28 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bulwark for love and freedom, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new theatre of strife, a small inkling, a warning from God, all ye that labour, anguish, at breakneck speed, back of my neck, became obedient unto death, before it's too late, being alone, being found in fashion as a man, chaotic world, Christ needs our help to save the world, Christ's Church, Christ's way of life, come into deep waters, come unto me, crying out for help, disaster laden world, disobeyed your word, divided by petty differences, divine aid, ease the pain, faith, faith if it hath no works is dead, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, fighting the good fight, find rest unto your souls, gentle, get back to basics, get our prerogatives straight, getting dirty and gritty, give up the fight, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, greed for ever more money, he humbled himself, heavy laden, holy spirit, hot town, humble and obedient, humble servants, I am meek and lowly in heart, I will give you rest, in over our heads, Jehovah Rapha, keep your promise to prosper us, keeps getting worse, learn of me, lost their way, LOVE, mass confusion, mentally incapacitated, mercy, mine eyes fail while I wait for my God, Mother Earth, my burden is light, my throat is dried, my yoke is easy, negative stuff, no help is forthcoming, numerous forest fires, our light has grown dim, our perspectives in order, our salt has lost its flavour, praise Your Holy Name, pray, refuse to interact with each other, ripe for the taking, running to Jesus, salvation, save me O God, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek your face, sink in deep mire, sitting ducks, something is wrong with your mind, stand up strong, steadfast in faith, strife, strong faith in Christ, summer in the city, take my yoke upon you, take serious and sincere action on Christ's behalf, thank you for life, the chaos on the earth, the death of the cross, the floods overflow me, the God who heals, the great invitation, the many suffering from negative situations, the only one, the oppressive heat, the power to solve our problems, the throne of grace, the waters are come in unto my soul, the world through him might be saved, tired of fighting, to alleviate our problems, too many denominations, truth, turbulent times, turn from our evil ways, turn you off of hell, unassailable odds, unvarnished dictatorial power, wasting our prayers, we cannot give up, we divide ourselves, we have all sinned, weary of crying, what hell would be like, where there is no standing, wisdom, wise guidance and direction
James 2:17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
‘Hot town, summer in the city…the back of my neck getting dirty and gritty!’ Yes friends that what it’s been like for the past week, and most likely what it will be like for the next couple of days. The oppressive heat is causing all kinds of illnesses. And then we have the numerous forest fires burning around the country and around the world…it surely seems like hell on earth.
And if this weather and all the other negative stuff that’s happening doesn’t turn you off of hell and have you running at breakneck speed to Jesus, then I’d say that something is definitely wrong with your mind. (smile) For if this is only a small inkling of what hell will be like, then why would I want to go there eh? No reason whatsoever! So please, let’s take this as a warning from our heavenly Father, to wake us up and get our prerogatives and perspectives straight and in order before it’s too late.
And furthermore, none of the strife and anguish that’s taking place right now on Mother Earth is lessening or getting better, but instead, every day seems to bring a new theatre of strife and anguish to the forefront of our already chaotic and disaster laden world. And I guess like Bruh David in Psalm 69, we should be crying out to the Lord for help in these days of undeserved suffering for many. And what was his petition?
He cried out: ‘Save me O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul (neck). I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while wait for my God.’ (Ps, 69:1-3) And sadly friends, that is what’s happening to a large portion of today’s world population. We’re in over our heads, for one reason or another, and we’re crying out for help every day, from one god or another, but no help seems to be forthcoming.
The chaos on the earth just keeps getting worse. And why is that? Who knows? The grab for unvarnished dictatorial power and greed for ever more money is all over, and we can’t seem to stand up strong against it. And that goes doubly for Christ’s church, which was meant to be a bulwark for LOVE and freedom. But how can we stand strong against the enemy when we’re separated, totally divided by all sorts of petty differences and dissensions, with so many denominations and sub groups that refuse to interact with each other, which leaves us like sitting ducks ripe for the taking.
Satan doesn’t even have to divide us, for we have created the divisions for him. He simply has to conquer us. I believe, that in these trying and most difficult times, the church is required to put up sincere and strong resistance against the evil enemy. That’s what Christ died for. Remember what He said to Nicodemus? ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17)
And He died for that very purpose. As Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:8) So Christ did what He came to earth for, but the problem is that He cannot save the world by Himself, that’s why He needs disciples, people like us who believe in Him and what He stands for and are prepared to stand strong and steadfast in the faith, even to the death, to serve His purpose and plan.
Unfortunately though, the church as a whole, seems to be fighting against itself and not so much against the enemy. Meanwhile, many individual believers seem to have lost their way, and no longer seem to care about what’s happening in our world, or we are simply tired of fighting the seemingly unassailable odds, thus our salt has lost its flavour, and our light has grown dim. But let’s take a moment on this hot and sweltering Monday morning in late July of 2025, to contemplate what will happen if we give up the fight for Christ’s way of life.
And then let’s remember His Great Invitation, which He issued to all and sundry, and which still stands: ‘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) Yes my fellow believers, we’ve got to get back to the basics and refresh ourselves, so that we can continue fighting the good fight in Jesus’ name, for we cannot ever give up.
And to help us do that, let’s go right now to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid in these turbulent 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!’
And yes, praying is necessary, but until we take up all the tools we have and take serious and sincere action on Jesus’ behalf, we’ll just be wasting our prayers. Much LOVE!
…even so…faith…if it hath not works…is dead…being alone… (James 2:17)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a false hope, a horse is a vain thing for safety, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a mighty man, a reverential awe of God, accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, all you that labour, as hot as, as we hope in thee, be careful what you ask for, beholds all the sons of men, blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, call upon the Lord, cannot afford to waste, come unto me, deliver their soul from death, desirous of summer, divine aid, ease the pain, even one more day, faith, faithfully keep your promise, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, fashions their hearts individually, find rest unto your souls, for his own inheritance, forest fires, gentle and humble, give you rest, God will never let us down, goolish to turn down such an offer, he is our help and shield, health problems, heavenly help, heavy laden, high U.V. Index, holy spirit, hope and pray, humble ourselves, humble servants, I will love thee O Lord, if you can't stand the heat, in whom I will trust, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep them alive in famine, learn from me, let thy mercy be upon us, LOVE, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, my burden light, my deliverer, my god, my high tower, my shield, my strength, my yoke is easy, no king saved by, not delivered by much strength, our Father who art in heaven, our heart shall rejoice in him, our soul waits for the Lord, Praise for God's Goodness, praise Your Holy Name, pray, put your hope and trust in Almighty God, salvation, saved from my enemies, shall not deliver any by his great strength, show this evil world, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek God's face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, skin problems, stay out of the kitchen, take my yoke upon you, thank you for life, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the eye of the Lord, the fiery place down under with Sata, the God who heals, the great invitation, the horn of my salvation, the Lord is my rock and my fortress, the Lord looketh from heaven, the many suffering from negative situations, the mass confusion in our world, the multitude of an host, the note of sarcasm, the only one, the people He's chosen, the power to solve our many problems, the proverbial place down below, the throne of grace, the wisest decision, to alleviate our problems, to prosper us, trusted in his holy name, truth, turn from our evil ways, understands all their work, upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy, who is a rock except our God, who is God save the Lord, wisdom, wise guidance, worthy to be praised, you'll be disappointed
Psalm 33:20. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and shield.
And we’ve been so desirous of summer, let’s hope that we like it now that it’s here. I hope you detect the note of sarcasm there, because yesterday Sunday, was as hot as that proverbial place down below, (smile) with temps in the thirties, and wind that was just as hot. It’s also predicted that today Monday, and tomorrow Tuesday will be just as hot, with possible health problems to children and old folks, as well as a high U.V Index that can cause skin problems to all.
So, if you can’t stand that earthly heat then I’d strongly advise you to make sure that you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, so you will be in paradise with Him, and not in that fiery place down under with Satan. As the saying goes, if you can’t stand the heat, then stay out of the kitchen. Some of us might also remember the august warnings from our parents; be careful what you ask for, because there’s a high possibility that when you get it, you’ll be very disappointed.
Therefore, let’s hope and pray that the summer won’t be as hot for too long, since it will probably set off more forest fires, and cause even more health problems. But yuh know what, let’s do what we’ve been taught by our faith to do, lay all those problems in the hands of Jesus. And what better words can we use for reassurance than these from Psalm 33 – Praise for God’s Goodness.
The Psalmist confidently declares: ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike (individually); as he considereth (understands) all their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing (false hope) for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.’ (Ps. 33:12-17)
Now that tells us something about the Lord’s power, that He is overseeing all that happens in the universe He created, and is controlling it as He sees fit, with neither man nor beast able to overcome Him or His desires. Then the psalmist continues with even more assurance: ‘Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him (have a reverential awe of Him), upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.’ (Ps. 33:18-22)
Yes friends, the wisest decision we can ever make on this earth is to put our hope and trust in Almighty God, for as Bruh David so assuredly proclaims in Psalm 18 – A Call for God’s Deliverance: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord my strength. The Lord is my rock , and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3)
And that’s how we ought to consider our God: strong, fortress-like, a shield to protect us, as well as to deliver us from our enemies, be they man, beast or nature. And when we think of Him thus, it allows us to put our total and sincere trust in Him, because we know that He will not let us down. No! NEVER!
And it’s all covered by the protective umbrella of Jesus’ Great Invitation, where He sincerely offers: ‘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 is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Wow friends! What a magnificent invitation! And the truth of the matter is that ONLY Jesus was and is able to make such an invitation and have the awesome power to keep it. And we would not only be unwise, but rather foolish to turn down such an exceptional offer, especially in these uncertain, very difficult and fearful times. So without further ado, let’s show Christ that we’ve accepted His wonderful offer by going to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid for our many earthly problems.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
But, having said all of that, we now have to begin doing the things that will cause divine aid to start flowing. That’s turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face. So please, let’s get right to it nuh, because we cannot afford to waste even one more day without heavenly help! Much LOVE!
…for who is God…save (except) the Lord…who is a rock save (except) our God… (Ps. 18:31)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious opportunity for man, a great high priest, a great moment, a man lay down his life for his friends, a passionate and comforting call, accept Him as Lord and Saviour, anointed me to preach the gospel, at the feet of Christ, cannot be touched by our infirmities, cannot walk, Christ rose triumphantly from the dead, come boldly unto the throne of grace, come to know and love Him, come to save that which was lost, come unto me all ye that labour, Daniel Herbert, dare not talk, disaster-prone world, empathize with our weaknesses, eternal life, ever was the same, faith, faith doesn't make it easy, faith makes it possible, find grace, find rest for your souls, gentle and humble, give you rest, go to waste, greater love hath no man than this, guilt and sin, he hears the sigh or groan, he makes alive, hold fast our profession., holy spirit, I sigh, I'm lame, if you do whatsoever I command you, in all points, in the annals of man's history, in time of need, Jehovah is the sinner's friend, Jesus Christ, Jesus fills the throne, Jesus Son of God, Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, joy shall be in heaven, lay your load at Jesus feet, learn from me, lost blind and lame, LOVE, makes the blind to see, makes the dead to hear his voice, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, more than over ninety nine just persons, my burden light, my yoke ie easy, no practical experience of human life, obtain mercy, over one repentant sinner, passed into the heavens, plead what he has done, poor bankrupt souls, preach deliverance to the captives, preach the acceptable year of the Lord, recovery of sight to the blind, salvation, sanctified, selfless sacrifice, set apart for godly purposes, set the prisoner free, stopped my mouth, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, tempted like as we are, that are bruised, the first Sunday after Easter, the Lord will take you in, the parables of the lost sheep coin and son, the prodigal son, the sinner lost He came to save, the Son of man, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, the weight of our sins, the weight of the whole world, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears, those he kills, to all who feel the weight of their sin, to find mercy, to heal the brokenhearted, to help, to set them at liberty, truth, uncertain times, we owe Jesus much thanks, which need no repentance, whosoever comes, wisdom, without sin, ye are my friends, ye wretched sinners come
Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
And it’s the first Sunday after that marvellous and miraculous Easter Sunday, where Christ rose triumphantly from the dead, and it was such a great moment in the annals of man’s history, such a glorious opportunity for mankind, that we’re still celebrating it. (smile) And we’ll be celebrating it for a long while yet! (smile)
Today though, we’ll sing a song that only Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection makes possible. The song is aptly titled “Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace” and was written by Daniel Herbert (1751 – 1833), a congregational minister who served at Sudbury in Suffolk. It is a passionate and comforting call to all who feel the weight of their sin to come and find mercy at the feet of Christ. And in these uncertain and difficult times, many of us are feeling not only the weight of our sins but also the weight of the whole confused and disaster-prone world in which we currently live.
So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo version, being sincerely thankful for the throne of grace that we have such open access to. Singing: ‘Come boldly to the throne of grace, Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet, And plead what He has done. How can I come? Some soul may say, I’m lame and cannot walk; My guilt and sin have stopped my mouth, I sigh, but dare not talk. Come boldly to the throne of grace, Though lost, and blind, and lame; Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same.
He makes the dead to hear His voice; He makes the blind to see, The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free. Come boldly to the throne of grace, For Jesus fills the throne; and those He kills, He makes alive; He hears the sigh or groan; Poor bankrupt souls, Who feel and know, the hell of sin within; Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in. Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in…the Lord will take you in…Yes the Lord will take you in…take you in’
And that’s the living truth my people! Regardless of your problems, your sins, your guilt or whatever, if you come sincerely to Jesus, He WILL TAKE YOU IN! No doubt about it! But you now have to come to Him, because He’s already done His work, dying and rising from the grave so that you can have the wonderful options of salvation and eternal life. It’s available to whosoever who comes and asks for it.
But getting back to our hymn for today, the basis for it is found right there in the Bible, in Hebrews 4, which states: ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (weaknesses), but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
Oh my faithful brethren, what a magnificent scripture! Firstly, it assures us that Christ our high priest is in heaven after completing His earthly work. And in so doing, He was tempted in all ways and manners like we are, but did not sin. Therefore He can empathize with our temptations and mistakes, unlike the other so-called gods who have no practical experience whatsoever of human life and problems. But our Jesus does! That’s why we can confidently go to the throne of grace seeking grace and mercy anytime we so desire.
And all God’s people said a loud and thankful, ‘Thank You Jesus!’ Yes friends, do we ever owe Jesus a bunch of thanks for all that He’s done for us. We can never offer up enough thanks to satisfy His selfless sacrifice, neither can we ever make up for it. He knows that, and thus all He really wants from us is to genuinely accept Him as Lord and Saviour and live the life that He desires of us; one that’s sanctified and set apart for His purpose only, encouraging others to come to know and LOVE Him like we do.
And there are some individual scriptures that parts of the song bring to mind, like: ‘Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet,’ That surely reminds of Jesus’ ‘Great Invitation’ where He so graciously and generously offers: ‘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 is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Now there’s no greater invitation in this world, but unfortunately an amazing number of people have turned it down. Only to their own eventual demise. Then there’s the line that says: ‘Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same.’ Here’s what Jesus said to the disciples, and consequently to us. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:13-14)
And what about this line? ‘The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free.’ Yes my fellow believers, that’s exactly what Jesus came to do, as He said that day when He lunched with the tax collector Zaccheus. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:10) Then to amplify that statement, in Luke 15, Jesus tells the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son (Prodigal Son), where the owners of the sheep and the coin, or the father never gave up looking for what was lost. And He offers this sentiment: ‘I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just (upright) persons, which need no repentance.’ (Luke 15:7)
And there’s no better scripture on Jesus’ earthly role to close with than this one where He read from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue of His hometown of Nazareth. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set them at liberty that are bruised (oppressed). To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’(Luke 4:18-19)
And after he closed the scroll, with all eyes on him, He solemnly informed them: ‘This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (hearing).’ (Luke 4:21) And so it was friends, Jesus fulfilled all that He came to do. The rest is now up to us. Please, let’s not disappoint Him, and make all His selfless sacrifice go to waste! Much LOVE!
… faith doesn’t make it easy…faith makes it possible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a biblical way of life, a bunch of ingrates, a meaningful prayer, a peace that trancedns all human understanding, a peace that's totally different from the world's, a strong faith, a way of relating to God, according to his riches in glory, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, anger, ascendance in earthly power, be moved to compassion, be of good cheer, breathtaking spectacle, calm in the midst of the storm, change the world, Christ's miraculous resurrection, Christian faith, christianity, Christians, come unto me, compassion for the less fortunate, defeating Satan hell death and the grave, dicison, division, does not burn people out, Easter celebrations, encompasses everything, endure to the end, evil and ungodly world, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, filled with your peace, find rest unto your souls, flowing through me, gentle and humble, give I unto you, God's peace, hands on the plough, headline increase panic, healing words, help us, help us breathe and turn to you, help us not to forget anyone, help us remain calm, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, i have overcome the world, I will give you rest, ignore people on the margins, in Jesus' name, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, Jesus is all we ever need, Jesus is the way the truth and the life, justified, lay siege, learn from me, leave us anxious, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, mercy, miraculous action, more effective than efficient, more faithful than fashionable, more fulfilling than frustrating, more practical than pragmatic, move peacefully through the day, my God shall supply all your needs, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, not as the world gives, not as the world giveth, not turning back, our conversations, our times get rough, panic, Peace i leave with you, peole are rushing, personal circumstances, put our total trust in Jesus, reconciled, redeemed, repentance, rest for both body and soul, rose from the grave, rushing, salvation, sanctified, second wind day, speak gentle healing words, step out in faith, strength and endurance for the course, surrender our lives to Jesus, take my yoke upon you, tempted to, thank God, the annals of man, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the Great Invitation of Jesus, the less fortunate, to a glorious future with Jesus, to conquer our Christian walk, tough times, truth, unsettled state of our world, Wednesday Wail, whosoever will may come, wisdom
John 14:27a. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Oh Friends, I can’t believe that it’s already Wednesday, our second wind day of the work week! But I guess when you’re caught up in the joy of the Easter Celebrations, the days pass by so quickly that you hardly notice them. And to tell the truth, any reason for catching a second wind today won’t be from work, but from the intensity and excitement of the celebrations. I’m sure most of us who were off on Monday didn’t do much work yesterday, so what second wind is there to catch eh? (smile) None but that from the revelry and breathtaking spectacle of Christ’s miraculous resurrection, which ultimately provided salvation and eternal life to a bunch of ingrates like we human beings!
There could not be a bigger and better moment in the annals of man! For in that miraculous action, Jesus redeemed, reconciled, justified and sanctified us. Wow! In those four words lie the basis of our Christian faith, therefore we do have a duty to uphold what they mean by allowing them to show forth in our lives. And sometimes we need help to do so, because it’s not always easy living in this evil and ungodly world, especially like right now, when Satan and his cronies have the ascendance in earthly power. But we know that won’t last forever, however to help us get through these tough times let’s offer up this prayer from the In Touch April Devotional.
Please pray with me. ‘Lord, when people around us are rushing, help us move peacefully through the day. When anger and division lay siege to our conversations, help us speak gentle, healing words. When headlines increase the panic in others’ hearts, help us remain calm and be moved to compassion. When we’re tempted to ignore people on the margins, help us not to forget anyone. When our personal circumstances leave us anxious, help us breathe and turn to you. May we be filled with Your peace, and may it change the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Now that’s what you’d call a very meaningful prayer, for it encompasses all the things and times we need to conquer in our daily Christian walk and help turn our world around. Negative things like rushing, anger, division, panic, ignoring the less fortunate, and self-pity when our own circumstances become negative. And we need to conquer them with God’s peace, gentle, healing words, calm in the midst of the storms of life, compassion for the less fortunate, and a strong faith when our own times get rough.
And that’s exactly what Jesus offers. Listen as He opens up His very heart and soul to us when He makes the following statements. The first says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Yes, my faithful brethren, Jesus gives us a peace that is totally different from what the world offers. And Bruh Paul explains that as the peace that surpasses or transcends all human understanding. (Phil. 4:7) Now with that kind of peace in our hearts, we can react positively to any and everything.
And if that doesn’t convince you, then listen to Jesus’ other offer of peace, where He solemnly and faithfully declares (yesss!!!): ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And He did do that when He arose majestically from the grave on Easter Sunday, thus defeating Satan, hell, death and the grave! So there’s no need to be worried, or be afraid, because we have all that we need to overcome the world in our own small way.
And if you still have doubts, then listen as Jesus offers what we call His Great Invitation. ‘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 is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) And there’s absolutely no doubt that many of us today are fretfully labouring and heavy laden with the panicked and unsettled state of our world. That means we definitely need Jesus, because He’s the ONLY ONE who can calm our fears and relieve our circumstances…that is, if we surrender our lives to Him and put our total trust in Him.
For, hear the wonderful things He offers; rest for both our bodies and souls, a kind and gentle personality, an easy yoke and a light load. And this commentary explains that’s ‘a biblical way of life that is more fulfilling than frustrating, more effective than efficient, more practical than pragmatic, and more faithful than fashionable. This is a way of relating to God that does not burn people out but instead gives them strength and endurance for the course.’
Now what more can we ask for eh my faithful brethren? Absolutely nothing! For Jesus encompasses ALL we can ever want or need! And Bruh Paul corroborates that with this marvellous promise from his letter to the Philippians. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
Oh my people, all the promises are there for us, but they will not fall on us automatically, no, we have to step out in faith and receive them. That’s the way we show our trust in and surrender to Jesus. He says, that ALL His promises are for whosoever comes to Him in repentance. It doesn’t matter your race, creed, physical, emotional or mental state, whether you’re rich or poor, for we all need salvation, and He’s the ONLY ONE who can provide that!
And once you’re received salvation, then you’ll joyfully declare our Wednesday Wail in loud voice and strong conviction. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, there’s the promise of seeing an even more glorious future than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s be wise and endure to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy that most glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the way, the truth and the life…He created us…He can destroy us…but most importantly…He can also save us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dry and cloudy day, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a woman of sorrowful spirit, all ye that labour, barren for many years, christianity, Christians, come unto me, covenant relationships, dance to God's music, day and night, divine help, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, faithfulness, feel lost and helpless, find rest unto your souls, for the help of his countenance, gentle and humble, go out like a lion, God is a refuge for us, God is the the wisest being in the universe, good riddance to you, Hannah, he is my defence, He only is my rock and my salvation, heavy laden, help in troubled times, holy spirit, hope thou in God, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am meek and lowly in heart, I shall not be moved, I shall yet praise him, I will give you rest, In God is my salvation and my glory, it takes two to tango, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep Jesus first and foremost, LOVE, mercy, my burden light, my expectation is only from him, my hope is only in God, my refuge is in God, my soul, my soul thirsts for God, my tears have been my meat, my yoke is easy, negative situations, obedience, Our Father, pour out your heart before him, poured out my soul before the Lord, praise Your Holy Name, pray, prosper us, raise up your faith, salvation, seek your face, Selah, severe ice storms, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerity, sinned and disobeyed your Word, spiritually or physically dark, sunshine peeping through the clouds, take my yoke upon you, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the BIBLE, the everlasting truth, the God who heals, the great invitation, the last day of March, the mass confusion in our world, the most appropriate person to ask for help, the power to solve our many problems, the prophet Samuel's mother, the rock of my strength, the throne of grace, the wisest move, to shine a little light in our lives, truth, turn from our evil ways, turn to Almighty God for help, turn to God for guidance, ungodly times, wait thou only upon God, went with them to the house of God, where is thy God, who art in heaven, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, wisdom, with the voice of joy and praise, ye people
Psalm 62:8. Trust in him (the Lord) at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
And this last day of March, which began as a wet and miserable, dangerous Monday, has by midday, thankfully become a somewhat dry and cloudy day with a bit of sunshine peeping through the clouds. It’s been a tough weekend, what with the constant rain in most of the city and severe ice-storms on the outskirts, that left many people without heat and light for several days. And it’s definitely not a pleasant scenario when you have no heat or light, your food is spoiling, and when you look out, or venture to go out, all around you are trees, buildings and roads covered with dangerous ice.
Some people even complained about tree branches, laden by the weight of the ice falling on their houses and being incapable of doing anything about it. And the ice storms are infinitely more dangerous and problematic since you can’t clean them up as easily as the snow storms. So, it seems the month of March intends to go out like a lion, just as it came in. Well good riddance to you! (smile)
Ah friends, in such situations the wisest move is to raise up your faith and turn to Almighty God for help, with prayerful words like these from Psalm 62. ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.’ (Ps. 62:5-7)
Yes my people, when our world is dark, either physically or spiritually, or both, and we’re not sure what to do, our faith must be strong enough to automatically turn us to God for guidance and to shine a li’l light in our lives. And these words of Bruh David in the next verse of Psalm 62, exemplify exactly what we mean. He solemnly declares: ‘Trust in him (the Lord) at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62:8)
And that’s certainly the everlasting truth! For God is our Creator, He’s wiser and more powerful than us. Actually, He’s the wisest and most powerful being in the entire universe, therefore in times of trouble, He’s the most appropriate person to turn to for help. And there are a couple of perfect examples of troubled people doing just that.
The first one is Hannah, the prophet Samuel’s mother. She had been barren for many years and thus looked down upon as unworthy of being a wife, but one day she got her act together went into the temple and cried out to the Lord for a child. The priest Eli saw her mumbling and thought she was drunk. ‘And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.’ (1 Sam. 1:15)
Meanwhile in Psalm 42 -My Soul Thirsts for the Lord – Bruh David is having his problems, is hungering for God, and thus poignantly writes: ‘My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (a pilgrim feast). Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps. 42:3-5)
Yes my brethren, both Hannah and Bruh David poured out their souls to the Lord in their time of need, and He came through for them. Hannah got the son she desired, Samuel, and Bruh David eventually found the peace of mind he was seeking. So it’s very good advice to turn to Almighty God for help in troubled times. Furthermore, throughout His Word, the Bible, He’s promised on numerous occasions to help us when we feel lost and helpless, but we need to make the initial approach.
And what greater promise of help is there than Jesus’ Great Invitation? None whatsoever! He states with heartfelt sincerity: ‘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 is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now, who else could make such an outstanding promise and also have the awesome power to keep it eh? Only our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! That’s why it’s of the utmost importance to keep Him first and foremost in our lives.
So, since we’re all in a spot of trouble, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these crazy and ungodly 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 friends, let’s remember that it takes two to tango, so therefore, if we need divine help, then we’ve got to do our part and dance…dance to God’s music of obedience, faithfulness, sincerity, etc. etc. Much LOVE!
…covenant relationships cannot be successful…if only one partner is keeping there part of the covenant…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, ashamed, Bible, burdened, by the example that we set, choosing the cross, Christ died to free us, christianity, come to the realization, come unto me, condemning ourselves, Consider This, desperately crying out for help, divine aid, does not impact God's love, easier to feel guilty, embrace your love and compassion, faith, faithfulness, falling short, feel inadequate, fellowship, find rest for your souls, for your fellowship in the gospel, free us from the slavery of sin, Friday chant, from God our Father, from the first day until now, gentle and humble, God's awesome hel, grace be unto you, holy spirit, I thank my God, I will give you rest, if the Son sets you free, In Christ I am enough, in every prayer, in every prayer of mine for you all, in His own way and time, inhabit God's rest, introudce a new flock of believers, It is finished, Jesus Christ, Jesus declared striving is over, Jesus paid it all, learn from me, LOVE, making request with joy, meditating on god's word, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, nothing left to do, omnipotent help, peace, peace and communion with God, problems are escalating, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, simmering unrest, sinful world, source of spiritual truth, sticking with me, take Jesus at His word, take my yoke upon you, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the great invitation, the Lord will bless you, the servant to sin, the throne of grace, there's' no achieving our way to God, through thick and thin, too good to be true, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, upon every reemembrance of you, wake up and smell the coffee, whatever we've done, whatever we've left undone, wisdom, wise guidance, you are free indeed, your faithfulness will not go unrewarded
John 8:36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be indeed.
A Good Friday Morning to all you my faithful Scrip-Bits friends and families. And as Bruh Paul would say, ‘Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.’ (Phil. 1:2-5)
And that’s the truth, friends. I thank the Lord for your journey with me every time I remember you, for I could not have done it without your continued faithfulness and God’s awesome help. Thank you ever so much for sticking with me through thick and thin. Your faithfulness will not go unrewarded, the Lord will bless you in His own way and time.
So, on this bright, sunshiny, cold winter’s day, after all the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ have gone up to high heaven, down here on earth there’s something I want to share with you from the February In Touch Devotional, it’s titled ‘Consider this:’ Please read with me. ‘As believers, we know that whatever we’ve done or left undone does not impact God’s LOVE at all. There is no achieving our way to God. Our peace and communion with Him simply are. So why do we sometimes still feel as if we’re falling short?
Maybe it’s easier to feel guilty than to be truly free. Or perhaps condemning ourselves feels more familiar. It could even be that Jesus’ freedom seems too good to be true. There must be a catch somewhere, right? But there is no catch. By choosing the cross, Jesus declared our striving is over, so take Him at His word. Anytime you feel inadequate, ashamed, or burdened, remind yourself, “In Christ, I am enough” or “It is finished.” Inhabit God’s rest – that’s what He wants for you.’
What wisdom my fellow believers! Because all of us feel at some time or the other that we’re not worthy, etc., etc., and some of us don’t feel right unless we feel guilty, and as they say, some of us feel it’s too good to be true. But friends, this is one time when it feels like it’s too good to be true, that IT IS TRUE! Christ died to free us, to relieve us of our earthly burdens and give us a heavenly attitude and concept. Why therefore these scriptures.
Jesus spoke to the people saying: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant (slave) to sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: But the Son abideth ever (forever). If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be indeed.’ (John 8:34-36) And it’s the gospel truth friends, because whom the Son sets free is indeed free, for Jesus died to free us from the slavery of sin.
As this commentary tells us: ‘Jesus is explaining the enslaving nature of sin, as compared to the freedom He offers in salvation. Jesus has already claimed to be the one and only source of spiritual truth (John 8:12), and that accepting this truth would rescue a person from sin and spiritual slavery (John 8:31–32).’
So why can’t we simply accept it and be done with all of our doubts, anxieties and fears eh? Because we’re still somewhat enslaved to sin and the foolishness of this ungodly world! And the only way to successfully let that go, is by growing in faith in Christ Jesus, which means plenty meditating on His Word and then putting it into practice in our lives. And as per the burdens of this world, please remember Christ’s Great Invitation, where He offers solace and peace to one and all.
‘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 is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Yes mih people, that’s what Christ offers if you take Him seriously, take Him at His word! And the only way to find out if it’s true is by accepting him as Lord and Saviour! For all that’s promised in the Lord’s word depends on accepting Christ!
If you don’t accept him as the pre-eminent person in your life, then none of what He says will apply to you. It’s like some of the slangs we have in the world; like ‘the taste of the pudding is the eating,’ ‘if you don’t jump in at the deep end you’ll never learn how to swim,’ and how can you know if the water is hot, unless you feel it.’ It’s the same way with Jesus ; if you don’t check him out seriously, you’ll never know what He’s really about, and won’t know how very much you’re missing. It all comes down, like most things in life, to personal experience!
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking God’s aid in these turbulent and ungodly times. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Oh friends, it certainly is time that we all come to the realization of how sinful and ungodly our world has become and be convicted that we do something serious about turning it around! That is, if we truly desire divine aid! Much LOVE!
…when Jesus said, “It is finished,” (John 19:30)…he meant there was nothing else to do, nothing left to pay…He paid it all—totally, completely, permanently…
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
20 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that labour and are heavy laden, as the manner of some is, as ye see the day approaching, assurance of being heard by God, Bible, Christ as a son over his own house, come boldly to the throne of grace, come to seek and save, come unto me, confidence by faith in Christ, draw near with boldness, encouraging, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, find grace to help, find rest unto your souls, freedom of speech, gentle and humble, god, guilt and sin, have stopped my mouth, he that built all things is God, holy spirit, I will give you rest, in time of need, in whom we have boldness, Indian summer, Jehovah is the sinner's freind, Jesus Christ, Jesus fills the throne, know the hell of sin within, lay your load at Jesus feet, lean of me, LOVE, makes the blind to see, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, my burden light, my yoke is easy, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, obtain mercy, pay our sin debt in full, poor bankrupt souls, reassuring, salvation, set the prisoner free, sweet sacrifices of praise, sympathize with our weaknesses, take my yoke upon you, that which was lost, the great invitation, the Lord will take you in, the Lord's Sabbath, the right of entering into god's presence, the sinner lost He came to save, the Son of man, touched with the feeling of our infirmities, truth, was in all points tempted like us, was without sin, we have not a high priest, wisdom, ye wretched sinners come
Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
And another beautiful Indian summer day is in the offing for the Lord’s Sabbath. That makes it even more encouraging and intriguing for us to make our way to His sanctuary to give Him praise and thanks for all His many blessings and to fellowship with other believers, as it is right to do. The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:25)
And it is necessary to pray on one’s own, but worshipping together gives the chance to encourage each other, to strengthen and stir up each other which can only be gained by fellowshipping together. And having said all of that, let’s get right to our song for today. It’s one we all know and like, with the apt title of ‘Come Boldy to the throne of Grace.’ Yes, it’s very encouraging and reassuring, so let’s offer up sweet sacrifices of praise in a sincere, soulful, mid-tempo version of this marvellous song.
Singing: ‘Come boldly to the throne of grace, Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet, And plead what He has done. How can I come? Some soul may say, I’m lame and cannot walk; My guilt and sin have stopped my mouth, I sigh, but dare not talk. Come boldly to the throne of grace, Though lost, and blind, and lame; Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same. He makes the dead to hear His voice; He makes the blind to see, The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free.
Come boldly to the throne of grace, For Jesus fills the throne; and those He kills, He makes alive; He hears the sigh or groan; Poor bankrupt souls, Who feel and know, the hell of sin within; Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in. Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in…the Lord will take you in…Yes the Lord will take you in…take you in.’
And that’s no lie my brethren! If you come boldly or confidently to the throne of grace, our ever-faithful God will surely take you in. That’s one thing about Him, He never turns away anyone who comes to Him in all sincerity and truth. And what’s the basis for this confidence? It all springs from these Bible verses in Hebrews.
‘For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities (is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses), but was in all points tempted like as we are (but one who was tempted in every way that we are), yet was without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain (receive) mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:15-16)
Oh friends, isn’t it wonderful that we have a high priest who can empathize with our problems, because He also faced them, but was without sin, thus was eligible to die on the cross at Calvary and pay our sin debt in full? It most certainly is! That means we can take any problem to Him and He will understand. There are also a couple of other scriptures that encourage us to have confidence and boldness in our faith.
This one also comes from Hebrews. ‘For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after (afterward); But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.’ (Heb. 3:4-6)
Yes my people, every one else is a servant in someone else’s house, but Christ as the Son of God, has His own house to which we belong, if we continue to be confident and faithful to Him. And this scripture from the passage in Ephesians that speaks about the Unsearchable Riches of Christ also encourages us to have boldness and confidence. It says: ‘In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of (in) him.’ (Eph. 3:12)
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘This verse affirms that Christians have boldness (freedom of speech before God) and access (the right of entering His presence) with confidence (assurance of being heard by God), by the faith of him (through relying upon Christ to gain God’s ear).’ We certainly can’t ask for any more than that my fellow believers. But the wonderful thing about our God is that He gives us more through Christ Jesus, even though we don’t deserve it.
And if we look at the statements of the song, they all claim that we are lost, blind, lame, unworthy, sinners, guilty etc., not worthy to come to Jesus, but there are many facts to the contrary. Remember what Jesus Himself said? ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:10) He is also the friend to each and every sinner. Was from the beginning, and will be until the very end. But this one line tells the whole story ‘Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet.’
For what does Jesus offer to those who are overburdened? The Great Invitation! ‘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 is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Yes my fellow saints, that’s Christ invitation to all and sundry to come to Him, regardless of your woes. There’s no one He will refuse. So please, let’s take advantage of the invitation today nuh, and go to Jesus for help, whatever kind of help we may need, because He is the ONLY ONE who can solve all our problems, and will certainly not turn us away, despite our sorry plight. In fact, the sorrier our plight, the more Jesus desires us to come to Him for help. Let’s never forget that! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is only a sincere plea away…for help
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a covenant of a rainbow, a modicum of peace, all ye that labour, Bible, christianity, climate change, come unto me, destroy the world by fire, endure to the end, eternal life, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fear of flooding, find rest unto your souls, gentle, God's promise, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that believe in me, he that comes to me, heavy laden, holy spirit, humble, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the bread of life, I will give you rest, in times of trouble, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the first place to turn, learn of me, LOVE, making decisions in anger, my burden light, my yoke is easy, never hunger, never thirst, never to destroy the world by flood again, not turning back, our new phobia, raging wildfires, sealed until the day of redemption, spiritual life, strife-filled times, take my yoke upon you, thank God, the breath of life, the great invitation, the headaches of owning a house, the land was flooded, the rain fell, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unfortunate circumstances, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, wise decisions
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And the rains fell…and the rains fell…and the rains fell… until the land was flooded. That seems to be the new normal in this complicated, indecipherable and frustrating time of climate change. And it’s happening all around the globe. Nowadays, whenever the rain falls people become afraid of possible flooding. It’s our new phobia. Personally, I don’t quite understand it, because we’ve always had big showers of rain and there was no fear of flooding, but recently, everything seems to have changed.
I guess, when, like last week, Britain supposedly got a month’s worth of rain in one day, flooding will occur. And it does seem that these days we are getting more rain in one spell than we were previously accustomed to, plus, the infrastructure in many of our areas have not been made as flood proof as possible.
It almost makes you wonder if God was reneging on His promise to Noah not to destroy the world by flood again. ‘And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there be any more a flood to destroy the earth.’ (Gen. 9:11) And that covenant was to be a rainbow in the sky. (Gen. 9:13-16)
However, according to 2 Pet. 3:7, the world will eventually be destroyed by fire. ‘But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against (until) the day of judgement and perdition (destruction) of ungodly men.’ And we ought to be concerned about that prophecy because right now wild fires are burning unabated all over the world, both from the terrible heat that’s affecting some areas, as well as man’s carelessness.
Now, in my area, we hadn’t seen any rain for almost two weeks, but in the last few days we’ve seen a lot, with the promise of more to come. Thankfully, I haven’t seen any signs of flooding in my basement as yet, although last night I sadly discovered a leak in a side wall next to my driveway that I believe I had fixed years ago. And though I’m not thrilled, I try to find some satisfaction in the fact that’s it not as bad as it was before. I remember the days when that whole wall and one at the back of the house leaked every time the rain fell, and I spent oodles of futile dollars trying to fix them.
However it’s only after I replaced the eaves troughs on the house that they stopped…that is until now. (smile) But what yuh gonna do eh? It’s just one of the many drawbacks, one of the many headaches of the supposed wonderfulness of owning a house! Chuh! All you can do though is grin and bear it…and try to fix it. And that’s why it’s so important to have Jesus as the main stay in our lives, because with Him we get a modicum of peace and calm despite our unfortunate circumstances, which is ever so necessary in making wise decisions.
As we saw yesterday in Dr. Shadrach Meshach Lockridge’s expose on Jesus; He’s our everything. Whatever the problem, He can help to solve it. Why? Because He’s the way, the truth and the life! He’s the light of the world. He’s the One that takes us out of Satan’s overwhelming darkness into His marvellous light. And above all, His Great Invitation, just can’t be beaten! Who else can make this amazing offer, and actually has the means to keep it? NO ONE but Jesus!
Listen, as He extends this marvellous offer to all and sundry. ‘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 is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Oh my people, that’s the greatest invitation that’s ever been offered in this world, and in these crazy, turbulent and strife-filled times, we’d be very foolish not to accept it. I can tell you that right now I desperately need it, because I certainly don’t look forward to fixing that leaking wall again. When the problem is obvious, it’s not so bad, but when you just can’t figure it out, then your soul gets rather anxious and frustrated. But the best way to handle our problems is by turning them over to Jesus and asking for His peace and His direction in handling them. And I definitely need to take my own advice on that. (smile)
Now, turning to Jesus might not solve our problems, but it will certainly lessen our anxiety and frustration, and with His help, allow us to make wiser decisions. For it’s never advisable to make important decisions in anger or frustration. And to solidify Jesus words in the Great Invitation, let’s listen to this other scripture, where He says: ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out.’ (John 6:35-37)
Yes friends, more reassurance that when we sincerely live and work for Jesus, we will never be cast away from Him, for He is indeed the One that gives life, both spiritual and eternal. And we know that by the presence of His Holy Spirit dwelling in us which has sealed us as His unto the day of redemption, (Eph. 4:30) and is also there to lead and guide us in the way that He desires. And with all that reassurance filling our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And my brethren, if we endure right to the very end with Jesus, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s make plans to meet there nuh! Much LOVE!
…whenever problems come…the first place to turn…is to Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a name above every other name, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, at the name of Jesus, be of good cheer, beside still waters, bet your bottom dollar, choose life, christianity, come unto me, curse, Easter Sunday, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, faith, fro glory to glory, fulfillment, god, God also highly exalted him, Good Friday, good vibes, I am meek and lowly in heart, i have overcome the world, I will you rest, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus in our hearts souls bodies and minds, Jesus is our Good Shepherd, Jesus is our Guide and Leader, King of Kings, leads us to green pastures, learn of me, let it rain, let not your heart be troubled, Lord of Lords, LOVE, my burden is light, my peace I give to you, my yoke is easy, negative word, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, paid our sin debt in full, peace, Peace i leave with you, refreshes our weary souls, salvation, self-discipline, set before you life and death, success, supernatural strength, take my yoke upon you, that both thou and thy seed shall live, the awesome power of Christ's resurrection, the Easter season, turbulent times, wisdom
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And the good vibes of this Easter Season still percolate strongly through our faith on this wet Thursday spring morning in early April. Thankfully, the rain has let up some, and the li’l snow we got has already disappeared. However, the promise of rain is still in the forecast. But as I like to say: ‘Let it rain, let it rain! With Jesus in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, rain cannot stop us from moving forward with Him!’ No sir! For Jesus is our Guide and Leader, our Good Shepherd, who leads us to green pastures, beside still waters and restores or refreshes our burdened and weary souls.
That means, if we are wise, we will quickly take Him up on His Great Invitation. ‘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 is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Oh friends, there is absolutely no better invitation in all the world! You can bet your bottom dollar on that!
And Jesus, having died on Good Friday and paid our sin debt in full, then risen on Easter Sunday and proclaimed the awesome power of His resurrection, He now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf, highly exalted for His work on the cross. As the Good Library tells it: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11)
Wow mih bredrin! Jesus, for His stellar, unselfish work here on earth has been proclaimed King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the name that’s above all names! That means, if possible, He is now even more able to offer us the peace and rest that we so desperately need in these tremulous and turbulent times, than when He first offered that invitation while here with us on Mother Earth. So why are many more of us not turning to Him for the comfort, relief and solace He so readily offers eh? Why instead are so many of us leaving His church, turning away from Him and all the wonderful things He offers?
I truly don’t know why, neither can I understand why in this age of turmoil and confusion we would run away from the ONE source of true peace and comfort in this evil and ungodly world. My people, please, I plead with us to remember these most important words of Jesus on the subject of peace in this strife-filled world. He says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Right there you have it friends! Jesus’ peace is an entirely different kind of peace from what this ungodly world offers as peace. And furthermore, when you have the peace of Jesus, you don’t have to be worried and anxious about what’s happening in the world, or even in your particular situation, because He will keep you peaceful if you live for Him. And Jesus second quote on peace comes just after He tells the disciples about His upcoming crucifixion, acknowledging that in their fear they would scatter like rats at the presence of a cat. (smile)
Nonetheless, He comforts them with these words. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And yes, we all know that it’s hard to have peace when we’re undergoing trials and tribulations, but if we put our complete trust in Jesus, surrender our all to Him, He will give us the necessary peace to go about our business without too much worry and anxiety. That’s His absolute promise! And I’m here to testify to it.
But unfortunately, it doesn’t happen overnight. However, as you draw closer to Jesus; pray, read and understand more of His Word and put it into action in your own life, you find yourself being less and less worried and anxious, because little by little, you’re experiencing His faithfulness in your life. Your faith grows stronger as He slowly raises you from glory to glory! Now that my fellow believers is the least we can ask of our Saviour. But the truth of the matter is that He has a lot more to offer us, if we will only turn to Him seriously and sincerely!
As He says in His Invitation; you will find rest for your souls, an easy yoke, a light burden, plus stuff like forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life with Him wherever He might be. Now what can be better than that eh? Certainly not our only other option; that of sojourning in hell with Satan and his band of evil doers. But it’s all up to the individual. The Lord gave us free choice, hoping that we’d choose Him, over Satan. Thus Moses’ exhortation to the Israelites in the wilderness: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
It could not be said any clearer than that my fellow saints. Now the ball is in our court. Please play it wisely. And our God is so wonderful that He even bestows on us undeserved blessings to profitably share His Word on the earth. We call them our Thursday Blessings, but there’s one proviso; a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared (yesss!!!). So let’s declare (awright!!!) them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yeahhh!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…why choose sorrowful death…when there’s glorious life to be chosen…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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