22 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Prayer fo Confidence, a strong feeling, accounted as sheep for the slaughter, act it out with courage and faith, as it is written, awakened from the dormant state, be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, be of good cheer, be strong and of a good courage, called according to God's purpose, challenges in life, chilly days are here, Chrisitans should never lack confidence in God's word, Christ has defeated hell death and the grave, christianity, Christians, confident attitude, distress, Dr. Robert H Schuller, duty bound, everything will work out beautifully, expenditure of effort, face challenges calmly, faith, famine, for thy sake we are killed all the day long, go through difficult times, God is behind me, God will help me, God will rescue me, God's promise, God's Word, handle anything that comes against us, hardy folks, have good success, have I not commanded you, have the keys of hell and death, holy spirit, hurry, I am alive for evermore, I am he that liveth, I feel his spirit of confidence, i have overcome the world, If God be for me who can be against me, if god be for us who can be against us, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in god's eyes, in Jesus' name, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, in your court, it is flowing into me now, Jesus Christ, Jesus conquered hell and death by His resurrection, Jesus controls the gateway to eternity, keep on fighting the good fight, keep on keeping on, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lifted our spirits and confidence, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, made the right decision, meditate therein day and night, mercy, my conscience is clear, nakedness, not afraid of problems, not to worry, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, observe to do all that's written therein, our relationship to God, peril, persecution, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, stand strong and steadfast for Christ, summer is officially over, surging in my heart, Thank You God, that's it in a nutshell, the amazing help of Jesus, the awesome truth, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the Creator and Controller of the universe, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Hour of Power 50th Anniversary Devotional, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the only thing to get us through these evil and ungodly times, the sword, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, these things I have spoken unto you, they too can come to know and love Christ like do, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, to them that love God, tribulation, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unshakeable faith in Almighty God, was dead, we know that all things work together for good, what shall we say then to these things, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, wisdom, With God I cannot fail, worry
Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 September 2026 Romans 8:31.
Romans 8:31. ‘What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?’
Aye mih people, it seems like the summer season is officially over, as well as the summer weather we’ve been enjoying for the last couple of weeks. Chilly days are here, notwithstanding that the sun is still shining brilliantly, but it’s heat has fallen away southward, so the southern climes can now enjoy some of its joyful heat. But not to worry, we’re hardy folks, and can handle anything that comes against us with the amazing help of our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And all God’s people acknowledge that fact with a loud and sure ‘Amen!’
And with that confident attitude, it’s ever so appropriate for us to offer up ‘A Prayer for Confidence,’ from the Hour of Power 50th Anniversary Devotional, with writings by the late Dr. Robert H Schuller. So please prayer with me: ‘It is flowing into me now, for my conscience is clear. I have made the right decision. I am not afraid of problems. I will face challenges calmly and serenely for God is behind me. He will help me. If I must go through difficult times, He will rescue me. I feel His spirit of confidence surging in my heart now. With Him I cannot possibly fail. “If God is for me who can be against me?” I have a strong feeling that everything is going to work out just beautifully. Thank You, God. Amen.’
Now that’s a wonderful prayer, and let’s hope it lifted our spirits and our confidence as it is supposed to. Let’s hope that our hope and trust in God was awakened from the dormant state in which it’s been lying in for some time now, because having confidence, unshakeable faith in Almighty God is the only thing that will get us through these terribly evil and ungodly times. And that’s what God’s Word, the Bible, is preeminently written for; to give those who believe the strength, confidence, faith and trust to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Thus it’s like the prayer says, quoting Bruh Paul: ‘What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom. 8:31) And the confident answer to that question is ‘NOBODY!’ And how can anyone be against you when the Creator and Controller of the universe is in your court eh? No way! Now times are hard, and are possibly going to get harder, but with God’s Word to support us we are encouraged to keep on keeping on, to keep on fighting the good fight in Jesus’ name. And if there’s one thing the Bible doesn’t lack is encouragement. Oh yes, it’s chocked full of encouraging words and statements. Like what you ask?
Well let’s begin with a couple more from Bruh Paul’s amazing Chapter 8 in Romans. He writes: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) That means that life will work out good eventually for all those who are called to God’s purpose. So though we go through troubles and challenges during life, in the end, it all will work out well. That’s God’s promise!
Then later in the chapter Bruh Paul asks this most important question: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded (that nothing) shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:35-39)
Oh friends, with that kind of confidence and certainty about our relationship to God, how can we not stand strong and steadfast in His name eh? And when you add these most encouraging words of Jesus to the equation, things only get brighter. Believe Him, when He says: ‘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 that’s the awesome truth! Jesus has overcome the world by defeating Satan, the world’s ruler, and taking away the keys of hell death and grave from him. It’s like He says to John in Revelation: ‘I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.’ (Rev. 1:18) And yuh know what that means my brethren? Jesus has complete authority over hell, death and the grave, because He’s conquered them by His resurrection. Thus He controls the gateway to eternity, and therefore we don’t need to fear the grave because our Lord and Saviour controls eternity!
Wow! How could we not be confident under those amazing circumstances eh? But unfortunately all of that doesn’t happen without some expenditure of effort on our part. And the Lord said it very plainly to Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (shall be constantly in thy mouth); but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
Yes friends, that’s it in a nutshell. All the good things are waiting for us, but we have to do our part by reading, studying and living the word. And I like the last part of the Lord’s speech to Joshua: ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9 ) Oh my people truer words were never spoken, for the Lord our God is indeed with us wherever we go, but we need to sincerely believe it, and act it our with courage and faith, so that we can be prosperous wherever we go.
And with all of that confidence flowing through us, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong; lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Christians should never lack…confidence in God’s word…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of ungrateful sinners, a living hope, a spoiled child, abundant life, according to His abundant mercy, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, ask anything that's in God's will, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be my Helper, Bless His Holy Name, bless the Lord oh my soul, blessed be God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, camp beneth the Lord's umbrella, carry them in his bosom, challenging, compassionate, crowneth thee with loving-kindness, delights in giving His Children good things, faith, feed his flock like a shepherd, foolish tears, forget not all his benefits, forgive my vain grasping, forgiveth all thine iniquities, friendly God, full of adventure, gather the lambs with his arm, genreous, gently lead those that are with young, gets whatever he asks for, guide me all my life, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, healeth all thy diseases, hold me, holy spirit, hurry, I resisted, I struggled, in god's eyes, Jehovah God is the greatest, Jesus Christ, kept by the power of God, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, light in the darkness, lock stock and barrel, Lord You LOVE to Say Yes, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my Friend, no better way to live, obedient to God's demands, ready to be revealed in the last time, redeemeth thy life from destruction, reserved in heaven for you, run and not be weary, salvation, satisfieth thy mouth with good things, seize me, share His love with my neighbours, shattered, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, steady me when I staggered, take us home when we lose our way, tender mercies, that fadeth not away, the awesome truth, the beloved of God, the easy yoke of christ, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the One and Only True God, the resurrection of the dead, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, thread my tears into a song, through faith unto salvation, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, torn with grief, transitory change, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Manrta, undisturbable joy, value God's guidance, walk and not faint, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, willful pride, windstorm, wisdom, with your wisdom, worry, you said yes, your captivating love, your counsel
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 June 2026 Psalm 103:5.
Psalm 103:5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
So we’ve conquered Monday and come to Tuesday; a sunny and mild though somewhat windy day, but definitely nothing like it was for the couple of days last week. That was a windstorm, this is just a decent wind. (smile) And today we’ll look at a wonderful poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin titled ‘Lord, You LOVE to Say Yes.’ I believe I’ve shared it before, but I also think it’s time to share it again, because it’s so beautiful and truthful. (smile)
So, please read with me: ‘Lord, I asked You for abundant life Rich, challenging, full of adventure And You said yes. I asked You for an undisturbable joy Independent of transitory change And You said Yes. I asked you to thread my tears into a song when I was shattered and torn with grief and You said Yes. I asked you to steady me when I staggered – To hold me when I struggled To seize me when I resisted And You said Yes.
I asked You to forgive my vain grasping My foolish fears, my willful pride And You said yes. I asked You to be my Helper, my Friend My light in the darkness And You said Yes. I asked You to guide me all my life With Your wisdom, Your counsel Your captivating LOVE And You said Yes. Sometimes, Lord I feel like a spoiled child Who gets whatever he asks for. You overwhelm me with joy For You LOVE to say Yes!’
And isn’t that the awesome truth when we ask for anything that’s in His will? It certainly is! Yes friends, we have a wonderful, generous, compassionate, LOVING and friendly God, who delights in giving His children good things. And if we are living in His will and are being obedient to His demands, then why wouldn’t He be generous, especially when we ask for things like His wisdom, His counsel and His captivating LOVE, which show that we truly value His guidance. As well as to be our friend, our helper and our light in the darkness, for those are all major aspects of the relationship the Lord desires to have with us.
It’s like Bruh David says in Psalm 103, from which the scripture promise for today’s poem comes. ‘He declares; ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:1-5)
Oh my people, that is the good and great God that we serve, who always desires for us to the abundant life for which His Son, Jesus Christ, died for us to have. And by the way, that last verse is the Bible promise for today’s poem. And Isaiah also corroborates Bruh David’s sentiments, when he declares: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31) So, if we’re wise, we’d certainly camp beneath the Lord’s umbrella, so we can enjoy all the good things He has in store for us.
And we know how He just LOVES to comfort us in our troubles, meet us wherever we are, ‘thread our tears into a song,’ and take us home when we lose our way or are too prideful and get lost because we choose to go our own way. Listen to how Bruh Paul puts it to the Corinthians: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Yuh see mih people, our God is so caring and compassionate that He comforts us so that we can comfort others who need it! It’s like Isaiah says: ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:11) That shows God’s tender and protective LOVE! Now, no other supposed God does anything like that. Our God gives and comforts, while the other supposed gods only take, with little or no desire to give to their people, or comfort them in times of sorrow. That’s why Jehovah God is the greatest!
And Peter acknowledges that when he declares: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5)
Now which other supposed god gave up their only Son to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners eh? None, but the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That’s why He is the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD! The undisputed Creator, Controller and compassionate Ruler of this universe! The One who LOVES to say yes to those who seriously and sincerely worship Him in faith and truth. No wonder the wise flock to Him, so that He can spoil them and overwhelm them with unspeakable joy. (smile)
And that’s why we can declare our Tuesday Mantra with joy, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That then means we are duty bound to go out and share the amazing friendship and LOVE of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…there’s no better way to live…than under the easy and unburdened yoke of Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a stiffnecked people, a zeal for God, be renewed and revitalized, children of the Most High God Jehovah, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, christianity, come to know and love christ like we do, establish their own righteousness, faith, generous grace and mercy, god moves in mysterious ways, God's greatest creation, God's initiative in grace, God's omnipotent power, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God, hearken unto the word of the Lord, heat advisory, holy spirit, hurry, if God spares life, ignorant of God's righteousness, in god's eyes, in thy mouth and in thy heart, Israel mistook the purpose of the law, Israel's foolish rejection of Christ, Jesus Christ, lift our heads and hearts to heaven, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, man's humble obedience to God's grace, mercy, mistook the scope of the law, not according to knowledge, others can come to know and love Christ like we do, pinned their hopes on their own religious achievement, promises of rain, righteousness is universally available, righteousness only attainable by belief in Christ, salvation, say not in thine heart, seeking redemption in God's mercy, share His love with my neighbours, substituted works for faith, Thank You Lord, thanks to God's goodness and mercy, the awesome truth, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the law points to, the purpose of the law, the word is nigh thee, the word of faith, to all who respond to God's revelation of Himself, to every one that believes, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn from their rebellious ways, we can do anything within God's will, we praise and glorify your holy name, who shall ascend into heaven, who shall descend into the deep, wisdom, worry, your undying love
Romans 10:8. The word is nigh (near) thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith, which we preach;
And then it was Tuesday, with Monday being consigned to the confines of history. But unfortunately only the name has changed, for it’s still a very hot and humid summer’s day, with an ongoing heat advisory, although there are some vague promises of rain in the offing…but I wouldn’t count on that, because I’ve heard that story before. (smile) Anyway, however it turns out, let’s remember that we are children of the Most High God Jehovah, and can do anything we need to, within His will, and with His omnipotent power.
And all God’s children cried out in thanksgiving: ‘Thank You Lord for your undying LOVE, and generous grace and mercy, without which we would certainly be in an even bigger muddle than we currently are in! We praise and glorify Your Holy Name! Amen!’ And isn’t that the awesome truth! For without our hope, faith and trust in Almighty God, we’d be in really bad shape. But thanks to His goodness and mercy, we can lift up our heads and hearts, hands and eyes to heaven and be renewed and revitalized.
Now, I’m chuckling here, because our God is indeed a great God, and does move in mysterious ways, for a few minutes ago, I opened the Good Library in front of me, but never paid attention to where it opened. But just now I looked at it and saw it opened unto the epistle of Bruh Paul to the Romans, and right there was the stuff that we were just talking about. Bruh Paul, in writing to Israel about their foolish rejection of Christ, tells them:
‘Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record (witness) that they have a zeal of (for) God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth (writes about) the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.’ (Rom. 10:1-5)
And what does all of that mean? The scholars explain it thus: ‘Christ is the end of the law: Israel mistook the purpose of the law. The law pointed to the righteousness that is attainable only by belief in Christ. Israel also mistook the scope of the law. The righteousness to which it pointed was universally available to all who responded to God’s revelation of Himself through the law. But by Paul’s time many had substituted works for faith. Rather than seeking redemption in God’s mercy, they pinned their hopes on their own religious achievement.’
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, who shall descend into the deep (abyss)? (that is, to bring Christ up again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh (near) thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith, which we preach;’ (Rom. 10:5-8)
Now that certainly sounds like a mouthful, but as the scholars explain: ‘Paul skillfully weaves together quotations from Deuteronomy 9:4, and 30:10-14, which speak of God’s initiative in grace and man’s humble obedience to it. He then applies this truth to the gospel of Christ.’ And briefly, in the passage from Deuteronomy 9, Moses is castigating the people, letting them know that the Lord is not offering them the Promised Land because of their righteousness or uprightness of their heart, but because of the wickedness of the nations who then inhabited it. For Israel were a stiffnecked, or rebellious and stubborn people.
Meanwhile in Deuteronomy 30, Moses is telling Israel they can get away from their cursed life, if they turn from their rebellious ways and hearken unto the word of the Lord, and keep His commandments with all their hearts and souls. ‘For this commandment which I command thee this day, is not hidden from thee (is not too mysterious for thee), neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh (near) unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.’ (Deut. 30:11-14)
Ah friends, Bruh Paul had to know his scriptures to so skillfully weave those points from Moses into his own teaching. In other words, God’s commandments and Word is not far from us, that we have to depend on someone to get them for us. No! They have already been offered to us, and consequently are right with us; in our hearts, mouths, souls and bodies. Therefore it’s up to us to follow them. And I think we’ll stop there for today, because the Bit will get too long and heavy, if we continue with the rest of the stuff we want to talk about. So tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue talking about Bruh Paul’s take, on the word of faith.
Now, for those of us who are doing our best to live the way we ought to, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…we don’t deserve anything from God…but because of His great LOVE and compassion for us…His greatest creation…He generously offers us all that He is and has…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heartfelt expression of gratitude to God, a life of joy and peace, abolish the slave trade, Adam's sin brought death, Adam's transgression brought death to mankind, Amazing grace, as long as life endures, ascend up to heaven, been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, but now I'm found, by grace are you saved through faith, Caribana celebrations, celelbrate the Lord's day, christianity, created in christ Jesus unto good works, give God the praise, God ordained we should walk in, God who called me here below, God's free gift of grace, going to the Lord's house, grace alone brings salvation, grace my fears relieved, grace only comes to those who accept Christ, grace will lead me home, he will my shield and portion be, His word my hope secures, holy spirit, how precious did that grace appear, how sweet the sound, I have already come, I once was lost, in the sanctuaries of God, it is the gift of God, Jesus Christ, Jesus's sacrifice brings life, John Newton, lest any man should boast, LOVE, mercy, mortal life shall cease, no less days to sing god's praise, not of works, not of yourselves, one prayer away from Jesus' saving grace, one thing I know, possess within the veil, renewed confidence, salvation, salvation comes only through grace, sin causes all to die, slave trading, spiritual turmoil, spiritual up lifting, spiritually blind, spiritually refreshing Sunday, that saved a wretch like me, the awesome truth, the BIBLE, the dehumanizing slave trade, the earth shall soon dissolve like snow, the gift of grace, the hour I first believed, the Lord has promised good to me, the moral of the story, the sun forbear to shine, the transformative power of God's grace, the voices of prayer and worship, the work of Christ, then when we'd first begun, thoughts of Christ, through many dangers toils and snares, through the offence of one, tis grace hath brought me safe so far me, truth, twas grace that taught my heart to fear, until the end of time, was blind but now I see, we are his workmanship, when this flesh and heart shall fail, whereas i was blind now I see, will be forever mine, wisdom
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
So after a lazy-day Saturday, we come to a spiritually refreshing Sunday, where in the sanctuaries of God, the voices of prayer and worship ascend up to heaven and return with renewed confidence, faith and spiritual uplifting. And this long August weekend, with the Caribana celebrations on tap, is no different, although we might be doing a bit more celebrating than usual. (smile) But please, let’s not allow the secular celebrating to stop us from going to the Lord’s house and celebrate His day as we are accustomed to doing every Sunday.
And today’s song of worship is one of the most popular Christian hymns ever, aptly titled ‘Amazing Grace.’ And why do we say it’s aptly titled? Because, as this commentary tells us, it is not a song of theology, but its author, John Newton’s own heartfelt expression of gratitude to God, who helped him turn from his profane and wicked life of slave trading and eventually fight against the ills he once practiced.
The song was written around 1772, by which time Newton had become and English clergyman and a poet, and thus was able to describe the transformative power of God’s grace, especially in his own life, after a period of spiritual turmoil and self-searching during the years of his life at sea, and his involvement in the lucrative but very evil and dehumanizing slave trade. And it’s rather amazing to hear the story of Newton’s life and subsequent transformation.
Apparently he went to sea from a young age, around 11, and though raised as a Christian by his mother, he rejected all her teachings, and was supposedly even more profane and debauched and coarse than what’s normally expected of sailors. But as our Lord is won’t to do, one night while steering his battered ship, the Greyhound through a particularly bad storm, he considered his ruined life, and thoughts of Christ began to fill his confused mind.
Obviously he considered himself beyond hope and saving, but sometime later he found a copy of the New Testament, and as he read Luke 11:13, ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?’ Now that is a very powerful scripture, claiming that God will save anyone who asks for it. And that apparently began Newton’s turn from evil to godliness.
To make a long story short, he gave up his slave trading occupation, became a minister, and even helped William Wilberforce who led the fight to abolish slave trading in the British Empire with the passing of the British Slave Trade Act in 1807. So now that we know the story behind the song, let’s lift up our voices in sweet sacrificial praise, offering up a soulful, scintillating, heartfelt version of Amazing Grace, because it’s God’s amazing free gift of grace that has saved all of us unworthy sinners.
Singing: ‘Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see. ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home. The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures; He will my Shield and Portion be, As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease, I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But God, who called me here below, Will be forever mine. When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun…. Yes, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth friends? Singing God’s praises is what we’ll be doing until the end of time!
Now, the song is about grace and salvation. And there are a couple of scriptures that illustrate that God’s gift of grace is our saving grace. (smile) Listen to this first one as Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians: ‘For by grace are (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath ordained (prepared) that we should walk in.’ (Eph. 2:8-10)
And that’s the first thing we need to learn about grace; that’s it a gift of God, not of any works that we can do. We get saved by having faith in Christ and thus receiving God’s amazing grace. And that Grace alone, which brings salvation, means that God LOVES, forgives, and saves us not because of who we are or what we do, but because of the work of Christ. And that is further explained by Bruh Paul in his epistle to the Roman church when talking about Adam’s transgression causing death to all mankind.
He says: ‘But not as the offence, so also is the gift free (the free gift of salvation is not like the false step of Adam). For though the offence of one (Adam) many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many.’ (Rom. 5:15) In other words, Adam’s sin brought forth death, but Jesus’ sacrifice brings forth life. However, the important difference is that sin causes all to die, but grace only comes to those who accept Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Then there’s this interesting scripture from the gospel of John where Jesus healed a blind man on the Sabbath day by anointing his eyes with clay, then telling him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam, which he did, and received his sight. (John 9:1-7) But as always, fast neighbours intervened and wondered if it was the same man. Then the Pharisees ever looking for a way to get something negative on Jesus, got hold of the situation and begun badgering the man and his parents about who healed him and how.
‘Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.’ (John 9:24-25) What a wonderful answer my brethren! That’s what the grace of God will do for you, make you see, when you’re spiritually blind, like it did for John Newton and so many of us.
And the moral of the story is that no matter how far gone you are, you are only one step, one sincere prayer, one cry away from Jesus’ saving grace and arms! That’s His promise to us. And let’s hope that we are all wise enough to take hold of that marvellous opportunity today. Much LOVE!
…God’s LOVE for mankind is so obvious…that only if we’re blind…we wont see it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a level of peace, a man lay down his life for his friends, an honour to be so intimately known, April Fool's day, April showers, believers, believers in Christ, But God commendeth his love toward us, christianity, Christians, come to know and love him like we do, despite what and whom we are, duty bound, faith, fly out the window, following Satan and his evil practices, for His awesome goodness and mercy, God cannot deny Himself, God knows all my mistakes, God loves us, God sent not his son into the world, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, God so loved the world, greater love hath no man than this, grow through challenges, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, hellhole, hellhole we're digging for ourselves, holy spirit, hurry, if ye do what I command you, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in god's eyes, in god's world it's all about love, in Jesus name, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, Jesus' crucifixion, listened to my doubts and questions, LOVE, love is the guiding principle of god's kingdom, love rules the roost, makes you want to cringe and laugh at the same time, May flowers, mercy, my bone-deep longings, my heart harbours deceit, negative evils, Nicodemus, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, prayer rings so true, prayers have no timeline, radiant with good intentions, received my genuine praise, salvation, see the coming seasons in my life, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, should not perish, sincerity of heart, surpasses all the understanding of men, Thank the Lord, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the amazing foundation of Christ's gospel, the awesome truth, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the In touch Devotional, the weight of my regrets, this is my commandment, thrive in peace, through him the world might be saved, to condemn the world, to walk beside you in this life, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undeserving and disobedient, undying hope and faith, we don't deserve God's love, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, wisdom, worry, ye are my friends, ye love one another as I have loved you, you truly are love
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
And the month of April has opened bright and sunshiny, though a tad on the chilly side. And though the computer is forecasting some 6 cm of snow for tomorrow, we do hope that as the month rolls on, it will bring some warm April showers that will eventually translate into beautiful May flowers. Yes friends, that’s the amazing thing about believers in Christ Jesus; we always have undying hope and faith. Consequently, we also believe that all the craziness and ungodliness that’s happening in our world is only a figment of our imagination, an April Fool’s joke, and in due course our Lord and Saviour will fix it all, to the benefit of Himself and His followers.
And all God’s people said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Thank the Lord for His awesome goodness and mercy to us undeserving and disobedient but highly LOVED creation!’ And that’s the awesome truth my people! We don’t deserve God’s LOVE nor goodness, but nonetheless He pours them out on us, because that’s the kind of God He is, and He cannot deny His character. Oh, how I wish that our character was even half as good and strong, for what a wonderful world we’d then have.
Anyway, to help us improve our godly character, here’s this interesting prayer from the March issue of the In Touch Devotional. And though some of us protest to hearing March prayers in April, (smile) please know that prayers have no timeline nor special place, they can be said anywhere and at any time, all they need is sincerity of heart. So please pray with me.
‘God, You know about all my mistakes, even those I haven’t made yet. You’ve seen me grow through challenges and thrive in peace. You know my heart both harbours deceit and is radiant with good intentions. You know my bone-deep longings and the weight of my regrets. You’ve listened to my doubts and questions and received my genuine praise. You see the coming seasons in my life and You’re ready, even if I am not. It’s an honour to be so intimately known and to walk beside you in this life. You truly are LOVE, and I’m thankful. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my fellow believers, that’s one of those prayers that ring so true that it makes you want to both cringe and laugh at the same time! Obviously, our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Creator knows all about us, even before we do both the wrongs and good deeds. But He still LOVES us! And that’s the amazing foundation of Christ’s gospel; the good news that Almighty God, our Creator and Chastener LOVES us despite what and whom we are! And I don’t know why that’s so difficult for some of us to believe, since it’s so openly and obviously stated in His Word.
Listen to Jesus tell it like it is to Nicodemus, one of the Pharisee leaders, as he comes under cover of night to find out what is what. Jesus says, in no uncertain terms: ‘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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that through him the world might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now my brethren, it could not be stated any plainer than that! God LOVED His human creation so much that He sent His Son to save them from the hellhole that they were digging for themselves by following Satan and his evil practices. And that fact is seen and proven with even more force by Jesus’ crucifixion on our behalf! How then can we ever doubt God’s LOVE for us? Oh, we might not want to accept it, but there’s definitely no doubt that He LOVES us with a great and undying LOVE!
And that just brings to mind one of my favourite verses from the Bible, where Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now which other god has ever done anything like that eh? None! They all want you to turn from your ways toward them first. But Jehovah God is so sure and certain of Himself that He gave us a way out even when we did not deserve it.
And Jesus reiterated His and the Father’s LOVE for us, when He told the disciples: ‘This is my commandment, that ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do what I command you.’ (John 15:12-14)
Yes my fellow believers LOVE is the guiding principle of God’s kingdom, and that’s why the enemy is fighting so hard to keep us from LOVING God, ourselves and each other. For he knows that when LOVE rules the roost, all his negative evils will fly out the window, and he will be even further reduced than He is already by Christ’s victory on the cross and His amazing resurrection.
Bruh Paul also emphasizes the importance of Christ’s LOVE in his epistle to the Romans, when he writes: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ?’ (Rom. 8:35a) Then he goes on to make a long list of negative things. Then says: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8: 37-39)
And that’s what we need to believe friends, especially in these turbulent and chaotic times; that NOTHING whatsoever can, or will ever be able to separate us from the LOVE of God that resides in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And when we sincerely believe that, and do the things it calls for, then we will be able to face this crazy world with a level of peace and calm that passes all the understanding of men.
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh man!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That means, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in God’s world…it’s all about LOVE…that’s why He created us…and that’s why He’s also saved us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all for our benefit, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, be merciful unto me, be strong and righteous, choose to do right, cleanse thou me from secret faults, deliver me from the oppression of man, give Him some thanks and praise, help me to love your every wish, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, His Part - My Part, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I expect your help dear Lord, in Jesus lies all our hope, incline thine ear unto me, keep me as the apple of the eye, let not any iniquity have dominion over me, let the words of my mouth, live by His dictates, LOVE, make thy face to shine upon thy servant, O Lord my strength and redeemer, One Year Book of Bible promises, order (direct) my steps in thy word, refresh and revive me, regularly read His word, rewarding lifestyle, Ruth Harms Calkin, share His love with the world, so will I keep thy precepts, teach me thy statutes, that my footsteps slip not, the awesome truth, thou that savest by thy right hand, trust my friend Jesus, trust you so totally, Tuesday Mantra, unmoved by any circumstance, uphold my steps, what a loving God we serve, work in me that steadfast trust, worry, you've never broken any promise, your will to be my will
Psalm 119:133. Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
And so, we’ve come to Tuesday friends, what are we going to talk about today eh? I really don’t know nuh, except that it will contain stuff about Jesus and His awesome contributions to our lives and the amazing and oh so rewarding lifestyle laid out in His Word for His followers to live by. In other words, the ole fella doesn’t have anything to say, and that’s saying something. (smile)
But this happens from time to time, and when I cry out to the Lord for help, He ofttimes responds by giving me too much to write. So please give me a moment to consult with my Higher Power and see what He wants me to tell us today. (smile) Soon come…!
I’m back mih people, in a minute flat! Sometimes the Lord takes a while to show me something, but today He wasted no time at all in guiding me to this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘His Part – My Part, and it seems quite appropriate for us to contemplate at the beginning of this new year, one chocked full of so many problems that it needs us to be strong and righteous.
So please pray with me: ‘Lord You want me to trust You so totally That I am unmoved by any circumstance: Then work in me that steadfast trust. You want me to choose to do right: Then turn me from wanting any plan but Yours. You want me to revere and honour You: Then refresh and revive me. You want me to obey You uninterruptedly: Then make Your Word my guide. You want me to depend on you increasingly: Then reassure me that Your promises are mine. You want Your will to be my will: Then help me to LOVE Your every wish. – I expect Your help dear Lord For You’ve never broken a single promise And You’re not going to start with me.’
And isn’t that awesome truth my brethren! The Lord’s NEVER broken a promise, and He’s not going to begin with any of us, or anyone who sincerely comes to Him for help! What an awesome, amazing, merciful, gracious, wonderful and LOVING God we serve my people! Give Him some thanks and praise for His wondrous ways to us, although we don’t deserve them!
And the words, the Bible Promise for that poem come from that magnificent call to God, Psalm 119. They say: ‘Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those (as thy custom is toward those) that LOVE thy name. Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver (redeem) me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they (men) keep not thy law.’ (Ps. 119:132-136)
Yes friends, all of that is our heartfelt desire, but however we look at it, in any relationship, all parties have a part to play if they expect the relationship to grow and prosper. And so, we have our part to play, and God has His. The problem is that ofttimes we are not willing to play our part despite the Lord playing His. He gives us all we desire if we are faithful to Him; meaning, if we regularly read His Word, talk to Him, and live by His dictates. The long and short of the story is that we cannot get what we desire until we do the things He says.
And remember, it’s not the Lord in need or want nuh, but us, and all He does, be it difficult or easy, is all for our benefit, not for His. And I believe that’s something we ought to keep uppermost in our hearts and minds this new year of 2022, because, too often we behave as though we are doing God a favour by following His commandments when that’s certainly not true. We, desperately need His awesome mercy and grace friends, otherwise we will end up holding the dirty end of the stick when it really matters.
So please, let’s stop being foolish, let’s stop playing God and be who we really are nuh; created beings, ever dependent on the goodwill and grace of our Creator, the Lord God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and all therein! And if we desire not to be eternally separated from God, then we need to live a life that’s worthy of Him, being grateful and LOVING and obedient to His dictates, crying out to Him for help in ALL circumstances, be they big or small, without shame or fear, for if we heed and believe His word, then we know that He will help us if we cry out to Him sincerely!
Like Bruh David declares in Psalm 17 – A prayer for protection against oppressors. ‘Hold up my goings in thy paths (uphold my steps), that my footsteps slip not. I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Show thy marvellous LOVING-kindness, O thou that savest (delivers) by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. Keep me as the apple (pupil) of the eye: hide me under the shadow of thy wings.’ (Ps. 17:5-8)
Oh my brethren, that’s the kind of cry we can offer up to the great God of our forefathers when we consistently try to keep His word and do His will. And this last scripture, again from Bruh David, this time from Psalm 19 – The creation and covenants of God, also helps us to come to God, and to stay with God, because He is the ONLY One that has ALL the answers.
As Bruh David says: ‘Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins, let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great (much) transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (my rock), and my redeemer.’ (Ps. 19:12-14)
And that’s all I have to say for today! (smile) But yuh see how the Lord can lead and guide us, if we put our sincere trust in Him? Now, for those of us who are doing just that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know whose we are, to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong voice! ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Now let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and awesome friendship of Jesus with others, just as generously as He shares it with us, so that they too can come to LOVE and trust Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Oh, isn’t it wonderful…that in Jesus…lies all our hope…for today, tomorrow and forever more…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
