the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ

The Overwhelming Importance of Accepting Jesus’ Call Immediately, because Time and Life are in Short Supply!

04 Oct 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a heart-moving song, a promise of love pardon and mercy, as a father pitieth his children, as fas as the east is from the west, as the heaven is high above the earth, awakened the dormant believer, bless the LOrd o my soul, calling for you and for me, come and accept God's mercy together, come home, come short of the glory of God, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, coming for you and for me, crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies, death is coming sooner or later, deathbeds are coming, disobedience, divine strength, earnestly tenderly Jesus is calling, faith, find rest unto your souls, for all have sinned, forget not all his benefits, gentle and humble in heart, God's grace, gospel truth, he has mercy and pardon, he hath not dealt with us after our sins, he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust, healeth all thy diseases, holy spirit, Hymnary.org website, I will give you rest, Jesus Christ, Jesus has the situation fully covered, Jesus is calling like a mother after her children, keeps us keeping on, learn from me, LOVE, love of the world, make the wise decision to seek Jesus, meek and lowly in heart, mercies for you and for me, mercy, my yoke is easy and my burden light, neither will he keep his anger for ever, nothing to be gained by delay, O sinner come home, offering up praise and thanskgiving, on the portals he's waiting and watching, only through Jesus are those wonderful things available, pardon for you and for me, passing from you and from me, pleading for you and for me, plenteous in mercy, promised for you and for me, redeemeth thy life from destruction, rewarded us according to our iniquities, salvation, satisfieth thy mouth with good things, shadows are gathering, sinful and material pleasures, slow to anger, so far hath he removed our transgressions, so great is his mercy to them that fear him, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him, Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling, song of worship, stubbornness, sweet sacrificies of praise, take my yoke upon you, the best decision you can ever make, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, the Great Invitation of Jesus, the long and short of the story, the Lord is merciful and gracious, the Lord will not always chide, the Lord's Day, the moments are passing, the most wonderful thing in the world is coming home to jesus, the wages of sin is death, this evil and ungodly world, though we have sinned, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, time is now fleeting, time to gather in the Lord's sanctuary, to experience all those wonderful things, to them that reverence him, truth, turbulent times, watching for you and for me, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, why linger and heed not his mercies, why tarry when Jesus is pleading, Will L. Thompson, wisdom, you who are weary come home

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 October 2026 Matthew 11:28.

Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Here we go again my fellow believers, time to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary on His day, Sunday, and sing out our hearts to Him, offering up oodles of praise and thanksgiving for all that’s He’s done for us down through the ages, while receiving in return, His grace and divine strength that keeps us keeping on in this evil and ungodly world.

And today’s song of worship is a beautiful, uplifting and most appropriate Christian hymn for these dangerous and turbulent times. It was written in 1880 by American born Will Lamartine Thompson (1847-1909), who after having problems with selling his songs to a commercial publisher began publishing them himself. The song is titled ‘Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling,’ and according to the Wikipedia website, it’s his most famous and well-loved composition.

‘It has circulated far beyond its origins in the American Restoration Movement. It’s also among the most prolifically translated gospel songs and has spread appealingly into the repertoire of various fellowships of Christendom.’ And we all know why…because it’s a wonderful, spirit and heart-moving song. So, let’s now offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo version, so that all who hear it will feel it deep down in their souls.

Singing: ‘Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me; see, on the portals he’s waiting and watching, watching for you and for me. (Refrain: Come home, come home; you who are weary come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!) Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading, pleading for you and for me? Why should we linger and heed not his mercies, mercies for you and for me? (Refrain)

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing, passing from you and from me; shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming, coming for you and for me. (Refrain) O for the wonderful LOVE he has promised, promised for you and for me! Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon, pardon for you and for me. (Refrain: Come home, come home; you who are weary come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home! (Repeat)’

Yes my brethren, Jesus is out there looking for us, sincerely calling us to come home to Him. He’s at the door, anxiously waiting for us to accept His invitation. And I like how this commentary from the Hymnary.org website explains the song. ‘This hymn invites us to come and accept God’s mercy together. The first stanza and refrain give the picture that Jesus is gently calling, like a mother after her small children. The second stanza reminds us that there is nothing to be gained by delay, especially when the third warns that death is coming sooner or later. The final stanza entices us with a promise of love, pardon, and mercy that is wonderfully available for those who wish to accept it.’

And it’s all the gospel truth my people! And furthermore, it says that ‘Thompson was inspired to devote himself to writing while attending a meeting by popular evangelist Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899). When Moody was dying in the hospital he told Thompson, “Will, I would rather have written ‘Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling’ than anything I have been able to do in my whole life.” Now, if a famous evangelist like Moody could say something like that, it just shows how remarkable the song truly is.

And it certainly recalls, Jesus’ Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Oh friends, there could never be a better invitation than that issued by Jesus, for He has the situation fully covered. And it’s just our stubbornness and disobedience, through LOVE of the world and it’s sinful and material pleasures that keep us from accepting His wonderful invitation to come home to Him.

As the song says: ‘Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon, pardon for you and for me.’ He does indeed, for the Bible tells us: ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God;’ (Rom. 3:23) However, the Bible also tells us: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus.’ (Rom. 6:23) Yuh see that mih people, the Lord has made provision for all of our sins, through Jesus. That means you have to come home to Jesus if you want your sins forgiven, so that you can be blessed with eternal life.

And I believe Psalm 103 puts it all in the right perspective. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s…. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS).

He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-KINDESS) toward them that fear (reverence) him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear (reverence) him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103:2-5; 8-14)

Oh my people, the long and short of the story is, if you want to experience all those wonderful things that the psalmist acclaims, then you must come home to Jesus, because it’s only through Him, that all of that wonderful stuff is available. So, let’s hope that today with all the good stuff we’ve talked about, and all the amazing things that are awaiting all those who come to Jesus, we’ve awakened the dormant believer in you. (smile) Remember, it’s all up to you. You need to make the wise decision to seek Jesus, although He’s always waiting for your call. Believe me, turning to Him, is the best decision you can ever make! Much LOVE!

…the most wonderful thing in the world…is coming home to Jesus…

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

The Uncertainty of Faith on the Earth when Jesus Returns!

23 Jul 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a free gift of God, a great rise in lawlessness, accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, apostasy, attain eternal life, be not soon shaken in mind, betrayals, blessing and cursing, choose life, choosing eternal life over eternal death, choosing Jesus over Satan, christianity, cry day and night unto him, die by the flesh, embracing evil and ungodliness, endure to the very end with Christ, eternal death, even when faced with adversity, except there come a falling away first, faith, get doing the Lord's work, get our acts together, god moves in mysterious ways, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, halfway home, hands on the plough, hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, he that believeth not is condemned already, he that believeth on him is not condemned, he that shall endure to the end, he will avenge them speedily, holy spirit, I call heaven and earth, I have set before you life and death, iniquity shall abound, Jesus Christ, know the truth of God's word, LOVE, many false prophets shall rise, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, natural disasters, neither be troubled by spirit or word or letter, not looking back at the past, not turning back, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, persecutions, rumours of wars, salvation, satan a toothless lion, set us free from the bondage of sin, shall God not avenge his own elect, shall he find faith on the earth, thank God, that both thou and thy seed shall live, that man of sin shall be revealed, the antichrist, the BIBLE, the big money question, the breath of life, the death of our spiritual souls, the epitome of wisdom, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, the importance of perseverance in prayer, the love of many shall wax cold, the parable of the unjust judge, the potential for faith to wane over time, the same shall be saved, the son of perdition, the wages of sin is death, the world through him might be saved, though he bear long with them, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be carnally minded is death, to be left behind, to be spiritually minded is life and peace, to record this day against you, truth, turning away from God, unwise behaviour, vindicate those who persevere in faith, walk in the flesh, walk in the Spirit, when the Son of man cometh, when the trumpet sounds up yonder, wisdom, wisdom in spades

Luke 18:8. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

And then it was Wednesday, our second wind day. But Brother, are these second wind days ever coming up quickly! (smile) The truth is that all the days are moving ahead quickly, waiting for nothing or no one, so we all had better get our acts together and get doing the Lord’s work, because it would be a serious mistake to get left behind when the trumpet sounds up yonder. (smile)

And who says our God isn’t wonderful and moves in mysterious ways eh, for as I opened the Good Library, it opened at that passage in Luke where Jesus was telling the parable of the unjust judge who refused to give justice to a wronged woman, but finally did so when she kept bothering him. What caught my eye though was this very relevant observation of Jesus. ‘Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall God not avenge (vindicate) his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge (vindicate) them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?’ (Luke 18:6-8)

Now that’s the important question in these evil and ungodly times my people! When Jesus returns to earth, how much faithful believers will there be eh? Judging by the way we’re turning away from Him and embracing evil and ungodliness, it might not be a substantial amount, although the Lord has promised to vindicate those who persevere in faith.

And this commentary offers an interesting take on the subject. It says: ‘This question, posed by Jesus, implies a potential decrease in faith among humanity. The parable of the persistent widow in the preceding verses highlights the importance of perseverance in prayer and faith, even when faced with adversity, and contrasts this with the potential for faith to wane over time.’

And there are a couple of scriptures that suggest that very thing, the waning of faith preceding Christ’s return. The first one is Jesus speaking to the disciples re signs of His coming again and the end of the world. He tells them about wars and rumours of wars, a lot of natural disasters, betrayals and persecutions for His sake. ‘And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity (lawlessness) shall abound, the LOVE of many shall wax (grow) cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:11-13) And right now we are seeing a titanic rise in lawlessness and licentiousness, which are certainly reducing the ranks of the believers.

Then Bruh Paul warns the Thessalonians thus: ‘That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that day of Christ is at hand (had come). Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.’ (2 Thess. 2:2-3)

Now, according to the scholars the Thessalonians were anxious and deeply troubled when Bruh Paul talks about the about the Rapture (our gathering together unto him in vs.1), thinking that the day of Christ had already begun. Then the falling away is the great and final apostasy or repudiation of the Christian faith that will occur at the appearance of the son of perdition, the Antichrist. So Bruh Paul himself is insinuating that when the Antichrist appears there will be a “falling away” or apostasy that will precede the return of Christ.

How sad that will be, for so many will have to face eternal death because of their foolish and unwise behaviour and beliefs. And what makes it even worse is that so many of us know the truth of God’s Word which can set us free from the bondage of sin, but we refuse to accept it for whatever reason. Maybe the attractiveness of sinful behaviour is too powerful for us to resist, or we just LOVE it despite its terrible consequences. For remember if we walk in the flesh, we will die by the flesh, but if we walk in the Spirit of God, we will attain eternal life. ‘For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom. 8:6)

Yes friends, only when we follow the leading and guidance of God’s Holy Spirit will we ever enter heaven’s pearly gates and see His wonderful face. And this other scripture verse puts it quite simply but truthfully. ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.’ (Rom. 6:23) And the beauty of the whole situation is that you don’t have to work hard to get it, because it’s a free gift of God! All you have to do is simply accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and begin seriously living for Him instead of for Satan.

And Jesus said it very clearly to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who, fearful of his fellow rulers, came to Him under cover of night seeking answers. ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:17-18)

It could not be more explicit or straightforward than that my brethren! It’s very simple: you believe in Jesus and you live. You don’t believe in Him and you die. Please note we’re speaking of the life and death of our spiritual souls not our physical bodies, for we all shall die a physical death, but the big question is where will our souls go after our physical death? That’s the big money question my fellow believers!

And the answer is in the hands of each of God’s human creations. We each make the final decision as to where we spend eternity. But please, let’s allow wisdom to rule and do like Moses advised the Israelites way back when: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) Now that’s wisdom in spades! And having wisely accepted it (smile) let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world 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 there’s an even more glorious future promised to those who endure to the very end with Jesus, one that our finite minds cannot even imagine or comprehend. So let’s endure to the end nuh, so that together, we can enjoy the glorious future with Christ! Much LOVE!

…the epitome of wisdom is…choosing Jesus over Satan…eternal life over eternal death…

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

SCRIP-BITS

The Overwhelming Importance of Accepting Jesus’ Call Immediately, because Time and Life are in Short Supply!

The Uncertainty of Faith on the Earth when Jesus Returns!

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