‘To God Be the Glory’ celebrates the greatness of God and calls upon an appreciation for the wondrous things ‘He hath done.’ It is a glorious hymn to be sung rejoicefully in the spirit of gratitude.’ And that’s exactly how I want us to sing it today, full of rejoicing and gratitude, for all the wonderful things our great God has done for us. So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, very soulful and scintillating version, so that there’s no doubt that we’re truly grateful.
Singing: ‘To God be the glory, great things He hath done, so LOVED He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in. (Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.) O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
(Refrain) Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. (Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.)’
Ah mih people, that was a wonderful version, and as always, all heaven was singing along because we were giving glory to God, which is also part of their heavenly purpose, as the Good Book tells us: ‘And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts (creatures) fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear (reverence) him, both small and great.
And I heard as it were a voice of a great multitude, and as the voice (sound) of many waters, and as the voice (sound) of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.’ (Rev. 19:4-7)
Yes friends, our God is all-powerful and rules of His universe. And we need to rejoice and be glad of it. As per the marriage of the Lamb, it’s referring to the eternal union of Christ and the church when He comes to Rapture it. So if praise is necessary in heaven, why wouldn’t be the same here on earth eh?
And that’s what this song is all about. Right off the bat it informs us of God’s greatest gift, that of His son, Jesus Christ as a sacrificial lamb to provide forgiveness of our sins. And nothing says it better than this magnificent scripture that Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who came to Him by night seeking answers. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
And the chorus, tells it like it ought to be: ‘Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.’ What more can you ask for when worshipping Almighty God eh?
Just look at all the Psalms from Psalm 146-150, all begin with ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!)’ Psalm 147 says: ‘Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praise unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely (beautiful).’ (Ps. 147:1) And so it is. Meanwhile Psalm 148 is a declaration that all God’s creation should praise Him. And Psalm 150 ends the Psalter with this marvellous command: ‘Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!) (Ps. 150:6)
So it’s not that we don’t know what to do, it’s just that we don’t do it. Although Bruh Paul keeps telling us in his epistles, that whatever we do, we must do it to the glory of God, highlighted by these two verses. ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ (1 Cor. 10:31) Then this one from Colossians: ‘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. 3:17)
And isn’t it wonderful how the song talks about the ‘perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.’ Wow! Where else can you get a pardon for all your vile sins except when you fall at the feet of the cross at Calvary where Christ shed His sinless blood to pay for the? Nowhere else my faithful believers!
That’s why God the Father deserves so much thanks and praise through Christ, for offering Him as a sacrificial Lamb on our behalf. And no doubt that magnanimous gesture broke God’s heart into a million pieces, like it would break ours if we had to give up our son as a sacrifice, especially for people who didn’t deserve nor appreciate it. But He did it, because He LOVED us so much and could not stand to see us all, His best creation, going to hell and eternal death with Satan.
And Fanny didn’t fail to let us know of bigger and better things to come, when she wrote: ‘Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.’ Yes friends, great will be our rejoicing when Jesus comes to get us at the Rapture, as we saw in the earlier scripture from Revelation! So now it’s all up to us to live the way we need to, if we want to be in that great cloud of witnesses going up in the sky one fine day! Much LOVE!
…God created us…and LOVES us dearly…and all He asks is…that we return His LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: baubles and bangles, Beelzebub, begin to comprehend, brng us back to his fold, Christ came to save the world, Christ died for us, Christ din't come to condemn the world, come to know and love him like we do, duty bound, enduring, eternal separation from Almighty God, everlasting, God commendeth his own love toward us, God created us in His own image, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God lead the way to love and forgiveness, God sent His Son Jesus, God so loved the world, God will always love us, God's truth endures to all generations, gospel truth, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, heartache, heat and wildfires, hellfire, his mercy is everlasting, holy spirit, hurry, I feel like a blob, I know that you love me, in god's eyes, innumerable things, insinuate itself, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, no love like God's love, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, One Year Book of Bible promises, put it in your pipe and smoke it, rain and flooding, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, should not perish, soaring like a graceful eagle, the beloved of God, The Lord is good, the one great certainty of my life, the reality of life, the smart money is all on Jesus, the whole wide world, to die on the cross, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turbulent times, unchanging, walking our talk, whatever happened to disturb me, while we were yet sinners, whosever believeth in him, wildfires, wisdom, worry, You love me, you loved me, you'll love me
Psalm 100:5. For the Lord is good; his mercy (LOVE) is everlasting; and his truth (faithfulness) endureth to all generations.
And it’s a beautiful, sunshiny Tuesday, this third day of June 2025. Temps are in the mid-twenties, and might even reach a record high according to the weather forecasters. But let’s hope not today, for the hot temps are already causing problems out in the Western Provinces, with several wildfires raging because of the hot and dry weather. It’s interesting, but also saddening that some places could be having oodles of rain, with floods threatening, while others are hot and dry, with wildfires in the offing. But that’s the reality of life in today’s world, with an unpredictable climate change scenario.
However, there’s one thing in this world that we know will never change. And what’s that you ask? Let’s read this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin and find out nuh. (smile) The title of the poem is simply ‘You LOVE Me,’ which I’ve most likely shared before, but it’s very appropriate for these tense and turbulent times.
So please read with me: ‘Yesterday, God, I was soaring Like a graceful eagle And You LOVED me. Today I feel like a blob and You LOVE me. Tomorrow I may ask “Whatever happened To disturb me yesterday?” And You’ll LOVE me. God, there innumerable things I cannot begin to comprehend But the one great certainty In all my life is this: I know that You LOVE ME.’
Oh my fellow believers that indeed is one thing we can ALWAYS be sure of! Whatever happens to us, or however we may feel, our great and wonderful God, the One who created us in His own Image and sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay for our sins and bring us back to his fold, that Same One True and Living God will ALWAYS LOVE us! There’s absolutely no doubt about that! And if you don’t believe me, then listen to this marvellous verse of scripture, one of my favourites, as written by Bruh Paul to the Roman church.
‘But God commendeth his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) what a marvellous God we serve my brethren! That means, God LOVED us so much, that He demonstrated that awesome LOVE while we were yet sinners. Yes friends, He didn’t ask us, or wait for us to change before He showed His wonderful care and compassion. No sir! He showed us how much He cared for His human creation, by leading, by showing the way to LOVE and forgiveness.
Oh my faithful believers, our God walked His talk before He even impressed it on us. And walking our talk – that’s our godly talk – ought to be something we continually aspire to, because right now too many of us supposed believers are not even talking the talk of Jesus, much less walking it, and that’s why our world is in such an ungodly mess.
But let’s get back to the fact that our God LOVES us unconditionally and always. Listen to these other scriptures that corroborate it. First off, this marvellous statement from Jesus on the subject. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Yes mih people, if the Lord didn’t send Jesus to save us, we’d be all be certainly headed for Hades and the terrible consequences it holds for its inmates. But God didn’t want that happen to us all, so He sent His Son and gave us an option. Remember He gave us a certain amount of free will, and hoped that we would be wise and use it to accept His Son and the salvation and eternal life He offers, not the hellfire and damnation the fallen angel Lucifer, offers.
Unfortunately though, many of us still seem to prefer the shiny but worthless baubles and bangles that the evil one holds so alluringly before us to the real McCoy that Jesus offers. What a crying shame to allow the world to have such a foolish hold on us! But we all have to make our own choices, and for your information, the smart money is ALL on Jesus! Yes it is, for Beelzebub doesn’t have anything to offer but heartache and hellfire, and eternal separation from Almighty God, which I keep reminding us is the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul.
Just sit and imagine it nuh: if you choose Satan over God, there’ll come a time when you won’t’ be able to communicate with God, even if you desperately want to, because you’ll be in hell, truly catching hell, and He’ll be in heaven, enjoying life, and neither the twain shall ever meet. So please, please, I implore us to take time and consider our options, for eternity is a much longer time than this earthly life, and whatever you choose now, you’ll have to endure for ever.
And before I forget, with all this preaching, (smile) the Bible Promise for our poem today comes from Psalm 100: ‘For the Lord is good; his mercy (LOVE) is everlasting; and his truth (faithfulness) endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:5) So, let’s put that gospel truth in our pipe and smoke it, inhaling deeply with every puff, (smile) so that it can insinuate itself in all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, until we truly believe and begin to live it!
Now, it’s time go home declaring our Tuesday Wail, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice! ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…there’s no LOVE like God’s LOVE…unchanging, enduring and everlasting
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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