07 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of salvation, accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour, amazing pity, At the cross, bathed in its own blood, believers have great reason to be happy, Christ the mighty maker died, come unto the knowledge of truth, decline in the world's noise level, devote that sacred head, did my Saviour bleed, did my sovereign die, dissolve my heart in thankfulness, drops of grief can ne'er repay, eternal life, face another week of work with confidence, faith, fellowship, for crimes that i had done, for man the creature's sin, for sinners such as I, gave himself a ransom for all, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God so loved the world, God's love baffles us, grace unknown, he gave his only begotten son, he groaned upon the tree, hide my blushing face, his dear cross appears, his soul in anguish stood, holy spirit, I give myself away, I received my sight, in the sight of God our Saviour, isaac watts, it was there by faith, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ securing salvation for us, Jesus sacrifice is proof of God's wish for all to be converted, LOVE, love beyond degree, man can never repay the debt of love he owes Christ, melt my heart to tears, mercy, now I'm happy all the day, one mediator between God and men, proof given at the right time, renew your soul and spirit, sacrificing of a sinless person, salvation, shut his glories in, sincerely from our hearts, sweet jesus, sweet sacrifices of praise, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the burden of my heart rolled away, the debt of love I owe, the firm mark of wrath divine, the horrific task of paying for man's sins, the Lord's Day, the man Christ Jesus, the sun in darkness hide, the world through him might be saved, there is one God, this is good and acceptable, thy body slain, tis all that I can do, to be testified in due time, truth, where I first saw the light, will have all men to be saved, wisdom, worship with other believers
1 Timothy 2:5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
It’s got to be Sunday friends, for there’s a slight decline in the noise level of our world, and that only happens on Sundays, the Lord’s Day. (smile) That means we must get up and out to His sanctuary to worship and fellowship with other believers, so that our souls and spirits can be renewed and refreshed, thus enabling us to face another week of work with confidence and calm.
And our song of worship for today is one we all know and LOVE, and one I found myself singing a lot this week. I don’t know why, but that made me believe we should sing it today. The hymn is simply titled ‘At the Cross.’ It’s one of the many popular hymns written by the famous hymn writer Isaac Watts (1674 –1748). He became a pastor and wrote poems and hymns to go with his sermons. This one was published in 1707, and quickly became a favourite, and has been used by many evangelists during their crusades.
The song is basically about salvation, which means it ought to be very important to us. So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, heartfelt version of this great song. And to get it rocking and rolling, we’ll begin with the wonderful refrain. Singing: ‘(Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I?
(Refrain:) Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. (Refrain) Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree! (Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.
(Refrain) But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do. (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! Now I am happy all the day…happy all the day…happy all the day…’
That was a great rendition friends, for it came sincerely from our hearts, showing how thankful we are to Jesus Christ for securing salvation for us. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy, re prayers for all men. ‘For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’ (1 Tim. 2:3-6)
Yes friends, there’s only ONE God, and He desires that all men, regardless of colour, creed or race, be saved and come to know the truth. And He’s provided for that through only ONE Person, His Son Jesus Christ who gave His life on the cross of Calvary that mankind could have the option of being saved, by accepting Him as Lord and Saviour. Note that Christ gave His life a ransom for ALL, not merely some. And the scholars tell us that ‘to be testified in due time, (or, proof given at the right time) means that Jesus’ sacrifice is “proof” of God’s wish for all to be converted.’
And Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf was so great that we can hardly believe it. But when we look at the cross that’s when the light of His glory shines forth on us. As the refrain so sincerely puts it: ‘At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!)’
Oh my people, there is indeed great reason to be happy all the day, because when we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, we receive salvation and eternal life. For as Jesus said to Nicodemus, ‘For God so LOVED world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
That says it all my brethren! God desired to save His human creation, and the only way it could be done justly and righteously was through the sacrificing of some sinless person, and Jesus was the only sinless person in the universe, thus the horrific task of paying for man’s sins fell on His shoulders. And we’re proud to say, that He bore them like a man.
That’s why the song says in great wonder: ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!’
Now, although it’s hard to believe, that’s exactly what happened. God’s LOVE was so profound that it baffled us then, and still baffles us today. That’s why the song ends: ‘Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe: Here, Lord, I give myself away ’Tis all that I can do.’
Oh my fellow believers, that’s oh so true! For though our tears and grief may be truly heart felt, they can NEVER repay the debt of LOVE that we owe Christ. And the only way to mitigate some of our debt is by surrendering ourselves completely to Him, thus making Him our Lord and Saviour. That’s wisdom of the highest order! So, please let’s attain to it nuh! Much LOVE!
…all Christ desires of us…is to accept the salvation He’s so sacrificially provided…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sound bite, all our gratitude, amazing pity, At the cross, bare our sins in his own body, bathed in its own blood, become extinct, by whose stripes ye were healed, Christ suffered for us, Christ the mighty maker died, Christians, committed himself, devote that sacred head, did my Saviour bleed, did my sovereign die, dissolve my heart in thankfulness, drops of grief can ne'er repay, eternal life, faith, faithful obedience of Christ, for crimes that i had done, for man the creature's sin, for sinners such as I, gave himself a ransom for all, God so loved the world, grace unknown, grateful to the Father, happy all the day, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he groaned upon the tree, he threatened not, hellfire and damnation, hereunto were ye called, hide my blushing face, his soul in anguish stood, holy spirit, horrendous sacrifice, I give myself away, I received my sight, if ye love me keep my commandments, improve our witness for Christ, in the sight of God and our Saviour, invading their private spaces, isaac watts, it was there by faith, Jesus Christ, Jesus work on the cross, leaving us an example, like a dodo bird, live unto righteousness, LOVE, love beyond degree, melt my eyes to tears, mercy, neither was guile found in his mouth, now I'm happy all the day, now returned unto the shepherd, on the tree, one mediator between God and men, praise and worship, put our hearts, reviled not again, salvation, selfless sacrifice, shut his glories in, sweet jesus, sweet sacrifices of praise, that magnificent avenue for sinners, that we being dead to sins, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the bishop of your souls, the burden of my heart rolled away, the debt of love I owe, the everlasting option of salvation, the firm mark of wrath divine, the great love of God, the happiest people on the planet, the help of the Holy Spirit, the horrendous brutality of the cross, the last bell is ringing, the miserable lives of believers, the sin defeating power of the cross, the sun in darkness hide, there is one God, this is good and acceptable, thy body slain, tis all that I can do, to be testified in due time, to come unto the knowledge of the truth, to follow his steps, to him that judges righteously, too much noise, truth, unchristian-like attitudes, when he suffered, when he was reviled, where I first saw the light, who did no sin, who his own self, who will have all men to be saved, wisdom, worship Christ faithfully, you were as sheep going astray
1 Peter 2:24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed.
Oh friends, Sunday has opened somewhat chilly and cloudy, but listen well, the last bell is ringing from church! That means if it stops and we’re not there, we’re late. And we don’t want to miss even one minute of praise and worship to our great God, so please, let’s get a move on!
Ah, those were the days when the bells would toll, inviting believers to come to the Lord’s sanctuary for spiritual renewal. But like many, old, but oh so good things, the ringing of church bells has become extinct like the dodo bird. People today would complain of too much noise, of invading their private spaces, but there’s more noise in the world today than there’s ever been, and a few church bells on a Sunday morning would not only remind us that it’s time for church, but would also add a good sound bite to the early morning air. (smile)
And on this first Sunday in September, we will open our service with a most wonderful and appropriate hymn, aptly titled ‘At the Cross.’ This is one of the many hymns written by Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748) and was published in the year 1707. It is an extremely popular hymn, even being used by many evangelists during their crusades. And it basically tells us about the horrendous sacrifice Jesus bore so that we could have the everlasting option of salvation.
But enough talk, let’s get to offering up sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, scintillating, mid-tempo version of the song. And as we sing, let’s remember that it was the only the great LOVE of God and the faithful, unswerving obedience of Christ that wrought that magnificent avenue for sinners, called salvation. A debt we can never repay, so let’s put our hearts and all the gratitude we have into it. And we’ll begin with the rocking refrain. (smile)
Singing: (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? (Refrain) Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. (Refrain)
Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And LOVE beyond degree! (Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. (Refrain)
But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do. (Refrain) At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! Now I am happy all the day…happy all the day…happy all the day…’
Now that was a truly heartfelt version, and so sincere, that it even had heaven singing along with us. (smile) And yuh know what friends, with all the selfless sacrifice that the Father and Jesus offered for us to achieve salvation and eternal life, we ought to be happy every single day! Yes, ALL believers ought to be happy that they’re no longer headed straight for hell fire and damnation because of Jesus’ work on the cross.
But one would never believe that we’re on our way to heaven, or wherever Jesus and the Father are, to spend eternity with them, judging by the sour, miserable and fearful lives so many of us supposed believers are living! Christians are supposed to be the happiest people on the planet. However, a stranger visiting planet earth would never believe that by the unhappy, unchristian-like attitudes we display.
And the first thing we need to remember about the cross and its sin defeating power is that it all stemmed from the Father’s great LOVE for His sinful, disobedient creation. As Jesus proclaimed to Nicodemus: ‘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 why we should always be so grateful to the Father, and worship Christ so faithfully and steadfastly, because He was the one who bore the horrendous brutality of dying on the cross, being buried, then being resurrected so that our abominable sins could be paid for.
And this scripture that Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy concerning prayers for all men, throws some light on our subject. He says: ‘For this (praying for all in authority) is good and acceptable in the sight of God and our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’ (1 Tim. 2:3-6)
Yes friends, Jesus gave His life for us. There’s no doubt about that, and it’s a debt we can never repay, but neither Him nor the Father expect repayment, all they are looking for is to LOVE them and keep their commandments. As Jesus said: ‘If ye LOVE me, my commandments.’ (John 14:15) It’s as simple as that!
Then there’s the scripture, where Peter, in talking about submission to rulers and bearing our tribulations patiently, writes: ‘For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again (in return); when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2:21-25)
And all of God’s children gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Lord! Thank You for Jesus and Your Unconditional LOVE for us poor ungrateful sinners! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
Now my fellow believers, having seen all that Christ has selflessly done on our behalf, lets’ go out and improve our witness for Him nuh, it’s not too much to ask, especially since we all have improvements we can make! Much LOVE!
…in this evil world…it’s not easy to live righteously…but the help of the Holy Spirit makes it possible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sacrificial blood offering, abominable sinners, agony, amazing pity, as sheep going astray, At the cross, bare our sins in his body, bathed in its own blood, blaspheming his holy name, by whose stripes we were healed, Christ also suffered for us, Christ the mighty maker died, christianity, come unto the knowledge of truth, committed himself, crucifixion, devote that sacred head, did my Saviour bleed, did my sovereign die, dissolve my heart in thankfulness, divine wrath, drops of grief can ne'er repay, Eli Eli lama sabachthani, faith, fellowship, follow his steps, for crimes that i had done, for man the creature's sin, for sinners such as I, gave himself a ransom for all, gave up the ghost, give thanks and praise, good and acceptable in the sight of the Lord, grace unknown, he groaned upon the tree, he threatened not, his soul in anguish stood, holy spirit, I give myself away, I hide my blushing face, I received my sight, isaac watts, It is finished, it was there by faith, Jesus Christ, Jesus gave up his sinless life, leaving us an example, live unto righteousness, LOVE, love beyond degree, melt my eyes to tears, mercy, my god why hast thou forsaken me, neither was deceit found in his mouth, now I'm happy all the day, now returned unto, obedient to the Father's will, one mediator between God and man, physical and spiritual agony, receive his awesome grace, reviled not again, sacrifices of praise, sacrificial death of a sinless person, salty people, salvation, salvation is a free gift from God, separated from the Father, shining lights, shut his glories in, sufferation, Sunday, sweet jesus, the awesome gift of salvation, the bearer of the world's sin, the BIBLE, the burden of my heart rolled away, the day of the Lord, the debt of love I owe, the firm mark of wrath divine, the greatest gift to mankind, the main theme, the man Jesus Christ, the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls, the sun in darkness hide, there is one God, thy body slain, tis all that I can do, to him that judges righteously, to satiate the need, truth, ungrateful sinners, upgrade our spiritual lives, use your free will to choose salvation, we being dead to sins, when he suffered, when he was reviled, where I first saw the light, who did no sin, who his own self, will have all men to be saved, wisdom
1 Timothy 2:5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ;
That blessed day of the Lord, Sunday is upon us once more my faithful brethren, so, despite the rainy weather, let’s make full use of it by joining in fellowship with other believers, wherever it’s possible, to give thanks and praise to our great and wonderful God, and receive His awesome grace, mercy and truth so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body, mind and spirit and continue to be the bright shining lights and salty, flavour filled people, He desires us to be!
Now, that’s a good sentence to begin the Bit with; long, and somewhat unwieldy, (smile) but filled with good reasons for worshipping God! And we’ll open today with an old but very popular hymn written by that master hymn writer, Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748). It’s estimated that Watts wrote over 600 hymns in his lifetime, including this one published in 1707, which has been used by many evangelists during crusades. It’s titled ‘At The Cross,’ with the main theme being salvation, the greatest gift that mankind has ever received.
So, let’s offer up real sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid to up-tempo, soulful rendition of the song, all the while considering the significant words and sentiments of the song as they very definitely apply to all of us. Singing: ‘(Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I?
(Refrain) Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. (Refrain) Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And LOVE beyond degree! (Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.
(Refrain) But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do. At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! Now I am happy all the day…happy all the day…happy all the day…’
Ah friends, what beautiful sentiments and words describing how Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary so that we abominable sinners could have the awesome gift of salvation. As the song so picturesquely describes it: ‘When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin.’ And you better believe it was a very steep price that Jesus paid for our redemption. The song puts it thus: ‘Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood.’
Yes my brethren, Jesus withstood ‘the firm mark of divine wrath,’ all because of ‘Amazing pity! grace unknown! And LOVE beyond degree!’ Jesus withstood the Father’s divine wrath to pay our sin debt, all because of an unbelievable degree of LOVE for us poor sinners. Remember these heart stopping words of the scriptures? ‘And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46)
Yes, the Father had turned His face away from the bearer of the world’s sin. And it was the first and only time that Jesus had ever been separated from the Father. Can you imagine the agony He must have gone through, both physical and spiritual, all for a bunch of ungrateful sinners? No, we definitely cannot! But are we thankful for it? It certainly doesn’t seem so, with the manner in which so many of us have stubbornly and caustically refused to accept Him as Lord and Saviour, while blaspheming His holy name.
But Jesus’ ‘sufferation’ and crucifixion is now a done deed, as He solemnly concluded on the cross. ‘It is finished: and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost (his spirit).’ (John 19:30) And though it broke the Father’s heart to turn away from His sin filled Son, it was His yearning for us to be saved that precipitated that situation.
As Bruh Paul writes to Timothy: ‘For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’ (1 Tim. 2:3-6)
Yes my fellow saints, the Lord wanted all men to have the option of salvation, and the only way it could be accomplished was by the sacrificial death of a sinless person, and Christ was the only person deemed sinless. But He was so obedient to the Father’s will, and wanted whatever the Father wanted, that He willingly gave up His sinless life to satiate the need for a sacrificial blood offering. And these awesome words of Peter ought to touch our hearts this Sunday morning, as he writes:
‘For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was deceit (guile) found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again (in return); when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2: 21-25)
Now, friends, you cannot get a better word on our situation than that! So, I do hope that all we’ve said today will help us be better examples for Christ, for we definitely need to upgrade our spiritual lives. Much LOVE!
…salvation is a free gift from God…but it’s not automatic…you must use your free will…to choose it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of preparation, a time of reflection on Christ's birth, all I'm asking from you, all that I am, all ye that are upright in heart, all ye that labour and heavy laden, be obedient to His will, cheating, come unto me, crime, faith, find rest unto your souls, first day of december, for my sake, four Advent candles, fret not because of him who prospers, gentle and humble, give me the strength, give us this day our daily bread, gospel truth, help me believe, help me today, holy spirit, hope love joy and peace, I am meek and lowly, I go to prepare a place for you, I have to climb, I will come again, I will give you rest, I'm only human, In my Father's house, in what I could be, Jesus Christ, keep Jesus first place, Kris Kristofferson, learn from me, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, manna, many mansions, Marijohn Wilkins, meat for one day, mercy, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, need to do to be ready, never-say die attitude, one day at a time, one day at a time sweet Jesus, receive you unto myself, salvation, show me the way, shpw me the stairways, sincerity in our hearts and voices, stealing, stick to Christ like white on rice, sweet jesus, take my yoke upon you, teach me to take one day at a time, the great invitation, the light of hope, the Lord's prayer, the Master of Life and Death, the season of Advent, the second coming of Christ, the virtues Jesus brought us, the way the truth and the life, to burn brightly in our souls, to do everything I have to do, tomorrow may never be mine, truth, vilence, when you walked among me, where I am there ye may be also, wisdom, ye believe in God believe also in me, yesterday's gone
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And so, we come to the first day of December, a Sunday, which means we’re also into the first day of the season of Advent. And what does Advent mean, and why do we celebrate it? This commentary gives us the basic idea. ‘The word ‘advent’ literally means ‘coming’ and it is a time of reflection on the coming of Christ into the world at his birth. It is also a time of preparation when Christians think about the second coming of Christ and what they need to do to be ready for his return.’ Yes friends, as always, everything is all about Jesus!
And this other commentary delves a little further into the celebration. ‘It is the first season of the Christian church year. On each of the four Sundays preceding Christmas, an Advent candle is lit. The 4 candles of Advent names are hope, LOVE, joy, and peace, representing the virtues Jesus brought us.’ So, obviously today we’ll light the candle of Hope, that far-reaching, ever-expecting, never-say die attitude that we believers ought to have.
And as we gather in the Lord’s house on this His day to worship and celebrate His awesome goodness and mercy to the underserving children of men, let’s open with a marvellous song of worship written by Marijohn Wilkins and the late departed Kris Kristofferson, aptly titled One Day At A Time Sweet Jesus. And today we’ll do a soulful, scintillating, inspirational, heart-stopping mid-tempo version of the song, allowing all the sincerity in our hearts and voices to pour out up to high heaven. (smile)
So, opening with the chorus, let’s sing: (Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Give me the strength To do everything what I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time) I’m only human I’m just a woman (man) Help me believe in what I could be and all that I am. Oh show me the stairways I have to climb Lord for my sake teach me to take One day at a time.
(Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Just give me the strength To do everything what I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time) Oh do you remember? When you walked among men? Well Jesus you know If you’re looking below That its worse now than then Oh there’s Cheating and stealing, violence and crime. So Lord for my sake teach me to take One day at a time.
(Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Just give me the strength To do everything what I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time Oh help me today Show me the way One day at a time… One day at a time…Sweet Jesus…Teach me to take One day at a time…One day at a time…Lord help me today…Show me the way…One day at a time.’
Ah friends, it’s certainly a song that draws us ever closer to Jesus as we cry out for His awesome help, just one day at a time. And that’s how it ought to really be; us taking one day at a time, because that’s all we ever have. It’s like Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ (Matt. 6:11) And that’s the same way the Lord fed the Israelites in the wilderness with just enough manna and meat for one day, except on the Sabbath day.
And to tell the truth, one day is likely the most we can handle at any one time, what with all the craziness, the strife, anger, hatred and violence currently happening in our world. As the song so rightly says: ‘Oh do you remember? When you walked among men? Well Jesus you know If you’re looking below That its worse now than then Oh there’s Cheating and stealing, violence and crime. So Lord for my sake teach me to take One day at a time.’
And although I have a personal dislike of the statement because I heard it so often from one particular friend, (smile) it is the best way to live this life. Besides, today is the only day we’re sure of, for in the appropriate words of the song, ‘yesterday’s gone, and tomorrow may never be mine, So help me today, show me the way One day at a time.’ And yuh know what my people, I believe all of what the song is asking for is encapsulated in Jesus’ famous offer of comfort and care, that we call the Great invitation.
And we all ought to know it and accept it, because there’s no greater offer or invitation in this entire world. Jesus throws out his arms in welcome as He says: ‘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 (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Now, tell me friends, who else can express those words and sentiments in all truth and sincerity but Jesus eh? Absolutely no one else! For He’s the master of the waves and the wind, the sun and the moon, the stars and all the other universal bodies! He’s also the Master of Life and Death; the One who can give life or take it as He sees fit! Satan can only take life; he can’t give it. That’s why we need to cling tightly to Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Light, the Redeemer, the Judge and so many other things!
So, on this first Sunday of Advent, as we think of Jesus’ first coming and the Christmas celebrations, let’s also allow the light of hope to burn brightly in our souls, bodies, minds and spirits, fully knowing that in His time, He will come back to get us, just as He promised. ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions (dwelling): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3)
And that’s the gospel truth my brethren, for Jesus has no cause to lie, and He has the power to keep any promise He makes. That means we don’t have to fret and worry about what’s happening in our world, just keep Jesus first place in our hearts and be obedient to His will, and He will see us through, one day at a time! Much LOVE!
…fret not over your troubles…just hold on tight to Jesus…stick to Him like white on rice…and you will be okay…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Feb 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day of rest, all these things, cheating, crapaud smoke we pipe, crime, eager to provide them, for my sake, for tomorrow, give me the strength, God's provision, gratn our heart's desire, great is thy faithfulness, help me today, high priest, his compassions fail not, I'm only humanshow me the stairway, imploring our heavenly Father, inspiration, is the evil thereof, it's worse now than then, Jeremiah, Jesus, Lamentations, laze around, Lord and Saviour, manna, new every morning, one day at a time, pay serious attention, prayer, primary focus, priority, promise ourselves, raise our voices to heaven, seek ye first, Sermon on the Mount, shall be added to you, show me the way, spiritual, stealing, sufficient unto the day, sweet jesus, take no thought, teach me to take, thanksgiving, that I have to climb, the kingdom of God, the Lord's mercies, to change, to do what I have to do, tomorrow may never be mine, tomorrow shall take care of itself, trouble, violence, we're not consumed, words of wisdom, worry, yesterday's gone, you walked among men
Matthew 6:34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (don’t worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for (worry about) the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.
Awright friends, it’s Sunday, that great first day of the week that we all know and LOVE! Some of us just like it because we can laze around in it, conveniently using the biblical contention that it’s supposed to be a day of rest. (smile) Meanwhile, to others, it is also a day to get together with fellow believers and celebrate God’s goodness, give Him praise and thanks and exalt His holy name in return for all that’s He done for us!
And that’s what I’d suggest we all do on this cold Sunday in February; hie thee hither to the Lord’s sanctuary and worship and sing praises to our omnipotent and magnanimous God, hear His awesome Word, and receive His healing power and confidence to face the upcoming week! Now that’s what a Sunday should be all about!
And as always, we open the proceedings with a song of praise and thanksgiving. Today’s song will be a popular gospel tune written I believe somewhere in the 1970’s by Marijohn Wilkins and Kris Kristofferson; a heartfelt plea to be granted mercy and grace, forgiveness and all that’s necessary to live a righteous life ‘One Day at a Time Sweet Jesus!’
So let’s raise the roof of the sanctuary- if there is one – (smile) as we raise our voices to heaven, humbly imploring our heavenly Father to grant our heart’s desire. As one body in Christ now: (Chorus: One day at a time, sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking of You Just give me the strength to do every day What I have to do Yesterday’s gone, sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Lord, help me today Show me the way One day at a time)
I’m only human, I’m just a woman (man) Help me believe in what I could be And all that I am Show me the stairway That I have to climb Lord, for my sake, teach me to take One day at a time. (Chorus) Oh, do you remember When You walked among men Well, Jesus, You know If You’re looking below It’s worse now, than then, Cheating and stealing, violence and crime So for my sake, teach me to take One day at a time
(Chorus: One day at a time, sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking of You Just give me the strength to do every day What I have to do Oh, yesterday’s gone, sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Lord, help me today Show me the way One day at a time Lord, help me today Show me the way One day at a time One day at a time.’
Yeh friends, fortunately or unfortunately, one day at a time is the only way we can live this earthly life and we do need God’s provision to do so successfully. And He is only too eager to provide them for us every day! Remember what Jeremiah says in his Lamentations? ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:22-23)
That’s a crucial bit of scripture friends, something we should all pay serious attention to, for just consider what our state would be if the Lord didn’t provide us with new mercies and compassion and LOVE each and every day nuh? Putting it simple and straightforward; crapaud smoke we pipe! That’s for sure!
But even more important than God’s mercies being available new every morning, is the inescapable fact that we have to do our part to get, to receive them. They just don’t fall in our laps like manna from heaven. Each day that we draw the breath of life, we need to be actively engaged in God’s work and try to live right, to let His will be our top priority.
And Jesus, who knows best, because that’s exactly what He did in His earthly life – draw inspiration and strength from the Father each and every day through prayer and thanksgiving – gives us this serious and wise advice during His famous Sermon on the Mount.
‘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 (don’t worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for (worry about) the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt.6:33-34)
And if we’d only follow those words of wisdom from our High Priest, our Lord and Saviour, our lives would be so much better. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make some plans for the future, but today should bear most of our concentration, for we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, we might not even be around, and most likely it will have its own troubles.
I like how the scholars put it: ‘When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. We need not even worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof. This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’
So friends, it’s not like we don’t know what we’re supposed to do, but we either don’t believe it, are afraid to do it, or our faith just isn’t strong enough. But whatever the reason why we aren’t making God and today our primary focuses, let’s promise ourselves to change it nuh.
Let’s go to the source of ALL help, our heavenly Father Himself and pour out our hearts, just like we did in the song above. Remember, He will NEVER turn away anyone who sincerely and humbly comes to Him for help! Much LOVE!
…Lord help me today…show me the way…one day at a time…only one day at a time…
29 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, all up in arms, aura of love, be wise, bombarded, boost our spirits, bring us out safely, calm, calmed the stormy waves, Christians, confidence, dangerous, difficult circumstances, do business, enthusiasm, faithful promises, fearful, go down to the sea, great waters, guidance, haven, he makes the storm a calm, hold our hands, holy spirit, humble servants, inroads, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, Lake Ontario, let God be God, lies, like drunken men, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mount up to heaven, no suffering, O ye of little faith, promised, protection, quiet the storms, rebuked the winds, reel to and fro, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, ride it our, rough times, salvation, save us, scared, see, see us through the storms, shivering of timbers, sincerity, sinless life, solve our problems, Son of Almighty God, spiritual armour, stagger, stay strong, steadfast faith, storm, strong voice, struggling, sweet jesus, testify, the sea obey him, the sea of Galilee, the waves are still, the works of the Lord, they are glad, truth, trying times, ungodly world, useful purpose, we perish, weary souls, wisdom
Psalm 107:29. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Oh mih people, I know that this Monday morning as many of us are struggling to get up and go to work under difficult circumstances, we are also asking; ‘Wherefore art thou sweet Jesus?’ You can include me in that lot. (smile) That’s because we expect Jesus to solve our every problem without any suffering on our part, or at least a minor amount.
But He never promised that there wouldn’t be rough times. In fact, He told us to expect them, even if it’s only because we believe in Him. What He did promise is that He would see us through the storms of life, hold our hands, and bring us out safely on the other side.
So let’s not get all up in arms against our Lord and Saviour if we are experiencing trying times this morning. Instead let’s put all our confidence in Him, in His faithful promises. For if He gave up His sinless life for us, why wouldn’t He help us through our dark times eh? And to help boost our spirits, let’s declare our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with strong voice and nuff sincerity.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, it never ceases to amaze me how that prayer can cause the adrenaline to flow and our spirits to be lifted! So let’s be wise and ride it out nuh, do our thing for Jesus, whatever it may be, and stay strong under His protection and guidance, for He is the ONLY One who can truly protect us from the storms of life.
Hear this telling and truthful scripture from Psalm 107 – God’s wonderful works to the children of men – that includes our Bit. ‘They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.
For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end (all their wisdom is swallowed up).
Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet: so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.’ (Ps.107:23-30)
Yuh see friends, the seafarers knew exactly what the psalmist was talking about, because they experienced it all the time. And I too can testify to that scripture, as I got caught out on the stormy Lake Ontario some years ago, and believe me, it was indeed a frightening scene.
Out in the middle of the lake in a relatively small boat, surrounded by four scared, drunken men. Only the skipper and I were sober, as the boat dangled up and down between the great waves. But obviously the Lord calmed the stormy waves, and I am still here to tell the story.
I thought I had seen bad storms on the ocean, but that one on Lake Ontario took the cake. As I’ve said before, I’d read about the shivering of timbers on a boat in a storm, but that fateful day I experienced it in living colour. And let me tell you, it wasn’t one I’d like to experience again.
And the best way to end today’s Bit is with this actual story of Jesus as he crossed the Sea of Galilee in a boat with His disciples. On the way over a violent storm arose, but Jesus didn’t budge, he remained asleep. However, the disciples were scared out of their minds and ‘came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
And he saith unto them, why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!’ (Matthew 8:25-27)
Oh my fellow believers, we shouldn’t have to ask that question because we ought to know whom Jesus is – The Son of Almighty God, who made the universe and all therein, therefore He has control over it all. Consequently, He can also quiet the storms in our lives, if we would just let Him. Much LOVE!
…let God be God…in your life…that’s the only wise way to live…
12 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Alpha and Omega, anointed, blessings, body soul and mind, cedar of Lebanon, chinks in our armour, christianity, courts of God, Creator of the universe, enemies, faith, fellowship, First and the Last, forgiveness, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorify, glorious kingdom, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, iniquity workers, Jehovah-Jireh, Jesus, Lucifer, mercy, Most High, no accounting for taste buds, old age, only true God, palm tree, prince of darkness, psalm 92, race of life, refreshed, relaxation, religion, renewed, rest, salvation, setting our sights on heaven, smart money, surrender to Christ, sweet jesus, Thank God it's Friday, thanks and praise, the righteous shall flourish, the wicked, trust, truth, weekend, wisdom
Psalm 92:8. But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.
Well hello there Friends, neighbours and fellow believers, it’s Friday once again!
And all the people stood up, and in one accord, with hands, hearts, eyes and heads uplifted to heaven, solemnly declared: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and our labour will soon be over for another week. Thank You Sweet Jesus! Thank You for sacrificing Your life for us and giving us the chance to be reconciled with the Father, and be able to spend eternity with Him! We LOVE You, and glorify Your Holy Name!’
Yes my people, it is meet and right to give praise and thanks to Jesus for the enormous act of selflessness and LOVE that He performed for us at Calvary. Now let’s chant our Friday Chant which will give us the right perspective on the use of the weekend.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes Friends, let’s use the weekend wisely, so that Lucifer won’t find any chinks in our armour and take advantage of them.
Time now though to turn to our Bit; a spanking, brand new one! And I can hear some shouts of ‘Yeah! A new Bit!’
Ah mih people, I don’t know why some of us always want something new everyday, especially when there’s more left to be said on the subject. But as they say, there’s no accounting for taste buds.
Anyway, our new Bit is quite simple, straightforward and the ultimate in truth. ‘But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.’
And that my brethren is gospel, eternal, everlasting, undeniable, irrevocable and all the other kinds of truth put together! (smile)
That’s because our God is the ONE TRUE God, the ONLY God there is in this universe! He is the FIRST and the LAST, the ALPHA and OMEGA, (Rev.1:8) Creator of the universe and all therein! The ONE who watches over mankind and provides for them; Jehovah Jireh! He sees all, knows all, and is all-powerful! In other words, He IS the most potent force in the universe!
But yet so many foolish men refuse to bow to Him and accept His gracious mercy, blessings, and forgiveness for their abominable sins. How sad eh people, that we allow the con-man Lucifer and his evil con-artists to con us into believing that the flimsy, destructible crap that the world has to offer, is what we should be about, instead of setting our sights on the wonderful, indestructible, everlasting things of heaven.
But Friends, please listen to the verses that surround our Bit. ‘O Lord, how great are thy works! And thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish (senseless) man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. When the wicked spring (up, sprout) as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever.
But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore. For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. But my horn (strength) shalt thou exalt like the horn of a unicorn (wild ox): I shall be anointed with fresh oil. Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.’ (Ps.92:5-11)
Yes my people, those who don’t believe that the Most High God Jehovah is the ONE and ONLY TRUE God in existence, will be destroyed in His good time.
But those who believe in Him; ‘The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat (plump) and flourishing (green); To show that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.’ (Ps.92:12-15)
Oh Friends, what more can I say eh? Not much. Except to reiterate that we should not put our trust in mankind or things of the world, but in the omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent Spirit of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because that’s where our salvation truly lies.
Remember that Jesus has already conquered death, the grave and Lucifer, (Rev.1:18) so putting trust in the fallen angel, the prince of darkness is totally foolish, since he’s already been rendered powerless for some two thousand years now. He has no real power over us, and can only hurt us if we allow him to.
So my brethren, this Friday morning, in mid-July 2013, let’s all promise ourselves to sincerely surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, put our absolute trust and faith in Him, and live a life that’s worthy of Him. That’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…the smart money is on Jesus…He’s the overwhelming favourite to win the race of life…and He won’t let us down…you can count on that…
SCRIP-BITS 