18 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant provision, according to his riches in glory, all the days of my life, all these things shall be added unto you, an honoured guest, another work week, be eternally grateful, by Christ Jesus, Christians, divine intervention, do our part, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, ease the pain, eternal celebration of God's goodness, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, for His name's sake, he leads me beside the still waters, he makes me lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, holy spirit, humble servants, I am the good shepherd, I will fear no evil, improve our Christian witness, in the presence of mine enemies, independent, it's all for our benefit, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lack any good thing, leads me in the paths of righteousness, live a life befitting the name of Christ, live the life God desires of us, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, mighty lions, my cup runneth over, my God shall supply all your needs, Praise the Lord, pray, prosper us, protector and provider, rebellious and disobedient sheep, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, self-sufficient, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek your face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, strong faith in Christ, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, the BIBLE, the God who heals, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the many suffering from negative situations, the role of God, the throne of grace, the utopian dream of sheep, the valley of the shadow of death, the very essence of God, things are on the upswing, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to alleviate our problems, truth, turn from our evil ways, vindication before one's enemies, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack any good thing).
Well, well, well! If it isn’t another Monday, meaning the start of another work week. And it’s a different one too, not as hot as the last few, and it might just get up above the twenty degree mark, with a cool breeze to keep things in order. (smile) Even yesterday wasn’t that hot, and we did have some more rain in the afternoon. So hopefully, things are on the upswing now, with fewer very hot days. I even got to sit comfortably on my porch yesterday afternoon and watch the people passing by. Praise the Lord!
And since the sun is shining brightly, and the birds are singing sweetly, why don’t we give the Lord some sincere praise and thanks for allowing us to see another beautiful day on His marvellous earth? And what better way to do that than through the most beautiful and most appropriate words of Bruh David from Psalm 23. So please declare with me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack any good thing). He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still (calm) waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:1-6)
Wow! What beautiful sentiments…and they are all true too! And I like how the scholars put it: ‘The psalm has been a favourite of God’s people through the ages and with due reason: it expresses as simply and clearly as any the role of God as our protector and provider in life. The charm of the psalm rests on two figures of speech: the Lord is compared to a shepherd and the believer to his sheep (vs. 1-4); then the Lord is likened to a host with the believer as the guest (vs. 5-6).’
And the image of the Lord as being a shepherd is not a new one, you can find it all through the Bible. In the Old Testament for instance in Ps. 78:52; 80:1; Is. 40:11; Jer. 31:10; and Ezek. 34:11. Then in the New Testament in Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; Rev. 7:16-17. And this one in John, which comes from the mouth of the shepherd Himself, where Jesus informs us: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that is exactly what He did; selflessly give His sinless life as atonement for our horrible sins against Almighty God!
Oh friends, Bruh David catches the very essence of God in those few verses, like no one else has ever done. So let’s look at some of the sentiments nuh. For instance, ‘I shall not want.’ That means the Lord his shepherd will provide all he needs. Jesus also said it loud and clear: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And Bruh Paul corroborated that in his letter to the Philippians, when he writes: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
And what more can we ask for, when he makes us to lie down in pastures of green grass beside quiet and calm waters eh? Nothing! Because that is the utopian dream of sheep! (smile) Then He restores our souls, and leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. The Lord is surely powerful and merciful, if He can and is willing to do those things. And Bruh David certainly believed that, as he confidently declared in Psalm 31: ‘For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.’ (Ps. 31:3) And please note that it’s all in God’s name, all for His glory, not for ours.
And do I ever like the next verse, about walking through the valley of the shadow of death and not fearing. But why should we fear, when it’s only a shadow of death, and a shadow can do us no harm. But nonetheless, the Lord will not allow us to go through terrible times without being present at our side and helping us through them. For that’s what a good shepherd does!
Now here’s this interesting affirmation from the scholars. ‘Believers are never pictured in Scripture as mighty lions, independent and self-sufficient; rather, they are sheep who are dependent on their Shepherd for His provision and protection. But the Believer is more than a dependent sheep, however, he is also like an honoured guest, since the Lord prepares a table for him. Connected with this honoured position is abundant provision, vindication before one’s enemies, and eternal celebration of God’s goodness.’
No wonder that despite all of my failures, the Lord will still treat me as an honoured guest, preparing a table of lavish provision right in the presence of mine enemies; so much so that my cup overflows with His goodness and mercy, which will lead to a wonderful life with Him through all eternity. What more can one ask for eh my brethren! Absolutely nothing else! Christians are the ONLY ONES who have a gracious, merciful and forgiving God, who is not afraid to extend Himself to meet the needs of His people! For that we ought to be eternally grateful and live a life that’s befitting the name of Christ.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking grace and mercy in these desperate times. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, going to God in prayer is fine, but we won’t see divine intervention until we do our part and live the life God desires of us. And we all know where we’re faltering, so let’s be wise and improve our Christian witness nuh! Remember, it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…the Lord’s a good shepherd…but it doesn’t matter if the sheep are rebellious and disobedient…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brutish man knoweth not, a good living, as the heavens are higher than the earth, come to know and love him like we do, duty bound, finite understanding, God's infinite ways nd thoughts, holiday, holy spirit, how great are thy works, hurry, I will be glad and rejoice in thee, I will declare all all thy marvellous works, I will praise thee O Lord, I will sing praise to thy name, I will triumph in the works of thy hands, in every thing give thanks, in god's eyes, indisputable truth, internet connection, it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, man's most important tasks, mercy, more heat warnings, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, my ways are not your ways, neither doth a fool understand this, O thou most High, Praise the Lord, pray without ceasing, rejoice evermore, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, so are my ways higher than yours, the beloved of God, the big part the internet plays in our lives, the whole wide world, this is the day the Lord has made, this is the will of God in Christ concerning you, thou hast made me glad through thy work, thy faithfulness every night, thy thoughts are very deep, to love the Lord, to show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom, with my whole heart, worry, your word is spread worldwide
Psalm 9:1. I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth (tell of) all thy marvellous works.
So it’s Tuesday, the middle of the month of July, another hot day with more heat warnings, and thankfully I’ve finally gotten my internet reconnected. Yes friends, I need to apologize for not publishing a blog since last Friday. But that was because I lost my internet connection on Friday afternoon, and just got it reconnected today. It seems that that I wasn’t alone in my misery, (smile) there was a general outage in my area.
But Brother! You never realize what a big part that internet connection plays in our modern day lives until you don’t have it for some time. You simply feel lost; no phone, no television, no computer, no what’s ap messages! And you can only read so much. Although I have other things I could have done, I just was too lazy to do them, deciding instead to enjoy the holiday. (smile)
But that holiday is now over. Chuh man! Its’ back to the daily grind and common task; the everyday things that life is really about. So why don’t we do the appropriate thing in this situation, that’s give thanks to God for having our internet connection restored. For as Bruh Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18)
And all God’s children said: ‘Thank you Lord for the restored internet connection through which your Word is spread worldwide. And we pray that it will not be interrupted again, because that means your Word will not be transmitted to those who sincerely need it. We pray it in Jesus’ Name! Amen!’ And to continue in thanksgiving mode, these words of Psalm 9 titled ‘Praise for God’s Judgement,’ seem to be very appropriate. Bruh David writes: ‘I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth (tell of) all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.’ (Ps. 9:1-2)
Oh friends, those are the exact things that we were created for! To be glad and rejoice in God, as well as give Him thanks and praise and spread abroad His marvellous works. So many scriptures point them out that we could hardly forget them, although in our busy world lifestyle, we do. And we’re talking about scriptures like this seminal verse from Psalm 118, one we all know and quote, but don’t live up to as we ought. The psalmist writes: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
How many of us get up and say those words and then go out and have a most miserable day because in the busyness of the day, we have removed God from our thoughts? That’s why Bruh Paul instructed us to ‘Rejoice evermore, and to Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-17) When you have a glad heart filled with God, and you keep Him continually in your thoughts, then no matter what the world or it’s evil associates do, you won’t lose your peace and joy. For remember the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Neh. 8:10) That’s why we need to keep our joy in God as strong and continuous as possible.
Then these wonderful words of Psalm 92, titled ‘Give Thanks to the Lord’ say it all, my fellow believers. So please read with me: ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name O most High: To shew forth (declare) thy LOVING-KINDNESS in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lute or lyre); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonic, melodious) sound. For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish (senseless) man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.’ (Ps. 92:1-6)
What words of indisputable truth those are my brethren! We need to give thanks and praise to our great God, for it’s through Him that we have life and a good living, through His great works we enjoy all the benefits of the planet we’re living on, and it’s through His grace and mercy that we triumph in this difficult life. And it’s obvious that a senseless man or a fool cannot understand God’s greatness!
Even those of us who seek to do so will fall far short because as the prophet Isaiah declares on the Lord’s behalf: ‘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 higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9)
It’s as simple as that friends! The Lord God our Creator and Controller’s infinite ways and thoughts are so much higher than our puny and finite understanding. That means, as hard as we may try, we will never understand all that God does…not until we get to the other side. (smile) So it doesn’t make sense to fight what God says, just do it and say ‘Praise the Lord!’
And although all of that is much easier said than done, if we’re to be true believers and disciples of Christ, then we need to do what He says, remembering that He will never ask us to do something without giving us the wherewithal to do it. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to do His will, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, we’re duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…man’s most important tasks are…to LOVE the Lord…and give Him thanks and praise…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pardon receives, a sacrificial lamb, all ye servants, Alleluia, Amen, appreciation for wonderful things, both great and small, broke God's heart, celebrates the greatness of God, christianity, Christians, come to the Father, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, do all to the glory of God, Dwight L Moody, eternal death, faith, fall at the feet of the cross, Fanny Crosby, fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, fellowship, forgiveness of sins, give him the glory, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, God so loved the world, going up in the sky, great things he hath done, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he gave us his son, holy spirit, in atonement for sin, in word or deed, Ira Sankey, Jesus Christ, let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice, let the people rejoice, let us be glad and rejoice, LOVE, magnanimous gesture, mercy, one fine day, opened the lifegate, perfect redemption, praise our God, Praise the Lord, Praise ye the Lord, salvation, shout Hallelujah, so loved he the world, sweet sacrifices of praise, that all may go in, that great cloud of witnesses, that moment from Jesus, the BIBLE, the eternal union of Christ and the church, the four and twenty elders, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, the marriage of the Lamb is come, the promise of God, the purchase of blood, the Rapture, the vilest offender, the voice of many waters, the voice of mighty thunderings, through Jesus the son, to be sung rejoicefully, to every believer, To God be the glory, truth, visit the Lord's sanctuary, whatsoever ye do, whatsoever you do, whether therefore ye eat or drink, who truly believes, whoseover beleveth in him should not perish, wisdom, ye that fear him
1 Corinthians 10:31. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Sunday’s up friends, meaning it’s time to visit the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship with others and give the Lord thanks and praise for all He’s done, while being refreshed in body and soul to keep on fighting the good fight of faith in Jesus’ mighty name! And we have a great song of worship to sing today, one aptly titled ‘To God Be the Glory.’ It’s a hymn authored by that wonderful hymnist, Fanny Crosby. Although she was blind that didn’t stop her from writing oodles of beautiful hymns.
For this one, Fanny wrote the lyrics and William Howard Doane the music. It was written somewhere in the early 1870’s, but was first published in 1875 in Lowry and Doane’s song collection titled, ‘Brightest and Best.’ However, by then it was already popular in Britain, having been introduced there by the great gospel singer and composer Ira .D. Sankey during the evangelistic campaigns of Dwight L. Moody in 1873-1874.
And believe me, the song deserves to be among the brightest and best! For, as the Godtube website tells us: ‘To God Be the Glory’ celebrates the greatness of God and calls upon an appreciation for the wondrous things ‘He hath done.’ It is a glorious hymn to be sung rejoicefully in the spirit of gratitude.’ And that’s exactly how I want us to sing it today, full of rejoicing and gratitude, for all the wonderful things our great God has done for us. So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, very soulful and scintillating version, so that there’s no doubt that we’re truly grateful.
Singing: ‘To God be the glory, great things He hath done, so LOVED He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in. (Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.) O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
(Refrain) Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. (Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.)’
Ah mih people, that was a wonderful version, and as always, all heaven was singing along because we were giving glory to God, which is also part of their heavenly purpose, as the Good Book tells us: ‘And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts (creatures) fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear (reverence) him, both small and great.
And I heard as it were a voice of a great multitude, and as the voice (sound) of many waters, and as the voice (sound) of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.’ (Rev. 19:4-7)
Yes friends, our God is all-powerful and rules of His universe. And we need to rejoice and be glad of it. As per the marriage of the Lamb, it’s referring to the eternal union of Christ and the church when He comes to Rapture it. So if praise is necessary in heaven, why wouldn’t be the same here on earth eh?
And that’s what this song is all about. Right off the bat it informs us of God’s greatest gift, that of His son, Jesus Christ as a sacrificial lamb to provide forgiveness of our sins. And nothing says it better than this magnificent scripture that Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who came to Him by night seeking 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)
And the chorus, tells it like it ought to be: ‘Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.’ What more can you ask for when worshipping Almighty God eh?
Just look at all the Psalms from Psalm 146-150, all begin with ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!)’ Psalm 147 says: ‘Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praise unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely (beautiful).’ (Ps. 147:1) And so it is. Meanwhile Psalm 148 is a declaration that all God’s creation should praise Him. And Psalm 150 ends the Psalter with this marvellous command: ‘Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!) (Ps. 150:6)
So it’s not that we don’t know what to do, it’s just that we don’t do it. Although Bruh Paul keeps telling us in his epistles, that whatever we do, we must do it to the glory of God, highlighted by these two verses. ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ (1 Cor. 10:31) Then this one from Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:17)
And isn’t it wonderful how the song talks about the ‘perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.’ Wow! Where else can you get a pardon for all your vile sins except when you fall at the feet of the cross at Calvary where Christ shed His sinless blood to pay for the? Nowhere else my faithful believers!
That’s why God the Father deserves so much thanks and praise through Christ, for offering Him as a sacrificial Lamb on our behalf. And no doubt that magnanimous gesture broke God’s heart into a million pieces, like it would break ours if we had to give up our son as a sacrifice, especially for people who didn’t deserve nor appreciate it. But He did it, because He LOVED us so much and could not stand to see us all, His best creation, going to hell and eternal death with Satan.
And Fanny didn’t fail to let us know of bigger and better things to come, when she wrote: ‘Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.’ Yes friends, great will be our rejoicing when Jesus comes to get us at the Rapture, as we saw in the earlier scripture from Revelation! So now it’s all up to us to live the way we need to, if we want to be in that great cloud of witnesses going up in the sky one fine day! Much LOVE!
…God created us…and LOVES us dearly…and all He asks is…that we return His LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a battle between the forces of good and evil, a crown of righteousness, a tough nut to crack, a true believer, be glad also with exceeding joy, be reproached for the name of Christ, being constant in prayer, blasphemed, blessed are you, Christian fellowship, companionship in sorrow, depressing times, discomfort, disobeyed your word, divine aid, ease the pain, endure tough times, establishes the most intimate and lasting of ties, ethical death, exceeding joy, experience Christ's resurrection power, faith, finished my course, finished my race, for the prize of the high calling in God, fortunate to have a job, fought a good fight, getting to know Christ better, give thanks to Jesus, happy are ye, heavenly Father, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I press toward the mark, in times of need, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep pressing forward, keep your promise to prosper us, kept the faith, laid up for me, living for Jesus, LOVE, made more comformable to his death, make things right, mass confusion in our world, meditating on the scriptures, mercy, no sunday afternoon stroll, now ready to be offered, obtain a personal relationship with Christ, of the many suffering from negative situations, on their part he is evil spoken of, on your part he is glorified, one more day of life, physical death, Praise the Lord, pray, provide solace and comfort, rejoice, salvation, shall give me at that day, share in Christ's sufferings, show them your awesome grace and mercy, show this evil world, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek your face, smarten up, standing up for Jesus, stay close to Jesus, strong faith in Christ, suffer injustice for Christ's sake, suffer insults for Christ's sake, that I may know him, the fellowship of his sufferings, the fiery trial, the God who heals, the most intimate of ties, the only one, the power of his resurrection, the power that raised Christ from the dead, the power to solve our problems, the powers that be, the rewards are worth ipain, the righteous judge, the righteousness of God, the spirit of glory rests on you, the stormy winds of life howl around us, the throne of grace, the time of my departure is at hand, think it not strange, to alleviate our problems, truth, turn from our evil ways, unashamedly taking place, unnecessary purge, unto all them that love his appearing, walking with Jesus, we have all sinned, when his glory shall be revealed, wisdom, wise guidance, with each passing day, ye are partakers of Christ's suffering
Philippians 3:10. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
One more Monday, one more day of life! And those of us who are fortunate enough to have jobs to go to in these distressing and depressing times have better say ‘Praise the Lord!’ instead of complaining about the dreariness and frustration that the job might cause, for there are many who would take your jobs in a jiffy, as they have recently lost theirs in the current unnecessary purge that’s so unashamedly taking place. And it’s only going to get worse if the powers that be don’t smarten up and make things right.
That’s why we always have to give thanks to Jesus and stay close to Him, for He’s the ONLY ONE who can provide solace and comfort when the stormy winds of life howl around us. Yes, we ought to be saying like Bruh Paul did to the Philippians: ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.’ (Phil.3:10)
And the scholars give this explanation of that verse. ‘This verse may also be paraphrased : “In order that I may personally know Him, that I might both experience His resurrection power and share in His sufferings, and thus I will be more conformed to His death.” Paul wants “the righteousness … of God (vs. 9) so that he can obtain a personal relationship with Jesus in actual day-to-day experience. This knowledge of Christ is obtained by experiencing in daily problems, needs, ministry, and so forth, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.
Knowing Christ also entails participating in His sufferings. Paul desires to share in the Lord’s sufferings because they bring him into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him; companionship in sorrow establishes the most intimate and lasting of ties, as afflicted hearts cling to each other.
The result of participating in Christ’s suffering is that Paul is being made like Him in death. This word “death” has double meaning here, including inward and outward, ethical and physical death. As Jesus died in regard to sin on the cross, so Paul is doing more and more in his daily life. As Jesus was bodily slain, so the apostle, should Caesar’s verdict go against him, is prepared to be slain.’
Now, that is truly wanting to know Jesus! And thankfully, not all of us will be called to suffer on His behalf as Bruh Paul was. However, we all will have to endure some tough times if we are serious about living for Jesus. That’s just the way it is! There’s no other name in the world that can cause as much commotion and arguments than the name of Jesus.
So, if you intend to be a true believer, then you’d better prepare yourself to go through some stuff you won’t like. But the good thing about standing up for Jesus, is that the rewards are wonderful and certainly worth the pain and discomfort we might have to endure. Remember walking with Jesus is no Sunday evening stroll in the park, but a serious battle between the forces of evil and those of good.
Thus Peter wrote to the Jewish diaspora: ‘Beloved , think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.’ (1 Pet. 4:12-14)
Yes friends, we will all suffer insults and injustices for Christ’s sake, and it’s not always easy to overlook them, but we have to, with the thought that we are suffering for His sake, and therefore glorifying Him. Consequently we need to do as Bruh Paul later said to the Philippians: ‘I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:14) That means we have to keep pressing forward, getting to know Christ better with each passing day, by meditating on the scriptures, being constant in prayer and Christian fellowship.
So that at the end we can say like Bruh Paul said to Timothy. ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8)
Yes my faithful brethren, being a good and true disciple of Jesus is a tough nut to crack, but we can certainly do it, especially when we have the help of His Holy Spirit that indwells us. So, let’s do as we are commanded to in times of need; confidently but humbly go to the throne of grace in prayer. And we’ll do that through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
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 we can see from our prayer itself, that there are some things we need to do to receive divine aid, like humbling ourselves, praying and sincerely seeking God’s face. So please, let’s be wise and get to doing them nuh, so that we will be blessed with God’s awesome grace and mercy and forgiveness! Much LOVE!
…only as we sincerely seek to be more like Jesus…will we ever become more like Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, according to his excellent greatness, afraid, all things work together for good, at the hand of God, Bible, called according to His purpose, christianity, climate change, courage, creativity, Creator, curse, divine protection, duty bound, faith, faults and foibles, generously share our blessings, god, god of all comfort, God will help us fix whatever is wrong, help me understand everything in my heart, in the firmament of his power, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, let everything that hath breath praise the Lord, LOVE, mercy, negative word, not receive evil, praise God in his sanctuary, praise him for his mighty acts, Praise the Lord, Praise ye the Lord, promotion, prosper and succeed, receive us with loving arms, shall we receive good, shout Hallelujah, supernatural wisdom, sustainer, talent, the Great God Jehovah, Thursday Blessings, to them that love God, true believers in Christ, trust, truth, upon the loud cymbals, what I'm afraid to see, what I've never noticed, what is pure and good, what's holding me back, wisdom, with stringed instruments and organs, you'll never leave me to face anything alone, your truth sets me free
Psalm 150:6. Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).
Sorry Friends, but today, Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, doesn’t look like it will live up to the summer image of the last few days, sunny and warm. In fact, it’s been forecasted to be somewhat cool and cloudy. And though we’d like every day of the summer season to be seasonally summer, (smile) we know that’s not always possible, especially with the vagaries of climate change, it’s unpredictable, unexpected behaviour.
And furthermore, since we are true believers in Christ Jesus, we understand as Job says to his wife: ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil (calamity)?’ (Job 2:10) That’s a very good question my people, but we can accept the tough things that will happen in this life to all of us, because we also believe these words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Yes, in the long run, eventually, our great God will work everything out for our good, so we don’t have to worry too much about what happens in our daily lives. And here’s a prayer that can certainly help us to reduce our anxieties as we go about God’s business. It’s the prayer from the In Touch Devotional for this month.
So please pray with me: ‘God, sometimes I feel stuck and hesitate to talk to you about it. Maybe I’m afraid of what You’ll say. Give me the courage to pray these words: Father, help me understand everything in my heart – what is pure and good, what’s holding me back, what I’ve never noticed, and what I’m afraid to see. Help me remember Your truth sets me free and you’ll never leave me to face anything alone. I trust You, God of all comfort. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh friends, is there ever a lot of truth and reassurance in that simple prayer! And by the way, we don’t need courage to go to God, just faith and trust, because we know He’s made it so we can come to Him at any time with anything. Even when we’re so low down, we believe we cannot get any lower, all we have to do is turn to him and pour out our hearts, for He will understand and receive us with LOVING arms.
Remember, the Lord created us and He knows all of our faults and foibles, so nothing we do or happens to us, is news to Him. He just desires us to come to Him with all of our problems, be they big or small, because He enjoys taking an active part in our lives… all parts of them. So whatever is holding us back today, let’s go to God and pour it our to him. He LOVES to listen to us, and will help us fix what ever is wrong.
And as the prayer says, His truth sets us free, and He’ll NEVER leave us to face anything alone, because He’s a most faithful and trustworthy God, of LOVE, comfort, peace and joy! And all God’s children gave out a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Praise Him for his goodness and mercy to the undeserving children of men!’ And that just dovetails right into these amazing words of praise from Psalm 150. So let’s get right into it:
‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power (his mighty heavens). Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet (cornet): praise him with the psaltery (lute or lyre) and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).’ (Ps. 150. 1-6)
And isn’t that the god-awesome truth! Everything that has breath ought to praise the Lord, their Creator and Sustainer! Shout Hallelujah to Him in His high heaven and give Him thanks and praise for the marvellousness of His great creation; heaven and earth, the seas, and all that therein is!
What an amazing God we serve my people! One who can do any and everything. Just look at how His creation earth, heaven, the seas, Mother Nature run, like clockwork, without any help. Who else can create such an amazing entity eh? No One but the great God Jehovah, he of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That’s why we ought to worship and praise him with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, for without Him, we’re nothing!
And although we don’t deserve His awesome generosity, He still bestows it on us, for example in what we call our Thursday Blessings, given to help do His earthly work. So, let’s activate them now by declaring (chuh!!!) them. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings in the same generous manner to help others less fortunate. Much LOVE!
…there’s only ONE TRUE GOD…JEHOVAH…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a learned behaviour, affections and lusts, be desirous of vain glory, Bible, bounden duty, Christ in us, christianity, conceited, crucified the flesh, encying one another, faith, faithfulness, goodness, greed, holy spirit, how to abound, how to be abased, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have learned, in god's eyes, in whatsoever state I am, jealousy, Jesus Christ, joy, kindness, live humbly, live in prosperity, LOVE, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, our sufficiency is of God, pateince, peace, Praise the Lord, prayer, provoking one another, ready for battle, self-control, selfishness, share His love with my neighbour, speak in respect of want, spiritual armour, suffer need, telling it like it is, the beloved of God, the fruit of the spirit, the mature Christian, the same bringeht forth much fruit, therewith to be content, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing, worry
Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Ah friends, this Tuesday, the last one in August, is shaping up to be another glorious summer’s day! Praise the Lord! For, come September, who knows what’s going to happen. But the good thing about being a believer in Jesus Christ is that we know we can handle whatever comes against us, especially if we are wearing His spiritual armour and draped up in prayer! Then we’re ready for battle on all and any front!
Remember these fighting words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:11-13)
Yes friends, through Christ’s strength flowing in us we can learn how to live both in want and in prosperity. But please note it’s a learned behaviour, it doesn’t just happen automatically or overnight, you have to work at it, and with the strength of Jesus buoying you up. Ah mih bredrin, it’s so wonderful to know that with Christ’s strength behind us we can do any and everything!
But we also need to notice the opposite end of the spectrum as Christ so wisely pointed out to the disciples: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And that’s telling it like it is my people! With Christ we can do anything, but by the same token, without Him, we cannot do anything!
That means Christ is essential, a real necessity in our lives, we’re absolutely nothing without Him. As Bruh Paul adds in 2 Corinthians: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;’ (2 Cor. 3:5) And that you cannot deny!
That brings us to this interesting remark in that scripture from John where Christ talks about those who believe in Him bearing much fruit. There He’s talking about the fruit of the Spirit which flourishes, or is supposed to flourish in true believers in Christ. And Bruh Paul explains the Fruit of the Spirit thus to the Galatians: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE (the willing sacrificial giving of oneself to another without thought of return), joy (gladness of heart), peace (tranquility of mind), longsuffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness (generosity), faith (faithfulness), Meekness (courtesy and consideration), temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal. 5:22-23)
Yes friends, there are nine things that are considered the Fruit (not fruits) of the Spirit. And as we’re on the subject, we might as well get some explanations from scholars. (smile) They say: ‘The word fruit is significant for three reasons. (1) It means the result, product, outcome, or effect produced by the Spirit in the believer’s life. (2) Unlike the “gifts of the Spirit” (plural), only some of which are given to a Christian, each believer is to have all nine virtues composing “the fruit of the Spirit” (singular) (3) As fruit on a tree takes time to grow and mature, so the Spirit does not cultivate these virtues in the believer overnight.’
Oh yes my fellow believers, unlike the gifts of the Spirit, like prophecy, the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the gifts of healing, the interpretations of tongues etc. (1 Cor. 12) of which we might get a few, if we’re truly blessed, (smile) with the fruit of the Spirit it’s expected that all of those nine virtues will eventually blossom in the mature Christian!
And believe me, that’s no easy task, especially when you’re continually hounded by the devil and his evil cohorts to do wrong. But as we said before, with Christ on our side, and our willingness to learn and sacrifice on His behalf, then we can certainly attain that goal of having all nine fruit of the Spirit flourish in us.
Then, Bruh Paul follows up the definition of the Fruit of the Spirit with these poignant and most pertinent words. ‘And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections (its passions) and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory (conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal. 5: 24-26)
Yes my fellow saints, once we’re born again believers in Christ, it is then expected that we’re to throw away all our old satanic vices and adopt the fruit of the Spirit. That means both living and walking in the Spirit, or as the scholars explain: ‘since the Spirit gave us new life at conversion, we then should stay in step with His leading and promptings throughout life.’ And paying sincere and close attention to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is the only way to have that fruit flourish in us, to stop us from being greedy, selfish, materialistic and all the other wrong things that the world considers right.
Now, having refreshed our minds and spirits on those important topics, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, it then becomes our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…only when we’re in Christ…and Christ is in us…are we truly powerful…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to his riches in glory, all the tools, all these things shall be added unto you, became obedient unto death, Bible, chaos, children of God, christianity, climate change, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, even the death of the cross, faith, favour, good health, handle whatever comes against us, have good success, human reasoning, humbled himself, in the form of God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, know who we are in Christ, let this mind be in you, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein day and night, meditation on the word of God, my God shall supply all your needs, negative word, no need to boast, obeying God's word, observe to do all that's written therein, one truth fron the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man, Praise the Lord, refuse to go to God, satanic reasoning of men, seek ye first the kingdom of God, shall not depart out of thy mouth, spiritual things are wiser than carnal ones, tempestuous world, the essence to success, the form of a servant, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, the spiritual reasoning of God, this book of the law, true believers in Christ, truth, where the true answer lies, wisdom
Joshua 1:8a. This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,
Where has all the hot weather gone, in this August month eh? You’d think it was September! Yes friends, this past week has been sunny but rather chilly in my neck of the woods, no use whatsoever for the A/C. It’s tough to even get the daytime temperature in to the early twenties, much less the thirty we expect in mid August. The windows are also closed at night, for fear of freezing. (smile) The scenario is not helped either by the ever constant, vibrant, cool wind that accompanies it. I guess this is one of the effects of climate change. Let’s hope then that in September and October, we’ll have the hot weather that we’re missing right now. (smile)
But thankfully, as true believers in Christ Jesus, we have all the tools to handle whatever comes against us. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord!’ And yes, He does deserve much thanks and praise for all that He’s done, is doing and has promised to do on our behalf! He’s provided us with EVERYTHING we need to make a good go of it in this crazy and tempestuous world.
And the first and most important thing, is as the Lord told Joshua in no uncertain terms when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
Oh my people, right there is the very essence to success! Meditation on the word of God, then putting what it says into practice! Not all the nonsense that the world writes about success. None of those books on so-called success and prosperity can even come close to what one can gain by reading, studying, and putting the Lord’s word into practice!
But we blatantly refuse to accept what the Creator of the world and the One who allows us to get wealth says, in foolish favour of what sinful and ignorant man writes! Please remember that ONE truth from God’s word is worth more than ALL the wisdom of man. As Bruh Paul puts it to the church at Corinth: ‘Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.’ (1 Cor, 1:25)
And what does that mean? Listen to this commentary. ‘When Paul speaks of the “foolishness of God,” he is not implying that God is foolish. Rather he is saying that since God’s way of reasoning is in accord with things of the spirit, it confounds the reasoning of this world. It is wiser than human reasoning, because spiritual things are wiser than carnal ones.’ And that’s exactly why our world is in such a disastrous and chaotic state! We have not been listening to the spiritual reasoning of God, but to the carnal, Satanic reasoning of men! And what else can you expect from a satanic soul eh, but total chaos and strife, because that’s the very nature of Satan!
Remember too that Jesus backed up that scripture in Joshua, when he told His listeners: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That’s God’s indisputable and faithful promise! If you seek the things of His kingdom, then all that you need will be given to you. And God has no need to lie, because with His omnipotence, He can do exactly what He says! And Bruh Paul also promised in his epistle to the Philippians, that our needs will be met when we sincerely seek the Lord and serve Him. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
What more do we want or expect eh my brethren? And it’s not like there aren’t oodles of believers who are living comfortably while obeying God’s word, but most of them don’t have to bray or boast about their possessions, because that’s not the attitude of true believers. We ought to go about our business without too much fuss, working for the Lord, being the salt of the earth and light of the world, enjoying whatever He blesses us with, and sharing it with others who are less blessed.
Jesus was the Son of God, could do miracles and anything else He so desired, but He didn’t go around boasting about it. In fact He took the opposite attitude, that of a servant, gave up all his privileges. As Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8)
Yes my fellow believers, Jesus was the greatest, but He never boasted about it, because He was sure of Himself. He knew who He was, and let it show in His works, rather than in His boasts. It ought to be the same way with us: when we know who we are in Christ, are sure that we’re the children of God, then we don’t need to boast about it, but just show it in how we live our daily lives. And we can never be sure that we’re children of God until and unless we read, meditate and put God’s Word into practice in our daily lives. It’s as simple as that my people!
And what amazes me about mankind in these turbulent times, is that we’re trying everything we know in man’s lexicon to make things better without any success, but for whatever reason, we simply refuse to go to God, where the answer truly lies. Sadly, such is the hold that Satan has on us. But for those of us who are trying to live right, lets’ go home declaring (chuh!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, generously bestowed by the Lord to do His earthly work.
As one strong voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) it now behooves us to go out and share the benefits of those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…Success 101…read, meditate and put into practice…God’s Word…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lesson in every situation, a pox on the judges!, antidote for life's problems, barren womb, better not to vow than vow and not pay, Bible, Christian, delay not to pay it, exalt the horn of his anointed, Exhibition Stadium, faith, girded with strength, Hannah's Prayer, he hath no pleasure in fools, heaven-sent gentleman, I rejoice in thy salvation, inherit the throne of glory, irresponsible judges, Jesus Christ, judge the ends of the earth, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let not arrogancy come out of thy mouth, lifeth up the beggar from the dunghill, LOVE, mediocre show, my heart rejoiceth in the Lord, my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, no rock like our God, Praise the Lord, salvation, Steelband Competition, the barren hath borne seven, the bows of the mighty men are broken, the Lord is a God of knowledge, the Lord maketh poor and he maketh rich, the Lord moves in mysterious ways, the Lord will keep the feet of his saints, there is none holy as the Lord, they that stumbled, total disrepect for patrons, truth, when thou vowest a vow to God, wisdom
1 Samuel 2:1. And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over (smiles at) mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
Well friends, it’s our lazy-day Saturday, and I took full advantage of it this morning after the horrible evening I had last evening attending the Steelband Competition in Toronto. Ah Lord eh, what a nightmare. First of all, just at the entrance to the city, the traffic was horrendous because of road construction. Then, the new location for the Carnival is in the heart of the big Exhibition Stadium, where several activities were scheduled for the same time, and with several roads closed within the stadium, moving around and parking was another disaster.
Then, when you were finally directed to a parking spot on the grass, with cars packed close together, you had to walk at least a quarter mile to the entrance of the show we wanted to attend. But who says the Lord doesn’t work in mysterious ways, for halfway there, a heaven-sent gentleman offered a middle aged woman and us two old men a ride in his golf-cart. Praise the Lord!
Now that was the good part, for when you got into the show you found that the stands were situated behind the judges and the D.J, and both of them had canopies covering them, so you could not see the full stage, which was in front of them. You either had to sit right down at the very front on the first couple of rows, or go to one end of the stand or the other to see anything. I went to the left side of the judges’ placement, which means I didn’t see the right side of any of the seven bands that performed.
It was such a total disrespect to the patrons who were paying their hard earned money to see a mediocre show in the first place, because only about three or four bands really deserved to be there. Our West Indian community has put on some bad shows in our time, but I’ve never seen such total disrespect for the patrons before. And in talking to the duchess this morning, it was apparently the same way with the King and Queen Show the night before.
And the seven, middle-aged to elderly West Indian men who were the judges just sat in their comfortable seats with no sun shining down on them, oblivious to the sad plight of the paying people! A pox on you judges, who have all been involved in entertainment in the city over the years! You should have been big and responsible enough to speak up and have the covering removed, and not be simply concerned with your own comfort.
Then when the competition was over, you had the long walk back to your car, if you could find it in the crazy maze of cars parked all over the grounds. And the sad part is that instead of driving, we spoke about taking the Go-train which stops at the Exhibition grounds, but figured that the last train home would be too early, and we would have to leave before the show was over, which turned out to be untrue. It’s the earliest I’ve ever seen the show finish; shortly after eleven o’clock.
Anway, if the venue for this Competition is the same place next year, God spare life, I won’t be there! I know they won’t miss me, but neither will I miss the terrible organizing that has characterized West Indian promotions in this city for the last fifty odd years. End of my griping! (smile)
Now let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with heartfelt sincerity. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Yes Lord, thank you for the calm and peace that you’re sending into my soul, as I contemplate the events of last evening. I know there is a lesson somewhere in there for me, please help me to see it and learn it. Yes friends, in every situation we encounter, there’s a lesson embedded there for us, that’s how our Lord moves. The problem though, is for us to discern that lesson and then action it in our lives. So please pray that I will be able to discern whatever it was the Lord desires to teach me, in allowing yesterdays fiasco to happen. (smile)
And as for today’s scriptural lesson, I just opened the Good Library and it opened to Hanah’s Prayer and Song, that’s the prophet Samuel’s mother, as she gave her son Samuel to the duty of Lord, as she had vowed if the Lord heard her prayer and opened her barren womb. And it’s a perfect prayer or song for us to sing today and every day. So let’s pray or sing it, whichever you prefer. (smile)
‘And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over (smiles at) mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy (arrogance) come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased (to hunger): so that the barren hath borne seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor our of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar form the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn (strength) of his anointed. And Elkanah (Samuel’s father) went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister (serve) unto the Lord before Eli the priest.’ (1 Sam. 2:1-11)
Yes my fellow believers that’s the kind of faith and prayer life we should have! Hannah prayed sincerely to have a son as she was undergoing torment in her barren life, and vowed that if the Lord heard her prayed she would enlist him in the Lord’s service. And that’s exactly what she did. Unlike many of us who vow to do stuff if the Lord hears our prayers, then don’t keep our promise. But as we sit today and ponder Hannah’s powerful prayer, let’s also remember these wise words of Cousin Sol from Ecclesiastes. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:4-5)
And we should not keep our promises only to God, but to all mankind, which will surely increase the faith, trust and LOVE in our faithless and distrustful world! Much LOVE!
…sincerely walking with God…is the best antidote…for the problems of this earthly life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: cast their crowns before the throne, eternal death, eternal life, faith, find our true selves, god, God is worthy because of What he is, God is worthy because of Who He is, great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, He is worthy to be praised, he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, his greatness is unsearchable, his tender mercies are over all his works, I will extol thee, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is valuable, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mercy, of great mercy, one generation shall praise thy works to another, Praise the Lord, psalms, sincerity and truth, slow my thoughts, the glorious splendour of thy majesty, the Lord is good to all, The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, the most valuable thing life has to offer, the straight and narrow path that leads to heaven, the wide and destructive path that leads to hell, thou art worthy to receive honour and glory, thou hast created all things, tickles his fancy, warms the cockles of God's heart, when we give glory to the living God, wisdom, worship, worship worthless idols, your unceasing nearness
Psalm 145:3. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
Ah friends, it’s a beautiful lazy-day Saturday in my neighborhood! And yuh better believe I made the most of it…not so much because I was lazily inclined, (smile) but because the ole body was crying out for more rest, since, even by my standards, I went to bed at a fairly late hour this morning. And it was certainly worth it, for I’m now feeling much refreshed in soul, body and mind, ready to face whatever the day and the cray, ungodly world has to offer. So let’s get the ball rolling by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Oh my people, of all of our Scrip-Bit Prayers, I think that’s certainly my favourite, because we’re not asking God for anything material, which can sometimes feel sort of selfish, but asking for His personal presence deeper and richer in our lives. And we all know He never fails to answer that kind of prayer because it just tickles His fancy and warms the cockles of His heart when we ask for Him to be a major figure in our broken earthly existence.
So, by now, if our requests were sincere, we should all be feeling lighter and more refreshed in mind, body and soul as the Lord enlivens us with His awesome presence. And all God’s children said: ‘Praise the Lord! For He is indeed worthy to be praised!’ Now that’s an interesting angle, God’s worthiness to be praised, for us to pursue this morning…or almost early afternoon (smile)
And Bruh David’s words In Psalm 145 – God’s Unsearchable Greatness – says a lot about it. He proclaims his awesome wonder and gratitude thus: ‘I will extol (praise) thee, My God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour (splendour) of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible (awesome) acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly (eagerly) utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ (Ps. 145:1-9)
Oh my fellow believers, Bruh David surely sings God’s praises, and a lot of it is from personal experience with His heavenly Father. But some of us still cannot fathom God’s greatness and continue asking, why is worthy of our praise? This commentary breaks it down for us quite handily. ‘He is worthy because of WHO He is: (1) He is God; (2) He is our Maker; (3) He is our Shepherd. He is worthy because of WHAT He is: (1) He is good; (2) He is merciful; (3) He is truthful.’ And as Bruh David says in the psalm: ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.’ (Ps. 145:8)
Yes friends, just for those last four attributes alone our God deserves very much praise and thanksgiving, for if He wasn’t those things, we would not be alive to tell the tale, as our sinful souls don’t truly deserve anything that He’s done, is doing or will do for us. It all stems from Hs great LOVE and compassion for His most marvellous and magnificent creation – mankind! And we’d better believe it, appreciate it, and give Him the thanks, praise and glory He so richly deserves!
And some also ask, why is Jesus worthy to be praised? This other commentary gives us a simple but oh so true answer. ‘Jesus is valuable. We worship Jesus because we have discovered Him to be the most valuable thing that life has to offer. He ransomed us from sin. He restored us to the Father. He satisfies every longing of our hearts.’ Oh my people, do we need more reason than that to worship and praise the holy name of our Lord and Saviour?
Absolutely not! For without Him we’d right now be trodding the wide and destructive path that leads directly to hellfire and damnation. But with His timely intervention, we’ve been redeemed, reconciled, justified, sanctified, and so many other things, that now we’re heaven bound on the straight and narrow path that leads there, and which not many people find and/or follow. For my money that’s more than enough for me to LOVE, praise and worship Jesus Christ!
However, throughout the Bible there are numerous passages and reasons for worshipping God and giving Him glory. Let’s check out a couple more. This one from 1 Chronicles which says in no uncertain terms: ‘For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared (held in reverential awe) above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols (worthless things): but the Lord made the heavens.’ (1 Chr. 16:25-26)
But you know what friends, we should also be physically scared of the Lord and the awesome power He has over us, His creation. As Jesus so wisely says: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) And that my friends is God Almighty! So we’d better wise up and look to ourselves, if we truly desire to see eternal life in heaven and not eternal death in hell.
Then there’s this wonderful picture of praise in heaven found in the Book of Revelation. It says: ‘The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat upon the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (by your will they exist).’ (Rev. 4:10-11)
What more is there to say eh my fellow believers? Just these wise and wonderful words of this commentary: ‘So, why give God our praise and worship? Because we only find our true selves when we give glory to the living and true God—the one who has revealed the fullness of his glory in his Son, Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:13). Now, please take a moment on this lazy-day Saturday and read that verse for yourselves and wisely acknowledge that all our praise and worship belongs to NO ONE ELSE but Almighty God! Much LOVE!
…why worship worthless idols…when there’s a worthwhile God
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deceptive vision, an addiction, Bible, christianity, deepen my breath, enslaved to the possession of wealth, god, God causes us to get wealth, hate the one and love the other, healthy spiritual sight, hold to the one and despise the other, how great is that darkness, I may know you all the more, if thine eye be evil (umhealthy), if thine eye be single, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mistaken identity, money, Mother's Day, no man serve two masters, personality without blemish, Praise the Lord, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, Sermon on the Mount, sickness, slow my thoguhts, spiritual double vision, stop running down money, storing up treasures, thank you for this tenderness, the darkening of the mind, the evil eye, the eye, the light of the body, the light of the body is the eye, the LOVE of money, the root of all kinds of evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness, thy whole body shall be full of light, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, wisdom, Ye cannot serve God and mammon, your peace and love are present, your unceasing nearness
Matthew 6:24b. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (material wealth).
Ah friends, it’s a beautiful lazy-day Saturday… a tad windy, but definitely not as bad as it was a couple of days ago. And the store owners have big smiles on their faces as they are doing a brisk business on the eve of the Mother’s Day Celebration tomorrow. Ah Lord eh! It’s amazing how the economic forces can always find a way to strip us of the few pennies we have on some trumped up occasion. I’m not saying that Mother’s Day is not a worthwhile celebration, but the economic powers spread the goo so thickly in their advertisements that we can’t help but fall for it.
And I’m sure it’s disturbing a lot of lazy-day Saturdays, (smile) but not to mind, Mother is worth every penny and every thing we do for her. So let’s smile up and look up, as we offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday prayer with all sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And if you were sincere, then the presence and peace of God is flowing into you right now, for those kinds of prayers, prayers desiring His presence and LOVE, He answers right away. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord!’ Now, yesterday, when we looked at Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount re treasures and the folly of storing up earthly treasures as against heavenly ones, we left out a couple of interesting verses that Jesus outlined. And we did it on purpose because it would have made the Bit even longer than it already was.
So today, let’s take a look at those verses and see what more Jesus had to say on the subject of storing up treasures. After He declared: (yesss!!!) ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:21) He continued: ‘The light (lamp) of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single (healthy), thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil (unhealthy), thy whole body shall be full of darkness; If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!’ (Matt. 6:22-23)
Now those certainly are interesting scriptures my brethren. But what do they mean? Well, let’s listen as the scholars explain. ‘6:22-23: The light of the body is associated with the eye. The concept here is based on the ancient idea that the eyes were the windows through which light entered the body. If the eyes were in good condition the body could receive such light. Jesus, using this language metaphorically, affirms that if a man’s spiritual sight is healthy and his affections directed towards heavenly treasure, his whole personality will be without blemish.
The phrase if …thine eye be single indicates devotion to one purpose. The “single eye” refers to a single, fixed vision or goal. The phrase if thine eye be evil refers to either disease or deception of vision. The “evil eye” is not something mysterious or devilish, but rather a deceptive vision that causes the viewer to mistake the identity of an object. The mistake in this context is the darkening of the mind and thus how great is that darkness!’
And yes, the explanation can be almost as challenging as the scripture itself to understand, but if we take our time with it, and go over it several times, I’m sure we’ll eventually get the gist of the whole passage. So why did Jesus introduce those ideas at that point eh? So that He could assert the following wisdom: ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to (be loyal to) the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (material wealth).’ (Matt. 6:24)
Now that’s oh so true friends! We can only serve ONE Master at a time. And that ONE ought to be God Almighty and not the material wealth of this evil world. And the scholars tell us this about that verse. ‘6:24. This kind of spiritual double vision cause one to believe he can serve two masters. Total loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and loyalty to one’s material possessions. A master (Gr. kurios) is a lord or an owner. That God claims total lordship over His own is obvious in this passage. Therefore Jesus rightly proclaimed, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. The term ‘mammon’ is derived from the Aramaic term for possessions or wealth. Jesus is not condemning money or possessions in and of themselves, but the improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth.’
And believe me people, too many of us, even God’s people, are still too enslaved to the possession of worldly wealth. So much so, that we run it down as though there was no tomorrow. We don’t eat or sleep properly. Our relationships are in bad shape and our attitude on the whole is totally disagreeable, because we are so fixated on gaining material wealth. It becomes an addiction, a sickness that’s difficult to overcome. It has you vying with others for supremacy in wealth and power, causes envy, jealousy and strife, and last but not least, physical sickness. And the sad part is that when you get sick, whether it’s emotionally or physically sick, the material wealth is useless in helping you to get better. Just look at the many wealthy people who die from simple diseases. Their wealth could not keep them alive.
And yes friends, it’s good to have wealth, but not if you have to run it down. Remember who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and who causes us to get wealth in the first place…our heavenly Father. So if we need material wealth He is the One we ought to turn to, for everything in the universe belongs to Him, and if He gives us wealth, like he gave to Cousin Sol, then we won’t have to worry about losing it, since He won’t give it to us until He knows that we can be proper stewards of His belongings. So please, let’s stop running down money and material possessions nuh, for it only damages our lives, and when we die, we can’t even take any of it with us. it’s just left behind to cause further strife between our friends and relatives! Much LOVE!
…the LOVE of money…is the root of all kinds of evil… (1 Tim. 6:10)
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