The Overwhelming Importance of Believers Knowing and Understanding Jehovah God’s Great and Unconditional Love for Them!

15 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

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

Romans 5:8.          But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Oh boy, it’s Saturday; our lazy-day Saturday where we can do anything we want! Now isn’t that a wonderful feeling? It surely is! Except for those who might have young children or old parents to look after. (smile) But otherwise, we can laze the day away, in bed, on the couch in front of the TV, or just sit in our favourite chair and read a book we’ve been dying to read for ages, but could never find the time during our hectic work week. And thankfully I did get to laze away some of the morning hours in bed. But one thing we must not forget to do though, is offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth. (smile) 

So please pray with me: ‘‘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’s oh so wonderful when we spend time with or ask the Father to help us get to know Him better, because it’s only through greater knowledge of and intimacy with Him, that we’ll ever be able to handle the ups and downs of this strife-filled and angry world. And as I always remind us, our heavenly Father desires nothing more than His human creation seeking to spend intimate time with Him, for that’s one of the reasons He created us in the first place; so that we could commune deeply together. And there’s’ nothing that warms the cockles of His heart like us coming to Him seeking closeness and sincere time with Him. 

And if you don’t believe that God truly LOVES us and wants to be a major part of our lives, then tell me why He’s done all that He’s done for us, when He was not required to do so, especially after our sinful rebellion against Him? But He did it because He created us to spend communal time with Him and He LOVES us more than any of His other creations. Just think on these scriptures nuh, and tell me if what I’m saying isn’t true. 

Hear this first one from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome: ‘For  when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:6-8) Now that’s one of my favourite scriptures, because it shows how much God really LOVES us, in that He didn’t wait for us to come to Him, like most other supposed gods would, but He came to us through the birth, death and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ. 

And I like how this commentary explains it. ‘The saying highlights a contrast between a “righteous” person, who follows the law, and a “good” person, who is seen as noble and selfless. The passage immediately uses this idea to explain that while it is rare for someone to die for a “good” person, God showed his LOVE by having Christ die for “ungodly” people, demonstrating a higher level of LOVE and sacrifice.’ 

And why not eh, since as He tells us in Isaiah: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) Therefore it’s not surprising that our magnificent and magnanimous God would do such and unheard of thing like sending His sinless Son to die for bunch of abominable sinners, placing the whole weight of their sin on His shoulders, so that He could reconcile them back to Himself as the righteousness of God in Christ, because of Christ’s payment for their sin. 

Only someone who truly LOVED someone else would ever dream of doing such a heartrending act. But as Jesus said to Nicodemus when he came searching for answers: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) 

Now friends, that’s what true LOVE looks like; sacrificing one’s own heart for an undeserving other. And that’s why Jesus expects those who claim to be His disciples, His followers, to follow His example and sacrifice themselves for others, as He so expressly specifies in the gospel of Luke. ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That shows that following Jesus is a daily thing. We need to do just like He did, that’s follow the will of His heavenly Father. 

And He said it out loud and clear: ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:38-40) Yes my faithful brethren, it could not be any clearer than that: The will of the Father, is that everyone who believes in Jesus receives eternal life and will be raised up on the last day. 

And as Jesus said to Martha, shortly before He raised her brother Lazarus from the dead: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26) 

Now that’s a question we would all do well to seriously consider and ponder on this rainy lazy-day Saturday in the middle of November 2025, because our eternal destiny hinges on it. Much LOVE!

…if one reads the scriptures…there’s no doubt of God’s great LOVE for mankind…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 July 2023 Luke 19:10.

10 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Luke 19:10.       For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Oh friends, may the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you this Monday morning as you go out to work! And do we ever need divine help to safely earn a living in these times of serious upheaval and disaster in our world, both man-made and natural. It’s difficult enough when you have Christ and His Holy Spirit leading and guiding you, can you imagine how hard it is for those who don’t know them. That’s why we must make every effort to bring as many people as possible to the knowledge of Christ. It’s the only way any of the pain and suffering so rampant in our world right now will ever be alleviated. 

Remember Jesus strong words on the subject when he had lunch with Zaccheus the publican (tax collector) and he repented and promised to repay any whom he had fleeced. ‘And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:8-10) Yes friends, that was Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth; to save the sick, the lost and the suffering, not so much to save those who consider themselves righteous, like the scribes and Pharisees. 

As we see when he called Levi (Matthew) the publican (tax collector) at his post in the customs department, ‘and said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans (tax collectors) and of others that sat down with them. But their scribes and Pharisees murmured (grumbled) against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans (tax collectors) and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole (healthy) need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance’ (Luke 19:27-32) 

The scholars tell us: ‘Levi (Matthew) was evidently celebrating his new faith, and invited former friends to share in the festivities. But the Pharisees held that it was defiling to have dealings, let alone to eat, with people like Levi and his associates. But Jesus was not dealing with the question of whether there are in fact righteous people who need no repentance. By righteous He refers to the Pharisees, who thought they were righteous, and thus felt they had no need to repent. They were truly self-righteous.’ 

And if you really want to see Jesus’ heart to seek and save the lost, just check out the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. (Luke 15) In each instance the person who lost their possession went looking for the one, the single item that was lost, because they considered it important enough not lose any at all. That’s how Jesus and the Father feel about us lost sinners. Peter specifies it in 2 Pet. 3:9. ‘The Lord …is longsuffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ 

And Jesus agreed with that when He declared: ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:38-40) That’s why Jesus left the comfort of heaven to come to earth and sacrifice His sinless life on our behalf. 

And if lost souls were so important to Jesus, then they ought to be very important to us too. Remember when Jesus saw the multitude looking like lost sheep and had compassion on them, then said to the disciples. ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt. 9:37-38) Now we are a part of that labour force my people. The Lord has commissioned us to go out and gather in the harvest of lost and suffering souls so that He could mend them and make them whole. 

And though we do need to concentrate on making an earthly living, we also need to think about saving up treasures in heaven by the way we live for Christ. Yes, it does call for some sacrifices on our part, but the Lord will never ask us to do something without giving us the wherewithal to do it. So, if He’s asked us to bring lost souls to Him, then He’s already imbued us with the power to do it through His Holy Spirit. So lets’ get to it nuh. No more flimsy excuses or fear, for as Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

Now, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and plead for divine help to right our troubled world. Altogether now: ‘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 if we want to see good days, then we have to show obedience and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…Jesus would never have left heaven…if mankind did not need saving…  Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ