29 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate prayer, a rich reward, a shared commitment to christ, against them that do evil, all in the name of Jesus, as more important than oneself, as my brothers and sisters, be a companion, be concerned for the needs of others, be like minded, be moved with compassion, be of the same mind, be united in spirit, became obedient unto death, being found in fashion as a man, being in the form of God, but every man also on the interests of others, catch our second wind, Christians ill treating each other, conceit, courteous, disunity, divide and conquer, do good, emptied himself of his privileges, endure to the end, even the death of the cross, faith, following the wide and winding road, for selfish purposes, forego the need for words, from their perspectives, fulfil ye my joy, grant me humility, grounded in humility, halfway home, hands on the plough, harmony, have the same values and goals, having the same love, he that will love life and see good days, help me kneel beside them, his ears are open unto their prayers, his lips speak no guile, holy spirit, humbled himself, in an excellent manner, in hard places, in Jesus' name, in lowliness of mind, In Touch Devotional, infighting in the church, inherit a blessing, Jesus Christ, lack of harmony, leads to destruction, let each esteem the other better than themselves, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, like you, living in harmony, look not every man on his own things, LOVE, love as brethren, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not rendering evil for evil, not turning back, of one accord, of one mind, on their journey, our own compassionate efforts, refrain his tongue from evil, regard fellow Christians, reviling for reviling, salvation, seek peace and pursue it, selfish ambition, tenderhearted, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the devil is ruling the roost, the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, the face of the Lord, the form of a servant, the good days and the bad, the perseverance of the Holy Spirit, thought it not robbery, through my neighbour's eyes, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be equal with God, to bubble over with delight, to experience life, to see the world, truth, turn away from evil, ungodly times, unity in purpose, Wednesday Wail, when they rejoice, wisdom, with a good attitude, without partiality
Ephesians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus:
It’s a sunny Wednesday friends, time to catch our second wind and get going again, all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Remember what we said yesterday? That be we slaves or free, we ought to do all that we do, as though we’re doing it for Jesus, that means in an excellent manner and with a good attitude. And not because there’s a rich reward from Christ, but because we simply LOVE Him and want to do all that He desires.
And today, we’re going to check out the Let Us Pray Section in this month’s In Touch Devotional. So please pray with me: ‘Lord, grant me humility – to see the world through my neighbour’s eyes, to experience life from their perspectives, both the good days and the bad. Help me kneel beside them in hard places, to bubble over with delight when they rejoice, to forego the need for words when theirs fail, to be a companion on their journey. Let me be of the same mind as my brothers and sisters, and – like You – be moved by compassion. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Now that’s what you’d call a concerned, caring and compassionate prayer! It’s all about others, not about us, except in the sense that we think about others as much as we do ourselves. And there’s a lot of scripture that commands us to do just that. As one commentary says; ‘passages that emphasize unity in purpose, LOVE, and harmony, grounded in humility and a shared commitment to Christ.’ So let’s check out a few of them nuh, starting with this one from Bruh Paul’s missive to the Philippians, where he writes.
‘Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same LOVE, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things (interests) of others. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus:
Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:2-8)
Yes my brethren, that’s the kind of example we need to follow! Jesus gave up all His godly privileges so that He could come to earth and become one of us. He humbled himself and was obedient to the Father’s directives, even to death on the cross. That says a whole lot about His obedience, something that far too many of us lack in these turbulent and ungodly times. But let’s get to some important explanations from the scholars, as they tell us that Bruh Paul rejoiced over the Philippians, but there was some disunity and lack of harmony among them. Thus he wants them to fulfil his joy, or make it complete by being likeminded, or living in harmony with each other.
And that means: (1) having the same LOVE toward one believer as shown toward another, without partiality; (2) being of one accord; that is to be united in spirit; (3) of one mind; that is, the whole church is to have the same values, and goals; (4) let nothing be done trough strife or vainglory, for selfish ambition or conceit; (5) let each esteem the other better than themselves; that is, each is to regard his fellow Christian as more important than himself; and (6) look…every man also on the things of others; that is, each is to be just as concerned for the needs and problems of his brother as he is for his own affairs.’
Wow! What a wonderful world we would live in if only a half of the supposed believers lived like that! But unfortunately that’s not happening, for today there’s more infighting and backbiting within the church than within the devil’s legions. Too many supposed believers are following the wide and winding road that leads to destruction. That’s why the devil is ruling the roost. And he doesn’t even have to try hard to divide and conquer us, because we are doing the dividing ourselves. Oh my people, it’s so heartrending when you see fellow Christians illtreating each other for selfish purposes.
And Peter also admonishes us on the subject, with these poignant and powerful words. ‘Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, LOVE as brethren, be pitiful (tenderhearted), be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing (reviling for reviling): but contrariwise (instead) blessing; knowing that ye should inherit a blessing.
For he that will LOVE life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile (deceit): Let him eschew (turn away from) evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue (pursue) it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.’ (1 Pet. 3:8-12)
Ah mih bredrin, when will our Christian community ever get to be like that eh? Do we have to wait until Jesus returns? Now that would indeed be a sad commentary on our faith. But who knows? All we can do as individuals is to try to live the way we’re supposed to, and hope and pray that more of us will fall into line through the perseverance of the Holy Spirit and our own compassionate efforts. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail. Tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that talk about unity.
So, 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 if you didn’t know it, there’s a promise that says all those who endure with Jesus right to the very end, will enjoy a future so glorious we won’t comprehend it. So please, let’s do our best to endure to the very end with Jesus nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the basics of the Christian church are…humility, compassion, obedience and unity…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive and kicking, became obedient unto death, being found in fashion as a man, being in the form of God, Bible, christianity, diligent servants, don't do the right things, duty bound, even the death of the cross, faith, god, he humbled himself, holy spirit, hurry, hypocrites, if there be any wicked way in me, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, know my anxious thoughts, know my heart, lead me in the way everlasting, LOVE, masquerading as Christians, meditate on the Word, mercy, new mercies and compassions, permeating the land, salvation, search me O God, share His love with my neighbours, sinfulness, the beloved of God, the breath of life, the dustbin of history, the form of a servant, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, to be qual with God, too comfortable, too fearful, too lazy, trust my friend Jesus, truth, try me, Tuesday Mantra, ungodliness, walking our talk, wisdom, without complaining, worry
Philippians 2:8. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Tuesday, Oh Tuesday! How we LOVE thee! For thou hast pushed that ugly, ole, disruptive, overbearing Monday out of our way! And for that, we give thee much thanks, Oh Tuesday! Yes friends, many of us are happy to see Monday flushed into the dustbin of history, because it brings out too many negative things in us. But that’s just because we don’t do the right things in the first place.
But nonetheless, we’re alive and kicking this Tuesday morning, so let’s give our wonderful God some thanks and praise for that, as well as for all of His new mercies and compassions that He’s poured out on us on this brand-new day, that’s sunny, but a tad cool in my neighbourhood.
Please pray with me: ‘Oh heavenly Father, we thank You for the breath of life to see this new day, and ask that You let Your Holy Spirit lead and guide us in the way You desire us to go, so that we can be good and diligent servants as we engage in our daily walk. Please help us to be the salt of the earth and light of the world that You desire us to be. We pray it all in the holy name of Jesus! Amen.’
Now, that means listening to whatever the Holy Spirit has to say to each of us, then getting up and doing His bidding. And there’s oodles of work to be done, if we ever hope to make something godly and righteous of this sinful world. The point being, that we can only make any worthwhile changes with the help of Jesus and His Holy Spirit.
But there’s so much work to be done, that we cannot only touch the surface with Jesus, but we have to dig deep down in and with Him; study and meditate on the Word like there was no tomorrow, then right away put it into practice. For who knows if there will be any tomorrow? Our biggest problem, I believe, is not so much knowing the word, but putting it into practice, which ofttimes takes more than what many of us are willing to give.
Many of us know the word well enough to make some beneficial changes in our world, but the problem is getting us to make the effort, to put out the energy needed to make the sacrifices required to put those changes into effect. It’s all a matter of us being too lazy, too comfortable or too fearful. Remember, Jesus didn’t have to undergo the sufferation He underwent, but because of the Father’s great LOVE for his sinful creation, that’s us, and Jesus LOVE for the Father, He did it, without complaining too.
As the Bible tells us: ‘(Jesus) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of all his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:6-8)
Yes my brethren, that’s what Christ did for us, so why can’t we become a li’l uncomfortable and do His work eh? Because we’re just a bunch of talkative, no good, lazy, compromising, comfortable and fearful hypocrites, masquerading as Christians! Yuh think, with the number of supposed believers in the world, if each one of us would get out into the world and act like we should, not join or compromise with the world, that the sinfulness and ungodliness that’s currently permeating the land would be as bad?
No way! But it’s just that we supposed believers are not prepared to stand up and sincerely fight for what we claim to believe in. And the longer we wait to pull up the reins on the soaring ungodliness, the worst it will become, until we won’t ever have a chance of stopping it. Oh my people, do we really want to see our grandchildren and their children living in a world that’s worse than this one?
Of course not! But to make that happen, we have to stand up strong and fight the enemy RIGHT NOW! It’s high time to stop all the talking, which we’re so good at, like the hypocrite Pharisees of Jesus’ day, and begin walking that talk. That’s the only way we will ever make any serious changes in our current sinful and ungodly world. And what a wonderful world we can bring about if we would just walk our talk a bit more than we’re currently doing.
But it actively requires Christ’s church, that’s His people, not the buildings, to get together and stop fighting against each other, to drop the animosity and petty differences that keep us apart. Christ is depending on us to do His work, and we cannot do it if we’re as divided and uncompromising as we are.
Oh my fellow saints, we desperately need to search our hearts and see what’s there and how we can make the necessary changes. It’s like Bruh David says in that great Psalm 139: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139:23-24)
Yes my fellow saints, that’s what we all need to do TODAY, so that we can be on our way to becoming the true salt of the earth and light of the world as Jesus desires. End of Sermon! (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (oh heifer dust!!!) yes, my exclamation was much stronger today. (smile) Let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) 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 all of that, we are 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!
…what’s it going to take… for Christians…to get up and truly act like Christians eh…another world war…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to his riches in glory, all the tools, all these things shall be added unto you, became obedient unto death, Bible, chaos, children of God, christianity, climate change, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, even the death of the cross, faith, favour, good health, handle whatever comes against us, have good success, human reasoning, humbled himself, in the form of God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, know who we are in Christ, let this mind be in you, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein day and night, meditation on the word of God, my God shall supply all your needs, negative word, no need to boast, obeying God's word, observe to do all that's written therein, one truth fron the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man, Praise the Lord, refuse to go to God, satanic reasoning of men, seek ye first the kingdom of God, shall not depart out of thy mouth, spiritual things are wiser than carnal ones, tempestuous world, the essence to success, the form of a servant, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, the spiritual reasoning of God, this book of the law, true believers in Christ, truth, where the true answer lies, wisdom
Joshua 1:8a. This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,
Where has all the hot weather gone, in this August month eh? You’d think it was September! Yes friends, this past week has been sunny but rather chilly in my neck of the woods, no use whatsoever for the A/C. It’s tough to even get the daytime temperature in to the early twenties, much less the thirty we expect in mid August. The windows are also closed at night, for fear of freezing. (smile) The scenario is not helped either by the ever constant, vibrant, cool wind that accompanies it. I guess this is one of the effects of climate change. Let’s hope then that in September and October, we’ll have the hot weather that we’re missing right now. (smile)
But thankfully, as true believers in Christ Jesus, we have all the tools to handle whatever comes against us. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord!’ And yes, He does deserve much thanks and praise for all that He’s done, is doing and has promised to do on our behalf! He’s provided us with EVERYTHING we need to make a good go of it in this crazy and tempestuous world.
And the first and most important thing, is as the Lord told Joshua in no uncertain terms when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (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 thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
Oh my people, right there is the very essence to success! Meditation on the word of God, then putting what it says into practice! Not all the nonsense that the world writes about success. None of those books on so-called success and prosperity can even come close to what one can gain by reading, studying, and putting the Lord’s word into practice!
But we blatantly refuse to accept what the Creator of the world and the One who allows us to get wealth says, in foolish favour of what sinful and ignorant man writes! Please remember that ONE truth from God’s word is worth more than ALL the wisdom of man. As Bruh Paul puts it to the church at Corinth: ‘Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.’ (1 Cor, 1:25)
And what does that mean? Listen to this commentary. ‘When Paul speaks of the “foolishness of God,” he is not implying that God is foolish. Rather he is saying that since God’s way of reasoning is in accord with things of the spirit, it confounds the reasoning of this world. It is wiser than human reasoning, because spiritual things are wiser than carnal ones.’ And that’s exactly why our world is in such a disastrous and chaotic state! We have not been listening to the spiritual reasoning of God, but to the carnal, Satanic reasoning of men! And what else can you expect from a satanic soul eh, but total chaos and strife, because that’s the very nature of Satan!
Remember too that Jesus backed up that scripture in Joshua, when he told His listeners: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That’s God’s indisputable and faithful promise! If you seek the things of His kingdom, then all that you need will be given to you. And God has no need to lie, because with His omnipotence, He can do exactly what He says! And Bruh Paul also promised in his epistle to the Philippians, that our needs will be met when we sincerely seek the Lord and serve Him. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
What more do we want or expect eh my brethren? And it’s not like there aren’t oodles of believers who are living comfortably while obeying God’s word, but most of them don’t have to bray or boast about their possessions, because that’s not the attitude of true believers. We ought to go about our business without too much fuss, working for the Lord, being the salt of the earth and light of the world, enjoying whatever He blesses us with, and sharing it with others who are less blessed.
Jesus was the Son of God, could do miracles and anything else He so desired, but He didn’t go around boasting about it. In fact He took the opposite attitude, that of a servant, gave up all his privileges. As Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8)
Yes my fellow believers, Jesus was the greatest, but He never boasted about it, because He was sure of Himself. He knew who He was, and let it show in His works, rather than in His boasts. It ought to be the same way with us: when we know who we are in Christ, are sure that we’re the children of God, then we don’t need to boast about it, but just show it in how we live our daily lives. And we can never be sure that we’re children of God until and unless we read, meditate and put God’s Word into practice in our daily lives. It’s as simple as that my people!
And what amazes me about mankind in these turbulent times, is that we’re trying everything we know in man’s lexicon to make things better without any success, but for whatever reason, we simply refuse to go to God, where the answer truly lies. Sadly, such is the hold that Satan has on us. But for those of us who are trying to live right, lets’ go home declaring (chuh!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, generously bestowed by the Lord to do His earthly work.
As one strong 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 (steups!!!) it now behooves us to go out and share the benefits of those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…Success 101…read, meditate and put into practice…God’s Word…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: actions speak louder than words, All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name, at the name of Jesus, baptizing them, Bible, christianity, crown him Lord of all, display brotherly love, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, faith, go ye therefore and teach all nations, god, hymns, I am with you always, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus is Christ the Lord., join the everlasting song, King of Kings, let every kindred every tribe, lift our voices, Lord of Lords, LOVE, on this terrestial ball, shrp-tongued, the form of a servant, the Great Commission, wisdom, yonder sacred throng
Philippians 2:10a & 11a. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow … And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…
So it’s another Sunday in the life…the one after the biggest in our faith – Easter Sunday! And we’re still celebrating Christ’s triumphant resurrection though not as intently as last week. The tempo has quietened somewhat, but the awesome memories of that marvellous day still remain burned in our memories forever and tickle us to death (smile) when we remember what it meant – our own resurrection and eternal life in the company of our awesome Triune God! Nothing could be sweeter than that my fellow believers!
And today in the Lord’s sanctuary, we’re going to give Him some thanks and praise for all that He’s done for us, through this glorious hymn “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” It is one of the most popular Christian hymns, and is often referred to as the ‘National Anthem of Christendom.’ The lyrics were written by Edward Perronet (1721-1792) a prominent British Pastor at one time affiliated with the Wesley’s of the Methodist persuasion, but afterwards became a pastor of a dissenting congregation.
And there’s this fascinating commentary re Mr. Perronet and His unusual predisposition. ‘It is interesting that those who express the most eloquent praise are often the people we would deem the least likely to have the ability. Yet David, the adulterating, murdering, lying king of Israel wrote a good deal of the Psalms, which we still use today as our guide for worship. In the same way, all accounts show Rev. Edward Perronet to be a sharp-tongued, difficult personality, who would rather pick a fight over theology than display brotherly LOVE.’
But whatever Mr. Perronet’s fault(s), he wrote a beautiful hymn, that we shall now use to offer up our sincere sacrifices of sweet, savoured praise in a mid-tempo version. So with true heartfelt emotion, let’s sing: ‘All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall; Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all. Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race, Ye ransomed of the fall, Ye ransomed of the fall, Hail him who saves you by his grace, And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all.
Sinners, whose LOVE can ne’er forget The wormwood and the gall, The wormwood and the gall, Go, spread your trophies at His feet And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all. Let ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe, On this terrestrial ball, On this terrestrial ball, To him all majesty ascribe, And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all. O that with yonder sacred throng We at his feet may fall; We at His feet may fall; We’ll join the everlasting song, And crown him, crown him, crown him, And crown him Lord of all.’
Oh most certainly will we crown Jesus Lord of all! In fact the Father has already done it, as Bruh Paul writes in Philippians: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his heavenly privileges):
And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 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 should 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. 2:5-11)
Wow! What a magnificent Son, Warrior, Leader and fine example Jesus is to us all! Although He was deity Himself, He didn’t noise it about, boast about it, but became a servant in man’s likeness to do the work His Father desired of Him, and thus the Father exalted Him like no one else. We call Jesus the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! Wow! It could get no better than that! But I’m getting carried away with my own excitement, (smile) and there’s this commentary that I badly want to share about the hymn itself.
It says: ‘This hymn is a declaration of praise, but it’s also much more than that. The words both declare the majesty of Christ and task us with making that majesty known to all. Like many hymns describing the glory of God and the hope that one day all people will see that glory, this hymn alludes to Philippians 2:9-11: “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” We long for this day, and declare our hope in its arrival in the text of this hymn.
But are we willing to declare that hope to those who have not heard it? The phrase, “Easier said than done” comes to mind here. After we have sung these words of victory and longing, what do we do? Do we act on those words and turn our expectancy into realities? Or do we wait for someone else to do it for us? The fourth stanza of this great hymn declares, “We’ll join the everlasting song….” Everlasting means that we are a part of that song right now – are we willing to lift our voices together to sing more than a hymn, and truly crown our God Lord of all?’
Now that’s a most valid question my fellow believers! Do we just sing the words of the hymn, or do we put them into action in our own lives, while sharing the fascinating facts and sentiments with others? The only way to truly crown Christ as Lord is by being excited about Him and the amazing, selfless work He did on our behalf, and telling others about Him, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do. We cannot truly honour Jesus, by simply mouthing the words to a hymn, but activating those words in a manner that will cause others to want to hear them, then themselves share with others.
That’s what Jesus meant when He gave us the Great Commission: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples) of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20)
And having sung that great hymn with heartfelt gusto, it now behooves us to go out and spread the good news of His gospel, put it into action! Much LOVE!
…actions usually speak louder than words…it’s time for Christians to make their actions heard…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
25 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a childlike response of faith, an inheritance incorruptible, angelic hosts proclaim, became obedient unto death, being in the form of God, born to give us second birth, Christ is born in Bethlehem, eat drink and be merry, fat like stall fed calves, found in fashion as a man, glory to God, Glory to god in the highest, glory to the newborn king, God was in Christ reconciling the world, Hark the herald angels sing, late in time behold him come, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, Merry Christmas, on earth peace good will to men, pomp and pageantry, prince of peace, reserved in heaven for you, send portions unto them for whom nothing has been prepared, Sun of righteousness, the form of a servant, the incarnate birth of Christ, the miraculous birth of Jesus christ, the word was made flesh, unto you that fear my name, use of Scripture to teach its theology
Luke 2:14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men
MERRY CHRISTMAS !
It’s Christmas Day my people! Glory to God! At long last the Big Day is here, when we celebrate the marvellous and most miraculous birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! He is the best present we’ve ever had! Couldn’t be a better one either! For He was born so that our sins could be paid for, so that we could have the option of salvation and eternal life. And for that we give Him much thanks and praise! This year, Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, and there’s no better day to have all the pomp and pageantry than on the Lord’s Day.
So, let’s open up with a classic old hymn, written by the renowned hymnist, Charles Wesley (1707-1788). It’s a most appropriate song of praise and worship titled ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing.’ Some people sing it slow and dirge-like, but today we’ll sing it in a lively, up-tempo beat, effectively showcasing the joy and gratitude we truly feel over the incarnate birth of our Immanuel, two thousand years ago, and who is still going as strong as ever. In fact, He’s stronger than when He lived on earth.
Therefore, with voices of sacrificial praise, in sweet, heartfelt harmony, let’s deliver up our song to heaven. Singing: ‘Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King: peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with the angelic hosts proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” (Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King”)
Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold him come, offspring of the Virgin’s womb: veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the ‘incarnate Deity, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel. [Refrain] Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth. [Refrain]’
Oh my people, we did a fantastic job of letting heaven know how grateful we are for Jesus! No doubt about it! And it’s such a wonderful song with all kinds of scriptures intertwined. I like this commentary on it: ‘Containing biblical phrases from Luke, John, and Paul, the text is a curious mixture of exclamation, exhortation, and theological reflection. The focus shifts rapidly from angels, to us, to nations. The text’s strength may not lie so much in any orderly sequence of thought but in its use of Scripture to teach its theology. That teaching surely produces in us a childlike response of faith; we too can sing “Glory to the newborn King!”
And is that ever the gospel truth! Now let’s look at some of those scripture verses that the song emphasizes. It opens with Luke’s telling of the Christmas night story, where an angel suddenly appeared to shepherds out in the fields, scaring them half to death, then telling them of the birth of Christ in the nearby town of Bethlehem. While he was telling them the good news of the Saviour’s birth, the Good Book declares: ‘And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:13-14)
Yes friends, that’s where the herald angels sang. And in the next line, Wesley throws in the aspect of reconciliation, most likely from Bruh Paul’s words to the Corinthians. ‘To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor. 5:19) And are we ever glad for that ministry of reconciliation!
And the first part of the next verse seems to reflect Bruh Paul’s words from Galatians. ‘But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made (born) of a woman, made (born) under the law.’ (Gal. 4:4) And there’s no doubt that the last part of that verse relates to the first chapter of John’s gospel, in particular, verse 14. ‘And the Word was made flesh (became flesh), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:14)
Now, per the last verse, there are a number of scriptures that seem to be referenced, the first and most notable being that favourite scripture from Isaiah. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ (Is. 9:6) Then there are these referenced sentiments from the prophet Malachi: ‘But unto you that fear (reverence) my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall (grow fat like stall fed calves.)’ (Mal. 4:2)
And we all know where ‘Mild he lays his glory by,’ comes from. That favourite scripture from Philippians 2: ‘Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made (came) in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:6-8)
And the last referenced scripture comes from 1 Peter. Those famous verses we all know and LOVE. (smile) ‘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 Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-4)
Ah my people, how wonderful is the Word of God eh! It’s just filled with so many marvellous prophecies and promises, one of the best being the birth of our Lord and Saviour on this Christmas Day some two thousand years ago, that began God’s reconciliation and our salvation. Wow! It is only right that today we should praise and honour our Triune God for all the good things He’s done for us, His greatest, but most disobedient creation! So, let’s enjoy the day; eat drink and be merry, ‘and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) Much LOVE!
…without the incarnate birth of Jesus…there’d be no Christmas season…
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08 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a Samaritan, an obedient child, appearance as a man, Barry Manilow, be equal with God, became obedient, being in the form of God, breath of life, Christ is risen, damnation, death of the cross, Easter Season, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, family relationship, for which do ye stone me, forgiveness, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, God hath highly exalted him, halfway home, hands on the plough, hell fire, humbled himself, I honour my Father, Jesus christ is Lord, John Denver, let this mind be in you, looking ahead, made himself, make me cry, makes me happy, many good works, name above every name, not looking back, not robbery, of no reputation, premium on obedience, reconciliation, sacrifice, seek not mine own glory, selfless sacrifice, sinless blood, sunshine, the Father's wish, the form of a servant, the likeness of men, the name of Jesus, to the glory of the Father, uesless sinners, unto death, Wednesday Wail, which was also in Christ Jesus, work the works
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Well hello there you beautiful people; my Scrip-Bit family and fellow saints of Jesus Christ! Oh, isn’t it great to be alive, especially on such a sunny morning? It surely is! There’s just something special about waking up to bright sunshine… How did John Denver describe it in his popular song, of the same name written by himself and Barry Manilow?
‘Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry Sunshine on the water looks so lovely Sunshine almost always makes me high!’ And isn’t that the awesome truth! Sunshine just has a wonderful and positive effect on us, like the light of Jesus when it shines upon us and brings us out of the darkness!
Oh what a wonderful Being is our Jesus! Without Him we’re nothing! And the sooner we realize that tremendous truth, the better off we’ll all be! And that fact is most important in this Easter Season as we celebrate His death and then His triumphant resurrection from the grave, conquering the evil one in the process! For it’s that action that assures us of forgiveness, reconciliation and a family relationship with out heavenly Father, both now and forever more!
Before that we were all useless sinners, headed for damnation and hellfire, but when Christ paid for our sins with the shedding of His holy blood and sacrifice of His sinless life on the cross of Calvary, then a whole new world suddenly opened to us! No wonder we sing and shout: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes friends, that momentous occasion is possibly the most important aspect of our faith, because without it, all the good stuff now available to us would never have been. That’s why we ought to be so thankful and grateful to Jesus for His awesome and selfless sacrifice. He did not have to do it, but it was the Father’s wish, and He never wanted to do anything but what the Father desired. Wish that we could be so obedient…or even half so obedient! (smile)
Jesus in His time on earth continually made it known that He was here to do the Father’s will, and that everything He did was what the Father wanted. Listen to some of His sayings on that subject. In speaking to the Jews about them being the children of Abraham: ‘Then answered the Jews and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil (demon)? Jesus answered, I have not a devil (demon); but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is ONE that seeketh and judgeth.’ (John 8:48-50)
And again He said, ‘I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.’ (John 9:4) And again He told them: ‘Many good works have I showed you from the Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?’ (John 10:32) And furthermore: ‘If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.’ (John 10:37-38)
Yes friends, Jesus never did anything in his honour, but always the Father’s. No wonder Bruh Paul could say to the Philippians: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made (coming) in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 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 should 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. 25:5-11)
Oh my fellow believers, why can’t we see the great premium that our heavenly Father places on obedience to His holy will eh, and just obediently do what He desires of us! Look at how He exalted Jesus for being obedient to His will! It’s the same way He will exalt us for doing what He asks of us!
But no, we claim to be believers, but constantly shy away from, and oftimes blatantly refuse to do God’s bidding. How does that endear us to him eh? How does that encourage Him to lift us up? It doesn’t at all. But we all desperately want to be lifted up… Ah mih people, our God is wonderful and all that, but He is also a stickler for obedience, and if we don’t obey, then we won’t enjoy all the blessings He’s got stored up for us.
So please, let’s stop talking about obedience to God, and just do it nuh! We all know what we’re supposed to do, so please, let’s just do it. Let’s make what we say in our Wednesday Wail a reality and not simply lip service! All together now, let’s tell the world our position in Christ. ‘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’re obedient and sincere, then that future will indeed be rather glorious…more than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing the Father LOVES more…than an obedient child…
17 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: above every name, almighty god, at the name of Jesus, aura of love, confidence, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, Easter Monday, enthusiasm, every knee should bow, every tongue should confess, faith, fire water, fleshly realities, friends, given him a name, glorious kingdom, gluttonous, God hath highly exalted him, Granny's advice, He is faithful that promised, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, humility, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ is Lord, Jesus' resurrection, jobs, joy, keeping families together, let this mind be in you, lies, LOVE, love to hate day, loving kindness, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no reputation, obedience, obedient unto death, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rewards, salvation, sing up a storm, sins, spiritual armour, spiritual implications, steadfast faith, taunts, Thank You Lord, the form of a servant, to the glory of God, trust, ungodly world, uplift their spirits, wiles, wisdom
Philippians 2:9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.
Well mih people, it’s Monday, our favourite LOVE to hate day! (smile) But since today is Easter Monday, and a holiday for many of us, I am only hearing moaning and groaning and other unprintable remarks from a small portion of the populace. The majority of us are just rolling over with a big smile and saying ‘Thank You Lord!’ and going back to sleep.
But before you do that, we need to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with our less fortunate brethren, those who have to go out and labour today, help uplift their spirits and dampen their jealousy. (smile) You know there’s comfort in fellowship and all that…Hn, hn! And I hear even more negative stuff coming from the unfortunate throng.
So as one voice, let’s sing up a storm this Monday morning nuh. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, that was surely loud, but also raucous and not very harmonious. And as usual, the loudest and most raucous voices came from those who don’t have to work today. Jesus, our choirmaster, just had to shake His head in frustration and understanding.
And for those of us who are home today, please don’t use the Easter celebrations as an excuse to imbibe too much fire water, or become gluttonous, with the wide array of food and drink available, and thus give the deceitful Lucifer any loopholes to enter our souls. Consider the spiritual implications of Jesus’ wonderful work more than the fleshly realities. (smile) And please remember Granny’s words of wisdom: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ Those are words that will always stand us in good stead my brethren.
And since we are still in the Resurrection celebration mode, it’s useful to see what the Father did after Jesus rose from the grave. But before we get to that, let’s check up on Jesus’ earthly attitude.
Bruh Paul advises the Philippians thus: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross.’ (Phil.2:5-8)
Yuh see friends, though Jesus was God incarnate, when He became man, He didn’t abuse His godly powers, but focused on His human nature and was obedient to the Father’s every will, even going to the cross to die for our abominable sins. Hn! The strange thing is that none of us have His godly powers, but yet plenty of us are bombastic enough to act like God unto our fellow man.
Now we’ll see how God rewarded Him for His obedience and faithfulness. Our Bit tells us: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.’ Yes my people, the heavenly Father rewarded Jesus by exalting His name to the highest available position; second only to His!
And furthermore: ‘That at the name of Jesus every knee should 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.2:10-11) Ah my brethren, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! He is indeed a rewarder of those who sincerely seek and obey Him.
As the author of Hebrews reminds us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering;) for he is faithful that promised;) (Heb.10:23) That simply means, that as believers, we need to remain steadfast, humble and obedient to the will of God, and in due time He will reward us with such a multiplicity of rewards, both down here on earth and in heaven, that we won’t know what to do with them!
Wow! Now, I don’t know about you all, but that surely sounds like perfect wisdom to me, and I will surely do my best to be eligible for as many rewards as possible. Why don’t you join me? Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing like humility and obedience…to win God’s favour…
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