20 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a house of defence to save me, a new flock of believers, all things work together for good, all ye that hope in the Lord, be gald and rejice in thy mercy, be of good courage, be thou my strong rock, Bible, bow down thine ear to me, called according to His purpose, christianity, deliver me in thy righteousness, deliver me speedily, difficult experiences, faith, for thy name's sake, Friday chant, holy spirit, I know the thoughts I think toward you, In thee O Lord do I put my trust, into thy hand I commit my spirit, Jesus Christ, known my soul in adversities, lead and guide em, let me never be ashamed, Lord God of truth, LOVE, Love the Lord all his saints, mercy, mine eye is consumed, moderation, my bones are consumed, my life is spent with grief, MY rock and My fortress, my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, my years with sighing, omnipotent help, plentifully rewardeth the proud doer, promise to give us a future and a hope, pull me out of the net, salvation, set my feet in a large room, show them the error of their ways, simmering unrest, strengthen your heart, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Lord preserves the faithful, the weekend, they have laid secretly for me, thou art my strength, thou hast redeemed me, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, to them that love God, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 31:23. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer.
So what’s it like to finally experience Friday, eh friends? I guess many of us shouted with joyful voices: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ But let’s hope that we make good use of the weekend, with rest and worship and not overdo the possible activities with this extended summer season that we’re currently having. I know how we like to drag every last drop out of summer before the chilly winds blow and the cold times take set. But as always, please, let moderation be our guide as we show thankfulness for these extra warm and sunny days. End of Sermon! (smile)
And as I opened the Good Library just now, I came across these magnificent words of Bruh David from Psalm 31, as he talks about God being: My Rock and My Fortress. He opens the psalm with words of lament: ‘In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust (I took 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 (a 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. I have hated them that regard lying vanities (vain idols): but I trust in the Lord.’ (Ps. 31:1-6)
Oh my fellow believers can we utter words of such sincerity and trust in the Lord God Jehovah? I certainly hope so, otherwise, we’d be missing out on a lot of good stuff and interesting activities the Lord has planned for us. Remember His words of promise from Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). (Jer. 29:11)
And I believe that future and hope are tied up in this other magnificent scripture of promise from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Now that’s a scripture that all believers need to cling tightly to, because it does not guarantee a life without problems, but that all will be well in the end. And we know that the Lord keeps all of His promises, but we do need to acknowledge Him and do His bidding.
And I like how Bruh David can be lamenting one moment then offering praise in the next, as he does in verses 7 and 8. ‘I will be glad an rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities (troubles); And hast not shut me up in (given me over to) the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room (a wide place).’ (Ps. 31:7-8)
Yes friends, when we cry out to God for help, we must have a basic faith or belief that He will help us, for that’s what trust is all about. We can’t say that we trust Him, then don’t call on Him for help without any expectations that He will help us. And after the words of praise, Bruh David weaves more words of lament into the psalm by declaring: ‘Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed (wastes away) with grief, yea, my soul and my belly (body). For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed (waste away).’ (Ps. 31: 9-10)
Now that’s only the first two verses of his lamentation, for they go on until verse 18. However, from verse 19 forward, it’s all about thanks and praise. ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! …O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps. 31:19, 23-24)
Ah my people, that’s the basic prescription for our faith: stand strong in courage and trust, and the Lord will strengthen us and enable us to confidently face whatever comes against us. Now, let’s go right to the throne of grace, seeking divine aid for our many earthly problems.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Unfortunately though my fellow saints, for people to come to Christ through us, we have to set a much better example than we’re currently setting! And we all know it. So please, let’s wake up and do something positive about it nuh! Much LOVE!
…trust and faith in God…only grow through difficult experiences…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a declaration of hope, an accurate perception, be filled with, be filled with the knowledge of his will, be glad and rejoice, Bible, blessings, christianity, collect your beauty in my spirit, courage, creativity, curse, delivered us from the power of darkness, do not cease to pray for you, duty bound, eternal life, evil schemes of Satan, experience the sunshine, faith, favour, fruitful in every good work, giving thanks unto the Father, god, holy spirit, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jesus Christ, joint heir with Christ, joyfulness, longsuffering, LOVE, may my lightness be, negaive word, new mercies and compassions, partakers of the inheritance of the saints, pateince, practical circumstances, redemption, salvation, sit in heavenly places, smell the roses, spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, success, supernatural strength, talent, teach me, Thank You Lord, the blood of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, the penultimate day of our work week, the skilful application of wisdom, the true nature of things, the warmth of sunshine on my back, to appreciate the many colours, to celebrate your abundance, to look for beauty on heavy days, to revel in, trials, tribulations, truth, unto all pleasing, walk worhty of the Lord, wisdom
Colossians 1:10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week. And thank the Lord we’re only one day away from our starlight day of Friday! (smile) Oh, the expectations we weigh Friday down with; hopefully it lives up to it’s name and doesn’t disappoint us. But, regardless of whatever day it is, once we’re alive to experience the sunshine and smell the roses, let’s be glad and rejoice in it, because that’s God’s desire. It’s why He’s given us a brand new day with new mercies and compassions. And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord for allowing me to see another day on this troubled, but still beautiful earth! Amen.’
Now, here’s this month’s prayer from the InTouch Devotional that helps us to do just that. Please pray with me: ‘God, teach me to look for beauty on heavy days, to celebrate Your abundance and brilliance. I want to revel in the warmth of sunshine on my back, to appreciate the many colours You’ve created. I want to pause when the wind moves the trees just so, to admire the quirk in a friend’s personality. Though disappointments, losses, and struggles continue, I pray to laugh easily, to be frivolous with joy. May I collect Your beauty in my spirit and draw from it. May my lightness be a declaration of hope in Your goodness, today and always. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Yes friends, that’s the way we need to live this life; in full hope and trust in Almighty God, enjoying His goodness and mercy and all the wonderful things He’s made, even in the midst of all the troubles and tribulations we might face. And I believe these encouraging words from Bruh Paul to the Colossians give us some insight how to practically do all of what we’ve spoken of above.
Bruh Paul 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)
Oh my people, that’s generally what’s expected of us: To know the Lord’s will for our lives, through studying and meditating on His Word and communing with Him through the Holy Spirit, with all wisdom or ‘accurate perception into the true nature of things,’ as well as understanding, ‘the skillful application of this wisdom in practical circumstances.’ And all of that is necessary so that we can walk (live) properly and please God.
And what does that mean in a practical sense? The scholars explain. ‘A worthy walk entails: 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,” becoming spiritually stronger and stronger; and (4) in the habit of giving thanks, sincerely expressing gratitude to God in both the pleasant and unpleasant circumstances of life.’
Now I know it all sounds wonderful in theory, but it’s not always easy to do in real life, for patience, which is persevering through trials and tribulations is only gained through experiencing those same trials and tribulations. (smile) And so is longsuffering, or bearing the faults and offences of others with a compassionate heart and mind. In other words we can only learn patience and longsuffering by going through trials and tribulations. The more trials and tribulations we go through, the better, hopefully, we’ll get at cracking those two tough nuts.
But at the same time, we need to remember all that the Father has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ; bringing us out of darkness or bondage to sin, into the light of the truth of His Word, making us worthy to sit in heavenly places with Jesus, as joint heir with Him, redeeming us through the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross of Calvary, offering salvation, forgiveness of sins, all with the marvelous end of eternal life. Now with all of that done by the Father on our behalf through the Son, how can we not LOVE both Father and Son and listen to the Holy Spirit which enlightens us to their desires?
Oh my fellow believers, living and working for Jesus is the most important and beneficial thing this world has to offer. So please, let’s wake up and realize it, and forget all the foolish lies, deceptions and evil schemes that Satan tries to distract us with nuh. For only by being close to Jesus can we ever obtain salvation and eternal life. Now let’s declare (chuh!!!) our undeserved Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us to do the Lord’s earthly work.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…true wisdom and understanding are only available…through sincerely living and working for Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the days of my life, all ye lands, aspire to be like God, Bible, broke their chains in pieces, brought down their heart with labour, christianity, come before his presence with singing, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, eternal life, faith, forgiveness, god, God always acts in a righteous manner, God never does what is wrong, goodness, goodness and mercy shall follow me, he made us, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, joy, know how to give good gifts, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, mercy, new mercies and compassions, O taste and see that the Lord is good, oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, peace, redeemed from the hands of the enemy, salvation, satisfies the longing soul, serve the Lord with gladness, share His love with my neighbours, sit in darkness, teach me thy statutes, the beloved of God, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the Lord is good to all, the rubbish heap of history, the shadow of death, the sheep of his pasture, there is none good but one, trust my friend Jesus, truth, we are his people, wisdom, worry
Psalm 100:5. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
So we’ve come to Tuesday, having thrown Monday on the rubbish heap of history! And since it’s a new day, bright and sunshiny in my neighborhood, it means that new mercies and compassions from our great God are also in vogue, (smile) as they are every day that we draw breath. (Lam. 3:22-23) And that’s something to be very thankful for, otherwise our lives would be even more miserable and frustrating than they are already. But God is good, and He doesn’t want to see us destroyed without a chance to come to Him and His Son for salvation, and the eternal life that springs from it.
That’s why Psalm 100 is essential to our prayer life. Please read it with me. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
Oh friends, it’s a short but ever so sweet and comely psalm. It tells us to serve God joyfully because He’s made us, we are His, and He is good; His mercy and truth are everlasting! And what does it mean by God is good? This commentary explains: ‘He never does what is wrong. God always acts in a righteous manner because His nature is holy. The secondary meaning of holy refers to God’s pure and righteous actions. God does what is right. He never does what is wrong.’
No friends. God will always act with goodness in ways that make us better, strengthen us, heal us and restore us. And though being good all the time is impossible for us human beings because of our inherent sin nature, it doesn’t mean we cannot aspire to be like God and do good and right as much as possible. And Psalm 107, titled God’s Redemptive Power, also showcases God’s goodness when it declares: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hands of the enemy;’ (Ps. 107:1-2)
That’s us my brethren! The Lord has redeemed us from the bondage of sin through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ! That means we ought to be glad and good, for there’s no greater gift than that! As the psalmist later says: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound (prisoners) in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned (despised) the counsel of the most High:
Therefore, he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder (broke their chains in pieces). Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps. 107:8-15)
There you have it again friends, another reminder to thank and praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy towards the undeserving children of men. When are we going to learn that and keep doing it constantly eh? For it’s only because of the Lord’s mercies and compassions that we are not destroyed.
Meanwhile, Jesus, in His own way shows us that ONLY the Lord is good. When the rich young man comes running and kneels before him, saying; ‘Master (Teacher), what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’ (Mark 10:17-18) Technically speaking, Jesus was also good, because He was also God, but according to the scholars, ‘Jesus knew that the man addressed Him as only a religious teacher. He reminds him that no mere man merits the title of good, for that term applies only to God. As the Son of God, Jesus does of course merit highest praise.’
That ought to remind us my people, that we cannot attain salvation and eternal life on our own, but we need the sacrificial death and awesome resurrection of Jesus to do it for us. And there are several other instances where the goodness of God is highlighted. So let’s look at a few. First up is this great verse from Bruh David’s majestic Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherd. He ends it thus: ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6) No better place to dwell my brethren!
Then Psalm 119:68 says: ‘Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.’ And Psalm 34:8 declares: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’ Now hear Psalm 145:9: ‘The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ And in Matthew 7:11, Jesus reminds us: ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him.’
Oh my fellow believers, it’s essential that we believe in the goodness of God if we intend to follow His Son Jesus Christ, otherwise we will be shortchanging ourselves and not receiving all that He has to offer us. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) 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 Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the major attributes of God…are what mankind desperately need right now…LOVE, joy, peace, goodness, mercy, forgiveness and salvation that lead to eternal life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Sep 2024
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 things were made by him, and without him, Bible, Canadian Thanksgiving, Christian witness, christianity, denounce injustice, destroy error, divine aid, easy living, escaped the edge of the sword, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, full of compromise, god, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep Christ first place in our hearts, LOVE, making a living, mass confusion in our world, mercy, mighty men of faith, obtained promises, out of weakness were made strong, put down falsehood, quenched the violence of fire, reclaim heathenism, salt of the earth, salvation, shall be strong and do exploits, stick to Christ like white on rice, stopped the mouths of lions, talk the talk, the armies of the aliens, the God who heals, the great commandment, the Great tribulation, the light of the world, the people that do know their God, the rapture of the church, the throne of grace, the worst Christian is a comfortable Christian, the worst kind of christian, through faith subdued kingdoms, truth, turn from our evil ways, turned to flight, walk the walk, waxed valiant in fight, wisdom, without him was not anything made, wrought righteousness
Daniel 11:32b. the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.
And it’s a new work week, a new Monday in the middle of September, calling for us to get ourselves together and get on with making a living. And though it’s only been a couple of weeks since school reopened, meaning the summer holidays are over, before we can say ‘John Henry,’ we’ll be celebrating our Canadian Thanksgiving in mid-October. That’s just how quickly the days, weeks and months are moving. And if we don’t move forward with them, we’ll get left behind.
But thankfully, there’s no fear of that happening if we keep Christ first place in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, as the Great Commandment says, (Mat. 22:37) for Christ is the very heart and soul of the universe! He made it, as John tells us: ‘All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.’ (John 1:3) And the beauty of it all, is that He’s still in the forefront of it, controlling it with his awesome power. That means when we stick to him like white on rice, there’s no way we’ll ever get left behind! Glory Be!
For as the Bible tells us in Daniel: ‘the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.’ (Dan.11:32b) And Hebrews further explains with these marvellous utterances: ‘And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and of Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed (became) valiant in fight (battle), turned to flight the armies of the aliens.’ (Heb. 11:32-34)
Wow, mih bredrin! What mighty men of faith have gone before us and done wonderful exploits for God through their amazing faith. And likewise, in these turbulent and evil times, which might just be the last days of the church age, we too, desperately need to know our great God through amazing faith, so that we can do what He requires of us. For if this indeed means the soon coming of Jesus to Rapture His church, then we do need to get busy doing our best to bring others to Him, for those who are left behind after the Rapture, will undergo a real terrible time in the Great Tribulation. I don’t think we would wish that terrible time even on our worst enemy.
So it’s of the utmost importance that we get deeply involved with our wonderful God, and then seriously begin doing what we should have been seriously doing all along; that’s being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, like Jesus desires! How can we encourage others to come to Christ when our salt has lost its flavour, and our lights are dim, instead of shining brightly like a beacon on a hill? It’s virtually impossible! We need to remember that as disciples of Christ, as His ambassadors down here on earth, He’s expecting us to live lives that will cause others to want what we have, that’s salvation and eternal life.
And they can only acquire those marvellous things by accepting Him as Lord and Saviour. However, if we are not being great examples of Christian living, of righteousness and LOVE, of peace and compassion, of kindness and generosity, of forgiveness and mercy, then others won’t ever desire to come to Christ and accept the many benefits that He has to offer, only to be lost forever to eternal separation from God, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul.
And sadly, right now my fellow believers, our Christian witness leaves a lot to be desired. For we’ve gotten fearful, lazy, easily intimidated, full of compromise and way too comfortable with the easy living and many helpful amenities of modern life. Consequently we find it difficult to sacrifice any of our time, talent and treasure for any one else’s sake. And as someone once said, ‘the worst kind of Christian is a comfortable one.’ And that’s the Gospel truth! For then we only talk the talk, but never walk the walk.
And I believe this except from an article on the freedomalliance.org website, by Leigh Kohler, says it all. He writes: ‘Daniel 11:32 teaches us that the knowledge of God combined with the strength that comes from God is the most powerful and enduring force against the evil in the world. As believers, when we see what is sacred to God desecrated all around us, we cannot just sit idly by.
The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said: A church that does not exist to reclaim heathenism, to fight evil, to destroy error, to put down falsehood, a church that does not exist to take the side of the poor, to denounce injustice and to hold up righteousness, is a church that has no right to be. Not for yourself, O church, do you exist, any more than Christ existed for Himself.’ And We certainly cannot dispute the truth of those words my fellow saints, for we have certainly been negligent in doing all the things Christ’s church was and is expected to do.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to turn it all around. 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 ever hope to see divine aid, we need to do as our prayer says; turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…God gives believers wisdom and strength to do His will…why then aren’t we doing it…perhaps…because we are not true believers…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a just man falls seven times, a time of sorrows, a year of sorrows, beauty these eyes have seen, Bible, by faith alone, christianity, confidence, Contemporary Christian songs, crushed in spirit, delivers them out of all their troubles, dreams, ever merciful, evil shall slay the wicked, face the raging seas, faith, fallen on my knees, fellowship, god, God is always with us, God proved His love for me, he shall not be utterly cast down, held them in my hand, His eyes were watching me, his seed are blessed, his seed begging bread, holy spirit, hope and wait quietly for the Lord's salvation, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, I will hope in him, i've been young, in spite of the storm, in the night, it is good that a man, Jesus Christ, journeyed through the long dark night, Judith Gayle, Lawrence Chewning, lends, life after the storm, LOVE, lover's rock, many are the afflictions of the righteous, mercy, only grains of sand, out on the open, Ray Boltz, renew our faith, righteousness, rises up again, salvation, saves those of a contrite heart, sight unknown, strength, stumble into calamity, Sunday, sweet sacrifices of praise, the anchor holds, the Lord delivers him out of them all, the Lord hears, the Lord is my portion saith my soul, the Lord is nigh unto them of a broken heart, the Lord's Day, the righteous cry, the sails are torn, the ship is battered, the soul that seeks him, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, the wicked shall fall into mischief, through the storms of my life, truth, visions, wisdom
Psalm 34:17. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Here it comes again friends, Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the first day of this new week, when we get together in fellowship and worship in the Lord’s house and find strength and confidence to both build and renew our faith so we can handle all the problems of the upcoming week. And this week’s song of worship is certainly an interesting and very appropriate one for these troubled and trying times. It’s one of our favourite Contemporary Christian songs titled, ‘The Anchor Holds.’
And the story behind the song is definitely a moving and uplifting one. It seems in 1992, the writer, Lawrence Chewning and his wife were experiencing some real tough times. He later termed it the year of their sorrows. His father had died, and He was a burned out pastor in a church that was having problems, then to further complicate matters, his wife had her third miscarriage. It was truly a time of sorrows.
He then took a six months sabbatical and spent most of his time simply playing the piano. And it was during that period of difficulty and discouragement, of loss and lack of direction that the Lord opened his heart and filled it with that song. How marvellous and mysterious are the ways of our wonderful God! He’s always with us and never allows us to struggle more than is necessary. Whenever the time is right, He does something awesome to bring us out of our misery.
And in God’s awesome agenda, He later led Chewning to speak with singer Ray Boltz about his difficult times and the song the Lord had poured into his heart. Boltz took the song remodelled to its current form, then in 1995, recorded it and made it a hit. And it’s still going strong today, having been recorded by several people in several genres. But today we’ll do a reggae, lover’s rock version as done by Jamaican Christian singer, Miss Judith Gayle.
So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a sincere, heartfelt manner, remembering the many times when the storm raged around us, but the anchor held fast because Jesus was our pilot and our anchor. Singing: ‘I have journeyed, Through the long, dark night Out on the open sea By faith alone, Sight unknown And yet His eyes, were watching me. (Chorus: The anchor holds, though the ship is battered. The anchor holds, though the sails are torn. I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm.)
I’ve had visions, I’ve had dreams, I’ve even held them in my hand, But oh Lord, I never knew, They would slip right through, Oh my Jesus, Like they were only grains of sand. (Chorus: But the anchor holds…) Oh, I have been young, but I am older now, thank the Lord, And there has been beauty, that these eyes have seen, But it was in the night, through the storms of my life, Oh, that’s where God proved, His LOVE for me.
(Chorus: And the anchor holds, though my ship is battered. The anchor holds, though my sails are torn. And I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Yes, the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Thank You Jesus! I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Yes, the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Thank You Jesus!’
Ah friends, what powerful a testimony and uplifting message! And I know that many of us can attest to the authenticity of the sentiments in the song, because many of us have indeed gone through tough times when it’s only because of Jesus’ strong, solid, guiding hand on our rudder and anchor, that we made it through. That’s why Bruh David could write these reassuring words from Psalm 34.
‘The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite heart (crushed in spirit). Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate (condemned, held guilty). The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate (condemned). (Ps. 34:17-22)
And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers. Our God won’t see us falling and not stop us from doing so, or if His purpose is for us to learn something from falling, to help us up when we do fall. As Cousin Sol wisely 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 there are so many scriptures that attest to the goodness of God, that I don’t know which ones to quote.
But as they say, when in doubt, you can’t go wrong with Bruh David. (smile) So here he is from Psalm 37: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) are blessed.’ (Ps. 37:23-26)
Oh my fellow saints, our great and faithful God will not see us in a precarious situation and not do something to help us out of it! He will never turn away from us. That’s why Jeremiah, though going through agony of body and soul in his Lamentations could still write: ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:24-26)
And yuh know what friends, when we can voice sincere sentiments like those in precarious times, then we’ll know that we’re on our way to true righteousness! Much LOVE!
…there is indeed life after the storm…and the anchor does hold…with Jesus operating it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a lively hope, according to his riches in glory, after all these things do the Gentiles seek, all these things shall be added unto you, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, Bible, blessing and cursing, born again, choose life, christianity, do not worry, dwhat you shall drink, eternal life, eternal separation from Almighty God, faith, god, have life more abundantly, hurry, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, in god's eyes, it's foolish to reject christ, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my God shall supply all your needs, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set before you life and death, share His love with my neighbours, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take no thought, take no thought for the morrow, the beloved of God, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the gospel of christ, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, trial and tribulation, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, what you shall eat, what you shall wear, wisdom, worry, your heavenly Father knows you need all these things
Deuteronomy 30:19. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.
So it’s Tuesday, a new day, one filled with lots of new mercies and compassions from our wonderful God, but possibly also much trial and tribulation. However, as Jesus so rightly advised in the Sermon on the Mount re the subject of worry: ‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil trouble thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34)
Yes friends, it doesn’t make sense worrying about tomorrow, for who knows what tomorrow may bring…some of us might not even be alive on the morrow…possibly given up the ghost because we were so worried about what could happen. (smile) The fact is that each new day brings a new batch of problems that gives us enough cause for concern, no need to add what might happen in the day(s) to come. And anyway, as Jesus says, if we keep God first place in our lives, then all our basic needs will be taken care of.
And Bruh Paul also reiterates that promise to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And He will, if you truly believe! And if you want more assurance of God’s faithful promise, then listen to this marvellously reassuring statement from Bruh David in Psalm 23, the most well known and beloved psalm. He simply states with heartfelt certainty: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) Or in other words, if I make the Lord my shepherd, I will not lack anything I truly need.
And what greater promise can one desire than that eh? For the natural nature of a shepherd is to provide for all the wants and needs of his sheep. And Jesus made it absolutely clear of His role, when He made these declarations: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:7-11, 14)
Oh my people, what more can we ask of Jesus eh? Nothing really! He came seeking His lost sheep, died for them on the cross of Calvary, so that they could have a better and more abundant life, starting right down here on earth, then morphing into eternal life with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! That’s the greatest thing that’s ever been done for mankind! And all we have to do to get that gift of salvation and eternal life is believe on Jesus; that He is the Son of God, and He died to repay our sin debt in full.
What’s so hard to believe in that, especially for the rewards that are held in store for us? As Peter puts it: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed at the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5)
How magnificent is that eh? Through Jesus’s resurrection from the dead, we have new hope, are born again, receive salvation because of our faith in Christ, and are assured of incorruptible and undefiled treasure awaiting us in heaven! Oh my people, what does Satan promise for doing his evil deeds and engaging in some lustful short-lived pleasures eh? Nothing but death and damnation, eternal separation from Almighty God, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul! And I keep harping on the eternal separation from God, because it is indeed the worst thing that can ever happen to us!
And if you still don’t believe me, then listen to this story as told by Jesus, of the rich man and the beggar. While alive here on earth, the rich man enjoyed the pleasures of the world on his wealth, while the poor man, a beggar called Lazarus, sat at his gate and begged for scraps from his table, while the dogs came and licked his sores. However, when the beggar died, he was carried by angels into the bosom of Abraham, or heaven, to enjoy the messianic feast. But when the rich man died, he descended into hell, where the fires continuously burned hot and tortuous.
And in his torment, he looked up to heaven and saw the beggar ensconced in Abraham’s bosom and begged Abraham to send the beggar to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue. But Abraham reminded him that in life he received the good things while Lazarus received evil stuff. Now things were turned around, and Lazarus was receiving the good things while he was being tormented in hell. And besides, there was a great gulf, chasm between heaven and hell which no one could cross over.
Then the hell bound soul pleaded with Abraham to send Lazarus to his family still alive on earth to warn them of the torment in hell. But Abraham replied that his family had the words of Moses and the prophets to listen to, and if that could not persuade them to live right, then neither could one who rose from the dead.’ (Luke 16:19-31)
Ah mih people, it can indeed be a rough life, but if we come to belief in Christ and hold on tightly to Him through all the tough times, we will eventually be well rewarded, not necessarily here on earth, but most certainly in heaven. So what’s it to be eh? A life of worry and illicit pleasures that ends in eternal separation, or one of righteous living that ends in eternal life? The answer rests in the heart of each individual, and no one can answer it but you.
But as Moses said to the Israelites: ‘I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) It could not get any clearer than that my brethren. So let’s go home now 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!’
And having made that declaration, we are now 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!
…once you have heard the gospel of Christ…you would be foolish to reject it…
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 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beacon in darkest times, a candle in every soul, a family whose hearts are blazing, a light unto my path, and glorify your Father in heaven, arise from the dead, awake thou that sleepest, Bible, blessings, Christ shall give thee light, christianity, confidence in our faith, confused, deliverance, drowning in the mire of Satan, faith, fellowship, frustrated brother, Go light your world, god, have the light of life, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, holds a candle without a flame, holy spirit, I am the light of the world, Jesus Christ, let your light so shine, light your candle, LOVE, men may see your good works, much-needed relief, negative sentiments, now are ye light in the Lord, praying to the Father, renewed strength, run to the darkness, salvation, seek out the helpless, sin darkened world, strife, the darkness comprehended it not, the light shineth in the darkness, the source of ligght, the straight and narrow path, the unfruitful works of darkness, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, torn, truth, walk as children of light, walking in sin, wisdom, worship, ye were sometimes darkness
Ephesians 5:8. ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Then it was Sunday once again… and all roads lead to the Lord’s house to spend the most pleasurable time in a believer’s week, that of celebrating in worship and fellowship with other believers, giving praise to God and encouragement to the saints, while receiving blessings and renewed strength and confidence in our faith from our heavenly Father.
And today’s song of worship is none other than the Christopher Rice authored song of 2004, so appropriately titled for these trying and troubled times, ‘Go Light Your World’ as performed by Kathy Troccoli. We’ll do a spirited, scintillating, encouraging version that will have the saints, just bursting with excitement and enthusiasm to get out into the cruel world and light their candles to show the unbeliever the way to Jesus.
Singing: ‘There is a candle in every soul Some brightly burning, some dark and cold There is a Spirit who brings a fire Ignites a candle and makes His home. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the helpless, confused and torn Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world Take your candle, and go light your world.) Frustrated brother, see how he’s tried to Light his own candle some other way See now your sister, she’s been robbed and lied to Still holds a candle without a flame
(Chorus:…Carry your candle…) ‘Cause we are a family whose hearts are blazing So let’s raise our candles and light up the sky Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus Make us a beacon in darkest times. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the hopeless, deceived and poor Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world… Repeat… Take your candle, and go light your world…Take your candle, and go light your world.’
Ah friends, that’s exactly what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects of us! And we all know how dark and dreary our world has become, with all the strife, resentment and all the other negative sentiments and evil deeds that currently abound, and only candle or light carrying believers in Jesus can penetrate that darkness to bring some much-needed relief to a world drowning in the mire of Satan.
And it’s not like we don’t know that Jesus is the light bearer to Satan’s darkness, for He said it Himself, when He was down here on earth. ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
And how is Jesus the light of your life? This commentary tells us: “Jesus is the light of life and the life of light. He embodies all that we know spiritual light is and does.” Jesus is the light of life (John 8:12) and the life of light (John 1:4).’ Yes, John spells it out right at the beginning of his gospel. ‘In him (Jesus) was life; and the life was in the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:4-5)
And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘In John’s writings, life represents salvation and deliverance through Christ, and light denotes Jesus’ revelation of God which calls men to accountability.’ Therefore, in Jesus there is both life or salvation and also enlightenment about God and what He expects of us. And to put it in its most basic context, according to this commentary, Jesus is called the light of the world ‘because he is the source of the light that quickens our understanding, because his teachings and his example illuminate our path, and because his power persuades us to do good.’
As the famous verse from Psalm 119 describes the Lord’s Word: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) Walking in darkness is therefore walking in sin, living by the dictates of Satan and this evil world, without Christ and without the benefit of God’s Word in our lives. Obviously then, we must trip and fall often when we cannot see where we’re going. But with Jesus in our lives, and the benefit of God’s word there is a light that guides us on the straight and narrow path.
However, before Jesus went back to heaven, He made a great pronouncement about the subject of light in this world. Namely: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
In other words, my fellow believers, once Christ left the earth, we were the light bearers, and we were supposed to go out into the world do as the song says: ‘Seek out the helpless, confused and torn Hold out your candle for all to see it…Cause we are a family whose hearts are blazing…’
But that’s obviously not the truth, because the world is so badly clothed in darkness that most of its inhabitants cannot even see their hands right in front of their faces, for Satan has so blinded them with sin, and we supposed believers in Christ Jesus; the light bearers, have for whatever reason(s) been hiding our lights under a bushel, the very opposite of what Jesus desires of us. So if the presence of Jesus is not far flung, to all nations, what else can we expect but a dark, disgusting, sinful world.
Now here is another encouraging scripture to go home to. This one from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them.
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.’ (Eph. 5:8-14)
Ah my fellow saints, it’s indeed time for us to awake from our slumber and acknowledge the great darkness that’s enveloped our world, because of too many ‘dark and cold candles’ and do something to turn things around, because it all depends on us. And the song says it best: ‘So let’s raise our candles and light up the sky Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus Make us a beacon in darkest times.’ Much LOVE!
…it’s high time for all believers to set their candles aflame…so that the light of Jesus…can erupt in this sin darkened world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a new flock of believers, always consequences to our actions, be not afraid, be strong and of a good courage, behave like true christians, Bible, christianity, compromise our christian position, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, do not lose heart, extracurricular activities, faith, Friday chant, god, He spake a parable unto them to this end, he that shall endure to the end, if any man will come after me, if thou faint in the day of adversity, if we faint not, in due season we shall reap, inflict our fear on others, iniqutiy shall abound, Jesus Christ, lest his brethren's heart faint as well, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, let him deny himself, let us not be weary in well doing, LOVE, many false prophets shall rise, men ought always to pray and not faint, neither be thou dismayed, our sinful world can wake up, pay lip service, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, shirking our duty, simmering unrest in our land, smell the coffee, stand strong in Faith, strength in the face of adversity, take up his cross daily and follow me, the error of their ways, the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the love of many shall wax cold, the promises of God, the same shall be saved, the true test of endurance, thy strength is small, truth, unexpected storms, wisdom, wise guidance
Hebrews 12:3. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).
And at long last it’s Friday! Yes, the day we all pine and give thanks for even though it may be wet and cloudy like today, because it means the end of our work week and we can get rest and relaxation from all the harassing and frustrating stuff that besets us during those trying times. And we’re especially glad for this weekend, so that we can recuperate from the extracurricular activities of the last one, that’s the Labour Day celebrations.
But as we keep on reminding us, there are consequences to all of our actions, and if we don’t hear, we will certainly feel, as many of us did this past week, having to drag ourselves through it, because of overdoing the Labour Day festivities. Hopefully though, after many mistakes, one day we will learn not to abuse situations. And let’s hope that happens sooner rather than later. (smile)
That brings us to this gem of wisdom from Cousin Sol in Proverbs: ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’ (Prov. 24:10) And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers, for as the scholars say: ‘Strength in the face of adversity is the true test of one’s endurance.’ And sadly that strength is not showing up as it ought to amongst the current crop of believers, otherwise the enemy would not have such a stranglehold on our world!
And that should not be, because we have all that’s necessary to stand up strong and fight the enemy mano a mano. However, we’re still either afraid or simply like the comfortable life without any botheration or sacrifices. That though is totally not what Jesus wants and expects of His followers. And what does He expect? These are His exact words. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
Yes my fellow believers. That’s what is expected of us; first off to deny ourselves, or make some sacrifices, and to daily take up our cross by doing, not shirking our duty in Christ’s organization. But too many of us supposed believers only pay lip service to our Christian duty. And the simple truth is that if every one who calls themselves a Christian would go out into the world and truly behave like one, our world would be such a wonderful place. But no, too many of us are either afraid to face the rejection and abuse of the world or prefer to behave like the world and compromise our Christian position.
And from the beginning to the end of the Bible we’ve been warned and reminded of the need for believers to stay strong and courageous. Way back in Deuteronomy, in giving reasons for exemptions from battle, Moses told the Israelites thus: ‘And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.’ (Deut. 20:8) Yuh see friends, when we are scared we are liable to inflict our fear on others, and that certainly won’t do in any army, especially one of Christian soldiers.
And what did the Lord tell Joshua after he made him the leader of the Israelites. ‘Have I not commanded thee? be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) And nothing has changed since then friends. In fact God’s presence with us has gotten even stronger with the indwelling Holy Spirit. So there is even less cause to fear than before.
And in the scriptures, Jesus Himself reminded us of the necessity to stand strong. ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart) (Luke 18:1) That parable was the one about the persistent widow seeking justice from an unjust judge. (Luke 18:2-8) He also warned us thus of the end of the church age: ‘And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity (lawlessness) shall abound, the LOVE of many shall wax (grow) cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:11-13)
And we’re certainly seeing the ascendance of false prophets, as well as lawlessness with much deception and a thorough lack of LOVE. That means, to be saved, we have to refute and reject those false prophets and deceptions, and keep the LOVE of God strong in our hearts. It’s not always easy to do, but as we said earlier, we have all the tools necessary to do it. We just have to come up with the desire and the belly and backbone.
Then the author of Hebrews reminds us of Jesus’ situation. ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:3) Now that’s a very good scripture for us to consider my fellow saints. Just think what would have happened to us, to our salvation, if Jesus had been afraid of the hostility that He faced eh? But He stood strong and faced whatever came against Him, and He expects His followers to do the same, for He’s equipped us with all that we need to do it.
And lastly, here’s this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Galatians. ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). (Gal. 6:9) Now, to help us stand strong, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you.
Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And we need to realize that divine help will not be forthcoming until we become better examples of Christian witness. Much LOVE!
…between the promises of God in His Word…and the guidance of His Holy Spirit…the believer has more than enough help to stand strong in faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive outlook on life, abundance, Bible, by grace ye are saved, Christ died for us, christianity, come unto the knowledge of truth, courage, created in christ Jesus unto good works, creativity, curse, dead in sins, do foolish things, eternally separated from God, faith, foible, frail, god, God commendeth his love for us, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest (quiet you) in his love, he will save, herein is love, in his kindness towards us through Christ, in the ages to come, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Second Coming, joy over thee with singing, lack of love, lest any man should boast, LOVE, loved thee with everlasting love, make mistakes, manifested the love of God, mercy, negative word, not of works, prosper and succeed, quickened us together with Christ, receive clear direction for my life, reconciliation, salvation, save our bacon, shew the exceeding riches of his grace, should not perish but have everlasting life, sit together in heavenly places, success, talent, the calamitous state of our world, the cross of Calvary, the end of the church age, the fiery end of the world, the gift of God, the greatest of these is love, the Lord God in the midst of thee is mighty, the Lord hath appeared. of old, the Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, the propitiation for our sins, to know God on a personal level, we are his workmanship, we ought also to love one another, while we were yet sinners, who will have all men to be saved, whosoever believeth in him, with loving-kindness have I drawn thee
Jeremiah 31:3. The Lord hath appeared of old (from afar) unto me, saying, Yea, I have LOVED thee with an everlasting LOVE: therefore with LOVING-kindness have I drawn thee.
Ah friends, that’s what happens when you have a late morning and a tired body; you get up late and thus all your well-planned and thought out activities also end being late. (smile) But that’s life! We’re human, very frail and foible, thus we makes mistakes and do foolish things. The wonderful thing though is that our Lord and Creator still adores, admires us and LOVES us no end! And even sent His One Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary so that we wouldn’t be lost to Him for all eternity!
Wow! What a wonderful God we serve my people! And just to remind and reassure us of that great LOVE of the Father, let’s look at a few Bible verses that show it in spades. Beginning with one of my favourites: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Isn’t that marvellous my people! A God who shows His LOVE for His underserving and sinful creation by taking the lead in reconciliation. No other supposed God would ever do that! But our God, the One True God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is so confident and assured of Himself that He can do things like that.
Then there’s this other famous verse on the topic of God’s LOVE for mankind, spoken by none other than Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ while here on earth. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
Yes friends, if the Lord had not stepped in to save our bacon, we would all have been automatically consigned to hellfire and damnation because of our sinful and ungodly behaviour. But God’s LOVE for His awesome creation was so great, that although we certainly deserved eternal separation from Him, in all good conscience, He could not allow it to happen. As Bruh Paul says of God, to his protégé Timothy. ‘Who will (desires to) have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.’ (1 Tim. 2:4)
Meanwhile Peter puts it thus in his second epistle. ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise (re the end of the church age with Jesus’ second coming, and the eventual fiery destruction of the world), as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9)
Yes my fellow believers, those words clearly signify that God desires salvation for all who will trust in Him and His Son Jesus Christ. And the scholars say that ‘Salvation here is equated with repentance.’ So we see again the high value that the Lord places on us being reconciled to Him and not being eternally separated, which is really the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul.
Even way back in the Old Testament God was forecasting salvation and healing for His people. Listen to this scripture from the prophet Zephaniah. ‘For the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest (quiet you) in his LOVE, he will joy over thee with singing.’ (Zeph. 3:17) And what about this verse as Jeremiah reassures Israel of God’s everlasting LOVE. ‘The Lord hath appeared of old (from afar) unto me, saying, Yea, I have LOVED thee with an everlasting LOVE: therefore with LOVING-kindness have I drawn thee.’ (Jer. 31:3)
And this commentary very nicely explains that verse. ‘His LOVE for us will continue for all eternity. It never decreases or subsides. At all times, in all conditions, regardless of who we are or what we have done, God LOVES us. Moreover, the Lord is constantly drawing us to Himself that we might know Him on a personal level and experience the fullness of His LOVE for us.’ Mama Mia! How marvellous is that eh! God LOVING us so much that He’s constantly drawing us to Him on a personal level so that we can experience all that He truly is.
That brings us to this other magnificent scripture on God’s LOVE, this from the apostle John’s first epistle. ‘In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world , that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that He LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:9-11)
And right there is the crux of our problem my fellow believers! God LOVES us and has shown it in numerous ways, but we are so hardhearted, cold and selfish, that we refuse to LOVE each other as God desires! And that’s why our world is in such a disastrous and calamitous state…the sad and sorry lack of LOVE!
Now here is the crowning glory of God’s LOVE as told by Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE, wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace ye are (have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.’ (Eph. 2:4-10)
That says it all my fellow saints! All that we are from creation to the judgment day comes from the great LOVE of God towards His favourite creation. How can we not return that LOVE eh? Because we’re too full of ourselves and the nonsense that Satan and the world is filling up our heads with. And to further show God’s great LOVE for us, let’s go home now declaring (chuh man!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which He’s so generously bestowed on us to do his earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings just as generously for the benefit of others! Much LOVE!
…and now abideth faith, hope, LOVE…but the greatest of these is…LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 