20 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all these things shall be added unto you, as the heavens are higher than the earth, be ready to suffer the consequences, boggles our imagination, call ye upon him while he is near, christianity, Dr Charles Stanley, endure to the end with Christ, eternity, faith, forgiving, free will, getting you into trouble with God, God created humans for good, gospel truth, gracious, halfway home, hands on the plough, have it more abundantly, he Sermon on the Mount, he will abundantly pardon, he will have mercy upon him, hold our heads and bawl, holy spirit, humans are more enamoured with evil than good, I am come that they might have life, if only I'd thought before doing it, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the best, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, let the wicked forsake his way, LOVE, merciful, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, my ways are not your ways, my ways higher than your ways, negative consequences, not looking back at the past, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, our finite minds, our poor decisions end up hurting innocent people, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, return unto the Lord, risk of flooding, salvation, Satan is all about deceit and greed, Satan's machinations, satisfying the thirsty earth, second wind day, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, so glad to be alive, some we cannot even comprehend, thank God, the atoning lamb of God, the awesome help of Jesus, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the cross at Calvary, the embodiment of all we can ask for or imagine, the good life, the King of Kings, the Lily of the Valley, the Lion of Judah, the Lord is Sovereign over the earth, the Lord of lords, the material things of the world, the rains fell, the resurrection and the life, the Son of God, the thief comes only to steal kill and destroy, the unrighteous man his thoughts, the Way Maker, the way the truth and the life, thieves break through and steal, thieves do not break through and steal, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unwise decisions, we can handle whatever comes against us, Wednesday Wail, where moth and rust doth corrupt, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, wisdom, wisdom to the nth degree
Isaiah 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.
And the rains fell; from early evening through the night, until the morning hours, finally satisfying the parched and thirsty earth! Thankfully though, it was not an onslaught of powerful showers but mostly a constant drizzle, which greatly reduced the risk of flooding. Understandably then, Wednesday, our second wind day has opened damp, cloudy and cool, and we possibly ought to brace ourselves for more rain because that warning just showed up on the computer. But let’s remember that whatever comes against us, we can certainly handle it with Jesus’ awesome help! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Jesus! You’re the Best!’
And that’s the awesome truth! For there’s none like Jesus! He’s the Son of God, and is thus godly, gracious, forgiving, merciful, the atoning lamb of God, the Way Maker, the Lion of Judah, the Way, the Life and the Truth, the Light of the World, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Lily of the Valley, the Resurrection and the Life, and a host of other names which it would take the whole day to list. (smile) But seriously though, Jesus is the embodiment of all that we can ever ask for or imagine…and even then some that we cannot even comprehend with our finite minds.
As the prophet Isaiah writes: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) That’s why we cannot understand a lot of what the Lord does, or is doing, both in our own lives and in the world. We know that He still sits as Sovereign of the world, but some of the stuff that He allows to happen when He can either prevent them or stop them just boggles our imagination.
However, the Lord has His own plans for the world He created and still rules, while giving us free will to make independent choices. He did not make robots, but human beings with minds that they could use to do what’s right or wrong, but must be prepared to suffer the consequences of each decision. And that’s exactly where we’re falling down. We rush to live like the world, like Satan desires, but when the negative consequences of those unwise decisions come rushing up against us, we hold our heads and bawl, saying, ‘if only, if only I’d thought about it before doing it.’
But then it’s usually too late my people, and unfortunately our decisions end up hurting not only ourselves but a lot of others around us. And that’s the really sad part about us making unwise decisions; it never hurts us alone, but other innocent ones in our proximity. That’s why Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) always admonished us to obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. For when we do as God desires, the consequences are usually good, and if not, then he will certainly help us to handle them.
But Satan doesn’t help us to handle the bad consequences we suffer when we follow him. Not at all. He just sits back and laughs at us and considers us stupid to be following him, when all that ever comes from his machinations are negative consequences. And that’s why the prophet Isaiah, when informing Israel of God’s abundant pardons, declared: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:6-7)
Yes friends, that’s an international call to all people, to both Jews and Gentiles, to come to the Lord for salvation, for forgiveness and the good life throughout eternity. And He certainly made it all possible by the unselfish but heartbreaking offering of His only begotten Son Jesus as a sacrifice, the Lamb of God, on the cross at Calvary. I don’t know why we keep forgetting that God is generous and merciful, forgiving and compassionate, while Satan is all about deceit, greed, and taking whatever you have and getting you into trouble with God.
It’s as Jesus so eloquently and truthfully puts it: ‘The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) And I don’t understand why we cannot believe that and make it a part of our lives because it’s the absolute truth. All Satan wants to do is to destroy, to break down, to bring people down to damnation and hellfire with him, while Jesus wants to build, to give life, eternal life to all who are wise enough to embrace Him and what He stands for.
So, again, I don’t know why we’re so adamant at following Satan, killing ourselves to get the material things of the world, and then we don’t even have time to enjoy them. Remember the same material things Satan tempts us with, are the same material things we can get from God if we do as Jesus says: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And believe me, if you get these things from God, rather than through Satan’s evil machinations, you will enjoy them more and they will last longer.
But it’s all about wisdom and where your hearts truly lie. For as Jesus wisely say in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21) And that’s the gospel truth friends! So please, let’s stop concentrating on storing up earthly treasures and wisely decide to store up heavenly ones instead nuh! For that’s wisdom to the nth degree!
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now there’s an addendum to that declaration which states, whoever endures to the very end with Jesus will enjoy an even more glorious future than we can ever comprehend or imagine. So let’s plan to meet at the very end and enjoy that more than glorious future together nuh! Much LOVE!
…why is the human being more enamoured with evil…than with good…when he was created by God…for good…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a tender planta man of sorrows, always abounding in the work of the Lord, an offence unto me, ascension, be of good cheer, be steadfast, Bible, borne our griefs, bruised for our iniquities, christianity, confidence, death, death is swallowed up in victory, faith, fellowship, fighting against oppression, freed from the agony of death, generous, get thee behind me Satan, god, God raised him from the dead, human rights, humble ourselves, humble servants, i have overcome the world, immortality, in me ye might have peace, in the world, in the world ye shall have tribulation, incorruption, inequality, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, justice, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, merciful, mercy, merry-go-round, o death where is thy sting, o grave where is thy victory, peace, pray, Redemption Sound steelband, resurrection, salvation, sincerely seek your face, smitten of God, Thanks be to God, the chastisement of our peace, the God who heals, the Prince of Peace, the Rapture, the sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law, the things of God, the things of men, the throne of grace, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, these things I have spoken unto you, through our Lord Jesus christ, to God the Father, truth, turn from our evil ways, unto us a son is given, victorious over death, who gives us the victory, wisdom, with his stripes we are healed, worship, your labour is not in vain
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
And the weekly merry-go-round of workdays, begins again with another Monday on our plate. But we’re not afraid, worried or anxious about it in the least, for we have been well rested and renewed in the strength of our faith through worship and fellowship. That means we have every confidence that we can handle Monday and whatever it brings against us, like the rainy and cloudy start to the day! And Jesus reminds us of that awesome power when He says: ‘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)
And so He has! His death, resurrection and ascension assure us of victory over the world. And this commentary gives us a brief, insightful look into what that means. ‘Jesus proved then and there that He was victorious over death. The grave could not hold him. Acts 2:24 says it this way: “But God raised Him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.” No one should be surprised. Jesus had been saying this all along.”
Yes, He had been telling the disciples that He must die, then rise again, although they did not fully understand His meaning, and Peter quite boldly told Him that that would never happen. Then Jesus famously rebuked Peter: ‘Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not (are not mindful of) the things that be of God, but those that be of men.’ (Matt. 16:21-23)
Then there are these famous words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians re Jesus’ victory over death. ‘So, when this corruptible (body) shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal (body) shall have put on immortality (through the Rapture of the church), then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 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. 15:54-58)
Yes, my fellow believers, that victory of Christ over hell, death and the grave ought to encourage and reassure us to stand strong and steadfast in Christ, doing His work with all diligence and excellence! That’s sacrificing where necessary, being generous, merciful, compassionate, LOVING and kind, fighting against oppression and inequality, for justice and human rights, because when we live that way, when we allow the fruit of the Spirit to flourish in us, then are we true disciples, and will be well rewarded in due course of time.
And just to show how Bruh Paul was a master of putting scriptures together to suit his purpose, that verse above ‘Death is swallowed up in victory,’ comes from Isaiah 25:8. And the one about ‘O death, where is thy sting?’ comes from Hosea 13:14, which simply means that in many cases, the New Testament is a reflection of the Old Testament, except that in the former, Jesus is formally introduced to fulfill the Old Testament Prophecies.
One of which was to conquer sin and death. As Isaiah so confidently tells us of Jesus’ birth: ‘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 for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7)
And the zeal of the Lord certainly gave us the incarnate Son of God, the Messiah, when the time was right! And Isaiah also prophesied of Jesus tough earthly days and His excruciating death characterizing Him as a Man of Sorrows. ‘Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm (power) of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form (stately form) nor comeliness (splendour); and when we shall see him, there is no beauty (appearance) that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected of (forsaken by) men; a man of sorrows (pains), and acquainted with grief (sickness): and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs (sickness), and carried our sorrows (pains): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God, and afflicted. But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement (correction, discipline) of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes (the wounds he suffered) we are healed.’ (Is. 53:1-5)
And we know that all of that was fulfilled in Jesus’ life, as well as the other verses that we don’t have time for, that explained Him being like A Lamb to the Slaughter (Is. 53:6-9), and An Offering for Sin, verses 10-12. So, from the beginning of the Bible, right to the very end, it’s all a Testament to Jesus and His marvellous work on mankind’s behalf. Therefore, with that in mind, let’s go to the throne of grace seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And as our prayer reminds us, the necessary requirements for divine aid are humbling ourselves, praying, sincerely seeking God’s face and turning from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…to God the Father be the glory…for giving us redemption through Christ Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a new flock of believers, anxiety, be responsible, Bible, Christian faith, christianity, confusion, crying out for your help, divine aid, embrace your love and compassion, faith, foremost avenue of strife, Friday chant, god, God repented of the evil He promised, God saw their works, God will have all men to be saved. to come unto the knowledge of truth, God's offer of salvation, hatred because of colour creed and race, hatred of all non-Jews, he was angry, I knew that thou art a gracious God, it displeased Jonah exceedingly, it is better for me to die than to live, Jesus Christ, Jewish natiaonalism, Jonah, Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd, LOVE, love is the answer, merciful, mercy, Nineveh, of great kindness, one God, one mediator between God and men: Jesus Christ, one who relents from doing harm, repentest thess of the evil, return backsliders, selfishness, simmering unrest, slow to anger, stay safe, take my life from me, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the man Christ Jesus, the message of repentance, to deliver him from his grief, trusting faith, turned from their evil way, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, whitewashed sepulchres, wisdom, wise guidance
Jonah 4:1. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
So that long awaited day, Friday, has finally arrived…and rather quickly too! (smile) That means a loud shout of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ was heard all around God ‘s great earth. But let’s remember that all important warning for the weekend’s activities… a modicum of circumspection. And since we’re overjoyed to be alive today, to enjoy all the new and wonderful things God has in store for us, let’s keep our promise to continue looking at Jonah’s story.
Yesterday, we saw where he finally listened to God’s demand the second time and went to Nineveh and preached the message of repentance. And surprisingly the people repented. So what happened after that eh? The Bible tells us: ‘And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil (relented from the disaster), that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.’ (Jon. 3:10) As always, God kept His promise; the people, repented from their evil ways, and He did not destroy them.
So everybody should have been happy. Surprisingly though, the Bible informs us: ‘But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying (what I said), when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before (previously) unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness (LOVING- kindness), and repentest thee of the evil (one who relents from doing harm). Therefore now, O Lord, take I beseech thee, my life from me: for it is better for me to die than to live. Then said the Lord, Doest thou well (is it right ) to be angry?’ (Jon. 4:1-4)
Ah Lord eh! One would have thought that a prophet of the Lord would be glad to see so many heathen come to repentance, but the Assyrian repentance in Nineveh obviously didn’t thrill Jonah. And why is that eh? The scholars give us this simple, but oh so foolish reason. ‘Jonah still maintains a false Jewish nationalism and hatred of all non-Jews, especially Assyrians.’ That’s why he did not obey God’s command the first time.
And please don’t laugh or despise Jonah, for that very same thing is still quite rampant in this supposed modern era of our supposedly enlightened civilization. Hatred because of colour, creed and race is still the foremost avenue of strife in this angry and strife-filled world. There are a lot of people exactly like Jonah, who don’t want to see anyone from a different race, country etc. saved by God’s grace and mercy, which only means that they are not true believers in Christ, but mere hypocrites outwardly parading as Christians. Or as Jesus called the Pharisees, whitewashed sepulchres or tombs. (Matt. 23:27)
For true believers, like God, wants everyone to come to salvation. As Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy: ‘For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;’ (1 Tim. 2:3-5)
Yes friends, God desire is for all of His creation to be saved. And I like how this commentary explains it: ‘God’s offer of salvation goes out to all people, Jesus died for all people, and God LOVES the whole world and desires the salvation of all people; nevertheless, only some will choose to respond to God’s saving grace and be saved.’ And that’s the truth, as we very well know, not everyone will choose to hold Jesus as Lord and Saviour, but that doesn’t mean the Lord doesn’t want them to.
Anyway, getting back to Jonah. The Bible says after his conversation with the Lord: ‘So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth (shelter), and sat under it in the shadow (shade), till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a gourd (a plant of unknown identity), and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow (shade) over his head, to deliver him from his grief (misery). So Jonah was exceeding glad (rejoiced with great joy) of the gourd (tree covering).’ (Jon. 4:5-6)
Yes Jonah was glad when the Lord protected him with the tree, but was angry when He saved the Assyrians. Oh how selfish and hypocritical we are! Anyhow, we’ll stop there for today because the Bit will get too long if we continue to the end of Jonah’s ministry. So don’t say I never try to keep it short. (smile) Instead, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these troubled times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And I’ll have us know that we won’t get a whiff of divine aid until we start being much better examples of Christian faith in this ungodly world! Much LOVE!
… selfishness does not become true believers in Christ…LOVE is the answer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a form of godliness, abideth for ever, adrift on a stormy sea, artificial intelligence, Bible, blasphemers, boasters, chaos, checks and balances, christianity, cleanse us from all unrighteousness, covetous, disobedient to parents, enjoying life, evil ways, faith, forgive our sins, forgiving God, god, God is light, gracious, he that doeth the will of God, holy spirit, humble servants, in him is no darkness, in the last days, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lawlessness, leads to Satan's lair, LOVE, love not the world, lovers of their own selves, make it safely home, merciful, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, neither the things that are in the world, perilous times, proud, self-interests, strong faith in Christ, the devil's own, the directionless road, the God who heals, the love of the Father, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, the rule of law, the world passeth away, traitors, truth, unholy, usurps our weekend, walk in darkness, walk in the light of Jesus, walking the straight road to heaven, wisdom, wolves in sheep's clothing
1 John 2:15a. LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
It’s here friends, right on schedule…Monday…that day so many of us detest, because we believe that it usurps our weekend. (smile) But Monday is just keeping us on the straight and narrow path, reminding us that working for a living is as important, if not more important than just hanging around doing nothing productive, or what we call enjoying life. Without Mondays to wake us up to the reality of life, so many of us would be lost and adrift on a stormy sea of lawlessness and chaos.
So instead of disliking Mondays, let’s tell it thanks for bringing us back into the real world every week. (smile) And it’s especially important for we believers in Christ Jesus who need as many checks and balances as we can get to keep us walking the straight road to heaven and not the directionless one that leads to Satan’s lair.
For as Bruh Paul warned Timothy and by extension us: ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), highminded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more (rather) than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
Ah mih bredrin, I don’t know if these are really the last days or not nuh, but I do know that those traits Bruh Paul outlined to Timothy are now sweeping our world with an intensity and viciousness like we’ve never seen before. The rule of law is being overturned in numerous places, only to be replaced by strife and chaos. Likewise the rule of God is disregarded as if it never existed. That means apostasy, or turning away from God is a major casualty in these turbulent times.
We also have a warning from John in his first epistle about the chaotic situation that’s in progress in our world. He says: ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interests), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)
Now that’s a plain as day. All the stuff that’s happening in the world is not of God, and as children of God we ought to stay away from it. And let’s not forget the ongoing problem we have of false teachers, who are also out in great numbers. They preach their own version of the Bible, slanted towards their own aggrandizement and though it seems that they are in tune with God, in actual fact they are the devil’s own, like wolves in sheep’s clothing, and thus have God’s people unknowingly going astray.
That’s why it’s ever so important for believers to truly know God’s Word, so that they can compare what they hear and see to what the Word says, because there are so many unscrupulous people out there taking advantage of those with little or weak knowledge of God’s Word. Christianity is definitely not an easy path to tread these days, since there are so many pitfalls being laid out to capture the weary, the gullible and those who simply don’t know any better.
And with all the new technology, like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the social media platforms, falsehood and deceit are running rampant and will only get worse as our areas of expertise and knowledge widen. Thus we believers ought to exert every effort to do as John advises: ‘This then is the message which we have heard of him (Jesus), and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not (practice) the truth:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.’ (1 John 1:5-10)
That my fellow saints is the style of life we need to adopt; walk in the light of Jesus and do our best not to be entrapped by the profusion of sin and temptation that’s currently in the world. However, if we do become ensnared by it, then we must not deceive ourselves or be ashamed, but be big enough to admit it and go to the Father in repentance for forgiveness and cleansing. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for help to keep walking the straight path in these very dangerous and ungodly 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!’
Let’s not forget the importance of turning from our evil ways, if we truly desire divine assistance. Much LOVE!
…the road may be rough and rocky…but we have all we need to make it safely home…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that labour and are heavy laden, celebrity status, come unto me, compassionate, Danny Gokey, disappointment, faithful, Fernando Ortega, for his goodness, forgiving, give me Jesus, graceful, He is all that I need, I am meek and lowly in heart, I only want Jesus, I will give you rest, in the morning when I rise, Jesus is all anyone ever needs, knocking on the doors of our hearts, learn of me, loving, mansions, merciful, my burden is light, my refuge, my rest, my yoke is easy, Praise the Lord, rejection, saints of Christ, streets paved with gold, suffereration, take my yoke upon you, the calm in the storm, the light of the world, the Lord's Day, the way the truth and the life, to the children of men, understanding, virtual reality, welcome my Lord and Saviour, when I am alone, when I come to die, when I lay my head down, wisdom, worthless stuff, you can have all this world
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Come all ye saints of Christ, come from far and wide, let us gather in the virtual reality of His tabernacle so that we can praise and worship Him, on this His special day! And all God’s children declared a loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord God Almighty for His goodness to the children of men! Bless His holy name!’
Yes friends, it’s the Lord’s Day again, and that calls for celebration and exaltation, while seeking wisdom, guidance and encouragement for the next seven days. We can’t meet in person, but they certainly can’t stop us from meeting by technological means. So let’s fire up those pieces of technological wonder, as well as our hearts, souls, bodies and minds and open the proceedings with a soulful piece of worship written by Fernando Ortega, titled ‘Give Me Jesus.’ But we’re going to do the live, soulful rendition by Danny Gokey.
Ah mih people, this song has become one of my favourites since I first heard it last year. And yuh know, earlier this past week, when I began thinking about what we’d sing today, that just flashed into my mind, and obviously it was game over! (smile) So let’s get with it; let our sacrifice of praise rise to high heaven as the black youngster on the rich sounding piano leads us into soulful, scintillating song. And please don’t forget the sweet background vocals from the diversified choir.
‘Ohhh ohhh, Give me Jesus… In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise Give me Jesus. (Chorus: Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.) When I am alone, Oh When I am alone, When I am alone, Give me Jesus. (Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. For He is all that I need. Just give me Jesus) When I come to die, Oh, When I come to die, When I come to die, Give me Jesus.
(Ohhhh Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Oh it’s all I need, all I need is Jesus. So Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, You can have all this world, You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus, He’s all I need. He’s all I need.
Give me Jesus…in the morning when I rise…when I lay my head down… when I wake up, when I lay my head down, said I need him, said I need you… said I only want Jesus…when I wake up… Yeahh! Just give me Jesus. All I need is him. We worship you, we worship you, say we worship you Lord. You’re the answer to my prayers, you’re the calm in the storm, you’re my rest and my refuge…oh yeahhh…’
Yes mih bredrin, yes! Who says worship ain’t sweet and uplifting eh? Tell them they don’t know what they talking about, especially when yuh worshipping Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, the One who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary to pay for our abominable sins and thus established reconciliation with our heavenly Father, our Creator and Provider! Wow! Worship must be sweet when yuh worshipping the Light of the World; the Way the Truth and the Life! How could it not be eh, when Jesus is ALL anyone ever needs!
The song tells the gospel truth! In the morning when I rise, all I need to do is turn to Jesus, surrender my day to Him and He will lead and guide me in wisdom and truth. He is the answer to ALL our prayers, our calm in the storm, our refuge and strong tower. Then when I am alone, feeling lonely…oh mih people, NO ONE provides comfort like our Sacrificial Lamb, because He can empathize with our problems since He also experienced rejection, dejection, disappointment, ‘sufferation’ and all the negative things that this world throws at us.
And there are no better, more comforting words in the Good Book than those of His Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now who in their right minds would ever want to turn down such an inviting and comforting invitation eh? A lot of people turn it down though. That means we have plenty people in our world who aren’t in their right minds. (smile)
So while we’re here on earth, Jesus is ALL we need. And when we die, He’s still ALL we need because He’s our Saviour, who paid our sin debt in full, so that we can enter paradise with Him and enjoy eternal life. Brother! What a magnificent and magnanimous Deity is our Jesus: LOVING, merciful, compassionate, graceful, forgiving, faithful…etc. etc.!
So why would we need anyone else in this life, or the hereafter eh? When we wake up, when go to sleep, when we need comfort, when we need forgiving, mercy, grace, compassion, strength to face the day, He’s the ONLY One who can provide it all! That’s why we can refuse ALL that this world has to offer, once we have JESUS! Keep the wealth and the power, the social and celebrity status of this evil world. We’ll settle for JESUS!
And besides, He’s promised that if we put His Father and Him first, seek the kingdom of God and its righteousness, all that we need will be given to us, because the Father knows what we need, and He won’t let us go lacking anything! (Matt. 6:33) No wonder Bruh David could proclaim, and so too can we: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps.23:1)
And even when it comes to earthly riches, who was the richest man ever eh? Solomon! The Lord made him that because he asked for wisdom and understanding to rule His people. So if the Lord thinks we need earthly wealth, He can also give us that, for He owns it ALL! So why bother with this wicked world and their worthless stuff eh? We can’t carry any of it with us.
And anyway, where we saints are going we don’t need it, for heaven is richer and more priceless and beautiful than earth ever will be – mansions and streets paved with gold…and JESUS, our shining star! So let’s keep leaning on Him nuh, holding tightly to His hand, and when He comes knocking at the doors of our hearts, let’s open quickly and receive Him with a hearty ‘Welcome my Lord and Saviour! Welcome!’ Much LOVE!
…Jesus made us…saved us…and will look after us for ever…Glory be…
03 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all that glistens is not gold, and forget not all his benefits, as a father pitys his children, as far as the east is from the west, bless the Lord oh my soul, bounty, clear direction for my life, compassionate, crowneth thee with loving-kindness, curse, do our bounden duty, executeth judgement for the oppressed, forgiving, free speech, generously share our blessings, giveth food to the hungry, God is a straight-shooter, gracious, he preserveth the strangers, he turneth upside down, he will not always chide, his acts unto the children of Israel, Jesus is filling our hearts, just, loving, magnanimous to a fault, merciful, negative word, neither will he keep his anger for ever, not even gold-plated, openeth the eyes of the blind, our world is totally rotten inside, plenteous in mercy, prosper, raiseth them that are bowed down, redeemeth thy life from destruction, relieveth the fatherless and widow, rewarded us according to our iniquities, righteous, satisfieth thy mouth with good things, self-control, slow to anger, so far hath he removed our transgressions, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him, stubborn hard-hearted pride, succeed, supernatural wisdom, tender mercies, that white menace, the inmates of the asylum, the Lord is merciful and gracious, the Lord looseth the prisoners, the Lord loveth the righteous, the sun's shining brightly!, the way of the wicked, Thursday Blessings, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, turned against their Keeper, we are dust, weighty cement shoes, welcomed them with opened arms, what a sad tale to tell, which made heaven and earth
Psalm 103:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Gee…it’s Thursday, Thursday, Thursday! The day before Friday, Friday, Friday, when we’re let out to play! And thankfully, the roadways are bereft of that white menace, so nicely called snow! It sure seems like all’s right with our world; the sun’s shining brightly, Jesus is filling our hearts, and the java, she is indeed worthy of that venerable name; strong and sweet and potent!
But remember, all that glistens is certainly not gold, sometimes not even gold-plated. (smile) Yeh friends, despite the outward sheen, our world is totally rotten inside, and stinking to high hell! Hn, hn hn! I just realized I said, ‘high hell’ instead of ‘high heaven’. But that’s okay because heaven doesn’t encourage stench to come up there. (smile) Unfortunately though, the works of evil dominate our societies from one end of the globe to the other, from north to south and east to west! What a sad tale to tell! And why is our world in such a discombobulated and uncertain state eh?
One basic reason; the inmates of the asylum have turned against their Keeper, their Maker, the Lord God Almighty: ‘Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth forever: Which executeth judgement (justice) for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth (gives freedom to) the prisoners. The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord LOVETH the righteous: The Lord preserveth (watches over) the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down (makes crooked their way).’ (Ps. 146: 6-9)
Oh my people, that’s whom we have turned against! And no wonder our world is turned upside down, in a topsy-turvy evil and ungodly mess! If you turn against the good, just, LOVING, compassionate, merciful, gracious, righteous and forgiving One who created it all – and still controls it all, what else can you really expect eh?
But yuh know what my people, the same way we have turned away from God, we can again turn back to Him. The Israelites in their foolish and stubborn hard-hearted pride, although they knew of His goodness as well as His wrath, did it several times, and each time they came back, He welcomed them with opened arms, for that’s the kind of forgiving and merciful God He is!
Hear how Bruh David puts it nuh in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy: ‘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-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed. He made his ways known unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.’ (Ps. 103:2-7)
Yuh see friends, our God is a straight shooter! He made whatever He made, however He wanted to make it, and then told us how He wanted us to behave, and what rules He wanted us to follow. But He was then magnanimous to a fault; He gave us the bounty, or weighty cement shoes of free speech. It could work either way, depending on our disposition towards Him. And sadly, I have to say that right now that supposed garnishee of free speech is acting like cement shoes, for we have turned against God and our abominable sins are weighing us down into the mire of deceit and self-destruction.
But the awesome God who made us is so wonderful, so magnanimous, that He’s known as the God of second chances, in fact the God of many chances! That’s why Bruh David could further expound in Psalm 103: ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear (sincerely reverence) him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear (sincerely reverence) him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103:8-14)
Oh mih people, what more can I say eh? I’ve tried to prove to us why our world is in such a sad and sorry state, and also how we can get it out of that distressing mess. It all depends on our relationship with the Lord God Almighty, Maker and Ruler of heaven and earth! If we sincerely worship and reverence Him, then our world will be turned around, be saved from the hellfire and damnation to which we’re currently headed in our dreadful and sinful pride and stubbornness!
It’s all up to us. Remember what Bruh David said at the start: ‘forget not all his benefits.’ (Ps. 103:2) Yes friends, all that Lord does and says is not for His benefit, but for ours, and He will not force us to do what we don’t want to do. So our future is all in our hands. End of sermon! (smile)
Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to live the way God desires, let’s go home declaring (yeahh!) our Thursday Blessings; awesome blessings which the Lord has magnanimously bestowed on us, so that we can do His work down here on earth. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
So let’s go out now and do our bounden duty nuh; share those blessings with others, just as magnanimously and generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…to sincerely reverence our God…brings such joy and peace…to one’s spirit and soul…
17 Aug 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: against the knowledge of God, all these things shall be added unto you, bring our problems under control, bringing inot captivity, Casting down imaginations, come short in obedience, Covid-19, every thought, evicted from homes or businesses, exalteth itself, forgiving and gracious God, gaining control over your thoughts, give up our evil ways, God our number one priority, God who heals, humble ourselves, is the evil thereof, Jehovah Rapha, Joyce Meyer, making mistakes, merciful, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mouthful of food, my penny's worth, natural disaters, no example to follow, non-payment of rent, our Father in heaven, pandemic, pledged allegiance to Christ, seek ye first, sincere repentance, stop listening to the devil, strife, sufficient unto the day, take our responsibilities seriously, taking captive every thought, taking charge of your life, the kingdom of God and his righteousness, the Lord God Jehovah, to the obedience of Christ, trying and uncertain times, turnaround in our attitude towards God, we have all sinned, wise guidance and direction, work from home, work together, worldly lusts, worldly treasure wealth and pleasure, worry
Matthew 6:33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
‘Come leh we go, come leh we go!’ Yeh friends, is Monday morning, and that means is time for many of us to get up and go off to work, as safely and carefully as we can. Some of us have the benefit of being able to work from home, but many of us are not so blessed. And even worse, many of us don’t have a job to go to, and don’t know where and when the next penny or mouthful of food is going to come from, or when they are going to be evicted from their homes and businesses through non-payment of rent or mortgage.
Ah mih people, these are indeed trying and uncertain times. Times like we’ve never had to deal with before, so there’s no example for us to follow, that’s why we’re making it up as we go and are stumbling at times, making mistakes like we will when the path is not clearly defined or lit. But the important thing is for us to realize that we’re ALL in this together, although we’re not ALL being affected in the same way. Thus it behooves us to work together as much as possible, and help the worse off ones when and where we can, because it’s only with a common goal and destination, and everyone taking our responsibilities seriously, that we’ll ever conquer our problems. That’s my penny’s worth! (smile)
Let’s move on to a higher power, the Lord God Jehovah, let’s take our concerns to Him through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one strong voice now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world.
We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Yes my brethren, Jehovah God is the ONLY ONE who can truly help us with the many problems we are currently facing. But that will mean a complete turnaround in our attitude towards Him and His Word. And the billion-dollar question is are we ready to sincerely do so? We must be very serious about the matter, not just playing games like we so often do. We will have to give up our evil ways, our worldly lusts, the seeking of worldly treasure, wealth and pleasure.
That means, as Jesus so wisely advised in His Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:33-34) That should be clear and self-explanatory my people. True believers in Jesus, those who truly accept Him as their King, their Lord and Saviour, who have pledged their allegiance to Him, need to continually seek His kingdom, and its righteousness. Yes, it’s a continual seeking.
As the scholars explain. ‘6:33-34. The contrast between the spiritual and material is again emphasized. The believer is to seek first the righteousness that is characteristic of God’s kingdom and then all these things (material things) shall be added to him. When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. We need not even worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’
I don’t know what else to say nuh friends, except to quote Jesus again from earlier on the topic of worrying. ‘Which of you by taking thought (by worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)?’ (Matt. 6:27) And the answer to that friends, is NONE of us! So why do we keep on allowing the enemy to get into our heads and cause us to worry eh? For worrying is like Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, rocking in a rocking chair all day, but not moving anywhere. Worry helps nothing, only cause more problems, by draining away the li’l positive energy we have and turning it into a negative stumbling block.
So when worry assails us, let’s do like Bruh Paul advises nuh: ‘Casting down imaginations (arguments) and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 10:5). In other words, ‘We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought and make it obedient to Christ.’ (NIV).
‘Taking your thoughts captive simply means gaining control over what you think about yourself and your life. What you put in your mind has an effect on what you think. God has provided a way to overcome unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, and gain the self-control you seek. It’s a matter of taking charge of your life – His way.’ (crosswalk.com)
So, in a nutshell, we need to stop listening to the devil, control our thoughts and seek God and His righteousness first in our lives. Much LOVE!
…if God is not our number one priority…then our lives are not right…
27 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a very present help in trouble, anxieties, asaph, behold the works of the Lord, call upon me, come short in obedience, compliance to your word, delivers them from their troubles, evil, exalted in the earth, faithfully promised, forgiving, get up and give thanks, God is our refuge and strength, grace, gracious God, havoc, heal our land, heal our wounded souls, his calming influence, humble ourselves, humble servants, I will deliver thee, in the day of trouble, Jehovah Rapha, keepeth all his bones, maketh wars to cease, merciful, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no guarantees of safety, offer unto God thanksgiving, our many flaws and weaknesses, pay thy vows unto the Most High, redeemeth the soul of his servants, repenetance, restrictions been lifted, rocking and rolling, Selah, sincerely seek thy face, slay the wicked, still loves us, the afflictions of the righteous, the believer's strength, the god of jacob is our refuge, the God who heals, the joy of the Lord, the Lord hears, the One who made us, the righteous cry, the sons of Korah, the stroms of life, thou shalt glorify me, to hear and answer our prayers, turn from our evil ways, under his mighty wings, we run for refuge and comfort, we will not fear, wise guidance and direction, worldwide strife and protests
Psalm 50:15. And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
Oh friends, please sing with me: ‘Monday morning is come, so we rocking and rolling; That’s how we do it, when Monday morning comes. We get up and give thanks, and prepare to enjoy the day, whatever the weather… whatever the circumstances. That’s because, the One who made us…and still LOVES us, despite our many flaws and weaknesses, is looking out, for all those who call Him Lord and Saviour!
Under His mighty wings, we run for refuge and comfort, when the storms of life assail us, assured that He will calm them, and heal our wounded souls, because all storms respond to His calming influence. So that’s why we sing: Is Monday morning…and we rocking and rolling. Yes, is Monday morning, and we rocking and rolling…we rocking and rolling…forever…with Jesus… yes forever…with Jesus…!’
Ah mih people, I do hope that you all like my li’l ditty! (smile) And it’s how we ought to greet Mondays – with joy and great promise… As Asaph the psalmist says: ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps. 50:14-15) It could not get any clearer and more straightforward than that my friends.
So since we’ve offered thanksgiving, now let’s call upon the Lord in our time of very serious trouble. Let’s take our concerns to the heavenly throne, where Jesus, our intercessor is waiting to plead our case before the Father. In confident though humble voices and spirits, let’s declare (steups!) our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive, and hopefully haven’t contracted the virus that’s causing havoc around our world. And our anxieties have been recently deepened because some restrictions have been lifted in the lockdown, so more of us are going out to work now without any guarantees of safety. Then to complicate matters Father, suddenly, and unexpectedly, just like the virus, worldwide strife and protests have also struck us in this sad time of pandemic, and we don’t have a clue how to handle either situation properly.
Mass confusion is currently prevailing in our world, and we desperately need your help to solve both problems, as You are the ONLY One with the power and insight to successfully handle them. Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction. Please show us how to successfully handle these scourges that are currently plaguing Your beautiful earth. Please help our leaders to wisely quell the strife and protests, thus bringing unity, peaceful consensus and real improvement in the areas that are now sadly lacking. Please help the scientists to also find a positive solution, a sure antidote to the virus as quickly as possible. And for those who have already contracted the virus, or been injured in the strife, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them.
Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
And now that we’ve placed our problems in Jesus’ capable hands, let’s get some further reassurance from the Lord’s Word. Hear the sons of Korah. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (abundantly available help). Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried away into the midst (the heart) of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3)
And if you don’t believe the sons of Korah, then listen to Bruh David nuh. ‘The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit (crushed in spirit). Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate (condemned or held guilty). The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate (condemned).’ (Ps. 34:17-22)
Oh Bubba! How much more assurance do we need before we put our absolute trust in Almighty God eh? But just in case we do need some more, (smile) let’s hear from the sons of Korah again. ‘Come behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:8-11)
Now with all of that confidence and assurance ringing in our hearts and souls, let’s go out and enjoy the day the Lord has made, as we do good and worthwhile ambassadorial work in His holy and wonderful name! Much LOVE!
…the joy of the Lord…is the believer’s unfailing strength…
01 Jun 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all authority is given unto me, all ye that labour, answer our prayers, anxieties, baptizing, be of good courage, begun a good work, calamitous times, come unto me, dance around, faithful, fearful, fellowship, forgiving, gentle and humble, get lost, gracious God, growing in faith, heal our land, heavy laden, humble servants, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am with you always, I will give you rest, icing on the cake, in the name of the Father, in the ungodly shuffle, Jehovah Rapha, keeping hope alive, lockdown, lose hope, make disicples, making requests, merciful, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, moratorium, my burden light, my yoke is easy, of this one thing, our turbulent world, quiet our hearts, reading the Word, reassurance, repentance, sinned, strengthen your heart, take my yoke upon you, teach all nations, the goodness of the Lord, the Great Commission, the great invitation, the Holy Ghost, the land of the living, the SON, until the day of Jesus Christ, unto the end of the world, wait on the Lord, will perform it
Matthew 28:20b. and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
One more Monday…and one more day to dance around our turbulent and disaster ridden world! And though it would be easy to lose hope and give up, and get lost in the ungodly shuffle, that’s one avenue we cannot…must not go down, if we desire to successfully make it through to the end. And that applies especially to us believers in Christ Jesus, since He has placed an eternal moratorium, a total prohibition on giving up. Instead, He’s advised us to hold on to Him tightly – be the fruitful branch sturdily attached to His vine – and He will eventually fulfill all the promises He’s made – it’s simply a matter of time.
So although dancing in these crazy times is indeed a difficult exercise, let’s remember how we felt when we first got saved nuh, when we first learned of all the sacrifices Jesus made for us and the promise we made to follow Him for the rest of our lives. Nothing has really changed, except we’re facing a few more trials, which He already warned us about. But please remember, He also told us not to worry about any of it, because He had already settled the matter in a victorious manner: ‘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)
But we do need to see out the trials in a strong, faithful and steadfast manner. Yes, that’s not an easy requirement, but with His omnipotent help, it’s very doable. As Bruh Paul declared in his prayer for the church at Philippi: ‘I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:3-6)
Yes friends, there’s no doubt that the Lord will keep working in and on us until the day Christ returns. So let’s not be afraid or lose hope. But we also have a part to do in the whole partnership. And our part includes keeping hope alive, growing in faith, through reading His Word, prayer and fellowship. So let’s do some of that right now nuh by going to Him in prayer for comfort and sustenance through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
As one strong voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive, and hopefully haven’t contracted the virus that’s causing havoc around our world. Despite the crucial lockdown, those of us considered essential, still have go to work, and we’re somewhat fearful, because we have no idea, how, when and where the virus might strike. Our anxieties have even deepened recently because some restrictions have been lifted, and more of us have to go to work now.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction. Please show us how to successfully handle this scourge that’s plaguing the earth, and help the scientists to find a positive solution, a sure antidote to it as quickly as possible.
And for those who have already contracted the virus, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
And there’s no doubt that the Lord heard our plea and will respond favourably in His time. Until then though, we have to wait patiently on Him. As Bruh David says in Psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14) And we all know Bruh David practiced what he preached, and the Lord lifted him up, and He will do likewise for us, if we endure steadfastly to the end.
Now here is another energizing and reassuring promise, this one from Christ Himself. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me: for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30) Oh my brethren, what a wonderful bit of scripture, known as the Great Invitation! It couldn’t get any better than that. But you have to accept it; it doesn’t just fall into your lap.
However, here’s the piece de resistance, the most important part of the whole show; it’s found in what is known as the Great Commission: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 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: most and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
Yes friends, that just puts the icing on the cake! Jesus promises to be with us from the time we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour till eternity…whenever that might be! Reassurance from the most reassuring person in the universe! Again though, it’s up to you to accept and believe it. So let’s be wise and do just that in these calamitous times nuh, and thus quiet our hearts and minds. Much LOVE!
…what good is a gift…if one doesn’t accept it eh…
23 May 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lark, basic downfall, comfort and guide you, cried like babies, David encouraged himself, delight thyself also in the Lord, desires of our hearts, despair, discouragement, discouraging circumstances, dregs from our fountain of hope, ebb of our determination, every demonic whim and fancy, fulfill the dreams, gracious God, has us by our manly parts, Henry Ford, holding us hostage, hopelessness, in the Lord his God, joy, lack for encouragement, lack of hope, lack of thanks prayer and praise, limitation, long and short of the story, long-suffering, loving, magnanimity, majesty, merciful, naysayers, neck of the woods, nothing is impossible, obedience to God's will, only your imagination, our friend Anselm, peace, Praise the Lord, push yourself, repentant, summer-like day, the Lord God Jehovah, the Lord investigates our hearts, the right motives, Thomas Edison, virus, Walt Disney, with God, Ziklag
1 Samuel 30b. But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
Well friends, it looks like another glorious sunshiny, summer-like day in my neck of the woods! And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘It’s about time! Praise the Lord!’ Yes my brethren, there’s nothing better we can do than to praise and thank our mighty Creator for all that He’s done for us, is currently doing, and has promised to do in the future. That’s our basic downfall; lack of thanks and prayer and praise! But He doesn’t change; He’s still the long-suffering, LOVING, merciful and gracious God He always was, and always will be.
We are the ones who change, not Him. So let’s see if we can’t do better in our appreciation of His glorious majesty and magnanimity and obedience to His will nuh, so that we can enjoy even more of His wonderful blessings. Yeh, right now we can certainly use some of His awesome blessings in our fight against the tiny virus that’s got us by our manly parts, (smile) that’s holding us hostage to its every demonic whim and fancy! Ah mih people, I’m glad to see that more and more people are turning to prayer in these troubled times.
But are we serious, are we truly repentant, or is it just a lark, to see what happens, since we can’t find any real success in our own efforts? Just remember though, that the Lord doesn’t simply listen to the words we spout out of our mouths, no matter how godly and spiritual they sound, but He investigates our hearts to see if we have the right motives, and then considers how to answer our prayer. So if you’re not sincere, don’t pray it.
And since it’s Saturday, let’s turn to our friend Anselm and see what quotes he sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And for the second week running, the quotes are negligible. Last week I got one, this week I’ve gotten two. And don’t ask me what’s wrong? It seems like he’s alive, so I don’t know if his fount of quotes has just dried up, (smile) though I doubt it. Anyway, let’s deal with what we have. And the first quote says: ‘Your limitation—it’s only your imagination.’
And that’s the gospel truth friends! The limits of our imagination are the only limitation in our lives! Wherever our imagination takes us we can go…with the Lord’s help obviously! Just think about all the wonderful inventions that we’ve enjoyed down through the years; things like the printing press that made books, including the Bible, more easily available, the telephone, telegraph and radio, which made communication so much easier, and our social media and technological revolution right now, which brings almost instant communication.
They are all products of someone’s imagination! They had the idea, then worked on it, despite many naysayers and discouragers. They might have failed often, but they never gave up, and kept refining their ideas until…Bingo! They worked. Walt Disney was ridiculed, Thomas Edison failed at his numerous inventions several times, but eventually succeeded. So did Henry Ford with his gasoline powered horseless carriage, that eventually became our modern-day motor car. So please my fellow believers, let’s not say we can’t do it, or it’s impossible. If the Lord puts it in our minds, then it’s certainly doable. And furthermore, let’s remember that with God, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!
That brings us to our second quote, which nicely resonates with the first. It tells us: ‘Push yourself, because no one else is going to do it for you.’ And to a certain extent that is quite true, but a lot of us are pushed by others, although in many of those cases it’s not in the direction we want to go. The long and short of the story though is that we need to have some basic push and determination for ourselves, especially if we have serious goals that we want to reach or there are wonderful desires that the Lord has placed in our hearts to accomplish for His name’s sake.
And we have that glorious scripture of Bruh David’s from Psalm 37 which categorically states: ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4) Yes friends, when we go with God, He will indeed enable us to fulfill the dreams He’s put in our hearts. And I know that it’s not always easy to find that push, that determination in ourselves, that we all need, for the enemy is always fighting against us. And ofttimes those around us are not willing to push and encourage us either, in fact they might just want to do the opposite, discourage us and pull us down, disparaging our efforts in the difficult process of bringing our dreams to reality.
But my people, even when we’re at the lowest point, the very ebb of our determination and the last dregs from our fountain of hope, let’s never forget that there’s always One person who’s always there to encourage us, especially if you’re doing His holy will; that’s the Lord God Jehovah, our Creator and wonderful Provider! We never lack for encouragement when we turn to our great God! But that last push has to come from us; we need to turn to him, to sincerely seek Him.
And the best example of that in the Good Book, I believe is when Bruh David’s men considered stoning him, after they came back from war and found their city of Ziklag burned to the ground by their enemies the Amalekites, and all their kinfolk and worldly possessions taken captive, including Bruh David’s two wives and his children. And everybody; all those brave and mighty men cried like babies. But then, something changed in Bruh David’s men. And the Good Book relates it thus: ‘And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved (bitter), every man for his sons and his daughters…’ (1 Sam. 30:6a)
So what happened there eh? Why stone their leader eh? Didn’t Bruh David lose his sons and daughters too? Of course! But that’s just the blaming nature of mankind. We always need to find someone else to blame beside ourselves, where often the blame really lies. So imagine Bruh David’s situation now nuh: he’s lost his own family, and his men are threatening to stone him. So what does he do? With everybody against him, he does what we all need to do at times. The Good Book says: ‘But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’
Mama Yo mih bredrin! It doesn’t get any better than that! So please, today, if any of us are suffering the painful pangs of discouragement and lack of hope, let’s do the wise and sensible thing like Bruh David did nuh; let’s turn to our great God and encourage ourselves in Him, for in Him there is always hope and the prospect of peace and joy despite discouraging circumstances. Much LOVE!
…when despair and hopelessness threaten…turn to God…for He’ll surely keep His promise…to comfort and guide you in such times…
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