19 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a declaration of hope, an accurate perception, be filled with, be filled with the knowledge of his will, be glad and rejoice, Bible, blessings, christianity, collect your beauty in my spirit, courage, creativity, curse, delivered us from the power of darkness, do not cease to pray for you, duty bound, eternal life, evil schemes of Satan, experience the sunshine, faith, favour, fruitful in every good work, giving thanks unto the Father, god, holy spirit, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jesus Christ, joint heir with Christ, joyfulness, longsuffering, LOVE, may my lightness be, negaive word, new mercies and compassions, partakers of the inheritance of the saints, pateince, practical circumstances, redemption, salvation, sit in heavenly places, smell the roses, spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, success, supernatural strength, talent, teach me, Thank You Lord, the blood of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, the penultimate day of our work week, the skilful application of wisdom, the true nature of things, the warmth of sunshine on my back, to appreciate the many colours, to celebrate your abundance, to look for beauty on heavy days, to revel in, trials, tribulations, truth, unto all pleasing, walk worhty of the Lord, wisdom
Colossians 1:10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week. And thank the Lord we’re only one day away from our starlight day of Friday! (smile) Oh, the expectations we weigh Friday down with; hopefully it lives up to it’s name and doesn’t disappoint us. But, regardless of whatever day it is, once we’re alive to experience the sunshine and smell the roses, let’s be glad and rejoice in it, because that’s God’s desire. It’s why He’s given us a brand new day with new mercies and compassions. And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord for allowing me to see another day on this troubled, but still beautiful earth! Amen.’
Now, here’s this month’s prayer from the InTouch Devotional that helps us to do just that. Please pray with me: ‘God, teach me to look for beauty on heavy days, to celebrate Your abundance and brilliance. I want to revel in the warmth of sunshine on my back, to appreciate the many colours You’ve created. I want to pause when the wind moves the trees just so, to admire the quirk in a friend’s personality. Though disappointments, losses, and struggles continue, I pray to laugh easily, to be frivolous with joy. May I collect Your beauty in my spirit and draw from it. May my lightness be a declaration of hope in Your goodness, today and always. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Yes friends, that’s the way we need to live this life; in full hope and trust in Almighty God, enjoying His goodness and mercy and all the wonderful things He’s made, even in the midst of all the troubles and tribulations we might face. And I believe these encouraging words from Bruh Paul to the Colossians give us some insight how to practically do all of what we’ve spoken of above.
Bruh Paul writes: ‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ (Col. 1:9-14)
Oh my people, that’s generally what’s expected of us: To know the Lord’s will for our lives, through studying and meditating on His Word and communing with Him through the Holy Spirit, with all wisdom or ‘accurate perception into the true nature of things,’ as well as understanding, ‘the skillful application of this wisdom in practical circumstances.’ And all of that is necessary so that we can walk (live) properly and please God.
And what does that mean in a practical sense? The scholars explain. ‘A worthy walk entails: the believer is (1) fruitful in every good work, productive in Christian service; (2) constantly increasing in the knowledge of God, ever coming to know the Lord better; (3) always “strengthened with all might,” becoming spiritually stronger and stronger; and (4) in the habit of giving thanks, sincerely expressing gratitude to God in both the pleasant and unpleasant circumstances of life.’
Now I know it all sounds wonderful in theory, but it’s not always easy to do in real life, for patience, which is persevering through trials and tribulations is only gained through experiencing those same trials and tribulations. (smile) And so is longsuffering, or bearing the faults and offences of others with a compassionate heart and mind. In other words we can only learn patience and longsuffering by going through trials and tribulations. The more trials and tribulations we go through, the better, hopefully, we’ll get at cracking those two tough nuts.
But at the same time, we need to remember all that the Father has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ; bringing us out of darkness or bondage to sin, into the light of the truth of His Word, making us worthy to sit in heavenly places with Jesus, as joint heir with Him, redeeming us through the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross of Calvary, offering salvation, forgiveness of sins, all with the marvelous end of eternal life. Now with all of that done by the Father on our behalf through the Son, how can we not LOVE both Father and Son and listen to the Holy Spirit which enlightens us to their desires?
Oh my fellow believers, living and working for Jesus is the most important and beneficial thing this world has to offer. So please, let’s wake up and realize it, and forget all the foolish lies, deceptions and evil schemes that Satan tries to distract us with nuh. For only by being close to Jesus can we ever obtain salvation and eternal life. Now let’s declare (chuh!!!) our undeserved Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us to do the Lord’s earthly work.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…true wisdom and understanding are only available…through sincerely living and working for Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a just man falls seven times, a time of sorrows, a year of sorrows, beauty these eyes have seen, Bible, by faith alone, christianity, confidence, Contemporary Christian songs, crushed in spirit, delivers them out of all their troubles, dreams, ever merciful, evil shall slay the wicked, face the raging seas, faith, fallen on my knees, fellowship, god, God is always with us, God proved His love for me, he shall not be utterly cast down, held them in my hand, His eyes were watching me, his seed are blessed, his seed begging bread, holy spirit, hope and wait quietly for the Lord's salvation, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, I will hope in him, i've been young, in spite of the storm, in the night, it is good that a man, Jesus Christ, journeyed through the long dark night, Judith Gayle, Lawrence Chewning, lends, life after the storm, LOVE, lover's rock, many are the afflictions of the righteous, mercy, only grains of sand, out on the open, Ray Boltz, renew our faith, righteousness, rises up again, salvation, saves those of a contrite heart, sight unknown, strength, stumble into calamity, Sunday, sweet sacrifices of praise, the anchor holds, the Lord delivers him out of them all, the Lord hears, the Lord is my portion saith my soul, the Lord is nigh unto them of a broken heart, the Lord's Day, the righteous cry, the sails are torn, the ship is battered, the soul that seeks him, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, the wicked shall fall into mischief, through the storms of my life, truth, visions, wisdom
Psalm 34:17. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Here it comes again friends, Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the first day of this new week, when we get together in fellowship and worship in the Lord’s house and find strength and confidence to both build and renew our faith so we can handle all the problems of the upcoming week. And this week’s song of worship is certainly an interesting and very appropriate one for these troubled and trying times. It’s one of our favourite Contemporary Christian songs titled, ‘The Anchor Holds.’
And the story behind the song is definitely a moving and uplifting one. It seems in 1992, the writer, Lawrence Chewning and his wife were experiencing some real tough times. He later termed it the year of their sorrows. His father had died, and He was a burned out pastor in a church that was having problems, then to further complicate matters, his wife had her third miscarriage. It was truly a time of sorrows.
He then took a six months sabbatical and spent most of his time simply playing the piano. And it was during that period of difficulty and discouragement, of loss and lack of direction that the Lord opened his heart and filled it with that song. How marvellous and mysterious are the ways of our wonderful God! He’s always with us and never allows us to struggle more than is necessary. Whenever the time is right, He does something awesome to bring us out of our misery.
And in God’s awesome agenda, He later led Chewning to speak with singer Ray Boltz about his difficult times and the song the Lord had poured into his heart. Boltz took the song remodelled to its current form, then in 1995, recorded it and made it a hit. And it’s still going strong today, having been recorded by several people in several genres. But today we’ll do a reggae, lover’s rock version as done by Jamaican Christian singer, Miss Judith Gayle.
So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a sincere, heartfelt manner, remembering the many times when the storm raged around us, but the anchor held fast because Jesus was our pilot and our anchor. Singing: ‘I have journeyed, Through the long, dark night Out on the open sea By faith alone, Sight unknown And yet His eyes, were watching me. (Chorus: The anchor holds, though the ship is battered. The anchor holds, though the sails are torn. I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm.)
I’ve had visions, I’ve had dreams, I’ve even held them in my hand, But oh Lord, I never knew, They would slip right through, Oh my Jesus, Like they were only grains of sand. (Chorus: But the anchor holds…) Oh, I have been young, but I am older now, thank the Lord, And there has been beauty, that these eyes have seen, But it was in the night, through the storms of my life, Oh, that’s where God proved, His LOVE for me.
(Chorus: And the anchor holds, though my ship is battered. The anchor holds, though my sails are torn. And I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Yes, the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Thank You Jesus! I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Yes, the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Thank You Jesus!’
Ah friends, what powerful a testimony and uplifting message! And I know that many of us can attest to the authenticity of the sentiments in the song, because many of us have indeed gone through tough times when it’s only because of Jesus’ strong, solid, guiding hand on our rudder and anchor, that we made it through. That’s why Bruh David could write these reassuring words from Psalm 34.
‘The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite heart (crushed in spirit). Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate (condemned, held guilty). The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate (condemned). (Ps. 34:17-22)
And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers. Our God won’t see us falling and not stop us from doing so, or if His purpose is for us to learn something from falling, to help us up when we do fall. As Cousin Sol wisely says in Proverbs: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) And there are so many scriptures that attest to the goodness of God, that I don’t know which ones to quote.
But as they say, when in doubt, you can’t go wrong with Bruh David. (smile) So here he is from Psalm 37: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) are blessed.’ (Ps. 37:23-26)
Oh my fellow saints, our great and faithful God will not see us in a precarious situation and not do something to help us out of it! He will never turn away from us. That’s why Jeremiah, though going through agony of body and soul in his Lamentations could still write: ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:24-26)
And yuh know what friends, when we can voice sincere sentiments like those in precarious times, then we’ll know that we’re on our way to true righteousness! Much LOVE!
…there is indeed life after the storm…and the anchor does hold…with Jesus operating it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, according to his riches in glory, as one whom his mother comforteth, backsliders, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be known to his servants, Bible, blessed be God, boasting on your behalf, boldness of speech, but for a season, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, christianity, comforted us by the coming of Titus, comforteth us in our tribulation, crying out for your help, error of their ways, exceeding joyful, faith, filled with comfort, Friday 13th, Friday chant, god, God that comforteth, grace be to you, great is thy faithfulness, his compassions fail not, his indignation to his enemies, holy spirit, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I even I am he that comforteth you, in all our tribulation, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, LOVE, made you sorry with a letter, mercy, my God shall supply all your needs, omnipotent help, our sinful world, peace from God our Father, picture of comfort, so will I comfort you, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example we faithful believers set, the Father of all mercies, the God of All Comfort, the hand of the Lord, the Son of man, this is the day the Lord has made, those that are cast down, thou shouldst be afraid of a mortal man, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom
Isaiah 66:13a. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you:
And it’s finally Friday! Friday the 13th to boot! But that doesn’t matter in the least, for we children of Almighty God don’t believe in the old wives tales like not walking under a ladder on a Friday the 13th, or allowing a black cat to cross our paths! No we’re staunch believers in Christ Jesus who protects and guides us through His Word and His Holy Spirit. Thus we can say with all certainty and comfort: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is upon us at last!
Then we joyfully follow that up with: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) And a couple other acclamations won’t hurt either. (smile) Like: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) Yes, that one strengthens us, but what about this other marvellous and reassuring acclamation about satisfying our needs. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
Now that takes care of our strength and our needs, but then we have this awesome reassurance from Jeremiah in His Lamentations regarding mercy and compassion. ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23)
Oh my people, what a great God we serve! But that’s not all the assurances we have, no way! Here’s the one I really want to bring home to us this beautiful, sunshiny morning of Friday the 13th of September 2024. Let’s read then these heartfelt and reassuring words on comfort from Bruh Paul in his second missive to the church at Corinth.
He declares: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:2-4)
Wow mih bredrin! How wonderful is that eh! The Lord comforts us in all our trials and tribulations so that we can comfort others who are also going through hardships. And that’s how the Lord ofttimes works through us: helping us with or through something, which then enables us to help others in the same boat. And here are a couple of scriptures from Isaiah that corroborate Bruh Paul’s statement, re the comfort of God.
Isaiah writes: ‘I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die (mortal man), and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?’ (Is. 51:12-13)
Yes my fellow believers, our God is our eternal comfort, and we do Him and ourselves a great injustice by not appreciating and gladly accepting His amazing comfort. For hear the prophet Isaiah again, as he talks about rejoicing with Jerusalem. ‘As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you: and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb (grass): and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward (to) his servants, and his indignation toward (to) his enemies.’ (Is. 66:13-14)
Oh, what a beautiful picture of comfort that is my people! But here’s the other side of the coin, the practical side, as Bruh Paul believes in delivering. This from his second letter to the Corinthians. ‘Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you (boasting on your behalf): I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without (outside) were fightings, within were fears.
Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; And not by his coming only, but by the consolation (comfort) wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me (your zeal for me); so that I rejoiced the more. For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent (regret it), though I did repent (regret it): for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season (a short while).’ (2 Cor. 7:4-8)
Yes friends, not only was Bruh Paul comforted by the coming of his protégé Titus, but also by the news that although he had written a rather severe letter to the Corinthians re their Christian shortcomings, they had eventually agreed to his charges an repented of their shortcomings. Such is the mysterious workings and comforting of our great God my brethren! Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking comfort and help in these very needy times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And may we remember that like the Corinthians in Bruh Paul’s time, our current Christian behaviour is not up to scratch, and until we improve it, we will not see any divine aid! Much LOVE!
…one of God’s many attributes…is His ability to provide…lasting and sincere comfort…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alleviate our problems, back-breaking labour, be blameless, begun a good work, being confident of this very thing, being made conformable to his death, Bible, christianity, DETERMINATION, do all things without murmurings and disputings, even the youths shall faint and be weary, experiencing God's power, faith, fear, follow after, for the prize of the high calling in God, forgetting those things which are behind, god, God gives power to the faint, hard work, holding fast to, holy spirit, humble servants, I may know him, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, justified, LOVE, made righteous, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my nemesis, negative situations, no searching of his understanding, perform it unto the day of Christ, perseverance, press toward the mark, reaching forth, reconciled, renew their strength, repentance, run and not be weary, sacrifices, salvation, sanctified, shine as lights in the world, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, the Creator of the ends of the earth, the everlasting God, the fellowship of his sufferings, the God who heals, the Lord fainteth not, the power of his resurrection, the sons of God, the word of life, they that wait upon he Lord, this one thing I do, those things which are before, to truly know Jesus, trembling, truth, turn from our evil ways, walk and not faint, wisdom, wise guidance, without rebuke, work out your own salvation, youg men shall fall
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And our nemesis, Monday, has shown up again, this time with a full work week. So, hope you had enough rest and relaxation to enable you to get through a full five days of back-breaking labour. (smile) Although it must be said that with all the amenities and helpful tools we currently have, not many of us do backbreaking work anymore. Sometimes we expend more energy getting to and from work, that doing the actual work itself. But that’s just how the cookie crumbles and we have to take it as it comes.
And how do we do that? By standing strong and steadfast in our faith in Christ Jesus! Remember, He’s our Be All and End All, and we can do anything we need to through His awesome strength that flows through us. (Phil. 4:13) Then there’s also this awesome scripture from the prophet Isaiah on God’s great might. ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.’ (Is. 40:28-31)
Wow my fellow believers! What a mighty God we serve! But, unfortunately, that faith and strength don’t come to us automatically or overnight. No, it’s something we must work at. It entails, hard work, sacrifices, perseverance and a determination to truly know Jesus. And that we can learn from Bruh Paul’s sentiments to the Philippians.
‘That I may know him, and power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained (it), either were already perfect: but I follow after (press on), if that I may apprehend (lay hold of) that for which I also am apprehended of Christ.’ (Phil. 3:10-12)
Ah friends, you see how badly Bruh Paul wants to be like Christ; he’s eager to become more like Him in His suffering and death, so he could obtain His physical resurrection, as the scholars say, ‘thus experiencing God’s power in one of its greatest aspects.’ And although Bruh Paul was probably the most hardworking and zealous of the apostles, he still believed that he hadn’t done enough to get close to Jesus’ state.
As he continues to the Philippians. ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of it): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead), I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
And that my faithful brethren, is the attitude we, as true believers in Christ Jesus, ought to have! A strong desire to press forward to achieve and obtain all that Christ died for us to have! It’s only with that kind of determined attitude will we ever achieve or attain the mark of maturity in Christ, with good strength and faith, knowing who we are in Christ; the children of God, justified, sanctified, reconciled, made righteous, joint heirs with Him in all that the Lord has given to Him, sitting with Him in heavenly places.
Wow! Those are some of the things we need to know and believe deep in our hearts, if we want to be successful disciples of Christ. And we do that by doing as Bruh Paul earlier advised the Philippians. ‘Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of (according to) his good pleasure.’ (Phil. 2:12-13)
And what does that mean eh? Not to work for their salvation, for God has already granted that gift of salvation to them, but to work for the profit of others, by living a life that is worthwhile and pleasing to God, a life like Bruh Paul explains in practical terms in the following verses.
‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth (fast to) the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.’ (Phil. 2:14-16)
Yes my fellow saints, that’s what it means to work out your own salvation, to basically live a life for Christ, with the appropriate sacrifices in obedience to God, putting others before yourselves, like Christ did for us. Or as one commentary says: ‘The command to ”work out” salvation is a directive to let the new birth in Christ translate into actions. As a part of this, believers should serve God without griping or complaining.’ And friends, the day we do that…what a wonderful day it will be in God’s kingdom! (smile)
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for divine help to work out our salvation. 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!’
Now, let’s remember, that until we turn from our evil ways and begin living a life well-pleasing to God, no divine aid will be forthcoming! Much LOVE!
…being confident of this very thing…that he which hath begun a good work in you…will perform (complete) it…until the day of Jesus Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beacon in darkest times, a candle in every soul, a family whose hearts are blazing, a light unto my path, and glorify your Father in heaven, arise from the dead, awake thou that sleepest, Bible, blessings, Christ shall give thee light, christianity, confidence in our faith, confused, deliverance, drowning in the mire of Satan, faith, fellowship, frustrated brother, Go light your world, god, have the light of life, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, holds a candle without a flame, holy spirit, I am the light of the world, Jesus Christ, let your light so shine, light your candle, LOVE, men may see your good works, much-needed relief, negative sentiments, now are ye light in the Lord, praying to the Father, renewed strength, run to the darkness, salvation, seek out the helpless, sin darkened world, strife, the darkness comprehended it not, the light shineth in the darkness, the source of ligght, the straight and narrow path, the unfruitful works of darkness, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, torn, truth, walk as children of light, walking in sin, wisdom, worship, ye were sometimes darkness
Ephesians 5:8. ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Then it was Sunday once again… and all roads lead to the Lord’s house to spend the most pleasurable time in a believer’s week, that of celebrating in worship and fellowship with other believers, giving praise to God and encouragement to the saints, while receiving blessings and renewed strength and confidence in our faith from our heavenly Father.
And today’s song of worship is none other than the Christopher Rice authored song of 2004, so appropriately titled for these trying and troubled times, ‘Go Light Your World’ as performed by Kathy Troccoli. We’ll do a spirited, scintillating, encouraging version that will have the saints, just bursting with excitement and enthusiasm to get out into the cruel world and light their candles to show the unbeliever the way to Jesus.
Singing: ‘There is a candle in every soul Some brightly burning, some dark and cold There is a Spirit who brings a fire Ignites a candle and makes His home. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the helpless, confused and torn Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world Take your candle, and go light your world.) Frustrated brother, see how he’s tried to Light his own candle some other way See now your sister, she’s been robbed and lied to Still holds a candle without a flame
(Chorus:…Carry your candle…) ‘Cause we are a family whose hearts are blazing So let’s raise our candles and light up the sky Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus Make us a beacon in darkest times. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the hopeless, deceived and poor Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world… Repeat… Take your candle, and go light your world…Take your candle, and go light your world.’
Ah friends, that’s exactly what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects of us! And we all know how dark and dreary our world has become, with all the strife, resentment and all the other negative sentiments and evil deeds that currently abound, and only candle or light carrying believers in Jesus can penetrate that darkness to bring some much-needed relief to a world drowning in the mire of Satan.
And it’s not like we don’t know that Jesus is the light bearer to Satan’s darkness, for He said it Himself, when He was down here on earth. ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
And how is Jesus the light of your life? This commentary tells us: “Jesus is the light of life and the life of light. He embodies all that we know spiritual light is and does.” Jesus is the light of life (John 8:12) and the life of light (John 1:4).’ Yes, John spells it out right at the beginning of his gospel. ‘In him (Jesus) was life; and the life was in the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:4-5)
And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘In John’s writings, life represents salvation and deliverance through Christ, and light denotes Jesus’ revelation of God which calls men to accountability.’ Therefore, in Jesus there is both life or salvation and also enlightenment about God and what He expects of us. And to put it in its most basic context, according to this commentary, Jesus is called the light of the world ‘because he is the source of the light that quickens our understanding, because his teachings and his example illuminate our path, and because his power persuades us to do good.’
As the famous verse from Psalm 119 describes the Lord’s Word: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) Walking in darkness is therefore walking in sin, living by the dictates of Satan and this evil world, without Christ and without the benefit of God’s Word in our lives. Obviously then, we must trip and fall often when we cannot see where we’re going. But with Jesus in our lives, and the benefit of God’s word there is a light that guides us on the straight and narrow path.
However, before Jesus went back to heaven, He made a great pronouncement about the subject of light in this world. Namely: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
In other words, my fellow believers, once Christ left the earth, we were the light bearers, and we were supposed to go out into the world do as the song says: ‘Seek out the helpless, confused and torn Hold out your candle for all to see it…Cause we are a family whose hearts are blazing…’
But that’s obviously not the truth, because the world is so badly clothed in darkness that most of its inhabitants cannot even see their hands right in front of their faces, for Satan has so blinded them with sin, and we supposed believers in Christ Jesus; the light bearers, have for whatever reason(s) been hiding our lights under a bushel, the very opposite of what Jesus desires of us. So if the presence of Jesus is not far flung, to all nations, what else can we expect but a dark, disgusting, sinful world.
Now here is another encouraging scripture to go home to. This one from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them.
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.’ (Eph. 5:8-14)
Ah my fellow saints, it’s indeed time for us to awake from our slumber and acknowledge the great darkness that’s enveloped our world, because of too many ‘dark and cold candles’ and do something to turn things around, because it all depends on us. And the song says it best: ‘So let’s raise our candles and light up the sky Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus Make us a beacon in darkest times.’ Much LOVE!
…it’s high time for all believers to set their candles aflame…so that the light of Jesus…can erupt in this sin darkened world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new covenant, Bible, born again, carry them in his bosom, Christ's atonement for the sins of mankind, christianity, committed himself, deepen my breath, distorted concept, extending grace to the Gentiles, faith, feed his flock like a shepherd, follow in his steps, forgive their iniquity, gather the lambs with his arms, gently lead those that are with young, god, holy spirit, I am the good shepherd, I may know you all the more, I was an husband to them, I will put my law in their inward parts, in every good work, in my groping effort to find you, increase my awareness of you, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lost Shepherd, LOVE, make you perfect, need only to surrender, neither was guile found in his mouth, One Year Book of Bible promises, quiet my soul, remember their sin no more, reversed the parable of the Shepherd and the sheep, reviled not again, Ruth Harms Calkin, searching for God, slow my thoughts, stumble through darkness, thank you for this tenderness, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, the blood of the everlasting covenant, the bride of Christ, the God of peace, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the shepherd has been lost, to atone for our sins, to do His will, to him that judgeth righteously, truth, well-pleasing in his sight, when he was reviled, who did no sin
John 10:11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
So it’s Saturday, and are we ever thankful for it because it’s a chance to rest and laze around and do absolutely nothing, if we so desire. (smile) And even if it’s cool, cloudy and interspersed with some heavenly blessings, who cares? It’s our lazy-day Saturday! And to complete the picture, let’s add the finishing touch to it, our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
So as one voice, in all sincerity and truth: ‘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 without a doubt, our hearts, minds, bodies and souls will soon feel uplifted with the extra presence of the Lord, because He just LOVES to hear us calling out for more of Him. What a pity more of us can’t be bothered to do that, for then our lives would be ever so much more pleasant and godly. Now, let’s look at an apt, thought provoking poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is interestingly titled ‘Lost Shepherd.’ And by the way, I don’t think I’ve ever shared this one. (smile)
Please read with me. ‘Sometimes, Lord In my groping effort to find You I have reversed the parable Of the Shepherd and the sheep. In my distorted concept The Shepherd has been lost And the sheep have trudged down Dangerous mountain cliffs to find him. How sadly prone I am to forget That I would not be searching for You If You were not first wanting me. Let me remember always, Lord How foolish it is To stumble through darkness Searching for You When I need only to surrender To your search for me.’
Ah friends, how true that is! Sometimes, in our tough and anxious moments, we go searching for the Lord, when all that’s necessary is to surrender ourselves because He has already instituted a search for us. In fact He’s always searching for us, like lost sheep, to bring us back home to His safe and protective fold. And the Bible Promise for our poem today is none other than this one of great assurance, where our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ makes it known: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11)
And did He ever back up those words with positive action, by dying on the cross of Calvary to atone for our sins. As Peter tells it in his first epistle. ‘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) Yes my fellow believers, that in a nutshell, is what our Lord and Saviour did to become our wonderful Shepherd!
And what’s so marvellous about the Lord’s Word, the Bible, are the promises and prophecies made in the early stages that have all come through in the latter times. For instance this scripture about Jesus being the good shepherd. The prophet Isaiah prophesied about it long before Jesus ever came to earth, in these familiar words: ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:11)
And the prophet Jeremiah outlined God’s plans when talking about the New Covenant. ‘Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which was my covenant they brake, although I was an husband to them, saith the Lord:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts (minds), and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall know me, from the last of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sin no more.’ (Jer. 31:31-34)
Now what does all of that mean? Here’s a brief explanation from the scholars. ‘In this prophecy Jeremiah foresees the new covenant (testament) that God will make with mankind by extending His grace to the Gentiles. Under this new covenant, God will call out a people for Himself from all the nations of the earth to form the bride of Christ (Rev. 21:1-9). This new and unconditional covenant is better than the old covenant because it rests on the efficacy of Christ’s atonement for the sins of mankind.’
And it all began falling into place, when Jesus the good shepherd came to earth and began gathering sheep to His flock, those who were willing to be born again through the Holy Spirit. And that’s why the Bible is such a true and powerful document; for whatever it prophesies, does come to pass. Consequently, we can go home with these reassuring words from Hebrews. ‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect (complete) in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Heb. 13:20-21)
And we all know the work that Jesus did on our behalf, setting us an example that He expects us to follow. So let’s get out there and do it nuh! Much LOVE!
…there’s no shepherd as good as Jesus…for His sheep always have the best care…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dictatorial agenda, a great cloud of witnesses, as a good soldier of Christ, become discouraged in your souls, but of power love and a sound mind, consider the bigger picture, despising the shame, dictatorial times, equality, expand there sphere of power, exploitative rulers, faith, finished my course, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, for he who promised is faithful, godly traits, holy spirit, human predators, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have fought a good fight, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, jusrice, kept the faith, led like lambs to the slaughter, lest ye be wearied and faint, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, LOVE, lust for power, negative emotions, negativity, peace, personal aggrandizement, put on the whole armour of God, restricting rights and privileges, run with patience, Satanic behaviour, share His love with my neighbours, strife, the author and finisher of our faith, the beloved of God, thou therefore endure hardness, too busy seeking our own small-minded interests, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn things around, wannabe rulers, wisdom, without wavering, worry
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; for he who promised is faithful;)
And then it was Tuesday, the day after Labour Day Monday, which means all the partying done for another season, and is only serious business on the mind now. What with all the strife and negative emotions that are currently plaguing our world, it’s about time we got serious and began doing something about it. Oh friends, the negativity and Satanic behaviour in our world are too far flung, widespread and deep for us to just leave them be!
And if we ever hope to turn things around, we must make a sincere and positive effort, starting right now, to combat them with godly traits like peace, LOVE, justice and equality. We need to get rid of the many sick, power-hungry, exploitative rulers and wannabe rulers, who only want to expand their sphere of power and deepen their own pockets with a dictatorial agenda. That’s the only way our world will ever improve!
You know, when I was young and reading the history of so many dictators and crazy rulers, I often wondered how they ever came to be. But now in my old age, I’m living the reality of it, seeing how it actually comes about. And how is that eh? Because too many of us go around like lost or doh care sheep, not paying sufficient attention to what’s happening in the world around us, especially in these times when we have the news from all around the world right at our fingertips.
That’s one of the reasons why dictators are able to arise and thrive; the people don’t take them seriously enough, not realizing the imminent death and withdrawal of many of their God-given rights in the society. We’re too busy seeking after our own small-minded interests to consider the bigger picture, figuring that whatever happens won’t affect us. But that’s a total lie; for whatever happens in a country affects all who live in it!
Consequently we don’t stand up and fight off the predators the way we ought to. Then, when they get in power and begin restricting our rights and privileges, we make a big outcry about it. But then it’s too late. We should have stopped them in their tracks before they got entrenched in power. And unfortunately that reminds me of a line in the scriptures that talks about Jesus and many of his followers being led like lambs to the slaughter. (Is. 53:7, Rom. 8:36)
But the truth is that many more than just followers of Christ are being led like lambs to the slaughter under the rule of greedy, power-hungry, Satan- inspired rulers, who are willing to do just about anything to gain the power and other ungodly things they desire. And it’s only when the people know their rights, and are not afraid to stand up strong, to these human predators, that the society can ever progress in a true, just and godly manner.
And the sad fact is that right now in our strife filled and angry world, there are many rulers who have been able to seize the reins of dictatorial power, and many more wannabe rulers who are doing their best to do the same. It seems like dictatorial times are cyclical; you’ll have several of them for a season, and then it’s followed by a sort of recession as they gradually die off, because most of the power is embodied in only one man.
We saw the rise of the dictator in the last part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th, then they all died off. However, we’re now seeing the rise of another season of autocratic, selfish, greedy and ungodly leaders, to whom human rights and lives don’t mean a thing in themselves, and are only important as they can be used to feed their lust for power and personal aggrandizement.
Now stopping these human predators is not easy, never was, and never will be, but that doesn’t mean they are unstoppable, just that we have to work extra hard to stop them from rising up, or to topple them after they have attained power. And where do we begin? I believe first of all by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, then using all the rights and powers we access by His work and that belief to stand strong and fight the greedy powers that be.
We need to use scriptures like: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; for he who promised is faithful;) (Heb. 10:23) Yes friends, the first step is to hold on strong to our faith in Jesus, for with Him we can defeat anybody and anything, as the scriptures say: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) But without Him, we cannot do much of anything. As he says: ‘for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
But to help us in our fight, we also need to put on the spiritual armour of God, as Bruh Paul says in Ephesians. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11) Then there’s this scripture that further admonishes us to stand strong and look to Jesus. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (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 (discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:1-4)
Oh my people, that’s the basis for our unending fight; the strength and perseverance of Jesus, who cared not for the hostile opinions and behaviour of others, but concentrated on doing His Father’s work. Likewise, we should be concentrating on doing His work, not letting the opinions or behaviour of the ungodly frighten us into not making a positive, godly difference in the world.
Remember, ‘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 means we don’t need to be afraid of the enemy, for we have the power, the Spirit and LOVE of God to resist and rebuke him. Thus we need to do like Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3)
And if we do that, then we’ll be able to say like Bruh Paul did: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim. 4:7) And that’s all the Lord really expects of us; to put up a good fight in His name. Now, for those of us who are trying our best to do just that, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know whom we belong to, lock, stock and barrel.
As one 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 Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…we can only soldier on successfully…with the power, the armour and Spirit of Christ in us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things are lawful unto me, all things edify not, answer our prayers, be filled therewith, be filled with the Spirit, be not deceived, be not drunk with wine, be not weary in well doing, Bible, but not all things are expedient, christianity, climate change, disobeyed your word, do good unto all men, drunkenness, eat only as much as is sufficient, faith, for men to search their own glory is not glory, god, God is not mocked, handle whatever comes against us, hast thou found honey, he that hath no rule over his own spirit, he that soweth of his flesh, he that soweth of the Spirit, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, if we faint not, in due season we shall reap, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Labour Day celebrations, later than you sow, like a city that is broken down without walls, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, moral intemperance, more than you sow, salvation, self-control, shall of the flesh receive corruption, shall of the Spirit reap everlasting life, sincere repentnace, sincerely seek your face, strong drink is raging, strong faith in Christ, summer frolic, the fruit of the spirit, the God who heals, truth, turn from our evil ways, unpredictable weather patterns, vomit, we have all sinned, whatsoever a man sows, whosoever is deceived by it is not wise, wine is a mocker, wisdom, with Jesus on our side, you reap what you sow
Proverbs 25:16. Hast thou found honey? Eat so much (only as much) as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
HAPPY LABOUR DAY!
Well, a fine good day to you Monday! It’s good to know that I don’t have to get up and rush around and face all the hassles of going to work this Labour Day morning! Thanks again for the holiday…only wish you could do it more often, then we would not have so many disagreements.
Yes friends, it’s Labour Day Monday, which means most of the summer frolic is over; schools and such will now open and the cool fall breezes of September ought to blow. However, with the unpredictable weather patterns currently in vogue, (smile) courtesy of climate change, who knows what kind of weather we will receive. But thankfully, whatever happens, with Jesus on our side, we’ll be more than able to handle it, because with and through Him we can handle any and everything that the world throws our way! ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
But please remember that although the day calls for celebrations, we don’t need to go overboard and over do it, we must mind our p’s and q’s, for overdoing most things is not good for us. And there are many verses in the scriptures that speak to that topic, for instance this one from the wisdom of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Hast thou found honey? Eat so much (only as much) as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.’ (Prov. 25.16)
And that is a good measure for most things in this life. Especially in the matter of alcohol, as Bruh Paul warns in Ephesians. ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.’ (Eph. 5:18) And Cousin Sol corroborates that with this Proverb. ‘Wine is a mocker, strong (intoxicating) drink is raging (arouses brawling): and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.’ (Prov. 20:1)
Yes mih bredrin, too much alcohol is certainly no good for us, because it causes us to lose our mental bearings, get into fights, arguments etc. and we end up doing things that are not in God’s will, or as the scholars say: ‘Drunkenness leads to moral intemperance, and we should instead be filled with the Spirit of God. For a person filled with wine is under its influence; similarly, a Christian filled with the Spirit is under the control of the Spirit, and can control his thoughts, attitudes and actions.’
And furthermore, we have this warning from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. ‘All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient (helpful): all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any (anything).’ (1 Cor. 6:12) And that situation seems to have been very important to Bruh Paul, for he says the very same thing in 1 Cor. 10:23, except, there he changes the last phrase to ‘but all things edify not (do not build up).’
Oh my fellow believers, many things may be lawful for us to do, meaning, not proscribed or prohibited by the God’s will in the scriptures, but not all of them are helpful or beneficial in living God’s plan and purpose for our lives. That calls up the fruit of the Spirit of self-control, whereby we don’t let those supposedly lawful but not beneficial things control or have power over us.
That brings us to two more interesting verses from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. He wisely maintains: ‘It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search (seek) their own glory is not glory. He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.’ (Prov. 25:27-28) There’s no disputing the wisdom in those verses friends, but sadly those things are rather prevalent in our current society. Everybody is seeking their own glory and aggrandizement, with very little if any self-control in the process.
Meanwhile, we have these wise words from Bruh Paul to the Galatians that oversee the entire situation. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). As we therefore have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal. 6:7-10)
I guess that says it all my fellow saints. We must be careful of our thoughts and actions, for whatever we do, we will reap the necessary consequences. However, our duty is to live good, as much as humanly possible with all people, especially Christians. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking 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!’
But unfortunately friends, things will never improve until we turn from our evil ways and begin sincerely seeking God with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds. Much LOVE!
…you reap what you sow…more than you sow…and later than you sow… Uncle Charles – Dr. Charles Stanley…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lamb without blemish, aimless conduct, all have sinned, all my hope and peace, all my righteousness, almost all things are purged by the law with blood, antidote, Bible, blood atonement, blood symbolizes life, by this I'll overcome, christianity, cleanse us from all unrighteousness, come short of the glory of God, corruptible things, faith, fellowship, forgiveness, god, God is light, holy spirit, it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul, Jesus Christ, Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross, LOVE, made peace, makes me white as snow, mercy, naught of good that I have done, Nothing but the blood of Jesus, nothing can for sin atone, precious is the flow, propitiation for sin, ransomed by the blood, reconcile all things unto himself, right standing with God, salvation, sweet sacrifices of praise, the blood of Jesus, the blood of Jesus cures everything, the everlasting truth, the fulness of the time, the gift of God is eternal life, the life of the flesh is in the blood, the penalty for sin, the precious blood of Christ, the truth is not in us, the wages of sin is death, through the blood of the cross, to redeem them, truth, under the law, vain conversation, what can make me whole again, what can wash away my sin, wisdom, without the shedding of blood is no remission
1 John 1:7b. and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Here we go on the first day of September, a Sunday, joining together with other believers to fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary to renew our commitments, friendships and spiritual strength with both God and man. What a blessed time that is my fellow believers. There’s no time like it. So let’s begin this good time with a wonderful traditional American hymn written by Robert Lowry in the 1870’s.
Lowry was a hymn writer as well as a Baptist Minister and Professor at Bucknell University. The song is aptly titled ‘Nothing But the Blood of Jesus,’ and informs us of the blood atonement and propitiation of sin that happens through the death of Jesus. Without further ado then, let’s offer up sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid tempo, soulful and grateful version, because it’s something we are ever so thankful for.
Singing: ‘What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain: Oh! precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.) For my pardon, this I see, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; For my cleansing this my plea, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Nothing can for sin atone, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; Naught of good that I have done, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain)
This is all my hope and peace, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; This is all my righteousness, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Now by this I’ll overcome; Nothing but the blood of Jesus; Now by this I’ll reach my home, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Glory! Glory! This I sing; Nothing but the blood of Jesus, All my praise for this I bring, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain: Oh! precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the Blood…Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.’
And isn’t that the everlasting truth my people! Nothing but the Blood of Jesus can cleanse us of our sins and bring us into right relationship with Almighty God! But before we get into any analysis of the song, let’s recognize one thing, that blood in the Bible symbolizes life, and when the blood is spilled, or stops flowing, that means life is over. And when talking about sacrificial offerings, the Bible says it thus in Leviticus. ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it unto you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.’ (Lev. 17:11)
Yes friends, it is the shed blood of Jesus that makes atonement for our sinful souls. Therefore, the writer of Hebrews is able to inform us: ‘And almost all things are by the law purged (cleansed) with blood; and without the shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness).’ (Heb. 9:22) The sacrificing of animals under the Old Testament law cleansed for a season, and thus had to be renewed every year.
However, as Bruh Paul writes in Galatians: ‘But when the fulness of the time was come (the time appointed by the Father), God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made (born) under the law. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.’ (Gal. 4:4-5) In other words, when the Lord decided it was time to end the ritual of sacrifices every year under the Old Covenant, He sent Jesus to be the last and great sacrifice!
Thus, under the New Covenant there is no need for any more animal sacrifices, for Christ satisfied that need once and for all with His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary. And it’s therefore ever important to know that it’s Jesus’ shed blood that covers us from all sin. John says it thus in his first epistle. ‘This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not (practice) the truth:
But if we walk in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.’ (1 John 1:5-10)
And how can we say that we have no sin, when the Bible says: ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom. 3:23) And what’s the penalty for sin? ‘The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23) And that’s what Jesus’ death on the cross was all about; to free us from the bondage of sin and offer us eternal life instead.
And as the opening verse of the song so truly declares: ‘What can wash away my sin?…What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.’ Likewise this verse: ‘Nothing can for sin atone,… Naught of good that I have done, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.’ Glorious truths indeed my people!
And I like how this commentary gives us five things that the blood of Jesus accomplishes. Now, I never intended to list the referenced scriptures, but knowing that many of you would not check the refences yourselves, I decided to do it, to spoon feed you as usual. (smile) So the first act of Jesus’ blood is ‘Propitiation for sin. To remove God’s righteous wrath. (Rom. 3:25) ‘Whom God had set forth to be a propitiation (a mercy seat) through faith in his blood, to declare (demonstrate) his righteousness for the remission (passing over) of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.’
Then there’s ‘Justification, To extend God’s full acceptance, right standing with God. (Rom. 5:9) ‘Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.’ There’s also,’ Redemption, to purchase our freedom. (Eph. 1:7) ‘In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.’ Next up is ‘Forgiveness, to restore our best relationship. (Eph. 2:13) ‘But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes (once) were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.’
What about ‘Pacification – to make peace with God Himself. (Col. 1:19-20). ‘For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in (on) earth, or things in heaven.’ And last but not least, ‘Ransomed by the blood, (1 Peter 1:18-19) ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.’
And now that I’ve spoon fed you, (smile) please take a few moments to contemplate those scriptures and see what a wonderful thing the Lord has done for us, through the shedding of Christ’s sinless blood on the hill of Calvary, and why we ought to bow down and worship Him, and wisely and gratefully accept His grace and mercy without anxiety or fear! Much LOVE!
…what’s the most powerful antidote on earth…obviously the blood of Jesus…for it cures everything…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, Bible, bind them continually upon thine heart, by them is thy servant warned, christianity, endure to the end, enlightening the eyes, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, falling prey, forsake no the law of thy mother, get ready for winter, god, guiding light, halfway home, hands on the plough, have good success, hibernate, holy spirit, in keeping of them is great reward, in whom I am well pleased, Jesus Christ, keep thy father's commandment, labour day weekend, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, making wise the simple, more to be desired than gold, moved by the Holy Ghost, no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation, northern climes, not by the will of man, not looking back, reproofs of instruction, salvation, sweeter also than honey, thank God, the author of our salvation, the breath of life, the commandment is a lamp, the drippings of the honeycomb, the fear of the Lord is clean, the infallibility of the scriptures, the law is light, the light that shines in the darkness, the way of life, the Word of god, this is my beloved Son, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, tie them about thy neck, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, Wednesday Wail, wiles of the devil, wisdom, write it indelibly in our hearts
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Another glorious summer day seems to be in the offing on this last Wednesday in August, as we wind down the summer holidays to the Labour Day Weekend, when all the fun and games of summer come to screeching halt. Chuh! The Ex (Canadian National Exhibition) closes. School reopens, adults go back to work and the long weekends are now fewer and further between. (smile) But that’s just the way it is these northern climes…after the summer comes the fall when you get ready for winter, then winter comes and you hibernate.
But let’s remember that through it all, both the bad times and the good, we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, to whom nothing is impossible, and His Holy Spirit as our Guiding Light, who will lead us on to glory, if we pay sincere attention to His guidance. But it all begins and ends with us knowing the Word of God, constantly reading and meditating on it, for as the Lord told Joshua, ‘for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
We need to write that indelibly in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds friends, if we desire to achieve success in this ungodly and evil world. Yes, it’s only by following God’s Word that we will rise above the evil and ungodly wiles of the devil. And the scriptures says it quite plainly: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) That is gospel truth my people! When you allow God’s word to lead you, you will never go wrong.
And Cousin Sol says as much in this section of Proverbs that deals with keeping the Father’s Commandment, and a warning against adultery. He writes: ‘My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:’ (Prov. 6:20-23)
Then Cousin Sol goes on to tell about how keeping God’s word will keep you from falling prey to an evil, adulteress woman. (Prov. 6:24-29) But the truth of the matter is that the keeping of God’s law will also keep you from falling prey to Satan’s many other deceitful schemes. Yes friends, our safety net all depends on knowing God’s law and keeping it! And for a more detailed testimony on the subject, let’s listen to Cousin Sol’s father, Bruh David from Psalm 19. He expounds thus on the perfection of God’s law:
‘The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the (drippings of the) honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:7-11)
Oh my people, what good news that is, re the benefits of knowing and keeping God’s law. Wow! It certainly is awesome: it makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, and is much more to be desired than gold, even fine gold, and it’s even sweeter than honey, or the drippings from the honey comb! Brother! What a magnificent thing is the Lord’s law, and such a wonderful thing to have always at one’s beck and call!
Meanwhile, the apostle Peter puts it this way about the Lord’s law. Early on in the passage he talks about being on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus, and being an eyewitness to His majesty. ‘For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy (the prophetic word made more sure); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old (any) time by the will of man: but the holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ (2 Pet. 1:17-21)
And there again Peter refers to the Lord’s law as a light shining in the darkness, that shines in our hearts when Jesus ,the day star, comes into them. But the general meaning of the passage is the assurance of the infallibility of the scriptures, because the revelation of God’s word didn’t originate with men, but came to them directly through the Holy Ghost. Thus we can lay our lives down on the truth of scripture. And let’s hope and pray that we’ll all continue doing that today, keeping the Lord’s commandments and enjoying the benefits that emanate from so doing.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole 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 furthermore, if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, looking forward to seeing you there at the very end! Much LOVE!
…who is Jesus…the author of our salvation…and the light that shines in the darkness…to show us the true way…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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