29 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pardon receives, a sacrificial lamb, all ye servants, Alleluia, Amen, appreciation for wonderful things, both great and small, broke God's heart, celebrates the greatness of God, christianity, Christians, come to the Father, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, do all to the glory of God, Dwight L Moody, eternal death, faith, fall at the feet of the cross, Fanny Crosby, fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, fellowship, forgiveness of sins, give him the glory, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, God so loved the world, going up in the sky, great things he hath done, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he gave us his son, holy spirit, in atonement for sin, in word or deed, Ira Sankey, Jesus Christ, let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice, let the people rejoice, let us be glad and rejoice, LOVE, magnanimous gesture, mercy, one fine day, opened the lifegate, perfect redemption, praise our God, Praise the Lord, Praise ye the Lord, salvation, shout Hallelujah, so loved he the world, sweet sacrifices of praise, that all may go in, that great cloud of witnesses, that moment from Jesus, the BIBLE, the eternal union of Christ and the church, the four and twenty elders, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, the marriage of the Lamb is come, the promise of God, the purchase of blood, the Rapture, the vilest offender, the voice of many waters, the voice of mighty thunderings, through Jesus the son, to be sung rejoicefully, to every believer, To God be the glory, truth, visit the Lord's sanctuary, whatsoever ye do, whatsoever you do, whether therefore ye eat or drink, who truly believes, whoseover beleveth in him should not perish, wisdom, ye that fear him
1 Corinthians 10:31. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Sunday’s up friends, meaning it’s time to visit the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship with others and give the Lord thanks and praise for all He’s done, while being refreshed in body and soul to keep on fighting the good fight of faith in Jesus’ mighty name! And we have a great song of worship to sing today, one aptly titled ‘To God Be the Glory.’ It’s a hymn authored by that wonderful hymnist, Fanny Crosby. Although she was blind that didn’t stop her from writing oodles of beautiful hymns.
For this one, Fanny wrote the lyrics and William Howard Doane the music. It was written somewhere in the early 1870’s, but was first published in 1875 in Lowry and Doane’s song collection titled, ‘Brightest and Best.’ However, by then it was already popular in Britain, having been introduced there by the great gospel singer and composer Ira .D. Sankey during the evangelistic campaigns of Dwight L. Moody in 1873-1874.
And believe me, the song deserves to be among the brightest and best! For, as the Godtube website tells us: ‘To God Be the Glory’ celebrates the greatness of God and calls upon an appreciation for the wondrous things ‘He hath done.’ It is a glorious hymn to be sung rejoicefully in the spirit of gratitude.’ And that’s exactly how I want us to sing it today, full of rejoicing and gratitude, for all the wonderful things our great God has done for us. So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, very soulful and scintillating version, so that there’s no doubt that we’re truly grateful.
Singing: ‘To God be the glory, great things He hath done, so LOVED He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in. (Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.) O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
(Refrain) Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. (Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.)’
Ah mih people, that was a wonderful version, and as always, all heaven was singing along because we were giving glory to God, which is also part of their heavenly purpose, as the Good Book tells us: ‘And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts (creatures) fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear (reverence) him, both small and great.
And I heard as it were a voice of a great multitude, and as the voice (sound) of many waters, and as the voice (sound) of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.’ (Rev. 19:4-7)
Yes friends, our God is all-powerful and rules of His universe. And we need to rejoice and be glad of it. As per the marriage of the Lamb, it’s referring to the eternal union of Christ and the church when He comes to Rapture it. So if praise is necessary in heaven, why wouldn’t be the same here on earth eh?
And that’s what this song is all about. Right off the bat it informs us of God’s greatest gift, that of His son, Jesus Christ as a sacrificial lamb to provide forgiveness of our sins. And nothing says it better than this magnificent scripture that Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who came to Him by night seeking answers. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
And the chorus, tells it like it ought to be: ‘Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.’ What more can you ask for when worshipping Almighty God eh?
Just look at all the Psalms from Psalm 146-150, all begin with ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!)’ Psalm 147 says: ‘Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praise unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely (beautiful).’ (Ps. 147:1) And so it is. Meanwhile Psalm 148 is a declaration that all God’s creation should praise Him. And Psalm 150 ends the Psalter with this marvellous command: ‘Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!) (Ps. 150:6)
So it’s not that we don’t know what to do, it’s just that we don’t do it. Although Bruh Paul keeps telling us in his epistles, that whatever we do, we must do it to the glory of God, highlighted by these two verses. ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ (1 Cor. 10:31) Then this one from Colossians: ‘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. 3:17)
And isn’t it wonderful how the song talks about the ‘perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.’ Wow! Where else can you get a pardon for all your vile sins except when you fall at the feet of the cross at Calvary where Christ shed His sinless blood to pay for the? Nowhere else my faithful believers!
That’s why God the Father deserves so much thanks and praise through Christ, for offering Him as a sacrificial Lamb on our behalf. And no doubt that magnanimous gesture broke God’s heart into a million pieces, like it would break ours if we had to give up our son as a sacrifice, especially for people who didn’t deserve nor appreciate it. But He did it, because He LOVED us so much and could not stand to see us all, His best creation, going to hell and eternal death with Satan.
And Fanny didn’t fail to let us know of bigger and better things to come, when she wrote: ‘Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.’ Yes friends, great will be our rejoicing when Jesus comes to get us at the Rapture, as we saw in the earlier scripture from Revelation! So now it’s all up to us to live the way we need to, if we want to be in that great cloud of witnesses going up in the sky one fine day! Much LOVE!
…God created us…and LOVES us dearly…and all He asks is…that we return His LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of intense persecution, Arthur Howells, be of good courage, be with Christ throughout eternity, be ye also ready, behold I come as a thief, being alert to what's happening in our world, being ready for Jesus' return, believers will not experience the tribulation, blessed is he that watcheth, blessed is the man maketh the Lord his trust, bounden duty, Christ doesn't lie or make false promises, come to know and love him like we do, even unto the end of the world, faith, foolish wisdom, for in such an hour as ye think not, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come, free will, have doubts and fears in our daily walk, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, hurry, I go to prepare a place for you, I had fainted, I will come again and receive you unto myself, I would have told you, if it were not so, if ye believe in God believe also in me, if you don't have complete trust and faith in Him, in my Father's house are many mansions, in the land of the living, in the unknown future, innovative theological education, Jane Williams, Jesus Christ, June's into double figures, keepeth his garments, known in what watch thethief would come, lest he walk naked, let not your heart be troubled, lo I am with always, LOVE, Mellitus College, mercy, no purpose in having a God, nor such as turn aside to lies, our duty to stay alert for Jesus' coming, outdoor activity, remain faithful and loyal to Christ, respects not the proud, salvation, selfish longing for summer, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, teach me to wait with patience, temptation, the Battle of Armageddon, the beloved of God, the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night, the end of the church age, the frigid weather of winter, the Great Commission, the Little Book of Lent, the problem lies with us, the quality of being right in God's eyes, the Rapture, the Son of man cometh, there may I be also, they see his shame, those called to serve Christ, to know your presence, to prepare a place for me, to see the goodness of the Lord, to trust that you are with me, to watch with alertness, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unbelievers will be overtaken by destruction, ungodliness, unless I had believed, wait I say on the Lord, wait on the Lord, warm blooded animals, watch therefore, watch with alertness, watching for the return of Jesus, where I am there ye may be also, where you are, wisdom, with the whole wide world, worry, you have gone before me
Matthew 24:44. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Aye friends, please note that the month of June has already reached double figures. (smile) Yes, June is moving along quite quickly, and before we know it, summer will be over and we’ll be thrust back into the dark and frigid weather of winter. Please answer me, if you can, why do the nice, warm, summer months seem to pass more quickly than the cold dreary winter ones eh?
Technically speaking, they all move at the same speed, but it’s possibly our warped, selfish longing for the summer warmth and sunshine, as well as the outdoor, activity it provides in semi-naked dress, that makes us feel those days are going by more quickly than the ones where we’re all bundled up and spend most of the time indoors. But that’s just life in the northern climes, and why we naturally hunger so much for summer. God made us to be warm blooded animals, and gave us places with sunshine and warm weather all year round, but we, in our free will and foolish wisdom, chose to live in the cold places, so we just have to learn to stand our bounce. (smile)
And on this sunny Tuesday in early June, we’ll say a prayer from the recent Prayer Through the Ages Publication of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, highlighting Daily Prayers for spiritual renewal. This one is ascribed to Jane Williams, a Professor at St. Mellitus College in London, founded in 2007 by the Church of England to provide innovative theological education and training for those called to serve Christ in the church and the world. I believe the prayer was originally published in 2014 in The Little Book of Lent, compiled by Arthur Howells.
And now that we know the origins of the prayer, (smile) let’s pray it together. ‘Christ, you have gone before me to prepare a place for me, that where you are there I may be also. Teach me to wait with patience, to watch with alertness, to trust that you are with me in the unknown future and to know your presence. Amen!’ Ah friends, that’s short and sweet and to the point! And it encompasses several scriptural and Christian values that we ought to possess.
The first sentence reminds us of Jesus’ promise to the disciples, and consequently to us, where He reassures them. ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions (dwellings): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3)
Oh my faithful believers, Christ promised to prepare a place in heaven for us, and come back for us, so we could be with Him throughout eternity. And if He promised it, He will surely do it, because He doesn’t lie or make false promises. So therefore, if in our daily walk, we have doubts and fears, then the problem lies with us, for our God does whatever He says. That’s why the prayer implores God; ‘Teach me to wait with patience…’ Yes, that’s a big part of our Christian walk, waiting with patience, as Bruh David so astutely puts it in Psalm 27, titled – My Heart Shall Not Fear.
To end the psalm He reasons: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14) And I know that’s sometimes easier said than done, but if you are reading the Word and living it, your faith ought to be growing, and anytime God comes through for you, then that ought to add another notch to your faith, and help you to wait in patient faith.
The prayer also asks for us to watch with alertness. Now that’s something we have to do on two fronts. The first is being alert to what’s happening in our world, and quickly recognizing the trends of ungodliness and temptation that are coming against us and prevent them from addling our souls. The next avenue of alertness is that of watching for Jesus’ return, and being ready for it. Jesus Himself warned us: ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman (master) of the house had known in what watch (hour) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up (into). Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:42-44)
Bruh Paul also says it in his first letter to the Thessalonians. ‘For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.’ (1 Thess. 5:2) So we have been warned, it’s now our duty and self-interest to stay alert for Jesus’ coming. And what does it mean that Jesus will come as a thief in the night? This commentary explains it thus: ‘The passage assures us that believers will not experience the tribulation. The day of the Lord will commence unexpectedly, like the arrival of a thief at night. It is described as a time of darkness with dreadful consequences. Unbelievers, identified as those who belong to the night, will be overtaken by destruction.’
That’s why we must be ready for the Rapture, the end of the church age, for the period of the Great Tribulation will indeed be one of horrific violence and persecution. And Jesus even assures those believers in the Great Tribulation, when He says; ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.’ (Rev. 16:15)
This is the time of Jesus’ Second Coming, before the battle of Armageddon, where Christ finally defeats Satan and his cronies. The scholars tell us that’s ‘an exhortation to the surviving believers to be watchful and alert, and to remain faithful and loyal to Christ during a time of intense persecution. To have garments, rather than be naked, relates to spiritual preparedness.’
And finally, as to trusting God and knowing that He’s always with us, these two scriptures tell it like it is. The first comes from Psalm 40, where Bruh David confidently writes: ‘Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps. 40:4) And the second scripture is a gem of a promise from Jesus, where after He gives the disciples the Great Commission, He ends: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) Now, if you can’t believe Jesus, then I don’t know whom else you can believe.
However, for those of us who believe Him totally, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong lock, stock, and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…what’s the purpose of having a God…if you don’t have complete trust and faith in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mixture of cloud and sun, a relationship with God, all should come to repentance, and live ye, breaks his heart, brings tears of joy to his eyes, brings tears of sadness to his eyes, cherished moments, christianity, come as a thief in the night, come unto the knowledge of truth, deepen my breath, desire to get intimate with God, Eli Eli lama sabachthani, eternal life, faith, for your unceasing nearness, God sent not his son into the world, God's desire for reconciliation, God's universal desire for salvation, good vibes, have I any pleasure at all, holy spirit, I have no pleasure, I may know you all the more, I want to be with you now, imminent duties, in the death of them that dieth, in the sight of God our Saviour, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lord I praise you, LOVE, mercy, My God my God, not willing that any should perish, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, return from his ways and live, salvation, Saturday, shall be burned up, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, that the wicked should die, the apocalyptic judgement, the BIBLE, the day of the Lord, the earth also, the earth and the works therein, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the Great tribulation, the heavens shall pass away, the ideal day for positive thinking, the knowledge of the truth, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, the painful destiny we're creating, the peace that surpasses all understanding, the Rapture, the world through him might be saved, this is good and acceptable, to condemn the world, truth, turn yourselves, ungrateful sinners, unsettled weather, warms the cockles of God's heart, weighed down with the sins of the world, when the time was right, who will have all men to be saved, why hast thou forsaken me, wisdom, with a great noise, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
1 Timothy 2:4. Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
And though the weather seems somewhat unsettled, being a mixture a of cloud and sun, after a thunder storm in the early morning hours, nonetheless, as one friend wrote me; ‘Saturday is the ideal day for positive thinking, cherished moments, and good vibes! Glory be! Yes friends, a lazy-day Saturday is ideal for those kinds of sentiments, since you don’t have to rush out to work or have too many imminent duties, so you can relax and let the good vibes flow. (smile) And there’s no better way to begin than with offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong 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 if our prayer was truly sincere, if the Lord checked our hearts and saw that we really wanted to get closer to Him, then we’ll soon be feeling the calm and peace that surpasses all human understanding. For, as I keep reminding us, there’s nothing our God desires more than His human creation wanting to get more intimate with Him, since that’s one of the major reasons He created us. So when we truly desire to have fellowship with Him, it titillates His Spirit, brings tears of joy to His eyes, and warms the cockles of His heart like nothing else can. (smile)
However, the reverse is also true; when we refuse to have close fellowship with Him, or any fellowship at all, as so many of us are currently doing, it breaks His heart, brings tears of sadness to His eyes, for He knows the sad and painful destiny that we’re creating for ourselves. Remember what Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy: ‘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.’ (1 Tim. 2:3-4)
Yes my brethren, the Lord doesn’t want to lose even one of His human creation. This verse highlights God’s universal desire for salvation and the knowledge of truth. And as this commentary explains: ‘The phrase “the Lord wants all to come to salvation” is a common way to express a belief that God desires for everyone to be saved and to have a relationship with Him. This concept is rooted in biblical passages that emphasize God’s LOVE and desire for all people to be reconciled to Him.’
And you can see that in scripture after scripture of the Bible. After Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, God’s manifested desire to was to root it out and bring us back to His holy and righteous fold, by giving us salvation through forgiveness of sins, which, when the time was right, He executed through His Son, Jesus Christ!
Oh my people, there can be no doubt that the Lord wants all His human creation to come back to Him, else why would He bend over backwards, even break His own heart, by sacrificing His One Son, on the cross of Calvary? Because the price of sin had to be paid so that forgiveness could be offered, and since Christ was the ONLY sinless person in the universe, He was the ONLY One who could pay the price for our sins. And don’t you think it grieved the Lord greatly to destroy His wonderful Son for a bunch of ungrateful sinners?
Of course! Just consider these hurting and heartfelt words of Christ on the cross nuh. The Bible tells us: ‘And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46) Now Jesus knew that He became man to pay for the sins of mankind, but when that awful moment of separation from the Father came, He could not stop Himself from bewailing the situation, for it was the first time they were ever separated, and He knew that the Father could not look at Him with pleasure, weighed down with the sins of the world as He was.
And if you still don’t believe that the Lord wants everyone to be saved, then listen to these other verses that spell out His great desire. In the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel, declares: ‘Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?’ (Ezek. 18:23) And later in that same chapter, he again declares: ‘For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.’ (Ezek. 18:32)
It’s obvious the Lord doesn’t want the wicked to die, but they will, if they don’t turn from their evil ways. That’s just the law of the kingdom. And Jesus himself said it thus: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) That was God’s whole purpose; saving mankind…that is those who wanted to be saved.
And Peter adds a l’il extra something to his verse, when He says: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9) Yes, my fellow believers, Peter is there telling us about God’s patience and longsuffering, waiting for us to come to the salvation He so badly wants us all to have.
However, He will not wait forever, as Peter continues: ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works therein shall be burned up.’ (2 Pet. 310)
Now that’s not the Rapture, which would have happened before, but the return of Christ in the final apocalyptic judgment. So even if you did not make it in the Rapture, you still have the years of the Great Tribulation to repent and receive salvation, though they will be very evil and terrible years. But after that, there are no more chances, so please, I Implore us, let’s be wise and take hold of God’s great gift of Salvation and Eternal Life right now nuh, so that we won’t miss out on it. Much LOVE!
…though mankind unwisely sinned against God…God in His great LOVE and mercy…still provided a way out through Jesus…but for only so long…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a tender planta man of sorrows, always abounding in the work of the Lord, an offence unto me, ascension, be of good cheer, be steadfast, Bible, borne our griefs, bruised for our iniquities, christianity, confidence, death, death is swallowed up in victory, faith, fellowship, fighting against oppression, freed from the agony of death, generous, get thee behind me Satan, god, God raised him from the dead, human rights, humble ourselves, humble servants, i have overcome the world, immortality, in me ye might have peace, in the world, in the world ye shall have tribulation, incorruption, inequality, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, justice, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, merciful, mercy, merry-go-round, o death where is thy sting, o grave where is thy victory, peace, pray, Redemption Sound steelband, resurrection, salvation, sincerely seek your face, smitten of God, Thanks be to God, the chastisement of our peace, the God who heals, the Prince of Peace, the Rapture, the sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law, the things of God, the things of men, the throne of grace, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, these things I have spoken unto you, through our Lord Jesus christ, to God the Father, truth, turn from our evil ways, unto us a son is given, victorious over death, who gives us the victory, wisdom, with his stripes we are healed, worship, your labour is not in vain
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
And the weekly merry-go-round of workdays, begins again with another Monday on our plate. But we’re not afraid, worried or anxious about it in the least, for we have been well rested and renewed in the strength of our faith through worship and fellowship. That means we have every confidence that we can handle Monday and whatever it brings against us, like the rainy and cloudy start to the day! And Jesus reminds us of that awesome power when He says: ‘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 so He has! His death, resurrection and ascension assure us of victory over the world. And this commentary gives us a brief, insightful look into what that means. ‘Jesus proved then and there that He was victorious over death. The grave could not hold him. Acts 2:24 says it this way: “But God raised Him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.” No one should be surprised. Jesus had been saying this all along.”
Yes, He had been telling the disciples that He must die, then rise again, although they did not fully understand His meaning, and Peter quite boldly told Him that that would never happen. Then Jesus famously rebuked Peter: ‘Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not (are not mindful of) the things that be of God, but those that be of men.’ (Matt. 16:21-23)
Then there are these famous words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians re Jesus’ victory over death. ‘So, when this corruptible (body) shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal (body) shall have put on immortality (through the Rapture of the church), then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:54-58)
Yes, my fellow believers, that victory of Christ over hell, death and the grave ought to encourage and reassure us to stand strong and steadfast in Christ, doing His work with all diligence and excellence! That’s sacrificing where necessary, being generous, merciful, compassionate, LOVING and kind, fighting against oppression and inequality, for justice and human rights, because when we live that way, when we allow the fruit of the Spirit to flourish in us, then are we true disciples, and will be well rewarded in due course of time.
And just to show how Bruh Paul was a master of putting scriptures together to suit his purpose, that verse above ‘Death is swallowed up in victory,’ comes from Isaiah 25:8. And the one about ‘O death, where is thy sting?’ comes from Hosea 13:14, which simply means that in many cases, the New Testament is a reflection of the Old Testament, except that in the former, Jesus is formally introduced to fulfill the Old Testament Prophecies.
One of which was to conquer sin and death. As Isaiah so confidently tells us of Jesus’ birth: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7)
And the zeal of the Lord certainly gave us the incarnate Son of God, the Messiah, when the time was right! And Isaiah also prophesied of Jesus tough earthly days and His excruciating death characterizing Him as a Man of Sorrows. ‘Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm (power) of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form (stately form) nor comeliness (splendour); and when we shall see him, there is no beauty (appearance) that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected of (forsaken by) men; a man of sorrows (pains), and acquainted with grief (sickness): and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs (sickness), and carried our sorrows (pains): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God, and afflicted. But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement (correction, discipline) of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes (the wounds he suffered) we are healed.’ (Is. 53:1-5)
And we know that all of that was fulfilled in Jesus’ life, as well as the other verses that we don’t have time for, that explained Him being like A Lamb to the Slaughter (Is. 53:6-9), and An Offering for Sin, verses 10-12. So, from the beginning of the Bible, right to the very end, it’s all a Testament to Jesus and His marvellous work on mankind’s behalf. Therefore, with that in mind, let’s go to the throne of grace seeking divine aid.
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 as our prayer reminds us, the necessary requirements for divine aid are humbling ourselves, praying, sincerely seeking God’s face and turning from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…to God the Father be the glory…for giving us redemption through Christ Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a change of attitude towards God and sin, a change of conduct, a change of mind, a fearful heart, a sense of sorrow, abundance, be thankful, Bible, born again, clear direction for my life, confirm the feeble knees, courage, curse, divine protection, god, God will come and save you, God will come with vengeance, God's goodness, God's supernatural wisdom, gospel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, making preparations, mercy, negative word, promotion, rejecting the world's folly, repent, repentance, salvation, streams in the desert, strengthen ye the weak hands, talent, the abundant life, the church age, the ears of the deaf unstopped, the eyes of the blind, the Great tribulation, the grim reaper, the kingdom of God is within you, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, the lame man leap as a hart, the last days, the Rapture, the result of God's mercy, the tongue of the dumb sing, Thursday Blessings, torrential rain, truth, wisdom
Matthew 4:17. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (near).
So it’s Thursday, a couple of days after the torrential rain we had in the Southern Ontario area. Clean up is still underway though, and some people are still without power, but I believe most, if not all of the earlier flooded roads are now open to traffic. Ah friends, one never knows what can happen at any given time, so one should try to be prepared for anything. And I know that’s not always possible, for who believed that we would be flooded out…and so quickly last Tuesday morning eh? I don’t think even the meteorologists thought we would have such a deluge. But let’s be thankful, for it could have been worse, as many others have recently experienced.
And talking about preparations for possible disasters, we might not be able to prepare for the physical ones, but we can surely prepare for the spiritual ones…like the grim reaper suddenly showing up and calling your name. With all the natural disasters and man-made strife currently happening in our world, it’s time that we seriously do what John the Baptist preached to the people of Israel. ‘Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ (Matt. 3:2)
Yes friends, the experts say that there are lots of signs pointing to the last days of the church age, and if that’s true, and you haven’t repented and accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, then things will be real bad with you. When the Rapture happens, you won’t go home with Him to heaven, but remain here on earth to face the Great Tribulation. And believe me, if what the Bible says is true of that period, and I believe it is, then you’re in for one helluva of a rough time here on earth, more terrible than what we’ve ever seen. That’s why it’s so important to know that you wont’ be here for that ghastly period of time.
And John was not the only one to call for repentance. No. Jesus did too, when He began His ministry. The Bible tells us that once Jesus heard of John the Baptist’s imprisonment, and possibly after the attempt on His life in His hometown of Nazareth, He moved to Capernaum and there set up His ministry. And ‘From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of God is at hand (near).’ (Matt. 4:17)
And what does repentance mean? The scholars explain: ‘Repent means a change of mind that results in a change of conduct. Repentance is not merely sorrow. It involves a complete change of attitude regarding God and sin and is often accompanied by a sense of sorrow and a corresponding change in conduct. Such repentance does not arise within man himself, but it is the result of God’s mercy in leading man to it. (cf. Acts 5:31; Rom. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:25). Thus repentance involves the very process of conversion whereby men are born again (of the Spirit). John’s and Jesus’ message was necessary in order to prepare people for the kingdom of heaven which was at hand (near).’
And it basically means the renouncing of one’s sins that one be united more closely to God and all His ways. As Bruh Paul writes: ‘Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?’ (Rom. 2:4) Yes my people, when we see the truth of God’s goodness, grace and mercy, it leads us to repentance, to rejecting the foolishness and folly of this evil world. We can’t help but repent and acknowledge Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Now what does the kingdom of heaven or of God mean? First, why does Matthew say ‘kingdom of heaven,’ while Mark and Luke say ‘kingdom of God.?’ The scholars theorize that Matthew substituted the word ‘heaven’ for ‘God,’ because of his Jewish emphasis, for many Jews regarded it as blasphemous to refer to God by name. Mark and Luke had no such problems because they were writing predominantly to Greeks and Romans. And when Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven (God) is at hand, He’s not talking of some future date, but of right then, for His presence on earth, His coming as the Messiah has introduced the kingdom of God to men as the prophets proclaimed, especially this scripture from Isaiah.
‘Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm (make firm) the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart (deer), and the tongue of the dumb (mute) sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.’ (Is. 35:3-6)
Ah mih bredrin, Isaiah there promised the salvation of the Lord and Jesus came to fulfil that promise. He paid the price for all of our sins and gave us a chance to begin anew with the Father, to return to a right relationship with Him, thus allowing us to enjoy heavenly benefits down here on earth. No, we don’t need to get to heaven to live the blessed life, it’s available to us as soon as we sincerely accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. As Jesus said: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)
And when answering the Pharisees question about when will the kingdom of God come, Jesus says more clearly: ‘The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For behold the kingdom of God is within you (or in your midst). (Luke 17:20-21) No friends, the kingdom of God cannot be seen or placed in a particular spot, for it’s a spiritual movement. And as the scholars suggest: ‘If the Pharisees cared to look around , it was clear that with John the Baptist and Jesus the kingdom was in fact already at hand.’
They were too blind to see that, too full of their own importance to recognize the changes that were taking place right around them. But we know the truth, and have been bestowed with undeserved blessings, we call our Thursday Blessings to help it along. So let’s declare them now so that they can be activated in our lives.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings, we are now duty bound to go out and use them for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…without true repentance…one will never enjoy the wonderful kingdom of God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as a bride adorned for her husband, behold I make all things new, Bible, blameless, christianity, crime, curses, do something worthwhile, endure to the end, eyes straight ahead, faith, gald to be alive, glorious words of wonder, god, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that sat upon the throne said, holy conversation and godliness, hunger, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, man's inhumanity to man, martyrdom, melt with fervent heat, Mother Earth, murder, new heavens and a new earth, New Jerusalem, no crying, no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, no today only tomorrow, not looking back, One Year Book of Bible promises, Only Goodness, poverty sickness, rebellion, Ruth Harms Calkin, sit on our laurels, the day of judgement, the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night, the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, the former things are passed away, the have nots, the haves, the heavens shall pass away, the Rapture, the second coming of Christ, these words are true and faithful, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, whimpering cries from starving children, wipe away all tears, wisdom, without spot, your promise is your guarantee
Revelation 21:5a. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new:
And the days move along like there was no today, only tomorrow. Yes, that’s how fast one day is becoming another. Can you imagine that we were just worrying about Monday, and now it’s already Wednesday. (smile) Oh friends, we can no longer afford to simply sit on our laurels and just allow the world to speed by around us. No! We have to get up and get ourselves together and do something worthwhile in our lives, preferably work that Jesus has commissioned us to do. And even if you don’t believe in Jesus, there’s so much necessary work to be done, helping others in worse situations than ourselves, that there are no excuses for not doing something worthwhile in our lives.
Now that applies even more to believers in Christ Jesus who is depending on us to fulfill His Great Commission of spreading the good news of His gospel and kingdom all over Mother Earth! And to prove that very point, the Lord led me to this interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, titled ‘Only Goodness.’ Now, I’m pretty sure I’ve never shared this poem before because I would surely have remembered it. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘What glorious words of wonder Come from the Apostle Peter. He wrote, “But we are looking forward To God’s promise of new heavens and a new earth afterwards Where there will be only goodness.” O dear God “Where there will be only goodness.” After centuries of war, greed, and lust After indulgences shamefully practiced After hatred, hostility Jealousy and abuse. Murder and martyrdom Crime and cruelty Curses and rebellion. After whimpering cries from starving children After tragedy and catastrophe Loneliness and despair At last…at long last “There will be only goodness.” O dear Lord Your promise is Your guarantee But please hurry a little!’
Ah friends that poem is full of so much truth it isn’t funny. And all the things it talks about seem to be getting worse with each passing day. Our world’s gone mad my brethren! And only we believers, with the help of Almighty God, can slow it down until the Lord is ready to do His thing where “there is only goodness.” But we do need Him to hurry up and bring that promise to pass because things are so bad they’re shameful. Man’s inhumanity to man has reached heights we never dreamed possible. Hunger, poverty and sickness are rampant in a world of plenty. That ought not to be so. But the overwhelming greed of the haves prevent them from sharing with the have nots, thus there’s strife and every evil thing possible happening in our world.
Now some of us will be wondering where Peter spoke of “there will be only goodness.’ He writes in his second epistle: ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of person ought ye to be in all holy conversation (conduct) and godliness. Looking for and hasting (hastening) unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.’ (2 Pet. 3:10-14)
Yes my fellow believers, at some stage of the game the world and all therein will go up in flames, in fervent heat, which could even mean a nuclear holocaust, which, right now, is a very present possibility, with threats of nuclear engagement being made every day by world leaders. However, be that as it may, we Christians are expected to be diligent and worthy in Christ’s employ until He comes back in the day of judgement, not the Rapture. That’s why Peter urges his readers, that includes us, ‘to look beyond this present world to the new heavens and a new earth.’
But although I don’t know how much we can do to stop the constant flow of evil and inhumanity, we do need to make a glowing and positive effort to at least slow it down. For it’s our initial lack of purpose and effort that has caused it to reach this astonishing level. And what Peter was talking about, John did write in Revelation: ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be anymore pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new: and he said unto me, Write for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21: 1-5)
There we have it my people, the time when there will be only goodness and no evil whatsoever! And by the way, verses 3-4 above are the Bible verses on which our poem ‘Only Goodness,’ was based. Now for those of us who are doing our best to stay righteous and do good, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And it’s been also promised that if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, see you there! Much LOVE!
…while looking forward to the second coming of Christ…we should be busy doing His work…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
03 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great cloud of witnesses, as in Adam all die, be born again, believe, christianity, comfort one another with these words, despise not the chastening of the Lord, Easter, Easter Sunday, endure to the end, eternal separation from Almighty God, faith, forgive others, forgiveness of sins, god, Good Friday, halfway home, hands on the plough, hellfire and damnation, in Christ shall all be made alive, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ our Anchor, Jesus defeated hell the death and the grave, Jeus's triumphant resurrection, lest ye be wearied and faint, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, our redeemer, our rock, ramifications of Easter, resurrection, run with patience, salvation, sealed the deal, set down at God's right hand, thank God, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the breath of life, the dead in Christ shall rise, the firstfruits of them that slept, the race set before us, the Rapture, the trump of God, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, whom the loveth he chasteneth, wisdom
1 Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
It’s a wet, windy and cloudy Wednesday! And it’s not just some spring showers, but the effects of a North American wide storm moving all the way from California, across the continent dropping snow and rain in its path in unusual proportions. This rain has been falling in my area since yesterday, and has attached to it the potential for some wet snow. So there’s reason to be careful, either through flooding or slipping and sliding if the snow materializes. What a good thing it is that we have our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our Anchor, our Rock, our Redeemer, to help us in all and any situations! All praise to His holy name!
And since the Lord has spared life today, let’s keep the promise we made yesterday and turn to the second part of our discourse on the ramifications of Easter. Now, yesterday we saw the great benefit Jesus’ death on Good Friday wrought for us; that’s the forgiveness of our sin debt. However, we need to first believe, be born again, and forgive others of their trespasses against us, if we want the Father to forgive us our trespasses. And if there was any doubt, Jesus’ triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday, sealed the deal! Yes, He defeated Satan and his negative domain, that’s hell, the death and the grave!
Wow! And because Christ rose from the dead, all those who believe in Him are promised eternal life, that’s the continued living of their soul with Christ, wherever He is. As Jesus said so clearly: ‘And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.’ (John 3:13-15) There you have it friends, because Christ was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, so too shall those who believe in Him be raised from death into eternal life with Him!
As Bruh Paul writes to the church at Corinth: ‘But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits (the anticipated harvest) of them that slept (have died). For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.’ (1 Cor. 15:20-23) Ah my fellow believers, that’s just so wonderful! Because Christ rose from death, so shall we. And that last verse promises that when Christ comes for the church at the Rapture, believers, all those who died believing in Christ will also experience resurrection. And the scholars offer these references for that that situation: (cf. 1 Thess. 3:13: 4:14-18).
And that second reference reads thus: ‘For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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 (have died). 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. 4:14-18)
Now, let’s hope we all sincerely believe that promise, find sure comfort in it, take it to heart very seriously, and consequently live the earthly life that will make it come through for us, because it’s not going happen automatically; not unless we believe and live according to Christ’s desires. And what are Jesus’ desires you ask? I believe this passage from Hebrews explains it perfectly. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.
Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (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 (discouraged) in your minds (souls). Ye have not yet resisted unto blood (bloodshed), striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons), My son, despise not the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:1-6)
Yes, my fellow saint. We have a whole lot of others to look to, who testified or witnessed to the benefits of our faith, but the chief one for us to emulate is our founder and finisher, Jesus Christ! And like Him, to run the race required of us, we have to drop all the stuff that weighs us down; sins, clothes, personal baggage, whatever, and endure all that comes against us, like Jesus, for the joy of spending eternity with Him! That means even enduring the Lord’s discipline without too much complaining, because if the Lord LOVES you, he will discipline you, just like we discipline our children, because we LOVE them and don’t want to see them go astray.
And with those ramifications of the Easter occurrences in mind, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! As one voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Then there’s this promise; that if we endure to the end with Jesus, then we’ll experience a future so glorious that we cannot ask or imagine it. Now that’ certainly something to look forward to eh. Hope to see you then! Much LOVE!
…without the awesome happenings of Good Friday and Easter Sunday…we’d be headed straight for hellfire and damnation…eternal separation from God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
30 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a loving family, a positive outlook, a roof over my head, a sobering thought, ambassadors of Christ, another beautiful day, caught napping, caught up together with them, Christians, clothes to wear, compassions, crapaud smoke we pipe, curse, descend from heaven with a shout, everlasting life, faith, favour, food in my larder, generously share our blessings, God sent not his son into the world, good friends, hath everlasting life, he that believeth is not condemned, he that believeth on me, hope of the resurrection, negative word, new mercies, on God's great earth, shall rise first, the dead in christ, the dead shall hear, the hour is coming, the importance of belief, the Rapture, the trump of God, the voice of God, the voice of the archangel, they that hear shall live, Thursday Blessings, to condemn the world, to meet the Lord in the air, we must believe, we which are alive
John 6:47. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Welcome friends to another beautiful day on God’s great earth! Hope you are ready to receive all the new mercies and compassions that He’s made available to us today! Wow! I can’t wait to start receiving them… Oh I’m sorry, I’ve already begun receiving them, the first one was just opening my eyes this morning! Glory be! And then being able to get up and move around without too many problems was the next one. Please note I said without too many problems, not without ANY problems. (smile)
Having a roof over my head, and clothes to wear, and food in my larder and a LOVING family and good friends like you to write to… They are all mercies and compassions from our wonderful God this new day! And one that particularly thrills me is not seeing my name in today’s obits. Hn, Hn! So whoever says that our God isn’t good, please tell them they talking chupidness!
But the problem is we must believe. Jesus stated the importance of belief all throughout His earthly ministry. Words like: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. ’ (John 6:47) And we all know His most famous words: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
Ah mih people, almost everything in this world hinges on belief in some form and fashion, especially the desire to go to heaven when life on this earth is done. And that’s the cut-tail part; we seem to have problems in believing! I don’t know why, when it’s so straightforward. And Jesus continues: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:17-18)
Mama Mia! How much clearer does it need to be eh friends? Believe and you’re saved – everlasting life is yours in the company of Jesus! Don’t believe and you’re condemned to eternal death with the evil one, without Jesus! Now that should be a very sobering thought to us all, but it obviously doesn’t resonate with many of us, since so many of us don’t believe, in fact obstinately and foolishly refuse to believe in Christ Jesus.
Now hear Jesus again on the subject nuh. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement); but is passed from death into life.’ (John 5:24) He’s constantly stressing the need for belief, and that time He tried a different tact; not if you believe in Him, but in the One who sent Him.
And He continues: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.’ (John 5:25-26) Oh my people, please hear those words and believe them nuh, especially ‘they that hear shall live.’ We’re all going to die a physical death, with our earthly bodies turning back to the dust from whence it came, but our spirits will live on until the great day when Christ comes back to claim His throne.
Then as Bruh Paul proclaims: ‘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.’ (1 Thess. 4:16-17)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul is talking about what we believers’ term the Rapture of the church. That is the first phase of Christ’s return, when the trumpet of God will sound and the dead in Christ – believers of the church age – will be resurrected, while those believers who are alive at that time will be caught up, snatched up, raptured, (from the Latin word ‘raptus’ – to carry off) to meet Christ in the clouds, instantaneously receiving glorified bodies. What wonderful promises my friends.
And as Bruh Paul continues: ‘Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess. 4:18) What a comfort that ought to be to believers! As the scholars explain: ‘4:18. Comfort: The Christian’s hope of the resurrection brings solace in the face of death – in contrast to the hopelessness of the heathen.’ Yes precious people, that’s what belief in Jesus Christ offers – eternal hope, rather than no hope at all.
But please remember that all of what has gone before only applies to those who sincerely believe in Christ Jesus. So as they say: a word to the wise is sufficient. Don’t delay, place your trust in Jesus TODAY! For He can return at any time, and you don’t want to be caught napping, or not believing, for then crapaud smoke yuh pipe!
Now for those of us who sincerely believe and are trying to be good ambassadors for Christ, let’s go home declaring (mama yo!) our Thursday Blessings, which the good Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
So precious saints of Christ, it’s time to generously share those blessings with others, as our Lord and Saviour greatly desires. Much LOVE!
…to end up inside of heaven looking out…you must first believe…
28 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: after my skin, allows us to draw breath, at the latter day, bless me with his love, calm my troubled heart, champion his cause, comfort one another, comfot me, depths of degradation, feed my hungry soul, fellowship, future generations, give thanks, graven with an iron pen, he shall stand, how my heart yearns, I know that my Redeemer lives, Jesus Christ, Job, judge Job favourably, king, Old Testament, praise, priest, prophet, recorded for posterity, Redeemer, resurrected body, righteousness, rise to meet the Lord in the air, Samuel Medley, satisfy my needs, silence all my fears, Sunday, sweet joy, the Lord's sanctuary, the Rapture, vindicate him, will I see God, wipe away my tears, worms destroy, worship, yet in my flesh
Job 19:25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day (at last) upon the earth:
It’s that day and time again friends; Sunday and time to meet in the Lord’s sanctuary to worship and fellowship, praise and give thanks and hear His Word, and thereby receive assurance and confidence to handle the upcoming week. And with the Easter season still resounding powerfully in our hearts minds, bodies and souls, it’s most appropriate for us to open today’s session with this glorious hymn that tells of Jesus’ awesome work on our behalf.
It’s something written by Samuel Medley way back in the mid-18th century and awesomely titled ‘I know that My Redeemer Lives!’ And isn’t that the God-awesome truth? It certainly is, because our Jesus rose triumphantly from the grave on Easter Sunday to live for evermore as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Glory Hallelujah! So let’s shout it out in perfect harmony with the sincerity that only true belief in Jesus can bring.
Voices strong and sweet: ‘I know that my Redeemer lives; what comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, He lives, who once was dead; He lives, my ever living Head. He lives triumphant from the grave, He lives eternally to save, He lives all-glorious in the sky, He lives exalted there on high. He lives to bless me with His love, He lives to plead for me above, He lives my hungry soul to feed, He lives to help in time of need.
He lives to grant me rich supply, He lives to guide me with His eye, He lives to comfort me when faint, He lives to hear my soul’s complaint. He lives to silence all my fears, He lives to wipe away my tears, He lives to calm my troubled heart, He lives all blessings to impart. He lives, my kind, wise, heav’nly friend, He lives and loves me to the end; He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King. He lives and grants me daily breath; He lives and I shall conquer death; He lives my mansion to prepare; He lives to bring me safely there. He lives, all glory to His name! He lives, my Jesus, still the same. Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives, “I know that my Redeemer lives!”
Oh friends, oh friends, that was a wonderful rendition, filled with pure, unadulterated soul! It was so sweet and sincere that all heaven joined in and Jesus blushed as we sang of His wonderful and well deserved accolades, and the Father reached out, took both His hands, squeezed them, and whispered a heartfelt ‘Thank You Son!’ Oh what a wonderful moment in the kingdom of God!
And my people, it’s not like we’re singing untruth; it’s all true, and wasn’t granted free by the Father either, but was sacrificially earned by Jesus. He paid a high price with His sinless life in a tortuous crucifixion, so He deserves all the pomp and glory and exaltation. Let’s look at a few of the things He’s done and is still doing for us nuh as entrenched in the words of the song.
He died, but rose triumphantly, is still living, and will live forever more exalted in heaven on high! And what’s His purpose for living? To bless me with His LOVE, to plead my sinful case with the Father, to feed my hungry soul, to be my help in time of need, to satisfy all my needs through His riches in glory, to guide me, comfort me when I’m weak, listen to my soul’s complaints, to silence ALL my fears, wipe away my tears, as well as to calm my troubled heart!
And don’t forget the blessings He bestows, and the wise friend and brother who never leaves me in the lurch and will LOVE me to the end! Mama Mia! Could there be any more that our Lord and Saviour does for us? You bet your bottom dollar! Remember, He’s also our Prophet, Priest and King, the One who allows us to draw breath each and every day!
And don’t forget, because He lives, we too will live, in those mansions He’s preparing for us! And how can we not laugh and sing uproariously when we experience the sweet joy of the sentence: ‘I know that My Redeemer lives!’ We’d be unfaithful and foolish to do otherwise!
And believe you me, we are not the only ones who knew that they had a Redeemer! Way, way back in time, old Job knew that. Even though the Lord humiliated him, when he had done no real wrong, brought him to his knees with untold trials and tribulations, to prove his righteousness to Satan, so much so that his friends and family deserted him, and he’s left to seek pity, he maintains his righteousness by declaring (Steups! wrong again):
‘Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever.’ (Job 19:23-24) The scholars put it this way: ‘But from the depths of degradation he expresses the confidence that if his case could only be recorded for posterity, future generations would judge him favourably. Furthermore, he knows confidently that he has a Redeemer. One who will champion his cause and vindicate him.’
And he proclaims it in no uncertain terms: ‘For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day (at last) upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh (resurrected body) will I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold; and not another; though my reins be consumed (how my heart yearns) within me.’ (Job 19:25-27)
He could not have said it any plainer than that! And it just lets us know that the Old Testament people also believed in the resurrection of the human body, although they might not have had as much physical evidence as we do.
The long and short of the story though, is that all who believe, both the dead and those alive, shall rise ‘to meet the Lord in the air (the Rapture): and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess.4:17b-18) Bruh Paul said it, and he should know, so please be comforted my people. Much LOVE!
…there is only ONE Redeemer…His name is JESUS…
28 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, accept Jesus now, angry, be ready, be wise, blessed, Canadian behaviour, catch us by surprise, concrete jungle, Cooksville, divine revelation, end up, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fatality, for my benefit, frustrated, gaze out, glad to be alive, gloriousness of heaven, glory, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that reads, hope, hospital, i-pads, in the twinkling of an eye, investigations, Jesus Christ, keep those things, laptops, life after death, light of heaven, live track, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, money, moral of the story, new truth, no man comes to the Father, not looking back, obey, on Jesus, ophthalmologist, police, position in Christ, prophecy, read, smartphones, stealing, thankful, the breath of life, the coroner, the dragon lady, the grim reaper, the lair, the last trumpet sounds, the Life, the Lord's Spirit, the passing landscape, the prince of darkness, the Rapture, the time is at hand, the Truth, the Way, the words of the prophecy, the wrong place, they that hear, train station, Tribulation period, understand, waited patiently, Wednesday Wail, wet snow, which are written
Revelation 1:3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Well friends, it’s another day, and hopefully another dollar …(smile) but unfortunately it’ll be more like twenty-five cents, since the value of the dollar has fallen so much. Anyway, we’re alive and thankful for that glorious fact, regardless of our circumstances.
And as the old people would say, what ain’t meet you ain’t pass you nuh…but something interesting met me yesterday. I was already unhappy that I had to go into the city for a second day straight, and some anger coursed through my system as I saw Toronto’s concrete jungle skyline for the second day in a row.
But I reasoned that it was all for my benefit and went along quietly. I got to the hospital shortly after two, for a two thirty appointment, but didn’t leave there until minutes to six.
But thankfully the Lord’s Spirit was with me and I didn’t get angry or frustrated by the wait. I just read quietly until the dragon lady ophthalmologist was ready to see me. She can be a bit abrasive at times, that’s why I call her that, but she’s really a sweet ole soul, takes a great interest in her work and she LOVES the ole fella everlasting. What’s not to LOVE eh? (smile)
So I leave the hospital, get down to the train station, get on the six twenty-five, heading west, and everything goes well until three stations out, at Cooksville. Around seven o’clock, as the train is about to enter the station, it suddenly stops short of it.
Nobody pays much attention to that because most of them are too wrapped up in their I-pads, laptops and smart-phones, with headphones in their ears – not the ole fella though because I don’t have any of those things – I just gaze out at the passing landscape.
A minute later though, the conductor comes over the p.a. letting us know that a fatality has occurred on the train and we’ll be stopped there for at least two hours, until the coroner and the police have conducted their investigations.
Well you can imagine the stir that announcement caused, because most of those people were on their way home from work, ostensibly to make the journey back to work the next day, and stealing two hours of their valuable time was like stealing their gold.
But as always, our good Canadian behaviour rose to the occasion! Yayyy! We all settled down and did whatever we could do and waited patiently.
I’m sure if that had happened in some other countries there would have been a big uproar and possibly people pushing and shoving, trying to get off the train. But here they couldn’t even open the doors because we were on a live track, and who wanted to get off when wet snow was pouring down anyway. Eventually, we got moving some two and a half hours later, and the rest of the trip proceeded uneventfully – at least to my stop.
And the moral of the story? If you have to ask that, then you’re certainly in bad shape. But I’ll tell you anyhow: It’s that the Grim Reaper can show up suddenly and unexpectedly, at any time, any place, for anyone of us! Therefore, it behooves us to be wise and have our houses in a state of continual readiness so that he won’t’ catch us by surprise and we end up in the wrong place.
That’s why we have to pay special attention to the words of John in Revelation. ‘Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.’ (Rev.1:2-3)
Ah friends, we simply refuse to believe that our time is near, nearer than we think. I sure hope that person whose time expired on the train yesterday evening was ready, else they’ll be in for a rude awakening when they end up in the lair of the prince of darkness instead of the light of heaven.
Now hear the scholars, re those two verses: ‘1:2-3. Bare record: John was a witness of what he wrote. He saw the revelation and wrote what he saw. The blessing of verse 3 has a threefold condition: (1) read the book, (2) hear (understand it), and (3) keep (obey) it.
The essential nature of prophecy was the communication of new truth (divine revelation). God has given it to be obeyed, not simply to be discussed and debated. The time is at hand in the sense that nothing else now has to occur before the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation Period.’
Oh my people, please, please understand that anything can happen at anytime. And believe me, you’d much rather be amongst those that are Raptured, taken up in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds, (1 Cor.15:52) than those that are left behind to endure the time of serious tribulation!
That means we have to accept Jesus NOW! For who knows when the Grim Reaper or the Rapture will show up? Nobody but our heavenly Father! And why Jesus? Because He said quite emphatically: ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: NO MAN cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
Friends, it’s your decision to believe Him or not. But I can assure you of ONE thing; you’ll never darken heaven’s door, unless you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! End of story! Now for those of us who have already wisely done that, let’s go home telling the world of our position in Christ nuh! In full voice and true sincerity of heart:
‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my, my…just think about it nuh – the gloriousness of heaven…And it will be even more glorious than that! Much LOVE!
…I’m believing that there’s life after death…and putting my money…my hope,,,and my faith on Jesus…oh glory, glory…
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