06 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abide in me and I in you, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, as in the provocation, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, behold I stand at the door and knock, cleanse your hands ye sinners, come unto me, crapaud smoke we pipe, deepen my breath, desire the Lord with passion and sincerity, do whatever we want, draw nigh to God, early will I seek thee, faith, find rest unto your souls, for the living God, gladly grace our souls with peace and calm, God can only get as close as we allow Him to, God wants us to truly desire His presence in our lives, God will draw near to you, God's heart's desire, harden not your heart, he that abides in me and I in him, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the vine ye are the branches, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will come into him, I will give you rest, if any man hear my voice and open the door, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Jesus is knocking at the door of our hearts, Jesus' great invitation, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, learn of me, LOVE, mercy, my burden light, my flesh longs for thee, my soul thirsteth for god, my soul thirsteth for thee, my yoke is easy, not to be used for our convenience, O God thou art my God, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, resist the devil and he will flee from you, salvation, seeking greater intimacy with God, serious repercussions, sincerely seeking God with all of our heart, slow my thoughts, so panteth my soul after thee O God, stay close to Jesus like white on rice, submit yourselves to God, take my yoke upon you, telling it like it is, thank you for this tenderness, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the message is urgent, the onus is on believers to seek God, the same bringeth forth much fruit, time to stop being stubborn and rebellious, today if ye will hear his voice, truth, When shall I come and appear before God, when ye shall search for me with all your heart, will sup with him and he with me, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing, ye shall seek me and find me, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Jeremiah 29:13. ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’
The weekend’s here friends! It’s our lazy day Saturday and we can do whatever we want to do without fear of any serious repercussions…well some of us can! (smile) And in my area it’s flurrying which doesn’t give us any inclination to go out there unless we have to. So, hopefully, today we’ll simply stay inside and watch the flurries flutter and fall, while relaxing with a good book, or watching the tube, or just doing nothing at all.
And if you’re wondering why I am up so early on this lazy day Saturday, well, the truth is that I’ve been in bed for most of the night, trying to rest and get over this persistent cold that’s been bothering me all week. So I’m just tired resting now, and my back is protesting the large amount of lying down it’s been doing. So here we are up and about rather early.
But regardless of what we do or not do today, we must offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. So as one strong and sincere voice. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Now, that’s the kind of prayer our God really wants to hear from us. One seeking greater intimacy with Him, because that’s His heart’s desire, and therefore He will NEVER turn away such a sincere prayer, but will gladly grace our souls with the peace, calm and closeness we seek from Him. And there are several scriptures that emphasize seeking closeness with, drawing near to God or longing for His presence, and it’s all for our benefit.
So let’s look at a few of those verses, beginning with this one from James, that we all know, but don’t put into practice as much as we should. He admonishes his readers thus: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.’ James 4:7-8) Yes friends, the onus is on us to clean up ourselves, inside and out, and draw near to God, for He is always there waiting for us to come to Him.
It’s like He says through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) There again we see the emphasis on us seeking God, and not in any old way, but sincerely, with all of our heart. That’s the only way we will ever find Him, because God wants us to truly desire His presence in our lives, and not simply be used for our convenience.
And Jesus said it quite clearly when He spoke about the vine and the branches. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5) Now that’s telling it like it is! Without Jesus in us and we in Him, we are unable to do much of anything for the kingdom. That means we have to get close and stay close to Him like white on rice, or else crapaud smoke we pipe! (smile)
And we see the longing for God in many of the psalms like this one we all know by the Sons of Korah. ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2) Oh my people, that is how we are supposed to be seeking our wonderful God; panting for Him like the deer pants for water at the brooks. Not just a wishy-washy approach like so many of us have, and still expect to enjoy His many blessings.
Now listen to Bruh David as he declares in Psalm 63: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;’ (Ps. 63:1) Now tell me nuh, how many of us truly desire the Lord with such passion and sincerity eh? Not enough of us. But it’s by a deep passion and longing for God that we truly get to enjoy all the benefits of His grace and mercy.
And we cannot forget Jesus’ Great Invitation, where he faithfully promises: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now why would Jesus offer such an invitation if He did not seriously care for us and desire great intimacy with those who truly seek Him. But again, we have to go to Him, to accept His invitation. He’s done all He can, the next move is now in our hands.
And if you still don’t believe that Almighty God seeks a deep relationship with us, then listen to this telling verse from Revelation, where Jesus declares: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open up the door, I will come in to him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me.’ (Rev. 3:20) Oh friends, Jesus is always right there at our hearts, knocking on them seeking to come in and dine with us. All it takes is for us to open our hearts to Him, so that we can enjoy all the goodness and mercy He desires to share with us.
And we will end with is this exhortation from Hebrews: ‘Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation (rebellion of the Israelites)’ (Heb. 3:15) Yes my people, the message is urgent; it’s time to stop being stubborn and rebellious, meaning today is the day that you let Jesus into your heart! Please do it if you hear Him knocking. It will be the wisest decision you’ve ever made. Much LOVE!
…God can only get as close to us…as we allow Him to…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: added joy, all these things shall be added unto you, choose life, christianity, Christians, cleanse your hands ye sinners, communion with god, crowns thee with lovingkindness, deepen my breath, delight thyself in the Lord, draw nigh to God, enjoy the comforts of home, faith, for your unceasing nearness, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, give thee the desires of thine heart, God so loved the world, God will abundantly pardon, he gave his only begotten son, heals your diseases, holy spirit, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I call heaven and earth, I may know you all the more, I praise you, I will hearken unto you, if from thence, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, mercy, my neck of the woods, out frolicking, pray unto me, purify your hearts, quiet my soul, receive our love in return, redeems thy life from destruction, relax my muscles, resist the devil, return unto the Lord, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, search for me with all your heart, seek me and find me, seek the Lord thy God, seek the Lord while he may be found, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set before you life and death, should not perish but have everlasting life, shower us with love, slow my thoughts, stay inside, submit yourselves to God, tender mercies, thank you for this tenderness, that you and your seed may live, the BIBLE, the breaks you get, the choices you make, the quality of life, then shall ye call upon me, thou shalt find him, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, to witness against you, trust in the Lord and do good, truth, under the mighty hand of god, whosoever believes in him, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, you can't be contianed, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 March 2025 Deuteronomy 4:29.
Deuteronomy 4:29. ‘But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him, with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’
And it’s another sunshiny, clear, dry day in my neck of the woods, although some snow fell during the midnight hours. But that’s all gone now. So, we can be out and about frolicking on this lazy-day Saturday, or simply stay inside, and enjoy the comforts of home, with the added joy of knowing that it’s beautiful outside. (smile) And to ramp up our joy even further, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And there’s nothing more pleasant or desirous than having God’s peace and presence increased in our souls! And it’s assured when we pray sincere prayers like those, because our God LOVES nothing more than to hear us asking Him to come deeper and more plentiful into our lives, spirits and souls. For that’s why He made us; to have good and strong communion with us; to shower His LOVE on us, and receive our LOVE in return.
Now that’s why there are so many scriptures in the Lord’s Word about seeking Him. So, let’s check out a few today nuh, starting with this one from Jeremiah that we all know. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) It could not be any clearer or more straightforward than that my fellow believers!
And, earlier on, Moses told the Israelites the very same thing when cautioning them about repentance of sin. ‘But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him, with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’ (Deut. 4:29) Then Isaiah, in his reminder that God abundantly pardons, tells his people: ‘Seek the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55: 6-7)
Oh my people, that is exactly what our evil and ungodly world desperately needs RIGHT NOW! A return to God and acceptance of all the good things He has to offer. As Bruh David so sincerely and truly puts it in Psalm 103: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVINGKINDNESS and tender mercies. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5)
Wow mih bredrin! Who wouldn’t want all those wonderful benefits eh? Well, they are readily available by simply turning to the Lord God in repentance and becoming the new man that requires, with the awesome help of His Holy Spirit. And if you’re wanting more scripture about getting good things from God, listen to these two nuh. The first from Isaiah, from that scripture on God’s continual strength and unsearchable understanding: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31)
We all know it, but do we practice it? Now that’s another quandary, or difficult position in which we find ourselves; there’s something that we want, but apparently are not willing to do what it takes to get it. The same goes for this scripture from Psalm 37, titled Trust in the Lord. Bruh David writes: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-5)
And that’s only a few of the things we can do to get the desires of our heart from God! So who’s to blame if we don’t get them eh? No one else but us! But let’s get back to some more modern scriptures that blatantly tell us to seek the Lord. Here’s this one from James, where he admonishes us: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10)
And Peter echoes the same sentiments: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 6-7) And we spoke about that early on when we said that God created us to LOVE us, and be LOVED in return. That’s because He cares the whole world about us. Why else would He send His Son to earth to die for our sins eh? The basic reason was LOVE for his sinful, disobedient creation, as Jesus so eloquently puts it. ‘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)
That’s as good as it gets my fellow saints, and why Jesus therefore strongly advised us; ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) The long and short of the story then is we have all the information and tools before us, it’s our choice how we choose to use them. But please, please hear this last admonition from the scriptures; where Moses tells the Israelites as they are preparing to enter the Promised Land. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
I offer this same admonition to us today my people. Why? ‘Because the quality of your life isn’t determined as much by the breaks that you get, as its determined by the choices that you make.’ Much LOVE!
…one can only find God….when one seeks Him diligently and sincerely…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a work in progress, an analogy for the Holy Spirit, ask and it shall be given to you, being confident of this very thing, Bible, but can't tell where it comes from, call unto me and I will answer thee, call upon God through prayer, casting all your care upon him, chill you to the bones, christianity, cleans eyour hands, cold, communication with God depends on us, deepen my breath, divinely continued, draw nigh to God, elementary requirements, eternal security, faith, faithful, God cares for you, God has a purpose in view, God reassures us of His favourable response, God will not abandon His purpose, God's reinvigorating presence, he may exalt you in due time, he which hath begun a good work in you, hearts and souls opened wide, heaven's 911, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in every circumstance, in every time of trouble, increase my awareness of you, Jesus Christ, knock and it shall be opened, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mercy, Nicodemus, obedient, opened like a lion, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, resist the devil, salvation, seek and ye shall find, shew thee great and mighty things, sincerity and truth, slow my thoughts, so is every one born of the Holy Spirit, submit yourselves to God, thank you for this tenderness, the gospel truth, the presence of God, the wind bloweth where it listeth, the work of grace, thou hearest the sound thereof, truth, until Jesus returns to earth, we want to know you, we want to see your glory, will perform it until the day of Jesus, windy, wisdom, wither it goes, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love both fills and surrounds me, your peace and love are present
Jeremiah 33:3. Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.
And the month of March has opened like the lion it purports to be; cold, windy and with bright sunshine! And truthfully, it’s always been the winter month that I’ve least liked because of the cold, biting, icy winds that it stirs up; winds that get into your clothing, no matter how much you have on, and still chill you to the bones.
It’s like Jesus says of the wind in the gospel of John while talking to the Jewish leader Nicodemus, when He uses it as an analogy for the Holy Spirit. ‘The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and wither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:8)
Now, that basically means, as this commentary explains: ‘You can’t see the wind directly. But you can see it move tree tops and hear it when it rustles through the leaves. It’s similar to the Spirit. You can’t see it directly either, but you can see through the way it changes people when it’s there.’ And once you’re born again, the Holy Spirit is always with you, working to bring you to the place that the Lord desires, that’s as close as possible to Jesus in both behaviour and outlook. (smile)
That reminds us of this interesting scripture, where Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians: ‘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.’ (Phil. 1:6) Yes friends, in other words, we’re a work that’s always in progress, until whenever Jesus comes back.
The scholars say that ‘Paul is convinced that the work of grace that God began in the Philippians at conversion will be divinely continued until the day of Jesus Christ. That is, the Lord will keep working in these believers until Jesus returns to earth, at which point He will finish His work, bringing it to completion. This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians, and that purpose will neither be abandoned nor unrealized.’
And the same goes for all those who put their trust in Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour. The Lord will keep working His saving grace in them through His Holy Spirit until Christ returns. So, we don’t have to worry about a thing, the Lord’s at work, just be obedient and faithful the best we can. (smile) And don’t think that I’ve forgotten our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. No, not at all! It’s just that the other stuff got in the way. (smile)
Then, let’s offer it up right now in all sincerity and truth nuh. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, that prayer just brings the presence of God ever nearer, with a heightened sense of peace, calm and grace, because the Lord just cannot deny us His amazing presence when we come to Him in such sincerity and truth. In fact, that’s how He would always like us to come to Him, with hearts and souls opened wide to receive His reinvigorating and regenerating presence. But that’s entirely up to us, because He’s always there waiting for our call.
Remember the Lord’s promise to Jeremiah the second time, while he was locked up in prison. ‘Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord (Jehovah) is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.’ (Jer. 33:2-3) Oh friends, we are to call upon God through prayer, in every time of trouble, in every circumstance – knowing He hears us and will be there.
And I like how this commentary puts it. ‘One of the most profound promises in the Bible during times of crisis is Jeremiah 33:3. Some aptly refer to this verse as heaven’s 911—an emergency line to call when we are in distress. The Lord implores us to call to Him and reassures us of His favorable response when we do.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people, when we call from a sincere heart, the Lord will hear and respond. We just need to remember that most of the communication depends on us, because God is always hovering over us waiting for us to call, so that He can show us wonderful things that we don’t know.
Meanwhile, this other commentary configures verse 33 thus. ‘Shows Us the Great and Hidden Things About God. You will tell us great and hidden things we’ve not known in your word and by your spirit. God, we want to know you. We want to see your glory. Lord, we want to see great things in you.’
And do we ever my faithful brethren! But as James so rightly says: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. (James 4:7-8) And Peter admonishes: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7)
Now, my fellow saints, those are the elementary requirements for being in God’s calming and peaceful presence. So please, let’s spend a part of this cold and blustery lazy-day Saturday in March, doing just that nuh; seeking God and all the good things He has to offer and tell us about! Much LOVE!
…Jesus said it very simply…ask, and it shall be given you…seek, and ye shall find…knock, and it shall be opened unto you… (Matt. 7:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian soldier's last words, a disadvantage, a friend of the world, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a spiritual fight to the death, after you have suffered a while, as a roaring lion, assurance of God's grace and mercy, be sober, be vigilant, Bible, called us into his eternal glory, casting all your care upon him, cause the enemy to gain footholds in our lives, Christ has defeated hell death and the grave, Christ the royal Master, Christ's Resurrection, christianity, Christians, cleanse your hands ye sinners, disobeyed your word, divine aid, draw nigh to God, ease the pain, experienced by your brethren, faith, forward into battle, gets his hooks in you, giving us the victory, handled with aplomb, he may exalt you in due time, he shall lift you up, he will flee from you, hear and answer our prayers, Hell's foundations, hold on to the victory won by Christ, holy spirit, humble servants, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, humility, I have finished my course, I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, leads against the foe, like a roaring lion hungry for food, LOVE, marching as to war, mass confusion in our world, mercy, never give up, Onward Christian soldiers, perfect confirm, pray, promised to prosper us, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, quiver at the shout of praise, resist steadfast in the faith, resist the devil, resist the onslaughts of the enemy, resisting the enemy is no laughing matter, salvation, see his banner go, sincere prayer, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek your face, spiritual lives, step up to the plate, strengthen and settle you, submit yourselves to God, suffering from negative situations, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the enemy is difficult to dislodge, the enemy of God, the father of lies, the friendship of the world is enmity with God, the God of all grace, the God who heals, the power of the Holy spirit, the power to solve our problems, the same afflictions, the throne of grace, to alleviate our problems, to him be the glory and dominion for ever, truth, turn from our evil ways, use the spiritual weapons of God, walketh about, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, we have all sinned, wisdom, wise guidance, with the cross of jesus going on before, work week frustrations, your adversary the devil
James 4:7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
And the new work week frustrations begin again with another Monday on board. But like all those Mondays in the past that we’ve handled with such aplomb, we will handle this one with the same poise and assurance of God’s awesome grace and mercy flowing through us, giving us the victory! Believing anything less is only putting ourselves at a major disadvantage that will cause the enemy to gain unwanted footholds in our lives. And we all know the havoc that the father of lies and deceit can create once he gets access to our minds, bodies and hearts.
And since he’s so difficult to dislodge once he begins his evil work, it’s best not to let him get any footholds at all in our spiritual lives. Consequently, James, Jesus’ brother, warns us: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be (wants to be) a friend of the world is (makes himself) the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth (yearns jealously) to envy?
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded…Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:4-8, 10)
Yes friends, please note that we can resist the devil, but only if we first humble ourselves and draw near to God. For if the power of God’s Holy Spirit isn’t working powerfully in you, then you will not be able to resist the numerous onslaughts of the enemy. And if you did not believe James, then listen to Peter’s wonderful advice along the same lines, from his first epistle.
‘Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be the glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11)
Yuh see again mih bredrin, that you have to humble yourselves, submit to God, before you can have any chance of turning away the devil. That’s because it’s not our strength, but the grace, the power of God that gives us the ability to do so. And believe me, resisting the enemy is no laughing, but a very serious matter, for once he gets his hooks in you, he’s going to tear you up as Peter says, like a roaring lion hungry for food.
Remember this is no joke war we’re engaged in, but a spiritual fight to the death, and if we don’t use the spiritual weapons granted to us by Almighty God, (Eph. 6) then we won’t be able to hold on to the victory already won by Christ on our behalf. Yes, the victory is already ours, because Christ has defeated hell, death and the grave, through His own death and awesome resurrection, we only need to keep it won now.
But the enemy will not give up. Neither should we. That’s why Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure harness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) So should we all who call ourselves believers in Christ Jesus, stand up strong and steadfast in His name, and fight the good fight of faith.
As the old anthem calls us to do: ‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise!’
Oh my people, that is exactly how we have to behave this Monday morning, the first of February 2025; get out onto the battlefield behind the banner of Jesus and give the enemy what for! That’s the only way we will ever win the spiritual battle for our souls. And to help us bravely step up to the plate, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid in these most crucial and critical times.
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 divine aid calls for humility, sincere prayer, and turning from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…a Christian soldier’s last words ought to be…I have fought a good fight…I have finished my course (race)…I have kept the faith… (2 Tim. 4:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a curtailing of strife, a feed trough, a multitude of heavenly host, a part of the Prince of Peace's peaceful army, a Saviour, abide by the rules, an angel descended from heaven, appeared to shepherds in the fields, begin a slow march back to peace, Bible, break Satan's bondage, Christ the Lord, christianity, Counsellor, double minded people, draw near to God, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fear not, glad to be alive, Glory to god in the highest, halfway home, hands on the plough, Happy New Year, his name shall be called, holy spirit, humble and peaceful, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I bring you good tidings of great joy, in the city of David, Jesus Christ, Jesus' birth, joyful Christmas season, judgement, justice, LOVE, lying in a manger, mercy, Merry Christmas, not looking back, on earth, peace and good will to men, personified by Christ, praising God, princely and proud, ramp up our situation with God, resist the devil, resist the devil and he will flee from you, rumours of wars, salvation, sitting on the fence, submit yourselves to God, the everlasting Father, the glory of the Lord shone around them, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the mighty God, the One True God, the Prince of Peace, the winds of change, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, this Christmas day Wednesday, this day is born, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, wars, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, Wonderful, wrapped in swaddling clothes
Isaiah 9:6a. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
Ho, Ho, Ho! A Merry Christmas to all; and to all a Happy New Year! Yes friends, we wish you and yours all the best for this joyful Christmas season. For as Isaiah prophesied so long ago: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of his father David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7)
And my fellow believers, the zeal of the Lord of hosts did perform that miracle some two thousand years ago, when in the fields of Israel, one starry, starry night, an angel descended from heaven on high and appeared to shepherds watching over their flocks. And the shepherds were terribly afraid, because as the angel appeared, so too all around them the glory of the Lord began shining.
‘And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David (Bethlehem) a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes (cloths), lying in a manger.’ (Luke 2:10-12)
Yes friends, our great God does whatever He promises. And on this day some two thousand years ago, the Prince of Peace was born of lowly parents in a lowly stable and laid in a manger (feed trough) for a cradle. And please note whom the Lord decided to first inform of His Son’s birth, lowly shepherds. That must say something about the Lord’s purpose for His Son; that His earthly life would not be princely and proud, like so many expected, but humble and peaceful as befitted the prince of peace.
And the Lord wasn’t satisfied with just letting the shepherds know that Jesus Christ was born, no, He instigated a ceremony worthy of His Son. As the Bible tells us: ‘And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:13-14) And that is exactly what we hope will manifest itself as we celebrate Jesus’ birthday; that there will be a curtailing of the strife and all the negative emotions that’s oppressing our world, and we will begin a slow march back to the peace that Jesus desires of us.
It’s the perfect day and time to end all the nonsense, all the wars, and rumours of wars that are burdening our world and sadly dragging it under. It’s time to repudiate Beelzebub and all his foolishness and turn back to the One True God, as personified by Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary, so that our sins could be forgiven, and we receive salvation and eternal life!
What good has Satan ever done for us eh? Absolutely nothing! He’s simply trying his best to drag us down to the depths of hell with him, because he was once foolish enough to try to overthrow his Creator, and is now paying dearly for that foolishness. In other words friends, Satan is just looking for company, he doesn’t have our good at heart at all. So please, let’s try and break the bondage he holds so many of us in nuh. As believers in Christ Jesus, along with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we have all the tools to resist him, but we must be prepared to make a serious effort, because he doesn’t ever give up trying to belittle us in the eyes of the Lord.
But to accomplish that we need to do as James, the brother of Jesus says in his epistle: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10)
Oh my fellow saints, if we want to get away from the devil, that is exactly what many of us need to do in these oh so trying and troubled times; draw closer to God, for you cannot resist Satan without God’s help. However, there are many of us who are trying the ole sitting on the fence trick, trying to play one side against the other, but that won’t work, because neither God not Satan accepts double minded people, or those who try to outsmart them. So, it’s absolutely necessary to ramp up our situation with God, if we want to be a part of the Prince of Peace’s peaceful army. (smile) And there’s no better time to do it than on this the celebration of His birthday.
And before I forget, let me apologize for the lateness of the Bit, but I went to church this morning, then came home and found a big breakfast waiting for me, which I heartily enjoyed. But that then meant I had to go and get a nap and allow the food to digest, because there’s another, even bigger meal in the offing this evening. Brother! I don’t see the need for so much food, with so few people! But I don’t make the rules, the ladies of my household do, and I’m just expected to abide by them. And in my own fashion, I’m trying to be obedient. (smile)
Oh, I also wanted to sing a hymn today yes, ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing,’ but it seems like I got sidetracked, so let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, it’s very applicable and appropriate for today, showing our trust and faith in Christ. As one strong and sincere voice:
‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Christmas Day 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 we know that the Lord has sincerely promised that whoever endures with Jesus to the very end, will enjoy a future that will be more glorious than they can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s make a solemn date to meet there at the very end nuh, and enjoy that future together! Much LOVE!
…Jesus birth…began the winds of change…in our evil and ungodly world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aceptable and perfect will of god, Anna the prophetess, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, Bible, Christ's birth, christianity, Christmas, despite their circumstances, draw nigh to God, encouragemetn, enjoy the merriment, faith, faithfulness, filled with wisdom, for helping me grow every day, gave thanks unto the Lord, gentleness, goodness, goodwill to men, growth in Christ, he will draw nigh to you, he will flee from you, help, help me to stay focused on your word, holy spirit, hurry, I must be about my Father's business, I rely on your grace to transform me, in favour with God and man, in god's eyes, In Touch Ministry, intrigue, Jesus Christ, Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, joy, kindness, lead me gently back, LOVE, Mary kept all these sayings in her heart, mercy, negativity, new life in christ, Passover feast, patience, peace, Praying with Purpose, prophecy, prove what is that good, pursue greater intimacy with God, pursue the desires of Christ, put our desires on hold, rampant in our world, resist the devil, riotous climax of Christmas, sacrificial, salvation, self-control, selfless, share His love with my neighbours, show me how to let go of old ways, spake of him, strife, submit yourselves to God, thank you, that looked for redemption in Jerusalem, the beloved of God, the child grew, the enemy has let down his guard, the enemy's fortifications, the fruit of the spirit, the grace of God was upon Him, the Messiah, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, ungodliness, waxed strong in spirit, when my heart begins to drift, wisdom, worry
Luke 2:38. And she (Anna) coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
And on this damp and cloudy Tuesday morning with only eight days left to the riotous climax of the Christmas season, we try to keep our spirits lifted high, as we spread the peace, LOVE and goodwill to all men that our Lord and Saviour came to spread when He came to us in human form. Yes my brethren, that’s what we ought to be about in these last days; making the fruit of the Spirit flourish in our world! That’s the LOVE, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, kindness, faithfulness and self-control!
And with strife and negativity becoming more rampant in our world every day, if we can only get a toehold in the enemy’s fortifications with those things, then we’d be away and laughing. But friends, it all depends on us; on us being selfless and sacrificial enough to put our desires on hold and pursue those of Christ. And there’s no better time than this Christmas season when the enemy has let down his guard to enjoy the merriment engendered by Christ’s birth. So please, let’s get out there and use this festival season to remind others of Christ’s importance in the annals of man, and invite them to come to Him for help and encouragement, despite their circumstances.
And to help us do that, here’s an interesting prayer I found in a set of ‘Praying with Purpose’ inspirational cards recently put out by the In Touch Ministry. These prayer cards deal with topics ranging from boldness to the persecuted church, and will help us pursue greater intimacy with our great God. So here’s this prayer dealing with ‘Growth in Christ,’ based on this inspirational verse from Romans. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2)
Yes, my fellow believers, we desperately need to have our minds transformed and renewed so that we don’t follow the ungodliness being propagated and perpetrated by this sinful world. So please pray with me: ‘Father, I praise you for giving me new life in Christ. What a joy it is to become more like Your Son! Help me to stay focused on Your Word as I learn to follow him. When my heart begins to drift, lead me gently back. Show me how to let go of old ways, even as I rely on Your grace to transform me. Thank You for helping me grow every day.’
Oh friends, that’s a simple but right on the money prayer! And it’s oh so easy to be conformed to the ungodliness of this world, but we do have the power within us to resist it. We need to actively seek to be like Christ. But to do that, we first must do as James advises; ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you.’ (James 4:7-8a)
Yes my fellow saints, it’s all about getting as close to God as possible, and then sticking to Him, sticking to Him like white on rice! That’s the only way we’ll ever resist the devil. Now, let’s wrap up the prophetic stories that were noised about at Jesus’ birth. Yesterday we saw where the devout man Simeon had been promised life until He saw the Messiah. And that promise was faithfully fulfilled when he met Jesus in the temple as His parents came to sacrifice on His behalf according to the law.
Today we’ll look at another amazing occurrence that took place on that same day. The Bible tells it thus: ‘And there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she (Anna) coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.’ (Luke 2:36-38)
Poor Joseph and Mary! All that prophetic and redemption stuff must have driven them crazy. But again, they knew that they had a special child and with God’s unfailing grace, took it all in their stride. No doubt all of that was just more stuff for Mary to store up in her mind and ponder on as Jesus’ earthly life was fulfilled. Then the Bible states: ‘And when they, (Mary and Joseph) had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed (became) strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.’ (Luke 2:39-40)
And that’s the last we hear of Jesus for at least a dozen years. Until His escapade at the feast of the Passover in Jerusalem at the age of twelve, when, unbeknown to His parents, He left the homebound caravan and could not be found for three days. Eventually they found Him back in Jerusalem, ‘in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors (teachers), both hearing them, and asking questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they (his parents) saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us (done this to us)? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing (anxiously).
And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not (didn’t you know) that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.’ (Luke 2:46-52)
Jesus was blessed to have such understanding parents, because even now, when a twelve year old gives his parents that kind of lip, especially in public his teeth are in perilous danger of being knocked out. Thankfully though, after that, Jesus seems to have settled down, ‘was subject unto them.’ And that takes care of all the prophecy and intrigue that surrounded Christ at His birth. (smile)
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one sincere and grateful 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 spread 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!
…if there wasn’t much fanfare around Christ’s birth…then all the Bible prophecies would have been for nought..
02 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day in thy courts is better than a thousand, a razor blade in a chocolate, as good as it gets, at thy right hand, be a doorkeeper, Bible, blessed is the man that trusts in God, christianity, cleanse your hands ye sinners, darkness and light are both alike to God, Dr. Robert H Schuller, dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, enjoy being in god's presence, even night shall be light about me, even there shall thy hand lead me, flee from thy presnece, from them that walk uprightly, go from thy spirit, God's awesome presence, Halloween, he shall lift you up, holy spirit, Hour of Power Sermon, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I will never leave nor forsake you, if I take the wings of the morning, in the house of my God, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, joy, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let your conduct be without covetousness, lo I am with you always, Lord I praise you, LOVE, negative incidents, negative repercussions, no good thing will he withhold, pagan celebration, pleasures for evermore, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, slow my thoughts, submit yourselves to God, that I may know you all the more, the darkness hideth not from thee, the darkness shall cover me, The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, the night shineth as the day, the wings of the morning, thy right hand shall hold me, to dwell in the tents of wickedness, whither shall I flee from thy presence, whither shall I go from thy spirit, wisdom, you can't be contained, your peace and love are present, your unceasing nearness
Psalm 16:11b. in thy presence is fullness of joy;
So we’ve finally come to our lazy-day Saturday, where we can loll around as much as we want with no activities to accomplish within a certain time period. And isn’t that a good feeling? It certainly is. But before we get started, I want to point out a couple of incidents that happened in the recent Halloween celebrations. First of all, two people were killed and six injured in a celebration in Orlando, Florida, while a razor blade was found in a chocolate bar in Cochrane, Ontario.
And I’m sure those are not all the negative incidents that occurred because of the foolish celebration, but just those that reached the news media. What’s it going to take for us to cut out the pagan nonsense eh? What kind of evil society are we living in, if we can consciously put a razor blade in a chocolate bar that a child is going to eat. And I guess it won’t be banished until someone from the family of a high government official or one of the money men that profit from it suffers some negative repercussions from the unwise celebration.
And now that I’ve had my say, (smile) let’s move on to the more pleasant aspects of the day, like offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And that’s a perfect prayer for a lazy-day Saturday, where we have the time to foment greater intimacy with our wonderful God. To simply bask in His awesome presence and listen to whatever He has to share with us. It’s a time to just run amok, as it were, in the awesome glory and presence of Almighty God! (smile) Yes friends, being in God’s presence is as good as it gets! And we ought to enjoy it while we have the opportunity.
And I don’t mean we should use it as a time to complain and ask for stuff, but simply to enjoy being in God’s presence, like when you’re with a friend, whose company you enjoy, and you can just sit quietly and be happy, or do simple, joyful things together. The important aspect of it being the togetherness. That’s how we ought to spend this lazy time with our God…just being together with Him, and enjoying the joy that His presence brings.
And there are numerous scriptures that talk about being in the Lord‘s presence and how good and joyful it can be. Like this verse from Psalm 16 – God Preserves His People. Bruh David ends it thus: ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps. 16:11)
Meanwhile the Sons of Korah put it like this in Psalm 84 – Rejoicing in God’s Tabernacle: ‘For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps. 84:10-12)
Then there’s Psalm 139, one of the grandest psalms in the psalter, where Bruh David recounts the omnipresence of our magnificent God. Now listen to these verses that speak of that presence. ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell. Behold thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. yea, the darkness hideth not from thee (is not dark to thee); but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.’ (Ps. 139:7-12)
Wow! Our God is everywhere; be it day or night, be it in heaven or in hell; in the sea or on the earth! We simply cannot hide from His presence, although many of us still foolishly try to do it. And every time I read those verses or hear them read, I always remember the first time I heard them being acted out many years ago by Dr. Robert H Schuller in an ‘Hour of Power Sermon’ in the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. His actions and the words have stuck with me down through the years.
And we have this faithful promise from God found in Hebrews: ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake tee.’ (Heb. 13:5) Then James exhorts us: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10)
Yes my fellow believers, God’s greatest desire is for His human creation to draw near to Him, not be far away, but the truth is that in these trying times we need to avidly seek His presence, not wait for Him to come to us. Anyway, He’s already done that through the earthly work of Jesus; now it’s our turn to sincerely seek Him. And we’ll close with this marvellous promise from Jesus: ‘…and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
Now we couldn’t want for a more faithful promise than that, especially since it’s been kept by the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, to remind us of all that Jesus is, and to guide us to where He desires us to go. So let’s spend some time today and just consider the awesome presence of God in our lives nuh. We can never go wrong doing that! Much LOVE!
…in God’s presence…there’s always joy…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rushing mighty wind, a victory to be won, all with one accord, baptized with the Holy Spirit, be witnesses unto me, began to speak with other tongues, Bible, but you cannot make it drink, christianity, cleanse your hands ye sinners, cloven tongues like as fire, daily walking close to thee, do we with patience wait for it, draw nigh to God, effort, faith, fellowship, filled with the Holy Ghost, grant it Jesus is my plea, guide me gently to thy kingdom shore, hold our heads and bawl, holy spirit, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, I am weak but thou art strong, Jesus Christ, just a closer walk with thee, keep me from all wrong, let be dear Lord let it be, let me walk close to thee, LOVE, my grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness, our human inability to live righteously, Pentecost, Pentecost Sunday, resist the devil, sacrifice, submit yourselves to God, there came a sound from heaven, this world of toil and snares, truth, we are saved by hope, we walk by faith and not by sight, when I am weak then I am strong, when the Holy ghost is come upon you, who with me my burden shares, wisdom, ye shall receive power, you can lead a horse to water
2 Corinthians 5:7. (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
And then it was Pentecost Sunday! The day Christ’s Church was truly born some two thousand years ago, when the Holy Spirit descended form heaven upon the gathering in the upper room that fateful Pentecost Day. It was the day Jesus spoke of when He told the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until power came upon them. ‘But ye shall receive power, after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8) That’s because until they were filled with Holy Ghost, baptized with its power, they would not be able to do all that He expected of them.
And we all know what transpired on that day in Jerusalem. The Bible tells us: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they (120 followers of Jesus) were all with one accord (purpose, mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues likes as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4)
Oh friends, when our God so desires He can put on a real show! And we also know what transpired after that. The recently baptized followers went out into the streets of Jerusalem and proclaimed the good news gospel of Jesus to all and sundry who were there at the time celebrating the feast of Pentecost. Spoke to them in their own language. Which led some to think that they were drunk. But Peter got up and offered a disclaimer, then preached the best sermon of His life, and the witness was so great, that some three thousand people were saved that day. (Acts 2:14-41)
Ah mih people, how I wish that we followers of Christ today were as enthused as those on that Pentecost day so long ago. We have also been baptized with the Holy Ghost and many of us speak other languages, so why aren’t we making any real inroads into the enemy’s camp eh? Because it takes too much effort and sacrifice, and we like our comfort and the easy living and material things provided by the world more than the things of Jesus. But hopefully when the roll is called up yonder and we’re judged to have underachieved, and don’t get the rewards that were set aside for us, we won’t hold our heads and bawl.
Anyway, as they say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. I guess it’s the same with us, we can become followers of Jesus in name, but not in nature. And on this Pentecost Sunday, of the Victoria Day long weekend, as we gather in the Lord’s sanctuary, let’s sing an old song, a traditional gospel tune, whose authorship and origins are disputed, but nonetheless, it’s become a favourite down through the years. It’s titled ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee,’ And I believe it’s rather appropriate for this day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost baptized the followers in Jerusalem.
So without further ado, let’s offer it up with sweet sacrifices of praise in an up-tempo version, per Miss Anne Murray. Singing: ‘I am weak but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I’ll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee. (Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.) Thro’ this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. [Refrain]
Take my hand Lord Jesus, take my hand. Take my hand Lord Jesus, take my hand. There’s a race to be run, there’s a victory to be won, every hour, give me power to go through. And when my feeble life is o’er, Time for me will be no more; Guide me gently, safely o’er To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. [Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.]’
Oh my fellow saints, there’s nothing better in this crazy and evil world that we can ask for than a close walk with Christ! No sir! For when we’re walking with Him, we are filled with His Holy Spirit and are obedient to His will and word, while wonderful things like peace, LOVE and joy circulate in our souls and emanate from our hearts for all to see, and that allows us to witness to others about our Lord and Saviour, which is our bounden duty.
However, let’s take a look at the song itself and see what scriptural gems we can garner from it. And this commentary from the Hymnary.org website offers some interesting insights. It says: ‘In this song, we acknowledge our human inability to live righteously, but we also express awareness of the grace and strength that God gives us in our daily walk. Even such an esteemed saint as the apostle Paul acknowledged his need for this grace, when asking thrice for relief from an unknown ‘thorn in his flesh’: “But he [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” … For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9a, 10b)
Then we have the title and lyrics of the song which allude to the Biblical passage from 2 Cor. 5:7. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” And that’s the gospel truth! Followers of Christ are supposed to walk by faith and not by what they see, as do the denizens of this world. Another scripture that can feed our faith is this one from Romans. ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom. 5:24-25)
That’s another way of saying that we have an awesome trust in our ever-faithful God, who has promised never to leave nor forsake us. (Heb. 13:5) And we’ll close with these most encouraging words of James. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10)
Yes friends, that’s a wonderful way to end today’s sermon: Drawing close to God, so that He can draw close to us. Remember, it’s our duty to call on Him, to seek Him, not the other way around. And let’s not forget it’s all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…we can only walk the narrow road to heaven successfully…in the close company of Jesus and the Holy Spirit…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as a beast before thee, Bible, caught up in the trappings, christianity, cry out for the living God, destroyed them all, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord, faith, fellowship, giveth grace unto the humble, go a whoring from thee, god, God is the strength of my heart, God resisteth the proud, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I have put my trust in the Lord, I have set the Lord always before me, I went into the sanctuary of God, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, losing faith, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, MOnday oh Monday, my flesh also shall rest in hope, my flesh and my heart faileth, my glory rejoiceth, my heart and my flesh, my heart is glad, my portion forever, my soul longeth, our ever-loving Godd, resist the devil and he will flee from you, sincere fellowship, sincere repentance in our hearts, sinned and seriously disobeyed your word, so foolish was I and ignorant, strong faith in Christ, submit yourselves to God, the God who heals, the prosperity of the wicked, then understood I their end, they that are far from thee shall perish, total surrender, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 73:26. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart (my rock), and my portion forever.
Monday, oh Monday! You beautiful day! Come on down and let us LOVE you like we ought to! Yes friends, like I’ve often said, we ought to treat Monday as a special day, because that’s when we’re supposed to be full of the most joy, strength and confidence after having fellowship on Sunday, with other believers in the presence of our wonderful and ever-LOVING God! But unfortunately, many of us get caught up in the trappings and goings-ons of a new week, and don’t use that newfound energy and confidence wisely.
But fear not my brethren, for though we do not make full use of our blessings, once we can say like the psalmist Asaph re The Prosperity of the Wicked from his famous psalm 73, we will be fine. Remember when Asaph was losing his faith because of the prosperity of the wicked, and only got wisdom and saw what was really happening and how the wicked, though they prospered here on earth, their end was to perish. He says: ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of the Lord; then understood I their end.’ (Ps. 73:17)
Yuh see friends, that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell us. We can gather oodles of wisdom when we regularly go to God’s house in sincere fellowship. (smile) But, thankfully, Asaph woke up in time, got that divine perspective in the Lord’s house, and woke up saying: ‘So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden (held) me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart (my rock), and my portion forever.’ (Ps. 73:22-26)
And both the Sons of Korah and Bruh David make the same pronouncements in their palms. The Sons of Korah announce in Psalm 84: ‘How amiable are thy tabernacles (how lovely are thy dwellings), O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.’ (Ps. 84:1-2) Meanwhile, in Psalm 16, Bruh David acknowledges: ‘The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintenest (uphold) my lot… I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’ (Ps. 16: 5; 8-9).
Oh my people, once we have those deep-seated faithful feelings like those men of God had, we don’t need to worry about anything, our God will protect us, will lead and guide us along the pathways He desires. That’s why Asaph could further declare: (chuh!!!) ‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (all those who are unfaithful to thee). But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare (yesss!!!) all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:27-28)
Ah my fellow saints, that’s what we spoke of yesterday in the Olivia Newton-John’s song; ‘Let Go and let God’: letting go, surrendering our all to Him and allowing Him to take full charge of our lives. That’s the only way to truly enjoy and appreciate the largesse of our great God! Remember what James tell us on the subject? ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10)
It’s all about turning to God, drawing close to Him, and humbling ourselves before Him. As James say earlier on: ‘But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’ (James 4:5) And Cousin Sol says it most clearly in Proverbs, one of the seven abominations that the Lord hates is a proud look (a haughty demeanour). (Prov. 6:16-17) So, it’s obvious that humility is an absolute must when we desire to come before the omnipotent God of this universe.
And since we’re in dire need of divine help in these extraordinarily evil and ungodly times, it’s only wise to go to the Creator, to the throne of grace with confidence, but also total humility to seek that fulfilling help we so desperately desire. So through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, let’s pray!
‘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 are wise, we will consider these potent words from our prayer: ‘if we turn from our evil ways.’ Now that is indeed the beginning of wisdom! Much LOVE!
…total security is only found in…total surrender to God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
06 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ask and it shall be given you, continual prayer, draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you, faith, have much salty flavour, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, Jesus- the guding light of our lives, knock and it shall be opened, know you all the more, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, make peace with God, mercy, our sorry legacy, perseverance, quiet my soul, resist the devil, seek and ye shall find, shine like the light of the world, slow my thoughts, speak not evil one of another, submit yourselves to God, the friendship of the world is enmity with God, the fruit of the spirit, the seeds for success, the way the truth and the life, truth, without Him we can do nothing, ye ask amiss, ye ask and receive not, your unceasing nearness
James 4:3. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (pleasures).
Well, cloudy days are here again! Glory Hallelujah! Yes friends, another cloudy day has made its appearance on this lazy-day Saturday. The question is, how long will this cloudy period last? The one we just came out of lasted two weeks. Let’s hope that in this new year of 2024, we see the sun much more often than every two weeks. (smile) And even though the constant cloudy days tend to darken our spirits, we cannot afford to let them get us down.
No, we have to stand up strong and keep on doing what we need to do with the help of the Holy Spirit of Jesus, who is the way the truth and the life of our faith! (John 14:6) Without Him, we can’t do much of anything. (John 15:5) That’s why it’s oh so necessary to have Him as the most important person in our lives. And having said that, it’s time to offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer and acknowledge Jesus as the Guiding Light in our lives.
As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And if you were indeed sincere, I’m sure that all those things you asked for happened and will happen as the day goes along. That’s the beauty of living for Jesus; whatever we ask, and sincerely believe for it to happen, once it falls into His will for our lives, He will grant it. Although He doesn’t say just when. (smile) Remember His faithful promise: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8)
And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘The three imperatives ask, seek, and knock are in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and continued prayer. Fervent and continual prayer is to be made on behalf of those for whom we are concerned. God promises to answer all genuine prayer (vs. 8). Everything we need for spiritual success has been promised to us. God leaves us no excuse for failure.’
Oh friends, we certainly cannot dispute that last sentence, because God has already planted in us all the seeds we need for success; meaning the fruit of the Spirit. That’s LOVE, joy peace, longsuffering (patience), goodness (generosity), gentleness (kindness), faithfulness, meekness (courtesy and consideration for others), temperance (self-control). (Gal. 5:22-23)
Our job now is to use the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit to grow those seeds into full blown fruits that God can use for His earthly work. So that we’ll shine like the light of the world, and have so much salty flavour that others will want to be like us, and have what we have. But, unfortunately, like fruit on a tree, that doesn’t happen overnight, it’s a lifetime process and we often mess it up by doing ungodly things, being disobedient and rebellious.
As James says: ‘From whence come wars (conflicts) and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts (desires for pleasure) that war in your members? Ye lust, and ye have not; ye kill (murder), and desire to have (covet), and cannot obtain: ye fight and war (battle), yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (pleasures). Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the (with) world is enmity with God? whosever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy (makes himself the enemy) of God.’ (James 4:1-4)
Oh my people, there’s so much truth in those verses that it’s not funny. It’s a proven fact that we often don’t get what we want, because we ask for the wrong things. Too many of us are still following the ways of the world, lusting for power, earthly wealth and pleasure and thus turn away from God to seek them. So, instead of striving with God to gain godly things, we strive and fight with each other to gain those worldly things. And though we all know that you can’t be God’s friend and also a friend to the world, many of us are still trying to ride the fence, trying to have our souls in both camps at the same time. But that will never be a successful ploy. It’s either one or the other.
And James gives us the better option. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts ye double-minded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?’ (James 4:7-12)
Yes my fellow saints, those are some of the things we need to do to turn our lives and our world around! We must clean up our lives, both outwardly by our deeds, and inwardly by our thoughts and decisions. Without doing those things, we will forever be fighting and striving in vain, because God will not allow us to succeed if we are in the enemy’s camp. Therefore, on this first Saturday in this new year, please let us seriously consider changing our evil ways and ungodly habits, humbling and submitting ourselves to God so that He can give us the awesome grace and mercy that we so desperately need to make our lives and our world a better place. Much LOVE!
…imagine the awful legacy we’ll leave our children…if we don’t make peace with God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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