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
05 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Sunday afternoon stroll, an attitude of prayer, ask and it shall be given to you, be patient in tribulation, communication with God, continuing instant in prayer, deepen my breath, delve into God's Word, everyone that asks receives, everyone that seeks finds, eye-opening scripture, faith, for our benefit, frequent prayer, go and pray unto me, He spake a parable unto them to this end, holy spirit, I love them that love me, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I will hearken unto you, in Christ Jesus concerning you, in everything give thanks, in the face of adversity, in the morning, in the Spirit, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, Jesus went out into a solitary place and prayed, knock and it shall be opened unto you, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, maintain gratitude, make time to be intimate with our heavenly Father, meditate and pray, men ought always to pray and not faint, mercy, not lose heart, patient in tribulation, perseverance, pray without ceasing, praying always, put the word into action, quiet my soul, refreshing ourselves, rejoice evermore, rejoicing in hope, relax my muscles, relieve frustrations, rising up a great while before day, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek and you shall find, slow my thoughts, spiritual success, thank you for this tenderness, the armour of God, the BIBLE, the Christian life, the wronged woman seeking justice from the unjust judge, then shall ye call upon me, this is the will of God in Christ, those that seek me early will find me, to everyone that knocks, to him that knocks it shall be opened, truth, watching thereunto, wisdom, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, with prayer and supplication, ye shall seek me and find me
Luke 18:1. And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).
And finally we come to another Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, where we dare to lie about doing as little as possible, in the opening rounds of refreshing our tired selves and spirits from a mediocre and unpleasant week. And the best way to begin relieving our frustrations is by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth.
So, as one strong voice, let’s pray. ‘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 there’s nothing better at relieving frustrations than seeking intimacy with our heavenly Father, because it lightens our spirits and renews our souls. Remember that eye-opening scripture we read yesterday from the prophet Jeremiah? ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes friends, anytime we’re disheartened, discouraged, fearful, worried, lost or even just tired, the best way to relieve our anxieties is by sincerely seeking Jesus in prayer with all of our hearts. souls, bodies and minds. Cousin Sol also offer his two cents worth on the subject in Proverbs, when he writes of the Lord: ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’ (Prov. 8:17)
This brings to mind this ever so important verse of the Bible, where it says: ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) Then He told them about the wronged woman who kept seeking justice from the unjust judge, until he finally got tired of her and gave her the justice she desired and deserved. And prayer, sincere and steadfast must always be number one in our lives.
Look at how often Jesus prayed. Before and after almost every event He went away by Himself to pray, to seek intimacy, strength, renewal and direction from the Father. And this scripture verse on the subject just touches my heart. Mark writes: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
Now, if Jesus, the Son of God, thought it necessary to make time to be in the Father’s presence, how much more do we, miserable and sinful creations that we are, need to make time to be intimate with our heavenly Father eh? Much, much more! And there are a number of scriptures that do encourage, admonish and exhort us to pray.
So let’s look at a few of them now nuh, beginning with this famous one from Jesus: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8)
And the scholars offer this explanation of those verses. ‘The three imperatives, ask, seek, knock are in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and frequent prayer. Fervent and continual prayer is to be made on behalf of those for whom we are concerned. God promises to answer all genuine prayer (vs. 8). Everything we need for spiritual success has been promised to us. God leaves us no excuse for failure.’ And that’s something we ought to grab hold of and hold on to quite tightly: we have no excuses for spiritual failure, because God has already given us what we need, and shown us the way to succeed.
Now here is another verse of scripture that encourages us to pray, from Bruh Paul to the Romans. When talking about overcoming evil with good, he says a part of our behaviour to enable us to do that, must be: ‘Rejoicing in hope, patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (rom. 12:12)
Then to the Ephesians, when talking about the armour of God, Bruh Paul ends with this most important verse. ‘Praying always with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for the saints.’ (Eph. 6:18) What he’s saying there is that despite all the godly armour you might have on, prayer is still very important, for without it, the armour won’t work.
And finally, to the Thessalonians, Bruh Paul exhorts them thus: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Yuh see how he throws in that li’l gem in the middle: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ The scholars tell us that means we ought always to have an attitude of prayer, although we might not be praying audibly, and that constant attitude of prayer will help us to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.
No friends, living the Christian life is not easy, definitely not a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park,, but as we saw earlier on, our wonderful God has given us everything we need to live the successful Christian life, so it’s all up to us to delve into His word, meditate and pray on it, then put it into action in our lives. And there’s no better time to begin doing that than right now. So, let’s take some time on this lazy-day Saturday, the first one in July of 2025, and spend it in true and sincere intimacy with our marvellous God. That can only be to our benefit! Much LOVE!
…without prayer…there’s no communication with God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, acknowledge God's sovereignty, after a hard week's work, all liars, be wise and choose life, between a rock and a hard place, blaspheme His holy name, blessing and cursing, both thou and thy seed may live, choose life, crying out for help, deepen my breath, disobedient, do our won thing, draws us closer to our heavenly Father, established it upon the floods, eternal death, eternal death with Satan, eternal life, eternal life with Christ, every step of the way, faith, find ourselves in trouble, fools despise wisdom and instruction, free will, good communion, he hath founded it upon the seas, holy spirit, I call heaven and earth, I have set before you life and death, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in the name of Jesus, increase my awareness of you, indwelling Holy Spirit, intimacy with god, intimacy with His human creation, Jesus Christ, Jesus is with us, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mercy, more in tune with Satan than with God, no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, nomore cruing, pray without ceasing, quiet my soul, rebellious, relax my muscles, robots, salvation, selfish, sexually immoral, slow my thoughts, stay in the good graces of God, thank you for this tenderness, the abominable, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, the fearful, the former things are passed away, the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, the world, the world and they that dwell therein, to make a living, to record this day against you, traffic jams, true wisdom is clinging sincerely to Jesus, truth, under the umbrella of His shed blood, warms the cockles of God's heart, whoremongers, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
1 Thessalonians 5:17. Pray without ceasing.
And after Friday comes Saturday; our lazy-day Saturday, when we just laze around and try to catch ourselves after a hard week’s work, of battling the twice a day traffic jams and all the other stuff we have to contend with out there in this crazy world, as we try to make a living, all in the name of Jesus! And we only succeed because Jesus is with us every step of the way, through His indwelling Holy Spirit!
So, seeing that we don’t have to rush off anywhere today, let’s take a moment and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth. As one strong 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!’
Now, that just quiets our souls and draws us a li’l closer to our heavenly Father, giving Him His greatest desire, more intimacy with His human creation. For, remember one of the main reasons He created us, is that we could have good communion together. The unfortunate part of that plan though, is that we’ve used the free will He gave us to become selfish, disobedient and rebellious, not desiring to have much communion with Him, preferring to do our own thing without any interference whatsoever from Him.
But that’s a fool’s wisdom, and it’s only when we find ourselves in trouble, between a rock and a hard place that we run to Him, crying out for help. And when He doesn’t answer our cries for help, we get all upset and blaspheme His holy name. What we need to remember is that He is the Sovereign ruler pf this universe; it’s Creator and Controller, and answers to NO ONE! Bruh David stated it in no uncertain terms: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
Yes, He is the one that created everything and controls it all. And until we get that straight in our puny minds, we’re liable to go off on all sorts of foolish tangents in this crazy and chaotic world, that will only make our lives more difficult than necessary, and will eventually ruin us. That’s why it’s wise and necessary to stay in the good graces of Almighty God, keeping in constant touch with Him through prayer. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess. 5:17)
In other words, have a running communication with the Father. As you go about your day, talk to Him about everything. Oh friends, you don’t know how it warms the cockles of His heart when we bring Him into all of our affairs, be they simple or complicated. It certainly does, because He created us so that He could get involved in our everyday lives, and gave us free will so that we would not be merely robots, but have some choices in our lives, hoping that we would choose Him, and His way of life over everything else.
Sadly though, today we seem more in tune with the fallen angel, Satan, than we are with our Creator. But please remember that Satan is also a created being, and only exists by the grace of God, and when He believes the time is right, Satan will be destroyed, along with all those who have taken shelter under his evil wings. That means true wisdom is clinging sincerely to Jesus Christ, for those who are under the umbrella of His shed blood will enjoy eternal life with Him.
As Cousin Sol so wisely says in Proverbs: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov. 1:7) And he’s right on both points. The first step in gaining knowledge is by submitting to God and His revelation. And fools do indeed despise wisdom and knowledge because they think they know it all. But thankfully some of us do bow to the Lord’s sovereignty and accept His Word as wisdom and truth, the things which will give us a good life here on earth and an even better one in the life to come, where there will be no more tears, no more death, or pain or sorrow, or crying, for the former things are passed away. ( Rev. 21:4)
However, if we don’t acknowledge God’s sovereignty here’s what we have to look forward to. ‘But the fearful (cowardly), and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers (sexually immoral), and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.’ (Rev. 21:8) Now that’s the two ends we humans will eventually face; eternal life with Jesus, or eternal death with Satan; the choice is ours.
But like the Lord so strongly advised Moses to say to the children of Israel so long ago: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) Oh friends, it’s the same thing the Lord’s saying to us today; be wise, choose Me, choose life and not death, because in death, it’s all over, but in life, it goes on forever.
So please, I implore us, on this bright and sunshiny lazy-day Saturday in June 2025, let’s take a moment to review all we know and have heard, then be wise and choose life nuh! Much LOVE!
…when the battle rages…it’s wisest to choose the reigning king…over the foolish, untried usurper…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day of rest and worship, a heartfelt version, a time to cease work, a weekly day of rest, accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, all the troubles of the world on our shoulders, amid the conflict, angels will attend, be careful for nothing, burdened with a load of care, can never count God's numerous blessings, Christ has promised you His wealth untold, christianity, Christians, count your blessings, count your many blessings, counting your blessinsg means being grateful, do not be discouraged, does the cross seem heavy, engage in religious practices, eternal life, every doubt will fly, faith, fellowship, for all god has done in our lives, gathering in God's sanctuary, God is over all, God rested the seventh, God's day, grumpy, help and comfort give, holy spirit, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in every thing give thanks, in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, it will surprise you what the Lord hath done, Jesus bore all our sins, Jesus Christ, Johnson Oatman Jr., keep it holy, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let your request be made known unto God, look at others with lands and gold, LOVE, many are thy wonderful works, mercy, miserable, money cannot buy your reward in heaven, name them one by one, numbering your troubles, on the cross of Calvary, our blessings outweigh our troubles, praise, pray without ceasing, refelct, rejoice evermore, remember the Sabbath day, salvation, singing as the days go by, stop and give thanks, sucking a sour lemon, sweet sacrifices of praise, thankful for the good things in our lives, thanksgiving, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, the most joyful people on the planet, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the Sabbath, the Ten Commandments, they are more than can be numbered, they cannot be reckoned up, thinking all is lost, this is the will of God in Christ, thy thoughts to us-ward, to your journey's end, truth, when upon life's billows, wisdom, work everything out for our good, you are discouraged, you are tempest tossed, your home on high
1 Thessalonians 5:18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
And another of God’s Day, the Sabbath, has rolled around, with fellowship, praise and thanksgiving the order of the day as God long ago ordained it in the Ten Commandments. ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seventh is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, not thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made the heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.’ (Ex. 20:8-11)
So you see that the Sabbath Day is important to God, and should also be important to us. But what exactly is the Sabbath Day? This commentary explains it thus: ‘The Sabbath is a weekly day of rest, observed by many religious groups, including Judaism and certain Christian denominations. It is traditionally observed on the seventh day of the week, from sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday in the Jewish calendar. For many Christians, Sunday is the Sabbath, a day of rest and worship commemorating the resurrection of Jesus. The Sabbath is a time to cease work, reflect, and engage in religious practices.’
And that’s exactly why we’re gathering in God’s sanctuary this Sunday morning; to reflect and engage in religious practices like prayer and worship. So let’s begin our worship with this wonderful and oh so appropriate song, especially for these trying and troubled times, we’re now experiencing. It’s simply titled, ‘Count Your Blessings!’ It was written by American born Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856-1922), a businessman as well as an ordained local preacher. He’s reputedly written over three thousand hymns, and no gospel song book is considered as being complete unless it contains some of his hymns. That ought to be true if he’s written so many.
But before we get to singing the song, let’s take a moment to explain what’s meant by counting our blessings. It’s basically being grateful, being thankful for the good things in our lives, and when we do that, it often stops us from becoming too unhappy about the bad things. Now let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise to Almighty God in an up-tempo, scintillating, truly heartfelt version of the song, leaving no doubt that we’re indeed most thankful for our many blessings, so many of them undeserved.
Singing: When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. (Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your blessings, see what God hath done; Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.) Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly, And you will be singing as the days go by. [Refrain]
When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; Count your many blessings, money cannot buy Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. [Refrain] So, amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end. [Refrain] 2.’
And that was an awesome rendition of the song encompassing ever so true sentiments and words my people! There could be no doubt whatsoever about out thankfulness for the many blessings our wonderful God has bestowed on us down through the years, and will continue doing, if we stay faithful and true to Him. And we cannot find a better verse in the Bible that describes this song than these words of Bruh David from Psalm 40 – Praise for God’s Deliverance. He writes: ‘Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up (recounted) in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.’ (Ps. 40:5)
Now that’s the gospel truth my brethren! We can never count the numerous blessings that our generous God has bestowed on us. But we do need to keep as many of them as possible in mind so that we can remember His faithfulness, especially in hard times. And I like what this commentary from the Godtube website says on the subject. ‘God truly gives us so many blessings each and every single day. Some may even be so small that we might overlook them. The classic hymn ‘Count Your Blessings’ truly reminds us to stop and give thanks for all God has done in our lives. This is definitely a pause we all need to take. Amen.’
And that we surely need to do every so often friends! For it’s in keeping with Bruh Paul’s wise advice to the Thessalonians: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) And there can be no better advice than that, because Christians ought to be the most joyful people on the planet, seeing that we have Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, the giver of salvation and eternal life, the most important things in the universe!
However, too many of us supposed believers go around like we’re constantly sucking a sour lemon, like if we have all the troubles of the world on our shoulders, but Jesus has already taken care of that. He bore ALL of our sins on the cross of Calvary, so there’s nothing left for us to worry about, but to live in joy and peace for and with Him. And as this commentary so wisely advises us: ‘If you always find yourself numbering your troubles, you will never find time for counting your blessings. There is no use becoming frustrated in your difficulties while you have all opportunities hiding in them for a turnover.’
And yuh know the sad part that situation my people, is if we truly sit down and count our blessings, we’ll find that they outweigh our troubles…and by plenty too. So let’s stop being grumpy and miserable when troubles come against us nuh. The Lord’s promised to eventually work everything out for our good. (Rom. 8:28) And if truly believe that, then we can sincerely live like Bruh Paul says to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in EVERY THING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
And that’s a marvellous scripture to go home to today, my fellow believers! Much LOVE!
…our world is overflowing with disaster…but in Jesus…believers have the wherewithal to handle it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant attitude of prayer, alleviate our problems, anxiety, anxious, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer, be prayerful about everything, Bible, by prayer and supplication, catch your fancy, christianity, Christians, concerning you, death, divine aid, divinely bestowed peace, ease the pain, faith, faith in Christ, give thanks to god, he who has ears to hear let him hear, hear our requests, hell, holy spirit, humble servants, i have overcome the world, in every event or circumstance, in every thing give thanks, in me ye shall have peace, in the face of adversity, irresposibility, Jehovah Rapha, legitimate concern, let not your heart be troubled, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, LOVE, maintain gratitude, mass confusion in our world, mercy, moderation, my peace I give unto you, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are higher than your ways, my ways are not your ways, negative situations, neither let it be afraid, not as the world gives, obedience, passes all understanding, Peace i leave with you, pray without ceasing, propser us, protection, repentance, sacrifice, salvation, seeking God's face, the God who heals, the grave, the heavens are higher than the earth, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God, the promises of Christ, the tools of Christ, the will of God, this is the will of God in Christ, throne of grace, time of need, tranquility of mind, tribulation, truth, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance, with thanksgiving
1 Thessalonians 5:18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Come on down Monday, we’re ready and waiting for you! Hit us with your best shot! But it won’t work, for we have all the tools and promises of Jesus, at the ready, waiting to shoot you down. Therefore, we have taken this scripture from the pen of Bruh Paul to heart. ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18)
Ah friends, that’s a tough scripture, but one we definitely need to know and totally embrace. And what does it mean? The scholars say that ‘In every event or circumstance (thing) the Christian is to give thanks to God for the good He can bring out of the event, even should the event be unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17 – ‘Pray without ceasing,’ will help the believer to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’
And if that scripture doesn’t catch your fancy, (smile) then try this one from Bruh Paul’s missive to the Philippians. ‘Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:5-7)
And I must admit that one seems a tad easier than the first one, although they both basically mean the same thing. Instead of worrying about anything, we are to take every situation, be it pleasant or unpleasant and present it to God through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving.
The scholars advise: ‘The Lord’s nearness (vs. 5b) leads Paul to forbid his readers from worrying. This is no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concern. The solution to undue anxiety is prayer in every thing, “in any matter of life.” The way to be free of anxiety is to be prayerful about everything. While God is eager to hear our requests, they are to be accompanied by thanksgiving.’
Now, that seems easier said than done, but like all things we need to get good at, it requires continuous practice until it becomes a habit. And what’s the benefit of that exercise, you ask? ‘The peace of God which passes all understanding.’ Wow! Isn’t that important enough to make the effort worthwhile? It surely is!
Because as the scholars tell us, ‘The peace of God is that tranquility of mind freeing the believer from fear and worry. “Peace” which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; (2) God’s peace far surpasses one’s own understanding of the problem, and his ability to cope with and solve it.’
That brings to mind this most important scripture from the prophet Isaiah, where he speaks on God’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) That says it all my people. And so it should be, if He is God!
Therefore, when we take our problems to Him in prayer, with thanksgiving, He gives us His unsurpassable peace that guards our hearts and minds from the enemies attempts to cause us worry and anxiety. And that dovetails very nicely with Jesus words on the subject to the disciples, and consequently to us. ‘Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Oh my people, what a marvellous gift is the peace of Jesus! It’s unlike any other that the world knows, and surpasses any other kind. It’s the amazing kind of peace that causes us not to worry or be afraid. Where else can you find that kind of peace eh? Only in and from Jesus! Then later on, He tells us again about the kind of peace we can have if we accept Him as Lord and Saviour. ‘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)
Wow! What can we say to that most expressive statement eh? Not much really, but accept it for what it is: Jesus’ faithful promise! There’s no doubt whatsoever that in the world we will have trials and tribulations, but since Jesus has already overcome the world, that’s hell, death and the grave, if we stay entwined with Jesus, then we will have His awesome protection against the world and it’s ungodly masses. You can’t ask for anything more than that friends.
However, Jesus has already done His work, it’s now our turn to live up to our promise when we accepted Him as Lord and Saviour. That’s take up our cross daily and follow Him, even if it calls for personal sacrifice. And sometimes that’s difficult to do, but through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we can do it. So let’s go to the throne of grace right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us in this our great time of need.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
In closing though, please remember that divine aid is not doled out willy-nilly, but for obedience, repentance, sincerely seeking God’s face and a change in our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…He who has ears to hear…let Him hear…otherwise…He will feel…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adore you, asking nothing of yoy, await all things from you, be not as the hypocrites are, Bible, christianity, commune with the Father, contented in the Lord, deep inside your soul, deepen my breath, departed into a solitary place and prayed, distractions, divine aura, enter into thy closet, frail creations, holy spirit, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if you don't use it you'll lose it, in the depths of our being, in the morning, increase my awareness of you, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mercy, not fixed on ourselves, on street corners, our prayer may tend to your glory, peaceul frame of mind, pray always, pray to thy Father in secret, pray without ceasing, prayer, prayer gets us in contact with God, prayer keeps us connected to God, praying in the synagogues, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, release the tensions, salvation, shutting out this evil world, sincerity, slow my thoughts, spending quiet time with God, teach our souls to remain silent, Teach us O God, thank you or this tenderness, that deep and simple prayer, that I may know you all the more, that silent language that says all things, that they may be seen of men, the accomplishment of your will, the Christian's lifeline to God, the everyday world, the invigorating light of the rising sun, the presence of God, the true state of our prayer lives, through prayer and quiet time, thy Father shall reward thee openly, truth, which says nothing and experiences everything, which specifies nothing and includes everything, wholly directed to you, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Mark 1:35. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.
And then it was our favourite day; lazy-day Saturday, where we can generally do whatever we please, whenever we please. Now isn’t that a good feeling? It surely is, especially when outside looks dark and gloomy with snow on the ground, and more promised this afternoon. We’ve entered that time of year, when you don’t leave home unless you must! And that suits me just fine. (smile)
I’m sorry for those who have to trudge around in the sludgy, dirty white stuff shopping for presents and other Christmas needs or wants. Thankfully, I’ve outgrown that kind of activity. Now, the only present I give is money, you go and do what you want with it. No more of this running around trying to figure out what to buy for whom, and then they either don’t like it, or it doesn’t fit, or some such negative occurrence.
Anyway, enough of the Christmas foolishness, let’s turn to more serious matters, like offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. As one voice, in all sincerity and truth: ‘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!’
Now that ought to put us in a very peaceful and contented frame of mind. Of course! For, getting intimate with the Father, or going deeper in His presence is certainly uplifting and soul cleansing. And surprisingly, this past week I’ve read and listened to a number of things that emphasized the great importance of going deeper into the presence of God, getting to know Him more intimately, because that’s what true Christianity is about; a deeper and more intimate relationship with our Maker and Saviour.
And the best way to do that is through prayer and quiet time with Him. Unfortunately though, not many of us realize how important time spent with God is, just sitting quietly in His presence, and letting Him flow over and into us. It’s like that Prayer of the Ages, we said a few days ago, which was attributed to Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941).
So please pray it with me again: ‘Teach us, O God, that silent language which says all things. Teach our souls to remain silent in Your presence; that we may adore You in the depths of our being, and await all things from You, while asking of You nothing but the accomplishment of Your will. Teach us to remain quiet under Your action and produce in our souls that deep and simple prayer which says nothing and experiences everything, which specifies nothing and includes everything. Do pray in us, that our prayer may even tend to Your glory, and our desires and intentions may not be fixed on ourselves, but wholly directed to You.’
Yes my people, there’s nothing like being in the Lord’s presence and just experiencing His majesty and the divine aura that emanates from Him. It’s like sitting quietly with a treasured friend, looking at the glorious colours of the setting sun above the horizon, or being awakened by the brash, sparkling and invigorating light of the rising sun! It all gets to a place deep inside your soul. That’s how spending quiet time with God ought to affect us. And it’s obvious we cannot accomplish this in a room full of people or with the many raucous noises of today’s world intruding into that special time.
It’s like Jesus advised us: ‘And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites (pretenders) are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet (inner room), and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.’ (Matt. 6:5-6)
Oh friends, prayer can really be made anywhere at any time, although as Jesus said not simply to be seen by men and thought of as being so holy and righteous. But getting deep into the presence of God can only be accomplished in a quiet space, with little or no distractions. And technically speaking, if we are serious about our spiritual growth, we all ought to have a quiet space where we can meet with the Father in prayer and worship, thus shutting out the evil world. And furthermore, as a believer in Christ Jesus, prayer is one of, if not the most important aspect of our faith, for it’s in prayer that we are renewed and refreshed, and release the tensions of the everyday world.
And you cannot find a better example of a rich prayer life than that of Jesus. Although He was God Himself, nonetheless, as a man, He recognized the importance of staying in close touch with His heavenly Father and made time to do so. There are several instances throughout the gospels where it says He went away by himself to pray. But this one from the gospel of Mark, shows how truly dedicated to prayer Jesus was. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
Yuh see that friends, even before day break, Jesus got up and went to a quiet place to commune with the Father, to get guidance and directions for the day ahead. Now, if the Son of God could need prayer so badly, who are we, his mere finite and frail creations not to need it eh? Oh my fellow saints, prayer is the Christian’s lifeline to God, and if we don’t use it, then we’ll eventually lose it. So please, this lazy-day Saturday is as good a time as any to go into our closets and ponder with God, the true state of our prayer lives. Much LOVE!
…pray always…pray without ceasing…for prayer gets us in contact with God…and also keeps us connected to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable sins, abundance, as far as the east is from the west, be careful for nothing, be not drunk with wine, bless the LOrd o my soul, but in every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, courage, creativity, crowns thee with loving-kindness, curse, dissipation, enter his gates with thanksgiving, established it upon the floods, every good gift, every perfect gift is from above, excess, faith, favour, firstfruits of his creatures, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, give thanks unto the Lord, giving thanks always for all things, great is thy faithfulness, he founded it upon the seas, he is good, heals all thy diseases, his compassions fail not, his mercy endures for ever, his truth endures to all generations, in every thing, in everything give thanks, in the fear of God, into his courts with praise, It is of the Lord's mercies, Jesus Christ, joy, let your moderation be known unto all men, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, making melody in your heart to the Lord, mercy, negative word, neither shadow of turning, of his own will, pray without ceasing, prosper, pumpkin pie, redeems thy life from destruction, rejoice evermore, Rejoice in the Lord always, renews thy youth like the eagle, sacrifice, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, serve the Lord with gladness, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, success, supernatural wisdom, talent, tender mercies, thankful for all our blessings, thanksgiving, the abundant life, the cross of Calvary, the earth is the Lord's, the Father of lights, the fulness thereof, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the word of truth, they are new every morning, this is the will of God in Christ, tribulation, truth, Turkey, we are not consumed, wisdom
Happy Thanksgiving U.S. of A!
Yes, it’s officially Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. and one can imagine how busy it is down there, with all the turkey and pumpkin pie celebrations. And they do have a lot to be thankful for; the question is to whom are they thankful for their many blessings? But that’s a story for another time and place. (smile) And on this Thanksgiving Thursday, I believe it’s only right and most appropriate to check out some scriptures on thanksgiving.
So, let’s begin with this most relevant and interesting one from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians, where he advises them, and consequently us to ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Ah friends, that’s indeed true! For our God desires us to enjoy the abundant life he’s provided for us through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, but at the same time He desires to hear some prayerful and thankful sentiments from us, His people.
It’s only natural. We give much thanks to humans who give us non-essential earthly stuff, so why not give even greater thanks for ‘Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. Of His own will he begat us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:17-18)
Oh my people, the Lord created us to be the best and most important of his many creations and blesses us with more than we can ever ask or imagine, therefore it behooves us to give Him thanks, not only on this special day, but each and every day! Today we just pile it up a li’l higher and be more sincere! (smile)
And then, both 1 Chronicles 16:34, and Psalm 107 1, rightly advocates: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-KINDESS) endureth for ever.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! From the very beginning our great God has been nothing but good to us! And even when we’ve fallen into temptation and sin, His unconditional and abiding LOVE shone forth as He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary so that our abominable sins could be forgiven, and cast away as far as the east is from the west. (Ps; 103:12)
How then, can we not in all good conscience give Him much thanks and LOVE, for as Bruh David reminds us earlier on in Psalm 103: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5) Now if that isn’t more than sufficient to give thanks for, then I don’t know what is!
And what about this admonishment from Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus? ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear (reverence) of God.’ (Eph. 5:18-21)
What wonderful, godly advice! Unfortunately though, I know that many will be drunk with wine to excess today, despite that good advice. However, let’s hope that that dissipation will not incur too many negative consequences, as it is generally wont to do. (smile)
Then there’s this exhortation from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Eph. 4:4-7)
And I’m chuckling here, because it seems like Bruh Paul wrote some kind of admonishment to each of the churches to keep praying, rejoicing and offering thanks to God come what may! And that’s exactly how it ought to be, given the fact that ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23)
Oh my fellow believers, there are so many things to be thankful to God for, especially His breath of life which He unselfishly shared with us when He created us and breathed it into our lifeless bodies made of dirt. That’s why it’s very surprising and hard to believe that so many of us can be so unthankful and disparaging of God to whom EVERYTHING belongs, and who gave and gives us EVERYTHING we possess. Listen up to these last wo scriptures which attest to those facts. From Psalm 24, Bruh David writes: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
Then Psalm 100 tells us to ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
And if you don’t believe that friends, then I don’t know what else to say. However, let’s declare and thus activate our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us do His earthly work and see if it makes a difference. (smile) As one 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 if you believe, then it behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…be it in joy…or tribulation…it is essential to give thanks to Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a horse of a different colour, a still small voice, be prepared, being proactive, Bible, divine aid, Dr. Charles Stanley, faith, forgotten our mistakes, get enough rest, god, have good success, he will guide you into all truth, holy spirit, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, like a chicken with our heads cut off, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, more than you sow and later than you sow, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, one of the realities of nature, pay for our sins sooner or later, power to solve our problems, pray and sincerely seek your face, pray without ceasing, put the word into action, ready fro whatever may come, rebellious, renew our fellowship with God, salvation, shall not depart out of thy mouth, shew you things to come, sincere meditation on God's word, sinful behaviour, speak the word, take us by surprise, the God who heals, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this book of the law, to show us the truth of Jesus, truth, turn from our evil ways, vacillating nature, when he the Spirit of truth is come, wisdom, wise guidance, you reap what you sow
John 16:13a. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
And once again Monday has graced us with its presence, as it will many more times in our long lives. It’s just one of the realities of nature; day will change to night some seven times … and bother it all, Monday will appear again. (smile) So, since we know it’s going to keep cropping up every seven days, we ought to be prepared for it.
But because of our vacillating nature, and our penchant for overdoing the weekend festivities, Monday seems to take us by surprise, thus, often we’re not ready for it and we get miserable and frustrated by our lack of preparation. And all being prepared means is ‘being proactive and taking steps to ensure that you are ready for whatever may come your way.’
And if we know that Monday is coming, then hopefully on Sunday, we go to church and renew our fellowship with God and other believers, then we stop partying in time for us to get enough rest and get all of our stuff ready for the next morning, so that there will be no need to rush and get angry over the lack of preparation. But knowing what’s right and doing it, are two entirely different things.
So, because of our proud and rebellious nature, plus the deceitful egging on of the devil, we end up foolishly believing that we can handle it all in the morning. But when the morning arrives and we get up late and tired and have to rush around like a chicken with our heads cut off, then it’s a horse of a different colour. And we berate ourselves for not getting enough rest, and not having our things in order, and promise ourselves to do better in future.
However, by the time the next weekend rolls around, we’ve conveniently forgotten our mistake(s) of the previous week and simply do it again, allowing it to become a frustrating cycle. And how do we break that cycle? First, by not listening to the father of lies, the devil, when he sneaks into our subconscious and encourages us to do stuff that we know is obviously wrong. Then we get on the positive track and do what is right by listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus promised the disciples: ‘Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine (what is mine), and shall shew (declare) it unto you.’ (John 16:13-14)
Yes friends, that’s one of the major purposes of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life; to show us the truth of Jesus, so we can repel the lies of Satan. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t happen automatically. We also have a role to play in the proceedings; that’s to attune our hearts and souls to the working of the Holy Spirit, by listening to His still small voice, and paying close attention to the circumstances He creates or changes in our lives.
But that calls for continual prayer, or as Bruh Paul says, ‘Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess. 5:17) Then sincere meditation on God’s Word, and finally, putting the Word into action in our lives, with help of the Holy Spirit. And all of that ties in quite nicely with what the Lord told Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall 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) It’s not rocket science friends, just good, ole, diligent work: study the Word, speak it and put it into action.
That’s the basic formula for godly success. But too many of us supposed believers find that too hard to do, and thus resist the prodding of the Holy Spirit, while listening to lying voice of Satan, encouraging us to do the easy thing, to give into our carnal lusts and desires. And carnal lusts and desires can be indeed nice for a period of time, but please, let’s remember that all our actions have consequences, either bad or good, and there comes a time when that rebellious and sinful behaviour must be paid for.
And no, we won’t like the steep payment required, for as the Maytag repair man famously said: ‘You can pay me now or pay me later, but later will be more expensive.’ That’s why we ought to consider the consequences of our actions before we commit them. And the easiest way to do that, is as the late departed Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) liked to say: ‘Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’
Yes my fellow saints, our major aspiration should be simply obeying God, for if we do that, then He will take care of all of the consequences. And for help to do just that, lets’ go to the throne of grace, 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!’
Now friends, the long and short of the story is, only if we turn from our evil ways, with humility, prayer and sincerely seeking God, will divine aid be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…you reap what you sow…more than you sow…and later than you sow… (Dr. Charles Stanley)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heart glowing with praise, a positive outlook on life, be careful for nothing, Bible, christianity, compassionate heart, courage, creativity, devotional, faith, favour curse, great is our God and of great power, great is our Lord, great is thy faithfulness, he healeth the broken in heart, his compassions fail not, his understanding is limitless, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in every thing give thanks, in the morning, it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, it is good to sing praises unto God, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, it is pleasant, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, more love and joy, negative word, praise is comely, Praise ye the Lord, pray without ceasing, psalms, rejoice evermore, success, supernatural strength, the believer's best freind, they are new every morning, this is the will of God in Christ, Thursday Blessings, thy faithfulness every night, to shew forth thy lovingkindness, to sing praises unto thy name O Most High, to warm our cold hearts, upon an instrument of ten strings, upon the harp, with a solemn sound, worship
Psalm 92:1. ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
Oh friends, at long last, warm and sunny days seem to be here again! Thank the Lord! It’s about time we felt some of the sun’s awesome heat to warm our cold hearts, souls, bodies and minds after this long winter season. Granted, it wasn’t that cold, but still the chilly, damp weather is what really gets into the bones and causes all sorts of illnesses and emotional downturns. But with summer seemingly on the way, there is a li’l more LOVE and joy in the society, although not as much as we so badly need.
And today we’ll take a look at a couple of scriptures about giving thanks to our great God, for all that He’s done on our behalf. And the first scriptures come from Psalm 92, aptly titled ‘Give Thanks to the Lord.’ 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) (steups!!!) thy LOVING-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lyre or lute); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonious or melodic) sound. For thou Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps. 92:1-4)
Oh my fellow saints, it’s so obvious that the Lord deserves our thanks, both morning and evening, and even during the daytime because of His unfailing goodness and mercy to us each and every day! And if, as the psalmist says he has made us glad through His work, then there’s even more reason to give Him praise and thanks!
And Psalm 147, titled ‘Sing Praise to the Lord,’ gives the same message. ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah): for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely (beautiful). (It surely is!) The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds (sorrows). He telleth (counts) the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite (limitless).’ (Ps. 147:1-5)
More indisputable truth my brethren! Our God is both great and good, therefore He necessitates praise from His people! Unfortunately though, His people don’t thank him as much as they ought to. Some of us only give thanks on Sundays when we go to church, others don’t even remember to give thanks at all. But please remember as Jeremiah says: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23)
Oh friends, our wonderful God deserves amazing praise and thanks for the simple reason that we are still alive today, through His great mercies and faithfulness. You know how many people didn’t wake up this Thursday morning? Many! Why? I don’t know. But I’m sure some of them did not waken today because they were not in the habit of giving the Lord the thanks and praise He so richly deserves. It’s mind boggling that we can call on the Lord for all the stuff we want, but when we get it, we forget to give Him thanks and praise.
My people, we should be thanking our God all through the day: for every good and positive move we make; for every scrape or negative situation that He gets us out of. Praise should be a continual thing in the hearts and lives of the true believer. Why do you think Bruh Paul highly advised us through his letter to the Philippians to ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) And to the Thessalonians, he said: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5: 16-18)
Yes my fellow believers, giving thanks and praise to Almighty God is essential in our daily lives, it’s His will for us. One of the reasons He created us is that we could praise and worship Him, and reciprocate his wonderful LOVE like all the other heavenly hosts. He didn’t just make us to beg and badger Him for lustful, ungodly stuff, as some of us seem to think from our ungrateful and rebellious attitudes. Heartfelt thanks is essential for the believer if he or she expects to receive all that God has in store for them. And I don’t know how else to say it but like that.
Anyway, enough preaching for today. And the Bit is already late because I had to go down to the hospital for some tests this morning, so let’s keep it short and sweet. (smile) And since it’s Thursday, it means declaring (chuh man!!!) our Thursday Blessings very generously given to us by the Lord to do His earthly work. So 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 (awright!!!) it’s now our duty to go out and generously use those blessings, so that others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…a heart glowing with praise and thanksgiving…is the believers best friend…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
16 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a person of prayer, a shining example of how to live for God, as John also taught his disciples, Bible, closer to God, communicating sincerely with God, disciple, faith, fellowship, give us this day our daily bread, god, increase my awareness of you today, intimate interaction with God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lord teach us to pray, LOVE, mar the day, mercy, peace, pray without ceasing, prayer, relationship with Christ, sincerely seeking God, slow my thoughts, supernatural help, the discipline of prayer, the Lord's prayer, the power and the glory, thine is the kingdom, true discipleship, wisdom
Luke 11:1b. Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Hurrah for the sun my people! Yesterday it battled the dark clouds mano-a-mano and won! Now, it wasn’t at it’s brightest, but it certainly provided enough light to prove it was daytime, and did not allow the dark clouds or their precipitation to mar the day. (smile) Let’s hope it can do the same on this lazy-day Saturday cloudy morning. So, having made clear our desire for good weather, let’s now turn to God and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, seeking His wonderful presence and closeness.
As one sincere 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 it never ceases to amaze me, how with that simple prayer, I feel quiet and peaceful and somewhat closer to God. But then, I remember that’s exactly what I asked for, and if we ask for anything within God’s will, He will provide it. And seeking His LOVE, His closeness and presence are certainly within the boundaries of His will, so He will definitely provide them if we sincerely seek them.
And that desire to draw near to God reminds me of the instance in Luke Chapter 11, where the Bible states: ‘And it came to pass, that, as he (Jesus) was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one).’ (Luke 11:1-5)
Now that’s a slightly truncated version from the prayer Jesus gives in His Sermon on the Mount, where He ends it: ‘For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’ (Matt. 6:13) However, it’s all Jesus teaching us to pray, what we now call ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ And I like this commentary on the matter: ‘When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He didn’t put on a seminar or give them techniques. He taught them by praying.’
Yes friends, that’s the beauty of our Lord and Saviour; He doesn’t always give us lectures on our demands or desires, but oftentimes jumps right into what we ask and does it without hesitation, shows us by personal example. In fact, that’s what His whole personal experience on earth was; a shining example of how to live for Almighty God, as He only did what the Father instructed Him to do. And yes, we don’t have all the supernatural powers that Jesus had, but we do have enough to help us to live right in His name, if we would only step up to the plate.
Now, if we’re wondering what motivated the disciples to ask Jesus to teach them to pray, this other commentary explains it rather nicely. ‘The disciples recognized that prayer like Jesus did it was humanly impossible. They needed supernatural help. They had found someone who could do for them what they were unable to do for themselves. “Teach.” The word “teach” means “disciple,” and it describes the very essence of the disciples’ relationship with Christ.’ Likewise it’s the same relationship that we have today with Christ, where we desire Him to teach us the way to truth and righteousness in this sinful and evil world.
And as this other commentary so rightly says: ‘For the follower of Jesus, our motivation is first and always to LOVE and serve, with graciousness and compassion – no matter what. Jesus’ invitation to follow him as a disciple demands involvement, engagement in the mission of LOVE. We are not supposed to be simply consumers of Christ’s redeeming LOVE.’ But, unfortunately that is exactly what too many of us do; live on Christ’s redeeming LOVE, without lifting a finger in true discipleship. Too many of us are too involved with out own selves and circumstances, and not enough with the fight that Jesus has set up for us to undertake.
But let’s not get away from the very important subject of prayer, which is currently so lacking in our society. Remember the words of Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians? ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess. 5:17) Now that is something we ought to take to heart. As the scholars tell us, ‘the believer ought to remain in the attitude of prayer though not always praying audibly.’ That simply means that prayer should be a constant in our lives.
And we’ll end with these most valuable words and ideas on prayer, from the article on the subject found on the navigators.org website. They say: ‘The disciples didn’t ask for instructions on sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom. They didn’t request to be taught how to heal. They didn’t ask Jesus to teach them how to study the Scriptures. They asked Him to teach them to pray. They knew it was important. The Scriptures, after all, are full of exhortations to pray. And yet, those who follow Jesus repeatedly confess that the spiritual discipline they struggle with most is prayer. This form of communion with God holds the promise of intimate interaction with our heavenly Father. And that intimate relationship is the foundation for everything else we do as followers of Jesus.
A number of years ago, when veteran Navigator Ed Reis spoke to a group of pastors about the importance of prayer, he told them, “We already know enough about prayer. We just need to pray.” That’s probably true for most of us today. We don’t need more information about prayer—we need a new perspective on it, and we need to do it. That’s how we learn. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He didn’t put on a prayer seminar or discuss the various types of prayer or the biblical basis for why prayer was important. He didn’t give them techniques. He taught them by praying.
Our hope is that as you read the articles and stories on the following pages, that you’ll be motivated—not to learn new prayer techniques, or to “master” the discipline of prayer—but to spend time talking and listening to God. Becoming a person of prayer isn’t about learning to do it right—it’s about learning to engage God in conversation and about getting to know Him more intimately. It may not come naturally to us. It didn’t come naturally to the early disciples, either. But as we do it, we can ask—as they did—“Lord, teach us to pray!”
Oh friends, I certainly couldn’t put it any better than that! So please, please, let’s take it all to heart and sincerely make the effort to improve our prayer lives, which we all know need improving. (smile) Much LOVE!
…prayer is simply communicating sincerely with God…
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