21 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bad influence, a bed of pain, a broken world, a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, a valuable experience, all things are possible, an open door, an unworthy friend, bad attitudes, beside still waters, Bible, build a new life, bury the hatchet, calamity, chaotic world, christianity, Christians, cleans up collected clutter, comforting us, concentrate on today's troubles, courage to discard, desires trouble, discover new skills, do all things, Dr. Robert H Schuller, drying our tears, duty bound, embrace Jesus as Lord and Saviour, faith, friendship of Christ, frustrates you, future troubles, gospel truth, green pastures, hardships, hidden talents, hiding your real talents, holy spirit, Hour of Power Devotional, hurry, in god's eyes, interesting possibilities, Jesus Christ, leads you down a new road, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, lurks furtively in your path, lying undetected, makes a cold heart warm, makes a greedy man generous, makes a hard man compassionate, makes a person forget himself, makes you furious enough, mercy, no courage to leave, opportunities in disguise, paths of righteousness, problems, protects you from an unknown hazard, quit a job, renew, renewing our joy, restoring our souls, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, shelters you from a sin, slams a door in your face, start thinking of others, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, tears out of your life, the amazing love of Christ, the beloved of God, the dustbin of history, the good shepherd, the throes of trouble, through Christ who strengthens me, to fight for a good cause, to our advantage, too arrogant to believe, too blind to see, too busy to serve, too highly valued, too stubborn to accept, trouble, trouble teaches you valuable lessons, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unable to help, under cabbage fields, uplift, veins of gold, waiting to tempt you, When trouble is not trouble, wisdom, work week frustrations, worry
Matthew 6:33b. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble, calamity) thereof.
And then it was Tuesday! Yes friends, I know it’s somewhat surprising the speed with which Monday disappeared. No sooner had it shown up with its new work week frustrations, then it was gone! That’s the way the days seem to work nowadays. Remember what Jesus said: ‘Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble, calamity) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:33b). That means we have to concentrate on the troubles of the reigning day. However, by the time you can get a handle on the problems of a sunny and very cold Tuesday, that too will be thrown into the dustbin of History, never to be remembered, and you’ll be dealing with the calamities of Wednesday!
Ah Lord eh! It just seems to be another set of troubles day after day, especially in this currently chaotic and disastrous world Before you can finish with one, another one pops up. That’s why it’s so wonderful to have Jesus in our lives, because with His Holy Spirit indwelling us, and the tools and promises to be found in His Word, we are guaranteed a way to handle even the most worrying and troubling of troubles! (smile)
And talking about trouble, I want to share an interesting expose on the subject from Dr. Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power Book of Daily Meditation and Inspiration. This meditation is titled: ‘When is Trouble not Trouble?’ So please read with me. ‘When is trouble not trouble, you ask? When it protects you from an unknown hazard on the road ahead, or shelters you from a sin that, unknown to you, lurks furtively in your path waiting to tempt and trip you, then trouble is not trouble!
When trouble cleans up collected clutter that you valued too highly and did not have the courage to discard or destroy, or when it tears out of your life an unworthy friend whom you were unable to help and who was not a good influence on your life, then trouble is not trouble! When trouble makes you furious enough to fight for a good cause you were too busy to serve, or frustrates you so that you quit a job that was too long hiding your real talents and forces you to discover new skills and hidden talents that were lying undetected like veins of gold under cabbage fields, then trouble is not trouble!
When trouble cause two parties, long unspeaking, to bury the hatchet; when it makes a person forget himself and start thinking of others; when it makes a greedy man generous, a hard man compassionate, a cold heart warm, a thoughtless man considerate – then trouble is not without its reward! When trouble teaches you valuable lessons that you would have been too blind to see, too arrogant to believe, or too stubborn to accept any other way than by this bed of pain; when it slams a door in your face to force you out of a rut that you would never have had the courage to leave and leads you down a new road through an open door, then trouble may be a most valuable experience!’
And isn’t that gospel truth my people! What we consider trouble often unexpectedly opens up our hearts, minds, souls and bodies to better things, more interesting possibilities and exposes bad attitudes that we might be holding on to too tightly. Granted, none of us desires to have troubles, but since we’re living in a broken, troubled world, we’re all going to experience trouble at some time or the other. And when we do, it will be to our great advantage to try and learn something from it, for as they say, problems are merely opportunities in disguise, meaning that though they may show up as hardships, they are actually means to help us live a fuller and better life.
However, we have to look at those problems in a more thoughtful way to divine the hidden opportunities they may present. And I know that all of us have had experiences with several, or even all of those trouble not being trouble scenarios that Dr. Schuller has pointed out. Hopefully, we have been wise enough to have seen the hidden opportunities that they presented. And if not, knowing what we now know, then in the future, we will endeavour to seek out those hidden opportunities, so that we can uplift, renew or even build a new life around.
And please don’t open your eyes in surprise about future troubles,, because it’s certain that while we’re living in this troubled world, we will always have troubles, be they piddling or mind-boggling. (smile) The important thing to understand is that with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, all things are possible, and therefore we can do all things through the strength He provides us. (Phil. 4:13)
And if He is our Guiding Light, then we will understand that His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths. (Ps. 119:105) That means He will be our Good Shepherd, leading us down the paths of righteousness to green pastures, beside still waters, restoring our souls, renewing our joy, and drying our tears; in other words, comforting us whenever we are engulfed in the throes of trouble. (Ps. 23)
And now, with all of this trouble stuff fully understood, (smile) let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said all of that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…trouble is only trouble…when you think it’s trouble…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of righteousness, abide in me and I in you, accept the good with the bad, cast them into the fire, faith, finished my course, glorify your Father which is in heaven, herein is my Father glorified, hurry, I am the true vine, I am the vine ye are the branches, I have fought a good fight, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, Let your light so shine before men, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, my Father is the husbandman, salvation, see your good works, share His love with my neighbour, that God in all things may be glorified, the beloved of God, the bread of life, the door, the good shepherd, the light of the world, the righteous judge, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the way the truth and the life, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing, worry
John 15:1. I AM the true (genuine) VINE, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser).
Prologue: Please accept my apologies for writing yesterday that it was Canada Day instead of Family Day. I truly don’t know how that happened, and hopefully my ole brain won’t malfunction again. (smile)
Oh friends, it’s a beautiful winter’s Tuesday in my neck of the woods! It’s cold, as is expected of winter, but not too chilly, and with no recent precipitation, it’s also dry, so, when you add the blazing sunshine that’s reflecting off of the white snow, it just becomes a perfect winter’s day! That’s my idea of winter. Those are the kind of days that I don’t mind going out in, not the miserable, wet, slushy stuff. As far as I’m concerned, the latter kind of day is made to simply stay indoors and leave the outside world alone. (smile) But as we know, that’s not always possible, and as Job said, we must learn to accept the good with the bad. (Job 2:10)
But the good thing about having to accept the bad is that we always have Jesus with us to help us handle it. Glory to God! For Jesus is our Bread of Life; the Light of our darkened world; the Door through which we enter the sheepfold; our Good Shepherd; the Resurrection and the Life, through whom we gain eternal life; the Way, the Truth, and the Life, by whom we come unto the Father, and also our nourishing Vine through whom we get healthy food and thus bear good fruit. And that Vine is the last of Jesus’ seven great ‘I AM’ statements, which we’ll look at today.
That happens when Jesus talks to the disciples and figuratively refers to the kingdom as one large, but fruitful grapevine, and then explains the divine-human relationship that thus exists. He says: ‘I AM the true (genuine) VINE, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser). (John 15:1) Yes friends, the basic relationship is that Jesus is the vine, we are the branches and the Father is the gardener who tends the vine, who does whatever is necessary to keep the vine flourishing and bearing good fruit.
Then Jesus breaks it down to simple elements, as is His wont. ‘Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he (the Father – vinedresser) taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth (prunes) it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through (because of) the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide n the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. IAM the VINE, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:1-5)
There’s Jesus telling it exactly like it is my fellow believers; without Him we’re basically helpless to live the abundant life that He died for us to have! We’ve all seen different kinds of vines, where the branches are spread all over the place, but they get their nourishment from one central main vine. Without that main vine to nourish them, the branches will have no chance of surviving, much less of bearing good fruit. The same allegory applies to us and Jesus: if we don’t stick to Him like a branch sticks to it’s mother vine, then we’ll perish for lack of nourishment, both spiritual and physical, for Jesus is the One who gives us true life.
Remember His great ‘I AM’ statement: ‘I AM the Resurrection and the Life’ Yes, Jesus is the One who gives us eternal life, the One through whom we get to the Father. So, sticking closely to Jesus is a no-brainer! And He says just that in His next words. ‘If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.’ (John 15:6) Oh my people, might Jesus be there talking about the day of judgement when we come before Him to answer for our words, thoughts and deeds? It surely seems so. That means if we’re not found to have abided in Him, we’ll be cast into the fires of hell and painfully consumed.
And that’s certainly not a nice thing to contemplate, so let’s be wise and abide in Him nuh. And Jesus further explains why that is the wise choice. ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit: so shall ye be my disciples.’ (John 15:7-8) Now isn’t that much more wonderful than facing the fires of hell? It most certainly is! So why aren’t many more of us abiding in Christ, and bearing much more fruit through which the Father is glorified eh?
We each have to answer that question for ourselves, for we cannot live by or through another’s faith, for we will be judged only on our faith journey. Remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount? ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,’ (Matt. 5:16) And to glorify our great God is our major purpose on this earth my brethren! Even that was Jesus’ main purpose, as He says in His prayer: ‘I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.’ (John 17:4)
Likewise friends, at the end of our lives, we should also be able to say that we have glorified the Lord. And Peter puts it quite nicely: ‘If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances, statements) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in ALL THINGS may be glorified through Christ Jesus, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 4:11)
Now that ought to lift us up and cause us to live for Christ, so that at the end, we can say like Bruh Paul did to Timothy. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:7-8) Oh friends, there’s no better way to depart this world, but we first have to put in the time, effort and sacrifice for Jesus!
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do 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 voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said all of that, it’s now our duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like w do! Much LOVE!
…if you don’t stick to the vine…the vinedresser will cast you into the fire…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
20 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all we like sheep have gone astray, cast off restraint, Christmas, endure to the end, everyone has turned to their own way, eyes fixed straight ahead, free will, get down to brass tacks, glad to be alive, God's moral law, hands on the plough, I do not forget thy commandments, I have gone astray, it is not the will of your Father in heaven, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ is our Good Shepherd, like a lost sheep, LOVE, not turning back, one of these little ones perish, rejoiceth the more of that lost sheep, second-wind day, seek thy servant, seeketh that which was gone astray, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the good shepherd, the iniquity of us all, the Lord hath laid on him, the onus is on us, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, where there is no vision the people perish, while there is life there is hope, wisdom
Psalm 119:176. I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
And then it was Wednesday, the second-wind day of our work week, but unlike yesterday, today has more cloud than sunshine, however it’s dry. And one out of two is never bad! (smile) We are also late, because on most Wednesdays at ten a.m. I go to a small church service lasting about half an hour, consisting on average of around seven people. But it’s a close knit and cozy gathering, without a lot of church rhetoric, more like a discussion group, although we do pray for those who’ve asked the church for prayers, and receive communion.
And believe me, I sometimes get more out of that small gathering than the big, church service. But that might just me, with my contrary self. (smile) And after that, I had to run around and do a couple of errands before coming home, which made me even later. But here we are at last. (smile) Anyway, enough palaver, let’s get down to brass tacks. Now, today, we’re going to look at a rather appropriate verse of scripture for these trying and ungodly times. It comes from the longest chapter in the Good Library, Psalm 119. And the verse most expressively and wisely says: ‘I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.’ (Ps. 119:176)
And that, my fellow believers, is something that could be said about many of us in these difficult and mind boggling times. Many of us, for whatever reason(s) have gone astray like lost sheep, but deep down in our hearts the Lord’s commandments are still there. We’re just not following them. Consequently, the psalmist, because he’s recognized his mistake, is asking the Lord to search for Him, like a shepherd goes out and looks for a lost sheep, and so bring him back to His fold.
Oh my people, many of us could surely benefit from that prayer; asking the Lord to search for us and bring us back to Him. Remember what Isaiah said on the subject. ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:6) Yes, that’s a very good description of our current society. Everyone, including believers, is intent on doing his or her own thing. That’s just the way of today’s world. Rules and regulations are bypassed without even a bat of an eyelash. We seem to truly believe the saying that rules were made to be broken. No wonder our world is in such chaos, for where law and order don’t exist, or are not treated as important, then chaos will prevail, as it’s certainly doing in numerous parts of our groaning planet earth.
Cousin Sol said it this way in Proverbs: ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision or revelation) the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) And that’s exactly what’s happening today; there’s no prophetic vision or revelation in our society; God’s Word, His moral law, is not recognized by many, and that’s what keeps a society balanced and on the right path. Consequently, if God’s moral law is being disdained and refuted, as Cousin Sol so wisely says, the people will perish. And that’s exactly what’s happening to us right now, we’re perishing, because we have cast off any restraint we had when we followed God’s moral law.
But the good news my people, is that there’s still hope for us. That old saying, where there’s life there’s hope,’ is oh so true! And most importantly, please remember that we have a Good Shepherd, who is totally interested in us and our whereabouts. His name is Jesus Christ, and in a few days, at Christmas we’ll be celebrating His magnificent incarnate birth. However, when He became a man, He made these bold bit true and faithful statements per our safety and protection. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth is life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) Then, He went out and did just that; died of us on the cross at Calvary.
He also said; ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:14) Yes friends, Jesus knows who belongs to Him, and we ought to know that we belong to Him, for He bought us with the price of his precious blood which flowed on Calvary’s hill. (1 Pet. 1:18-19)
And furthermore, Jesus acknowledged His shepherd’s duties and values towards us, when He told this parable of the lost sheep. ‘How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which was gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth the more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.’ (Matt. 18:12-14)
How wonderful is that my fellow saints! Our heavenly Father doesn’t want any of us to perish, but we must take the proactive action and seek Him out. He’s always there, but the choice has to be ours; we must want to be a part of His fold. He will never refuse us, but neither will He force us to accept Him against our will. He’s always cognizant of our whereabouts and our state of mind, body and soul, and lurking just in the background, anxiously waiting for our cry for help, so He can quickly jump in and restore us to the beautiful relationship He’s planned for all of His children. But please remember, that although sometimes God invites us, the onus is on us to make the connection, and/or accept the invitation. That’s why He gave us free will.
And having straightened out those matters, (smile) let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘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 it’s also been faithfully promised that those who endure with Jesus down to the very end, will enjoy an even more glorious future than they can ask or imagine! Wow! Hope to se you there! Much LOVE!
…if you’re lost and want help…please cry out to the Good Shepherd…He’ll be there in a jiffy…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
13 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: blowing away the heather, breathed the breath of life, faith, free choice, friendship with the world is enmity with God, giveth grace to the humble, he shall lift you up, heavenly light, holy spirit, humble servants, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I am the vine ye are the branches, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our everything, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nothing without Jesus, on the cross at Calvary, pray and sincerely seek your face, reconciled back to the Father, resist the devil and he will flee from you, sacrificed His sinless life, salty flavour, submit yourselves to God, the earth is the Lord's, the God who heals, the good shepherd, the grim reaper, the Lord giveth thee power to get wealth, the way the truth and the life, truth, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing
James 4:10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
And we’ve been blessed with a bright sunny Monday to begin our new work week, with double digit temperatures! Please give the Lord some thanks and praise for it, because it could have easily been rain and snow instead! (smile) Ah friends, I do hope that we’re out there blowing away the heathen with our superb salty flavour and blinding them with our heavenly light, so that they can know we’re not just ordinary people, but sincere followers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the One who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary so that our sin debt could be paid in full, and we could thus be reconciled back to our heavenly father. Glory be!
What a wonderful Lord and Saviour is our Jesus! He is the shepherd of our souls: He said it Himself: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep….I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:11, 14) And not only is Jesus our good shepherd, but He’s also the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father but through him! (John 14:6) Wow! Jesus has the best way for us to live this earthly life! In other words, He’s our EVERYTHING! And we are NOTHING without Him!
Listen as He tells it loud and clear: ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5)
Mama Mia! What a powerful, all-encompassing statement! Without Jesus we can’t do much of anything. And that’s the gospel truth, for the universe and all there is belongs to Him, He created it, for His pleasure. Bruh David said it thus in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
And likewise friends, the Lord created us in His own spiritual image to honour and glorify Him. He breathed the breath of life into each human being He created and can just as summarily take it away. And we had better learn to respect that li’l piece of info, for it’s why, when the Grim Reaper appears to take us home, we are helpless to say no.
Furthermore, since the earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord, that means it’s also the Lord who allows us to get wealth and live the good and comfortable life. As Moses reminded the Hebrew children so long ago on their way to the Promised Land. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.’ (Deut. 8:18) In fact my faithful brethren it’s the Lord who gives us power to get or do anything whatsoever! And physical wealth and abundance is one of God’s great blessings for those who are obedient and follow His divine will.
And since God did not want us to be merely robots, He gave us what we call free choice; the ability to do as we please. However, that free choice does come with serious repercussions if we don’t do His will. He gave us the free choice expecting that we’d be wise enough to use it follow Him not the evil Satan, like so many of us are doing. And that’s why the sin and evil in this world are eating us up and spitting us out like wood chips from a wood factory. We cannot control the evildoers and their evil deeds by our own efforts. No, we need the health and strength and the complete wherewithal of Christ Jesus to do it.
And it’s not always easy to fight off the devil, but as James says it begins thus: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10) Now that right there says it all friends. We need to humble ourselves in God’s sight, not behave proud and arrogant and like we have no need for Him.
As James says earlier on: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will (wants) to be a friend of the world, is (makes himself) the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy (yearns jealously)? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’ (James 4:4-6)
Oh my people, once upon a time we were complete enemies of God, but when the time was right He sent Jesus to die for us so that we could become His children once again. Now we have the choice, the option of being a child of God or one of Satan. It only makes complete sense to choose the best option, that of being a son of God, for the other option only leads to hellfire and damnation. But that calls for humbling ourselves before Him. So let’s do that right now nuh, approach the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for divine help.
Altogether now: ‘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 if we’ve truly learned our lesson, then we’ll turn from our evil ways and humble ourselves before Almighty God! Much LOVE!
…the Lord hates the haughty…they are an abomination unto Him… (Prov. 6:17)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
11 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant sense of peace and calm, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, bind heavy burdens, blindingly beautiful, changing us into a Christ-like image, charging exorbitant prices, come unto me, encouraging scripture, eternal life Jesus, eternal separation with Satan, find rest unto your souls, gentle and humble, grievous to be borne, grow from glory to glory, his commandments are not grievous, I am meek and lowly in heart, I will give you rest, Jesus a magnificent example to humanity, lay them on men's shoulders, learn of me, mounds of snow, my yoke is easy and my burden light, our eternal destiny, snowblowers, take my yoke upon you, the good shepherd, the Holy Spirit, the scribes and Pharisees, the way the truth and the life, this is the love of God, true and inerrant Word of God
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Oh my, my! It’s a blindingly beautiful, sunshiny, lazy Saturday morning! (smile) Yes friends, when you look out at the mounds of snow as the bright sunshine falls on it, it’s liable to blind you. It’s so bright and beautiful! However, as I hear the snow blowers in the distance, I know many people are not as thrilled by the looks of the snow as I am, because they are labouring to clean their driveways and walkways of the beautiful but dangerous and inconveniencing white precipitation. And no, I don’t shovel snow again, simply can’t manage it physically.
But I do remember the days I’d get out there, shovel in hand, open my garage door and the trunk of my car and blast out some tunes while I danced about and shovelled the annoying stuff. (smile) Those days are long gone though. Now I have to pay somebody to do it. And knowing your frail situation, the ole crooks take advantage of it, charging some exorbitant prices. Although the fellow I have now isn’t too bad, but he’s already warned that the price is going up by at least forty percent next year. But I’ll leave him in the capable hands of the duchess. (smile)
And for another week, I’ve not received any quotes from our friend Anselm, so for all I know he might have given us up, no longer interested in aspiring to inspire us for a better tomorrow. But we do have the true and inerrant Word of God, and there’s no better inspiration than that! So, let’s see what inspiration we can draw from it today nuh. And the first thing that came to mind was something we haven’t spoken of for a while; that’s the Great Invitation of Jesus!
Now, there couldn’t be a more inspiring, comforting and encouraging scripture than that. And if you don’t believe me, then listen up to His amazing offer, as He very cordially invites us to: ‘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 in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Oh friends, that’s the most welcoming and reassuring scripture in the Good Library! And the one who refuses to accept it is nothing but a fool! For where, or to whom else can he take his burdens to and have them gladly and willingly accept them, and then give him rest from all the baggage he’s borne for so long eh? To absolutely no one else but Jesus! Satan doesn’t want your burdens. He’s more interested in placing more on you.
But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Saviour, the God of all comfort is more than willing to relieve you of all your burdens. That’s why He sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary, so that you would have a refuge, a place of safety to go to with all your many problems, hopes, dreams, disappointments, etc. etc.
Yes my people, our Jesus is a burden bearer! He’s borne all of our sins in His sinless body, and thus set us free from the chains of sin and evil that once had us tightly wrapped up in eternal bondage. And Jesus is so generously offering us a lighter and much more interesting yoke than that laid upon us by Satan. His yoke, or discipleship is not as tyrannical and heavy as that of the devil. John puts it ever so nicely in his first epistle, when he says: ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ (1 John 5:3)
And that’s the gospel truth! Unlike the cruel and hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, whom Jesus referred to thus: ‘For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.’ (Matt. 23:4) On the other hand, Jesus’ yoke offers LOVE, rest, comfort, salvation and eternal life, while all Satan offers is debilitating trouble here on earth, then eternal damnation in hellfire. Is that where we desire to spend eternity?
Definitely not! But the only other option available is to receive the goodness that Jesus offers, accept it wholeheartedly and begin living the good way that He prescribes. Remember, He is the way, the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father but by Him. (John 14:6) That means you cannot attain heaven or its many benefits unless Jesus is your pathway to that glorious establishment.
What a magnificent example Jesus is to all humanity! Sinless, selfless, sacrificial, lowly, humble, meek, rooting for the poor and downtrodden, interested in healing the sick and sorrowful, intent on breaking the chains of sin that have us enslaved in darkness, the giver of light, the one who comforts us so that we can comfort others, the giver of eternal life, the fountain of living water. And those are just a few of His many marvellous attributes. If we had time, I could find many more marvellous and ever so considerate attributes of our wonderful Saviour. (smile)
And if you need more than what we’ve already listed to convince you of His serious service for mankind, then you’re not really interested, you’re only playing games, and that’s one thing Jesus doesn’t do. He is serious about life and all that it entails, with a constant sense of peace and calm, as well as times of laughter and joviality. Life with Jesus is a well-blended and balanced opportunity to do interesting and amazing things, though sometimes it calls for sacrifice, which He then anoints us with His grace to enable us to handle it.
Ah friends, once you’ve sincerely embraced Jesus, once you accept that call of His Great Invitation, your life changes drastically for the better, beginning with the indwelling of His Holy Spirit to lead and guide you along the new path, where you will grow from glory to glory, be transformed slowly into His image, so that we can fulfill the Father’s desire for a family of children like His first born Son Jesus. And the Father has promised to keep changing us into a Christ-like image until Christ returns to earth. (Phil. 1:6)
Wow! And is that ever a wonderful path to travel! The most wonderful way of life available on this earth, for although it does contain trials and tribulations, the normal ups and downs of earthly life, we’re guaranteed that the Lord will eventually work everything out for our good, and most importantly, we’ll end up with eternal life with Jesus, and not eternal separation with Satan. It’s the most exciting news in the universe and I’d invite us all to check it out without further hesitation, for our eternal destiny depends on it! Much LOVE!
…accepting Jesus’ invitation to do life with Him…is a no brainer…for the wise and understanding person…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
12 Sep 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a roof over our heads, about the tough rows I've hoed, be of good cheer, darken its doors, Drinking from my Saucer, eternal gratitude, food on our tables, he leadeth me beside still waters, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, help me not to grumble, I don't worry about that much, i have overcome the world, I shall not want, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, I will fear no evil, I'm already blessed enough, I'm happy anyhow, Javed, left emptyhanded, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, my cup has overflowed, my cup runneth over, never give up, not as the world giveth, of the shadow of death, one one cocoa full basket, our bounden duty, peace I give to you, sacrificial praise, surely goodness and mercy, that makes me rich enough, the good shepherd, The Lord is my shepherd, though I walk through the valley, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to share with others, trials and tribulation, will follow me all the day so my life, worship the Lord
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Sunday’s come again friends, meaning we should all be heading to our respective churches to worship the Lord on His day, that’s provided our churches are open for physical worship. And if not, then we must find some way to worship technologically…but worship we must today. End of story! (smile) My church is finally opening for physical worship today, but it’s left to be seen how many will actually darken its doors, with the pandemic still very active in our community. However, there will also be some online worship, so they will not be left emptyhanded. (smile)
Anyway, today’s song of praise is one titled ‘Drinking From My Saucer.’ And is it ever so appropriate for many of us who have clothing, a roof over our heads, food on our tables, and good friends and family to associate with, since a large portion of our world is sadly lacking in the necessities of life. So let’s sing the Javed version of the song, sing it soulfully, in all sincerity and truth. Let’s be really thankful for all we have, allow the Spirit of Christ to plumb the depths of our hearts and raise up our eternal gratitude, as we raise up our voices to heaven in sacrificial praise.
Altogether now, with true passion. ‘Intro: We Worship You Lord, we worship You with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds. (Verse) I’ve Never Made A Fortune, And It’s Probably Too Late Now, Oh but I Don’t Worry About That Much, Cause I’m Happy Anyhow. And As I Go Along Life’s Journey, I’m Reaping Better Than I Sow. I’m Drinking From My Saucer, Because My Cup Has Overflowed.
I haven’t Got A Lot Of Riches, And Sometimes The Going’s Rough, But I’ve Got a friend in Jesus, And That Makes Me Rich Enough. I Thank God For all His Blessings on me, And The Mercies He’s Bestowed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. I Remember Times When Things went Wrong, And my Faith Wore Somewhat Thin, But All At Once The Dark Clouds Broke, And the Sun Peeped Through Again…
(Here Javed has a Monologue. He says: ‘You know, right now you may be going through some rough times in your life, but I’m here to encourage you today, not to give up. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! I pronounce a blessing upon your life, upon your family. You must prosper and be in good health in the name of Jesus. I believe it with all my heart.’
(Verse) So Lord, Help Me Not To Grumble and complain About The Tough Rows That I’ve Hoed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. And If God Gives Me Strength And Courage to go on living, When The Way Grows Steep And Rough I’ll Not Ask For Other Blessings Jesus, For I’m Already Blessed Enough,
And May I Never Be Too Busy, To Help Others Bear Their Loads, Then I’ll Keep Drinking From My Saucer Lord, Because My Cup Has Overflowed! Yes, I’ll keep drinking from my saucer Lord, Cause my cup has overflowed, Oh my cup has overflowed…. Yes My cup has overflowed…’
Ah friends, heaven was touched by our sincerity, because we know that many of us are drinking from our saucers because our cups are overflowing, but there are even more of our brethren out there who don’t even have a cup to drink from, much less an overflowing one. It is therefore our bounden duty to share some of our bounty with them, as generously as the Lord has shared with us.
And yes, I know that some of us might not have a whole lot, but it’s in our best interest, and that of our needy brothers and sisters to share what ever little we can. For as my Jamaican people wisely say: ‘one, one cocoa full basket.’ And that’s the gospel truth; every little bit helps!
Oh my people, life is never easy for any of us, because it comes with trials and tribulation; that’s just the nature of the beast. But if we sincerely believe in Jesus, then we will heed His awesome words of promise: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
And if those words did not quiet your anxious spirit, then listen to these others as promised by our Lord and Saviour. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And He definitely has my fellow believers, by His amazing resurrection from the dead! So, in Him we can find peace, despite the problems we face in this evil and ungodly world.
And there’s no better way to end today, than with the second most marvellous prayer in the Good Book; these awesome words of Bruh David, that just capture the essence of all that Jesus stands for. So please pray with me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:1-6)
Oh friends, how can it ever get any better than that eh? NEVER! Even way back then, Bruh David had to admit that his cup was overflowing because he had surrendered His life to the God of his forefathers. Yes people, once you accept Jehovah God as your shepherd, you’ve placed your life in the hands of your Creator, the One who LOVES and looks after you like a shepherd treasures His sheep and only desires the best for them.
So, if you haven’t placed your life in Christ’s hands as yet, please do so today nuh, if you truly want to enjoy the bounty and kindness of The Good Shepherd! Much LOVE!
…to never lack…to enjoy green pastures and still waters…one must join the flock of the Good Shepherd…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
10 Nov 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer's ear, a ne commandment, Advocate, Alpha and Omega, Amazing grace, calms, come boldly, come unto me, Comforter, confident, covenant, empowered, encouragement, every knee bow, every tongue confess, everything in one, face our turbulent world, feloowship, find grace, fleeting breath, give thanks and praise, give thee rest, heals our wounds, heavy burdened, high priest, holy spirit, how sweet, I lay down my life, in death, in time of need, Jes is Lord, Jesus, John Newton, labour, LOVE, LOVE one another, manna, my burden light, my yoke is easy, name above every name, obtain mercy, other believers, pay heed, refresh my soul, refuel, revitalize, sacrificial manner, shall all men know, sinless, soothes our aorrows, spiritual energy, strong, testimonies, the good shepherd, the great invitation, the hungry soul, the Life, the Lord's House, the name of Jesus sounds, the Son of God, the troubled breast, the Truth, the Way, to help, to the glory of God, truth, unto the throne of grace, wisdom, ye are my disciples, your love proclaim
Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Time to refuel once again friends; time to revitalize our spiritual energy with a visit to the Lord’s house this Sunday morning, or evening, where in fellowship with other believers, we give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father, hear His awesome Word, filled with wisdom and encouragement and come away strong and confident, empowered to face our turbulent world for another seven days, diligently doing His holy will! Hn, hn! I like that sentence; though it’s long, it’s chocked full of truth! And as believers in Jesus Christ, that ought to be a major priority in our lives. As Bruh David says in Psalm 25: ‘All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.’ (Ps.25:10) If you are a true believer, you certainly can’t deny that.
Anyway, let’s get on with the praise and worship, beginning, as always, with a song of heartfelt LOVE being floated up to heaven. And today’s song is an old favourite, ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds,’ written by none other than John Newton (1725-1807); the licentious sailor, slave trader, abolitionist and priest, who contributed numerous songs to our Hymn Book, the most famous being the immortal, ‘Amazing Grace.’ So let’s sing out our souls in all sincerity to Jesus, letting Him know how much we LOVE, adore and appreciate Him.
As one voice, in perfect harmony: ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear! It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear. It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast; ’tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary, rest. Dear name! the rock on which I build, My shield and hiding place, My never-failing treasury, filled, With boundless stores of grace. O Jesus, shepherd, guardian, friend, my Prophet, Priest, and King, my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, accept the praise I bring. How weak the effort of my heart, how cold my warmest thought; but when I see you as you are, I’ll praise you as I ought. Till then I would your LOVE proclaim with every fleeting breath; and may the music of your name refresh my soul in death.’
Ah friends, there’s really no sweeter sound to a believer’s ear than that magical, mysterious, powerful and all-encompassing name of Jesus! Give Him much heartfelt thanks and praise for all He’s done for us miserable, sinful human beings nuh. I guess because of Newton’s ungodly early life, he was able to hit the nail on the head when writing this hymn. Most likely Jesus did it all for him; soothed his sorrows, healed his wounds, drove away his fear. I’m sure He made whole his wounded spirit and calmed his troubled breast…and undoubtedly, He was manna to his hungry soul, and in his weariness, gave him peaceful rest. And yuh know what my people, Jesus will do the same for each and everyone of us, if we will just accept Him into our hearts and be obedient to His will.
Listen to some of the awesome, but oh so truthful statements that Jesus made in His time here on earth. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but my me.’ (John 14:6) Right there the situation is explained in living colour: only through Jesus, by believing in Him, and living a lifestyle in concert with His, will we ever get to see the Father’s face and behold His immaculate glory! Then hear Him on the shepherd scene: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.’ (John 10:14-15) And did He ever lay down His sinless life in a most sacrificial manner for us, the sinful and willful sheep of His pasture!
And as for obedience, hear Him: ‘A new commandment I give to you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) He also emphasized the LOVE factor later on in talking about the Holy Spirit. ‘If you LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.’ (John 14:15-16) And He kept His promise, that’s why we have the Holy Spirit indwelling each and every believer today!
And there’s nothing in this whole wide world like 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 in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Coming obediently to Jesus is wisest way to find rest friends! I can certainly vouch for that, and so too can many of you.
And if you want more, He is also the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Tim. 6:15); the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last (Rev.1:8); The name above every name, to which every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:9-11) He is also our Advocate, our lawyer in heaven. ‘And if any man sin, we have an advocate (intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous’ (1 John 2:1b) Glory be mih breddren!
And finally, Jesus is also our High Priest: ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God’ let us hold fast our profession (confession) For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16) That’s the best advice to end with today friends! Please pay significant heed to it. Much LOVE!
…Jesus is our Be All…and our End All…our Everything in ONE…
04 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to his riches in glory, all the days of my life, anoints my head with oil, confidence, dwell in the house of the Lord, fight victoriousbattle, follow me, for ever and ever, forgiveness, gather the lambs, giveth his life for the sheep, grace, green pastures, I shall not want, in Christ's name, Isaiahshall feed his flock, jump and shout, lead those with young, like a shepherd, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, my cup runneth over, my god, peaceful waters, restores my soul, saints in Christ, shall supply all of your need, shepherd metaphor, sins forgiven, soul washed clean, the 23 Psalm, the blind leading the blind, the good shepherd, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord's Day, the Lord's Payer, the presence of mine enemies, unconditional LOVE, valley of the shadow of death, what a good thing
John 10:11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Please get with the programme friends! What programme you ask? How yuh mean what programme eh? It’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day, that means church calls! Yes, we’re required to join with other believers in the Lord’s sanctuary to worship and exalt our heavenly Father, encourage each other, hear His Holy Word and get confidence to go out and fight another week of victorious battles in His name! Yes friends, it’s the biggest day of the week! So let’s begin the celebrations in our usual manner nuh; in song, in praise and worship, telling our wonderful God how much we LOVE and admire and revere Him.
And today’s song of praise is possibly the second most known and LOVED bit of scripture, after the ‘Our Father,’ or ‘Lord’s Prayer.’ And we talking about Psalm 23 – The Lord is my shepherd! Yes mih people, Bruh David’s amazing and immortal words celebrating the care, compassion and LOVING-kindness of the God of his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! So in strong voice, with plenty soul and sincere emotion, truly believing those simple but awesomely descriptive words and sentiments, let’s sing!
‘The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want He makes me lie down in green pastures He leads me beside the still waters He restore’th my soul And guides my path in righteousness For His name’s sake Surely goodness and mercy Shall follow me all the days of my life And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever and ever and ever.
Yea, Though I walk through the valley Of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, For Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou prepar’est a table Before me in the presence of my enemies Thou anoint’est my head with oil My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and LOVING-kindness Shall follow me all the days of my life And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever and ever and ever. Amen!’
What a marvellous description of our Jehovah God! I don’t think it could be described any better, for we are indeed lost and dumb like sheep and we desperately need a good and kindly shepherd to lead and guide and take care of us. And there’s none who does it better than Yahweh; our Creator, Provider, Healer, Comforter, our Be All and End All! Yes indeed, our heavenly Father is all those things to us, and when you add His unconditional LOVE, grace, and forgiveness to the already long list of His wonderful attributes, you just have to jump and shout for joy and declare: ‘Oh what a good thing I’ve got!’
And yuh know what friends, Bruh David could only have written such touching and heartfelt words because He experienced first hand the Lord’s goodness and LOVING-kindness in His blessed but oh so tumultuous and eventful life! And the imagery of God being our shepherd would have resonated quite well with the agrarian Israelites back then, because it was language they understood.
And following that story line, the scholars make an interesting observation: ‘Believers are never pictured in Scripture as mighty lions, independent and self-sufficient; rather, they are sheep who are dependent on their Shepherd for His provision and protection. The believer is more than a dependent sheep, however; he is also like and honoured guest, since the Lord prepares a table for him (v.5). Connected with this honoured position is abundant provision, vindication before one’s enemies, and eternal celebration of God’s goodness.’ Oh brother! What could be better than all that eh? Absolutely NOTHING!
And Isaiah also writes of God looking after His people in the shepherd metaphor. ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is.40:10-11)
Oh my people, there’s something that just resonates of calm and comfort and compassion and caring when we talk about shepherding. And I guess because in our current society we are more into manufacturing and technology than farming, and actual sheep herding is not a big thing, we don’t understand all the nuances involved, and thus cannot really appreciate the great importance of a shepherd to a flock of sheep. But believe me, without a shepherd, a kind and caring one, a flock of sheep would not last very long in the great outdoors. Consequently, when Jesus came He continued the metaphor of the shepherd looking after his flock. Thus, He made this magnificent proclamation: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’
Oh friends, mankind should be ever so ecstatic and joyful that Jesus made such a statement then went on to make it true, laying down His sinless life for our sinful ones, so that we could be reconciled with the Father, and have our sins forgiven and our souls washed white as snow! But I guess because we don’t fully understand the chemistry and sync between shepherd and sheep we’re lost and unaware of the deep relationship that exists between them.
But Jesus reminds us of that important relationship. ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:14) Yes precious people, the shepherd knows all his sheep, and the sheep know their shepherd as Jesus earlier stated. ‘But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter (doorkeeper) openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.’ (John 10:2-5)
Now that’s what our Lord and Saviour is expecting of us friends; to know His voice and follow His call, not that of stranger’s, for they will just lead you astray. And to make the picture complete, listen to Bruh Paul’s encouragement to the Philippians when they sacrificed to send him a gift. ‘But my God shall supply all of your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:19) That means when we remain in Jesus’ fold we will be well fed by the Father through Him.
‘Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Phil.4:20) Please have a blessed day my fellow saints in Christ! Much LOVE!
…sheep without a shepherd…is like the blind leading the blind…
27 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a ladder, a lifeboat, Anselm's quotes, aspire to inspire, be a lamp, be of good cheer, courage, crucifixion, do what is right, don't depend on others, don't worry about what you can't control, eternal life, excessive rain, flooding, for your own happiness, gives his life for the sheep, glorify your Father, God sent not His Son, help heal someone's soul, horrific torture, howling wind, i have overcome the world, in heaven, in me, into the world, Jesus, Jesus' amazing love, Jesus' friendship, let your light so shine, light of the world, like a rocking chair, live a righteous life, man's selfish nature, might be saved, not what is easy, put our best foot forward, reassurance, sacrifice, salt of the earth, salvation, see your good works, shining example, take advantage of our situations, take responsibility, the good shepherd, the right thing, the world through him, to condemn the world, to make you happy, tribulation, Tuesday Mantra, wasted energy, what is popular, with God's help, won the victory, worry, ye might have peace
John 3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Ah friends, thankfully my area did not get as much rain as expected yesterday, but we did get a lot of wind! Chuh! The wind howled most of the afternoon straight through the night, and at 7.30 this cloudy Saturday morning it is still carrying on out there. At one stage I wanted to go out the street and run some errands, but after hearing the wind on a particularly loud pass with stuff rattling all around, I decided to leave them for another day. (smile)
Let’s hope that no serious damage was done to any properties around here. Unfortunately though, several places around the country have been flooded due to excessive rain. The least we can do is pray for them, but if we can also help in any other way, please let’s do so.
Ah mih people, when it’s not one thing, it’s another yes! But that’s life, and fortunately, as true believers in Jesus Christ we have the wherewithal to withstand all the stuff that comes against us in this crazy world. Give Him some much deserved thanks and praise my brethren!
And since it’s Saturday, let’s have a look at the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first one is awesome truth: ‘Take responsibility for your own happiness, never put it in other people’s hands.’
Oh friends, that’s one of the first things we ought to learn in this life: we are responsible for our own happiness! We can’t depend on others to make us happy, because too often they will take advantage of our situations and instead cause us unhappiness. It’s just a part of man’s selfish nature!
And then there’s this: ‘Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.’ More awesome truth my people! Why worry about something you have no control over eh? Remember our Tuesday Mantra, where we don’t hurry or worry, just go about our business basking in Jesus’ awesome friendship and sharing His amazing LOVE with the world?
Worrying just brings wasted energy. As Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, ‘Worry is like a rocking chair, you can do it all day, but it will get you nowhere.’ Instead, we need to use that energy we waste in worry on stuff that’s productive and moves our lives along.
Now hear this: ‘Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular.’ That’s nothing new, because we’ve been taught that all our lives. However, the problem is that the right thing is usually not easy or popular! It’s often very difficult and very unpopular, especially if you’re trying to live a righteous life with Jesus as your bright and shining example.
But please note, Jesus didn’t do what was easy or popular. He went against the religious hypocrites of His day, and suffered horrific torture and crucifixion for His beliefs and earthly agenda. Now most of us won’t have to make such a critical and crucial sacrifice, but we will be required to make lesser ones, all in His name, because that’s what He was and is all about; sacrificing for others!
And He gave us that awesome reassuring scripture to hold on to when things get difficult. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
What a mighty and magnificent scripture that is my brethren! It gives us something to hold on to, to take courage from, knowing that Christ has already won the victory over the evil world, and we just have to hang in there and put our best foot forward.
And all of that just segues nicely into the last quote: ‘Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.’ Glory to God my people! That’s what Jesus is asking of every believer: help somebody! That’s why He came to earth, to help us! As He said so plainly: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’
Mama Mia! Therefore, if we want to be true believers and followers of His, our earthly days should also be spent helping others, like He helped us. Remember, the Father doesn’t want to lose even one of His most precious creation to the enemy, that’s why Jesus called us out to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Matt.5:13-14)
Salt adds flavour to stuff and also helps it last, while light shines through the darkness and shows the way. That’s what Jesus did for us: He came to earth as the LIGHT of the world, shining His awesome light into this dark and evil world and illuminating it, showing those who believe in Him a straight and narrow path to walk safely along, leading to salvation and eternal life!
And right now, because He can’t be several places at once, He’s imbued us with His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, so that we can truly become His hands, ears, eyes and feet down here on earth, and take responsibility for showing others the way out of their darkness into His brilliant and life-saving light. And to do that effectively, we need to do as he asked: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:16)
Oh my faithful saints in Christ, it’s obvious that we’re not doing such a good job on that request, otherwise our world wouldn’t be in such a topsy-turvy, evil, ungodly, strife-filled mess. So please, let’s pledge today to do better nuh, for Christ is depending on us. And if we get real serious about it, with God’s help, we can certainly make our world a better place to live, both for our descendants and ourselves. Much LOVE!
…I am the good shepherd…the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep… (John 10:11)
P.S. Let me apologize for the confusing dates on yesterday’s Bit. The first one said the 26th, which was right, but the second said the 27th. Friends, the ole fella is only human, so as Jesus taught us, please forgive him. (smile) Much LOVE!
Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyopbrien50.com
14 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a leader, a rewarder, a witness, abominable sins, atoned for, believe, buy wine, call a nation, come, come ye to the waters, commander, covenant, diligently seek him, drink of my wine, dwell in heaven, eat of my bread, every one that thirsteth, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, find rest, finite souls, foolishness, forsake the foolish, free choice, glad to be alive, Glory be, go in the way, God's Son, hands on the plough, hath no money, hear the call of God, honour, humble, I have mingled, incline your ear, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, knowledge, live, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, lowly, meek, milk, not looking back, omnipotent god, precious blood, promises, raise him up, redeem our souls, redeemed, respond in wisdom, righteousness, run unto thee, sacrifice, seek ye the Lord, selfless sacrifice, show of faith, sins, spiritually hungry, take my yoke, the breath of life, the cross at Calvary, the fold of Almighty God, the Gentiles, the Good Book, the good shepherd, the Great God Jehovah, the great invitation, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord's invitation, understanding, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, without money, wonderful caretaker, work steadfastly, your best interest, your soul shall live
Proverbs 9:5. Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled (mixed).
Welcome, welcome my people, to another bright and glorious day in the fold of Almighty God! Bless His holy name! And please remember that you belong to the BEST fold in all the universe; the one overseen by God’s Son, His first born, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; such a wonderful caretaker that He’s known as the Good Shepherd! Glory be my brethren!
I don’t know what we’d do if we didn’t have Jesus nuh. We’d certainly be in a much bigger mess than we are currently in. But through His selfless sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, His most precious blood redeemed us, our abominable sins were paid for, He took the weight of our sins on His shoulders and gave us His righteousness!
And the great fact of the matter is that He was the Only One who could have atoned for our ghastly sins under the holy and righteous rule of the Father! That’s why we need to constantly remember His great sacrifice and praise His name and exalt Him, like the Father has done. As the Good Book says, the Lord is a rewarder of all those who come to Him in faith, who diligently seek Him and believe. (Heb.11:6)
And the greatest show of faith that ever was, is that of Jesus, who believed that though His Father put the sins of the world on His shoulders and forsook Him for a moment, He would eventually raise Him up again, so that they could once more dwell in heaven…with all of His other children, now deemed righteous by His sacrifice.
Oh friends, can we have such a strong and wonderful faith? It might just be a tad much for our finite souls, (smile) but there’s no reason why we can’t work steadfastly towards as great a faith as possible in this earthly life. And that’s exactly what the Lord desires of us, for it’s only through faith that we can receive all the promises He’s laid out for us.
Now hear this awesome promise as stated by Cousin Sol in our Bit. ‘Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled (mixed).’ Yes friends, that’s the Lord’s invitation for us today…in fact every day He throws out the same invitation… ‘Come!’ And live in wisdom and honour, understanding and knowledge. Like Cousin Sol says in the next verse: ‘Forsake the foolish (foolishness), and live; and go in the way of understanding.’ (Prov.9:6)
How much clearer can it be eh my fellow believers? Not much. But our great and wonderful God always finds a way to do it. Listen to how He says it through His prophet Isaiah: ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price.’ (Is.55:1) Wow! What an amazing invitation! Only the Great God Jehovah can make such a promise and keep it!
And furthermore He asks? ‘Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satsifieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance).’ (Is.55:2) Oh my people which other supposed god has ever thrown out such an invitation eh? None other than the omnipotent God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
And He’s still not done: ‘Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
Behold thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.’ (Is.55: 3-4) Ah my brethren what prophetic words of our great God!
Hear the scholars’ explanation of those verse. ‘55:1-7. God’s free gift of salvation is offered to all who will receive it. Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come and eat and drink without money (or freely). He promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to all men is clearly stated by the appeal, Seek ye the Lord and call ye upon him.’
And friends, what the Lord promises, He delivers, in spades too. He sent us Jesus to redeem our souls, and Bruh Paul to lead the Gentiles into His kingdom. And Jesus continued the 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 in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Oh friends, oh friends, what more must the Lord do for us to realize the wisdom of being one of His flock eh? I don’t know, and I don’t think the Lord knows either nuh, seeing that He has given us free choice to make our own decisions, else He would certainly do it. But be all that as it may, I’m imploring us to please hear the call of God today and respond in wisdom, for it’s in your best interest, not God’s.
Now for those of us wise enough to accept the call, let’s go home telling the world our position in Christ as we declare our Wednesday Wail. All together in harmony now: ‘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 every time we declare it, my mind just boggles with how glorious that future will be! Much LOVE!
…blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness…for they shall be filled… (Matt.5:6)
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