21 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child that will grow up, a joyful reminder, a ray of hope, a rosy huea rose hue, a silent wish, a tiny star lights up, add a little punch to our faith, all a dream, all across the land, allowing our lights to shine brightly, an illusion now, as the manner of some is, as ye see the day approaching, be of good courage, caught unawares, Christmas week, Ciro Dammicco, consider one another, dawns a brand new morn, don't focus on material stuff, everyone to everyone's neighbour, exhorting one another, faith, feel you're on solid ground, fellowship, flickers in the sky, focus on christ, for a spell or two, for Jesus' sake, forget to tell each other we care, Fred Jay, gathering together in fellowship, God always keeps His promises, God is trustworthy, happy that they are in the world, hate to love, He is faithful that promised, he shall strengthen thine heart, hold fast the confession of our hope, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, in God's good time, in the evil darkness of the world, it must come true, Jesus can come back at any time, Jesus Christ, Johnny Mathis, King of Kings, like a chicken with your head cut off, Lord of Lords, LOVE, mercy, misery and suffering, more sensitive to the needs of our fellow man, no one knows, no one seems forlorn, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, our raison d'etre, our reason for living, our responsibilities as people, out bounden duty, reminds us of Christ's birth, resurrecting our salty flavour, running around, sails the seven seas, salvation, settles all around, show our loved ones they are important to us, somehow, sometime soon, stand strong in Faith, substitutionary death, sweet sacrifices of praise, take too much for granted, the birth of a new baby brings joy, the fourth week of Advent, the holidays provide a wonderful opportunity, the living truth, the Spirit of Christmas, the walls of doubt crumble, the winds of change, the world is waiting, this comes to pass, to bind friendships, to encourage each other, to provoke unto love and good works, tossed and torn, trust God and His promises, truth, turn tears to laughter, wait in faith, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait with patience and perseverance, waiting for one child, war to peace, way up high, what colour child, When a child is born, whisper in the trees, words to be forgotten forever
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Only 3 more days to get ready friends for that most auspicious occasion; the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Yes, it’s the fourth week of Advent, making it also Christmas week. So, make sure you have everything prepared and ready, so that come the big day on Thursday, you’re not running around like a chicken with your head cut off trying to do what should have already been done. (smile)
And today when we enter the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship with other believers and see all the decorations and stuff, please let’s not focus on that material stuff. Yes, it does look nice, but the important focus should be on Jesus Christ, our raison d’être, our most important reason for living.
Our song of worship this morning is also a beautiful one, based on a child’s birth, and aptly titled, ‘When a Child is Born.’ And it’s strange to note that just like ‘Joy to World’ was not written as a Christian hymn, but became one of the biggest sellers in that genre, so too is today’s song.
The melody and tune were taken from two compositions by Italian composer Ciro Dammicco, with English lyrics written as a Christmas song by Austrian composer Fred Jay, although there’s no specific reference to Christmas in it. But it’s also turned out to be big hit in our Christmas repertoire. And one of the best versions of the song was done by that soulful crooner Johnny Mathis in 1976. So, let’s raise our sweet sacrifices of praise to heaven in a touching, sincere, soulful rendition of this wonderful song When a Child is Born, which so tenderly reminds us of Christ‘s birth.
And we’ll begin, a la Johnny Mathis, with an inspiring monologue, where he exhorts us thus: ‘I believe that we can be more sensitive to the needs of our fellow man, that we can be better neighbours to each other. Sometimes we take too much for granted, and we forget to tell each other we care. I think the holidays provide a wonderful opportunity to bind friendships and to show our LOVED ones they are important to us. That we’re happy they are in the world. It’s something we should do more often. And the spirit of Christmas is a joyful reminder of our responsibilities as people.’
And isn’t that the living truth my fellow believers? It surely is! After that, we hum the first few bars over some quiet music. (Humming: ‘Hn hn hn hn hn, hn hn hn hn…’ Then we break into joyful song: ‘A ray of hope flickers in the sky A tiny star lights up way up high All across the land, dawns a brand new morn This comes to pass when a child is born –
A silent wish sails the seven seas The winds of change whisper in the trees And the walls of doubt crumble, tossed and torn This comes to pass when a child is born – A rosy hue settles all around You’ve got the feel you’re on solid ground For a spell or two, no one seems forlorn This comes to pass when a child is born –
( Monologue ) – And all of this happens because the world is waiting, Waiting for one child Black, white, yellow, no one knows But a child that will grow up and turn tears to laughter, Hate to LOVE, war to peace and everyone to everyone’s neighbor And misery and suffering will be words to be forgotten, forever)
(Singing: – (It’s all a dream, an illusion now It must come true, sometime soon somehow All across the land, dawns a brand new morn This comes to pass when a child is born.) All across the land, dawns a brand new morn This comes to pass when a child is born.’
And yes, there’s something about the birth of a new baby that brings and spreads joy to all who hear about it. It’s one of the few universally joyful occasions in our crazy, ungodly world. And don’t worry, that dream, which now seems like only an illusion, that too will certainly come to pass my faithful brethren, because the Lord set it all in motion with the birth of Christ, our King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who was born to do just that, all in God’s good time!
Now, although it’s been some two thousand years since Christ was born and gave us salvation through His sacrificial and substitutionary death, and we are still waiting for the final times, we need to be patient, and wait in faith on the Lord, as Bruh David exhorts us to do in Psalm 37: ‘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. 37:14) And that’s what we need to do if we are true believers.
Look how long the Israelites waited for the Messiah; hundreds of years, but He did come. And just like Jesus promised, He will eventually come back and make all things right, but we must stand strong in faith and wait with patience and perseverance. That brings us to these beautiful and inspiring scripture verses in Hebrews.
‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25)
Oh friends, it sounds simple on paper, but it is indeed difficult to put into practice. However, if we are true believers, we need to trust God and His promises, while gathering together in fellowship, to encourage each other, especially as the day of Jesus’ return can happen anytime, and we certainly don’t want to be caught unawares whenever that happens.
So, this Christmas, let’s add a little punch to our faith nuh, resurrecting our salty flavour and allowing our lights to shine brightly in the current evil darkness of our world, for Jesus’ sake! Why? Because God is trustworthy, unchanging, and will always keep His promises. Furthermore, as Christians, it’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!
..the birth of Jesus was a momentous occasion…and no other birth…has caused so many numerous ripples and repercussions…which are still being felt all around the world today…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a clearer vision of one's path, a constant state of readiness, a doh care attitude, a revival time hymn, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, a thirst for spiritual food, anointed me to preach the good tidings, as ye see the day approaching, be on fire for the Lord, bind up the broken-hearted, but by my spirit, celebrate God's goodness, consider one another, crapaud smoke we pipe, cry for salvation, exhorting one another, fall prey to Satan, first snowfall of the season, give me faith in my heart, give me joy in my heart, give me love in my heart, give me oil in my lamp, God so loved the world, God's greatest attribute, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, He is faithful that promised, he that cometh to God must believe that He is, hold fast the confession of our faith, in hope of a brighter day, Jesus answered our cry, keep me burning, keep me praying, keep me singing, keep the fires of faith burning brightly, like a thief in the night, nor by power, not by might, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, opening of the prison, our Christian birthright, Remembrance Day weekend, saith the Lord of hosts, sing hosanna, spiritual food, stewardship, stirs up the blood, sweet sacrifices of praise, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the Love of Christ, the oil of the Holy Spirit, the parable of the ten virgins, the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, till the break of day, to get one through the darkest of times, to keep me sharing, to light up their life, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to provoke unto love and good works, to them bound in chains, watch therefore, wherein the Son of man cometh, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, without faith it is impossible to please God, without wavering, ye know neither the day nor the hour
Zechariah 4:6b. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
It’s the first day of the week friends! The Lord’s Day, and the church bells are ringing for the early morning gathering in the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship and worship our great God Jehovah. Unfortunately though on this Remembrance Day weekend, our first snowfall of the season might inconvenience you, but at some time during the day, do your best to join with other believers to celebrate God’s goodness to the children of men. Yes friends, the white stuff has made it’s presence felt early on in the season. But thankfully, it was mostly wet snow, and at midday, it’s petered out and the streets seem to be fairly clean, although the sidewalks, trees and rooftops are covered with the white stuff.
Now, today, our song of worship is an old gospel spiritual titled ‘Give Me Oil in My Lamp.’ It’s an old revival time hymn that stirs up the blood and gets you dancing, clapping and opening your heart in true joyful worship. But it’s not a frivolous song, because it asks for things that are near and dear to our faith and which can only be had from Jesus. It’s based somewhat on the parable of the 10 virgins. (Matt. 25:1-13).
And I like what this commentary says about it. ‘For the religious, one interpretation is that it signifies a thirst for spiritual food—spiritual food to get one through the darkest of times in hopes of a brighter day, a clearer vision of one’s path or until one gains their salvation.’ And do we ever need that inspiration, reassurance and spiritual food in these evil and ungodly times. So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in an up-tempo, revival time, heartfelt version of the song. Letting all and sundry know that we’re serious about what we’re crying out for.
Singing: ‘Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Give me oil in my lamp, I pray. Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning, burning, burning. Keep me burning till the break of day. (Refrain: Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King of kings! Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King!) Give me LOVE in my heart, keep me sharing. Give me LOVE in my heart, I pray. Give me LOVE in my heart, keep me sharing, sharing, sharing… Keep me sharing till the break of day. (Refrain)
Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing. Give me joy in my heart, I pray. Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing, singing, singing. Keep me singing till the break of day. (Refrain) Give me faith in my heart, keep me praying. Give me faith in my heart, I pray. Give me faith in my heart, keep me praying, praying, praying. Keep me praying till the break of day. (Refrain: Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King of kings! Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King!)’
Oh friends, all that we are asking for is our birthright as Christians. It’s what we get from Jesus when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour. The oil in our lamps to keep us burning. Like this commentary states: ‘In the song someone is asking God for the “oil” of the Holy Spirit to light up their lamp – or their life – and keep them “burning”. I think they want to be on fire for their Lord!’ And why not eh? That’s why He came to earth and died for us. So that we can be His representatives and keep the fires of His faith burning brightly.
And you can’t have a fire without some kind of fuel to feed it. It’s like Isaiah says: ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach the good tidings unto the meek (poor); he hath sent me to bind up (heal) the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound (in chains).’ (Is. 61:1) That’s Isaiah’s introduction to Jesus who came to do those things and afterwards sent His Holy Spirit to keep us keeping on. And here’s how Zechariah puts it: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Zech. 4:6b)
Keeping our lamps burning also teaches us about stewardship and readiness. Jesus speaks of the 5 virgins who were wise and took extra oil for their lamps in case the bridegroom was late, while the other five did not contemplate such a situation and when their lamps ran out of oil they had to go and purchase more, but by the time they got back the bridegroom had arrived and the doors were locked, effectively keeping them out of the party.
That’s why Jesus warned: ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 25:13) That means we must be in constant readiness for Jesus can comeback any time, like a thief in the night, and if we’re not ready, then crapaud smoke we pipe!
Oh…and there’s’ nothing we need more than LOVE, the LOVE of Christ in our hearts, so that we can share it with others. It’s God’s greatest attribute and the reason He sent Jesus to sacrifice His sinless life for us. As Jesus told Nicodemus, the Jewish teacher who came to Him under cover of night for answers: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Only a great and precious LOVE for His human creation could have caused the Lord to sacrifice His only Son, and we ought to be everlastingly grateful for it, instead of the doh care attitude so many of us show.
And then there’s’ joy my people; the joy of the Lord which is our strength. (Neh. 8:10) Yes, for without that joy and the strength it gives us, the enemy would walk right over us. And that’s why he tries to steal our joy before anything else. The joy of the Lord keeps us singing, walking tall and being proud of who we are, because we know that once we have that joy, nothing can stop us. That leaves faith.
Wow! That’s what we get from being followers of Jesus, that allows us to undergo any trials and tribulations that may come against us. And if you read Hebrews 11, you’ll see all the people of great faith who stood up strong and did the Lord’s bidding. As the author says; ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6)
Sadly though, a lot of us don’t have strong faith and thus fall prey to Satan and his evil schemes. But again, we need to do like the author of Hebrews tells us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25)
And that says it all my fellow believers! It gives us good reasons for gathering together in the Lord’s sanctuary. So, let’s get out there today and do that nuh, because Jesus’ return gets closer with each passing day! Much LOVE!
…It’s right to sing Hosanna to the King…that cry for salvation…because Jesus answered our cry…and saved us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dispensary for spiritual food, a wise and godly manner, accept His easy yoke and light burden, advocating on our behalf, all knees must bow, all we want is you Jesus, an outward indication of an inner condition, as the manner of some is, as ye see the day approaching, be considered righteous, bring all things to your remembrance, came down from heaven, Christ our High Priest, Christ's return draws near, come to our senses, comfort us, dark midnight was my cry, every tongue confess, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, give me Jesus, his sinless life on the cross, holy spirit, in the morning when I rise, Jesus Christ, Jesus gives us true peace, Jesus is all I need, Jesus is all we really need, Jesus is Lord, just about the break of day, keep encouraging each other, like white on rice, live with me till eternity, looking unto Jesus, Lord of Lords, LOVE, love him the way we ought to, mercy, no more death, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, our rest and our refuge, poetic licence, reciprocal encouragement, remember the Sabbath day, salvation, seek Jesus with a sincere heart, selflessly sacrificing, showed his undying love for us, steadfastly cling to Jesus, strengthening, sweet sacrifices of praise, teach you all things, that we could be set free, the answer to our prayers, the assembling of God's people, the author and finisher of our faith, the calm in the storm, the church is a body interacting, the Comforter, the entire worship of Christ, the great invitation, the King of Kings, the name that is above every other name, the new heaven and the new earth, the peace that surpasses all understanding, the Prince of Peace, to keep it holy, to the glory of the Father, truth, we worship you Lord, what a treasure we have in Jesus, when I am alone, when I come to die, when I want to sing, wipe away all tears, wisdom, worthy to return to God, you can have all this world
Hebrews 12:2b. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith.’
It’s Sunday my brethren, and you know what that means; it’s time to fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary, as that’s His command for the Sabbath day: ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ (Ex. 20:8) And the author of Hebrews also reminds us of the importance of a regular gathering of believers, when he writes: ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:25) Yes friends, it’s ever so important for us to keep encouraging each other as the day of Christ’s return draws ever closer.
And I like how the scholars explain that verse. They say; ‘Not forsaking the assembling is an admonition that involves far more than erratic attendance. It involves the entire worship of Christ and is an outward indication of an inner condition. The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that is gained from one another (cf. Col. 3:12-16) It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor. 12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary for spiritual food and medicine.’ Please my people, let’s remember that and attend church regularly and also get involved with the activities that take place there.
Now, let’s get to today’s song of worship. It’s simply but oh so elegantly and importantly titled: ‘Give me Jesus.’ And it seems this Christian song has been around for a long time, since about the mid-nineteenth century. No one knows who really wrote it, and apparently even the slaves sang it. But in the twenty-first century, people like Fernando Ortega have revised and recorded it. And for our purposes, I’ve taken poetic license and included a couple of verses from other renditions. However, as always, we’ll do a Danny Gokey soulful, scintillating version, with its haunting piano, soulful strings and beautiful background vocals.
So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise with truly heartfelt sentiments. Singing: ‘Ohhh ohhh, Give me Jesus, 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, You can have all this world Just Give me Jesus For He is all that I need, Just Give me Jesus.
Dark midnight was my cry, Dark midnight was cry, Dark midnight was my cry, Give me Jesus. [Chorus] Just about the break of day, Just about the break of day, Just about the break of day, Give me Jesus. (Chorus) And when I want to sing, And when I want to sing, And when I want to sing, give me Jesus. (Chorus) Oh, when I come to die, Oh, when I come to die, Oh, when I come to die, Give me Jesus. (Chorus: Give me Jesus, give me Jesus. You can have all this world, give me Jesus.
Yes, you can have all this world, Just Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus, for He’s all I need. In the morning when I rise…when I lay my head down…when I wake up…all I want is Jesus… I need Him…Just give me Jesus… All I need is Him. We worship You Lord, Yes, we worship You. You’re the answer to our prayers, You’re the calm in the storm, You are our rest and our refuge…All we want is You Jesus… So, you can have all the world, Just give us Jesus… Yes, You can have all the world, Just give us Jesus, Yes, just give us Jesus…’
And that’s exactly how it ought to be my faithful brethren! They can take all the world has to give, once we have Jesus, we’re more than satisfied, for He is ALL we really need. Who else has done, or can even dream of doing all that He’s done for us eh? Who else came down from heaven and showed His undying LOVE for us, by selflessly sacrificing His sinless life on the cross so that we could be set free, to be considered righteous and thus worthy to be returned to the Father’s fold? Nobody else did it friends. Nobody else but Jesus!
And tell me who gave us His Holy Spirit to dwell within us to remind us of His commandments and to lead, guide and comfort us in a wise and godly manner? Only Jesus! As He says in John’s gospel. ‘But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.’ (John 14:26) And what about peace? He alone gives us true peace; peace that surpasses all understanding. (John 14:27; 16:33) Why? Because He is the Prince of Peace! (Is. 9:6)
And what about our Christian faith eh? It’s Jesus who also gave us that. As the Bible tells us: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith.’ (Heb. 12:2b) And who gives us that Great Invitation, to come to Him whenever we’re weary and heavy burdened, so that we can find rest for our souls and take up His easy yoke and light burden? (Matt. 11:28-30) No one else but Jesus! And who is the mightiest of them all eh; the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? The name that is above every other name, to which all knees will eventually bow? And every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of the Father. (Phil. 3:9-11) That’s Jesus!
And tell me nuh, who is going to wipe away all tears from my eyes, so that there won’t be any more death, sorrow, crying or pain? (Rev. 21:4) Nobody but Jesus! And who is our High Priest that sits beside the Father in heaven advocating and interceding on our behalf? (Heb. 4:14-15) Of course it’s Jesus! And finally, who’s going to offer me salvation and come and live with me till eternity in the new heaven and new earth eh? (Rev. 21:1-3) Only Jesus!
Therefore, with all that Jesus is, has done, can and will do, why I would I want or need anybody else but Him eh? No reason whatsoever! So, please let’s come to our senses and realize what a treasure we have in Jesus and appreciate and LOVE Him the way we truly ought to! Much LOVE!
…godly wisdom dictates…that you seek Jesus with a sincere heart…then steadfastly cling to Him…like white on rice…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a distorted view of God, a LOVING Father, a means of restoring faith in you, a new flock of believers, a place of judgement, all we do is evaluated, always falling short in some way, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, as the manner of some is, be responsible, become better witnesses for Christ, beware of false prophets, by the example that we set, christianity, Christians, church is not a place to be judgemental, consider one another, Consider This, deceit, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, everyone there is a patient, exhorting one another, fair minded, faith, false teachers, fellowship, finding a happy balance, Friday chant, God is a loving father, God is a strict judge, God is the ultimate healer, God is the ultimate judge, God sent Hi Son to save the world not judge it, God's infallible word, harsh judgement, He is faithful that promised, hold fast that which is good, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, In Touch Devotional, jesus came for those who are sick with si, Jesus Christ, judgemental attitudes, lies, live for Jesus, LOVE, mercy, mutually exclusive, needing treatment from a loving saviour, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, omnipotent help, our sinful world, picture church as a hospital, prove all things, received the word, renewing our faith, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, searched thescriptures daily, see God as an indignant judge, see God in a new way, sermons about hellfire and brimstone, stand strong and steadfast in faith, stay safe, strengthening our confidence, test everything, the BIBLE, the cornerstone of our lives, the error of their ways, the essence of God is love, the Information Age, these ungodly times, think of church as a courtroom, to handle the unexpected storms properly, to provoke unto love and to good works, too comfortable with sin, top o the morn, trusting faith, truth, valiantly fighting for Jesus, wake up and smell the coffee, wandering ways, whether things were so, wicked schemes, wisdom, wise guidance, with all readiness of mind, you see the day approaching
1 Thessalonians 5:21. Prove all things (test everything); hold fast that which is good.
Top O the morn to you my faithful Scrip-Bit friends and families! It’s Friday, our favourite day of the week, because it ushers in the weekend! I hope you are enjoying our late spring, early summer weather. (smile) Yes, we have regressed quite a bit from the mid-thirties temps of earlier in the week to barely hitting the twenties, with a fairly strong wind and more clouds than sun. But the sun is valiantly trying to establish his supremacy, just like we Christians ought to be valiantly trying to establish ours over this currently evil and ungodly world that surrounds us.
But be all of that as it may, (smile) today I want to share an interesting discourse from the Consider This Section of the June In Touch Devotional. So please read with me. ‘We often think of church as a courtroom, a place of judgment. It can be seen as if everything we do (or don’t do) is being evaluated or that we’re forever falling short in some way. That mindset probably comes from passages in the Bible that describe God as the ultimate judge – and He certainly is. But if that’s the only way we think of Him, we end up with a distorted view of the Lord, His church, and ourselves.
Scripture tells us, ‘God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.’ (John 3:17) And Jesus Himself said He came for, ‘those who are sick’ because of sin (Mark 2:17). God is also the ultimate healer. So the next time you worship, try to picture church not as a court of law but as a hospital. And everyone there – including yourself – as patients who need treatment from a LOVING Saviour. You might find you heart is more at ease than before and see God and His people in a new way.’
O my, my, my! I said it was an interesting article. And there’s truth to it, for many of us still see God as more of an indignant judge, than as a of a LOVING Father. I guess that stems from all the fearful sermons we’ve heard about hellfire and damnation, and we do need to hear them every so often to wake us up from our lax and lazy wandering ways that the world tempts us with. But the essence of God is LOVE! And He will only judge us harshly if we are continuously rebellious and disobedient.
And when we go to church it’s not to be drowned in shame and disgrace, but to be healed and made whole. That’s what church is all about; bringing us into closer contact with our Lord and Saviour, while renewing our faith and strengthening our confidence to go out into the world and live for Him. And this scripture passage is possibly the best one to prove our point.
The author of Hebrews writes thus: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25)
Yes friends, church is for encouraging, building up, stirring up and showing LOVE to each other, not a place to be judgemental. And until we adopt that LOVING, encouraging and togetherness attitude in church, we will never get the real benefit of assembling together in Christ’s name. The problem with modern Christianity is finding a happy balance between fiery judgemental sermons and attitudes, and those that tend to be too soft and wishy-washy, not calling out sin for what it is, but trying to turn it into something nice and comfortable.
But my faithful believers, sin is sin, no matter what you call it, and how you try to whitewash it. And that’s a major problem in today’s church; we’re just too comfortable with sin, or wrongdoings, or whatever you choose to call it. And that is what will get the Lord’s harsh judgement; not trying to do your best to live up to His standards and help spread His Word.
Oh my people, this Information Age is so filled with lies, deceits, wicked schemes, disinformation and all kinds of stuff that’s trying to turn us away from Almighty God, that’s why we have to be so careful whom we listen to and believe, as well as what we listen to and believe. And the only sure thing we have is God’s holy, infallible and indisputable Word! So please, let’s make that the cornerstone of our lives nuh.
By testing teachings against the scriptures, we can avoid being deceived and endangering our faith. It’s like Bruh Paul writes to the Thessalonians: ‘Prove all things (test everything); hold fast that which is good.’ (1 Thess. 5:21) And what the scriptures say of the Bereans after Bruh Paul preached the gospel to them. ‘These were more noble (fair minded) than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so,’ ( Acts 17:11)
Now that’s what many more of us ought to be doing to safeguard our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, with the many false prophets and teachers out there, who are not preaching the truth of God’s word. And to help us with that task, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, seeking divine strength and aid.
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!’
But friends, the truth is, we cannot expect divine aid, when we’re not really setting good examples as faithful believers. That’s why so many people are walking away from God, and the world is in such an ungodly, chaotic mess. That means, if we truly want divine aid, we have to become better witnesses for Christ! It’s as simple as that! Much LOVE!
…God is a LOVING Father…as well as a strict Judge…the two are not mutually exclusive, or incompatible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strong anointing, an indisputable fact, an invitation, an outward indication of an inner condition, blessed is he who hides in him, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, come exalt His name forever, delivered me from every fear, every day and night, exhorting one another, experiencing God's presence, faith, fear the Lord all ye saints, feel the presence of the heavenly hosts, fellowship, gather in God's name, glorify the Lord with me, Goliath's sword, hallowed shew bread, He will deliver them, He'll give you everything, his praise shall be continually in my mouth, holy spirit, I sought the Lord and He answered me, I will bless the Lord at all times, Jesus Christ, let us bless the Lord, LOVE, magnify the Lord with me, may our incense rise, mercy, more than erratic church attendance, musical perfection in gospel music, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, never ending praise, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, O taste and see that the Lord is good, one who narrowly escaped death, opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, praise of one who was redeemed, salvation, saved me from mine enemies, Shane Barnard, spiritually inspired by God, sweet sacrifices of praise, the assembling of God's people, the church is an interacting body, the entire worship of Christ, the faithful heroes, the humble shall hear and be glad, the Lord heard me, the Lord's Day, the Son of God surrounds His saints, the testimony, they'll never be ashamed, this poor man cried, those who look on Him are radiant, to experience God's goodness firsthand, trials and tribulations, truth, wisdom, you see the day approaching
Psalm 34:1. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
So once again it’s Sunday, the Lord’s day, when we’re supposed to gather in His sanctuary, or anywhere possible, and give Him thanks and praise for all that He’s done for His human creation. Yes, the scriptures proscribe it, as this verse from Hebrews reminds us. ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:25) And yuh better believe that the day of the Lord’s glorious return is quickly approaching.
And the scholars explain that verse thus. ‘Not forsaking the assembling: This admonition involves far more than erratic attendance. It involves the entire worship of Christ and is an outward indication of an inner condition. The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (cf. Col. 3:12-16) It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor. 12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary for spiritual food and medicine.’
Now, all of that is the gospel truth my faithful brethren. Getting together to worship our great God is the epitome, the essence of our faith. And today we’ll open with a song that will lift us up, stir us up and define the interaction of Christ’s body. (smile) It’s that famous song based on some words of Bruh David from Psalm 34, titled ‘O Taste and See that the Lord is good.’
And what does that mean? One commentary explains it thus: ‘It is an invitation to experience God’s goodness and faithfulness firsthand. The verse suggests that simply believing in God’s goodness isn’t enough; one must actively “taste” it by experiencing His presence and blessings in their life.’ Now that’s one way to never go wrong! But while the song is attributed to one Shane Bernard, it is sensationally performed by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and is my all-time favourite video worship song. I had not heard it for a while, then I listened to it this past week, and immediately knew we had to sing it today. (smile)
And if you think that I am biased about the song, then listen to these two commentaries on it. The first says: ‘This is how it would be like in heaven. Every voice, musicians, race, soul praising the name of God. Amen!!’ And the second is like unto it: ‘Every frame, every beat, every note, perfectly executed. THIS is musical perfection in gospel music.’ And believe me that’s the infallible truth! For the musicians get into the song and fire it right up, as they can do when they’re inspired. And if you’ve never seen the video, you ought to, because it will certainly stir you up. (smile)
But enough talk, let’s get to the song, and raise our voices in sweet sacrifices of praise in an up-tempo, soulful, scintillating, heart-rending rendition of the song. Singing: ‘I sought the Lord And He answered me And delivered me From every fear. Those who look on Him Are radiant They’ll never be ashamed They’ll never be ashamed. This poor man cried And the Lord heard me And saved me from My enemies. The Son of God Surrounds His saints He will deliver them He will deliver them.
Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good Oh blessed is he Who hides in Him. Oh fear the Lord Oh all you saints He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. (Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Repeat) (Let us bless the Lord Every day and night Never ending praise May our incense rise. Repeat 4 times)
Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. {Repeat} Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything…He’ll give you everything. …He’ll give you everything…’
Now there’s an indisputable fact friends! If we continually worship the Lord like Bruh David says in the Psalm, He will give us everything! And by the way, that was a marvellous version; all heaven was singing along with us. As this commentary says: ‘I just imagine being in heaven worshipping with this magnificent choir, just magnifying our great God! Hallelujah!!’
Then this other commentary tells it thus: ‘Every time I listen to this song, I imagine myself along with all the other saints in heaven worshipping. This song carries a strong anointing. You can feel the presence of the heavenly hosts. The worship that the people utter after the song is like Heaven, every, race, every tongue raising up their voices in one accord unto the King of Kings.’ And that’s exactly how it ought to be!
It’s also interesting how the writer of the song only took verses 3-10 from the psalm and created such a wonderful song. But that happens when you are spiritually inspired by the Lord of the universe. Now here’s how Bruh David began the psalm: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.’ (Ps. 34:1-2) Then he goes into the verses used in the song, about magnifying and exalting the Lord with him etc.
And the basis of the psalm comes from 1 Samuel 21, where Bruh David was running away from King Saul and lied to the priest Ahimelech about a secret mission for the king, and because the mission was so urgent, he never had time to procure food nor weapons. Ahimelech believed him, and gave him the ceremonial hallowed shew bread, which was all he had, as well as the sword that Bruh David had taken from Goliath after he killed him. And I like Bruh David’s response to Ahimelech’s comment about Goliath’s sword being the only weapon available. ‘And David said, There is none like that; give it me.’ (1 Sam .21:9b) He should know. (smile)
Then Bruh David ran to Gath, to the land of the Philistines, to Achish the king of Gath, for succour, feigning madness. Consequently, as the scholars explain, the psalm bears all the marks of the testimony of one who narrowly escaped death, just as the passage in Samuel describes. As such it contains the praise and testimony of the one who was redeemed (vs. 1-10) and the seasoned instruction that can stem from such deliverance (vs. 11-22).’
Ah mih people, trials and tribulations are a natural aspect of this evil and ungodly world, and there’s much we can learn from the way the faithful heroes who preceded us handled them, so please, let’s not just read and gloss them over, but study them and try to put them into practice in our lives. It will be ever so beneficial to us! Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing better believers can do…than magnify and exalt the Lord’s name together…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: about the tough rows I've hoed, according to his riches in glory, all at once, all things work together for good, and was dead, appreciate what we have, battle to the death, be in good health, be of good cheer, Bible, called according to His purpose, christianity, Christians are not pushovers, consider one another, courage, don't know our right hand from our left, don't worry about that much, Drinking from my Saucer, earthly sojourn, eternal second death, ever-faithful, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, fight the enemy, giving up is never an option, go along life's journey, God never fails, God will provide for all of our needs, God's strength is made perfect in my weakness, gospel truth, have the keys of hell and death, He is faithful that promised, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, I am alive for evermore, I am he that liveth, I encourage you today, i have overcome the world, I pronounce a blessing on your life, I shall not want, I thank God for all his blessings, I'm already blessed enough, I'm happy anyhow, I've got a friend in jesus, I've never made a fortune, I'll not ask for other blessings, if God gives me strength, in Jesus economy, in me ye might have peace, in the name of Jesus, Jabez, Jesus Christ, learn to be contented, like clockwork, living in LOVE, Lord help me not to grumble and complain, LOVE, mano a mano, may I never be too busy, mercy, my faith wore somewhat thin, never never give up, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, our cup is overflowing, our Triune God, reaping better than I sow, remain steadfast in faith, salvation, sometimes the going's rough, staying faithful, stop complaining, sweet sacrifices of praise, thanks be to God who gives us the victory, that makes me rich enough, the dark clouds broke, the last days, The Lord is my shepherd, the mercies he's bestowed, the sun peeped through again, times things went wrong, to go on living, to help others bear their loads, to provoke unto love and good works, to them that love God, too late now, trials and tribluations, truth, upon your family, We can do all things through Christ, when the way grows steep and rough, wisdom, you must prosper, you see the day approaching
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Oh friends, if there’s one thing we know it’s that one day follows the next like clockwork, because that’s the way God made it. That means Sunday always follows Saturday, which further means that it’s time for true believers in Jesus Christ to gather in His sanctuary, or wherever possible, to engage in fellowship with Him and with each other. And we’ll open today’s fellowship with a true and sincere song by Jamaican Gospel Artiste Jabez, titled ‘Drinking From My Saucer, from his album God Never Fails!
And we all know that as gospel truth! So let’s offer up some sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid tempo, soulful rendition of this truth-laden song. But before we sing, we pray: ‘We Worship You Lord, we worship You with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds.’ Then, singing: ‘I’ve Never Made A Fortune, And It’s Probably Too Late Now, Oh, but I Don’t Worry About That Much, Cause I’m Happy Anyhow. And As I Go Along Life’s Journey, I’m Reaping Better Than I Sow. I’m Drinking From My Saucer, Because My Cup Has Overflowed.
I haven’t Got A Lot Of Riches, And Sometimes The Going’s Rough, But I’ve Got a friend in Jesus, And That Makes Me Rich Enough. I Thank God For all His Blessings on me, And The Mercies He’s Bestowed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. I Remember Times When Things went Wrong, And my Faith Wore Somewhat Thin, But All At Once The Dark Clouds Broke, And the Sun Peeped Through Again,’
(Monologue:) ‘You know, right now you may be going through some rough times in your life, but I’m here to encourage you today, not to give up. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! I pronounce a blessing upon your life, upon your family. You must prosper and be in good health in the name of Jesus. I believe it with all my heart.’
(Singing:) ‘So Lord, Help Me Not To Grumble and complain About The Tough Rows That I’ve Hoed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. And If God Gives Me Strength And Courage to go on living, When The Way Grows Steep And Rough I’ll Not Ask For Other Blessings Jesus, For I’m Already Blessed Enough, And May I Never Be Too Busy, To Help Others Bear Their Loads, Then I’ll Keep Drinking From My Saucer Lord, Because My Cup Has Overflowed! Yes, I’ll keep drinking from my saucer Lord, Cause my cup has overflowed, Oh my cup has overflowed…. Yes My cup has overflowed… Thank You Lord, that my cup has overflowed…’
Ah mih people, almost all of us believers can agree on the truth of those words, encompassing the many trials we’ve experienced, but also the many blessings that the Lord has bestowed on us during our lifetime, especially in those times when we didn’t know our right hand from our left, or what step to take next. And that’s the beauty of our Triune God, He saves us, just when we’re about to go under. And though we might never accumulate many riches, we will always be contented if we walk with the Lord, for as Bruh David says in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps.23:1)
Now that should stop all worries, but He’s also promised that we can do all things through His strength, (Phil. 4:13) and will provide for all our needs, (Phil. 4:19), as well as His strength is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9) And we all know one of His many names is Ever-Faithful, so what’s there to be worried about eh?
Remember what the author of Hebrews also writes: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25)
Yes friends, that’s what we ought to be doing: staying faithful, living in LOVE, gathering to celebrate our faith and encouraging each other to do good works. And that’s especially important in these evil and ungodly times, when it seems like the last days are upon us. Now, more than ever, we need to be strong and take on the enemy, mano a mano and let him know that we Christians are not pushovers, but mighty in Christ Jesus, willing to battle him to the death!
And although many of us are still finding the going tough, believe me, we’re living better than most of the world, so let’s stop complaining and appreciate all that we have, for compared to may others, our cup is truly overflowing, so that we must drink from our saucer. Let’s also remember, that in Jesus’ economy, giving up is never an option. Those words don’t occur in His vocabulary.
And we need to hold on to this awesome promise found in Romans: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) That assures us that although things might go wrong during our earthly sojourn, in the end, the Lord will make it all right. Remember how Cousin Sol said it in Ecclesiastes: ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.’ (Eccl. 7:8)
In other words, ‘The end of a matter being better than the beginning highlights the importance of perseverance. We are encouraged to remain steadfast in our faith and actions.’ And that’s what following Jesus is all about; remaining steadfast and strong, true and faithful, despite the trials and tribulations we will undoubtedly face. And what better words to end with than these most reassuring one from Jesus, where He encourages the disciples thus: ‘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 we know that’s true because Bruh Paul says it in his first letter to the Corinthians: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor, 15:57) Meaning that ‘Jesus broke the power of sin and its relationship to death. His death on the cross paid for our sins so that believers will not face the eternal second death. His resurrection from the dead conquered death.’ And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, you might believe Jesus Himself when He says to John in Revelation: ‘I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (hades) and death.’ (Rev. 1:18)
Now, if you can’t believe Jesus, then something’s seriously wrong with your faith, and you’d better check it out immediately. Much LOVE!
…though trials will come…if we stand steadfast and true…the faithful promises of God…will help us triumph over them…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all that I owe, all the dark clouds hung over me, an outward indication of an inner condition, as the manner of some is, as ye see the day approaching, being so kind, caused me to smile again, consider one another, every time I lift my eyes to the sky, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, fellowshipping, find myself back under the cloud, follow you wherever you go, gathering in the Lord's house on the Sabbath, give thanks and praise, glory, heartfelt rendition, holy spirit, honour, I found to be true, I give to you, I remember loved ones, I surrender all, I'm reminded of a time in my life, in search of a key, in the midst of the rain, Jesus Christ, lost inside, LOVE, mentally incapacitated persons, mercy, my heart was so full of pain, my life was awesomely changed, my mind heart and soul, my morning star, not a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, one of a kind, out of the stem of Jesse, power, praise, reciprocal encouragement, refuse to believe in Jesus, renewing our confidence, rescued my soul, salvation, so much more, stir up hatred, the breath of life, the fulfillment of the messianic promise, the name that's above every other name, the root and offspring of Jesse, there will never be another, there's nothing better, these eyes can see, things would get better with time, this love I find in you, to provoke unto love and good works, to sing, to whom all knees will bow, touching situations, truth, uplifting our faith, what compares to all that you are, worship, you are everything, you're nothing like the others, your love took control
Hebrews 10:25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
And it’s the first Sunday in this new year of 2025, so let’s hope many of us turn out to worship and fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary today. As they would say, let’s begin the year on the right foot, so that it can become a habit for the whole year. (smile) Ah friends, there’s nothing like gathering in the Lord’s house on the Sabbath to sing, give thanks and praise with other believers, while renewing and uplifting our faith and confidence for the upcoming week.
And before we go any further, let’s remember this most important scripture re fellowshipping, that’s getting together to worship God. The author of Hebrews admonishes us thus: ‘And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:24-25)
And I like how the scholars explain that scripture. ‘It is easy to stir up hatred and godless deeds; it takes much more to stir up another to LOVE and good works.’ And we can do that best when we assemble together. ‘But the admonition to assemble together involves far more than an erratic attendance. It involves the entire worship of Christ and is an outward indication of an inner condition.
The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (cf. Col. 3:12-16). It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor. 12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine.’
And having read and inwardly digested all of that, let’s do it; let’s worship and fellowship and encourage each other, beginning with this beautiful Christian, soulful ballad, titled ‘In the Midst of the Rain,’ taken from the Bebe Winans album titled ‘In Harm’s Way. So, without further ado, let’s offer up sweet sacrifices of praise to the One who selflessly suffered so much on our behalf, without ever complaining.
Singing: ‘Every time I lift my eyes to the sky, I’m reminded of a time in my life, When all the dark clouds hung over me, I was lost inside, in search of a key. I remember LOVED ones being so kind, Saying things would get much better with time. And I admit sometimes they did for a while, And then I’d find myself back under the cloud (Chorus: Right in the midst of the rain, My heart was so full of pain. Jesus, You came and rescued my soul, And then your LOVE took control. Right in the midst of the rain, You caused me to smile again. My life was awesomely changed, Right in the midst of the rain.)
When it comes right down to just you and me, There’s nothing better now that these eyes can see. And tell me what compares to all that you are? You are everything, yes, my morning star! My mind, my heart and soul I now give to you. I’m under your command so what can I do? Cause I surrender all, all that I owe, And will follow wherever you go. (Chorus)
There will never be another, Cause You’re nothing like the others. This LOVE I find in you; I found to be true! Right in the midst of the rain, My heart was so full of pain. But Jesus, You came and rescued my soul, And then your LOVE took control. Right in the midst of the rain, You caused me to smile again. My life was awesomely changed, Right in the midst of the rain.’
Oh my people, I believe we did justice to that song, with our soulful, sincere and heartfelt rendition. Heaven was impressed. And brother, that song truly shows how much our Jesus LOVES us; reaching out to us in touching situations like rescuing our souls right in the midst of a terrible downpour, when we feel so lost and alone. And having done that, then His amazing LOVE simply takes control of our lives and leads us down the right path, the straight and narrow one.
No wonder the song can say without any doubts: ‘There will never be another, Cause You’re nothing like the others. This LOVE I find in you; I found to be true!’ And why not? If Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, (John 14:6) it cannot be anything else but that! And I particularly like the line that says: ‘My life was awesomely changed, right in the midst of the rain.’ That’s exactly how Jesus captures our hearts; right in the darkest and most unexpected times.
And furthermore: ‘When it comes right down to just you and me, There’s nothing better now that these eyes can see. And tell me what compares to all that you are? You are everything, yes, my morning star!’ Oh friends, there’s nothing or nobody in this universe that compares to Jesus. Never was, and never will be! Of that we can be very sure. He’s the proverbial, one of a kind, for whom the mold was destroyed after He was conceived. (smile)
And there’s no doubt that Jesus is indeed our morning star. Listen to Him talking in Revelation. ‘I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.’ (Rev. 22:16) And the scholars tell us that as the root of the offspring of David, Jesus is the fulfillment of the messianic promise of Isaiah 11:1. which says: ‘And there shall come forth a rod (shoot) out of the stem (stock or trunk) of Jesse (Bruh David’s father), and a Branch shall grow (bear fruit) out of his roots.’
And as the bright and morning star, Jesus will eventually bring in the new age: the messianic kingdom. So, there you have it my fellow believers, very good grounds for worshipping Jesus the way we do! All power and praise and glory be to our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the name that’s above every other name, to whom ALL knees will eventually bow!
Yes friends, He certainly deserves all the pomp and glory with which we honour Him! So, let’s keep on doing it nuh, as long as the breath of life flows through our mortal bodies! Much LOVE!
…only mentally incapacitated persons…who hear Jesus’ story…can ever refuse to believe in Him… (smile)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that labour and are heavy laden, as the manner of some is, as ye see the day approaching, assurance of being heard by God, Bible, Christ as a son over his own house, come boldly to the throne of grace, come to seek and save, come unto me, confidence by faith in Christ, draw near with boldness, encouraging, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, find grace to help, find rest unto your souls, freedom of speech, gentle and humble, god, guilt and sin, have stopped my mouth, he that built all things is God, holy spirit, I will give you rest, in time of need, in whom we have boldness, Indian summer, Jehovah is the sinner's freind, Jesus Christ, Jesus fills the throne, know the hell of sin within, lay your load at Jesus feet, lean of me, LOVE, makes the blind to see, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, my burden light, my yoke is easy, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, obtain mercy, pay our sin debt in full, poor bankrupt souls, reassuring, salvation, set the prisoner free, sweet sacrifices of praise, sympathize with our weaknesses, take my yoke upon you, that which was lost, the great invitation, the Lord will take you in, the Lord's Sabbath, the right of entering into god's presence, the sinner lost He came to save, the Son of man, touched with the feeling of our infirmities, truth, was in all points tempted like us, was without sin, we have not a high priest, wisdom, ye wretched sinners come
Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
And another beautiful Indian summer day is in the offing for the Lord’s Sabbath. That makes it even more encouraging and intriguing for us to make our way to His sanctuary to give Him praise and thanks for all His many blessings and to fellowship with other believers, as it is right to do. The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:25)
And it is necessary to pray on one’s own, but worshipping together gives the chance to encourage each other, to strengthen and stir up each other which can only be gained by fellowshipping together. And having said all of that, let’s get right to our song for today. It’s one we all know and like, with the apt title of ‘Come Boldy to the throne of Grace.’ Yes, it’s very encouraging and reassuring, so let’s offer up sweet sacrifices of praise in a sincere, soulful, mid-tempo version of this marvellous song.
Singing: ‘Come boldly to the throne of grace, Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet, And plead what He has done. How can I come? Some soul may say, I’m lame and cannot walk; My guilt and sin have stopped my mouth, I sigh, but dare not talk. Come boldly to the throne of grace, Though lost, and blind, and lame; Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same. He makes the dead to hear His voice; He makes the blind to see, The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free.
Come boldly to the throne of grace, For Jesus fills the throne; and those He kills, He makes alive; He hears the sigh or groan; Poor bankrupt souls, Who feel and know, the hell of sin within; Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in. Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in…the Lord will take you in…Yes the Lord will take you in…take you in.’
And that’s no lie my brethren! If you come boldly or confidently to the throne of grace, our ever-faithful God will surely take you in. That’s one thing about Him, He never turns away anyone who comes to Him in all sincerity and truth. And what’s the basis for this confidence? It all springs from these Bible verses in Hebrews.
‘For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities (is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses), but was in all points tempted like as we are (but one who was tempted in every way that we are), yet was without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain (receive) mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:15-16)
Oh friends, isn’t it wonderful that we have a high priest who can empathize with our problems, because He also faced them, but was without sin, thus was eligible to die on the cross at Calvary and pay our sin debt in full? It most certainly is! That means we can take any problem to Him and He will understand. There are also a couple of other scriptures that encourage us to have confidence and boldness in our faith.
This one also comes from Hebrews. ‘For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after (afterward); But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.’ (Heb. 3:4-6)
Yes my people, every one else is a servant in someone else’s house, but Christ as the Son of God, has His own house to which we belong, if we continue to be confident and faithful to Him. And this scripture from the passage in Ephesians that speaks about the Unsearchable Riches of Christ also encourages us to have boldness and confidence. It says: ‘In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of (in) him.’ (Eph. 3:12)
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘This verse affirms that Christians have boldness (freedom of speech before God) and access (the right of entering His presence) with confidence (assurance of being heard by God), by the faith of him (through relying upon Christ to gain God’s ear).’ We certainly can’t ask for any more than that my fellow believers. But the wonderful thing about our God is that He gives us more through Christ Jesus, even though we don’t deserve it.
And if we look at the statements of the song, they all claim that we are lost, blind, lame, unworthy, sinners, guilty etc., not worthy to come to Jesus, but there are many facts to the contrary. Remember what Jesus Himself said? ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:10) He is also the friend to each and every sinner. Was from the beginning, and will be until the very end. But this one line tells the whole story ‘Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet.’
For what does Jesus offer to those who are overburdened? The Great Invitation! ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (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)
Yes my fellow saints, that’s Christ invitation to all and sundry to come to Him, regardless of your woes. There’s no one He will refuse. So please, let’s take advantage of the invitation today nuh, and go to Jesus for help, whatever kind of help we may need, because He is the ONLY ONE who can solve all our problems, and will certainly not turn us away, despite our sorry plight. In fact, the sorrier our plight, the more Jesus desires us to come to Him for help. Let’s never forget that! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is only a sincere plea away…for help
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new heart also will I give you, a new spirit will I put within you, Amy Sky, as ye see the day approaching, Bible, can't find your direction, cause you to walk in my statutes, christianity, clean from all your filthiness, come unto me all ye that labour, communal worship, compassion, consider one another, create in me a clean heart, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, finding strength through surrender, god, heavy laden, I will give you rest, idols, in your holding in, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep my judgements, kept on our toes, let go and let God, let the signs remind you, lost the will to trust, LOVE, no spark to feed the flame, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, Olivia Newton John, pressure, renew a right spirit within me, Sabbath Day, sprinkle clean water upon you, strain, surrender, the great invitation, the well of hope runs dry, to stir up unto love and good works, we are passengers, wisdom, your courage fails you, your dreams are broken in the dust, your faith is a dying fire, your heart won't guide you home
Ezekiel 36:26a. A new heart also I will give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:
So it’s another Sunday, another Sabbath Day in the long string that permeates our lives! And all for our good too, because it keeps us calm and on our toes, as on each Sunday, we fellowship in God’s sanctuary with other believers, encouraging and exhorting each other in our Christian faith. And for those who don’t thing that gathering together in fellowship is worthwhile, then they’d better think again and read the wise words of Hebrews.
‘And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:24-25) Yes friends, it’s rather important that we gather together regularly to encourage, strengthen and stir up each other, by participating in communal worship and fellowship as the body of Christ.
And as we do every Sunday, let’s open with a song of praise by the Australian performer Olivia Newton-John titled ‘Let Go and Let God,’ which comes from her Grace and Attitude Album. It was composed by Newton-John, American pianist- composer Kim Bullard and Canadian singer-songwriter Amy Sky.
It’s a song about finding strength through surrender, something Olivia Newton-John did after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. Her cancer returned in 2017 and again in 2020, but she remained resolute, telling the Guardian: “I see it as my life’s journey. It gave me purpose and intention and taught me a lot about compassion.” Unfortunately though she passed away in 2022, at the age of 73.
And now that we have some idea of the song’s origin and purpose, let’s offer it up in sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, heartfelt attitude of surrender. Singing: ‘When you can’t find your direction, and your heart won’t guide you home – Let go -and let God. When your dreams are broken in the dust, and you’ve lost the will to trust – Let go – and let God.
(Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – In your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in.) When your faith is a dying fire, and there’s no spark to feed the flame – Let go – and let God. When your courage fails you, and the well of hope runs dry – Let go – and let God.
(Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – In your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in, in your holding in.) Let the signs remind you -to surrender, to surrender, to Let go – and let God, let go- and let God’
Oh my people, there are no better or wiser five words we can ever use in this life, than ‘Let go -and let God!’ That s for certain sure, because when we do that, when we totally surrender to Almighty God, our Creator and Provider, then there’s no strain or pressure on us, because He takes it all and sees us through whatever problems we might encounter in this evil and ungodly world!
And yuh better believe that there are numerous occasions for us to just let it all go and let God. Like the song says: When you’re directionless, and your heart can’t guide you home… When your dreams are broken in the dust, and you’ve lost the will to trust…there’s no better advice than to let go, to surrender, and let God do what only He can do: that’s restore our sense of direction and trust, renew a right heart in us, and give us back the dreams we’ve lost along the way.
Like Bruh David says to the Lord in Psalm 51, where he’s pleading for forgiveness of his sin with Bathsheba: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps. 51:10) And that’s exactly what the Lord will do for us when we reach the breaking point and surrender our all to Him. And it’s not like He didn’t promise the nation of Israel to do just that long ago through the prophet Ezekiel.
Hear these lifesaving words: ‘Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also I will give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:25-27)
Oh friends, that’s exactly what God does when we turn our whole lives over to Him; He makes us right with Him through the sacrificial work of His Son Jesus Christ, cleansing us, giving us a new heart of LOVE, and putting His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to lead, guide and comfort us. One can’t ask for more than that! And all we have to do is cry out to Him in all sincerity!
So, ‘When your faith is a dying fire, and there’s no spark to feed the flame… When your courage fails you, and the well of hope runs dry,’ as we all experience from time to time, that’s the moment to let Go and let God! The time to surrender and let Him run the show. For remember, we’re only passengers down here; this is not our home, and there are signs all over reminding us of that salient fact.
Oh my fellow believers, what will it take for us to truly give our all to Christ eh? He’s more than willing and able to take all that we have and make our way straight. Remember His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28)
Now, there could not be a better invitation that that, especially in this evil and ungodly world in which we’re currently living, where so many of us are indeed labouring and carrying heavy burdens. So today, let’s stop trying to do it in our own strength nuh, because we simply cannot, but God can. Therefore, let’s be wise and… Let go – and let God! Much LOVE!
…life is filled with many ups and down…and the ONLY One who can truly pull us up…is Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine, a God of truth, a profound understanding of salvation, all else is sinking sand, as ye see the day approaching, builds his house on a rock, builds his house on sinking sand, christianity, confidence, Edward Mote, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, for other foundation can no man lay than Jesus, god, God is the Rock, God's grace, his work is perfect, holy spirit, hope, i rest upon unchanging love, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the only reliable One, Jesus' blood and righteousness, LOVE, my anchor holds, My hope is built on nothing less, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, on Christ the solid rock I stand, salvation, self-esteem, the truths of God's Word, trust His righteous character, truth, wisdom, with trumpet sound, without iniquity, worship
1 Corinthians 3:11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Aye friends, at long last it’s Sunday, and we get to visit, worship and fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary! Wow! What a blessed time that will be! For there’s no other occasion like it, one that can renew our spirits and lift our confidence and self-esteem sky high! And that’s the great benefit of assembling together in the Lord’s house. How did the author of Hebrews put it? ‘And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:24-25)
And according to the scholars; ‘The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (Col. 3:12-16). It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor. 12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine.’ And today we’re going to stir up each other in worship and fellowship beginning with the magnificent hymn authored by the Englishman Edward Mote, in the mid-nineteenth century, titled ‘My Hope is Built on Nothing Less.’
Now, according to this commentary, ‘Mote wrote just one hymn in his lifetime. From what we know of his life, “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less” was just as much an anthem of his own testimony as it has become for believers all over the world. Having grown up knowing nothing of God or His existence, Mote first attended church and became a Christian as a young adult. While still a new believer, he was compelled to try his hand at hymn writing. Thus, Mote wrote from a basic, yet profound understanding of his salvation.
Later that same week, he visited a married couple at the wife’s sickbed. Without a hymnal handy to lead them in a song of worship, Mote produced a folded-up piece of paper upon which he had worked out four verses and a chorus. Together, they sang the hymn now known as “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less” for the first time, blessed by the truths of God’s Word in the lyrics.’ Then Mote became a Baptist Minister for the last 26 years of his life.
So now that we know some of the song’s history, let’s offer it up in sweet sacrifices of praise, in a joyful, up tempo beat, with lots of scintillating music, because it’s a song that tells of the Lord’s saving grace, and nothing in the universe can bring more joy than that. So, singing: ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. (Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.) When darkness veils his lovely face I rest on His unchanging grace In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil. (Refrain)
His oath, his covenant, his blood Supports me in the ‘whelming flood When all around my soul gives way He then is all my hope and stay. (Refrain) Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move; I rest upon unchanging LOVE. I trust his righteous character, his counsel, promise, and his pow’r. [Refrain] When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand. Oh thank You Lord…You solid rock…’
Yes my fellow believers, that’s sure-fire cause for joy and rejoicing because Christ is the sole means of our salvation. Our hope is truly built on nothing less than Jesus. For He alone gives us the assurance and hope of safety and refuge in this ungodly world that we so desperately need. Now, let’s see if we can break down the song so that we can better understand it. One commentary breaks it down thus: ‘The first stanza declares God’s grace; stanzas 2 and 3 concern the application of that grace in times of trouble. In the final stanza, Mote brings his hymn full circle with the ultimate realization of God’s grace.’
And the chorus of the song ‘On Christ the Solid Rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand,’ is based on Jesus’ parable of the wise man who builds his house on a rock, that stands strong when the storms of life come, as opposed to the foolish one who builds on the sand, and it is completely washed away when the rains and the floods come. (Matt. 7:24-27) Obviously Christ is the solid rock on which we can all stand. As Moses says of God in his song: ‘He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement (justice): a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut. 32:4)
And that’s no lie friends! Our God is great and perfect. There’s’ no other like Him, that’s why we can place our complete trust in His Promises, His Word, and His Son! Meanwhile, in Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he writes: ‘According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 3:10-11)
And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Christ is the only true and solid foundation on which mankind can build because of the power and authority bestowed on Him for His overwhelming sacrifices on our behalf. ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.’ (Matt. 28:18) And someone asks, what does it mean to trust the sweetest frame? Well this commentary explains it thus: ‘The sweetest frame, means the best person you could ever find (frame = human body). I dare not trust that person (however dependable, clever or strong they are) but wholly trust in Jesus’ name (because he is the One who is truly faithful, good and perfect and He became my sin-bearer at the cross).’
Ah friends, it’s so wonderful to have Jesus as our Be All and End All! That means we have to turn to NO ONE ELSE, but Him for whatever we need. And that’s certainly a good feeling. Then there’s this other question: What does “my anchor holds within the veil” mean? According to this commentary, it means that “In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.” Nothing can separate us from the LOVE of Christ because nothing can un-anchor Him from us, or us from Him. No storms of sin, no gales of guilt, no floods of fear.’
Oh what a wonderful fact! Nothing whatsoever can separate us from Jesus as Bruh Paul so surely proclaims in his letter to the Romans. ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:38-39)
Now, there couldn’t be a better scripture for us to take away from our fellowship today my fellow saints, so please, let’s write it deep in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, to give us the reassurance and confidence we so badly need in these desperate and troubled times! Much LOVE!
…Jesus Christ…the ONLY reliable ONE in this crazy world…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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