20 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new work week, all we like sheep have gone astray, answer our prayers, burdensome, calls together his friends and neighbours, conquering power, divine aid, don't commit adultery, don't lie, don't murder, don't steal, ease the pain, even our faith, faith, fear, fearful, forgotten their resting place, found my lost sheep, God is sovereign, gone from mountain to hill, greater is he that's in you, having an hundred sheep, he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God, his commandments are not grievous, holy spirit, honour the Sabbath day, honour your father and mother, humble ourselves, I do not forget thy commandments, I have gone astray, if ye love me keep my commandments, in the wilderness, in this dark and evil world, indifference, insufficient Christian witness, irresponsible, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus has won the victory, joy shall be in heaven over one repentant sinner, lackadaisical attitude, languishing in a cesspool of evil, lays it on his shoulders rejoicing, leaves the ninety and nine, lethargic, like a lost sheep, likewise, loses one of his sheep, LOVE, love God with all your heart soul body and mind, Love your neighbour as yourself, make a difference, make hay while the sun shines, mass confusion in our world, mercy, my people hath been lost sheep, ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance, pray, reconciled back to his fold, rejoice with me, sacrifices, salvation, seek thy servant, sheep stray from their shepherd, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, spreading our salty flavour and bright light, strong faith in Christ, suffer dire consequences, than he that's in the world, the ball is in our court, the God who heals, the iniquity of us all, the Lord hath laid on him, the many suffering from negative situations, the only one to solve our problems, the right tonic, the throne of grace, the victory that overcomes the world, their shepherds have caused them to go astray, this is the love of God, to find favour with God, truth, turn from our evil ways, turned every one to his own way, victory over hell death and the grave, we keep His commandments, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, when he comes home, who is he that overcomes the world, wisdom, wise guidance, ye are of God
Psalm 119:176. Oh Lord, I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
It’s Monday friends, it’s Monday! Time to get out there and take advantage of this new work week in Jesus’ mighty name! Yes, time for us to get out into the evil world and make hay while the sun shines, for one day the sun will stop shining and we won’t be able to make any hay then! (smile)
And believe me, with every passing day, it becomes more imperative, more important that we allow our salty flavour and our bright lights to make a difference in this dark and evil world, for we are quickly losing control of it…if we haven’t already, and that’s not what Jesus left us down here to do. He came to earth, did His part, won the victory over hell, death and the grave, then went back to heaven, leaving us down here to maintain that victory. Remember what He said to us: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15)
And John, later on in his first epistle, added his take to that statement. ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ (1 John 5:3) And no, His commandments are certainly not burdensome! They might entail some difficulty, some sacrifices at times, but what’s so difficult in ‘don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, honour your father and mother, honour the Sabbath day, LOVE your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and LOVE your neighbour as yourself?’
There’s nothing there for us to misunderstand or not comprehend. However, our response to His commandments have been lethargic, fearful, irresponsible and obviously not good enough, otherwise our world would not be languishing in the cesspool of evil and ungodliness that it’s currently engulfed in.
No friends, our Christian witness has certainly not been good enough, which brings us back to these important words of John’s first epistle. ‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:4-5)
Oh my people, it’s through our faith in Jesus Christ that we overcome the world, but if our faith is not strong, we’re fearful, lackadaisical, or simply not interested, then we obviously cannot overcome it. And I like what the scholars say about verse 5. ‘There is conquering power through this confession because God is sovereign over the world, and ONLY through the Son does man have access to and find favour with God.’
And we know that’s the awesome truth, but for some reason(s), we simply refuse to rise to the task and do what we know Jesus expects of us, both as individuals, and as His corporate church. And we can certainly do it, because as John also reminds us: ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that’s in the world.’ (1 John 4:4)
That’s more awesome truth my brethren! Our God is stronger than the god of this world, there’s no denying that! But we need to come together and live it; make it work! And I have the right tonic for our indifference, fear, or whatever is holding us back from doing the Lord’s will. It’s a very applicable statement from Psalm 119. So please pray with me: ‘Oh Lord, I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.’ (Ps. 119:176)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s our problem. Like Isaiah says when talking about Jesus’ sorrow. ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:5) No doubt about it, we had all gone astray in the early days, and the Lord placed all our sins on Jesus, so we could be reconciled back to his fold. It’s also like Jeremiah declared: ‘My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.’ (Jer. 50:6)
So it’s not the first time we have gone astray like lost sheep my people, and we desperately need the Lord to come seeking us. And He will, as Jesus so plainly says. ‘What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just (upright) persons, which need no repentance.’ (Luke 15:4-7)
Yuh see mih bredrin, Jesus is always on the lookout for His lost sheep, and can you imagine the joy there’ll be in heaven when so many of us lost ones have been found…it will be immense! But the ball is still in our court; we must admit that we’re lost, and want to be found. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And if we’re serious, we’ll note some of the requirements for receiving divine aid: humbling ourselves, praying, seeking God’s face, and turning from our evil ways. So please, let’s get to work nuh! There’s much to be done, and we cannot waste another moment. Much LOVE!
…when sheep stray from their shepherd…they very likely will suffer dire consequences…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a barren woman, all generations shall call me blessed, Bible, blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, christianity, Christmas Season, deep conviction, divine understanding, duty bound, Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, exalted them of low degree, faith, filled the hungry with good things, he that is mighty hath done to me great things, helpd his servant israel, her cousin Elisabeth, holy is his name, holy spirit, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, in remembrance of his mercy, inclement weather, Jesus Christ, joy, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, man's finite understanding, Mary kept all these things, mercy, my soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, 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, pondered them in her heart, regarded the low esteem of his handmaiden, sacrifices, salvation, scattered the proud, share His love with my neighbours, take u our crosses every day, the babe leaped in her womb, the house of Zacharias, the imaginations of their hearts, the Magnificat, the mother of my Lord, the rich he sent away empty, to light the way, true disciples, trust my friend Jesus, truth, wisdom, with God nothing is impossible, worry
Luke 1:46-47. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
This Tuesday morning, a couple of weeks before Christmas doesn’t give one the enthusiasm to be up and about the Father’s business, because it’s wet, cloudy and chilly, with no signs whatsoever of the sun hovering in the background. There’s even an advisory warning about fog. But despite the inclement weather, we still need to get out there and work for Jesus. Remember, to be true disciples, we need to pick up our crosses every day and bear them the way that He did His.
And in this Christmas Season, there’s nothing better to put a smile on our faces and a li’l pep in our steps than remembering all the drama, the machinations and nuances the Lord placed in the amazing story of Christ’s miraculous birth. So, let’s continue from where we left off yesterday, where the angel spoke to Mary about the birth of Jesus, and then Joseph was advised to marry her despite the very serious circumstances.
Now, what does Mary do after she gracefully informs the angel Gabriel: ‘Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.’ (Luke 1:38) Well the Bible tells us: ‘And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted (greeted) Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation (greeting) of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence (why) is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation (greeting) sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. and blessed is she that (who) believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:39-45)
Oh friends, isn’t our God a great dramatist? Of course! Who else would have thrown in a li’l tidbit to Mary about her cousin Elizabeth’s pregnancy, knowing that it would drive Mary to seek out the hitherto barren woman? And who else would have filled Elisabeth with the knowledge of what was happening with Mary but the Holy Ghost who made His sudden appearance when Mary greeted her. What I like most about that story though is how John the Baptist leaped with joy in his mother’s womb when he heard Mary’s call. He knew that the mother of his cousin Jesus, the one he was coming to light the way for was nearby.
Oh my people, only our good God could make such miraculous things a reality. And who knows, if Mary had already been impregnated by the Holy Ghost, the two children might have had their own womb-based conversations. (smile) For remember, with God, nothing is impossible! Now, how is that for a story to put a smile on your face this inclement Tuesday morning eh! And since it’s all about Jesus, it must be out of the ordinary, dramatic and not always understandable by mere humans.
It’s like the Lord said through the prophet 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 higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) That’s telling us friends! Most of what God does is way beyond our finite understanding, and if were able to understand it all, then we wouldn’t have any need for a God.
And after Elisabeth’s blessing and encouragement, comes one of the most beautiful passages of scripture, one we call ‘The Magnificat.’ Joyful words mouthed by Mary that shows her deep conviction. Please read those beautiful words of divine understanding with me. ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low esteem (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maidservant): for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degree (lowly). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.’ (Luke 2:46-55)
Now, how many teenagers today could rattle off such scriptural stuff eh? Not many, if any. And though back then the children were brought up learning and memorizing scripture from early days, we can still see the power of the Holy Ghost working in Mary as she emptied her soul before the Lord. I wonder though, if she understood right then, how hard it would be for her as her esteemed Son went through a most difficult life.
I guess that’s why having given birth to Jesus in the stable and the shepherds came and saw him and noised about all that they had heard from the heavenly host, the Bible tells us: ‘But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.’ (Luke 2:19) And that’s not the only time it says so. Obviously Mary was a thoughtful woman. She had to be after undergoing such extraordinary godly favour.
But on the other side of the coin, the reality of the situation, that she could do nothing about, seeing the ‘sufferation’ her fist born son had to endure, must have broken her heart several times during her lifetime. But sometimes that’s the price we have to pay while doing God’s work, the sacrifices we make, as we daily take up our crosses and follow Him.
The Bible then concludes that aspect of Mary’s story by saying, ‘And Mary abode with her (Elisabeth) about three months, and returned to her own house.’ (Luke 1:56) Can you imagine the conversations between those two blessed women, or those between Jesus and John the Baptist in their wombs? (smile) Remember, anything’s possible with our God!
And, having put a smile on our faces, and lifted our spirits some, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the 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 friends, we are 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!
…without the birth of Jesus…there’d be no Christmas…or eventual salvation…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great high priest, a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, all have sinned, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, Bible, challenges, christianity, cleanse us from all unrighteousness, cleanses us from all sin, come short of the glory of God, confess our sins, do not the truth, faith, fellowship with God, find grace to help in time of need, follow me, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, God is light, God of unlimited chances, God searches our hearts, he is faithful and just, holy spirit, hurry, I am the beloved of god, if any man will come after me, if we confess our sins, in god's eyes, Jesus can empathize with our suffering, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our only good option, let him deny himself, LOVE, magnanimous and magnificent God, mercy, no giving up in Jesus' economy, obedient to His word, rewards, sacrifices, salvation, selfish desires, share His love with my neighbours, sincere repentance, sinshine is a reflection of Christ, stumble into calamity, sympathize with our weaknesses, take up his cross daily and follow me, tempted like we are, tests, Thanks be to God, the blood of Jesus, The God of second chances, the propitiation for our sins, the throne of grace, the wicked shall fall into mischief, to forgive our sins, trials, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk in the light, was without sin, wisdom, worry
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And then it was Tuesday, sunshiny but a tad on the chilly side. But as we always say, we’ll take the sunshine any time because it’s a reflection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the world! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘All thanks be to God the Father who gave us His only Son Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins! Blessed be His holy name, forever and ever! Amen!’
Ah friends, what a privilege and pleasure it is to live for Jesus! There’s nothing else like it in this world; it can be tough and challenging, with sacrifices and all sorts of tests and trials, but behind it all, let’s remember that Jesus walked this earth as a man like us and experienced all that we experience, but yet was without sin, that means He understands what we’re going through down here on earth and can empathize with our earthly problems.
For as the Good Library informs us from the Book of Hebrews: ‘Seeing that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
Wow mih bredrin! What wonderful news, that we can go directly to the throne of grace for help from our Lord and Saviour…and not only directly, but also boldly or confidently, knowing that we will not be, no, never be turned away. Our requests may not be granted, but we’ll always have the opportunity to present them without fear of being turned away. Which other God is so magnanimous and generous eh? None whatsoever!
That’s why it’s such a joy to live and work for Jesus! He’s not a terrible task master either, although He likes His work done when and how He says, and when you are obedient to His word, His rewards can be enormous, can be very significant in the life of a believer. By the same token though, disobedience, laziness and lack of effort bring the risk of punishment. And that’s only fair; since we can’t expect to get good rewards when we toe the line, as well as when we’re out of order.
But again, the wonderful thing about Jesus is that He’s always forgiving, if we repent of our mistakes and try to be better in the future. And John details it for us in his first epistle, when he writes: ‘This then is the message which we have heard of him (Jesus), and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him (God), and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not (practice) the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.’ (1 John 1:5-10)
Simple and straightforward my brethren. And it’s indeed a fact that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, (Rom. 3:23) so we cannot say that we have no sin, but the important thing is that if we confess to our sins, agree with God that we’ve wronged Him, then the Lord is most willing to forgive us…and more than once too. As this commentary so nicely puts it: ‘As a matter of fact, God is not only the God of second chances, but the God of third and fourth and unlimited chances for His children who confess their faults and weaknesses, and come to Him for help.’
Mama Mia! What can be better than that eh? Although it doesn’t give us license to sin and keep running back and forth through insincere repentance. Not at all! The forgiveness is for sincere repentance, although we might commit the same sin several times, in our hearts, where God looks for our true motives, we must be sincerely trying to escape it, and asking for God’s help to do so.
Oh friends, God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but He expects us to work towards perfection, especially since He’s already given us all the tools necessary to do so, as well as the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. It’s like Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) And that’s exactly what’s expected of a faithful believer in Jesus Christ. No matter how often you fall, you are expected to get back up, after a brief respite, for there’s no giving up in Jesus’ economy.
So there you have it, a brief overview of what it is like to work and live for Jesus… Oh, I forgot one important scripture that’s the foundation of it all; meaning what it takes to be a true disciple of Jesus. Jesus said it thus: ‘If any man will come (desires to come) after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
Now that might seem like a real tough target, and ofttimes it is, but generally speaking it’s not too difficult, especially with Jesus leading and guiding you through it all with His Holy Spirit. The important thing though is that you need to be prepared to sacrifice all your selfish desires to Christ, if and whenever He calls. But there again, He’s the kind of master who believes in helping His people, all the way, every day!
So let’s go home now declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us 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!
…living for Christ…is the ONLY good option…we have in this world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things were made by him, alleviate our problems, an accurate perception, atonement for our sins, be filled with the knowledge of his will, being fruitful in every good work, Bible, cease not to pray for you, christianity, cycle of life, disobeyed your word, eternal destination, faith, forbearing the faults of others, fruitful in every good work, giving thanks unto the Father, god, happiness, holy spirit, immorality, in all wisdom, in him was life, In the beginning was the Word, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joyfulness, logic, longsuffering, LOVE, made us meet, mass confusion, meditating on god's word, mercy, misery, morality, partakes of the inheritance, pateince, perseverance, practical situations, practical ways to apply theory, qualified us, ransom, redemption, sacrifices, sacrificial death, salvation, share in the salvation, sincere repentance, sincerely expressing gratitude to god, sinned, spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, suffering, the Christian life, the crippling clutches, the darkness comprehends it not, the forgiveness of sins, the God who heals, the grim reaper, the life was the light of men, the light shines in the darkness, the saints in light, the skillful application of wisdom, the true nature of things, the Word was God, the Word was with God, this evil world, trials, tribulations, truth, walk worthy of the Lord, wisdom
John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the cycle continues unabated. Yes friends, the cycle of life never stops, it just keeps rolling along from Monday to Sunday…Monday to Sunday…and back again. It’s like a constantly revolving Ferris wheel that simply keeps going up and down, round and round, but never stopping to disgorge its anxious and fearful passengers.
And the only way you can escape the crippling clutches of that forever cycle is by allowing the Grim Reaper to escort you home to your eternal destination, be it heaven or hell. That means while you’re caught in the vicious cycle of life, you have to learn to handle it with some semblance of hope and fortitude.
And the best way to do that is by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. And why is that? Because as John puts it in his gospel: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehendeth it not.’ (John 1:1-5)
Oh my people, logic dictates that if those words are true and Jesus was the Word and He made everything in creation, and life and light came through Him, then He should be the most knowledgeable about life and be the one most able to teach us how to handle it. Now, that sounds all well and good in theory, but how do we put it into practice?
And that’s the beauty of living for and serving Jesus; He doesn’t only give you theory, but also practical ways to apply the theory. And one of the best ways to put that theory above into practice is highlighted by the words of Bruh Paul’s prayer for the Colossians. He writes: ‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light:
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ (Col. 1:9-14)
So those are some of the things we need to learn to help us handle the vicious cycle of life. Let’s try and break them down nuh. And the first thing we need to do is discern God’s will for our lives, through meditating on God’s Word and through the leading and guiding of His Holy Spirit that indwells us for those purposes. Bruh Paul says that we need to do so with all ‘wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Now what are those things eh? The scholars explain that ‘Wisdom is an accurate perception into the true nature of things, while Understanding is the skillful application of this wisdom in practical situations.’ So basically, they are knowing the truth and knowing how to successfully apply that truth to our lives. And why do we need to know God’s will for our lives? So that we can ‘walk worthy of the Lord,’ or live properly and please Him.
And what does a worthy walk entail? According to the scholars: ‘the believer is (1) fruitful in every good work, productive in Christian service; (2) constantly increasing in the knowledge of God, ever coming to know the Lord better; (3) always “strengthened with all might” or becoming spiritually stronger and stronger; (4) in the habit of giving thanks, sincerely expressing gratitude to God in both the pleasant and unpleasant experiences in life.’
Now, the first thing we must understand about walking with God as a believer in His Son Jesus Christ, is that it’s not easy; it’s filled with sacrifices, and suffering and tough times and just life itself…however, it is the most interesting and rewarding life we can ever live on God’s great earth!
And here we’re talking about things like ‘Patience, which the scholars tell us is persevering through problems, trials and tribulations, and so forth. Also Longsuffering which is forbearing the faults and offences of others.’ And in all of that we still need to be ‘thanking the Father who made us fit to share in the salvation belonging to the saints who are in the light.’
And ‘Light is the ethical condition in which God’s children live, namely that of spiritual understanding, with its accompanying morality and happiness. Then we come to ‘Darkness, which is the religious state in which unbelievers exist, namely, that of spiritual ignorance, with its attending immorality and misery.’
And last but not least, possibly the most important is ‘Blood, the Blood of Jesus, which reminds the Colossians, and also us, of the enormous price and sacrifice paid to secure our redemption. Redemption then, is achieved by the atonement wrought by Jesus’ death.’ His sacrificial death paid the price for our sins, or He ransomed us through His death, thus leading to forgiveness of sins, if one believes in Him. So, as we said before, living the Christian life can be a tough go, but by all accounts, it can’t be beat.
And to help us accomplish our earthly tasks with joy and thanksgiving, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn asking for divine help to do better than we’re currently doing. That’s also one of the big benefits of living for Christ; you can go to Him at anytime to ask for help.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Let’s remember though, that asking for divine aid also includes our sincere repentance and a serious desire to seek God more fully. Much LOVE!
…the cycle of life…can best be lived…in association with its Creator…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alleviate our problems, back-breaking labour, be blameless, begun a good work, being confident of this very thing, being made conformable to his death, Bible, christianity, DETERMINATION, do all things without murmurings and disputings, even the youths shall faint and be weary, experiencing God's power, faith, fear, follow after, for the prize of the high calling in God, forgetting those things which are behind, god, God gives power to the faint, hard work, holding fast to, holy spirit, humble servants, I may know him, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, justified, LOVE, made righteous, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my nemesis, negative situations, no searching of his understanding, perform it unto the day of Christ, perseverance, press toward the mark, reaching forth, reconciled, renew their strength, repentance, run and not be weary, sacrifices, salvation, sanctified, shine as lights in the world, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, the Creator of the ends of the earth, the everlasting God, the fellowship of his sufferings, the God who heals, the Lord fainteth not, the power of his resurrection, the sons of God, the word of life, they that wait upon he Lord, this one thing I do, those things which are before, to truly know Jesus, trembling, truth, turn from our evil ways, walk and not faint, wisdom, wise guidance, without rebuke, work out your own salvation, youg men shall fall
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And our nemesis, Monday, has shown up again, this time with a full work week. So, hope you had enough rest and relaxation to enable you to get through a full five days of back-breaking labour. (smile) Although it must be said that with all the amenities and helpful tools we currently have, not many of us do backbreaking work anymore. Sometimes we expend more energy getting to and from work, that doing the actual work itself. But that’s just how the cookie crumbles and we have to take it as it comes.
And how do we do that? By standing strong and steadfast in our faith in Christ Jesus! Remember, He’s our Be All and End All, and we can do anything we need to through His awesome strength that flows through us. (Phil. 4:13) Then there’s also this awesome scripture from the prophet Isaiah on God’s great might. ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.’ (Is. 40:28-31)
Wow my fellow believers! What a mighty God we serve! But, unfortunately, that faith and strength don’t come to us automatically or overnight. No, it’s something we must work at. It entails, hard work, sacrifices, perseverance and a determination to truly know Jesus. And that we can learn from Bruh Paul’s sentiments to the Philippians.
‘That I may know him, and power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained (it), either were already perfect: but I follow after (press on), if that I may apprehend (lay hold of) that for which I also am apprehended of Christ.’ (Phil. 3:10-12)
Ah friends, you see how badly Bruh Paul wants to be like Christ; he’s eager to become more like Him in His suffering and death, so he could obtain His physical resurrection, as the scholars say, ‘thus experiencing God’s power in one of its greatest aspects.’ And although Bruh Paul was probably the most hardworking and zealous of the apostles, he still believed that he hadn’t done enough to get close to Jesus’ state.
As he continues to the Philippians. ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of it): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead), I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
And that my faithful brethren, is the attitude we, as true believers in Christ Jesus, ought to have! A strong desire to press forward to achieve and obtain all that Christ died for us to have! It’s only with that kind of determined attitude will we ever achieve or attain the mark of maturity in Christ, with good strength and faith, knowing who we are in Christ; the children of God, justified, sanctified, reconciled, made righteous, joint heirs with Him in all that the Lord has given to Him, sitting with Him in heavenly places.
Wow! Those are some of the things we need to know and believe deep in our hearts, if we want to be successful disciples of Christ. And we do that by doing as Bruh Paul earlier advised the Philippians. ‘Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of (according to) his good pleasure.’ (Phil. 2:12-13)
And what does that mean eh? Not to work for their salvation, for God has already granted that gift of salvation to them, but to work for the profit of others, by living a life that is worthwhile and pleasing to God, a life like Bruh Paul explains in practical terms in the following verses.
‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth (fast to) the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.’ (Phil. 2:14-16)
Yes my fellow saints, that’s what it means to work out your own salvation, to basically live a life for Christ, with the appropriate sacrifices in obedience to God, putting others before yourselves, like Christ did for us. Or as one commentary says: ‘The command to ”work out” salvation is a directive to let the new birth in Christ translate into actions. As a part of this, believers should serve God without griping or complaining.’ And friends, the day we do that…what a wonderful day it will be in God’s kingdom! (smile)
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for divine help to work out our salvation. 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, let’s remember, that until we turn from our evil ways and begin living a life well-pleasing to God, no divine aid will be forthcoming! Much LOVE!
…being confident of this very thing…that he which hath begun a good work in you…will perform (complete) it…until the day of Jesus Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a corruptible crown, a crown of righteousness, an incorruptible crown, and every man that striveth for mastery, be a castaway, Bible, but one receives the prize, christianity, competes for the prize, endure afflictions, endure hardship, faith, fight the good fight of faith, fought a good fight, god, good soldiers, good soldiers are not born, grace and mercy, holy spirit, humble ourselves and pray, I discipline my body, is temperate in all things, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kept the faith, life is hard, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, one that beateth the air, pick up your cross daily, put on the armour of god, repercussions, run not as uncertainly, sacrifices, self-control, seriously disobeyed your word, sincerely seek your face, stale like day old bread, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the God who heals, the helmet of salvation, the medium of prayer, the righteous judge, the shield of faith, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the spiritual armour of God, the sword of the Spirit, the throne of grace, the time of my departure is at hand, the two edged sword, the Word ofGod, they which run in a race run all, tough times, unto all them that love his appearing, when I have preached to others, wisdom, wise guidance
1 Corinthians 9:25a. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control).
Awright friends, it’s Monday…and there’s no birthday celebrations today. No. This is the start of a full work week, so please, let’s be up and about Christ’s business as we ought to, as good soldiers in His powerful army. And I guess there’s’ no better day to talk about fighting the good fight than on a Monday, when we’re supposed to be at our freshest and best, but so many of us seem uninterested and stale like day-old bread.
That’s why Bruh Paul exhorted Timothy with these words of valour: ‘Fight the good fight of faith…Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship) as a good soldier of Christ… But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the works of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (1 Tim. 6:12a, 2 Tim. 2:3, 4:5-8)
Oh my people, that’s the kind of buzz we need to make in this world. A stand for Jesus so strong that few can refute it. So that we can receive that crown of righteousness from the Lord when our time on earth is up. And no it’s not an easy stand to make, but we have all the tools to do it, beginning with the powerful Holy Spirit that indwells each of us.
Then there’s the proctection of the spiritual armour of God that Bruh Paul talks of in Ephesians: The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God, that mighty two edged sword, all banded together with the equally powerful medium of prayer. (Eph. 6:14-18)
Yes friends, with all of that firepower available to us, we cannot be defeated if we put it to good use. But it doesn’t happen automatically, we have to first put on the armour, then go out and fight the good fight. But before we fight that good fight, like all good soldiers, we also have to train, to practice, so that we can become efficient and effective on the battlefield. And that’s why Bruh Paul sets out this tough but sensible and oh so necessary training regime in his first letter to the church at Corinth.
‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown: but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air (throws wild and unconnected blows): But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Now that, my fellow believers is how we ought to be training to be good disciples and tough soldiers of Christ! Unfortunately though, too many of us supposed believers are not interested in taking up that training regime because they claim it’s too hard. But however you live life, it’s hard, and the only way to fight life is by being tougher than it, and you can only get tougher by long hours of practice and training.
Too many of us are too enamoured with the wonderful amenities and entitlements the world has to offer and thus refuse to take up their armour, go into training and fight, but they still expect to receive an imperishable crown of righteousness come the day of judgement. Unfortunately though, I’m afraid those lackadaisical, apathetic soldiers will be sorely disappointed when those crowns of righteousness are handed out.
If you refuse to pick up your cross daily and follow Christ as a good disciple, then Christ will leave you behind when he comes into His kingdom. It’s as simple as that my fellow saints. There’s no easy or simple way to cut it. Working for Jesus implies sacrifices and tough times, which we all have the wherewithal to handle, but we’re just too bloody lazy and only desire to live the easy life.
But let’s remember that anything that’s comes too easily, will later on have serious repercussions. Life was just not meant to be easy. Whatever you want, you have to work for it. So if you truly desire that imperishable crown of righteousness, then you’d better get up off your fat, lazy fanny and work for it! Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us with our earthly problems.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And the best way to encourage divine aid is by humbling ourselves, praying and sincerely seeking God’s face. Much LOVE!
…good soldiers are not born…but are developed…through discipline and serious training…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a true and genuine love, as the heavens are higher than the earth, Bible, breathed into his nostrils, but can't tell where it comes from, but canst not tell whence it cometh, Christ died for us, Christ's sufferation, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, god, God commendeth his own love toward us, God created the heaven and the earth, God formed man of dust, God's love is vaster still, halfway home, hands on the plough, hell bound, help me find beauty in the unknown, holy spirit, in the beginning, In Touch Devotional, Jesus, Jesus Christ, like a midnight sky, live the Christian life, LOVE, love Christ with all our hearts, love whatever I glimpse of you, man became a living soul, moved upon the face of the waters, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are higher that your ways, not looking back, sacrifices, selfish emotion, so is every one born of the Holy Spirit, so much remains a mystery, the breath of life, the Lord's greatest gift- Jesus christ, the mystery of you God, the Spirit of God, the wind bloweth where it listeth, the wind blows where it wants, thou hearest the sound thereof, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, while we were yet sinners, wind dance, wisdom, you hear the wind but don't know where it comes from or where it goes
Genesis 2:7. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
And it’s another warm, sunshiny but windy day in our neighbourhood. And I’m so sorry for the poor trees as they are forced to dance this continuous wind dance. (smile) But seriously though, for the last couple of years we’ve been having a lot of strong winds for no apparent reason, but this year it’s been the worst ever. Several days at a time the wind just keeps on tearing across the neighbourhood: sometimes hot, sometimes cool, but always in a hurry to go where no one knows.
As Jesus so correctly said to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader when teaching him about being born again in the Holy Spirit. ‘The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:8)
And if you’re wondering what that all means, what’s the symbolism of the wind in the Bible, then this commentary gives a good explanation. ‘Wind is a Biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit. Like the wind, the Holy Spirit comes in suddenly and from seemingly nowhere – He whirls about the atmosphere and changes everything. The Spirit, like the wind, moves wherever He wants and is, at times, unpredictable. Breath is also a Biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit.’
It’s like how the Bible says of the Creation: ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon (hovered over) the face of the waters.’ (Gen. 1:1-2)
So the Holy Spirit was there right at the beginning of creation, ready to perform whatever job was necessary. Likewise, it was the Holy Spirit that provided life in man. As the Bible tells it: ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ (Gen. 2:7)
Yes friends, like the proverbial potter, the Lord formed man’s body from the dust of the ground then breathed the breath of life or Spirit (Heb. ruach) into him, making him a living creature. So the Holy Spirit is indeed important and like the wind moves and grooves wherever it is needed, but most importantly, today it dwells within each believer to lead, guide and comfort us as we live the Christian life here on earth. And unless we pay close attention to the still, small voice that the Spirit usually speaks in, we will miss God’s amazing plan and purpose for our lives.
That brings us to this prayer from the Let Us Pray section of this month’s In Touch Devotional, which seems to jive rather well with what we’ve been speaking about, the mystery of God and His Holy Spirit. So please pray with me: ‘God, I know some things about You, but so much remains a mystery – and that often unsettles me. The mystery of You is like a midnight sky – so immense it could swallow me whole. But I know Your LOVE is vaster still. God, help me find beauty in the unknown, and to LOVE whatever I glimpse of You. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Yes mih bredrin, our God is great and full of mystery, and we’ll never understand the half of what and who He is. But that’s why He is God! His omnipotence, omniscience, and omni-presence is way above the ability of our finite, puny minds to comprehend. And He’s informed us of that in His word, through the prophet 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)
That’s it in a nutshell my people! We can never understand all that our God is, we just have to believe and have faith, because we see and experience His goodness towards us. And if we get close enough to Him, every so often He will give us a glimpse of Himself; of His imperial majesty, of His miracle working power, of His comforting Spirit, and of His unconditional LOVE.
But all of that is just window dressing, for He’s already given us the biggest and most important part of Himself, that’s His only Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who came to earth and died as a propitiation, an appeasement for our sins. As one of my favourite Bible verses reminds us: ‘But God commendeth his LOVE (demonstrated his own LOVE) toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Oh my fellow saints, there could never be a bigger, heartfelt, genuine showing of LOVE than that! The Lord LOVED us so much that He broke His own heart to save us from eternal damnation and hellfire. And now, that’s where our eyes must be focused – on the Lord Jesus Christ. Living the way He desires, doing the things He wants us to do, making sacrifices for others like He did for us, but above all…LOVING Him with all our hearts, souls, bodies and minds.
And we’re talking about a true and genuine LOVE, not some wishy-washy, opportunistic, selfish emotion, because that’s exactly what He deserves after all the earthly ‘sufferation’ He endured for our sakes. Now, for those of us who are truly trying to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful, enviable and incomparable situation in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we truly endure to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So see you there! Much LOVE!
…but for the Lord’s greatest gift…His son Jesus Christ…we’d all be hell bound…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, according to his riches in glory, all things work together for good, an house of defence, be about the Lord's business, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer, be thou my strong rock, Bible, bow down thine ear to me, commit our spirits into the Lord's hand, courage, curse, deliver me in thy righteousness, deliver me speedily, faith, god, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I commit my spirit, i have overcome the world, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in me ye might have peace, In thee O Lord do I put my trust, into thine hand, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let me never be ashamed, LOVE, my God shall supply all your needs, MY rock and My fortress, negative word, O Lord God of truth, one foot in both worlds, psalms, sacrifices, self-control, sit on the fence, take up your cross daily, talent, the peace of God which passeth all understading, thou hast redeemed me, Thursday Blessings, to them who love God, total trust in the Lord, tribulation, truth, who are called according to His purpose
Psalm 31:1. ‘In thee, O Lord do put my trust (take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
And then it was Thursday…And yes, the ole fella is up somewhat early to be about the Lord’s business, that’s because I have a couple of medical appointments this afternoon and did not want to be rushing around later to accomplish my tasks. So strange things do happen in this world, today, instead of being late…we’re being early! (smile) Now what are we going to talk about this morning eh, this sunny but somewhat chilly penultimate day in May? Well the Good Library opened just now in the Book of Psalms, and my eyes alighted first on Psalm 31 – Bruh David talking about ‘My Rock and My Fortress.’ One of his many psalms of both lament and praise.
So please read with me: ‘In thee, O Lord do put my trust (take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (rock of refuge) for an house of defence (fortress) to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily (secretly) for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.’ (Ps. 31:1-5)
Oh friends, those are powerful words of commitment and trust! Bruh David was serious about them, and as we read them, the question arises, are we also serious in our commitment to Almighty God? Do we consider Him our strong rock and fortress of refuge, our strength and deliverer in these turbulent and topsy turvy times? Let’s hope so, for we surely do need someone bigger and stronger than us to help us get through the craziness that’s overtaken our world. And who better than the Lord God Almighty, the Creator, and Controller of the universe, the most powerful being in existence. If He cannot take care of us, then no one can.
But as Bruh David says, we have to commit our spirits into His hand if we want His protection. And that’s totally, not partially, as we like to do in most godly things. For some reason we don’t seem to trust the Lord completely, or we just want to always have some sort of control over our goings and comings. However friends, with the Lord it’s ALL or NOTHING at ALL! He doesn’t do partway stuff, so for those of us who like to sit on the fence and try to have a foot in both worlds, He will not pay any attention to your cries for help.
And we all know that, but yet we still always try to withhold something, not give all of ourselves, possibly because we don’t truly trust the Lord to take care of all of our needs as Bruh Paul assured the Philippians. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) Yes friends, we mouth it, but don’t sincerely believe it…well not all the way. But our God needs our sincere trust and surrender if He is to do much good for us. You’ll notice in Bruh David’s own life, although he was hounded by enemies on all sides, he gave his total trust to God, and the Father, in His time and way resolved them for him.
Note, his problems did not go away overnight, or that he never had any further problems, but he stood his ground with God throughout all his trials and that’s the way we need to be. Regardless of our circumstances, how threatening or fearful they might be, we need to stand strong in the Lord and His might and believe as the word says: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) The problem is that we expect God to fix all of our problems right away and allow us to live a life of wine, women and song, without any further encumbrances.
But that will never happen, for in this sinful and ungodly world, we will have troubles and problems until the day we die, because that’s just the kind of world we live in. As Jesus rightly said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And yes, it’s not easy to have good cheer when your whole world seems to be crumbling down around you, but if you have put your sincere trust in Jesus, then you will indeed have a modicum of peace during your trials.
Your circumstances will not drive you crazy, or to drink and drugs, but you’ll fall on your knees and ask the Lord for help, while giving Him thanks and praise. As Bruh Paul wisely advises us: ‘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. 4:6-7) Now again, that isn’t always easy to do, but if we have sincerely trusted Jesus, and believe that we can do all things through Him who strengthens us, (Phil. 4:13) then we will be able to handle whatever comes against us.
Many of us erroneously believe that coming to Christ means a life of ease and comfort, but oftentimes it’s not. It might even mean more problems, tests and sacrifices, because living for Jesus desires us to take up our crosses daily and walk with him, forgetting ourselves, so we can do His work. The good news though friends is that living for Christ is all worth it, for in the long run the rewards greatly eclipse the sacrifices. But it takes strong and sincere faith and belief and a willingness to give up all for Christ.
And on the good side of things, we have a whole lot of undeserved blessings, that the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, but they have to be declared to be activated. So let’s do that right now nuh. 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 having declared those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and use them on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…to receive all of God’s favour…we must trust Him…ALL THE WAY…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a place of meaning, alive and remain, all be changed in a moment, as a thief in the night, Bible, christianity, comfort one another with these words, eternal bright and fair, eternal separation from God, faith, fellowship, gather over on the other shore, god, his chosen ones shall gather, I shew you a mystery, I'll be there, immortal, in the centre of the perfect will of God, in the twinkling of an eye, James M Black, Jesus Christ, labour for the Master, let God's grace guide you, LOVE, morning breaks, no man knoweth, of that day and hour, our work on earth is done, put on incorruption, renewed in spirit, sacrifices, salvation, the coming of the Son of man, the dead in Christ shall rise first, the dead raised incorruptible, the eternal salvation of God, the glory of his resurrection share, the last trump, the rapture of the church, the reward is worth the price, the saved of the earth, the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, their home beyond the skies, time shall be no more, to meet the Lord in the air, truth, watch therefore, what hour your Lord doth come, when all of life is over, when the roll is called up yonder, wisdom, yonder
1 Thessalonians 4:16c. and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Brother, do these Sundays ever come around quickly! But I guess that’s for our benefit, as it seemingly shortens the time between our Sunday visits to the Lord’s sanctuary, where we fellowship and worship and are renewed in spirit, body and soul for another active week in the devil’s den, our ungodly and evil world! But whether time is going fast or slow, the fact remains that we’re in church today and are going to sing one of the most popular Christian hymns of all time, ‘When the Roll is called up Yonder.’
The song was written in 1893 by James M. Black, the Youth Pastor at a church in Williamsport, PA, It’s central theme is being in Heaven when your time has come and not missing out on the eternal salvation of God. And it was apparently inspired by the idea of The Book of Life mentioned in the Bible, (Rev. 20) and by the absence of a child from a poor family in Black’s Sunday school class when the attendance was taken. The idea of someone not being in attendance in heaven haunted Black, and after visiting the child’s home and calling on a doctor to attend her for pneumonia, he went home and wrote the song after not finding one on a similar topic in his hymn collection.
So, now knowing some the song’s background, let’s sing it, offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo sincere and heartfelt version, letting all and sundry, including heaven, know of where we’re going one fine day when it’s all over down here on earth. Singing: ‘When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more, And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair; When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore, And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. (Refrain:) When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there).
On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, And the glory of His resurrection share; When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies, And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. (Refrain) Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun, Let us talk of all His wondrous LOVE and care; Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done, And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. (Refrain:) When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there).’
Now that roll call up yonder is the expectation of finding a home in heaven when the days on earth are done. And we’re truly sorry for those who won’t find themselves in that heavenly home on that fateful day, that’s those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour while alive here on earth. Unfortunately, they will experience the worst thing that can ever happen to a human being, eternal separation from God. But that’s the choice they made. And by the way, no one knows when that day will be, for as Jesus said: ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall the coming of the Son of man be… Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.’ (Matt. 24:36-37, 42)
Yes friends, we don’t know when our Lord and Saviour is coming back, but we know for sure that He will return. And Bruh Paul and Peter both state that He will come as a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10). That reinforces Christ’s statement to be on guard. And where do we find the surety of these words in the song? ‘When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more, and the morning breaks eternal bright and fair; when the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore, and the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.’
Basically from these two scriptures from the pen of Bruh Paul. The first one to the church at Corinth: ‘Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump (trumpet): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.’ (1 Cor. 15:51-53) So on that day when the trump of God blows, our corruptible bodies will rise and become incorruptible and immortal.
Then in 1 Thessalonians, Bruh Paul writes: ‘For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess. 4:16-18) Yes friends, that basically describes the Rapture of the church, where the Lord will come for us and take us away to yonder home forever.
But them some of us ask, what’s this ‘yonder’ all about eh? And I found this commentary that puts it rather nicely. ‘It says: ‘Yonder is the place of meaning, purpose, and destiny that God has planned for your life. It’s the place of being in the center of the perfect will of God. It’s the place of doing what you were created to do. Everything you go through in life will bring you to Yonder . . . if you will let God’s grace guide you. Are you willing to make the journey?’
Now that’s a question that each of us must ask ourselves. The wise ones will not only say ‘Yes!’ but also put their backs to the tasks, the sacrifices and tough times involved in the journey, knowing that the reward up yonder, will certainly be worth the earthly price we pay. Much LOVE!
…to end up up yonder…Christ must rule our lives down here…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
31 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Alleluia, an ongoing event, be crucified, Charles Wesley, Christ the Lord is risen today, Christ's triumphant resurrection, defeated hell death and the grave, delivered into the hands of sinful men, Easter, Easter Sunday, forming habits, god, hail the resurrection, holy spirit, Hosanna Save us now!, how to be in relationship with God, improve our current lifestyles, Jesus, king of glory, LOVE, love's redeeming work is done, Mary Magdalene, music, newness of life, not yet ascended to my father, raise your joys and triumphs high, rescued from prostitution, resurrection, room for improvement, sacrifices, sons of men and angels say, soul of bliss, tests, Thank you Jesus, the Lord of earth and heaven, the Son of man, the third day rise again, touch me not, why weepest thou, wisdom
Luke 24:7. The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
And the shout heard all around the world this Easter Sunday morning is: ‘HE IS RISEN!’ And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! Wow! The promise has been kept, as the angels by Jesus’ empty tomb, reminded the women when they came to embalm His broken sinless body with spices. ‘He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words.’ (Luke 24:6-8)
Please, let’s remember them too, as we celebrate our Lord and Saviour’s triumphant resurrection from the dead, where He defeated, hell, death and grave, and rose victorious to give us the promise of resurrection ourselves and thus eternal life! And all God’s people gave a grateful shout of, ‘Thank You Jesus! We LOVE and praise your holy name, and will go down to the wire with you!’ Now, remember that God doesn’t take pleasure in fools, or their empty promises, and expects us to keep whatever promises we make. So, if you just made that one, then you’d better be prepared to keep it. (smile)
Now let’s get down to the praise and worship section, as we sing what many consider the ‘most definitive church anthem for Easter.’ That’s the song written by the master hymn writer Charles Wesley in 1739, titled: ‘Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Alleluia.’ But before we sing it, there’s this very interesting and most appropriate commentary on the song, I’d like to share. It says: ‘In every worship service, the words we say and the actions we participate in are somehow shaping us. Perhaps without even being aware of it, worship is doing something to us – it’s forming habits and language inside of us to both teach us why we are in relationship with God, and how to be in relationship with God.
One practice that many liturgists and hymn authors have brought into worship is describing an event that happened in the past (usually a moment from the Gospel story) as if it were happening today, in order to instill in us the understanding that, just as God worked in the lives of people two thousand years ago, He is still working today. The hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” is a perfect example of this. Right in the title is an indicator of the present tense: the word “is.” As we sing this song, we are first brought back two millennia as “witnesses” of the resurrection, and then we are also made aware that though the actual event of the resurrection happened once, it is in a sense an on-going event with ever-present effects. We are called today to live out of the resurrection, to follow our risen Lord in newness of life, and to ever lift our “alleluias” in praise.’
And that’s a very good practice to adopt! All that’s in the Word happened long ago, and when we consider it, we need to both think about the actual time the stories happened, but also try to imagine them happening with and for us today. Now, let’s turn to our song of praise, but first this most appropriate Intro from the Simple Series Musical ‘Merry Tree,’ featured on the album inspired by the message and mission of Billy Graham, ‘My Hope.’ Please declare with me: ‘We have gathered today to lift up the name of Jesus. We rejoice in His victory over sin and the cross. Our cries of ‘Hosanna! Save us now!’ have been answered. Our Redeemer has conquered death! And because we are certain of that, we have reason to celebrate!’
Wow mih bredrin! Do we ever have reason to celebrate! So let’s do just nuh, that by raising our voices in sweet sacrificial praise, letting the gratitude and thanksgiving flow from our joyful hearts as we do justice to this magnificent hymn in a scintillating upbeat tempo. Singing: ‘ Christ the Lord is ris’n today, Alleluia! Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply, Alleluia! LOVE’S redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia! Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia! Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia! Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia! Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia! Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia! Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia! Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia! Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia! Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia! Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia! King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia! Everlasting life is this, Alleluia! Thee to know, Thy pow’r to prove, Alleluia! Thus to sing, and thus to LOVE, Alleluia!’
Oh my fellow believers, I’m sure Jesus’ heart was pumping with much emotion as He heard our song of worship and praise, taking Him back, like us, to that most eventful and memorable time, when He arose triumphant from the grave, so that all who believe in Him could have everlasting life in His most august presence. And though we may be joyful and celebrating right now, please, let’s not take this situation lightly, because walking sincerely with Jesus is a very serious matter. It’s not only cookies and cream, but hard work, tests and sacrifices. The eventual end is beautiful, but walking the walk on this evil and ungodly world is not easy, therefore we need to cling to Jesus as much as possible, and take seriously the leading and guidance of His Holy Spirit that dwells within us for that very purpose.
Now, all of us know the stories surrounding the discovery of Jesu’s resurrection, so I won’t go into them, just share my favourite one. That’s the story of Mary Magdalene hanging around the empty tomb, after the other disciples went home. John tells it thus: ‘But Mary stood without (outside) at the sepulchre (tomb) weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
And when she had thus said, she turned herself back (turned around), and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence (carried him away), tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say ‘Master (Teacher). Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not (stop clinging to me); for I am not yet ascended to my Father (don’t worry, I am not leaving immediately): but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and to your Father, and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.’ (John 20:11-18)
What a touching and most appropriate end to the story; that Mary Magdalene, the woman whom Jesus had recused from prostitution, was the first to speak to Him after His resurrection. The Lord God does move in mysterious ways. Now, as we celebrate the Easter Season with out friends, families and neighbours, it’s imperative that we all take a serious look at ourselves and consequently improve our current lifestyles, bringing them more into line with the Word of God, and the desires of Jesus. And don’t worry to frown or get angry at my suggestion, because we know that all of us have room for improvement! (smile) Have a great Easter weekend! Much LOVE!
…Jesus has certainly risen…but the important question is…are we going to rise with Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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