03 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a forward-looking perspective, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new work week, accomplishing his redemptive purpose, adopt Jesus' selfless attitude, ambassadors, an example of self-control, as much as humanly possible, assurance of his heavenly Father's guidance and protection, came down from heaven, come back to haunt us, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, disicples, disobeyed God's word, divine aid, earth's corrupt treasures, earthly purpose, ease the pain, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, eternal life, faith, faithfully promised, for eternity, fulfilling God's redemptive purpose, fulfilling God's Will, give his life for a ransom, give to all who love his appearing, God-given purpose, handle them with great aplomb, highlighting his obedience, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, if thou be willing, in the face of immense suffering, in the face of numerous difficulties, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus handled his earthly life, Jesus' ability to endure extreme suffering, Jesus' human struggle and distress, Jesus' primary focus, joy, laying up treasures in heaven, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, life with Christ will be forever, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion, material things, mercy, my meat is to do the will of him who sent me, never be discouraged, not my will but thine be done, not to do mine own will, our lives should be governed by the will of Jesus, poise, pray, reflecting the way, remove this cup from me, resolute obedience, salvation, self-confidence, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, shame, sincerely seek God's face, sinful pleasures, sought a reprieve, spreaing the good news of Christ, steadfast devotion, strong faith in Christ, sufferation of the cross, the author and finisher of our faith, the bread of life, the crown of righteousness, the Garden of Gethsemane, the God who heals, the joy that was set before Him, the many suffering from negative situations, the obedient attitude of Jesus, the righteous judge, the sacrificial nature of Jesus' purpose, the Son of man came not to be served, the throne of grace, the travails of Jesus, the ultimate joy, the will of him that sent me, to finish his work, to hear and answer our prayers, to serve, truth, turn from our evil ways, unwavering commitment, waiver from his purpose, welcome thou good and faithful servant, wisdom
John 4:34. ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’
Awright my people, Monday and a new work week has come back to haunt us one more time. But let’s remember that we have the wherewithal through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to handle them both with great aplomb, that’s amazing poise and self-confidence. Reflecting the way Jesus handled His earthly life with the assurance and certainty of His heavenly Father’s guidance and protection. All the trials and tribulations, the abuse and denial of His holy person, did not make Him turn back or waiver from His purpose.
And there are several scriptures that point out, as this commentary puts it: ‘The unwavering commitment to His earthly purpose and the will of the Father, highlighting His obedience, focus, and determination, even in the face of immense suffering.’ And was Jesus ever a marvellous example of self-control in the face of numerous difficulties. And why is that you ask? Listen to Him explain it to the disciples after speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well and refusing the food they offered. ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’ (John 4:34)
And the commentary tells us: ‘This verse clearly demonstrates that fulfilling God’s will was Jesus’ primary sustenance and focus in life.’ Oh, how I wish that many more of us would adopt that selfless and obedient attitude, and do the work that Jesus expects of us as His disciples and ambassadors. (smile)
Then there’s this other time, after accusing the multitude of only following Him because they ate of the bread He provided, and telling them that He is the bread of life, (John 6:26-35), Jesus then informs them: ‘For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.’ (John 6:38) And according to the commentary: ‘Jesus explicitly states that His mission was defined entirely by the Father’s will, not His own desires.’ So should our lives be entirely governed by the will of Jesus.
And when we talk about Jesus being the perfect example for us to follow, Hebrews tells us loud and clear: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged in your souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
And per the commentary; ‘These verses point to Jesus’ ability to endure extreme suffering and shame by maintaining a forward-looking perspective on the ultimate joy of accomplishing His redemptive purpose.’ And don’t we have a purpose that ought to also bring us joy? Yes, that of spreading the good news of Christ and living like He desires of us. And what’s the joy we should look forward to? That’s salvation and eternal life with Jesus, being greeted with the words ‘Welcome thou good and faithful servant,’ (Matt. 25:21) and ‘the crown of righteousness that the righteous judge, (the Lord) will give to all who LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:8)
Now, isn’t that a big enough reward to encourage us to do Jesus’ will? I believe it is. And let’s remember that our earthly lives and all the material things we covet and the sinful pleasures we so avidly desire down here only last for a short while. But life with Christ will be for eternity…that’s forever…without end. So, it’s certainly not wise to expend so much energy and use up what little time we have here on earth running down its corrupt and rust-driven treasures, but ought to be laying up treasures in heaven that don’t rust or spoil.
But getting back to Jesus’ serious focus on His God-given purpose, listen to what He tells the disciples after the argument that erupted when John and James asked for one of them to sit on His right and the other on the left hand in His glory. (Mark 10:35-41) ‘For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (be served), but to minister (to serve), and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45) And the commentary explains that verse thus: ‘This highlights the sacrificial nature of His purpose, to which He remained committed.’
And we see that commitment further displayed in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus in His human form was terribly weighed down by the whole situation and pleaded: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.’ (Luke 22:39) The commentary tells us: ‘This shows His human struggle and distress, but ultimately, His resolute obedience to the Father’s plan, which included the cross.’ Yes friends, though Jesus was undergoing a lot of ‘sufferation’ and sought a reprieve from His heavenly Father, deep down He knew that it could not happen if the Father’s overall plan for our salvation was to be successful.
And we’ll close with a final word from the commentary. They say: ‘These scriptures collectively demonstrate Jesus’ singular and steadfast devotion to fulfilling God’s redemptive purpose on earth, despite the personal cost and suffering involved.’ And though we all know it’s not easy to do, that is the same singular and steadfast devotion that we need to show in fulfilling Jesus’ purpose for us here on earth. Now, let’s use one more benefit we acquired through the travails of Jesus, that’s the ability to go directly to the throne of grace and ask for divine aid in times of need. Let’s do that right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And what’s the answer we received? ‘Begin by turning from your evil ways, humbling yourselves, and sincerely seeking my face.’ So, if we truly desire divine aid, then it’s up to us to put those demands into action! Much LOVE!
…as disciples of Jesus…our lives ought to reflect His steadfast devotion and commitment…as much as is humanly possible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man of sorrows, a profound effect, a significant turning point, a turning point in our lives, a watershed day in our lives, abuse, afflicted, all we like sheep have gone astray, as sheep before her shearers is dumb, be set free from the bondage of sin, break our hearts, bruised for our iniquities, buried in a wealthy man's tomb, can't be an Easter Sunday without a Good Friday, Christ crucified between two thieves, cut off, death of a Good Friday, Easter Sunday, even unto death, every one has turned to their own way, faith, feeling the pressure, for the transgression of my people, give us his righteousness, glorious undertones, Good Friday, he had done no violence, he made his grave with the wicked, he opened not his mouth, he was oppressed, he was stricken, he was wounded for our transgressions, holy spirit, if it be possible, immense physical suffering of jesus, improve our sinful and disobedient ways, Jesus Christ, Jesus sacrificed himself for our salvation, Jesus was in such agony, Jesus' illegitimate trials, Joseph of Arimathea, led like a lamb to the slaughter, let this cup pass from me, LOVE, mercy, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, neither was any deceit found in his mouth, not as I will but as thou wilt, oppression, out of the land of the living, pierced through, potential life, resurrection from the dead, sacrificial death, salvation, severe pain, suffering of christ, take our sins, taken from prison, tarry ye here and watch with me, the chastisement of our peace, the cross of Calvary, the crown of thorns, the desperate condition of mankind, the Father's great love for us, the Garden of Gethsemane, the iniquity of us all, the javelin in his side, the Lord has laid on him, the only sinless one Jesus, the prophecy of Isaiah, the purpose for which He was born, the saddest day of the year, the scourging, the Servant of the Lord, the severity of Christ's suffering, the sweat from His brow resembled blood, to die in our place, to pay for our sins, torture, truth, who shall declare his generation, wisdom, with his stripes we are healed, with the rich in his death, without a shepherd to guide us
Isaiah 53:6. 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.
Then it was Friday…not our regular Friday, but Good Friday; the saddest day in the world, but one with glorious undertones. For Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross of Calvary on Good Friday to pay for our sins, so that we could be set free from the bondage of sin, when He gloriously arose on Easter Sunday. So, as we’re wont to say, there can’t be an amazing resurrection on Easter Sunday without the pain and tears and death of a Good Friday!
And we all know about the actual torture, abuse and suffering that Christ went through on Good Friday from the Gospels, so we won’t go into that, instead, let’s contemplate the prophecy of Isaiah on the topic, several hundred years earlier, which tells it all so clearly but succinctly. Having called the Servant of the Lord (Jesus) a man of sorrows or severe pain, Isaiah goes on to say: ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised (pierced through) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.’ (Is. 53:5)
Now, that simple sentence encompasses a lot of what happened to Jesus on that long ago Good Friday. And the gospels do tell of the severity of Christ’s suffering; both emotionally and physically. We see the former in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before the crucifixion, where He shares His problem with the disciples. ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here (stay here), and watch with me.’ (Matt. 26:38)
And three times He went forward by Himself and prayed for the Father to remove the calamity, saying: ‘O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:39) But three times, He received the same answer; silence. But deep down Jesus knew that this was the major purpose for which He was born, but His human side was feeling the pressure. And according to Luke, He was so agonized that the sweat falling from His brow, resembled drops of blood. Luke also says that during His prayer time, an angel came from heaven and strengthened Him. (Luke 22:43-44)
And we know of the immense physical suffering, from the scourging, the crown of thorns, the javelin in His side, the nails in His hands and feet…all of that just fulfills the words of Isaiah; ‘wounded for our transgressions (sins), bruised (pierced through) for our iniquities (moral evils), the chastisement (discipline) of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.’ Yes friends, Jesus paid the terribly high price for the absolution of our sins with the sacrifice of His sinless life, and by the very wounds that were inflicted on His sinless body, those are the very ones by which we are today spiritually healed and forgiven.
And why were the sins of the whole world placed on Jesus’ sinless shoulders? Isaiah tells us: ‘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) And if we are truthful, we will acknowledge the desperate condition of mankind back then, where we were so lost and suffering without a Sheperd to guide us. However, the Father, in His great LOVE for us, sent the Son, the only sinless one to die in our place, to take our sins on His shoulders and give us His righteousness.
But yuh know what? Today we’re even more lawless and sinful than ever! Satan and his evil cronies are ruling the roost, and it seems that Jesus is running a far second. That’s not right my people. Not after all that Jesus suffered for us. Hear Isaiah tell it nuh. ‘He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought (was led) like a lamb to the slaughter, and as sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.’ (Is. 53:7) And that is exactly how Jesus played the scene! He didn’t complain, nor get angry and fight back, just went willingly with very few words to His sacrificial death, which was His destiny.
And Isaiah continues: ‘He was taken from prison (out of oppression) and from judgement (justice): and who shall declare his generation (consider it among His generation)? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit (guile) in his mouth.’ (Is. 53:8-9) Oh my people, you can find all that prophecy fulfilled in the New Testament, with the same words being used all through it.
And the scholars offer these explanations on those last two verses. ‘He was taken from prison and from judgement (justice) refers to the illegitimate trials to which Jesus was subjected. Who shall declare reads better “who has considered.” His generation refers to His potential life. The verb was cut off refers here to a violent death. The reference to the Servant making his grave with the wicked was certainly fulfilled in Christ’s crucifixion between two thieves. (Matt. 27:38) The additional phrase and with the rich in his death refers to Jesus’ burial in the tomb of the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea. (Matt. 27:57).’
And my fellow saints, having read all of that, and possibly having joined others in worship earlier on, I do hope that today, this Good Friday of 2025, will be a watershed day in our lives; one that marks a significant turning point, where all the suffering of Jesus has this profound effect on us and causes us to improve our sinful and disobedient ways, for that’s the only way our currently evil and ungodly world will ever become more obedient and godly! Much LOVE!
…if Jesus’ suffering on our behalf…doesn’t break our hearts and incline us to His way of life…then we have no hearts…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a human predicament, a major human problem, a sin nature, bow to the world and words of Jesus, but the flesh is weak, consistent with God's character, could you not watch one hour, doing the wrong thing, dominated by sin, endure to the end, every imagination was evil continually, evil associates, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, falling to temptation, glad to be alive, God saw that the wickedness of man was great, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, how to perform that which is good I find not, I am carnal, I don't understand why, if God spares life, inherited from our forefathers, intruding on my day to day affairs, Jesus Christ, leads to sinful rather than godly stuff, lest ye enter into temptation, LOVE, man's sin nature, mercy, no good thing dwells in me, not looking back at the past, not turning back, our battle with sin, salvation, sin that dwelleth in me, sinful pursuits, sold under sin, struggle against sin, sunny days, thank God, thankful for medical help, that which I do I allow not, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the characteristics of the Spirit, the devious weather, the Garden of Gethsemane, the spirit truly is ready, the thoughts of his heart, the will is present in me, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turn around and bite us, wanting to do the right thing, watch ye and pray, Wednesday Wail, what I hate I do, what I would that do I not, wisdom
Mark 14:38. Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
Sunny days are here again! Glory Hallelujah! Yes friends it’s another sunshiny and warm day, warmer than yesterday, with temps up in the high teens, and people are already out walking without a lot of clothes on. Let’s hope that spring is truly in the air and the devious weather doesn’t turn around and bite us in the you know where. (smile)
Now, et me apologize for the lateness of the Bit, what with it being Wednesday and I had to go to my church group at mid-morning, then I had an afternoon doctor’s appointment. Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for the medical help, but it’s intruding too much on my normal day to day affairs.
Anyway, today, we’re going to look at an interesting scripture…sorry, all scripture is interesting… (smile) where Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane with His most intimate disciples, Peter, James and John, going through an agony of soul and spirit over His upcoming crucifixion. But every time He goes away to pray in private, He comes back and finds them sleeping. One time when He came and found them sleeping, He admonished them thus, saying to Peter: ‘Simon, sleepest thou? couldest thou not watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.’ (Mark 14:37-38)
And right there my brethren we have a major human problem. Our spirits are ready to follow God, but our flesh is weak, readily falling to the temptation of the enemy and his evil associates. Unfortunately, this did not start recently, but way back in time as Genesis tells us of man’s wickedness. ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart (intent or thought) was only evil continually (all the day long).’(Gen. 6:5)
And one could easily mistakenly believe that we’re living in those times because the wickedness of man in this generation is so perverted and pervasive that I’m sure the Lord is saying the same thing about us. Why are we so wicked and ungodly eh, and have no LOVE for ourselves and each other? Note I didn’t mention God in that, because it’s so obvious that we have no regard for Him whatsoever, otherwise our wickedness would not be so all pervasive.
But thankfully, there are some scriptures that try to explain our wicked situation, like this one from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome, where he talks about his struggle against sin. ‘For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not (I don’t understand why): for what I would (want to do), that do I not; but what I hate, that I do.’ (Rom. 7:14-15) Now that’s a problem we all have my fellow believers, because we have a sin nature that tends to lead to sinful rather than godly stuff.
And Bruh Paul was no different than us, as the scholars explain. ‘The law is spiritual, means that it has the characteristics of the Spirit and is consistent with the character of God. Meanwhile, I am carnal, explains the biographical nature of what follows and is designed to reveal the real struggle the apostle experienced in the flesh. His experience is also exemplary, for it shows the problems all believers experience in their battle with sin.’ And that’s no lie, as Bruh Paul continues to show.
‘If then I do that which I would not (I don’t want to do), I consent unto (agree with) the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For then good that I would (want to do) I do not; but the evil which I would not (don’t want to do), that I do.’ (Rom. 7:16-19)
Oh my fellow believers, how many times have we found ourselves in such a situation eh? Wanting to do the right thing, but ending up doing the wrong one, and we’re at a loss as to why we did what we didn’t want to do, instead of what we wanted to do. It’s certainly a human predicament, as we’re so often dominated by sin and sinful pursuits. And we’ll stop there for today, as Bruh Paul goes on make several other tough statements that would make the Bit way too long and confusing to digest all at once. If God spares life tomorrow, then we’ll continue with Bruh Paul’s epic struggle with our sin nature.
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 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 please, let’s not forget the added promise that if we endure with Jesus right to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s make plans to meet at the very end and together enjoy the marvellous future promised then nuh! Much LOVE!
…man’s sin nature was inherited from our forefathers…but it can be made to bow…by the works and words of Jesus
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fierce love, a means of restoring faith in you, a reflex action, a sincere change of heart, anxiety, asking for mercy, bared his soul, be responsible, Beelzebub, Bible, christianity, Christians, communicating with God, confusion, crying out for your help, debauched parties, departed into a solitary place and prayed, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, end up in hellfire, escalating problems, even unto death, evil ways, face time with God, faith, fell on his face, Friday chant, God loves us with a fierce love, holy spirit, human activities, if it be possible, in the morning, insincere hearts, interference in our business, intimate time, Jesus Christ, Jesus went up into a mountain apart to pray, lazy, let this cup pass from me, licentious manner, listening to God, living God, loud voices, LOVE, mercy, mortals, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, natural disasters, not as I will but as thou wilt, omnipotent help, our lives don't run right, out of control, partying, pleasures, prayer, proud, rebellious behaviour, retribution, rising up a great while before day, salvation, Satan, simmering unrest, sinful behaviour, sinful rebellion, sinful ways, sinful world, Sodom and Gomorrah, spend time with God, stay safe, sweet and strong, talking to God, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Garden of Gethsemane, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the hand of God, the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes, the sinfulness of our world, the throne of grace, truth, unfortunate predicament, ungodly times, wait here, wake up and smell the coffee, watch with me, wisdom
Mark 1:35. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.
And finally it’s Friday! The weekend is upon us. Praise the Lord! And we send up our Friday Mantra; ‘Thank God it’s Friday!’ with loud voices, but insincere hearts. It’s now become simply a reflex action and no longer real heartfelt thanks for the end of the work week, for too many of us only look to the weekend as a means of partying, having a good ole worldly time and not giving thought to our Creator and Provider. But friends, that’s an unwise way to live, because our God desires His time with us. He’s not against partying per se, just the debauched and licentious manner in which we do it.
And above all, He expects us to have a reasonable amount of face time with Him. He knows that in the week we’re fairly busy and thus cannot always give Him the time He desires, but for sure on the weekend we can make whatever sacrifice might be necessary to spend more intimate time with Him. Yuh know, intimate, unhurried time with Him is all our God really desires of each of us. And when that happens on a regular basis, everything else takes care of itself.
And there’s no better example of that than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. When He was here on earth in human form, although He was still God, He always made time to spend with the Father. Why? Because He knew that without the Father’s awesome help He could not properly manage the human activities necessary to carry out His ministry work. And there are several instances in the Bible where it shows that Jesus got away by Himself to go and spend intimate time with the Father. My favourite is this one from the gospel of Mark, where it says: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
Wow! How many of us even consider getting up early, or even going to bed a little later so that we can spend time with our heavenly Father and Provider eh? Not enough of us! But if Jesus the Son of God, could get up early to talk to the Father and find out His instructions for that particular day, why can’t we mere, finite, mortals do the same eh? Because we’re too proud, lazy or whatever! But then when our lives don’t run right, we wonder what’s wrong. It’s simple friends; if we don’t have good and regular communion with the Creator of the universe, our lives will never run right.
And we can see that happening right now throughout our entire world, only strife, chaos and disaster everywhere! Why? Because we have turned away from One True and ONLY Living God and foolishly embraced the sinful ways and pleasures of Beelzebub and his evil cronies. Do we ever remember the story of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18 and 19, where the Lord announced to Abraham His intention to destroy those cities because of their overly sinful behaviour (Gen. 18:20) and then Abraham prayed that He wouldn’t destroy them if they contained any righteous people, including his nephew Lot who lived in Sodom. (Gen. 18:23-33)
But eventually the Lord’s will prevailed, and though Lot escaped, the cities were destroyed. Now that might be a very useful anecdote for us to remember since the sinfulness of our world is out of control, and who knows if all the natural disasters that are occurring all around the globe is not simply the Hand of God wreaking retribution for our sinful behaviour, like He did with Sodom and Gomorrah so long ago.
I believe it would do us a whole lot of good if we’d ponder on that possibility for a while and consider changing our evil ways and returning to the God of Abrahan, Isaac and Jacob, who LOVES us with a fierce LOVE, despite our rebellious behaviour, and does not want to see us end up in hellfire with Satan, so He’s prodding us, none too gently, because we don’t take kindly to interference in what we consider our own business. I like that sentence. It reminds me of some of Bruh Paul’s. (smile)
Ah friends, we’ve drifted away from our topic of intimate or prayer time with God, talking about how Jesus always found time to do so. And we have two other good examples of that. The first is when He fed the five thousand men with the five loaves of bread and two small fishes, and after collecting twelve baskets of left overs, sent the disciples over the lake in a ship, and the crowd away, then went up into a mountain to pray. (Mark 6:37-47)
And how can we ever forget the night before His crucifixion, when Jesus, went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. (Matt. 26:36-46) In great agony of spirit, He said to Peter, James and John. ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here (wait here), and watch with me. Then he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:38-39)
Yes my fellow saints, Jesus bared His soul before the Father, and that’s exactly what many of us today also need to do, because we’re filled with all kinds of anxieties, fears, doubts and troubled minds and hearts, and the only way to relive that pressure is by going to God in prayer and asking for His divine help. And since now is as good a time as any to do so, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant baring our souls, asking for mercy.
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!’
Now, let’s not forget that we’re in this unfortunate predicament because of our sinful rebellion towards God, and only a sincere change of heart and behaviour will bring divine aid. Much LOVE!
…what’s prayer…communicating with God…talking to Him…and listening to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the days of his life, as long as he liveth, barren womb, be responsible, being in agony, Bible, christianity, desperate prayers, different levels of intensity, divine aid, even unto death, faith, Friday chant, give unto thine handmaid a man child, god, Hannah's Prayer, Hannak kept her vow to God, he prayed more earnestly, he shall be lent to the Lord, his sweat as it were great drops of blood, I have lent him to the Lord, I will give him unto the Lord, if it be possible, if this cup may not pass from me except I drink it I, improve our Christian witness, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus agonized over separation from the Father, Jesus Christ, let this cup pass from me, look on the affliction of thine hand maid, LOVE, My God my God, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, no razor shall come upon his head, not as I will but as thou wilt, O thou that hearest prayer, omnipotent help, return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways, simmering unrest, strengthening him, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example your faithful believers set, the Garden of Gethsemane, the sin-bearer for all mankind, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, thy will be done, unexpecte storms, ungodly times, vowed a vow unto God, wake up and smell the coffee, watch and pray, why hast thou forsaken me, ye enter not into temptation
Psalm 65:2. O thou that hearest prayer…unto thee shall all flesh come…
And so it’s Friday; with the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ reaching up to heaven with different levels of intensity and sincerity, according to our particular circumstances. (smile) Yes, in times of dire need our intensity level does ramp up, while in good times our prayers have a greater calm and peace to them. We don’t need God or His help as quickly and desperately, so we’re much more relaxed. And that’s only human, as we can see in the Bible, where many great people of faith prayed desperate prayers. Let’s look at a couple of them.
Now, the first one that comes to mind is that of Jesus Himself, where on the night before His crucifixion, after the Passover meal, His disciples and himself went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. There, He took His three favourites, Peter, James, and John aside, and began to be sorrowful (grieved) and very heavy (deeply distressed). Then He told them: ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: Tarry (stay) ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing , but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done.’ (Matt. 26:38-42) After that second prayer, Jesus came back to the three disciples and again found them asleep, but left them alone and went back by Himself and prayed the same prayer.
Then we pick up the story from Luke: Jesus prayed: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.’ (Luke 22:42-44) Yes friends, three times Jesus prayed asking the Father to abandon the crucifixion, and He was in so much agony that His sweat seemed like drops of blood. And as the Lord is won’t to do when we are in need, He sends an angel to strengthen Christ.
Oh, Jesus knew that the cross was the reason for His coming to earth, and according to the Scholars, ‘He wrestles, not so much with death itself, but with His own destiny to be made the sin-bearer for all mankind for all the ages. The punishment that had to be borne for our sins brings Jesus to His knees in anguish.’ And so it should, with the mighty weight of all sins placed on one person’s shoulders.
It should also be noted that Jesus was agonized by the coming separation from His Father, for they had never been separated before, and since the Father could not tolerate sin, when He became the world’s sin bearer, He’d become accursed of God, and the Father would automatically turn away. Thus His plea the next day on the cross: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46)
And sadly we have time for only more one example of desperate prayers from people of great faith; that’s Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel. She was the barren second wife of Elkanah, a prosperous man who LOVED her deeply. But she was constantly laughed at and scorned by the other very fruitful wife for her barrenness. One time when the family went up to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord, Hannah couldn’t take it anymore and went into the temple.
The Bible tells us: ‘And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, wand wept sore (in anguish). And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine hand maid, and remember me, and forget not thine hand maid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.’ (1 Sam. 1:10-1)
And we all know that eventually the Lord answered her desperate prayer with the birth of the prophet Samuel. But most important of all, Hannah kept her vow to the Lord. When Samuel was of age she took him up to the temple in Shiloh and feasted and sacrificed to the Lord before the priest Eli, who, had seen her praying that day for the child but thought her drunk and accused her thus, but found our differently after their conversation. (1 Sam. 1: 12-18)
‘And she (Hannah) said, Oh my lord, (referring to Eli) as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by here, praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent (granted) him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.’ (1 Sam. 1:26-28)
Oh friends, our God does answer prayers, especially sincere and desperate ones. (smile) Now, let’s offer up our sincere and desperate prayer for help through our Friday Chant. 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 do we ever need to improve our Christian witness in these very troubled times… if we expect to receive divine aid! Much LOVE!
…O thou that hearest prayer…unto thee shall all flesh come… (Ps. 65:2)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as it is written of him, Bible, but woe unto that man, by whom the Son of man is betrayed, Christ's Last Supper, communion, courage, creativity, curse, drink ye all of it, eat, faith, for the remission of sins, God's supernatural wisdom, Good Friday, he brake it and gave to the disicples, he that dippeth his hand with me, he took the cup and gave thanks, Holy Week, I have given you an example, if I wash thee not thou hast no part of me, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus took bread and blessed it, Jesus washed the disciples' feet, Judas Iscariot, LOVE, Maundy Thursday, negative word, one of you shall betray me, resurrection, take, take eat this is my body, the blood of the new testament, the feast of unleavened bread, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Passover, the practice of communion, the same shall betray me, the servant is not greater than his lord, the Son of man goeth, Thursday Blessings, which is shed for many, ye also ought to wash one another's feet, ye are not all clean
Matthew 26:28. For this is the blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins.
And it’s a bright and sunshiny Maundy Thursday friends, the day in Holy Week before Christ was crucified. It’s when we commemorate Christ’s Last Supper, the Passover, with His disciples where He established the practice of communion and also gave us His most servant-like example; His washing of their feet. Now that was a most interesting, contemplative and memorable day in the annals of our faith. So let’s recount some of it to refresh our memories and uplift our faith. (smile) And though all four synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) have some information on the day, none of them seem to have it in its entirety, so this first portion comes from the gospel of Luke.
He writes: ‘Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh (near), which is called the Passover. (The God-sent plague during Israel’s bondage in Egypt, when the death angel passed over the land and killed all the first born of the houses that did not have lamb’s blood above their door. (Ex. 12). And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him (Jesus); for they feared the people. Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve (disciples). And he went his way, and communed (conferred) with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted (agreed) to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absences of the multitude.’ (Luke 22:1-6)
Now, Judas Iscariot’s upcoming betrayal set the stage for this next part. Luke continues: ‘Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed (sacrificed). And he (Jesus) sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water, follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman (master) of the house, The Master (Teacher) saith unto thee, where is the guestchamber where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.’ (Luke 22:7-13)
That reminds us of the previous Sunday, Palm Sunday, the same kind of positive direction, when Jesus sent His disciples into the village to locate the donkey and her colt for Him to ride into Jerusalem. (Matt. 21:1-7) And we pick up the story from Matthew. ‘Now when the even (evening) was come, he (Jesus) sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master (Rabbi), is it I? He said unto hm, Thou hast said (it).’ (Matt. 26:20-25)
That further enlightens us on the betrayal story, which was an important part of the whole scenario. Matthew then continues: ‘And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it (drink from it all of you); For this is the blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’ (Matt. 26:26-29) And that’s basically where we’ve gotten our present communion ceremony from.
But that wasn’t the only memorable thing that happened that Maundy Thursday evening. Listen as John tells this most compelling story. ‘And supper being ended, the devil having now (already) put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him (not Simon Peter’s son); Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went (was going) to God: He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
Then cometh he to Simon Peter, and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest (understandeth) not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith unto Him, he that is washed (bathed) needed not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit (completely clean): and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should (would) betray him; therefore he said, Ye are not all clean.’ (John 13:2-11)
And that’s where we get our Maundy Thursday ritual of washing each other’s feet. But that story is not complete until we hear these words of Jesus. John writes: ‘So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master (Teacher) and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, Your Lord and Master (Teacher), have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord (master); neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.’ (John 13:12-17)
There we have it my fellow believers, Jesus makes it very plain that none of us is greater than the other, and that we’re supposed to be servant and service oriented, rather than expect to be waited on hand and foot. And since time and space are against us, we cannot tell the other momentous tale of Jesus going to the Garden of Gethsemane after the Passover supper and being very despondent and agonised about the upcoming crucifixion, prayed to the Father: ‘If thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.’ Luke 22:42-43) Yes friends, both Jesus and the Father knew that His crucifixion could not be retracted if sinners were to be saved, and so the Father sent his angel to strengthen His Son, in the midst of His agony.
Then Judas came into the garden with a band of soldiers, kissed Jesus, an agreed sign, and they arrested Him and took Him before the high priests, where His fate was sealed. But likewise, the Lord has not left us in a lurch in our tough times, being the ever-faithful God, He’s also given us strength and blessings, to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare them so they can be activated.
Altogether: ‘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 activated those undeserved blessings, we now need to go out and share them with others just as generously as the Lord shared them us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…holy communion reminds us of Christ’s sinless sacrifice…on Good Friday…and His triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
06 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: curse, deny me thrice before the cock crows twice, divine protection, do this in remembrance of me, Eucharist, He said drink ye all of it, Holy Communion, If I your Lord and Master have washed your feet, Jesus set certain parameters in our faith, Jesus took the cup of wine, Jesus washed the disciples' feet, Maundy Thursday, negative word, promotion, receive clear direction for my life, self-discipline, selflessness of Christ, shed for many for the remission of sins, take eat this is my body, the Angel of Death, the cup of blessing, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Jewish Passover, the lamb's blood on the lintel of the door, the Last Supper, the perfect example of humility, the sacrificial Lamb, this is my blood of the new testament, Thursday Blessings, ye also to wash one another's feet
Matthew 26:28. For this is my blood of the new testament (covenant), which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins.
And then it was Thursday; Maundy Thursday. And we wish you all a Happy Maundy Thursday! It might not have been such a happy day in Jesus’ life, neither in ours right now, as we contemplate the next few days of tragic happenings, but it was indeed a special one, where He set certain parameters in our faith, and left us several examples to follow. Maundy Thursday was the day in Jesus’ life when, as we say, everything came to bump, meaning that He had finally reached the stage when there’s no turning back.
On that Thursday, certain things happened that reminds us of the passionate moments of Jesus’ life. And we are invited to remember and celebrate these four events: the Last Supper, the Washing of the Apostle’s Feet by Jesus, Christ’s agony and prayer in Gethsemane, and the arrest of Jesus. At the Last Supper, He offered Himself as the sacrificial Lamb, with such humility and selflessness that makes Him the perfect example of those attributes.
Now this was a time of the celebration of the Passover Feast in Jerusalem, one of the most sacred days in the Jewish Calendar, reminding them of that time during their slavery in Egypt, when the Angel of Death passed over Egypt and killed every first born son, but spared the Jews, because of the lamb’s blood on the lintel of their doors. (Ex. 12)
On that night Jesus sat with His twelve disciples celebrating. ‘And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord is it I? And He answered and said, he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had never been born. Then Judas which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He (Jesus) said unto him, Thou hast said (it).’ (Matt. 26:21-24)
Oh my people, can you imagine the consternation, the doubt and grief engendered by Jesus’ comment that one of His closest supplicants would betray Him. And the scholars explain: ‘Jesus’ reply to Judas Thou hast said means “yes.” He that dippeth reveals the personal and intimate nature of the betrayal.’ But that was only the first of several eye-opening occasions on that fateful evening.
After that, the Good Book tells: ‘And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my body. And he took the cup (of wine), and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it (drink from it all of you). For this is my blood of the new testament (covenant), which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’ (Matt. 26:26-29)
Right there we have it friends, the celebration of what we call ‘The Eucharist, or Holy Communion,’ as a memorial of the death and resurrection of Jesus, in response to his words at the final meal he shared with his disciples, ‘Do this in remembrance of me.’ (Luke 22:19 ) Thus, when we receive communion, we remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and we grow in LOVE for one another as Jesus commanded us.
And what do the scholars say about Jesus’ actions at the Last Supper. As per ‘Jesus took bread: The head of the Jewish household was accustomed to doing this during the Passover feast. Jesus gave a completely new significance to the action.’ Then, as per ‘This is my body: During the Passover feast the Jewish householder took bread in his hand and said, This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt,’ meaning, of course, that one represented the other. By His words the Lord changed the whole significance and emphasis of the feast from looking back to the typical redemption from Egypt to faith in the redemption from sin accomplished by His death.
The bread and wine were only outward symbols of our Lord’s death. Nothing in the gospels indicates that these were to be viewed as a means of grace, sacraments, or that they were physically necessary for one’s salvation.’ Meanwhile, as per ‘The cup: Three cups were passed around by the Jewish householder during the Passover meal; the third, which is probably the one referred to here, being known as “the cup of blessing.”
And ‘My blood of the new testament taken from the Greek Septuagint version of Exodus 24:8, with allusions to Jeremiah 31:31 and Zechariah 9:11. The covenant in Exodus 24: 8 was sealed with blood. Now, as per ‘Shed for many the remission of sins: Here is a clear statement that the death of Jesus was necessary to enable God to forgive sins. It, in fact, made it right or morally justified for Him to do so.’
Ah friends, so much happened on that penultimate day of Jesus’ life that we don’t have time nor space to recount it all in detail. But we do know that after supper Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, (John 13:2-17) which was another eye-opener for the disciples; their Master doing a slave’s job. And when Peter refused, Jesus simply told him: ‘If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.’ (John 2:8) It was a powerful example as Jesus told them. ‘If I then, your Lord and Master (Teacher), have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.’ (John 2:14) That’s a picture of the humility and selflessness we were talking about earlier.
Then Jesus told them about their being offended by the things that were going to happen to Him, but Peter as usual refused to accept Christ’s words, claiming he would never be offended or leave Jesus. At which point, Jesus told Peter about his denying Him thrice before the cock crowed twice. (Matt. 26:31-35) Then they went into the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus, with heavy heart and sorrowful soul prayed for a reprieve from His Father, but none was forthcoming. (Matt. 26:36-46)
Finally, Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, and all the disciples fled the scene. (Matt. 26:47-57) Then while Jesus was being questioned by the high priest Caiaphas, Peter denied knowing him three times before the cock crowed twice, and the Lord just looked at him, with an ‘I told you so’ look. And Peter went outside and wept bitterly. (Matt. 26:69-75) Yes my fellow saints, Maundy Thursday was indeed a busy and important day for our Lord and Saviour. But you’ll notice that though His soul was burdened, He nonetheless stepped up to the plate and batted the most wonderful innings ever played!
Now that is a most worthy example for us to follow, especially since we’ve been generously granted what we call our Thursday Blessings, of which we’re not worthy, but have been bestowed them to help us do Christ’s work here on earth. So, let’s declare (yesss!!!) them so that they can be activated. Altogether now: ‘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!’
Now it’s time for us to go out and do the work that we’ve been so generously blessed to do! Much LOVE!
…though also God…in His humanity…Jesus was indeed…a man amongst men…a class act…no doubt about it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
03 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: became obedient unto death, divine help, Easter Sunday, even unto death, forgive us and heal our land, found in fashion as a man, Good Friday, hear our prayer, Holy Week, humble servants, inhumane suffering, Jehovah Rapha, let this cup pass from me, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, man's sin-bearer, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, not my will but thine, Palm Sunday, pay for our abominable sins, prayed for a reprieve, separation from the Father, shed his sinless blood, sinned and disobeyed your Word, substitutionary death for mankind, sufferation, take his lumps, take the good with the bad, tarry ye here and watch with me, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the burden of the world's sins, the death of the cross, the Garden of Gethsemane, the God who heals, the wrath of God, turn from our evil ways, victory over hell death and the grave, won a magnificent victory
Matthew 26:38. My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry (wait) ye here, and watch with me.
Chuh! Man! Another Monday…another week of work! Why me eh? (smile) And this one will be a rough one because following the joyful festivities of Palm Sunday, it’s Holy Week, and all sorts of unsavoury things are happening in the Christian’s calendar, ending up with the crucifixion of Christ on Friday. We call it Good Friday, but it wasn’t good when it happened. It only turned out good when Christ rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, having won a magnificent victory over hell, death and the grave!
So, after the fear, the sadness and sorrow of Friday and Saturday, by Sunday evening everyone had gotten their jollies back with the awesome news of Christ’s resurrection making the rounds, just like His birth and death had done! (smile) Now, that resurrection was a most marvellous occasion which we all welcomed, but I guess like Job said, you have to take the bad with good. (Job 2:10) You can’t always expect good and no bad, even though you’re a believer in Christ, because the rain falls and the sun shines both on the good and bad. (Matt. 5:45)
And as we said yesterday, this Holy Week we’ve got stir up our faith, stand strong and steadfast and follow Jesus to the cross on Good Friday, where He endured ‘sufferation,’ that’s inhumane suffering over and above, with nary a word of complaint. Yes my fellow brethren, our Lord and Saviour, bled, shed His sinless blood and died on that rugged cross to pay for our abominable sins, because our heavenly Father desired it, and that was the only way it could be done justly and righteously.
Remember, the night before His crucifixion, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for a reprieve, but first said to Peter, James and John, who were with Him. ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry (wait) ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father. If it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:38-39) Oh friends, Jesus’ heart was indeed heavy, as He prayed the same thing three times, with no reprieve from the Father.
Deep down, He knew that He had to take His lumps, and He wasn’t so much afraid of the horrifying death, but more so about His first ever separation from the Father. He knew that once the burden of the world’s sins was placed on His sinless shoulders, the Father would shut Him out since He could not look on the totality of sin.
As the scholars offer: ‘The prayer for the cup to pass is not due to Jesus’ fear of death. Jesus questions the will of the Father as to the necessity of drinking the cup. While this may refer to death (he tasted death) it is more likely that the cup represents the wrath of God against sin, the divine wrath Christ would incur on the cross as man’s sin-bearer. In the awful anguish of that moment, the sin of the world was poured on Christ, and He became “sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21). Thus, the Righteous One dies a substitutionary death for guilty mankind.’
And that was indeed a mighty step, calling for much selflessness and obedience on Jesus’ part. No wonder Bruh Paul wrote these telling words to the church at Philippi. ‘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 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.’ (Eph. 2:5-8)
O, what a marvellous example of a son, our Jesus was! Denying Himself His rightful godly privileges and becoming a mortal man, so that He could do the Father’s bidding. Now none of us can ever reach the level that He reached, but we can all strive to be much better than we presently are. If not for our sake, then at least for Jesus’ sake. Just look at all He suffered on our behalf. Can we not put out the effort to be better disciples, better followers, better ambassadors and agents, with our salt salty as ever, and our lights shining all over the world, as He desires?
Is that too much to ask friends? I don’t think so. Not after what Jesus went through on our behalf. Doing what He asks is a piece of cake compared to what He went through for us. So please, this Holy Week, let’s step up to the plate and hit some home runs for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ nuh. He rightly deserves our improved play. Now, let’s go to God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for the wherewithal to improve our level of play. (smile)
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And we’ll close with this li’l gem of scripture from Bruh Paul’s missive to those same Philippians, which ought to encourage us to get moving for Christ. Bruh Paul writes: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) Yes my fellow saints, once the Lord begins working to remake us into the image of His wonderful Son, He’ll never stop until Jesus returns. So, let’s believe that and keep moving onwards and upwards in Christ, and thus fulfill our godly destiny. Much LOVE!
…we know all what we need to do to live for Jesus…so let’s cut out the foolishness and do it nuh…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
15 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, even unto death, grace mercy salvation, he hath made him to be sin for us, his sweat was as great drops of blood, I am the beloved of god, if it be possible, in god's eyes, Jesus - the number One person, let this cup pass from me, LOVE, made the righteousness of God, My God my God, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, negative possibilities, not as I will but as thou wilt, o my father, only the Father can rejuvenate our spirit, overcome the weakness of the flesh, poor frame of mind, pray that ye enter not into temptation, share His love with the world, tarry ye and watch with me, the agony of spiritual death, the curse of sin, the flesh is weak, the Garden of Gethsemane, the sin-bearer for all mankind, the spirit indeed is willing, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, watch and pray, who knew no sin, why hast thou forsaken me
Matthew 26:41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
And it’s a beautiful, sunshiny, though somewhat cold Tuesday morning! But that’s to be expected in the middle of winter. So once the sun is shining and we have Jesus as the number One person in our lives, then ALL’S right with the world, or at least our individual worlds. (smile) And yuh better believe that if we didn’t have the grace, mercy, salvation and all the other good benefits that following Jesus brings, I don’t know what would become of us. I refuse to even think of the sad, sorrowful and negative possibilities.
And I can testify to some of that right now, because today I’m tired and in a poor frame of mind. Yes friends, the ole fella is only human, and though most days I’m upbeat and carefree, sometimes I get down and tired, just like everybody else. (smile) And please note, that if you are also in the same tired and poor frame of mind, note that it’s not something to be ashamed of, for even our Lord and Saviour Jesus in His earthly sojourn, experienced that lowdown, tired feeling, and that’s why He so often went off by Himself to pray to His Father.
That’s because only the Father in His amazing generosity and LOVE can rejuvenate our spirit! And the best example we have of Jesus’ tired spirit is that night before His crucifixion when He went with His disciples to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew what was ahead, and that it was for that express purpose He had become flesh, but obviously as flesh, He still preferred not to experience the terrible things that were waiting in store for Him.
The Good Book tells the story thus: He left the main group of the disciples at the front of the garden, telling them: ‘Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him, Peter and the two sons of Zebedee (James and John), and began to be sorrowful (grieved) and very heavy (deeply distressed). Then said he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye (stay, wait) here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:36-39)
Now Luke’s gospel adds to the story. ‘And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.’ (Luke 22:43-44) And the scholars offer this interesting explanation on those verses.
‘22:43-44. Only Luke notes this. Jesus is borne up in His hour of greatest need, when He must intercede not only for Himself but for His followers, who are about to leave Him in the lurch. Agony appears only here in the New Testament; it points to the intensity of Jesus’ struggle. Surely Jesus wrestles, not so much with death itself, but with His own destiny to be made the sin-bearer for all mankind for all the ages. The punishment that had to be borne for our sins brings Jesus to His knees in anguish,’
And why wouldn’t it eh friends? The saving of the world from sin, would be the biggest occurrence after its creation. And it was all on Jesus’ shoulders. It would be like in Greek mythology, Atlas carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. No wonder on the cross, ‘At about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46)
And the Lord had forsaken Him. It was the first and only time they had been on separate sides. For as the scholars explain: ‘Here we have the high cost to Christ of His atonement for our sins, who was accursed of God as our sin-bearer (c.f. 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13) and suffered the agony of spiritual death for us.’
Now, this is going to make the Bit longer than I had originally planned, but since those referenced scriptures are ever so important to the understanding of Jesus’ situation, and only a few of us will check them out, I’m going to quote them here. The first one says: ‘For he hath made him (Jesus)to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21) And the next one proclaims: ‘Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made (having become) a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.’ (Gal. 3:13) And that last part there comes from Deuteronomy 21:23.
And now that that’s all been settled (smile), we can turn to Matt. 27:50, which says: ‘Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.’ The scholars say: ‘He…cried…with a loud voice, as a shout of triumph, and yielded up His Spirit. In other words, having borne the wrath of God’s judgement against sin, He knew He had triumphed over Satan and the curse of sin.’
Yes friends, that was all for our benefit! The Lord suffered a horrible death, with unfair, unwarranted punishment just so that we could have the option of salvation and eternal life. But do we seem to appreciate it eh? Not really nuh, when so many of us have turned away from Him, even refusing to acknowledge His name and His great work on our behalf.
However, let’s go back to that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, after the first of the three times He prayed the same prayer, and came back to His favourite threesome and found them sleeping: ‘he saith unto Peter, What could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt. 26:40-41)
And that is the gospel truth my people. Our spirit is usually willing, but our flesh, which belongs to Satan is very weak and very susceptible to the wiles and deceits of the enemy. That’s why we need prayer; prayer of the serious and sincere kind, if we are to overcome the temptations of sin. Only through the power of Jesus cross and His shed blood can we successfully fight the devil and his evil cohorts, whose only intent is to keep us away from the LOVE, the mercy, grace and salvation offered by Christ.
And I’m chuckling here my fellow saints, because my spirit has been lifted…give the Lord thanks and praise! That’s because I’ve been involved in His Word and been seeing how Jesus handled the low ebb of His spirit while here on earth with us. So there’s no doubt of the truth that communication with the Lord and His Word is the best way to lift our tired and weary spirits. And for those of us who truly believe that, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know 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 all that’s left is for us to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…it’s tough to do…but if we sincerely concentrate on Jesus…we can overcome the weakness of the flesh…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
22 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessing for obedience to God, a whole new flock, Abba Father, alive and in good health, all or nothing at all, all things are possible unto thee, all to Christ, bares his aching heart to the Lord, be responsible, but what thou wilt, Christians, come back to normal, Covid 19 virus, divine nature, embrace your love and compassion, faithful believers, flee before thee seven ways, free will, go tell my enemies, God's ways confound the wise, handle the situation properly, human nature, I am under the rock, I surrender, in a Christlike manner, in earth as it is in heaven, indisputable truth, listen to the evil deceiver, LOVE, mind boggling, mire of misfortune, nevertheless not what I will, not partial surrender but total, omnipotent help, racial strife, seeking a last minite escape, sufferation of the cross, take away this cup, thank you for life and love Lord, that rise up against thee, the children suffering too, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord promised it in His word, the Lord shall cause thine enemies, the ordinary workingman, the prince of darkness, they shall come out against thee one way, think ah losing mih mind, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, to be smitten before thy face, wake up and smell the coffee, wise guidance
Mark 14:36c. nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt (will, desire).
Oh people, this Friday morning, go tell my enemies that I am under the Rock and nothing they do will hurt me or mine! Why ah think so eh? Because the Lord promised it in His Word which is the indisputable truth.
Hear it nuh: ‘The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face (defeated): they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.’ (Deut. 28:7)
Mama Yo! What a promise! And just for your info, that doesn’t just come automatically, but it’s a blessing for obedience to God and His word and will. So, if you think you can live any ole how and still get that promise fulfilled, yuh sadly mistaken.
You have to surrender yuh whole self to Him, not only a part, but all of it, and then live the way He desires. The Lord doesn’t want partial surrender, but total. With Him, it’s like the ole people would say: ‘ALL or nothing at all!’
And the ultimate in surrender is the Son of God on His knees in the Garden of Gethsemane when His true moment was upon Him. ‘And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt (will, desire).’ (Mark 14:36)
Yeh friends, Jesus wasn’t looking forward to the ‘sufferation’ of the cross, and His human nature was seeking a last minute escape, although His divine nature knew that that was the ONLY way to make the whole sin business just and legitimate in the Father’s eyes and nature.
So to be real Christians, we too have to subordinate our will to that of God. As Jesus taught us: ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.’ (Matt. 6:10) Amen! And that’s my message this chilly, cloudy winter’s morn. (smile)
Now let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say on whatever nuh. And unfortunately, his demeanour isn’t as joyful as it once was. ‘Well thank God is Friday yes! Ah don’t have no work, but at least I’m alive and in good health. Although sometimes I think ah losing mih mind with all this inactivity.
Steups! When it going to done eh? When things going to come back to normal eh…well as least some sort of normal, because ah don’t think we’ll ever go back to the carefree way we were. This pandemic and all the other problems going to have some effect on the way we live after all this done. Is just how and when.
And the children and them suffering plenty too. They can’t go outside and play with deh friends, they can’t go to school and this online learning not satisfactory for the long haul. So how they going to manage eh, if this lasts much longer, because children need to be children, and locking up in a house without any outside children contact beside on the computer is not being children.
And now with variants and whatever new thing cropping up, how and when all this going to end eh Lord? Only you know that yes. So, much as it real rough and mind boggling, ah leaving it up to You, doh have much choice anyway. Thank you for life and LOVE Lord!’
Yes friends, as always, the ordinary workingman bares his aching heart to the Lord. Do we do that, or are we too proud to go to the Lord, our Creator and Controller, whose ways confound the wise, and ask for His divine help?
Many of us don’t, because we feel that we control our own destiny, but that’s a sad and foolish thought, for the Lord has a plan for every life that He allows to be born on His planet Earth, and our free will and ability to influence our own lives, only extends within the limits of His plan and purpose.
Now doesn’t the turbulent times of today teach us a lesson re our freedom to do as we please? It ought to, because try as we want, we not conquering any of the many problems we currently facing. As we seem to get one under some sort of control, another problem raises its ugly head, and we fall right back into the mire of misfortune and disobedience.
Just look at how we finally find a vaccine for the corona virus, and then what suddenly and unexpectedly happen? Different variants, different strains of the virus show up to cause even more trouble. Friends, all this is trying to tell us, to teach us is that without God, regardless of all the free will and wisdom we have, we are still nothing in His sight, if we don’t obey His will.
And furthermore, until we wise up and realize that the prince of darkness, the ruler of this evil world cannot save or help us in these, or any troubled times, crapaud going to continue smoking we pipe! ONLY Almighty God has that awesome power!
So, if we want to keep on listening to the lies of the evil deceiver and suffer all the unnecessary tribulation, because of our foolish pride and unfounded arrogance, then go ahead. But for those of us who think and believe otherwise, let’s go to our wonderful and trustworthy God in prayer, baring our souls to Him in sincere supplication and adoration through our Friday Chant.
So as one strong, confident, but also humble voice let’s pray: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing.
We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible.
And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
That pledge now requires us to go out and handle the situation properly; that means in a Christlike manner, with LOVE, mercy, grace, forgiveness and prayer! Much LOVE!
…I surrender…I surrender…I surrender ALL to Christ…
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