22 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a foretaste of glory divine, a preview of the the eternal fellowship, alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, all is at rest, angels descending, ask God for knowledge, be thankful unto him, became her eyes, bless His name, blessed assurance, born of his spirit, bought with a price, bring from above, burst on my sight, caught up together with them in the clouds, Christ the faithful witness, co-heirs with Christ, comfort one another with these words, descend from heaven with a shout, divine protection, echoes of mercy, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, ever be with Lord, faith, Fanny Crosby, Fanny's grandmother Eunice, fellowship, fight the good fight for Jesus, for dying for our sins, get back into the rat race, glorify God in your body and spirit, God works in mysterious ways, God's amazing grace, heir of salvation, helped develop her descriptive abilities, him that loved us, holy spirit, in my Saviour am happy and blest, in times of tumultuous trials, inherit eternal life, into his courts with praise, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, mercy, no rhyme or reason, perfect delight, perfect rest, perfect submission, Phoebe Palmer Knapp, praising my saviour all the day long, purchase of God, ruler over kings of the earth, salvation, sing praises to God's name, support from ministering spirits, teaching her to pray, Thank you Jesus, thankful for all God's blessings, the dead in Christ shall rise first, the driving force behind Fanny's accomplishments, the first begotten of the dead, the Lord's Day, the rapture of Christ's church, the sacrificial blood of Christ, the trump of God, the voice of the archangel, this is my song, this is my story, troublesome temptations, truth, unwavering hope, visions of rapture, washed in his blood, washed us from our sins in his own blood, we belong to god, whispers of love, wisdom, ye are not your own, your body is the temple of the holy Ghost
1 Thessalonians 4:18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
And after our lazy-day Saturday comes Sunday, the Lord’s Day, this fifth Sunday of Lent and the first of spring 2026. Now that means, despite the rainy and cloudy situation, it’s time for all able-bodied believers to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to worship and fellowship with joy and thanksgiving. How does Psalm 100 put it? ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.’ (Ps. 100: 4)
Yes, that’s how it ought to be in the Lord’s sanctuary all over the world today; entering God’s presence with joy, acknowledging His awesome character, while offering lots of praise and thanksgiving and fellowshipping, that will strengthen us and enable us to get back into the rat race tomorrow and fight the good fight in Jesus’ holy name. And today’s song of worship is a hymn we all know and LOVE, TITLED ‘Blessed Assurance.’ It was written in 1873 by that marvellous, blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby, with music by Phoebe Knapp.
And this commentary extols the song thus: ‘Each and every day we sing praises to His name. We are thankful for all of the blessings that He bestows upon us. The lyrics of the classic hymn ‘Blessed Assurance’ is the perfect way to worship. And when you hear the story behind the hymn, you will be even more in awe of His amazing grace. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for our sins!’ Oh, are we indeed thankful for that divine sacrifice!
And the story goes that Fanny, born in New York in 1820, had an eye infection as a baby, which through poor treatment left her blind at a young age. Then, to make matters worse her father died not long thereafter, that meant her mother Mercy had to go out to work, and left Fanny to be raised by her grandmother, Eunice. And it appears that her grandmother was the driving force behind Fanny’s accomplishments. She became her eyes, which helped develop her descriptive abilities, also reading and carefully explaining the Bible to her, while teaching her to pray and ask God for knowledge.
Fanny entered the New York School for the Blind at twelve as a pupil, then became a teacher there for 23 years. In between, she married musician, Alexander van Alstine, a fellow student at the Institute, and one evening while her composer friend, Phoebe Palmer Knapp was visiting, she played a tune on the piano, then asked Fanny what it sounded like. Fanny responded, “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine!’ Then they went on to write the song together.’ Ah friends, that’s how many great songs have been born, with no rhyme or reason in or for the circumstances. It just signifies how our great God does work in mysterious, unexpected ways.
And having heard the story behind the song, let’s offer it up with sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, mid-tempo, sincere and heartfelt version. Singing: ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood (Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.) Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels, descending, bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Chorus…) Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest, Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love. (Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long…. Praising my Savior all the day long)’
And the assurance we have in Jesus is more than just blessed, it’s also amazing and marvellous. And per ‘a foretaste of glory divine,’ one commentary explains it thus. ‘This remarkable stanza reflects a lovely reality in Scripture that gives believers unwavering hope in times of tumultuous trials and troublesome temptations: we fellowship with Jesus Christ now, but this is only a preview of the eternal fellowship that is yet to come.’ And it most certainly ought to be, if we are heirs of salvation.
Listen as the author of Hebrews, speaking of the angels, says: ‘Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.’ (Heb. 1:14) Yes my brethren, ‘we believers in Jesus Christ are destined to inherit eternal life, divine protection, and kingdom benefits, and thus are considered co-heirs with Christ, sharing in his ultimate glory and receiving support from ministering spirits (angels).’ Now it could not get any better than that!
And per ‘purchase of God,’ Bruh Paul puts it very plainly in his first letter to the Corinthians. ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Yes my people, we have indeed been purchased by the sacrificial blood of Christ, and are also indwelt by the Holy Spirit, which means we now belong to God, our body is His temple.
And there are several scriptures that talk about being washed in the blood of Jesus, but we only have time and space for this one from Revelation. ‘And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten (born) of the dead, and the prince of (ruler over) the kings of the earth. Unto him that LOVED us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.’ (Rev. 1:5)Wow! What a tremendous accomplishment on our God’s behalf, and a most stupendous, though undeserved, development for our sinful souls
And in light of such a wonderful situation, we are thus enveloped in ‘perfect submission…perfect delight and perfect rest,’ expectantly looking forward to ‘visions of rapture,’ which will any day burst into sight. As Bruh Paul puts it to the Thessalonians: ‘For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess. 4:15-18)
Yes my faithful brethren, that is exactly what we need to do, today and every day; that’s comfort each other in the wonderful news of the eventual Rapture of Christ’s church! There’s nothing better to look forward to than that marvellous, faithfully promised occasion. Much LOVE!
…in Christ Jesus…we have a Lord, a Saviour, a King, an Advocate, High Priest and Friend…we therefore need no one else…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blade of grass sprouting from the rubble, a little while and the world sees me no more, a strong will to live, a symbol of how God works, accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, all fear is gone, an empty grave is there, an inconvenience, as death gives way to victory, because He lives, because I live ye shall live also, because Jesus was resurrected we will also be resurrected, being justified by his blood, Bill and Gloria Gaither, but ye see me, by the death of his Son, Christ holds our future steadfastly in his hands, christianity, Christians, drug abuse, face uncertain days with faith and trust, faith, feel pride and joyful assurance in our Christian faith, feel the pride and joy he gives, fight life's final war with pain, free love, fulfilling its destiny, God sent His Son Jesus, going to church is a privilege, going to church is not a burden, he came to love heal and forgive, he holds my future, he lived and died to buy my pardon, heartfelt sincerity, hippies, holy spirit, hope shaped by the resurrection of Jesus, I can face to morrow, I will come to you, I will not leave you comfortless, i'll know he lives, if we don't use that freedom to worship we'll lose it, Jesus came to save, Jesus Christ, Jesus' resurrection guarantees our own eternal and spiritual life, life is worth living, LOVE, mercy, mere talkers, mononucleosis, negative situations, one day I'll cross the river, overcome all the odds, persevered in faith, racial tension, reconciled to God, salvation, saved by his life, saved from wrath through him, see the lights of glory, separate the goats from the sheep, serious believers, severe punishment for worshipping God, shift in values, sweet sacrifices of praise, the BIBLE, the death of Christ and his shed blood efffect salvation, the life of christ sustains salvation, the Lord's Day, the privilege to worship in freedom, to give new life, to prove my Saviour lives, to reach the sunshine of the world above, truth, when we were enemies, will not leave you as orphans, wisdom
John 14:19. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
And then it was Sunday! ‘Another one,’ you mutter. Yes my fellow believers, it’s only one in the many more we have to face, meaning we’ll be gathering with other believers for many more Sundays to celebrate the Lord’s Day with praise, thanksgiving and worship, while receiving strength and confidence to face the upcoming week. And nothing compares to the good times that believers experience when they come together in worship. (smile)
So, although it’s sometimes an inconvenience to get up and go to church on a Sunday, let’s not look at it as a burden, but rather as a privilege, where we can worship in freedom, for many others in several places are not allowed to worship in private, much less in public like us. Many believers in several countries around the world would face severe punishment if caught worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
And although things are becoming more ungodly every day, and some are trying to stymie us, we still possess the right and freedom to worship, and if we don’t use it, we will eventually lose it. So there again it’s to our benefit to gather with other believers to worship and praise Almighty God every Sunday, or as often as we can.
Now today we have a fairly modern song as our song of worship. It’s titled ‘Because He Lives,’ and was written in the early 1970’s by Bill and Gloria Gaither, who were going through a tough time facing the big shift in values of the 60’s, with hippies, free love, drug abuse and racial tension amongst them. Then in the severe Indiana winter of 1969, while Gloria and some other church members were facing false accusations and belittlement from their congregation, Bill contracted mononucleosis and Gloria discovered she was pregnant.
And though that was wonderful news, there obviously was some concern about bringing a baby into that chaotic time with all its negative situations. But in faith they persevered. And the story goes that ‘One sunny day in the early spring, Bill, Gloria and Bill’s father George walked across the paved parking lot at their small A-frame offices. George called Bill and Gloria’s attention to a spot they had not noticed. He pointed out a tiny blade of grass that had pushed aside layers of dirt, rock and concrete to reach the sunshine of the world above.
It had such a strong will to live; it had overcome all the odds to fulfill its destiny. That blade of grass became a symbol to the Gaithers of how God works in His creation. And it inspired Gloria to write a song expressing the hope that was shaped by the resurrection of Jesus, as well as that blade of grass and the birth of her son.’
And now, having some idea of the circumstances around the song’s creation, let’s offer it up with sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, mid-tempo version chocked full of heartfelt sincerity, opening with the ‘(Chorus: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow Because He lives, all fear is gone Because I know He holds my future And life is worth the living Just because He lives.) (Repeat) God sent His son they called Him, Jesus He came to LOVE, heal and forgive He lived and died to buy my pardon An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives. (Chorus)
How sweet to hold a newborn baby And feel the pride and joy he gives But greater still that calm assurance This child can face uncertain days because He lives And then one day I’ll cross the river I’ll fight life’s final war with pain And then, as death gives way to vict’ry I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives Because He lives, I can face tomorrow Because He lives, all fear is gone Because I know He holds my future And life is worth the living Just because He lives And life is worth the living Just because He lives And life is worth the living Just because He lives.’
Yes my faithful brethren, life is certainly worth living because Christ lives! It means that because He was resurrected from the grave, the same thing will happen to us when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour. Jesus Himself said it to the disciples when talking to them about the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, coming to dwell in them after He goes away. ‘I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.’ (John 14:18-19)
There Jesus assures them that His resurrection guarantees their own eternal and spiritual life. What can be better than that eh? Absolutely nothing! And what does Bruh Paul say about that situation in Romans? ‘Much more then, being (having been) now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being (having been) reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.’ (Rom. 5:9-10)
And per the scholars: ‘By his blood … by his life: The death of Christ and His shed blood effect salvation, but the life of Christ sustains it. The reference is to the abiding results of Jesus’ death and resurrection.’ Then, because Jesus is alive and kicking, we can be assured that it’s fine to bring more children into the world, because in the calm of Jesus and His life, that baby can also face uncertain days with faith and trust.
And what about that tiny blade of grass, that the Gaithers saw pushing up through layers of dirt, rock and concrete to reach the sunshine of the world above eh? It proved that it had a very strong will to live, to fulfill its destiny. Now are we like that tiny blade of grass? Do we have that strong, never say die will to live for and with Christ? We certainly ought to, after all the sacrifices He made to purchase our freedom and reconcile us back to our heavenly Father. That’s where they separate the goats from the sheep, where they see who are serious believers, from those who are mere talkers and jokers.
So, let’s remember today, and every day to come, that because Christ lives, we can face tomorrow without fear or worry, for He holds our future steadfastly in His hands, therefore we can feel pride and joyful assurance in our Christian faith like no others can! Much LOVE!
…Jesus came to save…to give us new life…and that’s exactly what He did…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new day dawning, a song of worship, all that is within me, an outward emotive expression, another cold Sunday, as a father pitys his children, as far as the east is from the west, back to the drawing board, Bless His Holy Name, bless the Lord oh my soul, christianity, clothed with honour and majesty, face another week of work, faith, for all your goodness, for my heart to find, forget not all his benefits, forgives all thine iniquities, gather in the Lord's sanctuary, give back to god in worship and adoration, give not just the words of our mouths but our very lives, giving praise and thanks, God looks on the heart, great is his mercy toward them that fear him, heals all thy diseases, holy spirit, inumerable reasons to thank God, Jesus Christ, keep on singing, let me be singing, LOVE, man looks on the outward appearance, Matt Redman, mercy, my soul will sing, my strength is failing, my time has come, O Lord my God, on that day, plenteous in mercy, praise God completley, praise God with our whole hearts, praising God inwardly, receiving God's awesome strength and mercy, redeems thy life from destruction, removed our transgressions from us, rewarded us according to our iniquities, rich in love, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, sending Jesus to redeem our sinful souls, sincerely from our hearts, sing like never before, slow to anger, sweet sacrifices of praise, Ten Thousand Reasons, the BIBLE, the end draws near, the Lord is merciful and gracious, the Lord pitys them that reverence him, the Lord sees not as man sees, the Lord's Day, the motives of the heart., the northen climes, the sun comes up, this evil and ungodly world, thou art very great, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, time to sing your song again, truth, whatever lies before me, whatever may pass, when the evening comes, wisdom, worship his holy name, your heart is kind, your name is great, your praise unending
Psalm 103:1. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.’
Oh my fellow believers, it’s another cold Sunday in the northern climes, but what else is new eh? (smile) And all we are expected to do is to gather in a sanctuary on this the Lord’s Day and fellowship with other believers, giving praise and thanks to our wonderful God, while receiving His awesome strength and grace to go out and face another week of work in this evil and ungodly world.
And today, as always, (smile) we have a wonderful song of worship to offer up to our most worthy heavenly Father. It’s a fairly new one, written by Matt Redman and Steve Angrisano in 2013, most appropriately titled ‘Ten Thousand Reasons – Bless the Lord Oh My Soul.’ And do we ever have more than ten thousand reasons to bless the Lord! That’s for certain sure! So, without further ado, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, soulful, scintillating version of the song, letting the whole world know that it’s coming sincerely from our hearts.
Opening with the chorus, we sing: ‘(Chorus) Bless the Lord oh my soul Oh my soul Worship His Holy Name Sing like never before Oh my soul, I’ll worship Your Holy Name). The sun comes up It’s a new day dawning It’s time to sing Your song again Whatever may pass And whatever lies before me Let me be singing When the evening comes (Chorus) Bless the Lord oh my soul……I’ll worship your holy name) You’re rich in love And You’re slow to anger Your name is great And Your heart is kind For all Your goodness I will keep on singing Ten thousand reasons For my heart to find.
(Chorus: Bless the Lord oh my soul…I’ll worship your holy name) And on that day When my strength is failing The end draws near And my time has come Still my soul will sing your praise unending Ten thousand years and then forevermore… forevermore. (Chorus: Bless the Lord oh my soul Oh my soul Worship His Holy Name Sing like never before Oh my soul, I’ll worship Your Holy name. Bless the Lord oh my soul Oh my soul Worship His Holy Name Sing like never before Oh my soul, Jesus, I’ll worship Your Holy name, worship your holy name…yes, like never before…I’ll worship Your Holy name…’
Ah mih bredrin, that was indeed a beautiful rendition, and all who heard it know that we sincerely meant it, because there are innumerable reasons for which to thank Almighty God! And the greatest of which is obviously the sending of Jesus to redeem our sinful souls. And where in the Bible do we find those words? As for so many other things, we find them in the psalms, specifically Psalms 103 and 104.
And what do the words ‘Bless the Lord Oh my soul mean?’ It’s basically means to give not just the words of our mouth, but our very lives – our very souls – back to Him in praise, adoration, and worship. And Bruh David uses it very powerfully in Psalm 103, titled ‘Bless the Lord’s Holy Character,’ when he unequivocably declares: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.’ (Ps. 103:1)
Yes friends, God alone is worthy of such praise. And according to this commentary from Dawn Hill, “For David to say, “Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name,” is to praise God completely and with the whole heart. This is not only an emotive expression outwardly nor is this merely an emotionally charged experience, but this includes praising God inwardly.” Now that makes complete sense, for we know that the Lord doesn’t merely accept the words of our mouths, or our outward actions, but searches the motives of our hearts before accepting our praise and thanks.
As we recently saw Him tell Samuel when he went to anoint the second king of Israel amongst Jesse’s sons, and Samuel fell for the good looks and physical appeal of the first son Eliab. ‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)
And that ought to be a timely reminder for all of us, as we offer up praise and thanks to Almighty God. (smile) Meanwhile, Psalm 104, titled ‘God’s Marvellous Creation,’ gives God praise from a different perspective. It opens thus: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.’ (Ps. 104:1) And the psalmist goes on to list God’s wonderful creations, which are important, but in Psalm 103 however, Bruh David was more down to earth, instead remembering what God does for mankind.
He continues: ‘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-KINDNESS) 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 (understands our constitution); he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103: 2-5; 8-14)
And friends, if reading all of that, you cannot find many reasons to thank and praise, to bless the Lord, then I don’t know what to say, but get back to the drawing board and learn the numerous blessings that we have to be thankful for from our Creator, Jehovah God! Much LOVE!
…only a fool or madman…refuses to acknowledge and accept…the many blessings of God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a certificate of debt, a selfless sacrifice, all praise honour thanks and glory to God, an IOU, being dead in your sins, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, bow our kness, but for the cross, But God commendeth his love toward us, by grace are you saved through faith, Christians should venerate the cross, come unto me all ye that labour, eternal life, faith, fellowship, forgiven you of all trespasses, from the depths of our hearts, gather in the Lord's sanctuary, give everlasting thanks to Christ, giving thanks, God's judgement, God's undeserved blessing, grace to strengthen us, heavy laden, holy spirit, humbly I come, I come to the cross, I will give you rest, indebted to God, into your strength, it is the gift of God, Jesus Christ, Jesus paid for our sins, Jesus paid our sin debt in full, joy, lest any man should boast, LOVE, made alive, man's inability to fulfil his obligation, mercy, my grace is sufficient for you, my guilt and shame, my strength is made perfect in weakness, not of yourselves, our journey begins and ends at the cross of Calvary, out of my weakness, quickened together with him, repentance, salvation, salvation is not of works, saving grace, seeking mercy and grace, shed innocent blood, singing God's praises, sweet sacrifices of praise, the BIBLE, the cross of Christ, the emblem of our faith, the essence of our lives, the Great Invitation of Jesus, the Lord's Day, the uncircumcision of your flesh, the words we sang, through Christ our debt was graciously blotted out, truth, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom, you call me by name, you died in my place, you paid the price, you welcome this child that was lost, your arms are open
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye saved (you have been saved) through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
It’s that day again friends; Sunday, the Lord’s Day, bright, sunshiny and cold, (smile) which means we need to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary, or wherever, so we can fellowship with joy, giving thanks and singing praises to His holy name, while receiving His grace and mercy to strengthen us for another week. And our song of worship today is this time a fairly new one, only written in 2003 by Bob Somma and Bill Batstone, and is most appropriately titled for a time such as this: ‘I come to the Cross.’
It’s all about repentance, salvation, grace and mercy, four of the most wonderful and most important things in this rather ungodly world of ours. So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, sincere, heartfelt mid-tempo version, pouring all we have and are into it.
Singing: ‘I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Humbly, I come to the cross. I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross. Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame, Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross.
I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross. Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame, Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross Jesus, I come to the cross…Jesus, I come to the cross….’
Oh my people, that was wonderful! Anyone hearing it would know that we were truly sincere, and the words we sang came directly from the depths of our hearts. And they ought to, since Jesus made Himself to be such a selfless sacrifice on our behalf, on the cross at Calvary. It’s on that dreadful cross that Jesus paid for our sins, through His shed innocent blood. That’s why the cross is such an important aspect of our faith, and Christians ought to venerate it much more than they do since it was through it that we received the wonderful options of salvation and eternal life.
If Jesus had not died there, and paid our sin debt in full, we would never be able to talk about those things, much less stuff like mercy and grace. Note the opening line of the song: ‘I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place.’ And that’s the place where every believer ought to bow their knees and give everlasting thanks to Christ. That’s where our journey ought to begin and end…at the cross of Calvary! For everything else pales in comparison to it.
We have salvation, forgiveness of sins and eternal life with the Father because of the cross. We also have grace, which is God’s undeserved divine favour because of the cross. For as Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians: ‘For by grace are ye saved (you have been saved) through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph. 2:8-9) In other words, only through faith in Jesus Christ’s completed work on the cross can we acquire that saving grace. God gives it freely when we believe in His Son Jesus Christ. No works of ours can save us.
Bruh Paul explains it to the Colossians, as being dead to the world yet alive. ‘And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh (spiritual not physical circumcision), hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us (certificate of debt with its decrees), which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way nailing it to his cross.’
And what does all of that mean? Simply that God through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, gave us new spiritual life. And the handwriting of ordinances refers to the Mosaic Law, which the Jews had contracted to obey, and to which the Gentiles by conscience were obligated. But owing to man’s inability to fulfill this obligation of obedience, he was therefore indebted to God. However, through Christ this debt was graciously blotted out.’
All praise, honour, thanks and glory to God for doing that! He must have LOVED us a whole lot, for the Bible tells us: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Yes, although we deserved God’s judgement for our sinfulness, Christ died in our place. What a great God we serve my people!
And I like how the song talks about:’ Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross.’ That reminds us of the Lord’s words to Bruh Paul when he asked three times to have a thorn removed from his flesh. ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a)
And as this commentary explains: ‘It means that when human strength fails and weakness is acknowledged, God’s grace and power are most fully displayed and effective. It shifts focus from self-reliance to dependence on divine strength, allowing, as Paul did, for boasting in limitations so that Christ’s power may rest upon the believer.’ Now, let’s not forget these most meaningful words of the song. ‘Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame,’
Yes friends, Jesus surely did it all, and His arms are open wide, as we can see from the Great invitation He extends to all the lost, and weary: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:29) Who else offers such an invitation eh? No one but Jesus! So, on this first day of February in this new year of 2026, it behooves all who call themselves Christians to pay serious attention to the emblem of our faith; the cross of Christ, to bow before it and cherish it with heartfelt respect and LOVE, for it’s the essence of our very lives, both physical and spiritual. Much LOVE!
…oh the cross…the cross…but for the cross…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a processional hymn for children, all one body we, an annoying pain, Arthur Sullivan, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, at the sign of triumph, bearing it with a good attitude, blend your voices with ours in the triumph song, Christ the royal master leads against the foe, Christ's church is divided, Christians get together and act as one, crapaud smoke we pipe, dissension, divide and conquer, evil forces, examples of endurance under hardship, faith, fight like good soldiers on Jesus behalf, forgivenss, fortitude, forward into battle, glory laud and honour unto Christ the king, heartfelt, hell's foundations quiver at the shout of praise, holy spirit, inhumanity, Jesus Christ, join our happy throng, lift your voices, like a mighty army moves the church of God, loud your anthems raise, LOVE, marching as to war, men and angels sing, mercy, my cross to bear, new evils abuses, no man entangles himself with the affairs of this life, not divided, on to victory, one in charity, one in hope and doctrine, one solid body of believers, ongoing battles with temptation, Onward Christian soldiers, perseverance and fortitude, petty squabbles, please him who hath chosen him, reignite our world, righteousness, Sabine Baring-Gould, salvation, Salvation Army, Satan's army is in ascendance, Satan's host doth flee, see his banner go, strife, sweet sacrifices of praise, the cross is the symbol of jesus' power, the foundation of unity, the human example of Bruh Paul, the Lord's Day, the power of the cross, the preponderance of sin, the song of triumph, the supreme example of christ, the triumph song, the victorious army of Jesus, thou therefore endure hardness, through countless ages, to encourage Christians, treading where the saints have trod, truth, unity of purpose, unity under one banner, up-tempo rendition. scintillating, wisdom, with the cross of jesus going on before, within the confines of the local hospital
2 Timothy 2:3. Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace be unto you my Scrip-Bit friends and families this Sunday morning, the third one after Christmas. First of all, let me apologize for there being no Bit yesterday, as I spent the entire day within the confines of my local hospital trying to find out what was causing a most annoying pain in my stomach. It felt like a small rodent was just gnawing away at my insides. I got there around four thirty in the morning and did not leave until four forty-five in the evening under dark and rainy skies. So I don’t even know what kind of day our lazy-day Saturday was. (smile)
Can you imagine that? I missed the entire day sitting in a hospital and after several tests, they still are not sure what’s causing my pain, although they do have suppositions and have given me some medication based on those suppositions. The pain is still there, though not as strong and persistent as it was before. Let’s hope with the medication they’ve given me, it will be totally gone within the next couple days or I might just go crazy. (smile) It’s that annoying. But enough of me, that’s my cross to bear, and I’m not so sure that I’m bearing it with as good an attitude as the Lord desires. (smile) But that’s for Him to decide.
And today being Sunday, the Lord’s Day, we’ll sing a most appropriate hymn for these trying and evil times, titled ‘Onward Christian Soldiers.’ It’s a 19th century English hymn with words written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, and the music composed by Arthur Sullivan in 1871. The lyric was written as a processional hymn for children walking from Horbury Bridge to Horbury St Peter’s Church near Wakefield, Yorkshire, at Whitsuntide in 1865, but as we all know the Salvation Army eventually adopted it as their favourite processional and the hymn became quite successful after that.
And as the website Godtube tells us: ‘It was written to encourage Christians in their ongoing battles with temptations within themselves and the evil forces throughout the world.’ So let’s raise our voices in sweet sacrifices of praise in a scintillating, heartfelt, up-tempo rendition of this marvellous, reassuring and encouraging song.
Singing: ‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! (Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!) At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise! [Refrain]
Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod; We are not divided; all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. [Refrain] Onward, then, ye people, join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honor, unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages men and angels sing. [Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!… With the cross of Jesus going on before!…’
Yes friends, the cross of Jesus is exactly what should be leading us in this fight against the evil doers of this world, for it’s the symbol of Jesus’ power, of His truth, righteousness, and forgiveness of sins! It’s the cross of Jesus that reignited the world when it was going under from the preponderance of sin, and it’s the same power of the cross of Jesus that will reignite our world when we get together and fight like good soldiers on Jesus’ behalf. But it requires the faith and fortitude that Bruh Paul spoke of to Timothy. ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3)
And that’s what we are all expected to be, soldiers in the victorious army of Jesus. But no army can be successful unless ALL of it’s members act together in unity under one banner, in this case, the cross of Jesus. For as Bruh Paul continues to Timothy: ‘No man entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ (2 Tim. 3:4) And we have two of the best examples of endurance in times of hardship; the first being the supreme example of Christ, and the second, the human example of Bruh Paul himself.
Oh my fellow believers, the church of Christ is supposed to be His victorious army, but how can it ever be victorious when it’s terribly divided and filled with dissension, strife and petty squabbles? That’s why Satan’s army is in the ascendance right now. And we will never overturn it until and unless we come together as ONE and fight with all perseverance and fortitude as ONE body under the cross of Christ!
And right now that is ever so necessary, for we have already seen in the first few days of this new year the numerous new evils, abuses and inhumanity that’s been carried out by the evil doers. And it’s only as ONE strong and united force for good, that we will ever be able to make any successful inroads into the evil doings of Satan. So despite all the wonderful things we sing, it all comes right back to the foundation of UNITY; unity of purpose and unity as one solid body of believers.
That’s why this year it’s ever so important for us to concentrate on getting Christ’s body, the Church united and thinking as ONE, and moving forward as ONE under Christ, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe. It’s as simple as that my people. The sad part of the situation though is that the enemy doesn’t even have to try and divide us to conquer us…no, we ourselves do the dividing, which makes it ever so easy for them.
Let’s hope then that we’ll take these words of the hymn very seriously: ‘At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise!.. Like a mighty army moves the church of God;… We are not divided; all ONE body we, ONE in hope and doctrine, ONE in charity.’ And if we don’t, then as we said earlier…crapaud smoke we pipe. Much LOVE!
…until Christians truly get together and act as ONE…there’s little or no hope for us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of salvation, accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour, amazing pity, At the cross, bathed in its own blood, believers have great reason to be happy, Christ the mighty maker died, come unto the knowledge of truth, decline in the world's noise level, devote that sacred head, did my Saviour bleed, did my sovereign die, dissolve my heart in thankfulness, drops of grief can ne'er repay, eternal life, face another week of work with confidence, faith, fellowship, for crimes that i had done, for man the creature's sin, for sinners such as I, gave himself a ransom for all, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God so loved the world, God's love baffles us, grace unknown, he gave his only begotten son, he groaned upon the tree, hide my blushing face, his dear cross appears, his soul in anguish stood, holy spirit, I give myself away, I received my sight, in the sight of God our Saviour, isaac watts, it was there by faith, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ securing salvation for us, Jesus sacrifice is proof of God's wish for all to be converted, LOVE, love beyond degree, man can never repay the debt of love he owes Christ, melt my heart to tears, mercy, now I'm happy all the day, one mediator between God and men, proof given at the right time, renew your soul and spirit, sacrificing of a sinless person, salvation, shut his glories in, sincerely from our hearts, sweet jesus, sweet sacrifices of praise, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the burden of my heart rolled away, the debt of love I owe, the firm mark of wrath divine, the horrific task of paying for man's sins, the Lord's Day, the man Christ Jesus, the sun in darkness hide, the world through him might be saved, there is one God, this is good and acceptable, thy body slain, tis all that I can do, to be testified in due time, truth, where I first saw the light, will have all men to be saved, wisdom, worship with other believers
1 Timothy 2:5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
It’s got to be Sunday friends, for there’s a slight decline in the noise level of our world, and that only happens on Sundays, the Lord’s Day. (smile) That means we must get up and out to His sanctuary to worship and fellowship with other believers, so that our souls and spirits can be renewed and refreshed, thus enabling us to face another week of work with confidence and calm.
And our song of worship for today is one we all know and LOVE, and one I found myself singing a lot this week. I don’t know why, but that made me believe we should sing it today. The hymn is simply titled ‘At the Cross.’ It’s one of the many popular hymns written by the famous hymn writer Isaac Watts (1674 –1748). He became a pastor and wrote poems and hymns to go with his sermons. This one was published in 1707, and quickly became a favourite, and has been used by many evangelists during their crusades.
The song is basically about salvation, which means it ought to be very important to us. So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, heartfelt version of this great song. And to get it rocking and rolling, we’ll begin with the wonderful refrain. Singing: ‘(Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I?
(Refrain:) Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. (Refrain) Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree! (Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.
(Refrain) But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do. (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! Now I am happy all the day…happy all the day…happy all the day…’
That was a great rendition friends, for it came sincerely from our hearts, showing how thankful we are to Jesus Christ for securing salvation for us. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy, re prayers for all men. ‘For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’ (1 Tim. 2:3-6)
Yes friends, there’s only ONE God, and He desires that all men, regardless of colour, creed or race, be saved and come to know the truth. And He’s provided for that through only ONE Person, His Son Jesus Christ who gave His life on the cross of Calvary that mankind could have the option of being saved, by accepting Him as Lord and Saviour. Note that Christ gave His life a ransom for ALL, not merely some. And the scholars tell us that ‘to be testified in due time, (or, proof given at the right time) means that Jesus’ sacrifice is “proof” of God’s wish for all to be converted.’
And Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf was so great that we can hardly believe it. But when we look at the cross that’s when the light of His glory shines forth on us. As the refrain so sincerely puts it: ‘At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!)’
Oh my people, there is indeed great reason to be happy all the day, because when we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, we receive salvation and eternal life. For as Jesus said to Nicodemus, ‘For God so LOVED world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
That says it all my brethren! God desired to save His human creation, and the only way it could be done justly and righteously was through the sacrificing of some sinless person, and Jesus was the only sinless person in the universe, thus the horrific task of paying for man’s sins fell on His shoulders. And we’re proud to say, that He bore them like a man.
That’s why the song says in great wonder: ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!’
Now, although it’s hard to believe, that’s exactly what happened. God’s LOVE was so profound that it baffled us then, and still baffles us today. That’s why the song ends: ‘Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe: Here, Lord, I give myself away ’Tis all that I can do.’
Oh my fellow believers, that’s oh so true! For though our tears and grief may be truly heart felt, they can NEVER repay the debt of LOVE that we owe Christ. And the only way to mitigate some of our debt is by surrendering ourselves completely to Him, thus making Him our Lord and Saviour. That’s wisdom of the highest order! So, please let’s attain to it nuh! Much LOVE!
…all Christ desires of us…is to accept the salvation He’s so sacrificially provided…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of foolish sinners, a God of surprises, a mighty big man, a Red-Letter day, abide in me and I in you, all alone, arrogant, authority even over the sabbath, be not afraid, be of good cheer, believe we can do it all ourselves, build on life's sinking sand, deep down, demonstrates Jesus' healing power, despite all the evidence, do a lot on my own, do you want to get well, don'r realize how desperately we need Jesus, don't even know my way back home, down on my knees, except it abide in the vine, except ye abide in me, faith, fellowship, Gaither Homecoming Festival, glory to God, gospel truth, hell bound world, holy spirit, I am the vine, I can't even walk, I could be what I wanted to be, I learned how to stand, I'd be less of a man, if I didn't trust Jesus, if I'm in trouble, Jessy Dixon, Jesus Christ, Jesus walking on water, Jesus' heart was filled with compassion, Joyce and Colbert Croft, lost without you, LOVE, make it big in this world, make Jesus my all and all, mercy, no more can ye, number one would surely be me, o thou of little faith, on that powerful name I'll call, our faith is not strong enough, Peter walked on the water, raise our faith, refreshed in heart body and soul, renewed, responded to Jesus' command with faith, sacrifices of praise, salvation, self-centred, take up thy bed and walk, teaching me that through you word, Thank you Father, that Satan desires us to wallow in, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the Lord's Day, the mountain is too high, the paralyzed man at the pool in Bethesda, the Sabbath, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the true vine, the valley is too wide, thought of myself, took up his bed and walked, truth, unless you lead me, wallowing in the mire, we still doubt the power of Jesus, why did you doubt, wisdom, without Christ we can do nothing, without me you can do nothing, without you holding my hand, you are the branches
John 15:5b. for without me ye can do nothing.
Come on down to the Lord’s sanctuary my people, for it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day, and though the snow is an inconvenience, we must celebrate it with fellowship and worship, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in heart, body and soul, and thus be enabled to face another week of work and whatever else comes against us in our crazy, hell bound world.
And as always, to help us celebrate, we have a wonderful song filled with lots of truth, one written by Colbert and Joyce Croft, aptly titled, I can’t even walk without You holding my hand. And we’ll offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt version, as that done by the African American Gospel singer, Jessy Dixon at the Gaither Homecoming Festival some years ago.
So, let’s sing: ‘I thought, that number one, would surely be me. I thought I could be what I wanted to be. I thought I could build on life’s sinking sand. But now I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. – I thought that I, could do a lot on my own, I thought, I could make it in this big world, all alone. I thought, thought of myself as a mighty, mighty, mighty big man, But Lord I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. –
Oh Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand, For the mountain, is too high, and the valley, is too wide, It’s down on my knees, that’s where I learned how to stand, Because I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. Glory to God! And I think I’ll make Jesus my all and all. And if I’m in trouble, on that powerful name, I’ll call. And if I didn’t trust Him, I’d be less of a man ‘Cause Lord I can’t even walk without you holding my hand.
Ohh Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand, For the mountain is too high, and the valley is too wide, It’s down on my knees, I learned how to stand, I learned how to pray, Because Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. Lord, I’m lost without you. I don’t even know my way back home Lord unless you lead me. Yes my Saviour, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand. Thank you for teaching me that through your Word…I can’t even walk without, without holding your hand…Yes Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand…’
And it’s all the gospel truth my brethren…we can’t even walk without Jesus holding our hands! And I believe this is a very appropriate song for so many of us who are arrogant and self-centered enough to believe we can do it all ourselves, with no help from anyone, especially from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And we either don’t know or believe what He said when He spoke about the true vine.
So listen up and attain some wisdom when Jesus declares: ‘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)
Oh my people, what a rather poignant, definitive and oh so true statement! Without Christ we can do nothing! For whatever we do, it’s He who allows us to do it, for He is our Creator, Controller, Potter and Master! And until many more of us realize that awesome truth, we will keep wallowing in the mire that Satan desires us to wallow in. So many of us think of ourselves as mighty, mighty big men, but in reality, we’re nothing but a bunch of foolish sinners who don’t realize how desperately we need Jesus.
That reminds us of the paralyzed man at the pool in Bethesda, who had been lying there for 38 years, because he had no one to help him get into the pool the one time a year an angel came and stirred up the water, and whosoever got into it first was then healed of their illness. When Jesus saw him, knowing how long he had lain there, even before Jesus was born, His heart was filled with compassion, and He asked him: ‘Wilt thou be made whole (do you want to get well)?’ (John 5:6)
Then the man told him about his difficulty in getting into the pool first. Jesus then said to him: ‘Rise, take up thy bed and walk. And immediately the man was made whole (well), and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.’ (John 5:8-9) Now, that’s the way many of us are, in dire need of help, yet we refuse to turn to Jesus, the One who can, wants to, and will help us if we cry out to Him for succour! And as this commentary explains: ‘This event is a significant miracle in the New Testament that demonstrates Jesus’s healing power and his authority, even over the Sabbath.’
That’s the difference between us and Peter, highlighted by the time Jesus came walking on the water to the disciples in their boat. At first they cried out in fear, believing it was a ghost, but Jesus quickly reassured them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer (take courage); it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he (Jesus) said Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.’ (Matt. 14:27-29)
And why was that possible? Because Peter responded to Jesus’ command with faith. He believed that if Jesus called him to do something, he could do it. However, his faith was not strong enough to withstand the strong winds and he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out to Jesus to save him. ‘And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ (Matt. 14:31)
And that’s the basic problem with so many of us supposed believers today; our faith is not strong enough to withstand the strong winds and waves that occasionally batter us, because deep down, despite all the evidence to the contrary, we still doubt the strength, power and resolve of Jesus. Anyway friends, I implore us to make this last Sunday in November 2025 a red-letter day by promising ourselves and each other to raise our faith to substantial levels, because that’s the only way we will ever achieve godly success in this evil world that’s getting worse every day! Much LOVE!
…remember…that it’s down our knees praying…that we learn how to stand…how to stand strong…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fully refuelled spirit, a safe retreat, after he had patiently endured he received the promise, after the shower is gone, an anchor of the soul, an high priest for ever, an unbending anchor, Anne Murray, at the foot of the cross, be thankful unto him, bless His name, blessing I will bless thee, both sure and steadfast, breathing a lesson unheard, brighten the glimmering star, Canadian Songbird, come to my sad eary heart, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, deepening darkness, despising the shame, endured the cross, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, entering God's presence, faith, filled to overflowing, for the joy that was set before him, God cannot lie, God will not allow His word to fail, God's covenant with Abraham, God's unchanging word, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, holy spirit, hope as an anchor so steadfast, hope for the sunshine tomorrow, hope with a gentle persuasion, how welcome thy voice, in its sorrow rejoice, in the dusk of the twilight, into his courts with praise, Jesus Christ, Jim Reeves, joyful worship, lay hold upon the hope set before us, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, making my heart, mercy, obtained the promise, our anchor is in heaven, praise, rends the dark veil of the soul, renewed faith, robbing the grave of its goal, sacrificial praise, salvation, Septimus Winner, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, soft as the voice of an angel, Statler Brothers, thanksgiving, the author and finisher of our faith, the basics of Christianity, the cities of refuge, the forerunner, the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, The Lord is good, the Lord's Day, the Lord's sanctuary, the reliable anchor we have in Jesus, the wisest place to lay our burdens, thou blest hope of glory, truth, wait till the darkness is over, wait till the tempest is done, watch for the breaking of day, when the dark midnight is over, when the night is upon us, whispering hope, whispers her comforting word, why should the heart sink away, wisdom, with a heart full of gratitude, within the veil, worship
Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith;
And after Saturday comes Sunday, which means we’re heading for the Lord’s sanctuary on the Lord’s Day, to offer up praise, worship and thanksgiving, while receiving strength, confidence, renewed faith and a fully refuelled spirit; one that’s filled to overflowing! And all we’re doing there is what Psalm 100 highly recommends: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:4)
Wow! What a wise and wonderful scripture passage! Now, this commentary explains that ‘This verse encourages entering God’s presence with a heart filled with gratitude and joyful worship. It highlights the importance of expressing thankfulness and praise as a way to approach God.’ And are we ever taking it to heart this Sunday morning. So, let’s prepare our vocal chords to sing forth an old but wonderful hymn titled ‘Whispering Hope,’ written by Philadelphian Septimus Winner (1827-1902), a well-known poet, composer and violinist.
Many of you old timers will remember hearing the sultry male voice of Jim Reeves singing on your parents’ radio, while some of the young ones will remember the female version done by our Canadian Songbird, Anne Murray, but today we’ll sing a more up-tempo and scintillating version done by the Statler Brothers. And let’s not forget the sweet, wonderful responses in the chorus. Oh, how could we ever forget that eh, for it makes the song even sweeter! (smile)
Therefore, with heartfelt sincerity, let’s raise our voices filled with sacrificial praise to heaven. Singing: ‘Soft as the voice of an angel, Breathing a lesson unheard, Hope with a gentle persuasion Whispers her comforting word: Wait till the darkness is over, Wait till the tempest is done, Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, After the shower is gone. (Refrain: Whispering hope, whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice.)
If, in the dusk of the twilight, Dim be the region afar, Will not the deepening darkness Brighten the glimmering star? Then when the night is upon us, Why should the heart sink away? When the dark midnight is over, Watch for the breaking of day. [Refrain] Hope, as an anchor so steadfast, Rends the dark veil for the soul, Whither the Master has entered, Robbing the grave of its goal;
Come then, oh, come, glad fruition, Come to my sad weary heart; Come, O Thou blest hope of glory, Never, oh, never depart.(Refrain: Whispering hope, whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice…making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice…’
That was certainly wonderful my fellow believers, and you didn’t let me down with the responses in the chorus. (smile) And as always, heaven was overjoyed and joined us to regale our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ in worshipful song. And what’s the song about, you ask? It’s basically about hope and faith and the reliable anchor that we have in Jesus. The Author of Hebrews puts it this way, when talking about the promise of God.
‘For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise…. Wherein God willing more abundantly (determining) to shew the heirs of promise the immutability (unchangeableness) of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.
That by two immutable (unchangeable) things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil (in the Presence behind the veil). Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made (having become) an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.’ (Heb. 6:13-15; 17-20)
And what does all of the mean? The scholars explain it thus: ‘God’s covenant with Abraham, which involves salvation (Gal. 3:15-25), is secure, being based upon two immutable things, that is elements that cannot change. First, God’s promise is based on His own unchanging Word. He cannot lie, nor will He allow His Word to fail (Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; 17:17). Further, His Word was confirmed by an oath. And since He can swear by none greater, He swears by Himself. He rests His Word on His holy character.
Then, starting at the end of verse 18, the author uses three pictures to demonstrate the security of being in Christ. First, it is described as a safe retreat for the believer, as were the six cities of refuge in the Old Testament to those allowed their protection (Num. 35:6-32). Second, our hope is sure and steadfast as is a well-placed, unbending anchor. Our anchor is not located in the deepest sea but in the highest heaven.
The third figure is that of a forerunner. Though the figure changes, the location does not. Our forerunner is likewise positioned in the sanctuary of heaven. As our forerunner is far different from the Old Testament priests. In the sanctuary they could intercede for the people, but they could not lead the people in themselves. As our forerunner, Jesus has opened the way before us, that eventually (and certainly) we might enter in with Him.’
Oh friends, I know that is a lot of meat and potatoes, but as Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians, we’ve been in the Word for so long, it’s time we stop drinking milk, just dealing with the basics of Christianity, and start eating heavy, solid food or diving deeper into the Word. It’s time we grew up, matured spiritually. (smile) And we’ll close with these wise words from Hebrews which corroborate all we’ve said.
‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls). (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes my faithful brethren, it’s to Jesus whom we ought to look for everything, each and every day! Much LOVE!
…at the foot of the cross…that’s the wisest place to lay all our burdens…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strong anointing, an indisputable fact, an invitation, an outward indication of an inner condition, blessed is he who hides in him, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, come exalt His name forever, delivered me from every fear, every day and night, exhorting one another, experiencing God's presence, faith, fear the Lord all ye saints, feel the presence of the heavenly hosts, fellowship, gather in God's name, glorify the Lord with me, Goliath's sword, hallowed shew bread, He will deliver them, He'll give you everything, his praise shall be continually in my mouth, holy spirit, I sought the Lord and He answered me, I will bless the Lord at all times, Jesus Christ, let us bless the Lord, LOVE, magnify the Lord with me, may our incense rise, mercy, more than erratic church attendance, musical perfection in gospel music, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, never ending praise, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, O taste and see that the Lord is good, one who narrowly escaped death, opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, praise of one who was redeemed, salvation, saved me from mine enemies, Shane Barnard, spiritually inspired by God, sweet sacrifices of praise, the assembling of God's people, the church is an interacting body, the entire worship of Christ, the faithful heroes, the humble shall hear and be glad, the Lord heard me, the Lord's Day, the Son of God surrounds His saints, the testimony, they'll never be ashamed, this poor man cried, those who look on Him are radiant, to experience God's goodness firsthand, trials and tribulations, truth, wisdom, you see the day approaching
Psalm 34:1. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
So once again it’s Sunday, the Lord’s day, when we’re supposed to gather in His sanctuary, or anywhere possible, and give Him thanks and praise for all that He’s done for His human creation. Yes, the scriptures proscribe it, as this verse from Hebrews reminds us. ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:25) And yuh better believe that the day of the Lord’s glorious return is quickly approaching.
And the scholars explain that verse thus. ‘Not forsaking the assembling: This admonition involves far more than erratic attendance. It involves the entire worship of Christ and is an outward indication of an inner condition. The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (cf. Col. 3:12-16) It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor. 12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary for spiritual food and medicine.’
Now, all of that is the gospel truth my faithful brethren. Getting together to worship our great God is the epitome, the essence of our faith. And today we’ll open with a song that will lift us up, stir us up and define the interaction of Christ’s body. (smile) It’s that famous song based on some words of Bruh David from Psalm 34, titled ‘O Taste and See that the Lord is good.’
And what does that mean? One commentary explains it thus: ‘It is an invitation to experience God’s goodness and faithfulness firsthand. The verse suggests that simply believing in God’s goodness isn’t enough; one must actively “taste” it by experiencing His presence and blessings in their life.’ Now that’s one way to never go wrong! But while the song is attributed to one Shane Bernard, it is sensationally performed by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and is my all-time favourite video worship song. I had not heard it for a while, then I listened to it this past week, and immediately knew we had to sing it today. (smile)
And if you think that I am biased about the song, then listen to these two commentaries on it. The first says: ‘This is how it would be like in heaven. Every voice, musicians, race, soul praising the name of God. Amen!!’ And the second is like unto it: ‘Every frame, every beat, every note, perfectly executed. THIS is musical perfection in gospel music.’ And believe me that’s the infallible truth! For the musicians get into the song and fire it right up, as they can do when they’re inspired. And if you’ve never seen the video, you ought to, because it will certainly stir you up. (smile)
But enough talk, let’s get to the song, and raise our voices in sweet sacrifices of praise in an up-tempo, soulful, scintillating, heart-rending rendition of the song. Singing: ‘I sought the Lord And He answered me And delivered me From every fear. Those who look on Him Are radiant They’ll never be ashamed They’ll never be ashamed. This poor man cried And the Lord heard me And saved me from My enemies. The Son of God Surrounds His saints He will deliver them He will deliver them.
Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good Oh blessed is he Who hides in Him. Oh fear the Lord Oh all you saints He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. (Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. Repeat) (Let us bless the Lord Every day and night Never ending praise May our incense rise. Repeat 4 times)
Magnify the Lord with me Come exalt His name together Glorify the Lord with me Come exalt His name forever. {Repeat} Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything He’ll give you everything. Oh taste and see That the Lord is good. He’ll give you everything…He’ll give you everything. …He’ll give you everything…’
Now there’s an indisputable fact friends! If we continually worship the Lord like Bruh David says in the Psalm, He will give us everything! And by the way, that was a marvellous version; all heaven was singing along with us. As this commentary says: ‘I just imagine being in heaven worshipping with this magnificent choir, just magnifying our great God! Hallelujah!!’
Then this other commentary tells it thus: ‘Every time I listen to this song, I imagine myself along with all the other saints in heaven worshipping. This song carries a strong anointing. You can feel the presence of the heavenly hosts. The worship that the people utter after the song is like Heaven, every, race, every tongue raising up their voices in one accord unto the King of Kings.’ And that’s exactly how it ought to be!
It’s also interesting how the writer of the song only took verses 3-10 from the psalm and created such a wonderful song. But that happens when you are spiritually inspired by the Lord of the universe. Now here’s how Bruh David began the psalm: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.’ (Ps. 34:1-2) Then he goes into the verses used in the song, about magnifying and exalting the Lord with him etc.
And the basis of the psalm comes from 1 Samuel 21, where Bruh David was running away from King Saul and lied to the priest Ahimelech about a secret mission for the king, and because the mission was so urgent, he never had time to procure food nor weapons. Ahimelech believed him, and gave him the ceremonial hallowed shew bread, which was all he had, as well as the sword that Bruh David had taken from Goliath after he killed him. And I like Bruh David’s response to Ahimelech’s comment about Goliath’s sword being the only weapon available. ‘And David said, There is none like that; give it me.’ (1 Sam .21:9b) He should know. (smile)
Then Bruh David ran to Gath, to the land of the Philistines, to Achish the king of Gath, for succour, feigning madness. Consequently, as the scholars explain, the psalm bears all the marks of the testimony of one who narrowly escaped death, just as the passage in Samuel describes. As such it contains the praise and testimony of the one who was redeemed (vs. 1-10) and the seasoned instruction that can stem from such deliverance (vs. 11-22).’
Ah mih people, trials and tribulations are a natural aspect of this evil and ungodly world, and there’s much we can learn from the way the faithful heroes who preceded us handled them, so please, let’s not just read and gloss them over, but study them and try to put them into practice in our lives. It will be ever so beneficial to us! Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing better believers can do…than magnify and exalt the Lord’s name together…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a new work week, allow His joy and peace, an incomparable experience, and peace from God the Father, and will say destroy, Anthony Showalter, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be as a tree planted by the waters, blessed be God, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, boosting our faith, by the comfort, calamity, Christ my Saviour, christianity, contemplate what it means, disastrous times, Easter, Elisha Hoffman, faith, fellowship, from day to day, god of all comfort, grace be to you, He will thrust out the enemy before you, her leaf shall be green, holy spirit, how bright the path grows, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim's way, I have blessed peace, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I will not fear what man can do to me, I will trust in thee, In god I have put my trust, In God I will praise his word, in the year of drought, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, leaning on Jesus, leaning on the everlasting arms of Christ my Saviour, LOVE, mercy, not be anxious, not of evil, reassurance, renewing our confidence, replace our loneliness, safe and secure from all alarms, salvation, shall not fear when heat comes, song of worship, spreads out her roots, the BIBLE, the eternal God is your refuge, the Father of all comfort, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the greatest source of comfort, the Lord jesus christ, the Lord's Day, the miraculous events of Easter, the necessary inspiration, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, thoughts of peace, times of fear and trial, times of trouble, to find refuge in God's arms, to give you an expected end, truth, turn to God for comfort, underneath are the everlasting arms, we are comforted ourselves by God, what a blessedness, what a fellowship, what a joy divine, what a peace is mine, what have i to dread, what have I to fear, What time I am afraid, who comforts us in our tribulation, whose hope the Lord is, whose mind is stayed on thee, wisdom, with my Lord so near
2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies, and God of all comfort;
And then it was Sunday, the Lord’s Day, one filled with sunshine, worship, fellowship, thanksgiving and joy, all serving to boost our faith and renew our confidence in our great God, so that we can go out tomorrow and begin a new work week with the necessary inspiration and strength to make Him proud. And today’s song of worship is a very interesting and appropriate one for the disastrous times our world is currently facing. It’s most aptly titled ‘Leaning On the Everlasting Arms.’
Now, the website Godtube offers this information on the background of the hymn. ‘Leaning on the Everlasting Arms is a hymn published in 1887 with music by Anthony J. Showalter and lyrics by Showalter and Elisha Hoffman. Showalter had received letters from two of his former pupils informing him their wives had died and were seeking consolation. When writing them back, he was inspired by the phrase in the Book of Deuteronomy 33:27 “The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy”.
But after thinking of the verse furthermore, he decided those words would make a great theme for a hymn. He then wrote the words for the refrain and music for the hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” But he needed help with the stanzas, so he went to see Elisha Hoffman author of over 2000 gospel hymns. Hoffman provided the stanzas while Showalter created the refrain and music to this hymn.’
So, on this first Sunday morning in April, during this Lenten Season, with the miraculous events of Easter just around the corner, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a rousing, up-tempo rendition of the song, doing exactly as this commentary from the Hymnary.org website so wisely advises. ‘As the hymn is sung, contemplate what it means to find refuge in our heavenly Father’s arms in times of fear and trial, and to allow His joy and peace to replace our loneliness and anxiety.’
Yes friends, we’ve all had times of trouble, when we needed to turn to God for comfort and strength and lean on His everlasting arms. So, as we sing, let’s remember some of those times and allow our gratitude and thanks to flow from our hearts for those many moments of comfort we’ve so graciously and mercifully received.
Singing: ‘What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms; what a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms. (Refrain: Leaning on Jesus, leaning on Jesus, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.) O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim’s way, leaning on the everlasting arms; O how bright the path grows from day to day, leaning on the everlasting arms.
[Refrain] What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning on Jesus, leaning on Jesus, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms, Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning on the everlasting arms…leaning on the everlasting arms of Jesus… oh how good it is to be, leaning on the everlasting arms of Christ my Saviour….’
And yuh better believe it’s not only good to be leaning on Christ’s arms, but you’ll also understand that it’s an incomparable experience! No other sense of comfort and strength compares to that of our God. That’s why it’s one of the greatest hymns for solace. There’s nothing better than ‘leaning on the everlasting arms’ of God when seeking comfort.
As Bruh Paul so beautifully proclaims in his second letter to the Corinthians. ‘Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies, and God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we are comforted ourselves of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:2-4)
What powerful and encouraging verses of Scripture my fellow believers! And what I particularly like about the sentiments is that God not only comforts us, but does so in such a manner that we are also able to comfort others! Now, let’s look at a few of the many other scriptures that talk about God’s comfort and reassurance, beginning with this marvellous one from Isaiah, where he proclaims with the utmost confidence. ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.’ (Is. 26:3-4)
Then there’s this one from Jeremiah. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8)
Yes friends, the Lord has made many promises to comfort and care for us, but on the other hand, we must also place our sincere trust in Him if we expect the relationship to work. And I like these verses that Bruh David writes in Psalm 56, when he ran to the Philistines in Gath. He declares: ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh (mere mortals) can do unto me.’ (Ps. 56:3-4)
Can you imagine Bruh David’s predicament, running from one enemy, Saul, only to end up in the hands of the Philistines, Israel’s constant foes. He was certainly between a rock and a hard place, but his exemplary trust and confidence in the God of his forefathers, kept him sane and confident, while in the hands of his mortal enemies.
And we’ll close with this favourite verse from Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Oh my people, with all those sincere and faithful promises of peace and LOVE and joy, how can we not LOVE and honour the Lord eh? We must be a foolish people, if we don’t! Much LOVE!
…the greatest source of comfort…comes from the Father of all comfort…Jehovah God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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