27 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fully refuelled spirit, a safe retreat, after he had patiently endured he received the promise, after the shower is gone, an anchor of the soul, an high priest for ever, an unbending anchor, Anne Murray, at the foot of the cross, be thankful unto him, bless His name, blessing I will bless thee, both sure and steadfast, breathing a lesson unheard, brighten the glimmering star, Canadian Songbird, come to my sad eary heart, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, deepening darkness, despising the shame, endured the cross, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, entering God's presence, faith, filled to overflowing, for the joy that was set before him, God cannot lie, God will not allow His word to fail, God's covenant with Abraham, God's unchanging word, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, holy spirit, hope as an anchor so steadfast, hope for the sunshine tomorrow, hope with a gentle persuasion, how welcome thy voice, in its sorrow rejoice, in the dusk of the twilight, into his courts with praise, Jesus Christ, Jim Reeves, joyful worship, lay hold upon the hope set before us, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, making my heart, mercy, obtained the promise, our anchor is in heaven, praise, rends the dark veil of the soul, renewed faith, robbing the grave of its goal, sacrificial praise, salvation, Septimus Winner, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, soft as the voice of an angel, Statler Brothers, thanksgiving, the author and finisher of our faith, the basics of Christianity, the cities of refuge, the forerunner, the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, The Lord is good, the Lord's Day, the Lord's sanctuary, the reliable anchor we have in Jesus, the wisest place to lay our burdens, thou blest hope of glory, truth, wait till the darkness is over, wait till the tempest is done, watch for the breaking of day, when the dark midnight is over, when the night is upon us, whispering hope, whispers her comforting word, why should the heart sink away, wisdom, with a heart full of gratitude, within the veil, worship
Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith;
And after Saturday comes Sunday, which means we’re heading for the Lord’s sanctuary on the Lord’s Day, to offer up praise, worship and thanksgiving, while receiving strength, confidence, renewed faith and a fully refuelled spirit; one that’s filled to overflowing! And all we’re doing there is what Psalm 100 highly recommends: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:4)
Wow! What a wise and wonderful scripture passage! Now, this commentary explains that ‘This verse encourages entering God’s presence with a heart filled with gratitude and joyful worship. It highlights the importance of expressing thankfulness and praise as a way to approach God.’ And are we ever taking it to heart this Sunday morning. So, let’s prepare our vocal chords to sing forth an old but wonderful hymn titled ‘Whispering Hope,’ written by Philadelphian Septimus Winner (1827-1902), a well-known poet, composer and violinist.
Many of you old timers will remember hearing the sultry male voice of Jim Reeves singing on your parents’ radio, while some of the young ones will remember the female version done by our Canadian Songbird, Anne Murray, but today we’ll sing a more up-tempo and scintillating version done by the Statler Brothers. And let’s not forget the sweet, wonderful responses in the chorus. Oh, how could we ever forget that eh, for it makes the song even sweeter! (smile)
Therefore, with heartfelt sincerity, let’s raise our voices filled with sacrificial praise to heaven. Singing: ‘Soft as the voice of an angel, Breathing a lesson unheard, Hope with a gentle persuasion Whispers her comforting word: Wait till the darkness is over, Wait till the tempest is done, Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, After the shower is gone. (Refrain: Whispering hope, whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice.)
If, in the dusk of the twilight, Dim be the region afar, Will not the deepening darkness Brighten the glimmering star? Then when the night is upon us, Why should the heart sink away? When the dark midnight is over, Watch for the breaking of day. [Refrain] Hope, as an anchor so steadfast, Rends the dark veil for the soul, Whither the Master has entered, Robbing the grave of its goal;
Come then, oh, come, glad fruition, Come to my sad weary heart; Come, O Thou blest hope of glory, Never, oh, never depart.(Refrain: Whispering hope, whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice…making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice…’
That was certainly wonderful my fellow believers, and you didn’t let me down with the responses in the chorus. (smile) And as always, heaven was overjoyed and joined us to regale our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ in worshipful song. And what’s the song about, you ask? It’s basically about hope and faith and the reliable anchor that we have in Jesus. The Author of Hebrews puts it this way, when talking about the promise of God.
‘For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise…. Wherein God willing more abundantly (determining) to shew the heirs of promise the immutability (unchangeableness) of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.
That by two immutable (unchangeable) things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil (in the Presence behind the veil). Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made (having become) an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.’ (Heb. 6:13-15; 17-20)
And what does all of the mean? The scholars explain it thus: ‘God’s covenant with Abraham, which involves salvation (Gal. 3:15-25), is secure, being based upon two immutable things, that is elements that cannot change. First, God’s promise is based on His own unchanging Word. He cannot lie, nor will He allow His Word to fail (Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; 17:17). Further, His Word was confirmed by an oath. And since He can swear by none greater, He swears by Himself. He rests His Word on His holy character.
Then, starting at the end of verse 18, the author uses three pictures to demonstrate the security of being in Christ. First, it is described as a safe retreat for the believer, as were the six cities of refuge in the Old Testament to those allowed their protection (Num. 35:6-32). Second, our hope is sure and steadfast as is a well-placed, unbending anchor. Our anchor is not located in the deepest sea but in the highest heaven.
The third figure is that of a forerunner. Though the figure changes, the location does not. Our forerunner is likewise positioned in the sanctuary of heaven. As our forerunner is far different from the Old Testament priests. In the sanctuary they could intercede for the people, but they could not lead the people in themselves. As our forerunner, Jesus has opened the way before us, that eventually (and certainly) we might enter in with Him.’
Oh friends, I know that is a lot of meat and potatoes, but as Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians, we’ve been in the Word for so long, it’s time we stop drinking milk, just dealing with the basics of Christianity, and start eating heavy, solid food or diving deeper into the Word. It’s time we grew up, matured spiritually. (smile) And we’ll close with these wise words from Hebrews which corroborate all we’ve said.
‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls). (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes my faithful brethren, it’s to Jesus whom we ought to look for everything, each and every day! Much LOVE!
…at the foot of the cross…that’s the wisest place to lay all our burdens…
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
17 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the days of my life, all ye lands, aspire to be like God, Bible, broke their chains in pieces, brought down their heart with labour, christianity, come before his presence with singing, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, eternal life, faith, forgiveness, god, God always acts in a righteous manner, God never does what is wrong, goodness, goodness and mercy shall follow me, he made us, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, joy, know how to give good gifts, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, mercy, new mercies and compassions, O taste and see that the Lord is good, oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, peace, redeemed from the hands of the enemy, salvation, satisfies the longing soul, serve the Lord with gladness, share His love with my neighbours, sit in darkness, teach me thy statutes, the beloved of God, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the Lord is good to all, the rubbish heap of history, the shadow of death, the sheep of his pasture, there is none good but one, trust my friend Jesus, truth, we are his people, wisdom, worry
Psalm 100:5. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
So we’ve come to Tuesday, having thrown Monday on the rubbish heap of history! And since it’s a new day, bright and sunshiny in my neighborhood, it means that new mercies and compassions from our great God are also in vogue, (smile) as they are every day that we draw breath. (Lam. 3:22-23) And that’s something to be very thankful for, otherwise our lives would be even more miserable and frustrating than they are already. But God is good, and He doesn’t want to see us destroyed without a chance to come to Him and His Son for salvation, and the eternal life that springs from it.
That’s why Psalm 100 is essential to our prayer life. Please read it with me. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
Oh friends, it’s a short but ever so sweet and comely psalm. It tells us to serve God joyfully because He’s made us, we are His, and He is good; His mercy and truth are everlasting! And what does it mean by God is good? This commentary explains: ‘He never does what is wrong. God always acts in a righteous manner because His nature is holy. The secondary meaning of holy refers to God’s pure and righteous actions. God does what is right. He never does what is wrong.’
No friends. God will always act with goodness in ways that make us better, strengthen us, heal us and restore us. And though being good all the time is impossible for us human beings because of our inherent sin nature, it doesn’t mean we cannot aspire to be like God and do good and right as much as possible. And Psalm 107, titled God’s Redemptive Power, also showcases God’s goodness when it declares: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hands of the enemy;’ (Ps. 107:1-2)
That’s us my brethren! The Lord has redeemed us from the bondage of sin through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ! That means we ought to be glad and good, for there’s no greater gift than that! As the psalmist later says: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound (prisoners) in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned (despised) the counsel of the most High:
Therefore, he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder (broke their chains in pieces). Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps. 107:8-15)
There you have it again friends, another reminder to thank and praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy towards the undeserving children of men. When are we going to learn that and keep doing it constantly eh? For it’s only because of the Lord’s mercies and compassions that we are not destroyed.
Meanwhile, Jesus, in His own way shows us that ONLY the Lord is good. When the rich young man comes running and kneels before him, saying; ‘Master (Teacher), what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’ (Mark 10:17-18) Technically speaking, Jesus was also good, because He was also God, but according to the scholars, ‘Jesus knew that the man addressed Him as only a religious teacher. He reminds him that no mere man merits the title of good, for that term applies only to God. As the Son of God, Jesus does of course merit highest praise.’
That ought to remind us my people, that we cannot attain salvation and eternal life on our own, but we need the sacrificial death and awesome resurrection of Jesus to do it for us. And there are several other instances where the goodness of God is highlighted. So let’s look at a few. First up is this great verse from Bruh David’s majestic Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherd. He ends it thus: ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6) No better place to dwell my brethren!
Then Psalm 119:68 says: ‘Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.’ And Psalm 34:8 declares: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’ Now hear Psalm 145:9: ‘The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ And in Matthew 7:11, Jesus reminds us: ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him.’
Oh my fellow believers, it’s essential that we believe in the goodness of God if we intend to follow His Son Jesus Christ, otherwise we will be shortchanging ourselves and not receiving all that He has to offer us. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, 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, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the major attributes of God…are what mankind desperately need right now…LOVE, joy, peace, goodness, mercy, forgiveness and salvation that lead to eternal life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a voice of thanksgiving, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, artificial intelligence, be thankful unto him, Bible, bless His name, catch our second wind, come before his presence with singing, deceptions, endure right to the end, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, glad to be alive, god, God made us and not we ourselves, halfway home, hands on the plough, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, I am the way the truth and the life, instruction in righteousness, into his courts with praise, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lies, LOVE, no man cometh to the Father, not thinking ahead, not turning back, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, psalms, sanctify them through thy truth, Satan, serve the Lord with gladness, social media, stand our bounce, stick to the truth, thank God, the breath of life, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the man of God may be perfect, the sheep of his pasture, the word of the Lord, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, thy word is truth, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, we are his people, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Psalm 100:2. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
So it’s our mid-week work day, Wednesday, where we usually catch our second wind, but after all that partying this past long weekend, it will take more than a couple of days for us to catch our breath. We might need a whole week off to do that properly. (smile) But unless you take a week’s vacation, I’m afraid that won’t happen, so we’ve got to get it together under these tough circumstances. We should have thought about the tiredness and lack of sleep before we partied so heartily, and now we just have to stand our bounce. That’s what comes from not thinking ahead. (smile)
Anyway, the Good Library just opened unto the Book of Psalms, and the first thing that came to my eyes was Psalm 100, a psalm talking about hearty service to the Lord, serving Him with gladness, with a voice of thanksgiving and praise. And that’s just what we need right now, so let’s read it with a sense of joy and gladness.
‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100: 1-5)
Yes friends, that’s a very interesting psalm, and is reminiscent of Psalm 145, where Bruh David talks about ‘God’s Unsearchable Greatness.’ But the scholars do have an interesting explanation for this psalm. They say: ‘The word praise in the superscription is actually the word thanksgiving or, more specifically, thank-offering. It was one psalm that accompanied a “thank-offering” (Lev. 7:12) that one presented when God had especially answered a prayer or given a great deliverance. The psalm contains a command to serve (vs. 1-3) and a command to praise (vs. 4-5).
Each section is in turn divided into three calls and three causes. There are three calls to serve, make a joyful noise (vs. 1), serve the Lord (vs. 2), and come before (vs. 2); and three causes for serving, the Lord is God, he hath made us, we are his people (vs. 3). Likewise, there are three calls to praise, enter his gates, be thankful, bless his name (vs. 4), followed by three causes for praise, the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth (vs.5).’
So you see my brethren, what we might previously have thought of as a short simple psalm, one to just read and pass over, is truly filled with great scriptural advice, with commands to both serve and praise the Lord. That’s why we cannot simply pass over anything found in the Lord’s word, for everything in there was placed there with a reason, and serves a particular purpose. We ignore stuff from the Bible at our own expense.
And what I like about this psalm is its simple truths, simply put: praise the Lord and serve Him. And when we look at it in the real light of day, those are the only two things we’re truly required to do; praise the Lord and serve him. So, though the Bible is chocked full of all sorts of stuff, the true basics of it is mainly serving God and giving Him thanks for His goodness and mercy towards us underserving children of men. And sometimes we just need to break things down to their basic nature to really get at what they’re trying to tell us.
Now that’s especially true in this modern information age, where so much information is available, and where social media, Artificial Intelligence and Satan are noising about so much stuff, filled with lies and deceptions. That’s why we need to stick to the truth. And what helps us to define and see the truth? The word of the Lord. For as Jesus said when praying for the disciples: ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth.’ (John 17:16-17)
And what does that mean? This excerpt from an article on the subject on the gotquestions.org website explains it thus: ‘In Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, (John 17) Jesus prays to His Father, saying, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth”. In this verse, Jesus communicates two important facts: God’s Word is truth—God’s Word equals truth—and it’s by that truth that God sanctifies us, or sets us apart for holy service to Himself.’
Therefore, if we want to know truth, then we have to look to God’s Word, for as Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Yes my people, in these very deceptive, fraudulent, and days of outright lying, there are only two places we can look to for the truth; that’s God’s Word and to His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who made it very clear when He proclaimed: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6)
So let’s see what we’ve learned today nuh, or merely refreshed our memories on. (smile) Our basic purpose is to serve and praise the Lord, and His Word is truth, as put forth by His Son Jesus who ought to know. But most important of all is that we can only get to the Father through the Son. Let’s never forget that, even as we go home today declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world 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 having said all of that, here’s another truth: if we endure right to very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, in all wisdom and truth, let’s plan to meet right at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!
…the Lord created mankind to communicate with Him…through, praise, service and thanksgiving…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Bible, cataract surgery, come before his presence with singing, come hell or high water, condemned to hell fire, enter his gates with thanksgiving, eternal separation from Almighty God, faith, feel like a blob, for the Lord is good, god, God's purpose has always been truth goodness and love, he that believeth not is condemned already, he that believeth on him is not condemned, His faithfulness continues through all generations, His love endures forever, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, holy spirit, hurry, I know that you love me, in god's eyes, into his courts with praise, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, mercy, once more unto the breach, One Year Book of Bible promises, praise, psalms, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, serve the Lord with gladness, share His love with my neighbours, soaring like a graceful eagle, thanksgiving, the beloved of God, the Holy Trinity, The Lord is good, the one great certainty of my life, the right direction, the sheep of his pasture, trust my freind Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we are his people, whatever happened to disturb me, worry, You love me
Psalm 100:5. For the Lord is good and his LOVE endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Once more unto the breach, dear friends; once more on to the breach! Yes my fellow believers, this morning, the ole fella breached the city of Toronto, it’s traffic and the hospital to have cataract surgery done on my other eye. It was successful, but not as easy and good looking as the first time. This one’s blood shot and I cannot see as well out of it as I did the right eye. That means the Bit will be short and sweet. And all the Scrip-Bit family people, including me, shouted, ‘Yeah!’ (smile) And today we’ll look at a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply but truthfully titled, ‘YOU LOVE ME.’
And the standard excuse stands: I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but these poems are always worth sharing over and over. (smile) 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 are innumerable things I cannot begin to comprehend But the one great certainty In all my life is this: I know that You LOVE me.’
And that, my fellow saints is the most important thing we can ever know about our magnificent God: He LOVES us! Come hell or high water; whatever our faults and foibles He still LOVES us, because He made us and knows ALL about us. That’s why He sent His only Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary on Good Friday, so we could be free from the evil and unhealthy bondage of Satan, and have the marvellous option of believing in Him and thus gaining eternal life after His triumphant resurrection, instead of being automatically condemned to hell fire and eternal separation from our heavenly Father.
Which, as I keep reminding us, is the worst fate than can ever befall a human soul. And Jesus said it loud and clear. ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:18) Yuh see that friends; you got to believe! That’s the overwhelmingly important thing. You cannot receive salvation without belief in Christ. It’s a simple as that. And Jesus made it quite clear to the disciples, when He proclaimed: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
It’s like we said yesterday; EVERYTHING that the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit has ever done, is doing and will ever do is based on the greatest attribute; that’s LOVE! That means it’s ever so important we believe in Jesus, and in the LOVE the Holy Trinity has for us! Without those two things, we’re lost, like a rudderless ship, like a fish out of water. And the Bible verse associated with today’s poem comes from Psalm 100; a Psalm of Praise and Thanksgiving, which results from all that’s God done for us, and the LOVE that we reciprocate.
Please read with me: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
And that last verse is the Bible verse for the poem, except that it’s quoted in the NIV (New International Version) translation, which says: ‘For the Lord is good and his LOVE endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.’ Now, you can choose whichever translation you desire, but they all mean the same thing: our good and great God LOVES us in whatever state we are. And if you believe that, then you’re headed in the right direction. And in the best interest of new eye (smile) which is starting to act up a tad, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, which dovetails so nicely with our Bit, 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 made that momentous declaration, (chuh!!!) it is now our bounden duty 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!
…from Genesis to Revelation…God’s purpose has always been….truth, goodness and LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
30 Oct 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be prepared, come before his presence with singing, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, fill your lamp with oil now, give me faith in my heart, give me joy in my heart, give me love in my heart, give me oil in my lamp, glorify your father in heaven, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, into his courts with praise, keep me praying, keep me sharing, keep me singing, Let your light so shine before men, LOVE, serve the Lord with gladness, sing Hosanna to the King of Kings, so you won't be found wanting, that they may see your good works, The Lord is good, the moral of the story, the parable of the ten virgins, till the break of day, watch therefore, when the Son of man cometh, ye know not the day nor the hour
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Glory be my people, it’s Sunday once again! So come let’s gather round in joyful fellowship and give much thanks and praise to our wonderful God! As Psalm 100 so rightly tells us: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100: 4-5) Now those are words we can never doubt, because they are gospel truth! And Psalm 100 is so chucked full of wisdom in every verse that if you’re not careful it can confuse you. (smile)
But there is absolutely no chance of confusion with this earlier verse that wisely advices: ‘Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.’ (Ps. 100:2) And since we’re ever so wise and obedient my friends, that is exactly what we’re going to do right now. And today we’re going to spice up our sacrificial praise with an old gospel spiritual titled ‘Give Me Oil in My Lamp.’ Yes, some of you ole fogeys will remember that one. It was popular way back in time, but it certainly hasn’t lost its saltiness, and is therefore still worth singing. So let’s raise our sweet, harmonic voices to heaven in an up-tempo, scintillating, foot stomping, handclapping version.
Altogether now: ‘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!)’
Ah mih people, I’m sure that reminded some of us of olden times when we’d belt that tune out in church. And is there ever need for oil in our lamps in these dark and trying times, if we’re to do like Jesus says: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16) Yes, our lights can’t shine if our lamps are dry like Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins at a Jewish wedding found in Matthew 25:1-13.
Five of the virgins or attendants were wise and five were foolish. The wise ones took extra oil for their lamps just in case the bridegroom came late. The foolish ones didn’t, and it so happens the bridegroom was late, and their lamps ran out of oil, and they had to go and get more oil from the oil dealer. But by the time they came back the ceremony was in progress and they got locked out. Wherefore Jesus ended the parable with these memorable words. ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt, 25:13)
Yes my brethren, the bridegroom is obviously Jesus, and the church his bride, as is mentioned in Matt. 9:15, John 3:27-30, Eph. 5:25-32), and the parable refers to Jesus’ coming again, the day, time, nor hour no one knows but the Father. That means we have to be in a state of constant readiness; the first requirement being obviously born again with the Holy Spirit indwelling us.
A commentary on the song says: ‘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 that’s a valid interpretation. But I like how the gotquetions.org website describes the parable in general.
‘The five virgins who have the extra oil represent the truly born again who are looking with eagerness to the coming of Christ. They have saving faith and have determined that, whatever occurs, be it lengthy time or adverse circumstances, when Jesus returns, they will be looking with eagerness. The five virgins without the oil represent false believers who enjoy the benefits of the Christian community without true love for Christ. They are more concerned about the party than about longing to see the bridegroom. Their hope is that their association with true believers (“give us some of your oil” of verse 8) will bring them into the kingdom at the end.
This, of course, is never the case. One person’s faith in Jesus cannot save another. The “Lord, lord” and “I do not know you” of verses 11 and 12 fit very well with Jesus’ condemnation of the false believers of (Matthew 7:21-23), “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”
Oh my fellow believers, if Jesus said it, then it’s entirely possible. Anyhow, the song encompasses all that we need to wait for Jesus; namely, the oil of the Holy Spirit to light up our lives, that keeps our lamps burning, LOVE in our hearts that keeps us sharing, joy in our hearts that keeps us singing, and faith in our hearts to keep us praying. We can’t ask for more than that, because those things encompass it all.
And I believe the end of the article from the gotquestions.org website, also makes a fitting end for our Bit today. ‘May we not be found “going away to make the purchase” (v. 10) when Christ returns. Take the time now to fill your lamp with oil and take extra along. Keep waiting and watching with joy and anticipation.’ Now that is wisdom of enormous proportions! Please let’s take strong and serious hold of it. Much LOVE!
…the moral of the story…be not found wanting when Jesus returns…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
10 Oct 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be careful for nothing, divine help, forgiving and gracious God, God is my salvation, guard your hearts and minds, hear our prayer, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, Jehovah Rapha, joy, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, paying lip service, Rejoice in the Lord always, separate the sheep from the goats, sincere repentance in our hearts, sing unto the Lord, Thanksgiving Day, the God who heals, The Lord is good, the Lords reads the motives of our hearts, the mark of a true believer, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the words of our mouths, too busy fixing our troubles
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
It’s Monday friends…but Thanksgiving Monday! That means most of us don’t have to face the stress and strain of the bustling early morning hours and the endless traffic jams to go to work. And most of God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank the Lord!’ And I guess on Thanksgiving Day, that’s a most appropriate response. (smile) But what about the other aspects of our lives eh, are we thankful for those; do we offer up thanks for them to our heavenly Father, and if we do, are they sincere, or are we merely paying lip service?
And did we give even a li’l thanks when we opened our eyes this morning for just being alive? Do we give thanks when we manage the snarled traffic and finally get to work safely? And do we give thanks when we reverse course and get home all in one piece? And what about when our children get home safe from school? Ah friends, it’s the giving of thanks for those seemingly li’l and unimportant things that separate the sheep from the goats, the true believers from the hypocrites. Remember the Lord reads the motives of our hearts before He considers the words of our mouths, and if the former isn’t right, then He won’t even acknowledge the latter.
And please note that thanksgiving isn’t meant to be a one day a year business, but a continuing daily activity. Today is just the day we put it in a colourful box, tie it up with a pink ribbon, add a big bow, and do a big celebration. But every day of our lives ought to be a day of thanksgiving, from the moment we awaken in the morning till we put our heads back on the pillow at night. That’s because there are so many things during each day for us to be thankful for, and there’s nothing the Lord appreciates more than a simple ‘Thank You Lord,’ when we see His marvellous and miraculous hand at work in our lives.
The problem though is that we are usually too busy trying to fix our troubles to notice God’s hand at work, and even if we do, we usually take it for granted. Yesterday we said that counting our blessings is the best way to understand the blessed life we truly live, since our blessings usually outweigh our problems by many to one. But taking too much stock of our few problems distracts us from the gratitude for our many blessings. And my fellow believers, the giving of sincere thanks throughout our earthly journey is oh so important that we cannot afford to forget or disregard it.
So, in keeping with this celebration of thanksgiving, like we did yesterday, let’s get a few reminders on the continual giving of thanks from the many scriptures that have been so blessedly bequeathed to us. They are so plentiful that we can spend a whole lifetime and not cover them all. (smile) Let’s open with Psalm 100 – a call to praise the Lord, a psalm of praise or thanksgiving.
Please read with me. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5) Now that tells it like it is friends! The Lord made us, we are his people, and in proper reverence to His majesty, sovereignty and goodness to us, we ought to give him much thanks and praise.
And then there’s this song from Isaiah re Thanksgiving for God’s mercies. Let’s read together again. ‘And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedest me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings (mighty deeds) among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord, for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.’ (Is. 12:1-6)
Oh my people, what beautiful sentiments! The Lord Jehovah is our salvation, our strength, our comforter and has done mighty deeds on our behalf! Thus, He is entitled to much praise and thanks. And then we have these most encouraging and enlightening words from Bruh Paul to the church at Philippi, as he talks about rejoicing in the Lord. Read with me. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
Yes, my fellow saints, when we lean upon our great God through prayer and thanksgiving when we do His will, He blesses us with divine grace and mercy, and a peace that cannot be found anywhere else. For all His goodness and mercy to us, we therefore ought to be continually shouting His praise and giving Him thanks of the highest nature. And since it all begins with prayer, let’s do just that nuh, go to God in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and pour out our hearts to Him.
As one voice: ‘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. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that 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. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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!’
On this Thanksgiving Day of 2022, let’s then be aware of the prayer we just offered up to our great God, and if we truly want a positive response, let’s wisely bring our lives into compliance with it and party sensibly, (smile) for tomorrow is work, and as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) warns, we have to look our best, do our best and be our best for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, because that’s what He expects of His followers. Much LOVE!
…the giving of continual sincere thanks to our Creator…is the mark of a true believer…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
22 Aug 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ask and it shall be given to you, be careful for nothing, come unto me all ye that labour, delight thyself also in the Lord, enter in to his gates with thanksgiving, give thanks, He came to me when I needed Him, He gave me wealth untold, he shall give thee the desires of thine heart, He's only a prayer away, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name, I asked the Lord, I count all my blessings each day, I only had to pray, I thank the Lord for everything, I will comfort you, I will give you rest, I'll lift your cares away, if we ask anything according to His will, in everything by prayer and supplication, Jimmy Duncan, Johnny Lange, LOVE, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, praiseworthy, righteous, soulful gospel touch, takes your breath away, that your joy may be full, the great invitation, The Lord is good, this is the confidence that we have in Him, when things weren't going my way
Psalm 37:4. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Oh my fellow believers, it’s Sunday! That means it’s time to come together, once more, to worship Christ in all sincerity and truth! Oh yeah! Nothing can be better, more beautiful or righteous and praiseworthy than that! And as always, we begin our worship with a song of praise and thanksgiving. Today’s song is a Christian contemporary song written in the last century by a couple of American Hit songwriters. It’s titled ‘I asked the Lord.’
And what’s interesting about this song is that the writers, Jimmy Duncan, 1927-2011, and Johnny Lange 1905-2006, both had a hand in writing some non-gospel hit songs. Duncan wrote the famous country/western hit ‘My Special Angel’ for Bobby Helms in the late fifties, and Lange wrote the gimmicky song ‘Mule Train,’ made popular by Frankie Laine in 1949. You folks of the younger generation won’t know those songs, but they are classics from your parents’ days. (smile)
And we are indeed thankful that Duncan and Lange collaborated to give us this wonderful Christian song. I hadn’t heard it in a long time, until a couple of days ago, when someone sent it to me through a WhatsApp video. And I just knew that we had to sing it today because it’s so beautiful and applicable to our lives in these trying and troubled times. Now some people sing it slow, but we’re going to put a medium tempo with a solid, soulful gospel touch to it today.
So let’s sing: ‘I asked the Lord to comfort me When things weren’t going my way; And He said to me, “I will comfort you And I’ll lift your cares away.” I asked the Lord to walk with me, when darkness was all that I knew; And He said to me “Never be afraid, and I will see you through.” I didn’t ask for riches, but He gave me wealth untold, The moon and the stars, the sun in the sky, and He gave me eyes to behold.
I thank the Lord for everything, and I count all my blessings each day; For He came to me when I needed Him, I only had to pray. And He will come to you, if you ask Him to, For He’s only a prayer away. I thank the Lord for everything, and I count all my blessings each day; For He came to me when I needed Him, I only had to pray. And He will come to you, if you ask Him to, For He’s only a prayer away.’
And is that ever the gospel truth my brethren! God is only a prayer away from us, and all we have to do is ask Him to come and He will gladly come, come running too! Oh friends, Jesus said it several times and several different ways. Let’s hear some of them nuh. This first one He says when He talks about not judging. ‘Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7-8)
And after He cursed the fig tree, He told the disciples: ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt. 21:22) Then in John, when Jesus declares that He is the only way to the Father, He tells the disciples: ‘And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.’ (John 14:13-14) And when He talks about the vine and the branches, He states: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.’ (John 15:7)
Then this final scripture, when Jesus tells the disciples about going back to the Father and leaving them, and seeing their sorrow, He offers comforting words. ‘Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy shall be full.’ (John 16:24) So you see friends, asking is a big part of our relationship with God. However, that asking is not to be frivolous and self-centred, but in the will of God. Hear John explain it in his first epistle. ‘And this is the confidence that we have in Him (Christ), that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.’ (1 John 5:14)
And remember too that Jesus said we should ask in His name, that means as His agents or ambassadors, to be able to do His work. God always wants to give us good things, but we must ask persistently, unselfishly and in faith. The important thing my brethren is that we get into God’s will, want what He wants. And when that happens then this wonderful verse from Psalm 37 will come into play. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4)
As one commentator says: ‘The key here is that the heart of the seeker is changed—when we delight in the Lord, God’s desires begin to become our own. When our desires match God’s, then our prayers are automatically aligned with His will.’ So, asking is good and right, but there are conditions.
A couple of other important scriptures can be derived from the song. Where it says: ‘And He said to me, “I will comfort you And I’ll lift your cares away.” That points right back the Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (humble and gentle): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Yes my fellow saints, there is no other place to find rest, comfort and succour than in the arms, or under the umbrella of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And I want to close with this other important attitude we can derive from the song, that of counting our blessings and giving thanks. Listen up to these wonderful scriptures on the subject. Bruh Paul to the Ephesians: ‘Giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Eph. 5:20)
To the Philippians. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) And finally from the psalmist: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (Ps. 100:4-5)
That says it all my people! Much LOVE!
…when you consider the greatness of our God…it just takes your breath away
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
28 May 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook, Abide in me, always an empty space in our souls, brain storm the problem, come before His presence, comfort, cool down the heat, creativity, curse, didn't lose my joy, each empty space, ecstasy, ecstasy of soul, enter into his gates, faith, fell behind, frail and fragile, greedy, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth, hungry heart, I am the vine, joy, LOVE, make a joyful noise, mortal selves, mundane days, needed batteries, negative word, Newborn Ecstasy, not sufficient of ourselves, nourish the parched ground, obedient to God's will, open up our hearts and souls, our sufficiency is of God, power hungry, prosper, Ruth Harms Calkin, self-control, serve the Lord with gladness, shout joyfully, success, successfully navigate, thanksgiving, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, Thursday Blessings, toss this coronavirus aside, until we come to Christ, unto the Lord, walking the straight and narrow path, with singing, without me, worked like a charm, ye are the branches, ye can do nothing
Psalm 100:1. Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth).
Well it’s not as bright and sunshiny in my area as it’s been the last several days; it’s somewhat cloudy… And we could really use some rain, to cool down the heat and nourish the parched ground. But we’ll just have to wait and see what the Lord has in mind for our area. And on that computer problem I encountered halfway through writing the Bit yesterday morning, it’s been fixed. And I have to laugh because it was a simple problem; my keyboard needed batteries. Hn!
And it was actually one of the first things I thought of when the problem occurred, but for some reason I never followed up on it, and even later in the night when my young D and I were trying to brain storm the problem, that never occurred to either of us. It’s only when I contacted the support department which suggested it, that I remembered that possibility. And as soon as the new batteries were put in, the computer worked like a charm.
Oh, the ways the enemy finds to get into our hearts, bodies and souls and disrupt our lives eh! But thankfully, he didn’t make me lose my joy, but nonetheless I fell behind in all the stuff I had planned to do yesterday. And I guess in his books that is still a win. (smile) But yuh know what? We are not going to let the ole geezer disturb our peace today, because we’re going to be talking about ‘Newborn Ecstasy!’ found in a poem in our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin.
So please pray with me: ‘O Lord, When I resolve to come to You Amid the chunks and cracks Of all my mundane days – When I resolve to listen Really listen to Your gentle voice Suddenly I know anew That you are life And life is joy! Like a singing brook Joy splashes over All the common “dailies” Until each empty space Of my hungry heart Is touched with newborn ecstasy.’
Oh friends, it is indeed when we walk sincerely with the Lord, are obedient to His will that we find true ecstasy! Yes, it’s not always easy walking the straight and narrow path, but you can bet your bottom dollar that as Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, ‘Your worst day with Jesus is better than your best day without Him!’ Glory be! And isn’t that the gospel truth! Oh brother, you all just went and got the ole fella excited and now he can’t control the excitement. (smile) So let’s continue being excited in the Lord nuh, for there’s nothing better than that! And we’ll show that excitement by reciting, singing or whatever way you choose, Psalm 100; a psalm of praise or thanksgiving.
It’s also the Bible verse used for our poem above. So let’s go nuh: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves (his we are); we are his people, and the sheep of is pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
Wow mih people! What encouraging words of indisputable truth! It’s only when we worship the mighty and merciful Lord God Jehovah, come before Him with praise and thanksgiving that our souls experience real joy, real ecstasy! That truly euphoric state cannot be experienced in any other way! So let’s try and open up our hearts and souls to Him today…and everyday nuh. When He comes knocking let’s allow strong and overwhelming faith to run to the doors of our hearts and joyfully greet Him! Then open our whole body and soul to Him, so that He can fill us with the peace, the joy, the LOVE and comfort that just naturally exudes from Him! That’s how we experience ecstasy of soul!
And consequently, we are able to successfully navigate all the storms and fires and floods and evil circumstances that this devilish world desires to inundate us with. Yes friends, wisdom and common sense dictate that we hang with the Risen Christ if we want to have enjoyable and successful lives, both here on earth and in heaven above. Please remember…better yet, let’s write these memorable words of Christ indelibly in our hearts so that we won’t ever forget them.
‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5) Mamacita! Yuh hear that mih bredrin! Jesus spells it out loud and clear: without Him, we can do NOTHING! Please, let’s keep that first and foremost in our consciousness.
And as Bruh Paul reminded the Corinthians: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) And yuh know friends, that’s our problem right there: we think too much of our blooming petty, greedy, power hungry but oh so frail and fragile, mortal selves. We believe we’re such hot shots with the li’l knowledge that we’ve acquired down through the ages, that we can now toss God, our Creator, our Deliverer and Provider aside. And very conveniently we seem to forget who made the heavens, the earth and all therein! Well let’s see us toss this coronavirus aside nuh! End of sermon!
Now for the wise ones amongst us, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Thursday Blessings, that the Lord has so generously granted us to do his earthly work. All together, in strong, voice with sincere hearts: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
So let’s go out now, while physically distancing, and share those blessings just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. That’s His ardent desire! Much LOVE!
…until we come to Christ…there will ALWAYS be…a lonely and empty space in our souls…
P.S. I hope you all enjoy reading this and get excited like I did while writing it. (smile) Much LOVE!
17 Oct 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blob, a new song, Christ died for the ungodly, compassionate heart, curse, faith, favour, God demonstrated his love, God so loved the world, have everlasting life, heart power, his mercy is everlasting, His only begotten Son, his truth endures, home, hovel, I cannot comprehend, innumerable things, like an eagle, LOVE one another, negative word, northern climes, One Year Book of Bible promises, palace, praises, propitiation for our sins, Ruth Harms Calkin, shall not perish, sing unto the Lord, soaring, thanksgiving, the horse's mouth, The Lord is good, Thursday Blessings, to all generations, undying LOVE, whatever happened to disturb me, whosoever believeth in him, without strength, yet sinners, You love me
Psalm 100:5. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
It’s chilly, dark and cloudy, and also wild and windy…but it’s HOME! Home sweet Home! Yes friends, the ole fella’s back in the cold northern climes. And though the tropical warmth and sunshine of J.A. would be nice, there’s something about home that just draws you in, that you greatly appreciate even if you are coming from a palace to a hovel.
That’s the power, the heart power of the word HOME. It has something else, a powerful intangible that nowhere else has for us, and that’s why it’s such a big deal in our lives. And today I want to share with us another big deal in our lives, that’s the LOVE of God, through a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is aptly titled ‘YOU LOVE ME!’
Please pray 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 are 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 people, that is one thing we all ought to know for sure; that our heavenly Father LOVES us! And if we don’t, then our faith is not real, or strong, or whatever you want to call it, for how can we not know that God LOVES us with a fierce and undying LOVE after reading scriptures like these eh?
Listen first to Bruh Paul nuh: ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due (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 LOVE towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom.5:6-8)
Now if putting out yourself for others who don’t particularly care for you isn’t a showing of strong LOVE, then I don’t know what is nuh? And John puts it thus: ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God isLOVE.
In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:7-11)
Ah mih people, what a powerful and true dissertation! But now listen to it straight from the horse’s mouth; from the Son Himself: ‘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 if the only begotten Son, the One who actually died to pay the enormous price for our sins, says that’s how it was, then it must be so!
So please friends, if we don’t know anything else, let’s be sure that our heavenly Father LOVES us, because He was willing and able to pay the great price it required to wash away our abominable sins, even the price of a broken heart and forsaking His only Son for our benefit! And we’ll see, that once we accept that most pertinent fact, everything else will flow smoothly, because everything flows from His everlasting LOVE!
And thus we can sincerely sing these praiseful and adoring words of the psalmist: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (the whole earth): Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps.100.1-5)
That’s the Bible Promise from our poem, and it’s the gospel truth my people! Oh friends, our God is so good and wonderful that He’s even provided those of us who want to do His bidding with miraculous blessings to enable us to do so. We call them our Thursday Blessings. But they’re not operative until we declare them, so let’s declare them now nuh, in full voice and sincere faith.
All together: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Now please remember those wonderful blessings are for us to use, to share generously, not to hoard selfishly.Much LOVE!
…there is no fear in LOVE…perfect LOVE casteth out fear… (1 John 4:18)
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