the bishop of your souls

The Overwhelming Importance of Recognizing and Accepting Jesus as Our Good Shepherd!

17 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, as sheep going astray, bare our sins in his own body, be responsible, being dead to sins, bring us back to his fold, by the example we faithful believers set, by whose stripes ye were healed, carry them in his bosom, cast into hell fire, discontent, dissatisfaction, distorted concept, divine aid, even my servant David, faith, feed his flock like a shepherd, find pasture, for His name's sake, Friday chant, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, go in and out, God is good all the time, God's loving kindness, have it more abundantly, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul, his arm shall rule for him, his reward is with him, his work before him, holy spirit, how foolish it is, I am come that they might have life, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, I the Lord will be their God, I will fear no evil, I would not be searching for you, if any man enter in he shall be saved, if you were not first wanting me, improved Christian witness, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, Jesus walked his talk, keep us safe from harm, leadeth me beside the still waters, leads me in the paths of righteousness, let me remember always, live unto righteousness, lost sheep, Lost Shepherd, lost souls, LOVE, major deterrent, marvellous reassurance, mercy, my servant David a prince among them, now returned unto the shepherd, on the late bus, One Year Book of Bible promises, our sinful world can wake up, problems escalating, prone to forget, rebellion against God, rebellious and disobedient sheep, return backsliders to your fold, reversed the parable of the Shepherd and the sheep, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, searching for you, set up one shepherd over them, show them the error of their ways, smell the coffee, stay safe, surrender to your search for me, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the bishop of your souls, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the Lord God will come with strong hand, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the shepherd has been lost, the thief cometh not but to steal, the weekend, these ungodly times, thieves and robbers, thou art with me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to stumble through darkness, trudged down dangerous mountain cliffs, truth, unexpected storms, who his own self, wisdom, wise guidance

John 10::11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Oh my people, it’s Friday, a damp and cloudy one, with showers promised for the weekend. But I know that we’ve all offered up our ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ jubilation, because the weekend is here. And unfortunately, today we’re on the late, late bus because I had to go out early this morning and do some stuff, and by the time I returned, a li’l rest was needed, but unfortunately that li’l rest turned into a much longer one than expected. (smile) And thus we’ll get right into it, with an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Most likely I’ve shared it before, but in these lost and scary times, it’s certainly worth sharing again.

The title is simply ‘Lost Shepherd.’ Please read with me. ‘Sometimes, Lord In my groping effort to find You I have reversed the parable Of the Shepherd and the sheep. In my distorted concept The Shepherd has been lost And the sheep have trudged down Dangerous mountain cliffs to find him. How sadly prone I am to forget That I would not be searching for You If You were not first wanting me. Let me remember always, Lord How foolish it is To stumble through darkness Searching for You When I need only to surrender To Your search for me.’

And all God’s children said a loud and grateful shout of ‘Amen! God is good all of the time!’ And that He is my fellow believers! There’s absolutely no doubt about it, otherwise we would have all been cast in to hell fire long ago for our disobedience and proud, arrogant rebellion against His Sovereign Majesty! But in His awesome LOVING-KINDNESS, He set out to find us, like lost sheep, so that He could bring us back to his fold and keep us safe from harm. Now the Bible tells us that we should seek Him with all that we have, but it’s also worthy to note, as our poem above says, we would not be seeking Him, unless He was first wanting us.

And isn’t it so good, so encouraging and reassuring that our Creator LOVES us so much that He would send out someone special to look for us and bring us back home. It’s like Isaiah said so long ago: ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. 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. 40:10-11)

Yes friends, that’s the picture of a God that’s been painted throughout the Bible; that of a Good Shepherd. Ezekiel also said it of the Lord. ‘And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.’ (Ezek. 34:23-24)

Therefore, it’s no surprise that Bruh David could write in that most popular Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters, he restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:1-4) Oh yes my brethren! For that’s what a good shepherd does; provides food, safety, warmth and comfort for his sheep!

And no one has done that more for us lost souls than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He said it Himself, then went and proved it on the cross of Calvary. Listen to this last part of his discourse on the sheep and shepherd. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:7-11)

Wow! What marvellous reassurance! And that last verse is the Bible Promise for our poem today. And as we said earlier, Jesus did walk His talk; He went out and died for us lost, unworthy, sinful, disobedient sheep! He certainly did all he could to salvage the situation for us. Now the onus lies in our hands, on our shoulders. There’s no Lost Shepherd, but plenty lost sheep! And hopefully, we can end up as Peter says: ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but now are returned unto the Shepherd and the Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2:24-25)

Yes my people, that’s where we belong, and hopefully that’s where we’re all headed, but it’s not an easy row to hoe, therefore, we need to go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to get divine help. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.

We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’

And having said all of that my fellow believers, we need to follow it up with improved Christian witness, for it’s the major deterrent to us not receiving more divine aid! Much LOVE!

…Jesus first came looking for us…we now need to go looking for Him…and if we are sincere…He isn’t hard to find…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Great, Unrepayable Debt We Owe to Jesus Christ and God the Father!

07 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a sound bite, all our gratitude, amazing pity, At the cross, bare our sins in his own body, bathed in its own blood, become extinct, by whose stripes ye were healed, Christ suffered for us, Christ the mighty maker died, Christians, committed himself, devote that sacred head, did my Saviour bleed, did my sovereign die, dissolve my heart in thankfulness, drops of grief can ne'er repay, eternal life, faith, faithful obedience of Christ, for crimes that i had done, for man the creature's sin, for sinners such as I, gave himself a ransom for all, God so loved the world, grace unknown, grateful to the Father, happy all the day, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he groaned upon the tree, he threatened not, hellfire and damnation, hereunto were ye called, hide my blushing face, his soul in anguish stood, holy spirit, horrendous sacrifice, I give myself away, I received my sight, if ye love me keep my commandments, improve our witness for Christ, in the sight of God and our Saviour, invading their private spaces, isaac watts, it was there by faith, Jesus Christ, Jesus work on the cross, leaving us an example, like a dodo bird, live unto righteousness, LOVE, love beyond degree, melt my eyes to tears, mercy, neither was guile found in his mouth, now I'm happy all the day, now returned unto the shepherd, on the tree, one mediator between God and men, praise and worship, put our hearts, reviled not again, salvation, selfless sacrifice, shut his glories in, sweet jesus, sweet sacrifices of praise, that magnificent avenue for sinners, that we being dead to sins, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the bishop of your souls, the burden of my heart rolled away, the debt of love I owe, the everlasting option of salvation, the firm mark of wrath divine, the great love of God, the happiest people on the planet, the help of the Holy Spirit, the horrendous brutality of the cross, the last bell is ringing, the miserable lives of believers, the sin defeating power of the cross, the sun in darkness hide, there is one God, this is good and acceptable, thy body slain, tis all that I can do, to be testified in due time, to come unto the knowledge of the truth, to follow his steps, to him that judges righteously, too much noise, truth, unchristian-like attitudes, when he suffered, when he was reviled, where I first saw the light, who did no sin, who his own self, who will have all men to be saved, wisdom, worship Christ faithfully, you were as sheep going astray

1 Peter 2:24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed.

Oh friends, Sunday has opened somewhat chilly and cloudy, but listen well, the last bell is ringing from church! That means if it stops and we’re not there, we’re late. And we don’t want to miss even one minute of praise and worship to our great God, so please, let’s get a move on!

Ah, those were the days when the bells would toll, inviting believers to come to the Lord’s sanctuary for spiritual renewal. But like many, old, but oh so good things, the ringing of church bells has become extinct like the dodo bird. People today would complain of too much noise, of invading their private spaces, but there’s more noise in the world today than there’s ever been, and a few church bells on a Sunday morning would not only remind us that it’s time for church, but would also add a good sound bite to the early morning air. (smile)

And on this first Sunday in September, we will open our service with a most wonderful and appropriate hymn, aptly titled ‘At the Cross.’ This is one of the many hymns written by Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748) and was published in the year 1707. It is an extremely popular hymn, even being used by many evangelists during their crusades. And it basically tells us about the horrendous sacrifice Jesus bore so that we could have the everlasting option of salvation.

But enough talk, let’s get to offering up sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, scintillating, mid-tempo version of the song. And as we sing, let’s remember that it was the only the great LOVE of God and the faithful, unswerving obedience of Christ that wrought that magnificent avenue for sinners, called salvation. A debt we can never repay, so let’s put our hearts and all the gratitude we have into it. And we’ll begin with the rocking refrain. (smile)

Singing: (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? (Refrain) Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. (Refrain)

Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And LOVE beyond degree! (Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. (Refrain)

But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do. (Refrain) At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! Now I am happy all the day…happy all the day…happy all the day…’

Now that was a truly heartfelt version, and so sincere, that it even had heaven singing along with us. (smile) And yuh know what friends, with all the selfless sacrifice that the Father and Jesus offered for us to achieve salvation and eternal life, we ought to be happy every single day! Yes, ALL believers ought to be happy that they’re no longer headed straight for hell fire and damnation because of Jesus’ work on the cross.

But one would never believe that we’re on our way to heaven, or wherever Jesus and the Father are, to spend eternity with them, judging by the sour, miserable and fearful lives so many of us supposed believers are living! Christians are supposed to be the happiest people on the planet. However, a stranger visiting planet earth would never believe that by the unhappy, unchristian-like attitudes we display.

And the first thing we need to remember about the cross and its sin defeating power is that it all stemmed from the Father’s great LOVE for His sinful, disobedient creation. As Jesus proclaimed to Nicodemus: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)

That’s why we should always be so grateful to the Father, and worship Christ so faithfully and steadfastly, because He was the one who bore the horrendous brutality of dying on the cross, being buried, then being resurrected so that our abominable sins could be paid for.

And this scripture that Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy concerning prayers for all men, throws some light on our subject. He says: ‘For this (praying for all in authority) is good and acceptable in the sight of God and our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’ (1 Tim. 2:3-6)

Yes friends, Jesus gave His life for us. There’s no doubt about that, and it’s a debt we can never repay, but neither Him nor the Father expect repayment, all they are looking for is to LOVE them and keep their commandments. As Jesus said: ‘If ye LOVE me, my commandments.’ (John 14:15) It’s as simple as that!

Then there’s the scripture, where Peter, in talking about submission to rulers and bearing our tribulations patiently, writes: ‘For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again (in return); when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2:21-25)

And all of God’s children gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Lord! Thank You for Jesus and Your Unconditional LOVE for us poor ungrateful sinners! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’

Now my fellow believers, having seen all that Christ has selflessly done on our behalf, lets’ go out and improve our witness for Him nuh, it’s not too much to ask, especially since we all have improvements we can make! Much LOVE!

…in this evil world…it’s not easy to live righteously…but the help of the Holy Spirit makes it possible…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Overwhelming Importance of Having a Personal Relationship with Jesus!

12 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a personal intimate relationship with Christ, a positive attitude, according to thy word, all thy commandments are righteousness, at the height of our civilization, bare our sins in his own body, bear our sins, being dead to sins, by whose stripes ye were healed, come to save that which was lost, deceit, deepen my breath, deliver me according to thy word, every lost sheep is important, follow in his steps, forgotten their resting place, give me understanding, gone astray, gospel truth, he threatened not, heartfelt sincerity, holy spirit, I do not forget thy commandments, I have chosen thy precepts, I have longed for thy salvation, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, leave the ninety and nine, leaving us an example, let my cry come near before thee O Lord, let my soul live, let my supplication come before thee, let thine hand help me, let thy judgements help me, like a lost sheep, like chickens with our heads cut off, live unto righteousness, LOVE, mercy, mind boggling, my lips shall utter praise, my tongue shall speak of thy word, neither was guile found in his mouth, now returned unto the shepherd, quiet my soul, quieting our anxieties and fears, relax my muscles, reviled not again, rushing around, salvation, seek that which was gone astray, seek thy servant, slow my thoughts, spending time with god, spiritual suicide, taught me thy statutes, thank you for this tenderness, the bishop of your souls, the evil and ungodliness in our world, the One True God Jehovah, the parable of the lost sheep, the sinless Lamb of God, the Son of man, the soothing peace of God, their shepherds have caused them to go astray, thy law is my delight, to him that judgeth righteously, truth, ungodly leaders, who did no sin, who his own self, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present

Psalm 119:176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

And it’s another lazy-day Saturday, one that’s dry, with a mixture of cloud and sun. But once we don’t have to go out, the weather’s not important, we can just sit around and do nothing, take a break from the running around that we do during the work week, or take our time and do a few chores that we think need doing. The important thing here is that we don’t need to rush around like chickens with our heads cut off.

I would also suggest spending some time with the Lord, since there’s no hurry to get out and go to work. (smile) And there’s no better time to turn to our wonderful heavenly Father than right now! So let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with heartfelt sincerity and truth.

As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’

And, as always, if our prayer was sincere, we will soon feel the calming, soothing peace of our God flowing through us, quieting our anxieties and fears, so that we can handle whatever is coming against us with a positive attitude. And I believe that the last section of Psalm 119 is a fitting continuation to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.

So please pray with me: ‘Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word. Let my (prayer of) supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.. My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes. My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness. let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts. I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgements help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.’ (Ps. 119:169-176)

And do we ever need God’s powerful help in these ungodly and evil times, for as the psalmist so rightly declares, we have gone astray like lost sheep. And if you take a moment to ponder the existing situation in our world, you’d see that’s’ the gospel truth! It’s mind boggling the evil and ungodliness that’s happening in our world today, especially when we’re at the height of our civilization! We definitely need the Lord to fervently seek us and bring us to His fold, for it doesn’t seem as if we’re going to do it on our own.

And the prophet Isaiah said it long ago of his people Israel: ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:6) Yes friends, that’s why it was ever so necessary for Jesus to come to earth and die for our sins. Too many of us had strayed so far and become so rebellious, just like we are right now, that it wasn’t possible to save us one by one, (smile) we needed a complete covering for our multitude of sins, and Jesus; the sinless Lamb of God, was the only answer to our desperate situation.

The prophet Jeremiah also had the same message for the children of Israel who were in captivity in Babylon. He said: ‘My people hath been like lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray (led them astray), they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.’ (Jer. 50:6) Now that’s no different to us today. Our leaders have led us astray from our resting place, the One True God, Jehovah!

Our leaders have become so evil and ungodly that more people are turning away from God than are coming to Him, which doesn’t hold out a good hope for our faith. That’s why it’s ever so necessary for us to return to the Lord as individuals, to have a personal, intimate relationship with Him, because every lost sheep is important. Remember what Jesus said: ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt. 18:11)

Then He emphasized it with the parable of the lost sheep. ‘How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which was gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth much more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones shall perish.’ (Matt. 18:12-14)

Yes friends, the Lord doesn’t want any of His creation, especially the new believers going astray because of poor leadership. And Peter wraps it up so beautifully in His first epistle, when he writes: ‘For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in his mouth:

Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again (in return); when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2:21-25)

It could not be said any better than that my fellow saints. For we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s standard, (Rom. 3:23) but now we have the opportunity to renew our relationship with Almighty God, through Jesus Christ our Shepherd and Caretaker of our souls. Please, I implore us to not let this opportunity pass us by, for it will be to our detriment in the long run! Much LOVE!

…passing up the opportunity to have a personal relationship with Jesus…is nothing less than committing spiritual suicide…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

SCRIP-BITS

The Overwhelming Importance of Recognizing and Accepting Jesus as Our Good Shepherd!

The Great, Unrepayable Debt We Owe to Jesus Christ and God the Father!

The Overwhelming Importance of Having a Personal Relationship with Jesus!

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