07 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Daily Prayer for Wisdom, according to his glorious power, and with all thy getting, anything praiseworthy, as I seek your presence each day, bad air advisories, be careful for nothing, be filled with the knowledge of his will, be not weary of God's correction, be not wise in thine own eyes, being fruitful in every good work, bounden duty, Christians, confident that you'll direct my paths, courage, creativity, curse, delivered us from the power of darkness, despise not the chastening of the Lord, faith, favour, fear the Lord and depart from evil, fill me with the knowledge of your will, get understanding, giving thanks unto the Father, growing in spiritual maturity, guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, guide me into your truth, have redemption through Christ's blood, health to thy navel, holy spirit, honour the Lord with thy substance, I acknowledge you, I lay down my anxieties, I trust you with all my heart, in all my ways, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, in everything by prayer and supplication, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, let your requests be made known unto God, live a life pleasing to you, LOVE, make straight your paths, marrow to thy bones, mercy, more than conquerors, negative word, not relying on my own understanding, nothing that comes against us will prosper, of the inheritance of the saints, presenting every need with thanksgiving, qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of, receive clear direction for my life, salvation, self-control. self-discipline, strengthen my faith, strengthened with all might, success, supernatural strength, the BIBLE, the forgiveness of sins, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the peace that surpasses all understanding, therefore get wisdom, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses burst out with new wine, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trusting that your peace, truth, unto all patience and longsuffering, walk worthy of the Lord, whatsoever things are true, wisdom, wisdom and understanding, wisdom is the principal thing, with joyfulness, with thanksgiving, with the firstfruits of all thine increase
Colossians 1:9b. to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Oh my people, can you believe it’s already the 7th of August; we’ve already completed a week of this new month. It seems to be going just as fast as the others, and also being just as hot and dry, with bad air advisories and little or no rain. But being children of God, we have the godly ability to handle anything that comes against us. As the Bible tells us, we are more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37) and nothing that comes against us will prosper. (Is. 54:17) But be that as it may, all our God given help begins with prayer. And today we’ll check out one titled ‘A Daily Prayer for Wisdom.’ And as so often is the case, I cannot remember who sent it to me, but it’s still very viable. (smile)
So please pray with me. ‘Father, I trust you with all my heart, not relying on my own understanding. In all my ways, I acknowledge You, confident that You’ll direct my path. Today, fill me with the knowledge of Your will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so I may live a life pleasing to You. I lay down my anxieties, presenting every need with thanksgiving, trusting that Your peace which goes beyond all understanding will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Guide me Lord, into Your truth, and strengthen my faith as I seek Your presence each day. In Jesus name. Amen.’
And what I like about that prayer is that it’s a compact, combination of several verses of the Bible. As the card says, ‘This daily prayer is based on Scripture verses from: Proverbs 3:5-6; Colossians 1:9; Philippians 4:6-7.’ And what better time and place to review those foundational scriptures that we all know but don’t live up to as we should? None like right now! (smile) So let’s begin our review with these marvellous words from Cousin Sol’s amazing Book of Wisdom, Proverbs.
He wisely advises: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight) your parts.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) Oh friends, that’s wisdom to the nth degree! You know, if we would do only those things contained in those two verses, our lives would be so enriched, both spiritually and physically, that we would not know what to do with ourselves, for that’s the basic wisdom of our Christian faith; trust the Lord, listen to His commands and do them. And when we add these other words of that scripture passage to those above, we get such a beautiful picture of Christian living!
Listen up, ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) be filled with new wine. My son despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as the father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:7-12) And right there friends we have a synopsis of the Bible in a few verses. If you followed them sincerely, you could not go wrong.
Then there’s this other beautiful scripture passage from the pen of Bruh Paul to the Colossians re his prayer for them. ‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.’(Col. 1:9) Now that’s the verse quoted by the prayer, but we cannot leave out the other parts of Bruh Paul’s prayer which gives us such understanding into his prayers.
He then continues: ‘That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ (Col. 1:9-14)
Wow friends! What a wonderful prayer! Please note that Bruh Paul didn’t pray for them to be rich or healthy or have no problems, but for them to be totally anchored in God; learning His word and doing it, thus growing in spiritual maturity. And it’s a method of prayer that we can all adopt that rises above our physical and material desires. And the last scripture used in our earlier prayer is another marvellous passage, this time from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where he desires to introduce them to the God of peace.
He consequently writes. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) Yes my fellow saints, more foundational scriptures; we must not be anxious or fearful about anything, but take all our anxieties and fears to the Lord in prayer, and when we do that, His outstanding peace, which is greater than we can ever understand will keep our hearts free from worry, fear and anxiety.
And then in Bruh Paul’s practical style, he tells them what to think about. ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
Oh my people! What more can we ask for eh? Not much. However, the Lord in His overwhelming generosity has given us, what we call our Thursday Blessings. That’s undeserved blessings, to do His earthly work. So let’s declare them (chuh!!!) and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord blessed us with them, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…wisdom is the principal thing…therefore get wisdom…and with all thy getting…get understanding… (Prov. 4:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God of refuge and comfort, a positive outlook on life., abundance, almighty god, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, be careful for nothing, be ye thankful, bring my soul out of prison, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, christianity, Christians, curse, deal bountifully with me, deliver me from my persecutors, did I make my supplication, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, duty bound, favour, fear, give God His due, give heed to my cry, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, good family, good health, handle the situation, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, holy spirit, I am brought low, I cried unto the Lord with my voice, I cried unto thee O Lord, I declared my trouble, I fainted, I will bless the Lord at all times, in a calm and positive manner, in every thing, in the land of the living, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, let your request be made known unto God, life cannot always be sunshine, looked on my right hand, LOVE, mercy, my refuge, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, my spirit was overwhelmed, negative word, no man cared for my soul, no man that would acknowledge me, only one place to turn for safe refuge, poured out my complaint, praayer and thanksgiving, refuge failed me, running away from homes, salvation, secretly laid a snare for me, self-control, stormy weather, success, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, talent, that I may praise thy name, the BIBLE, the humble shall hear and be glad, the Lord God Jehovah, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the process of rebuilding, the rain must fall, the righteous shall compass me about, the two basics of Christian life, they are stronger than I, thou art my refuge and my portion, thou knewest my path, times of discomfort, to escape the wildfires, to nourish the land, truth, use those blessings for the good of others, whatsoever ye do in word and deed, wildfires, wisdom, with my voice
Psalm 142:5. I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
The beautiful summer days seems to have been quite short lived, just two, (smile) for this Thursday has opened damp and somewhat cloudy after a night of rain, and more rain is forecasted for later today and the upcoming days. But as we all know, life cannot be sunshine all the time, the rain must fall to nourish the land.
And how the Western Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are dying to see torrents of rain, so that the many wildfires currently plaguing them could be extinguished and allow them to get on with their lives. But unfortunately they are not being granted that wish and have to be running away from their homes and towns to avoid the ever expanding wildfires.
Let’s pray that their ordeal will soon end, and they can begin the tough process of rebuilding. But until then, there’s only one place they can turn to for safe and perfect refuge, that’s in the Lord God Jehovah. For He is indeed a God of refuge and comfort. And when those times of discomfort, fear and stormy weather overtake us, He is the One we should first turn to, like Bruh David did when he was forced to hide in a cave from his enemies, especially king Saul.
He writes in Psalm 142: ‘I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed (declared) before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me (I fainted), then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily (secretly) laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know (acknowledge) me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend (give heed) unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about (surround me); for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.’ (Ps. 142:1-7)
Oh my people, please, let’s use this psalm today as a reminder that our great God is indeed a place of refuge and comfort; a God to whom we can sincerely cry out in times of trouble and expect His awesome help. Sometimes it might not come right away, because He’s using the situation to test us, but we will always receive the wherewithal to handle the situation in a calm and positive manner. That’s His faithful promise. But we need to do it in a reverential manner, somewhat like how the scholars said Bruh David did it. ‘After presenting his lament (vs. 1-4), David lifts up his petition (vs. 5-6) and promises his thanksgiving when God answers (vs. 7).’
Yes friends, although we might be in serious trouble, we must still take the time to give God His due; that’s praise and thanksgiving, and not just rush blindly and arrogantly into demanding mode. That reminds us of the opening verses of Psalm 34: ‘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)
As Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto the Lord. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) That informs us that every prayer must have some form of thanksgiving in it. We don’t just boldly and selfishly ask for whatever we desire. No, we must also offer a modicum of thanks and praise for God’s goodness to His human creation.
And we can reinforce that by remembering Bruh Paul’s writing to the Colossians, when he speaks of putting on the new man. These verses certainly expand our horizons (smile). ‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. …And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:15; 17) That means, as Bruh Paul writes to the Thessalonians: ‘In EVERY THING give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18)
And that’s the long and short of the story my fellow saints; in everything we do or say, thanks ought to be given to God. So please, let’s integrate it, or keep it integrated, (smile) in all aspects of our lives, for it’s God’s desire for His human creation. Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us by the Lord to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the good of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…prayer and thanksgiving are…the two basics of the Christian life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day of rest and worship, a heartfelt version, a time to cease work, a weekly day of rest, accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, all the troubles of the world on our shoulders, amid the conflict, angels will attend, be careful for nothing, burdened with a load of care, can never count God's numerous blessings, Christ has promised you His wealth untold, christianity, Christians, count your blessings, count your many blessings, counting your blessinsg means being grateful, do not be discouraged, does the cross seem heavy, engage in religious practices, eternal life, every doubt will fly, faith, fellowship, for all god has done in our lives, gathering in God's sanctuary, God is over all, God rested the seventh, God's day, grumpy, help and comfort give, holy spirit, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in every thing give thanks, in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, it will surprise you what the Lord hath done, Jesus bore all our sins, Jesus Christ, Johnson Oatman Jr., keep it holy, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let your request be made known unto God, look at others with lands and gold, LOVE, many are thy wonderful works, mercy, miserable, money cannot buy your reward in heaven, name them one by one, numbering your troubles, on the cross of Calvary, our blessings outweigh our troubles, praise, pray without ceasing, refelct, rejoice evermore, remember the Sabbath day, salvation, singing as the days go by, stop and give thanks, sucking a sour lemon, sweet sacrifices of praise, thankful for the good things in our lives, thanksgiving, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, the most joyful people on the planet, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the Sabbath, the Ten Commandments, they are more than can be numbered, they cannot be reckoned up, thinking all is lost, this is the will of God in Christ, thy thoughts to us-ward, to your journey's end, truth, when upon life's billows, wisdom, work everything out for our good, you are discouraged, you are tempest tossed, your home on high
1 Thessalonians 5:18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
And another of God’s Day, the Sabbath, has rolled around, with fellowship, praise and thanksgiving the order of the day as God long ago ordained it in the Ten Commandments. ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seventh is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, not thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made the heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.’ (Ex. 20:8-11)
So you see that the Sabbath Day is important to God, and should also be important to us. But what exactly is the Sabbath Day? This commentary explains it thus: ‘The Sabbath is a weekly day of rest, observed by many religious groups, including Judaism and certain Christian denominations. It is traditionally observed on the seventh day of the week, from sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday in the Jewish calendar. For many Christians, Sunday is the Sabbath, a day of rest and worship commemorating the resurrection of Jesus. The Sabbath is a time to cease work, reflect, and engage in religious practices.’
And that’s exactly why we’re gathering in God’s sanctuary this Sunday morning; to reflect and engage in religious practices like prayer and worship. So let’s begin our worship with this wonderful and oh so appropriate song, especially for these trying and troubled times, we’re now experiencing. It’s simply titled, ‘Count Your Blessings!’ It was written by American born Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856-1922), a businessman as well as an ordained local preacher. He’s reputedly written over three thousand hymns, and no gospel song book is considered as being complete unless it contains some of his hymns. That ought to be true if he’s written so many.
But before we get to singing the song, let’s take a moment to explain what’s meant by counting our blessings. It’s basically being grateful, being thankful for the good things in our lives, and when we do that, it often stops us from becoming too unhappy about the bad things. Now let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise to Almighty God in an up-tempo, scintillating, truly heartfelt version of the song, leaving no doubt that we’re indeed most thankful for our many blessings, so many of them undeserved.
Singing: When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. (Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your blessings, see what God hath done; Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.) Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly, And you will be singing as the days go by. [Refrain]
When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; Count your many blessings, money cannot buy Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. [Refrain] So, amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end. [Refrain] 2.’
And that was an awesome rendition of the song encompassing ever so true sentiments and words my people! There could be no doubt whatsoever about out thankfulness for the many blessings our wonderful God has bestowed on us down through the years, and will continue doing, if we stay faithful and true to Him. And we cannot find a better verse in the Bible that describes this song than these words of Bruh David from Psalm 40 – Praise for God’s Deliverance. He writes: ‘Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up (recounted) in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.’ (Ps. 40:5)
Now that’s the gospel truth my brethren! We can never count the numerous blessings that our generous God has bestowed on us. But we do need to keep as many of them as possible in mind so that we can remember His faithfulness, especially in hard times. And I like what this commentary from the Godtube website says on the subject. ‘God truly gives us so many blessings each and every single day. Some may even be so small that we might overlook them. The classic hymn ‘Count Your Blessings’ truly reminds us to stop and give thanks for all God has done in our lives. This is definitely a pause we all need to take. Amen.’
And that we surely need to do every so often friends! For it’s in keeping with Bruh Paul’s wise advice to the Thessalonians: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) And there can be no better advice than that, because Christians ought to be the most joyful people on the planet, seeing that we have Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, the giver of salvation and eternal life, the most important things in the universe!
However, too many of us supposed believers go around like we’re constantly sucking a sour lemon, like if we have all the troubles of the world on our shoulders, but Jesus has already taken care of that. He bore ALL of our sins on the cross of Calvary, so there’s nothing left for us to worry about, but to live in joy and peace for and with Him. And as this commentary so wisely advises us: ‘If you always find yourself numbering your troubles, you will never find time for counting your blessings. There is no use becoming frustrated in your difficulties while you have all opportunities hiding in them for a turnover.’
And yuh know the sad part that situation my people, is if we truly sit down and count our blessings, we’ll find that they outweigh our troubles…and by plenty too. So let’s stop being grumpy and miserable when troubles come against us nuh. The Lord’s promised to eventually work everything out for our good. (Rom. 8:28) And if truly believe that, then we can sincerely live like Bruh Paul says to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in EVERY THING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
And that’s a marvellous scripture to go home to today, my fellow believers! Much LOVE!
…our world is overflowing with disaster…but in Jesus…believers have the wherewithal to handle it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, ambassadors for Christ, and again I say rejoice, be careful for nothing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, cannot stop our drive to victory, christianity, Christians, deepen my breath, divide and conquer, doing what we want when we want, don't walk the walk, drop our petty differences, faith, fight the good fight for Jesus, filled with the peace of God, galvanize us into action, get serious about living for Christ, glorify your father in heaven, good for nothing, heading straight to hell, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, if the salt has lost it s flavour, in everything by prayer and supplication, in the back of our minds, in the name of Jesus, in the proverbial handbasket, in word and deed, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, it gives light to all in the house, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lead miserable and lacking lives, Let your light so shine before men, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, light blazing, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, make a substantial difference, mercy, neither do men light a candle, peace that passes all human understanding, put it under a bushel, put our faith to work in our daily lives, quiet my soul, Rejoice in the Lord always, relax my muscles, saltiness overflowing, salvation, see your good works, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, slow my thoughts, start our day with prayer, talk the talk, tasteless like the world, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the current chaotic state of our world, the enemy, the forefront of our minds, the gutter of hell, the Lord is at hand, the murky abyss of hell, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the terrible consequences of inaction, to be cast out, trodden under foot of men, truth, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Matthew 5:13a & 16a. Ye are the salt of the earth: Let your light so shine before men,
And finally our lazy-day Saturday is on board! It’s somewhat cloudy and windy and not as warm as we might like, but it’s nonetheless our lazy-day Saturday, where we can do what we want, when we want, and how we want! (smile) Now isn’t that a joy, after having to do the wishes of others all the live long week? It certainly is! And as always, it’s best to start our day with prayer; that’s salutations, greetings and thanks to our wonderful God for allowing us to see another day on this great though confused and chaotic earth.
So let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And without a doubt, if our prayer was truly heartfelt, our bodies and souls will soon be filled with the calm and peace of God, that passes all human understanding. Because there’s nothing that our God likes more than His people wanting greater intimacy with Him, for that’s one of the major reasons He created us. And that’s why, when talking about the God of Peace, Bruh Paul could write these marvellous words to the Philippians.
‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (graciousness, reasonableness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all human understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
Oh friends, what wonderful advice! The trouble however, is that though we know the advice, too many of us keep it somewhere in the back of our minds, instead of in the forefront, and consequently not enough of us put it into practice. No wonder so many of us have somewhat miserable and lacking lives, when with simply following Bruh Paul’s advice we could be doing so much better.
That brings us to the realization that too many of us talk the talk but don’t actually walk it. We all talk about faith and all the things it can do, but how many of us truly put our faith to work in our daily lives eh? Certainly not enough of us, otherwise our world would not be in its current chaotic, ungodly state. That means we’re not doing as Jesus desires. Remember these poignant words of His? ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13)
Sadly my people, it seems like way too many of us have lost our salty flavour and now are tasteless just like the rest of the world, which could never be a good thing and work in Jesus’ favour. Remember, we are His ambassadors here on earth and are supposed to be telling others, both in word and deed about His wonderful kingdom, and causing them to want to join us. But unfortunately we’re not doing it well enough. And how can we be good representatives of Jesus when we don’t adhere to these words of His either eh?
‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp) and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
And right there my fellow believers is one of our biggest problems and why our world is in such an ungodly mess. God’s people are not shining their lights as brightly as they ought to! Too many of our lights have either been dimmed or simply gone out, for us to be able to make a substantial difference in our evil world that’s sadly heading straight to hell in the proverbial handbasket!
But my brethren it’s not too late for us to stop the slimy slide down to the gutter of hell. No! If we would only get serious about living for Christ, then drop all our petty Christian differences and get together as ONE, and boldly and confidently restore our salty flavour and turn up the level of our lights, so that the world can see what true Christianity is all about, then we can retake most of the world for Christ, and stop that slimy and sorry slide to hell fire and damnation.
But unfortunately it first depends on us being willing to individually stand up and fight against the evil around us, then, more importantly for us to get together and fight as ONE! For we cannot defeat the enemy in our present divided and distrustful state. That’s why the enemy has concentrated on keeping us apart, using the old but wise theory of divide and conquer. And once he keeps us divided, his evil plans will meet with much success, as they are now doing so very blatantly.
So it’s up to us to decide if we’re going to fight the good fight for Jesus, or just let our world slide down into the dark and murky abyss of hell. I’d suggest we all take a few moments today and consider the question and the sure, terrible consequences of our inaction, and let them galvanize us into powerful action, in the strong and mighty name of Jesus! Much LOVE!
…with saltiness overflowing…and light blazing…the enemy cannot stop our drive to victory…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, abundant provision, all the days of my life, alleviate our problems, divine aid, faith, flying wingman for you, for His name's sake, God's goodness, grin and bear it, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul, holy spirit, honoured position, humble servants, I am the good shepherd, I bless you and praise your holy name, I know my sheep and are known of mine, I shall not want, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, I will fear no evil, in the presence of mine enemies, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus riding shotgun, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, leads me beside still waters, leads me in the paths of righteousness, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, my cup runneth over, my peace I give to you, neither be afraid, not as the world giveth, pain, pray, repentance, salvation, separation from Almighty God, shame, sincerely seek your face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, strong faith in Christ, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, the God who heals, the King of Kings, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord of lords, the peace of Christ, the peace of God which passeth all understading, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, truth, turn from our evil ways, winter's finally arrived, wisdom, wise guidance, without faith it is impossible to please God
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Well friends, it’s seems like winter has finally arrived, with minus temperatures and flurries of the white stuff happening in my area. However, cottage country, just north of the Greater Toronto Area, was bombarded with oodles of snow early in the weekend, so badly that roads were closed and thousands out of power. I guess it’s only a matter of time before we get our fair share down here. But one can only grin and bear it, especially when you have the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, Jesus Christ, flying wingman for you. (smile)
Oh my people, Jesus is all we ever need, for with Him running our lives through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, we will not want for anything. Like Bruh David declares with such assuredness in his most famous psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) The question now is do we believe that statement as strongly as Bruh David did when he wrote it? We better had, otherwise we’ll lose out on so much of God’s goodness and mercy by being unsure and insecure.
Remember what Hebrews says: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) Yes friends, it’s of the utmost importance that we believe God is who He says He is, and can do what He says He can do, if we want to enjoy benefits like what Bruh David continues to write about in Psalm 23. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.’ (Ps. 23:2)
How wonderful is that peace which God provides to those who believe and diligently seek Him! It cannot be beaten by anything or anyone the world has to offer. As Jesus so rightly characterized His peace: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to 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 why don’t we need to be troubled or afraid when we have the peace of Jesus? Because, as Bruh Paul explains to the Philippians: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7)
Yes my fellow believers, the peace that Jesus gives is one that far surpasses anything that can be found on earth, because it is the peace of Almighty God Himself! And with the peace of Jesus riding shotgun by his side, Bruh David could afford to write: ‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps. 23:3) Of course, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit of Jesus, He restores your soul and helps you to walk a path of righteous behaviour. That’s why the Holy Spirit indwells us; to help with those tough endeavours!
And Bruh David takes it up several notches when he adamantly proclaims: ‘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.’ (Ps. 23:4) Wow! What an awesome declaration! (chuh!!!) Can you imagine walking through the valley of the shadow of death without fear? Only if Jesus is the your Guide and Protector! And please notice that Bruh David specifies ‘walking through’ not stopping in ‘the valley of the shadow of death.’ He’s assured that he will make it safely through because Jesus is the Number ONE person in his heart!
And he gets even bolder and more courageous on the Lord’s strength as he continues: ‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’ (Ps. 23:5) Now that’s certainly something to think about! We must be very important to the Lord for him to do all those extraordinary things for us. And so we are, as Bruh David concludes: ‘Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6)
And why not, for that is the eventual reward for belief, obedience, trust and faithfulness in Almighty God; He of Abraham, Issacc and Jacob! Ah my fellow saints, the psalm is simple but powerful, as it depicts God as our shepherd, who guides, protects, and provides us with a good life. We are the sheep of His pasture who follow Him closely. As Jesus says: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:14)
And I like how the scholars characterize our relationship to God. ‘The believer is more than a dependent sheep, however; he is also like an honoured guest, since the Lord prepares a table for him. Connected with this honoured position is abundant provision, vindication before one’s enemies, an eternal celebration of God’s goodness.’ Now it doesn’t get any better than that, so why do we still hobnob with the old devil Satan who can do absolutely nothing good for us, just cause us pain and shame and eternal separation from God?
It’s therefore high time to remove him from our lives, and to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these times of dire need. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it should be obvious that we won’t receive any divine aid until we do like our prayer indicates; that’s humble ourselves, turn from our evil ways and sincerely seek God! Much LOVE!
…with Jesus as our Good shepherd…who needs anyone else…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable sins, abundance, as far as the east is from the west, be careful for nothing, be not drunk with wine, bless the LOrd o my soul, but in every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, courage, creativity, crowns thee with loving-kindness, curse, dissipation, enter his gates with thanksgiving, established it upon the floods, every good gift, every perfect gift is from above, excess, faith, favour, firstfruits of his creatures, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, give thanks unto the Lord, giving thanks always for all things, great is thy faithfulness, he founded it upon the seas, he is good, heals all thy diseases, his compassions fail not, his mercy endures for ever, his truth endures to all generations, in every thing, in everything give thanks, in the fear of God, into his courts with praise, It is of the Lord's mercies, Jesus Christ, joy, let your moderation be known unto all men, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, making melody in your heart to the Lord, mercy, negative word, neither shadow of turning, of his own will, pray without ceasing, prosper, pumpkin pie, redeems thy life from destruction, rejoice evermore, Rejoice in the Lord always, renews thy youth like the eagle, sacrifice, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, serve the Lord with gladness, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, success, supernatural wisdom, talent, tender mercies, thankful for all our blessings, thanksgiving, the abundant life, the cross of Calvary, the earth is the Lord's, the Father of lights, the fulness thereof, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the word of truth, they are new every morning, this is the will of God in Christ, tribulation, truth, Turkey, we are not consumed, wisdom
Happy Thanksgiving U.S. of A!
Yes, it’s officially Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. and one can imagine how busy it is down there, with all the turkey and pumpkin pie celebrations. And they do have a lot to be thankful for; the question is to whom are they thankful for their many blessings? But that’s a story for another time and place. (smile) And on this Thanksgiving Thursday, I believe it’s only right and most appropriate to check out some scriptures on thanksgiving.
So, let’s begin with this most relevant and interesting one from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians, where he advises them, and consequently us to ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Ah friends, that’s indeed true! For our God desires us to enjoy the abundant life he’s provided for us through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, but at the same time He desires to hear some prayerful and thankful sentiments from us, His people.
It’s only natural. We give much thanks to humans who give us non-essential earthly stuff, so why not give even greater thanks for ‘Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. Of His own will he begat us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:17-18)
Oh my people, the Lord created us to be the best and most important of his many creations and blesses us with more than we can ever ask or imagine, therefore it behooves us to give Him thanks, not only on this special day, but each and every day! Today we just pile it up a li’l higher and be more sincere! (smile)
And then, both 1 Chronicles 16:34, and Psalm 107 1, rightly advocates: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-KINDESS) endureth for ever.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! From the very beginning our great God has been nothing but good to us! And even when we’ve fallen into temptation and sin, His unconditional and abiding LOVE shone forth as He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary so that our abominable sins could be forgiven, and cast away as far as the east is from the west. (Ps; 103:12)
How then, can we not in all good conscience give Him much thanks and LOVE, for as Bruh David reminds us earlier on in Psalm 103: ‘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.’ (Ps. 103:2-5) Now if that isn’t more than sufficient to give thanks for, then I don’t know what is!
And what about this admonishment from Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus? ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear (reverence) of God.’ (Eph. 5:18-21)
What wonderful, godly advice! Unfortunately though, I know that many will be drunk with wine to excess today, despite that good advice. However, let’s hope that that dissipation will not incur too many negative consequences, as it is generally wont to do. (smile)
Then there’s this exhortation from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Eph. 4:4-7)
And I’m chuckling here, because it seems like Bruh Paul wrote some kind of admonishment to each of the churches to keep praying, rejoicing and offering thanks to God come what may! And that’s exactly how it ought to be, given the fact that ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23)
Oh my fellow believers, there are so many things to be thankful to God for, especially His breath of life which He unselfishly shared with us when He created us and breathed it into our lifeless bodies made of dirt. That’s why it’s very surprising and hard to believe that so many of us can be so unthankful and disparaging of God to whom EVERYTHING belongs, and who gave and gives us EVERYTHING we possess. Listen up to these last wo scriptures which attest to those facts. From Psalm 24, Bruh David writes: ‘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.’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
Then Psalm 100 tells us to ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 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. 100:1-5)
And if you don’t believe that friends, then I don’t know what else to say. However, let’s declare and thus activate our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us do His earthly work and see if it makes a difference. (smile) As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And if you believe, then it behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…be it in joy…or tribulation…it is essential to give thanks to Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed country, a high standard of living, a lot to be thankful for, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a modicum of circumspection, an everyday occurrence, animosities, be careful for nothing, bless the LOrd o my soul, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, christianity, cried unto the Lord, crowns thee with loving-kindness, disobeyed your word, divine aid, do everything with thanksgiving, faith, fills the hungry soul with goodness, for brethren to dwell in unity, for his wonderful works to the children of men, forget not all his benefits, forgives all thine iniquities, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, go overboard, god, happy is he that keeps the law, Happy Thanksgiving Day, he also is become my salvation, he delivered them out of their distresses, he satisfies the longing soul, heals all thy diseases, his mercy endureth for ever, holy spirit, how good and how pleasant it is, humble ourselves, humble servants, hungry, in everything, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let your moderation be known unto all men, life to see another new day, LOVE, mercy, moral compass, negative situations, new mercies and compassions, oh that mne would praise the Lord for his goodness, peace, pray, prosper us, redeemed from the hand of the enemy, redeems thy life, Rejoice in the Lord always, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, serenity, sincerely seek your face, sing unto the Lord, spiritual decline, strong faith in Christ, the giving of thanks, the God who heals, the Lord is at hand, the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the redeemed of the Lord, the wells of salvation, thier soul fainted within them, thirsty, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, tragedy, truth, turn from our evil ways, wandered in the wilderness, we all have sinned, where there is no vision the people perish, wisdom, wise guidance, with joy shall ye draw water
Psalm 107:1. O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY CANADA!
And then it was another Monday…but this time, a special one in this great country of Canada! It’s Thanksgiving Day my people! The special day, when, all over the land, we take our normal celebrations of thanks and praise to our great God to a higher level, truly acknowledging His awesome presence in our lives and the numerous blessings He’s bestowed on us in this past year. And yuh better believe that we have a whole lot to be thankful for, especially life and breath to see another new day and experience His new mercies and compassions.
And it’s obviously a holiday, meaning no work for most of us, but plenty celebrations. However, as always, we implore us to have a modicum of circumspection in our celebrations and don’t let them go overboard, because far too often in our festive times we overdo it, and unnecessary tragedy follows. Please, let’s not allow that to happen today. And remember we’re going back to work tomorrow, which means don’t celebrate too intensely, too far into the night. (smile)
Ah friends, despite our many problems, our country is so blessed, that we need to truly appreciate it! Why do you think so many people are trying to flee from other countries to come here? Because we have a standard of living and a peace and serenity that they cannot find in their own countries. That’s something we ought to cherish and try to maintain, by not allowing the old animosities from the old countries to take root here, and thus continue the same old patterns from which we’re trying to flee.
We’re trying to build a new and better life, and that can only be done when we live in unity and not disharmony. As these oh so appropriate words of Bruh David from Psalm 133 stipulate: ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’ (Ps. 133:1) Yes, my fellow Canadians, if we don’t put aside our old animosities, we’ll never move forward as a nation. Or as Cousin Sol puts it in Proverbs. ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic or divine revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18)
And that’s oh so true! Where we don’t follow God’s law, or moral compass, we will suffer moral and spiritual decline, which will only lead to chaos, as we’re seeing happening in so many countries of the world right now. And before we run out of time and space, let’s have a look at some scriptures that encourage thanksgiving, beginning with these wonderful verses from Psalm 103:
‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 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-KINDESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:1-5) Now, what better circumstances do we need to give thanks to our great God eh?
Then Bruh Paul, writing to the Philippians strongly advises us to: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness, graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7) Yes friends, everything we do unto God, should be with thanksgiving.
Now, listen to these marvellous words from Psalm 107. ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary (desolate) way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:1-9) Now, those are all wonderful reasons for thanksgiving my people!
And we’ll close with these awe-inspiring words from words from Isaiah: ‘And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Therefore with joy shall we draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings (deeds) among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.’ (Is. 12:1-5)
And that’s no lie my fellow believers, our God has done great things in the earth, the greatest possibly being giving us salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ! So on this special day of Thanksgiving, let’s go confidently to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these turbulent and strife-filled times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And to get divine aid, we must do exactly what our prayer says: pray and sincerely seek God’s face, while turning from our evil ways. There’s no other way! Much LOVE!
…the giving of thanks…should be a continuous…everyday occurrence…for believers…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to the will of God, and my words abide in you, be careful for nothing, Bible, christianity, consume it upon your lusts, don't give up, don't say you're done, Ds Flame, every trial mountain and sea, faith, feel battered, feeling like and outcast, fellowship, God answers prayer, God is the answer, goodness, groanings, he sees every tear drop, he sees every weakness, He that searcheth the hearts, He wipes them for me, holy spirit, I get down on my knees, I say Saviour help me please, if ye abide in me, if you're ever feeling down, in everything by prayer and supplication, in the midst of all your heartache, in the morning, it shall be unto you, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus to pray departed into a solitary place, knows th mind of the Spirit, LOVE, not knowing what to pray, O thou that hearest prayer, one thing is for certain, prayer, problems overflow, refresh our souls, release the frustrations, remember in the hard times, rising up a great deal before day, shall keep your hearts and minds, sweet sacrifices of praise, the biggest privilege in the Christian faith, the error of our ways, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the Spirit maketh intercession for us, truth, unto thee shall all flesh come, wisdom, ye ask amiss, ye ask and receive not, ye shall ask what ye will, you have nowhere to go, you may be broken, your battles are already won, your strength will surely come
Psalm 65:2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
One more Sunday; one more time to attend the Lord’s sanctuary on His day, and in association with other believers, to offer up sincere thanks and praise for His goodness and mercy towards us. And why do we do it? Because the Lord commands it, so that we can have joint fellowship, to release the frustrations and pressures of the past week and refresh our souls and spirits for the upcoming one.
So, let’s get right to today’s song of worship, one from the female Gospel Artist known as Da Flame and very truthfully titled, ‘God Answers Prayer.’ And we’re going to offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a rich, soulful, heartfelt, mid tempo version. Singing: ‘If you’re ever feeling down and like you have no where to go. If you’re feeling like an outcast as your problems overflow, just remember there is someone, and all it takes is for you to know, is that God is the answer, and God answers prayer.
(Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer.) You may be broken and feel battered, but your strength will surely come, in the midst of all your heartache. Your battles are already won. Just remember in the hard times, don’t give up, don’t say you’re done, because God is the answer, and God answers prayer.
(Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer. Oh, He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. So, let’s get down on our knees, and say, Saviour, help us please. Because one thing is for certain… our God answers prayer.’
And of that very thing we can be one hundred percent sure my people: God does answer prayer…although there are some whys and wherefores and addendums attached. (smile) But before we get into the nitty gritty of the prayer situation, let’s get a definition of prayer.
Prayer is our biggest privilege in the Christian faith. It’s basically talking to God, but in the greater scheme of things it is so much more. One commentary tells us that ‘Prayer is the complete submission of my heart, mind, body and soul to Him. We are told that sometimes we don’t even know what or how to pray so the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans and utterances.’
And we find the scripture to corroborate that in Bruh Paul’s letter to the Romans. ‘Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (weaknesses): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.’ (Rom. 8:26-27)
Yes friends, when our inner being is in so much turmoil that we don’t how or what to pray, the Holy Spirit steps in and interprets those innermost groanings. ‘And the Father who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.’
Now that statement ‘according to God’s will’ is a most important one, because if what we pray for, even through ignorance, is not in His plan for us, or in His general will, then most likely we won’t get it. As James says in his epistle: ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (pleasures).’ (James 4:3)
And that’s no lie, for many of us take the scriptures for granted which say, ask and ye shall receive, (Matt. 7:7) so we ask for all the lustful stuff that goes against God’s will, and when we don’t get them, we wonder why, and complain that God is not real or truthful.
But then, sometimes God gives us stuff that we ask for that is not in His will, to show us the error of our ways. Instead, we should be taking account of this scripture from Jesus: ‘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.’ (John 15:7) So the best way to know God’s will is to read His Word and talk to Him, through the medium of prayer.
Now here are two interesting scriptures on prayer. This first one we all know from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) That’s the awesome power of prayer my fellow believers!
Then there’s this verse from Psalm 65 – Praise to the Lord, where Bruh David says in no uncertain terms: ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ (Ps. 65:2) And that’s the gospel truth friends, for all of us, even the staunchest unbelievers, when we suddenly find ourselves between a rock and a hard place, the first words to come out of our mouths are ‘O God!’
And there’s so much that can be said about prayer, but the greatest reason for us to turn to prayer is because of the example that Jesus set. Although He was the Son of God, and deity in His own right, He never made any serious decisions without consulting His heavenly Father. There are numerous places in the Bible where we see Jesus going off by Himself to pray. But my favourite scripture on Jesus’ prayer life is this one from the gospel of Mark. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
Oh my fellow saints, prayer was such an important part of Christ’s life that before the day even dawned He was up and about communing with His father in a quiet place. So if Jesus needed prayer continually, what about us eh? Now that’s an example we all should try to follow, so that our lives will have more heavenly guidance. Much LOVE!
…prayer…being able to go to God without fear…any time…anywhere…with anything…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deflated balloon, a wise believer is always ready, be anxious for nothing, be patient therefore brethren, behold I come quickly, blessed is he that keepeth, christianity, crapaud smoke we pipe, deepen my breath, establish your hearts, evil world, faith, god, graciousness, grudge not one against the other, he hears us, holy spirit, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, if we ask anything according to His will, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is spiritually near, judge the believer, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lest ye be condemned, let your moderation be known, like a thief in the night, long patience, LOVE, prayer, relax my muscles, rest and joy in the Lord's presence, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, the coming of the Lord, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit, the judge standeth before the door, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the sayings of this prophecy, this is the confidence that we have in Him, truth, we have the petitions we desired, what a wonderful God we worship, wisdom, words of warning, you can't be contained, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Philippians 4:5b. The Lord is at hand.
And this first day of June 2024, a lazy-day Saturday, has opened bright, sunshiny and warm! All thanks be to God for letting us see another day on this earth with the wondrous help of His Son Jesus Christ looking out for us in heaven, and His Holy Spirit dwelling within us down here to lead, guide and comfort us in all our troubles! What a wonderful God we worship my brethren! And am I ever so sorry and heart-broken for those who don’t feel the same way, because His is the only real truth, LOVE and peace we’ll ever experience in this currently ungodly and evil world.
Now, let’s show our heavenly Father how much we LOVE and need Him by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity of heart. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, if our hearts were sincere, then we know that He heard us and will respond positively to our prayer. For as John says in his first epistle. ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we desired (asked) of him.’ (1 John 5:14-15) Again I say, what a wonderful God we serve! For we know that there is no prayer He likes to hear more than that we LOVE and need Him and desire to spend time with Him. So, by now, if our prayer was sincere, it was answered, and we should be all feeling a sense of peace, rest and joy in the Lord’s LOVING presence. (smile)
Now yesterday we dealt with the first part of Philippians 4:5 – ‘Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men.’ Today we’ll look at the second half of that verse: ‘The Lord is at hand.’ (Phil. 4:5b) And we all wonder what that means to us in these turbulent times. Well, the scholars, after telling us that Moderation means “graciousness” or “sweet reasonableness.” And that the believer who is at peace with his fellow Christian (vs. 2) and who rejoices always (vs. 4) is indeed a gracious, reasonable person.
They go on to tell us that ‘The Lord is at hand means two things. First, His (Jesus’) return to earth is near. His imminent coming as judge encourages the Christian to be “gracious” unto all men, for He will judge the believer for all of his actions toward all people, and will avenge all wrongs committed by others against Him. Second the “Lord is at hand” spiritually. The Lord, being presently near should free the Christian from fear and anxiety. Hence the command of verse 6: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6)
So friends, with the Lord’s coming to judge the earth being imminent, and His powerful presence spiritually abiding with us, we should not be afraid or worried about whatever circumstances we encounter. And as we said in an earlier session, that’s not always easy to do when your whole world seems to be tumbling down around you, but if you constantly pray and give thanks, and study the Word, while saving it deep in your hearts for those troublesome times, then it will help you to find that ‘Peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7)
And God’s peace is what gets us through those tough times. We probably won’t understand it, but if we are sincere in our devotions and discipleship, we will feel it. Now, I can vouch for that from personal experience, for I felt it very powerfully some years ago when I was vacationing in California. That morning I was in the process of writing the Bit, when they told me I had a phone call from my mother’s helper back in Canada. It was an unexpected call, but deep down I knew that something disastrous had happened. And when she told me that my mother had died, like all the air just went out of my body, and I was like a deflated balloon.
But shortly thereafter, don’t ask me how, I was suddenly filled with a sense of peace and calm and went on about my business. My friends and family were concerned that I wasn’t crying and grieving, and so was I. And it’s not that I wasn’t sad and disappointed, but that peace that emanates from our good God, had put me in a different space, helping me to understand that there was nothing I could do about it, and therefore should keep my wits about me. But I did grieve and mourn and cry later on. (smile) So, it’s not always easy to put the Lord’s words into action, but if we’re serious about it, with His awesome help it is very possible.
And I’m chuckling here because I had not intended to go down that path. What I had planned on doing was to share a couple of other scriptures re the ‘Lord is at hand.’ Like this one from James’ epistle. ‘Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman (farmer) waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish (establish) your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (is near). Grudge (grumble) not one against another brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold the judge standeth before the door.’ (James 5:7-9)
Those are excellent words of warning my people, especially for these unruly and lawless times, when everybody’s doing their own thing, and godliness is sadly lacking in the land. And what better note to close on than these words of Jesus to John in the Book of Revelation. ‘Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.’ (Rev. 22:7) Ah friends, I plead with us to heed Jesus’ warning, for we know not when He comes, but He can come at any time, like a thief in the night, and if we’re not ready, if we’re found wanting, then crapaud smoke we pipe! Much LOVE!
…a wise believer is always ready…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, according to his riches in glory, all things work together for good, an house of defence, be about the Lord's business, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer, be thou my strong rock, Bible, bow down thine ear to me, commit our spirits into the Lord's hand, courage, curse, deliver me in thy righteousness, deliver me speedily, faith, god, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I commit my spirit, i have overcome the world, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in me ye might have peace, In thee O Lord do I put my trust, into thine hand, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let me never be ashamed, LOVE, my God shall supply all your needs, MY rock and My fortress, negative word, O Lord God of truth, one foot in both worlds, psalms, sacrifices, self-control, sit on the fence, take up your cross daily, talent, the peace of God which passeth all understading, thou hast redeemed me, Thursday Blessings, to them who love God, total trust in the Lord, tribulation, truth, who are called according to His purpose
Psalm 31:1. ‘In thee, O Lord do put my trust (take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
And then it was Thursday…And yes, the ole fella is up somewhat early to be about the Lord’s business, that’s because I have a couple of medical appointments this afternoon and did not want to be rushing around later to accomplish my tasks. So strange things do happen in this world, today, instead of being late…we’re being early! (smile) Now what are we going to talk about this morning eh, this sunny but somewhat chilly penultimate day in May? Well the Good Library opened just now in the Book of Psalms, and my eyes alighted first on Psalm 31 – Bruh David talking about ‘My Rock and My Fortress.’ One of his many psalms of both lament and praise.
So please read with me: ‘In thee, O Lord do put my trust (take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (rock of refuge) for an house of defence (fortress) to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily (secretly) for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.’ (Ps. 31:1-5)
Oh friends, those are powerful words of commitment and trust! Bruh David was serious about them, and as we read them, the question arises, are we also serious in our commitment to Almighty God? Do we consider Him our strong rock and fortress of refuge, our strength and deliverer in these turbulent and topsy turvy times? Let’s hope so, for we surely do need someone bigger and stronger than us to help us get through the craziness that’s overtaken our world. And who better than the Lord God Almighty, the Creator, and Controller of the universe, the most powerful being in existence. If He cannot take care of us, then no one can.
But as Bruh David says, we have to commit our spirits into His hand if we want His protection. And that’s totally, not partially, as we like to do in most godly things. For some reason we don’t seem to trust the Lord completely, or we just want to always have some sort of control over our goings and comings. However friends, with the Lord it’s ALL or NOTHING at ALL! He doesn’t do partway stuff, so for those of us who like to sit on the fence and try to have a foot in both worlds, He will not pay any attention to your cries for help.
And we all know that, but yet we still always try to withhold something, not give all of ourselves, possibly because we don’t truly trust the Lord to take care of all of our needs as Bruh Paul assured the Philippians. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) Yes friends, we mouth it, but don’t sincerely believe it…well not all the way. But our God needs our sincere trust and surrender if He is to do much good for us. You’ll notice in Bruh David’s own life, although he was hounded by enemies on all sides, he gave his total trust to God, and the Father, in His time and way resolved them for him.
Note, his problems did not go away overnight, or that he never had any further problems, but he stood his ground with God throughout all his trials and that’s the way we need to be. Regardless of our circumstances, how threatening or fearful they might be, we need to stand strong in the Lord and His might and believe as the word says: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) The problem is that we expect God to fix all of our problems right away and allow us to live a life of wine, women and song, without any further encumbrances.
But that will never happen, for in this sinful and ungodly world, we will have troubles and problems until the day we die, because that’s just the kind of world we live in. As Jesus rightly said: ‘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 yes, it’s not easy to have good cheer when your whole world seems to be crumbling down around you, but if you have put your sincere trust in Jesus, then you will indeed have a modicum of peace during your trials.
Your circumstances will not drive you crazy, or to drink and drugs, but you’ll fall on your knees and ask the Lord for help, while giving Him thanks and praise. As Bruh Paul wisely advises us: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in EVERY THING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) Now again, that isn’t always easy to do, but if we have sincerely trusted Jesus, and believe that we can do all things through Him who strengthens us, (Phil. 4:13) then we will be able to handle whatever comes against us.
Many of us erroneously believe that coming to Christ means a life of ease and comfort, but oftentimes it’s not. It might even mean more problems, tests and sacrifices, because living for Jesus desires us to take up our crosses daily and walk with him, forgetting ourselves, so we can do His work. The good news though friends is that living for Christ is all worth it, for in the long run the rewards greatly eclipse the sacrifices. But it takes strong and sincere faith and belief and a willingness to give up all for Christ.
And on the good side of things, we have a whole lot of undeserved blessings, that the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, but they have to be declared to be activated. So let’s do that right now nuh. As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having declared those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and use them on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…to receive all of God’s favour…we must trust Him…ALL THE WAY…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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