The Best Refuge for Stormy Weather is Jesus!

02 Feb 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mark 4:40.       And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Sunday, Sunday, most welcome Sunday! That blessed time for believers to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary and observe His special day with praise, worship, joy and thanksgiving! And that’s a must, especially in these turbulent and tempestuous last days, because fellowship with God and with others, renews our faith, restores our confidence and gives us the vim and vigour we so desperately need to get out into our troubled and evil world and do the very important work that Jesus desires of us, as stated in our Great Commission: 

‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20) And from the very chaotic state of our world, it’s obvious we haven’t being our duty to the best of our ability, that’s why we need to regain our focus and start taking the battle to the enemy, instead of waiting for him to come to us. Remember, the best act of defence is strong offense. 

So, today, we’re going to open our worship session with a very appropriate song for these tempestuous times, titled, ‘The Tempest is Raging!’ It’s a Mary A Baker composition, wonderfully done by the Chicago Gospel Artist, Jessy Dixon in concert with the Bill and Gloria Gaither Homecoming Ensemble. So, without further ado, let’s open our hearts, mouths and voices in sweet sacrifices of praise, as we render a most soulful and heart rending version of this marvelous song. 

Singing: ‘Master, the tempest is raging, Oh, The billows are tossing high The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness Oh, No shelter, no shelter or help is nigh – Carest thou not that we perish? How canst you lie, How canst thou lie there asleep When it seems like each moment so madly is threatening, Oh A grave. a grave, a grave in the angry deep? 

Get up Jesus because! The winds and the waves shall obey thy will. All you got to say is, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still. Whether the wrath, the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, Or demons, or evil  men, or whatever it be No water can swallow the ship wherein lies The Master of the ocean, the earth and sky They all shall sweetly obey thy will, If You say, Peace, peace, be still They all shall sweetly obey thy will, If You say, Peace, peace, peace, be still. 

The Lord will give you peace, He wants to give you peace, In the midnight hour, When there’s nobody else there, God will give you peace, When you feel lonely, You have someone who will give you perfect peace. He‘ll be your friend, Yes He will, The Lord will give you peace, If you’re looking for peace, in all of your needs, in all of your days, get down on your knees and talk to Jesus, Yes talk to Jesus. Yes whenever the Lord says, there will be peace, there will be peace, For He knew it, yes He knew it, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still Peace, be still…..’ 

Oh that was wonderful my fellow believers! And yuh know why, because it truly evoked the tempestuousness of the times we’re living in, as well as the unsettled and unpeaceful situations in so many of our own personal lives. And the only way to handle both a tempestuous world and a tempestuous personal life is by having Jesus as Lord and Saviour and clinging tightly to Him. For remember, He is the Prince of Peace! (Is. 9:6) And ONLY He can calm the storms in our world and in our own lives. Or as the song says, ‘No water can swallow the ship wherein lies The Master of the ocean, the earth and sky.’   

And we all know the story on which the song is so competently based. Mark tells it thus: ‘And the same day, (Jesus, after speaking in parables to the multitudes), when the even (evening) was come, he saith unto them (the disciples), Let us pass (cross) over unto the other side. (The other side of the sea of Galilee). And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there was also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full (already filling). 

And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part of the ship (the stern), asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master (Teacher), carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the winds and the sea obey him.’ (Mark 4:35-41) 

And that last question is an easy one to answer. The wind and sea obey Him because like us, He is their Creator and Controller and sets their boundaries and directions. Meanwhile, as per Jesus’ question to the disciples about their lack of faith, the scholars tell us that ‘Jesus constantly questions in order to spur people to deeper trust.’ And since many of us can use a sense of deeper trust in these tough times, we should possibly ask that question of ourselves right now: why is our faith not as great as it ought to be? And then turn to the Lord and ask for it to increase. (smile) 

Now, let’s end on this note of encouragement from an article by Wilfred Graves on the subject of ‘Peace be still.’ He writes: ‘In our text, Jesus reveals his authority and power over nature by bringing order to a chaotic situation.  He says to a raging storm, “Peace, be still!”  Immediately, the winds and waves obey his command. No matter what you may be going through in your life right now, the Lord can speak peace to your situation. 

When the storms of life come your way, you can put your trust in the Lord and He will sustain you. He is always with you and He will never leave nor forsake you. The Lord will either quiet the storm that you are in or He will bring you successfully through the storm. Sometimes God saves us from trouble; sometimes he saves us in trouble. In either case, divine help comes to those who put their trust in the Lord’s saving power.’ 

Oh friends, I could not have said it any better. So let’s take those words of encouragement to heart nuh! Much LOVE!

…in times of storm…Jesus is the ONLY answer…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Enormous,the Profuse Need for More LOVE in our Strife-filled World!

03 Nov 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Exodus 20:8.       Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

The cycle has come full circle again friends; meaning it’s Sunday; time to get together and praise and worship our wonderful God in fellowship with other believers. It’s the most important day of our week, as it celebrates the Lord’s Sabbath, which He commanded us to do in His word. ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work… (Ex. 20:8-10a) 

And today, our song of worship is a beautiful gospel and R&B standard from the old Commodores ‘Heroes’ Album from around 1980, a song that is most appropriately titled ‘Jesus is LOVE!’ And that’s the gospel truth, for it’s why He left heaven to come to earth to save us humans from our abominable sins. The main reason for that was simply ‘LOVE!’ A  LOVE so great that it would not allow heaven to see us all go to hell as our sins demanded: ‘For  the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life though Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23) 

Heaven refused to reject us without a fighting chance to be reconciled to the Father and therefore spend eternity with Him. And the words of the song are also very appropriate for these turbulent and trying times. So as always, let’s offer up our sacrifices of sincere praise in a soulful rendition of this most relevant song. 

Singing: ‘Father help your children And don’t let them fall by the side of the road. And teach them to LOVE one another And heaven might find a place in their hearts. ‘Cause Jesus is LOVE He won’t let you down And I know He’s mine forever Oh, in my heart We’ve got to walk on Walk on through temptation ‘Cause His LOVE and His wisdom Will be our helpin’ hand And I know the Truth And His words will be our salvation Lift up our hearts To be thankful and glad That Jesus is LOVE 

He won’t let you down And I know He’s mine Deep down in my soul Jesus is LOVE Oh, yes, He is, He won’t let you down And I know He’s mine, He’s mine, He’s mine, He’s mine, all mine Forever, ohhhh, in my heart Help me, heart, heart Ooh…ooh… (Deep in my heart) I know, I know, I know, I know, cause His LOVE’S the power (Power) His LOVE’S the glory (Glory) Forever (Ever and ever) Ooh, yeah (Yeah, yeah) Ooh, yeah (Yeah, yeah) 

Oh wait a minute, I wanna follow your star Wherever it leads me And I don’t mind, Lord I hope you don’t mind I wanna walk with you And talk with you And do all the things you want me to do Cause I know that Jesus (Jesus is LOVE, I know) ‘Cause I know, Lord (And if you ask, I’ll show) (LOVE is the word forever) And ever and ever Who can bring you LOVE (Jesus) Who can bring you joy (Jesus) Who can turn your life around (Jesus), oh Ooh, yeah (Yeah, yeah) Yeah (Yeah, yeah) 

Hey Who will pick you up (Jesus) When you fall (Jesus) Who’ll stand beside you (Jesus) Who will LOVE us all Hey, hey, Jesus (Yeah, yeah) Jesus (Yeah, yeah) Oh, yeah (Yeah, yeah) One thing I wanna say Who can heal your body (Jesus) Who can make you strong (Jesus) Who can help you to hold out (Jesus) A little while longer Ooh, yeah Yeah (Jesus LOVES you (Yeah, yeah), Jesus wants you If you call Him, He will answer (Jesus) Call him in the mornin’ (Jesus) Call him in the evenin’ (Jesus) Call him in the midnight hour Hey, hey Yeah Yeah, Yeah Yeah, y’all say it for me (Jesus is LOVE)… (Jesus is LOVE)…Yes Jesus is LOVE…’ 

Ah friends, it’s a long song, but a good song, and that was a most excellent rendition! And as one commentary says: ‘The song starts with a prayer. Lionel’s prayer (Lionel Ritchie, lead singer of the then Commodores Band) is reminiscent of the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. In this story, some of the seeds are (children) that fall by the side of the road. They never reach good soil and are gobbled up by birds, grow among the weeds, or have roots that grow too shallow. 

But the song reminds us that Jesus and His Extraordinary LOVE is there to save us, it’s the answer to our every problem. If we put our trust in Him, He won’t ever let us down, for ‘His wisdom and LOVE will be our helpin’ hand…His words will be our salvation…His LOVE’S the Power…and the Glory…forever and ever…’ And we’ll be smart to follow His star, to walk wherever He leads us: And who can bring you LOVE and joy and peace…? Nobody but Jesus! 

Who can turn your life around …pick you up when you fall…stand by you through all your trials…? Nobody but Jesus! And who can heal your body…make you strong and help you to hold on just a little longer eh? Nobody but Jesus! And the great thing about it all is that we can call Him at any time asking for help; in the morning, in the evening, or even in the midnight hour, for He is always available to help those who believe in Him! 

And that’s why we so badly need Jesus right now in our topsy turvy world. For as Lionel says in the latter half of his soliloquy in the live version of the song: ‘You know, I don’t have to be the one to tell each and every one of you, but the world is in a whole lot of trouble right now. Every body, the world is in a whole lot of trouble. And yuh know the funniest thing is this; everyone is looking for something new, something different to solve the problem.  

Some of us feel that technology sooner or later, will solve the problem. We feel that money can solve the problem. In 1980 we even feel that a President can solve the problem. But yuh know the funniest thing about the whole thing is this; everybody knows what the solution is; everybody knows what the solution is; because what the world needs now, what the world needs, right now is a little LOVE, a little sweet LOVE …!’ 

And that’s the gospel truth my fellow saints! What our world needs now is not anything new, like technology, or a new President, but the same old-fashioned remedy that existed from since the Lord created the universe and mankind…that’s LOVE! For if there’s anything so sadly lacking in our world at this disaster and strife filled moment is the LOVE of mankind for God, our selves and each other! 

And until we get that straightened out, our world will never get any better. And deep down we all know that, but we’re just allowing our blinkers to blind us to the fact, and insist in foolishly carrying on as though anything else will ever fix our numerous problems. And it would certainly help if we took some time on this Sabbath Day and consider all the things we can correct with just a li’l LOVE…and start doing them! Much LOVE!

…our world’s biggest problem is not too much hate…but not enough LOVE…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 April 2021 2 Corinthians 5:20a.

20 Apr 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2 Corinthians 5:20a.     Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,

Another wonderful day to enjoy on God’s great earth my people! Wow! He’s so good to us that we can never really appreciate all that He’s done for us! Especially for that most excellent, indescribable, unsurpassable gift of His precious, sinless Son, Jesus! Glory be mih bredrin! What an awesome blessing and advantage it is to know Jesus! 

As the song says: Who can bring you joy, who can bring you LOVE, who can heal your body, who can help you to hold out a little longer? Nobody but Jesus! He won’t ever let you down, He’s promised to be with you right to the very end, unto the end of the world, and His promises are never broken. His LOVE’S the power and the glory of this life, both earthly and heavenly! He’s the one who can turn your life around, who can pick you up when you fall, who’s always beside you! 

Yes friends, none other but JESUS, can do all of those wonderful things! That’s why He’s the ONLY ONE we need! Once we’re under His mighty protection, no one, or nothing, can ever touch us, for He’s conquered the evil one, the world and all its lusts and temptations. But we still have a part to play my brethren. That’s the part of sincerely believing in Him and doing the work He desires of us, which is basically being a good example of His LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion, all of which will eventually lead others to Him, to also accept him as their Lord and Saviour, and thus enjoy those wonderful benefits we already enjoy. 

Oh my faithful brethren, as Bruh Paul explained to the church at Corinth: ‘Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray (implore) you in Christ’s stead (behalf), be ye reconciled to God.’ (2 Cor. 5:20) Those fateful words still apply today friends! We need to be reconciled to God. And once we do that, then we become His ambassadors here on earth. That means we represent Him and His heavenly kingdom here on earth. And it’s through us, that others will come to know and accept Him. 

So we have to show the world what the kingdom of God has to offer, and that it’s better than what they can get in Satan’s kingdom. But that also means we have to know what the kingdom offers, which further means we have to learn and grow, by reading the word, praying and getting closer to Christ. That’s the only way we can represent Him properly. 

And I like how this message from the Worship Centre Website explains it. ‘When you give your life to God, you become a member of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Bible says that we are at that moment “translated into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son.” So, the rest of your time here on earth, you’re not just here for your own plans or interests, but you’re representing Heaven to those around you. Matter of fact, you’re the only real sample of Heaven most people will ever see. What they’ll know about God’s working in peoples’ lives, they’ll get from watching YOUR life. Pretty scary? Maybe. 

On the other hand, it means you’re not limited to YOUR resources, because you’re not out there representing yourself. Since you’re representing God’s government, and HIS abilities, you have access to all the best that He has to offer. Remember, your whole mission is to give people a sample of what it is to have God at work in a person’s life. That’s what will make them want to get to know Him for themselves. They HAVE to be able to tell that something different is going on in your life. Something that just isn’t the way it happens for the average person. 

How do they know? For one, you TELL them! You let them know what’s going on inside you and in your life! That’s right, you let people into your life! You bring your family, friends and co-workers into your inner circle, and let them share your experiences, your hopes, dreams, successes and failures. You tell them about answers to prayer, and God’s goodness to you. That’s part of being an ambassador for Christ. Being an ambassador for Christ means there’s learning and growing – getting to know the One you’re representing, and learning His ways. You’re called on to do something unique, and something incredibly hard; to represent someone to people in a way that they want to get to know Him for themselves. 

They HAVE to be able to tell that something different is going on in your life. Something that just isn’t the way it happens for the average person. How do they know? For one, you TELL them! You let them know what’s going on inside you and in your life! That’s why they keep looking at your life, and checking you out to see if you’re really what you say you are. But, guess what? That’s good for you! It challenges you to keep prayed up and full of the Spirit. When you’re prayed up and full of the Spirit, you become a person who’s not afraid to feel, and not afraid to express what’s going on inside. 

Most people try so hard to keep from hurting, and to harden their hearts so that nothing hurts. They do it so well, that not only does nothing hurt, but nothing helps anymore! By avoiding being hurt, they also can’t feel hope, joy or love. They become stiff and zombie-like, emotionally. That’s where you come in, you’ve been healed of that. You’re not deadened to your friends, co-workers and family. You’re no longer caught up on the fast track that you take people for granted. No, you’re incredibly alive, aware, caring and full of joy. Jesus gave us His words, as He said, “that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full (John 15:11).’ 

Oh my fellow saints in Christ, I certainly could not have done a better job of explaining our ambassadorial role for Jesus! So let’s allow those fateful words and noble dreams and ideas to sink into our hearts, minds and souls nuh, and be our joyful guide as we go out to represent our Lord and Saviour, Jesus! 

Now, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ 

So, as true ambassadors, we must now go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others. Much LOVE!

…you can call on Jesus…at any time…in the morning, the evening, even the midnight hour…and He’ll come to your rescue without question… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8                    

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 June 2019 Matthew 8:27.

02 Jun 2019 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew  8:27. But the men marvelled, saying, what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

 

Sunday, oh Sunday! Blessed Sunday! Time to go to God’s sanctuary and give Him praises; sing Him songs of worship and adoration, while fellowshipping with other believers and opening our hearts wide to hear, accept and digest His Holy Word, so that we can be refreshed, strengthened and renewed in our faith! What a time it will be in God’s house! Singing and dancing…with joy and good cheer overflowing!

And to get us started on that hallelujah trail, we going to sing a soulful piece of gospel music written by Mary A Baker. I first heard this rendition a couple of days ago while looking through You Tube for a song for today. It’s by a Black Gospel singer named Jessy Dixon. Don’t know if you all know him, but this was the first time I had ever heard about or seen him. He’s tall, dark and handsome, and a natty dresser too…and can the brother ever belt out a gospel tune like back in the good old days!

He reminds me of Wilson Pickett singing ‘In the Midnight Hour.’ That’s for the ole timers. (smile) He has some videos on You Tube with Bill and Gloria Gaither’s Homecoming Festival. Check them out if you want to see him. But friends, from the time I heard his rendition of ‘The Tempest is Raging!’ with great music and outstanding background vocals, I knew that was our song of praise and worship for today!

So no more talk, let’s get right into nuh! Let’s raise our hearts, heads, hands and voices to high heaven in pure, simple, unadulterated soulful gospel mih people! As one harmonious choir now: ‘Master, the tempest is raging, Oh, the billows are tossing high. The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness, Oh, no shelter, no shelter or help is nigh – Carest thou not that we perish? How canst You lie, How canst thou lie there asleep, When it seems like each moment so madly is threatening?

Oh, A grave, a grave, a grave in the angry deep? Get up Jesus because! The winds and the waves shall obey thy will. All You got to say is, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace be still, Peace, be still. Whether the wrath, the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, Or demons, or evil men, or whatever it be. No water can swallow the ship wherein lies, the Master of the ocean, the earth and sky. They shall all sweetly obey thy will, If You say, Peace, peace, peace, be still.

The Lord will give you peace! He wants to give you peace! In the midnight hour, When there’s nobody else there, God will give you peace. When you feel lonely, You have someone who will give you perfect peace! He’ll be your friend, yes He will. The Lord will give you peace, If you’re looking for peace, In all of your needs, In all of your days, Get down on your knees and talk to Jesus! Yes, whatever the Lord says, there will be peace, there will be peace, there will be peace. For He knew it, Yes, He knew it, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace be still…’

Oh mih people, you can’t beat a good piece of gospel soul nuh! That’s because it really comes from the heart! When our forefathers were suffering during the days of slavery, that’s all they had, all they could do was cry out in heartfelt agony to the God of the same people who were enslaving them. And the Lord eventually hearkened unto their cry, like He had done for the Israelites so many years before down in Egypt land, and set them free.

That’s why soul is such a powerful instrument of music and prayer. And we did a wonderful job there just now! (smile) All heaven was in tears…tears of joy, as we lifted up, exalted the Prince of Glory in soulful song! Oh friends, there’s nobody like our Jesus! Nobody else whom the raging seas and howling winds will obey, when He says just three, simple words to them, ‘Peace, be still!’ That’s the awesome power He possesses as the Creator and Controller of our universe!

And we all know that this earthly life is not only filled with physical storms, but also with figurative raging tempests, that tend to disturb and oftimes capsize our earthly equilibrium, and leave us lost and oh so forlorn. But yuh know what friends, there’s no need to let those storms of life beat us down when we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, for He’s sincerely promised to safeguard us from the storms and the evils of this world.

But it won’t happen just like that. You have to turn to him and invite Him into your life. Or if He comes knocking on the door of your heart, then you have to open it and let Him come in. As He so politely offers: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me.’ (Rev.3:20) You couldn’t want for a better offer than that friends.

But getting back to our song for today, we all know the real life incident it was based on. The Good Book relates it thus: ‘And when he (Jesus) was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he (Jesus) was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea: and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!’ (Matt.8:23-27) That really said something negative about their faith though, especially after seeing Jesus do countless miracles; healing people, feeding thousands with a few loaves of bread and fishes, even raising Lazarus from the dead.

But don’t look down on them for their lack of faith, because we’re just as bad today. And we have even more information and revelation than they had. But we still don’t make enough use of Jesus and His amazing but ever so faithful promises, and still get rather anxious and distraught when the storms of life come against us, instead of feeling the peace and calm His lead and guidance can bring.

Oh friends, all we’re doing is spoiling our lives by refusing to take Jesus as seriously as we ought to. So please, please, let’s wake up and discover the inevitable joy of a close walk with Him. That’s wisdom in spades! Much LOVE!

…who alone can calm the storm…with only three simple words…JESUS…!