30 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great cloud of witnesses, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a rain warning, answer our prayers, be conformed to the image of Christ, bet your bottom dollar, Bible, broad is the way, christianity, climate change, constraints on the narrow path, contrary, depend on our faith, despising the shame, discouraged, disobeyed your word, divine aid, ease the pain, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, enter ye in at the strait gate, eternal life, faith, fellowship, few find it, flooding, for the joy that was set before him, galvanizes us, heaven, holy spirit, humble servants, I am the way the truth and the life, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lay aside every weight, lest ye be wearied and faint, light, living for Christ, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, many go in thereat, mass confusion, mercy, narrow is the way, natural diasters, negative situations, never giving up, New Year's Eve, no man comes to the Father but by me, nothing is guaranteed, perseverance, run with patience, running our race to the end, salt, salvation, sin, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, sinned, strait is the gate, strong faith in Christ, take anything for granted, that leads to destruction, that leads to life, that so easily besets us, the author and finisher of our faith, the God who heals, the main priority in your life, the only constant, the only one, the path to salvation, the power to solve our problems, the race set before us, the same yesterday today and for ever, the throne of grace, torubled times, treacherous times, truth, turbulent times, turn from our evil ways, uncertain times, vim and vigour, water damage, white christmas, who can lead us on the right path, wide is the gate, wisdom, wise guidance
Hebrews 13:8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and for ever.
Ah friends, can you believe it, on this Monday morning, the eve of New Year’s Eve, the Greater Toronto Area has been handed a rain warning, and not a snow warning. Flooding and all sorts of water damage is expected if the rain continues to fall as it’s been doing since Sunday morning. In fact, the entire Christmas week has been damp, foggy and cloudy, with no sunshine whatsoever. Unfortunately, the purists weren’t blessed with a white Christmas either, and now, whatever little snow was around, has been washed away with the rain and the springlike temperatures.
But that’s the way of climate change! Two decades ago, you could bet your bottom dollar that you would have a white Christmas and also a white New Year’s Eve, but things have changed so much, that today nothing is guaranteed to be the way it was. Those who never had snow, now have it, and those who had it don’t. It’s the same with drought and rainfall. We are also experiencing more natural disasters than ever. It’s sad, but our world has recently become so contrary that it’s not funny, and we can no longer take anything or any situation for granted.
So what does that mean eh? I guess we just have to depend on our faith even more than before; trust the promises of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, like we’ve never hitherto done, because He seems to be the only constant in today’s crazy, chaotic, disaster- filled world. For what does the Bible tell us? ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8) Now that, you cannot say about any other body or thing. And that’s why it’s of the utmost importance for us to put ALL of our faith and trust in Jesus, because He is the ONLY ONE who can lead us along the right path to that glorious place called heaven.
And if you don’t believe me, then let’s check out some promises of scripture that prove it. And the first one is this very important one about the right path to tread. Jesus strongly advises: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
In other words friends, Jesus is simply saying that the wide and winding road, where you can do whatever you like, where Beelzebub rules, leads only to destruction, and many people are unfortunately following it. However, the path that leads to salvation and eternal life is straight and narrow, and you cannot do whatever you want whenever you choose to. No, because there are some constraints on the straight and narrow path, constraints placed there to keep us, holy, righteous, justified, sanctified, thus living sincerely for Christ.
But unfortunately, not as many people are walking that path as the wide and dangerous one. And it’s our job to get out into the world, be the salt and light thereof, exuding a powerful flavour and a blinding light to help bring others to the wise, straight and narrow way, where they can encounter Jesus, accept His free gift of salvation, and live the abundant life that He died for us to have.
And what about this other promise eh? Where Jesus declares to the disciple Thomas: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Now that also states it plain and clear that one cannot get to the Father, or heaven, unless Jesus is your Lord and Saviour! That’s an even bigger reason for you to have Him as the main priority in your life!
Then there are these most encouraging words of Hebrews: ‘Wherefore (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 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. 12:1-3)
Oh my fellow believers, what a powerful scripture that is ! Let’s hope that it opens up or refreshes our faith, and thus galvanizes us to do as it says! That’s remember the faithful, the heroes of faith, who have gone before us, running their race with vim and vigour, and attempt to do likewise. However, to do that properly, we have to lay aside anything that’s weighing us down, be it clothing, or excessive body weight, or whatever; then disassociate ourselves from any known sins that are entangling us and preventing us from running our race properly.
And finally, running our race with perseverance, getting back up every time we falter or fall, and keep going right until the end, never giving up, using the originator and perfector of our faith, Jesus Christ as the example to be attained, be reached or accomplished! Now, that’s what we believers need to do in these troubled and trying times; look to Jesus because the Father desires us all to be made in His image. The scriptures tell us: ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29)
Yes my fellow saints, the Lord desires all who follow Jesus to be the spitting image of Him, our big Brother. (smile) And to help us work toward that goal, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help in these treacherous and uncertain times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And before we get too excited (smile) let’s remember that divine aid is only granted when we turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face! Much LOVE!
…please remember that…Jesus is the Only One…we can depend on in these turbulent times…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a froward heart, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a picture of Christ, a worthwhile image of his creator, acknowledging God's sovereignty, administers social justice, baking, behave wisely, Bible, Christian faith, christianity, Christians, Christmas, Christmas parties, clean up our act, cooking, cut off all wicked doers, destroy all the wicked of the land, divine aid, faith, faithfully promised to hear our prayers, fellowship, focused on the heavenly prize ahead, forgetting those things which are behind, gratitude, holy spirit, humble servants, humility, I count not myself to have apprehended, I press toward the mark, I will sing of mercy and judgement, in a perfect way, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, keep love first place in our hearts, keeps his personal life pure, kiness, laid hold of perfection, let the love of christ shine forth, LOVE, love on earth, mass confusion, mercy, need to see real love in action, no greater gift than love, perfection in Christ, praise, pray, reaching forth, salvation, secretly slanders his neighbour, seriously disobeyed your word, set no wicked thing before mine eyes, shopping, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, sing praises, sings to the Lord, spiritual maturity, strong faith in Christ, the attribute of God's love, the eve of Christmas Eve, the eyes of believers, the foundation of our faith, the God who heals, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, the moral corruption, the perfect king, the prize, this one thing I do, to hear our prayers, to those things that are ahead, transforms man, truth, turn from our evil ways, Walk with a Perfect Heart, we have all sinned, wickedness, wisdom, without love man is a wild animal, workers of iniquity
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And then it was Monday; the eve of Christmas Eve, and all the last-minute Christmas parties, shopping, cooking, baking etc. are in full swing. But in the middle of all that confusion, let’s not forget who’s responsible for all the joy, peace, kindness and LOVE on earth, Jesus Christ! Let’s also remember that there’s no greater gift than LOVE, which this Christmas season is all about. No friends, we can’t say it too often, that without LOVE, mankind is nothing but a wild animal! It’s the attribute of God’s LOVE in him that transforms him into the worthwhile image of his Creator.
So, on this Monday before Christmas, let’s keep LOVE first place in our hearts nuh. Let it be the barometer of everything we do, with everybody we come into contact with. Let’s promise to allow the LOVE of Christ to shine forth in us, as we venture forth into the world today, for our world badly needs to see real LOVE in action after all the strife and disasters, both natural and manmade, that we’ve been recently experiencing. End of sermon!
And that brought my writing to a standstill. (smile) But as they say, when in doubt, search the Psalms, and so I did, and came up with this winner that I believe many of us are not familiar with. It’s Psalm 101, the words of Bruh David titled, ‘Walk with a Perfect Heart.’ So, let’s read it together. ‘I will sing of mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) and judgement (justice): unto thee, O Lord, will I sing (sing praises).’ (Ps. 101:1)
And like all good prayers, Bruh David begins with praise and gratitude, humbly acknowledging God’s sovereignty and majesty. Then he promises: ‘I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect (blameless) heart. I will set no wicked (worthless) thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave (cling) to me. A froward (perverse) heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person (wickedness).’ (Ps. 101: 2-4)
Now there’s nothing in those statements that ought to surprise us, for those are all promises that the believer ought to make, ought to be working towards, because they are the basis, the foundation of our faith, and moves us forward towards spiritual maturity. Yes, a believer ought to have as blameless a heart as possible, not look at things that are not worthwhile, dislike the work of those that turn aside from the faith, give up all the perverseness of heart that he had before He was saved, while not associating with those who practice wickedness.
The problem though, is how successful are we in those areas of our Christian faith? We are all at different levels, but we should all be reaching forward to the things that are ahead of us. Or as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Philippi: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of it – perfection in following Christ): 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)
Now that’s how all good and true believers ought to be; leaving those things that are behind, behind, and instead, pressing forward towards spiritual maturity! That brings us back to the psalm, where Bruh David continues: ‘Whoso privily (secretly) slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off (destroy): him that hath an high look and a proud heart will I not suffer (endure).
Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect (blameless) way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry (be established) in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers (workers of iniquity) from the city of the Lord.’ (Ps. 101: 5-8)
So what is that all about eh? Besides being a very good example for us to follow, the scholars tell us that ‘Psalm 101 describes the perfect king. It expresses David’s own aims but, at the same time is a picture of Christ, his descendant, who will in fact fulfil this ideal picture. The ideal king sings to the Lord (vs. 1), keeps his personal life pure (vs. 2-4), and administers social justice (vs. 5-8).’
And sadly, only Jesus Christ in all His majesty and power can ever fulfil that ideal role, for we humans don’t have the wherewithal to do so. But that doesn’t excuse us from trying to do our best, from reaching forward to the things ahead and above and leaving the past in the past. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these desperate times.
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!’
However friends, I must remind us that however much we plead with God, we won’t receive any divine aid until we clean up our act; turn from our evil ways, repent and sincerely seek God’s face! Much LOVE!
…the eyes of believers…ought always to be focused…on the heavenly prize ahead…not the moral corruption we’ve left behind…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a positive scenario, a son is given, a spiritual dynamic, a virgin shall be with child, activates the transformative impact, be it unto me according to thy word, behold the handmaid of the Lord, being a just man, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, conceive in thy womb, consternation, Counsellor, declaring the end from the beginning, disobeyed your word, divine aid, Everlasting Father, faith, fear not, for with God nothing shall be impossible, forgiveness, found favour with God, God's creative power, holy spirit, how shall this be, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am God, I know not a man, I will do all my pleasure, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the reason for the season, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, my counsel shall stand, not willing to make her a public example, of the increase of his government, omnipotent god, overshadow thee, praise Your Holy Name, pray, predicament, prophecy, put her away secretly, remember the former things of old, salvation, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, the Birth of Christ, The Christmas season, the God who heals, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the highest appreciation, the Holy Ghost, the mighty God, the negative scenario, the power of speaking God's truth, the Prince of Peace, the protective umbrella of jesus, the Son of God, the word of the gospel, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, there shall be no end, thou that art highly favoured, to alleviate our problems, trusts in god's faithfulness, truth, turn from our evil ways, unto us a child is born, wisdom, wise guidance, Wonderful
Luke 1:37. For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Now, it’s definitely not a good morning on which to begin our work week; a cold, wet, cloudy Monday, with a promise of snow later on in the day. But dem’s the breaks. That’s the kind of climate we live in at this time of year. But we can break that negative scenario with a positive one; that of Jesus’ birth, as we celebrate it in this Christmas season. What a joy and privilege it was, when His awesome birth brought a season of peace and goodwill to all men. And we all know how Jesus’s birth was foretold by the angel.
Yes, what a most remarkable story, where the angel Gabriel appears to Jesus’ mother, Mary, when she was just an engaged teenager, and greets her thus: ‘Hail (rejoice) thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:28) Obviously Mary was puzzled by this unexpected enthusiastic greeting. But the angel says unto her, ‘Fear not Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.’ (Luke 1:30-31)
And then he tells her about all the great things Jesus would do. (Luke 1:32-33) But Mary doesn’t seem to pay much attention to that, for her next question is, ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (the Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (One) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:34-35)
Can you imagine Mary’s consternation at the predicament the birth of a child while still unmarried would put her in. But then the angel explains that her cousin Elisabeth, hitherto barren, was now six months pregnant, ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37) But the best part of this whole story is Mary’s final answer to Gabriel. ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. and the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38)
Wow! Can you imagine that teenaged girl simply accepting the angel’s message without any trepidation or apparent thought for what would certainly be an untenable situation in that rigid Jewish society. However, as Gabriel had said earlier on, nothing is impossible with God, and He fixed the situation. When her betrothed Joseph discovered she was with child and they weren’t yet married, the Bible says: ‘being a just (upright) man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily (secretly).
But while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived (begotten) in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt. 1:19-21)
Oh friends, don’t you just LOVE how our God orchestrates things that seem impossible to us. Instead of having Jospeh put away Mary, He has him marry her just like nothing was wrong. The Bible then shares with us the important prophecy of this occasion foretold long ago. ‘Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet (Isaiah), saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted (translated) is, God with us.’ (Matt. 1:22-23)
That reminds us of the prophetic power of our God, or as Bruh Paul says: ‘who quickeneth (gives life to) the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.’ (Rom. 4:17c) It’s like He said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else ; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:’ (Is. 46:9-10)
Oh, my people, there is certainly none other like our omnipotent God, who went about fulfilling prophecy from the very beginning of time right up to now, with many other prophecies yet to be fulfilled as the world spins. Now, here’s an interesting commentary on the subject. It asks, ‘What does it mean to call things that are not as though they were?’ Then answers: ‘By embracing the power of speaking God’s truth over others, believers participate in a spiritual dynamic that acknowledges God’s creative power, trusts in His faithfulness, and activates the transformative impact of the word of the gospel over others.’
Yes friends, we can also be a part of God’s prophetic world if we acknowledge His truths and His power. And one of the most powerful and important prophesies to mankind is that spoken by Isaiah, concerning the birth of Jesus, who was to bring salvation and forgiveness to the people!
‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7)
And this Christmas season we’re about to celebrate is only the fulfilling of the first part of the prophecy, so let’s wake up and make sure we’re living under the protective umbrella of Jesus, before the last part of that prophecy unfolds. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to improve our world and our particular circumstances.
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 no divine aid will be forthcoming unless and until we humble ourselves before the Lord, seek His face and turn from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the reason…for the Christmas season…let’s remind the world of that…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, abundant provision, all the days of my life, alleviate our problems, divine aid, faith, flying wingman for you, for His name's sake, God's goodness, grin and bear it, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul, holy spirit, honoured position, humble servants, I am the good shepherd, I bless you and praise your holy name, I know my sheep and are known of mine, I shall not want, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, I will fear no evil, in the presence of mine enemies, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus riding shotgun, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, leads me beside still waters, leads me in the paths of righteousness, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, my cup runneth over, my peace I give to you, neither be afraid, not as the world giveth, pain, pray, repentance, salvation, separation from Almighty God, shame, sincerely seek your face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, strong faith in Christ, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, the God who heals, the King of Kings, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord of lords, the peace of Christ, the peace of God which passeth all understading, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, truth, turn from our evil ways, winter's finally arrived, wisdom, wise guidance, without faith it is impossible to please God
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Well friends, it’s seems like winter has finally arrived, with minus temperatures and flurries of the white stuff happening in my area. However, cottage country, just north of the Greater Toronto Area, was bombarded with oodles of snow early in the weekend, so badly that roads were closed and thousands out of power. I guess it’s only a matter of time before we get our fair share down here. But one can only grin and bear it, especially when you have the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, Jesus Christ, flying wingman for you. (smile)
Oh my people, Jesus is all we ever need, for with Him running our lives through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, we will not want for anything. Like Bruh David declares with such assuredness in his most famous psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) The question now is do we believe that statement as strongly as Bruh David did when he wrote it? We better had, otherwise we’ll lose out on so much of God’s goodness and mercy by being unsure and insecure.
Remember what Hebrews says: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) Yes friends, it’s of the utmost importance that we believe God is who He says He is, and can do what He says He can do, if we want to enjoy benefits like what Bruh David continues to write about in Psalm 23. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.’ (Ps. 23:2)
How wonderful is that peace which God provides to those who believe and diligently seek Him! It cannot be beaten by anything or anyone the world has to offer. As Jesus so rightly characterized His peace: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And why don’t we need to be troubled or afraid when we have the peace of Jesus? Because, as Bruh Paul explains to the Philippians: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7)
Yes my fellow believers, the peace that Jesus gives is one that far surpasses anything that can be found on earth, because it is the peace of Almighty God Himself! And with the peace of Jesus riding shotgun by his side, Bruh David could afford to write: ‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps. 23:3) Of course, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit of Jesus, He restores your soul and helps you to walk a path of righteous behaviour. That’s why the Holy Spirit indwells us; to help with those tough endeavours!
And Bruh David takes it up several notches when he adamantly proclaims: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) Wow! What an awesome declaration! (chuh!!!) Can you imagine walking through the valley of the shadow of death without fear? Only if Jesus is the your Guide and Protector! And please notice that Bruh David specifies ‘walking through’ not stopping in ‘the valley of the shadow of death.’ He’s assured that he will make it safely through because Jesus is the Number ONE person in his heart!
And he gets even bolder and more courageous on the Lord’s strength as he continues: ‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’ (Ps. 23:5) Now that’s certainly something to think about! We must be very important to the Lord for him to do all those extraordinary things for us. And so we are, as Bruh David concludes: ‘Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6)
And why not, for that is the eventual reward for belief, obedience, trust and faithfulness in Almighty God; He of Abraham, Issacc and Jacob! Ah my fellow saints, the psalm is simple but powerful, as it depicts God as our shepherd, who guides, protects, and provides us with a good life. We are the sheep of His pasture who follow Him closely. As Jesus says: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:14)
And I like how the scholars characterize our relationship to God. ‘The believer is more than a dependent sheep, however; he is also like an honoured guest, since the Lord prepares a table for him. Connected with this honoured position is abundant provision, vindication before one’s enemies, an eternal celebration of God’s goodness.’ Now it doesn’t get any better than that, so why do we still hobnob with the old devil Satan who can do absolutely nothing good for us, just cause us pain and shame and eternal separation from God?
It’s therefore high time to remove him from our lives, and to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these times of dire need. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it should be obvious that we won’t receive any divine aid until we do like our prayer indicates; that’s humble ourselves, turn from our evil ways and sincerely seek God! Much LOVE!
…with Jesus as our Good shepherd…who needs anyone else…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a spirit of fear, a spirit of power love and a sound mind, access to grace, and all these things shall be added unto you, anger, be a good example, be of good cheer, character, disrupt our spirits, do not worry, expereince, faith, frustration, glory in tribulations, have peace with God through Christ, holy spirit, hope maketh not ashamed, hpe does not disappoint, humble ourselves, humble servants, humility, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world, is not life more than meat, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, justified by faith, let not your heart be troubled, life, life is about living for Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, Peace i leave with you, perseverance, power to solve our problems, pray, rejoice in hope, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God, shed abroad in our hearts, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, strong faith in Christ, take not thought for your life, the body more than clothes, the finished work of Jesus, the God who heals, the lilies of the field, the LOVE of God, the Prince of Peace, traffic jams, tribulation worketh patience, truth, victory, wisdom, ye shall have tribulation, your heavenly Father knows you need all these things
2 Timothy 1:7. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’
And it’s a fine looking sunshiny Monday morning, but a tad on the chilly side. We’ll take the sunshine anytime though, for its effervescence boosts the spirit, regardless of the temperature, especially on a Monday. (smile) And I sincerely hope that most of us did not allow Monday to disrupt our spirits, but were prepared to meet it and got off to work early and in a peaceful state of mind, although the traffic jams on the way there will possibly cause some frustration and anger.
But let’s remember that we serve the Prince of Peace, and He was peaceful under all circumstances, and try to be a good example of that. For the traffic jams won’t go away, but if we allow them to upset us to such a level, we might just pass away right there in the middle of it, and that will not be a very welcome or worthwhile situation.
And I guess it’s not too early…No, it’s never too early to hear the words of Jesus on any subject, especially these two on peace, which we all know, but don’t take the time to action. The first one goes like this: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
It’s like He said in Matthew about worry. ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing) ? (Matt. 6:25)
Then He goes on to talk about the birds not planting or harvesting, but they eat and survive very well through God’s goodness. Likewise the lilies of the field, who neither toil nor spin, but even Cousin Sol in all his finery could not be prettier than them. So if God looks after the less important aspects of His creation, why won’t He look after the most important one eh? That’s mankind.
‘Therefore take no thought for (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewith shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles (unbelievers) seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:31-33)
Yuh see friends, Jesus’ peace is different to what the world offers and with it running through our souls and spirits, there’s no need to be anxious or alarmed about circumstances. And then His next declaration on peace is even more uplifting. He declares: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Now, we all know that’s easier said than done, but again, when we have the spiritual peace of Christ flowing through us, we don’t need to worry as the ordinary unbelievers do, because we know whom we serve, and what power He possesses. Remember, He’s already overcome the world; namely the devil, hell and the grave, so victory is ours, as long as we don’t give it away.
And these words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome, serve as a booster to Christ’s statement. He writes: ‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience (produces perseverance); and patience, experience (character); and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); because the LOVE of God is shed abroad (has been poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’ (Rom. 5:1-5)
Oh my faithful brethren, just look at all the benefits we’ve acquired through the finished work of Jesus nuh! We didn’t do a thing to deserve them, and couldn’t even if we tried our very best. But Jesus did it all for us, and all we have to do is to receive it now by faith, a faith which grows stronger and stronger, the longer we serve Christ, read His Word and be obedient to it, and give thanks and praise for our wonderful blessings, in and through Christ!
And no, it’s not easy in a world that denies God and thus Christ. But nonetheless, we have been given all the tools to go out into this ungodly world and live like and for Christ, if we don’t fear the possible repercussions. For there will be repercussions if you go against whatever the world and it’s evil system are promoting. But let’s also remember these most reassuring and uplifting words of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
So please let’s use the many gifts we’ve been granted to live the life expected of us nuh, otherwise Jesus’ sufferation would have been a waste of time. And we simply cannot allow it to go for nought. Therefore, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid for our many earthly problems.
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 no divine aid will flow down to us unless the Lord sees some humility and sincere repentance on our part! Much LOVE!
…this life is all about Jesus…living for, in and through Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 11 a.m on the 11th day of the 11th month, a crying shame, a show of support, a stranger, age shall not weary them, armistice, be yours to hold it high, between the crosses, Bible, bounden duty, christianity, cleansing, defend the poor and fatherless, destroying the works of the devil, died in the line of duty, divine aid, do justice to the afflicted, done it unto the least of these, enjoy a decent life, expended on our behalf, faith, felt dawn, filling the void, financial aid, fly, for the Armed Forces community, from falling hand, god, has mercy on the poor, he that honours him, he that oppresses the poor, healing, hear and answer our prayers, hifalutin speeches, holy spirit, humble servants, I was hungry, I was in prison, I was thirsty, if ye break faith with us who die, In Flanders Fields, in the sky, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, John McCrae, keep himself separated from the world, like sheep before the slaughter, living hand to mouth, LOVE, loved and were loved, make a good living, mark our place, medical aid, mental aid, mercy, naked, nor years condemn them, open thine hand widely, paraded out, platitudes, preaching, proper housing, pure religion, Remembrance Day, reproaches his Maker, row on row, salvation, saving the lost, saw sunset glow, scarce heard amid the guns below, short days ago, still bravely singing, suspension of fighting, take up our quarrel with the foe, the God who heals, the government don't care about the veterans, the larks, the poor shall never cease, the poppies blow, the poppy flower, the sacrifice, they shall not grow old, thirsty and ye gave me drink, though poppies grow in Flanders fields, to you, truth, turn from our evil ways, undefiled before God, veterans, we are the dead, we lived, we shall not sleep, we that are left grow old, we throw the torch, we will remember them, wisdom, ye clothed me, ye have done it unto me, ye took me in, you gave me meat
Proverbs 14:31. He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor (needy).
As is expected, after Sunday comes Monday…and this Monday is a big one in the Western Hemisphere; the official celebration of Remembrance Day in honour of all those brave armed forces members who died in the line of duty during the numerous and unnecessary wars of the last century.
‘It all began with the end of the First World War when at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918, the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. The Germans had called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement and accepted the allied terms of unconditional surrender.’
Today the handful of veterans left will be paraded out like sheep before the slaughter and many hifalutin speeches made at all the monuments erected for those who departed this life in service to their country. But the truth of the matter is that we remember those who fell in conflict, but the veterans who are still alive have been mostly forgotten and not shown the appreciation they fully deserve. Too many of them are living hand to mouth, not being able to secure proper housing, financial, medical or mental aid from the governments and the associations responsible for doing so.
It’s a crying shame when you hear the many stories of such irresponsibility and abuse. And we chose the red poppy flower as a symbol for this day, one of both Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future. Poppies are worn as a show of support for the Armed Forces community. And on this day we also glorify the fallen combatants, especially those lying in the graves of Flanders with this popular poem ‘In Flanders Fields,’ written by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, (1872-1918) a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during the World War I and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres, in Belgium, which served as inspiration for the poem.
So please read it with me: ‘In Flanders fields, the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, LOVED and were LOVED, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.’
Ah friends, it is a sad and touching poem, a true testimonial to the wastefulness of lives lost in wars that don’t really prove anything but the stupidity of mankind. One commentary claims that ‘The day before he wrote his famous poem, one of McCrae’s closest friends was killed in the fighting and buried in a makeshift grave with a simple wooden cross. Wild poppies were already beginning to bloom between the crosses marking the many graves. Unable to help his friend or any of the others who had died, John McCrae gave them a voice through his poem. It was the second last poem he was to write.’
And it’s certainly good to remember those who fell in service to us, but it’s even more important to remember those who are still alive and through no fault of their own cannot make a good living or enjoy a decent life. We owe them that for the sacrifice they expended on our behalf. It’s our bounden duty to look after them, but it’s one more duty that we’re shirking, while filling the void with mere platitudes on this day.
And there are many scriptures which admonish us to take care of the poor, sick, needy and downtrodden. For example, in Psalm 82 – Unjust Judges – the psalmist Asaph writes: ‘Defend (vindicate) the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.’ (Ps. 82:3-4)
Meanwhile, James says it thus: ‘Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.’ (James 1:27) True religion is not only doing good, but also staying separate from the world.
And way back when the Lord told the Israelites through Moses: ‘For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore, I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide (freely) unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.’ (Deut. 15:11) And Cousin Sol reminds us of our duty with this gem. ‘He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor (needy).’ (Prov. 14:31)
It’s also like Jesus said when speaking of the coming separation of the sheep and the goats. ‘For I was an hungred (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’ (Matt. 25:35-36) And when the righteous ask when all of that happened? ‘And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt. 25:40)
Remember my fellow saints that Jesus came to save and to help, as this Bible summary tells us: ‘His ministry included preaching, teaching, healing, seeking, and saving the lost, and destroying the works of the devil (see Matt. 4:23; 9:35; Luke 19:10; 1 John 3:8).’ Now we have to do likewise. And to help us do so, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and ask for divine aid in these times of dire need.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it’s ever so necessary to repent and turn from our evil ways if we truly desire to receive divine aid. Much LOVE!
…the Remembrance Day exhortation…They shall grow not old…as we that are left grow old…Age shall not weary them…nor the years condemn…We will remember them…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abounding in the work of the Lord, ambassadors, another person's bad, answer our prayers, Bible, bite us in the butt, bursting with enthusiasm, christianity, climate change, deliverance is of the Lord, divine aid, do worthwhile things for Jesus, down payment on your salvation, earthly representatives, eternally sealed by the Holy Spirit, faith, forevermore, from this time forth, from whence comes my help, get out into the evil world, god, good spirits, grieve not the holy Spirit of God, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, in all these things, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, my help cometh from the Lord, negative situations, neither slumber nor sleep, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, one person's good, pray, safety is of the Lord, salvation, sealed unto the day of redemption, sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, seek your face, sincere repentance, steadfast, strong faith in Christ, thanks be to God who gives us the victory, the earnest of our inheritance, the God who heals, the gospel of your salvaion, the Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy shade, the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil, the Lord shall preserve thy going out and coming in, The sun shall not smite thee by day, through him that loved us, truth, unexpected storms, unmoveable, unseasonal warm weather, upon thy right hand, we are more than conquerors, which made heaven and earth, wisdom, wise guidance, wreaking havoc, your labour is not in vain
Psalm 121:2. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Well a good Monday to all you my wonderful Scrip-Bits friends and family! We do hope that this new work week finds you in good spirits, just bursting with enthusiasm and desire to get out into the evil world and do worthwhile things for Jesus, as He expects of us, His ambassadors and earthly representatives.
Now would you believe that this week – the end of October, beginning of November – we’re supposed to see more unseasonal warm weather, with temps getting up into the high teens. Oh, we’re never going to refuse it, but it’s strange to have so much warm weather at this time of year in the northern climes. And although climate change is wreaking havoc elsewhere around the world, I guess we have to say thanks to it for this unseasonal warm weather. But as they say; someone’s good is someone else’s bad.
Let’s hope and pray that it doesn’t turn around and bite us in the butt with a terrible winter. (smile) But that’s why we worship and adore Almighty God through His Son Jesus Christ; He is able to protect us from all harm on this earthly journey. Psalm 116 titled ‘God Neither Slumbers Not Sleeps’ says it perfectly. ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains), from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (to slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ (Ps. 116:1-8)
Oh friends, our God is truly our Protector; the One to whom we ought to cry out to in times of need. He’s promised it, and He always keeps His promises. And the prophet Jeremiah confirms that man’s help does not come from the hills or mountains, as he says to his people Israel: ‘Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.’ (Jer. 3:23) And Cousin Sol totally agrees, when he writes in proverbs: ‘The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety (deliverance) is of the Lord.’ (Prov. 21:31)
Meanwhile, Bruh Paul says it thus to the Corinthians in his first missive: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:57-58)
Yes my fellow believers, Christ has given us the victory though His finished work here on earth, and thus we can stand strong and steadfast in it and do what we need to do maintain that victory, for which we will be well rewarded. For as Bruh Paul so eloquently and reassuringly said to the church at Rome, re the trials and tribulations we would face for Jesus’ sake:
‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:37-39)
And that’s an indisputable fact my people! How can anything separate us from the LOVE of God in Christ Jesus when we’ve been eternally sealed by the Holy Spirit eh, as declared by these two scriptures? ‘That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ (Jewish believers). In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest (the down payment or deposit) of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.’ (Eph. 1:12-14)
Oh friends, after we believed, we were sealed by Jesus with the Holy Spirit, as a down payment or guarantee of our salvation. And this next scripture, also from Ephesians simply says it this way: ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption’ (Eph. 4:29-30)
That’s it in a nutshell my fellow saints! We can do all we need to do for Jesus, and we cannot ever be torn away from Him. So with that resounding assurance, let’s get out there and work our fingers to the bone for Him, like He did for us nuh. That’s only fair. And to help us in that cause, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn asking for help in these dire times of need.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And the operative words in that prayer are ‘when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.’ Yes, that’s when divine aid will come rushing down from heaven. Much LOVE!
…nothing whatsoever…can ever separate us…from the LOVE of God through Christ Jesus
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed country, a high standard of living, a lot to be thankful for, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a modicum of circumspection, an everyday occurrence, animosities, be careful for nothing, bless the LOrd o my soul, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, christianity, cried unto the Lord, crowns thee with loving-kindness, disobeyed your word, divine aid, do everything with thanksgiving, faith, fills the hungry soul with goodness, for brethren to dwell in unity, for his wonderful works to the children of men, forget not all his benefits, forgives all thine iniquities, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, go overboard, god, happy is he that keeps the law, Happy Thanksgiving Day, he also is become my salvation, he delivered them out of their distresses, he satisfies the longing soul, heals all thy diseases, his mercy endureth for ever, holy spirit, how good and how pleasant it is, humble ourselves, humble servants, hungry, in everything, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let your moderation be known unto all men, life to see another new day, LOVE, mercy, moral compass, negative situations, new mercies and compassions, oh that mne would praise the Lord for his goodness, peace, pray, prosper us, redeemed from the hand of the enemy, redeems thy life, Rejoice in the Lord always, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, serenity, sincerely seek your face, sing unto the Lord, spiritual decline, strong faith in Christ, the giving of thanks, the God who heals, the Lord is at hand, the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the redeemed of the Lord, the wells of salvation, thier soul fainted within them, thirsty, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, tragedy, truth, turn from our evil ways, wandered in the wilderness, we all have sinned, where there is no vision the people perish, wisdom, wise guidance, with joy shall ye draw water
Psalm 107:1. O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY CANADA!
And then it was another Monday…but this time, a special one in this great country of Canada! It’s Thanksgiving Day my people! The special day, when, all over the land, we take our normal celebrations of thanks and praise to our great God to a higher level, truly acknowledging His awesome presence in our lives and the numerous blessings He’s bestowed on us in this past year. And yuh better believe that we have a whole lot to be thankful for, especially life and breath to see another new day and experience His new mercies and compassions.
And it’s obviously a holiday, meaning no work for most of us, but plenty celebrations. However, as always, we implore us to have a modicum of circumspection in our celebrations and don’t let them go overboard, because far too often in our festive times we overdo it, and unnecessary tragedy follows. Please, let’s not allow that to happen today. And remember we’re going back to work tomorrow, which means don’t celebrate too intensely, too far into the night. (smile)
Ah friends, despite our many problems, our country is so blessed, that we need to truly appreciate it! Why do you think so many people are trying to flee from other countries to come here? Because we have a standard of living and a peace and serenity that they cannot find in their own countries. That’s something we ought to cherish and try to maintain, by not allowing the old animosities from the old countries to take root here, and thus continue the same old patterns from which we’re trying to flee.
We’re trying to build a new and better life, and that can only be done when we live in unity and not disharmony. As these oh so appropriate words of Bruh David from Psalm 133 stipulate: ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’ (Ps. 133:1) Yes, my fellow Canadians, if we don’t put aside our old animosities, we’ll never move forward as a nation. Or as Cousin Sol puts it in Proverbs. ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic or divine revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18)
And that’s oh so true! Where we don’t follow God’s law, or moral compass, we will suffer moral and spiritual decline, which will only lead to chaos, as we’re seeing happening in so many countries of the world right now. And before we run out of time and space, let’s have a look at some scriptures that encourage thanksgiving, beginning with these wonderful verses from Psalm 103:
‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:1-5) Now, what better circumstances do we need to give thanks to our great God eh?
Then Bruh Paul, writing to the Philippians strongly advises us to: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness, graciousness) 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 request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7) Yes friends, everything we do unto God, should be with thanksgiving.
Now, listen to these marvellous words from Psalm 107. ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary (desolate) way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:1-9) Now, those are all wonderful reasons for thanksgiving my people!
And we’ll close with these awe-inspiring words from words from Isaiah: ‘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 comfortedst 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 we 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 (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.’ (Is. 12:1-5)
And that’s no lie my fellow believers, our God has done great things in the earth, the greatest possibly being giving us salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ! So on this special day of Thanksgiving, let’s go confidently to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these turbulent and strife-filled times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And to get divine aid, we must do exactly what our prayer says: pray and sincerely seek God’s face, while turning from our evil ways. There’s no other way! Much LOVE!
…the giving of thanks…should be a continuous…everyday occurrence…for believers…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crying shame, a disciple of Jesus, a new creation, a nuclear holocaust, accoring to his riches in glory, after the things of the Spirit, all our needs met, all things are become new, as babes in Christ, Bible, cannot please God, carnal, christianity, deny himself, divine aid, enmity against God, excellence, faith, fed you with milk not meat, fervently, forget ourselves, grow in faith, humble servants, if any man be in Christ, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, just laze around, life, LOVE, make a living, mass confusion, mercy, mid the things of the Spirit, mind the things of the flesh, negative situations, old things are passed away, peace, reconciled us to himself, sacrifice, sacrificing for Christ, saints of Christ, salvation, seek God and his righteousness first, sincere repentance, spiritual maturity, strife, strong faith in Christ, take up his cross daily, the carnal mind, the God who heals, the sins of the flesh, the Spirit of God, they athat are after the flesh, those in the flesh, to be carnally minded is death, to be spiritually minded is life and peace, trun from our evil ways, truth, wisdom, wise guidance, work dilgently, ye are yet carnal
Romans 8:6. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
And the roller coaster ride keeps rolling on! Another day, another dollar! Yes my people, it’s another Monday, the start of a new work week and we have to get out into the evil world and make a living. And Jesus did instruct us to seek God and His righteousness first, and all of our needs would be met; (Matt. 6:33) while Bruh Paul also promised that God would provide all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus; (Philp. 4:19) but all of that implies that we would get up and work diligently, fervently and efficiently, not just laze around, as so many of us are doing, and expecting our needs to be filled.
Being a disciple of Jesus can be hard work. Remember how He described a disciple? ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That means we have to take up our cross, every day, and follow Him, wherever He may lead us, sacrificing our own desires for His. And that’s not easy to do, especially in this prosperous and amenity filled society in which we currently live.
The word ‘sacrifice’ doesn’t even register with a large portion of our population, many of whom have no idea what it means, much less know how to put it into practice. But if we desire to be true believers, true disciples of Christ, then we have to learn how to do the job, how to forget ourselves and sacrifice whenever and wherever necessary, so that His desires can be achieved.
And my fellow believers, we can say whatever we want, fool ourselves as much as we desire, but it’s obvious in this last generation, our witness, our sacrifice, diligence, fervency and excellence on Jesus’ behalf have not been very satisfactory. We have allowed the world and all its carnality, it’s fleshly lusts, to lessen our call to righteousness.
That’s why Bruh Paul wrote these words of warning to the Roman church. ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.’ (Rom. 8:5-10)
Yes friends, we have received the indwelling Spirit of God to help us lead a godly life, not turn back to the sins of the flesh that Christ died to save us from. When we become saints of Christ, we have to kill that old life. As Bruh Paul wrote in his second missive to the Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor. 5:17-18)
Now my people, that change in us to the new man cannot be just for a time… no. When we come into a new relationship with the risen and glorified Lord, we see things in a different light, and that change has to continue for the rest of our lives, so we can sincerely do the work Christ requires of us. And furthermore, we have to grow in faith, in spiritual maturity – from no faith, to little faith, to great faith! Otherwise we’d end up, and have indeed ended up just like Bruh Paul chided the Corinthians in his first letter.
‘And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat (solid food): for hitherto (until now)ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions (dissensions), are ye not carnal (fleshly), and walk as men (according to man’s ways).’ (1 Cor. 3:1-3)
And unfortunately that carnal and fleshly attitude still prevails in Christ’s church today. The majority of the people are not growing in spiritual maturity, they’re not seriously and sincerely studying the Word and living it. At this stage of their development when they should be eating solid food, they still can only drink milk, because there’s too much envying and strife and dissensions amongst the body of Christ.
That’s why the negative attributes of the enemy are currently holding our world hostage, and unless we supposed believers get up and begin fighting back mano a mano, God’s great world is liable to implode with all the strife and talk of strife that’s currently in the air. We’re talking about World War Three, which won’t be fought with ordinary weapons, but will be a nuclear holocaust. So let’s start doing something about it right now nuh, by going to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid to help in this time of dire need.
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 first things first, we have to start changing from our evil ways and becoming true disciples of Christ before any divine aid will start flowing down to us. Much LOVE!
…it’s a crying shame…that Christ’s church…is still so carnally minded…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a kaleidoscope of colours, a marvellous feat, a name above every other, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, at the name of Jesus, autumn season, become discouraged in your souls, Bible, christianity, climate change, despising the shame, disobeyed your word, divine aid, endured the cross, eternal life, every knee shall bow, faith, famine, floods, for the joy that was set before him, god, holy spirit, humble servants, if this cup may not pass away, it is impossible to please God, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep thinking this, lest ye be wearied and faint, let this mind be in you, like clockwork, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, mass confusion, obedience, our Day Star -Jesus, pray, sacrificed His sinless life, salvation, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, sincerely seek your face, such contradiction of sinners, the author and finisher of our faith, the beautiful colours of autumn, the best example to follow, the God who heals, thy will be done, truth, turn from our evil ways, which was also in Jesus, wildfires, winter, wisdom, wise guidance
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (keep thinking this):
And then it was Monday, the last day of September 2024. We are also now officially into the fall or autumn season, where the leaves on the trees start changing colours in preparation for falling, so that trees can hibernate during the upcoming winter. And the system of the changing seasons is so ingeniously set up that only a great God like ours could have accomplished such a marvellous feat.
The seasons occur like clockwork; spring, summer, autumn, winter. You can be sure that they will happen one after the other, although with this climate change business, another instance of man’s disruption of God’s flawless system, there will be unpredictable variations in each season. And quite rightly, we the disrupters will have to bear whatever consequences results from it, like abnormal hot spells, rainfall and drought, causing serious floods, famine and wildfires.
Blessedly, in my area, the rains have caused some flooding, but we’ve generally had glorious summer weather right up to now, with the leaves remaining green and full of life. But that won’t last for much longer, and we’ll soon see all the beautiful colours of autumn, rightly considered the most colourful season, when God just went crazy with His paint brush and produced a kaleidoscope of amazing colours to awaken and titivate our senses. And the Lord knew what He was doing; preparing us with a bright, colourful season for the upcoming dead, dreary one called winter.
But in His awesome wisdom, He also gave us Jesus; our Lord and Saviour, our Redeemer and Mighty Conqueror! Wow! What a bright and shining light, our Day Star, is our Jesus! That’s why the author of Hebrews can cite, or refer to Him as a glorious example for us to follow, describing Him thus:
‘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 (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Ah friends, Jesus endured so much hostility, rejection, abuse, persecution and punishment for our sakes, that we can never repay any of it. But that was never the idea. It all stemmed from the LOVE of the Father for us, and the LOVE of Jesus for the Father, the desire to do His will. As He says in the night of agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, before His crucifixion, when He prayed the Father to remove the cup of wrath from Him: ‘O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done.’ (Matt. 26:42)
That’s the obedient kind of Son He was. That’s why Bruh Paul could pen these tough words to the Philippians and to us, to follow Jesus’ example. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (keep thinking this): Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8)
Now that’s what you call obedience and perseverance! And He never complained either! Oh how I wish that many more of us supposed believers could come up even a little higher on that score! For then our suffering world would be greatly improved. But it seems like our pleas are falling on deaf ears because not many of us are willing to sacrifice even a little for the greater good of all, and that’s the only way we will ever raise the level of our maturity.
That’s what Jesus did for us: He selflessly sacrificed His sinless life for our abominable sins! The Father laid all of our disgusting iniquity on His shoulders, and Jesus humbly went to the cross and paid our sin debt in full. But now we can hardly give Him the time of day, much less be His true and devoted disciples! Hn! But again, as we said earlier, Jesus is the best example for us to follow, for look at how the Father rewarded Him for His obedience, perseverance and biting the bullet in those terrible times.
Bruh Paul writes thus to the church at Philippi: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11)
That’s how generous and rewarding the Father is to those who do His will! That’s why the author of Hebrews also tells us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6)
Yes my fellow saints, only when we believe that God is who He says He is and rewards those who diligently seek Him, will we ever be on the road to true salvation. In the meanwhile, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, pleading for help to get on, and stay on, that straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life with Jesus.
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 let’s not forget the words of our prayer; no divine aid will be forthcoming until and unless we humble ourselves, pray, sincerely seek God, and turn from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…we will never be fully like Jesus…but He’s the best example to aspire to…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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