04 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of praise and worship, all my heart to him I give, be not afraid, be of good cheer, be saved today, beginning to sink, belongs to Him, bid me come unto thee in the water, billow his will obey, Christ died for us, ending up in the drink, even the winds and the sea obey him, ever his praises sing, ever to him i'll cling, faith, faithful loving service too, from the waters lifted me, God commendeth his love toward us, God's amazing love, God's awesome blessings, God's faithful promises, grateful appreciation, he rebuked the winds and the sea, He wants to be your Saviour, heard my despairing cry, hell bound, hellfire and damnation, holy spirit, In his blessed presence live, in the fourth watch of the night, It is I, James Rowe, Jesus Christ, Jesus completely saves, Jesus fed five thousand men, Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, Jesus was asleep, Jesus went unto them, lift you by his love, Lord save us, LOVE, love lifted me, love so mighty and so true, mercy, merits my soul's best songs, now safe am I, o thou of little faith, O ye of little faith, our abominable sinful state, out of the angry waves, Peter walked on the water, rebellious human creation, sacrifices of praise, salvation, save me Lord, sinking deep in sin, sinking to rise no more, souls in danger look above, take a chance on us, take courage, the disciples cried out in fear, the first Sunday of the new year, the glorious truth, the Master of the sea, the mire of sin, the sea of Galilee, the unconditional love of God, the well-being of grace, the wind was contrary, there was a great calm, time together in God's house, tossed with waves, truth, walking on the sea, we perish, what manner of man is this, when he saw the wind boisterous, when nothing else could help, when the evening was come, wherefore didst thou doubt, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, why are ye so fearful, why do we doubt Jesus, wisdom
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) His LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Well friends, it’s the first Sunday of the New Year, and a most fitting place to be today is in the Lord’s sanctuary to celebrate His day, as well as give thanks for seeing 2026 and all the faithful promises He’s kept, and the awesome blessings He’s so generously bestowed on us. What a faithful and wonderful God we serve my fellow believers! And as always, we begin our time together in God’s house with a song of praise and worship.
Today’s song is aptly titled: ‘LOVE LIFTED ME.’ And isn’t that the glorious truth? It certainly is! For the unconditional, amazing, everlasting LOVE of God is what’s lifted us up out of the mire of sin, when we were irrevocably hell bound. So, in grateful appreciation, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo version of this beautiful song written by James Rowe in 1912.
Singing: ‘I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more; But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, now safe am I. (Refrain: LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me. LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me.) All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling, In his blessed presence live, ever his praises sing. LOVE so mighty and so true merits my soul’s best songs; Faithful LOVING service, too, to Him belongs.
[Refrain] Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves; He will lift you by His LOVE out of the angry waves; He’s the master of the sea, billows His will obey; He your Savior wants to be, be saved today. [Refrain: LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me. LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me…. Yes, When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me….’
And that’s a concrete fact my brethren, for the only thing in this whole wide world that could have ever lifted us from the abominable sinful state in which were in, was God’s amazing LOVE for His most disobedient and rebellious human creation. As Bruh Paul puts it in one of my favourite scripture verses, in his letter to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) His LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Now that says a whole lot about God’s LOVE for us; that while we were yet sinners, He was willing to take a chance on us. No other supposed god would ever dream of taking such drastic action! But our God, Jehovah, Immanuel, was willing to risk it. And that’s why we should be everlastingly grateful to Him and His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jeus Christ. But I’m not telling you anything that you don’t know, (smile) so let me tell you some stuff you might not know, like some background to our wonderful song.
As we said before, the song was written in 1912 by James Rowe (1865-1933), a British born son of a copper miner, who immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1889. He was a railroad worker for ten years in New York before becoming an inspector for the Hudson River Humane Society. The song itself is based on two stories in the Bible about the disciples’ tough experiences on the sea of Galilee. Both stories come from the book of Matthew.
The first tells us about the time when Jesus having fed five thousand men, beside women and children, sent the disciples in a ship to go to the other side of the lake, while he went up into a mountain to pray. (Matt. 14:13-23) Matthew then tells us: ‘and when the evening was come, he was there all alone. But the ship (with the disciples) was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night (between 3 and 6 a.m.) Jesus went unto them walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer (take courage); it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him, and said, Lord it be thou, bid me come unto thee in the water. And he (Jesus) said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when He saw the wind boisterous (violent), he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And Jesus immediately stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ (Matt. 14:23-31)
And that my fellow believers is a question that Jesus would like to put to many of us today? Why do we doubt Him when, time and time again He’s shown His LOVE and compassion for us, saving us from ending up in the drink? It’s the same thing with the second story which comes from Matthew 8. This time though Jesus is with them in the boat as they cross the sea of Galilee, when a violent storm rises up, such that the ship was covered with the waves, but Jesus Himself was asleep in the stern of the boat.
‘And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!’ (Matt. 8:25-27) And why shouldn’t the sea and the wind obey him, when He is also their Creator and Controller eh?
But that’s another instance of small faith, my people. The disciples had been with Jesus for almost three years and had seen Him do all sorts of miracles, yet their faith was still small. But we cannot be too harsh with them, because today, even with greater knowledge and experience, many of us would most likely behave the same way. (smile)
And what better way to close than with the wise and truthful words of this commentary: ‘Rowe’s hymn masterfully incorporates both stories, using sinking or being swamped into the sea as an illustration for “sinking deep in sin… sinking to rise no more.” But Jesus, “Master of the sea,” hears our pleas for help, reaches out to us in LOVE, and lifts us up into the well-being of grace.’
Wow! Again, all I can say is, what a wonderful God we serve my people! Please show Him His much-deserved reverence and adoration! Much LOVE!
…if it wasn’t for God’s great LOVE…we’d all be headed for hellfire and damnation…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grave, a grave in the angry deep, a great storm of wind, a raging storm, and of the Holy Spirit, and of the son, asleep on a pilow, baptizing them, Bible, Bill and Gloria Gaither Homecoming, blessed time, bring you successfully through the storm, bringing order to a chaotic situation, calm the storms of our lives, carest not that we perish, chaotic state of the world, christianity, clinging tightly to Jesus, demons, divine help, each moment, even the winds and the sea obey him, even to the end of the world, evil men, faith, fellowship, fellowship with God, get down on your knees, get up Jesus, go ye therefore, God is always with you, God will give you peace, having Jesus as Lord and Saviour, He will never leave nor forsake you, He will sustain you, holy spirit, how can you lie there asleep, how is it that ye have no faith, I am with you always, I have commanded you, in all of your needs, In the Midnight Hour, in the name of the Father, in the stern of the ship, in times of storm, Jessy Dixon, Jesus Christ, Jesus constantly questions, Jesus is the only answer, Jesus reveals His authority and power over nature, joy, last days, LOVE, make disciples of all nations, Mary A Baker, mercy, no help is nigh, no shelter, no water can swallow the ship, overshadowed with blackness, pass over unto the other side, peace be still, praise, put your trust in the Lord, quiet the storm, rebuked the wind, regain our focus, renews our faith, restores our confidence, said unto the sea, salvation, shall obey thy will, so madly is threatening, start taking the battle to the enemy, sweet sacrifices of praise, talk to Jesus, teach all nations, teaching them, tempestuous times, thanksgiving, the best defence is strong offence, the billows are tossing high, the Great Commission, the Lord can speak peace to your situation, the Lord will give you peace, the Lord's saving power, the Master of the ocean earth and sky, the Prince of Peace, the sea of Galilee, the sky, the storms of life come your way, The tempest is raging, the tempestuousness of the times, the vim and vigour, the waves beat into the ship, the wind ceased, the winds and waves, the wrath of the storm tossed sea, there was a great calm, time to gather in the Lord's sanctuary, to do the Lord's work, to heart, to observe all things, to spur people to deeper trust, truth, when you feel lonely, wherein lies the master, why are ye so fearful, Wilfred Graves, wisdom, words of encouragement, worship
Mark 4:40. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
Sunday, Sunday, most welcome Sunday! That blessed time for believers to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary and observe His special day with praise, worship, joy and thanksgiving! And that’s a must, especially in these turbulent and tempestuous last days, because fellowship with God and with others, renews our faith, restores our confidence and gives us the vim and vigour we so desperately need to get out into our troubled and evil world and do the very important work that Jesus desires of us, as stated in our Great Commission:
‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20) And from the very chaotic state of our world, it’s obvious we haven’t being our duty to the best of our ability, that’s why we need to regain our focus and start taking the battle to the enemy, instead of waiting for him to come to us. Remember, the best act of defence is strong offense.
So, today, we’re going to open our worship session with a very appropriate song for these tempestuous times, titled, ‘The Tempest is Raging!’ It’s a Mary A Baker composition, wonderfully done by the Chicago Gospel Artist, Jessy Dixon in concert with the Bill and Gloria Gaither Homecoming Ensemble. So, without further ado, let’s open our hearts, mouths and voices in sweet sacrifices of praise, as we render a most soulful and heart rending version of this marvelous song.
Singing: ‘Master, the tempest is raging, Oh, The billows are tossing high The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness Oh, No shelter, no shelter or help is nigh – Carest thou not that we perish? How canst you lie, How canst thou lie there asleep When it seems like each moment so madly is threatening, Oh A grave. a grave, a grave in the angry deep?
Get up Jesus because! The winds and the waves shall obey thy will. All you got to say is, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still. Whether the wrath, the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, Or demons, or evil men, or whatever it be No water can swallow the ship wherein lies The Master of the ocean, the earth and sky They all shall sweetly obey thy will, If You say, Peace, peace, be still They all shall sweetly obey thy will, If You say, Peace, peace, peace, be still.
The Lord will give you peace, He wants to give you peace, In the midnight hour, When there’s nobody else there, God will give you peace, When you feel lonely, You have someone who will give you perfect peace. He‘ll be your friend, Yes He will, The Lord will give you peace, If you’re looking for peace, in all of your needs, in all of your days, get down on your knees and talk to Jesus, Yes talk to Jesus. Yes whenever the Lord says, there will be peace, there will be peace, For He knew it, yes He knew it, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still Peace, be still…..’
Oh that was wonderful my fellow believers! And yuh know why, because it truly evoked the tempestuousness of the times we’re living in, as well as the unsettled and unpeaceful situations in so many of our own personal lives. And the only way to handle both a tempestuous world and a tempestuous personal life is by having Jesus as Lord and Saviour and clinging tightly to Him. For remember, He is the Prince of Peace! (Is. 9:6) And ONLY He can calm the storms in our world and in our own lives. Or as the song says, ‘No water can swallow the ship wherein lies The Master of the ocean, the earth and sky.’
And we all know the story on which the song is so competently based. Mark tells it thus: ‘And the same day, (Jesus, after speaking in parables to the multitudes), when the even (evening) was come, he saith unto them (the disciples), Let us pass (cross) over unto the other side. (The other side of the sea of Galilee). And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there was also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full (already filling).
And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part of the ship (the stern), asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master (Teacher), carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the winds and the sea obey him.’ (Mark 4:35-41)
And that last question is an easy one to answer. The wind and sea obey Him because like us, He is their Creator and Controller and sets their boundaries and directions. Meanwhile, as per Jesus’ question to the disciples about their lack of faith, the scholars tell us that ‘Jesus constantly questions in order to spur people to deeper trust.’ And since many of us can use a sense of deeper trust in these tough times, we should possibly ask that question of ourselves right now: why is our faith not as great as it ought to be? And then turn to the Lord and ask for it to increase. (smile)
Now, let’s end on this note of encouragement from an article by Wilfred Graves on the subject of ‘Peace be still.’ He writes: ‘In our text, Jesus reveals his authority and power over nature by bringing order to a chaotic situation. He says to a raging storm, “Peace, be still!” Immediately, the winds and waves obey his command. No matter what you may be going through in your life right now, the Lord can speak peace to your situation.
When the storms of life come your way, you can put your trust in the Lord and He will sustain you. He is always with you and He will never leave nor forsake you. The Lord will either quiet the storm that you are in or He will bring you successfully through the storm. Sometimes God saves us from trouble; sometimes he saves us in trouble. In either case, divine help comes to those who put their trust in the Lord’s saving power.’
Oh friends, I could not have said it any better. So let’s take those words of encouragement to heart nuh! Much LOVE!
…in times of storm…Jesus is the ONLY answer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, all up in arms, aura of love, be wise, bombarded, boost our spirits, bring us out safely, calm, calmed the stormy waves, Christians, confidence, dangerous, difficult circumstances, do business, enthusiasm, faithful promises, fearful, go down to the sea, great waters, guidance, haven, he makes the storm a calm, hold our hands, holy spirit, humble servants, inroads, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, Lake Ontario, let God be God, lies, like drunken men, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mount up to heaven, no suffering, O ye of little faith, promised, protection, quiet the storms, rebuked the winds, reel to and fro, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, ride it our, rough times, salvation, save us, scared, see, see us through the storms, shivering of timbers, sincerity, sinless life, solve our problems, Son of Almighty God, spiritual armour, stagger, stay strong, steadfast faith, storm, strong voice, struggling, sweet jesus, testify, the sea obey him, the sea of Galilee, the waves are still, the works of the Lord, they are glad, truth, trying times, ungodly world, useful purpose, we perish, weary souls, wisdom
Psalm 107:29. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Oh mih people, I know that this Monday morning as many of us are struggling to get up and go to work under difficult circumstances, we are also asking; ‘Wherefore art thou sweet Jesus?’ You can include me in that lot. (smile) That’s because we expect Jesus to solve our every problem without any suffering on our part, or at least a minor amount.
But He never promised that there wouldn’t be rough times. In fact, He told us to expect them, even if it’s only because we believe in Him. What He did promise is that He would see us through the storms of life, hold our hands, and bring us out safely on the other side.
So let’s not get all up in arms against our Lord and Saviour if we are experiencing trying times this morning. Instead let’s put all our confidence in Him, in His faithful promises. For if He gave up His sinless life for us, why wouldn’t He help us through our dark times eh? And to help boost our spirits, let’s declare our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with strong voice and nuff sincerity.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, it never ceases to amaze me how that prayer can cause the adrenaline to flow and our spirits to be lifted! So let’s be wise and ride it out nuh, do our thing for Jesus, whatever it may be, and stay strong under His protection and guidance, for He is the ONLY One who can truly protect us from the storms of life.
Hear this telling and truthful scripture from Psalm 107 – God’s wonderful works to the children of men – that includes our Bit. ‘They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.
For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end (all their wisdom is swallowed up).
Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet: so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.’ (Ps.107:23-30)
Yuh see friends, the seafarers knew exactly what the psalmist was talking about, because they experienced it all the time. And I too can testify to that scripture, as I got caught out on the stormy Lake Ontario some years ago, and believe me, it was indeed a frightening scene.
Out in the middle of the lake in a relatively small boat, surrounded by four scared, drunken men. Only the skipper and I were sober, as the boat dangled up and down between the great waves. But obviously the Lord calmed the stormy waves, and I am still here to tell the story.
I thought I had seen bad storms on the ocean, but that one on Lake Ontario took the cake. As I’ve said before, I’d read about the shivering of timbers on a boat in a storm, but that fateful day I experienced it in living colour. And let me tell you, it wasn’t one I’d like to experience again.
And the best way to end today’s Bit is with this actual story of Jesus as he crossed the Sea of Galilee in a boat with His disciples. On the way over a violent storm arose, but Jesus didn’t budge, he remained asleep. However, the disciples were scared out of their minds and ‘came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
And he saith unto them, why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!’ (Matthew 8:25-27)
Oh my fellow believers, we shouldn’t have to ask that question because we ought to know whom Jesus is – The Son of Almighty God, who made the universe and all therein, therefore He has control over it all. Consequently, He can also quiet the storms in our lives, if we would just let Him. Much LOVE!
…let God be God…in your life…that’s the only wise way to live…
24 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, according to your faith, advice, be it unto you, be of good cheer, be thankful, blessings, brain scan, calmed the sea, Christ's body, Christian walk, christianity, comfort zone, dem's the breaks, faith, faithful and true, forgiveness, Gentile, get out of the boat, God's hands in our lives, God's mysterious ways, halfway home, I have not found so great a faith, Jay Douglas, Jesus chastised the disciples, Jesus Christ, Jewish people, like sheep to the slaughter, looking straight ahead, make it a habit, Marcia Griffiths, not in Israel, not looking back, noticed the error, O ye of little faith, overcome the world, peace to our souls, Peter, power, rebuked the winds, rebuked the winds, Reggae music, Roman Centurion, speak the word, struck a chord, thank God, the breath of life, the easy way out, the sea of Galilee, tribulation, under authority, wisdom
Matthew 9:29b. According to your faith be it unto you.
Oh mih people, what’s going on with the ole fella’s brain eh? How come I had us declare Thursday’s Blessings on Wednesday eh? And there I was boldly declaring it along with you all. And it never even struck a chord…
Hn, hn! I guess that’s why I had to go into the city for a brain scan this morning. (smile) And by the way, that’s why the Bit is so late.
I went out partying yesterday evening down to the CNE to see local boy Jay Douglas and Jamaica’s first lady of song, Miss Marcia Griffiths, both of whom were excellent, unleashing sweet Reggae music on the Lakeshore.
With the confusion down there, soccer game over and the regular Exhibition crowd, I never got home till around midnight, then had to get up early to go and get my noggin checked out, so time and energy was at the very minimum.
And you know it wasn’t until around four in the afternoon yesterday that I realized my foopah (faux pas). But I have a great theory about it. The Lord in His usual mysterious and wondrous ways realized that some of us needed to declare our blessings, be thankful for them yesterday, rather than today, so that’s why He made me do it. Good try!
However, it would be very interesting to know how many of you realized that I had the wrong day? I’m sure many of us just went along with it like sheep to the slaughter and never even noticed the error. But all I can do is ask your forgiveness and say ‘dem’s the breaks.’ (smile)
And we’ll go now to our Bit, which we began using two days ago, but got sidetracked yesterday. They are the immortal words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to two blind men who wanted Him to restore their sight. ‘According to your faith be it unto you.’
And those words still stand today as a testimony of our Christian walk on this earth. The stronger our faith becomes, the more we will see the movement of God’s hands in our lives.
Now in our last message on this Bit, we focused on Jesus’ example of great faith, constantly turning to the Father for wisdom and advice in His earthly sojourn. Today, I want to look at some examples of great faith on the part of humans in the Bible.
We’ll begin with the story of the roman Centurion who came to ask Jesus for healing on behalf of his sick servant, but when Jesus agreed to go to his house, the Centurion replied; “Lord, I’m not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant should be healed.
For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great a faith, no, not in Israel.’ (Matt.8:8-10)
Yes friends, the Centurion was a Gentile, who at that time had no place in Christ’s body, yet he recognized the power and authority which resided in Jesus, unlike His Jewish people.
On the other hand, Jesus chastised His disciples when they were crossing the sea of Galilee and a storm arose, and they woke Him up afraid for their lives, ‘saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!’ (Matt.8:25-27)
Ah friends, although the disciples had seen Jesus do other miracles, their faith was still rather small. That’s why sometimes we can’t get too annoyed with those today who find it difficult to believe in Jesus.
But you’ll never believe, never earn faith until you stand up and get out of the boat like Peter did to walk on the water with Jesus. And even though Jesus rebuked him when his faith failed him and he began to sink: ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ (Matt.14:31) It still showed that he at least had the initial faith to try.
So many of us today don’t even have the beginnings of such faith, we refuse to step out of our comfort zone and take a chance. But friends, Christianity is not a comfort zone organization. Our leader Jesus Christ never took the easy way out, and He doesn’t want His followers to make that a habit either.
As He said to the disciples: ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Oh friends, if we are true believers in Christ and His work, then we ought to find assurance in those words and build our faith on them, and not be scared and anxious about what happens in the world.
Time and space have run out, so now I’ll confuffle the situation even further by having us declare our Wednesday Wail today. (smile) You know it doesn’t really matter on what day we declare what, as long as what we declare is faithful and true. So let’s blast off!
‘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!’
No friends, I’m not thoroughly crazy, just trying to be of good cheer. (smile) Much LOVE!
…in the most disastrous of times…faith can bring peace to our souls…
14 Mar 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Jesus Christ, a persoanl faith commitment, a storm of wind, a struggle, afaid, beloved of God, calm, cancelled flights, cold, come to grips, commands, commitment, cough, decision, disciples, doing your best, everlasting truth, excellence, failure, faith, faithful, friend of Jesus, glory hallelujah, God works in mysterious ways, gospel truth, He maketh the storm a calm, heart problems, hurry, in the midst of them, Jesus Christ, Luke, M.R.I, marvelled, maturity, mighty works, neck of the woods, notice of cancellation, perish, rebuked the wind, reeling, share His love, snow, storms of life, the answer to everything, the Good Book, the New testament, the only one, the other side, the person of Christ, the raging of the water, the real McCoy, the sea of Galilee, the water, the waves are still, the wind, they obey him, trappings, trust, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unfavourable conditions, what manner of man is this, where is your faith, with Jesus on our side, witnessing, wondered, working them out for our benefit, worry
Psalm 107:29. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
And then the snow came…white and plentiful! (smile) Yes friends, it does look beautiful out there, with the area all covered in white. It began yesterday afternoon and is scheduled to go in to tomorrow, Wednesday.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled at the airport. They haven’t even gotten around to cleaning the lanes in my area as yet, so much of the white stuff has fallen. And it’s not only snowy but cold too. The temperature in my neck of the woods is around minus 11 Celsius. Hn!
And the best part of the whole scenario is that I am scheduled to go into the big city of T.O. for an M.R.I. on my heart this morning at 11:15. Well what do you know? That doesn’t seem to be happening nuh!
With my supposed heart problems, I’m definitely not going to fight the treacherous roads and weather to go into the city. And they can charge me the hundred dollars for not giving them 2 business day notice of cancellation, which I’ll fight anyway.
And on top of all that, I’ve been fighting a cold all weekend, which today has morphed into a cough. So I obviously can’t go and lie quietly in their disgustingly loud machine for the half an hour or forty-five minutes that it takes.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do want to get the procedure done, but not under these unfavourable conditions. End of tirade! (smile)
And before we get into our Bit, here’s an interesting quote from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster. It says: ‘If you are doing your best, you won’t have to worry about failure.’
And that’s gospel truth friends! Once your mind is focused on excellence, you won’t have time to consider failure. And if you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, then that’s even more of a gospel truth, because with Jesus on our side we can’t fail!
We might make mistakes and feel like failures, but since with Jesus there is no giving up, and since failure only comes when you give up, then through pure logic, true believers never fail. Ah mih people, I know it’s a tad convoluted, but it’s all true. (smile)
Now here is our Bit which resounds with everlasting truth. ‘He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.’
Yes my fellow believers that’s indeed what our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ does! Yesterday we read about the metaphorical stuff before our Bit about sailors drunkenly reeling around in storms on the sea, today we’ll read about the real McCoy.
Listen to Luke’s account in the Good Book. ‘Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he (Jesus) went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over to the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled (filling) with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him (Jesus), and awoke him, saying, Master, Master, we perish.
Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered (marvelled), saying one to another, What manner of man is this! For he commandeth even the winds and the water, and they obey him.’ (Luke 8:22-25)
Ah my people, it was the same God-man who created the wind and the water, so obviously when He spoke to them they would listen to Him! And Jesus is asking us the same thing today: where is our faith in Him in the midst of all our storms of life?
Do we run afraid to Him, or are we faithful enough to believe that He is already in the midst of them with us, working them out for our benefit?
Now the latter just shows more maturity, but the important thing is that we come to Him in all aspects of our lives, be they stormy or not. For He is the ONLY ONE who can truly calm anything that’s happening with us.
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘8:23. The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by mountains. High winds sweep down suddenly from these heights, whipping up the sea.’
‘8:25. It was a struggle f or the disciples, as for others, to come to grips with the person of Christ. Witnessing His mighty works helped, but a personal faith commitment still had to be made. The decision would not have been an easy one.’
No my people, it would not have been easy for those disciples way back then, seeing this ordinary looking man calming the wind and the sea.
It’s still difficult for many of us today, even knowing what we know, with all the trappings of the New Testament and the teachings down through the last two thousand years. Imagine their dilemma nuh!
And we’ll go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra in all sincerity and truth. As one now: ‘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 the world. Amen!’
Oh precious people, how wonderful it is to be the beloved of God and the friend of Jesus! Glory Hallelujah! Now let’s go out and share it with the world as He desires nuh! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is simply the answer to …EVERYTHING…
P.S. I just called the hospital and cancelled my appointment, and they didn’t charge me the hundred dollars. Glory to God! Only thing is that the next available appointment is in May. But who knows, by then I might not even have a heart problem, the way our mighty God works in mysterious ways. (smile) Much LOVE!
22 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A journey of love, Andrew, care, character, Christian fellowship, compassion, confusion, consternation, darkness witness, disobedient, egocentric world, faith cometh by hearing, follow me, glorify, God's absence, gospel truth, hearing by the word of God, help, I will make you fishers of men, James, John, leadership, like pulling teeth, live in god's light, LOVE, merciful and gracious love, message, mind your business, ministry, obedience, oral communication, praise, prayer, relationship with Christ, rules, secular, Simon, St. Therese, struggle, Sunday, the body of Christ, the church, the Good Book, the Holy Spirit, the Lord's Day, the Lordship of christ, the sea of Galilee, there's strength in numbers, trying times, watch your actions, watch your habits, watch your thoughts, watch your words, where two or three are gathered, wisdom, worship, yuh dog not in this fight, Zebedee
Matthew 4:19. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
At last it’s Sunday my brethren; the day of the Lord, where we get to go to His sanctuary and praise and worship and glorify Him with other believers! Glory to God!
Now some of us might consider that to be no big thing, but believe me friends it is a huge doing in our Christian fellowship, for we were advised by Christ to gather together as His body, His church, so that we can keep our relationship with Him fresh and renewed through prayer and praise and all the other wonderful things we do in church.
What did Jesus say? ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt.18:20) And that’s no lie, for wherever and whenever we get together our Lord and Saviour is right in the midst of us through His Holy Spirit.
So please don’t think that it’s not necessary to go to church, because it is. As a cohesive group we can get so much more done, and also as the old saying goes, there’s strength in numbers, and the body of Christ badly needs sincere and faithful numbers in these tumultuous and very trying times.
Anyway, suffice it to say that it’s Sunday and all believers ought to make an effort to go to church, or at least listen to the Word by radio or television. For remember Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Rome. ‘So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ (Rom.10:17)
As the scholars explain, He’s talking there about the oral communication of the gospel, and that ‘faith is not in what is heard, but faith that comes about by what is heard.’
Now let’s lighten up some and check out this Trini quote of the day, sent to me by a Trini friend. ‘Yuh dog not in dis fight.’ Generally said as a scolding to someone for attempting or getting involved in something in which they do not belong; such as an argument, fight etc. The same as saying – mind your own business, this does not concern you, so keep out. Have a great day.’
Only in T&T you say! And He adds as a useful corollary: ‘Watch your thoughts: They become words. Watch your words: They become actions. Watch your actions: They become habits. Watch your habits: They become your character.’ And it’s all gospel truth my people.
And now it’s time to get serious with this prayer from a little devotional booklet titled ‘A Journey of LOVE: Walking with St. Therese of Lisieux.’ I believe I’ve shared it before, way back when, but as we all know, prayer never gets old or goes out of style (smile). This deals with the struggle with God’s absence, something that quite a few believers have problems with.
Please pray with me. ‘Lord, help me to live always in the light of your presence. Should any darkness challenge my belief and LOVE for you, dispel that darkness so that I might witness to your merciful and gracious LOVE. Grant me the wisdom to confront a secular and egocentric world with your message of care and compassion for all people. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.’
Yes my people, in these dark and troublesome times, that kind of prayer is absolutely essential! We need to be assured of Jesus’ light so that we can witness on His behalf. And that allows us to segue nicely into our Bit.
But first let’s set the scene. Jesus is about to begin gathering His posse of disciples. ‘And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers (fishermen). And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.’ (Matt.4:18-20)
Just imagine that nuh friends; Jesus simply told them to follow Him and without any hesitation they just upped and did it right away. Hn! Can you imagine that happening today? I very much doubt it. Chuh! Getting people to follow Jesus nowadays is like pulling teeth.
And the scholars offer these explanations on those verses. ‘4:18-20. Simon called Peter, and Andrew became the first two disciples called publicly by Jesus. Andrew had introduced his brother to Jesus on an earlier occasion (cf. John 1:40). The invitation, Follow me, called these earlier believers into a permanent ministry to be shared with Christ.
I will make you fishers of men clearly indicates the nature of this ministry. They would receive special training in bringing men into the kingdom. Having left their nets, these disciples entered into a new relationship and would never again be able to fully return to the occupation they once held so dear.’
But Jesus wasn’t done fishing yet. The Good Book declares: ‘And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.’ (Matt.4:21-22)
Wow! Can you imagine poor Zebedee’s confusion and consternation! Some man he doesn’t even know, passes by and calls his sons and they just up and leave him and their fishermen business behind! Steups!
And the scholars have a wonderful line on that. ‘The statement in verse 22 that they immediately responded to His call gives us a perfect picture of true obedience to the Lordship of Christ.’
And does it ever my fellow believers! Unfortunately though, not too many of us nowadays can lay claim to such obedience. And that’s certainly a pity, because both our individual lives and the world around us would be a much better place if our obedience was even a little higher than it currently is.
So friends, in light of what we’ve studied today, let’s spend some time pondering our own level of obedience nuh. It can’t hurt, even if we’re terribly disobedient. And then, in wisdom, let’s sincerely turn to the Lord and ask for His ever-present and ever-faithful help. He’ll never refuse us! Much LOVE!
…for any group to be successful…obedience to the leadership and the rules of the organization is absolutely necessary…
SCRIP-BITS 