06 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Julie mango, a new flock of believers, Adam and Eve, anxiety, backsliders, bamboozled them, be as gods, be responsible, believe, Bible, christianity, confusion, crying out for help, discontent, disobedience, dissatisfaction, embrace your love, endeavour to live a godly life, error of their ways, everything God made is beautiful, faith, fell for the sweet talk, free falling mode, Friday chant, God created man with his own hands, God did not speak man into existence, God saw that it was good, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God so loved the world, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he ha believeth on him is not condemned, he that believeth not is condemned already, holy spirit, in snake's clothing, Jesus Christ, knowing good and evil, leave all the consequences to Him, lost in sin shame and pain, LOVE, mercy, naked, not willing to accept responsibility, obey God, omnipotent help, problems are escalating, redeem us from sin, salvation, Satan, should not perish, sinful world, snow season, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, the blame game, the breath of life, the cross at Calvary, the example we faithful believers set, the forbidden fruit, the gift of God is eternal life, the simmering unrest, the tools to resist deception, the wages of sin is death, the world through him might be saved, they would surely die, thrive, to handle the unexpected storms properly, trusting faith, truth, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, whosever believeth in him, wisdom, wise guidance, your eyes shall be opened
Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is eternal death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Well, it certainly seems like the snow season is here to stay. Note I didn’t say winter, because that’s not officially due for another couple of weeks, but the snow has made it’s appearance and looks like it intends to stay, for although the roads are fairly clean, the land and roof tops are clothed with it, while occasional flurries continue to drift down aimlessly. I must say though that the wintry white look is indeed beautiful! And why not eh, for everything our marvellous and artistic God has made is beautiful!
Remember what the Bible says about His creation of the universe? At then of each day, He looked at what He had created that day, ‘and God saw that it was good.’ (Gen. 1:12) Then at the end, the Bible says: ‘And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.’ (Gen. 1:31) Yes friends, our God was indeed pleased with His creations, especially mankind, whom He actually created with His own hands. It was the only thing He did not speak into existence.
The Bible tells it thus: ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ (Gen. 2:7) What a magnanimous, generous and LOVING God we serve my people! One who made us in His own image from the dust of the earth and imbued us with His Holy, Life-Giving Spirit, filled us with the breath of life! What could be more awesome and amazing that that eh? And the Lord had such great plans for us.
Sadly though, our forefathers Adam and Eve screwed everything up when they allowed the evil serpent, Satan in snake’s clothing, to bamboozle them into not believing what God had said to them about eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil; that they would surely die. The smooth talking serpent said unto Eve: ‘Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods (God), knowing good and evil.’ (Gen. 3:4-5)
And Eve fell for the sweet talk, and ate of the forbidden fruit, which I believe was not a crusty apple as many suppose, but rather a Julie mango, the sweetest and juiciest fruit the Lord has made. (smile) And it’s obvious that when they ate the Julie mango their eyes were opened, such was the sweetness of it! (smile) They even knew that they were naked and sewed fig leaves together to make aprons (girding coverings). (Gen. 3:6-7) Then foolishly, when the Lord came looking for them they went and hid themselves.
How foolish can one be? But that’s because they now knew good from evil, and realized that they had disobeyed the one thing that God had told them not to do. And when the Lord asked Adam why they had disobeyed His one command, he laid the blame on Eve for eating of the forbidden fruit. And when He asked Eve, she replied: ‘The serpent beguiled (deceived) me.’ (Gen. 3:13) Right there the blame game began! Then God unceremoniously kicked them out of the Garden of Eden, to fight life on their own.
And since then, mankind has been in a sort of free falling mode, lost in sin and shame and pain, having to till the ground, by the sweat of his brow to get bread, and suffer all kinds of trials and tribulations. All for ONE act of disobedience! That’s how seriously God takes disobedience! And sadly nothing has changed down through the ages; man is still a most sinful and disobedient being, and sill not willing to accept responsibility for his actions. This might possibly be the most sinful and disobedient generation of all.
But thankfully, there’s also another side to our God; the LOVING, compassionate side, where He doesn’t wish to see His greatest creation suffer eternal separation from Him for their sinful behaviour; ‘For the wages of sin is eternal death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. 6:23) Thus He sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to die on the cross at Calvary and thus redeem us from our abominable sinful condition. And all we have to do is believe and endeavour to live a godly life.
Jesus, as was His wont, said it very simply. ‘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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) Yes friends, contrary to what many believe, Christ came to save the world, not condemn it. If He desired to condemn it, He would simply have left it as it was, sinful and sorrowful. But no, He left heaven purposely to come and save us.
And as we said earlier, all you have to do is believe in Christ to be saved. Here’s how He puts it: ‘He that believeth on him (Christ) 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 3:18) Ah friends, it’s so simple: believe and you will be saved; don’t believe and you will be condemned! And yes, the serpent is still out there trying to beguile and deceive as many of us as he can, but when we believe in Jesus, He also gives us the tools to resist that deception, with His Holy Spirit indwelling us to lead the way.
So although living the holy and righteous life might not always be easy, we can certainly do it, if we seriously put our minds and hearts to the task. And to help us in that endeavour, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid to stay afloat and thrive. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, let’s realize that no divine aid will be forthcoming until we buck up and become better witnesses for Christ! Much LOVE!
…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him… (Uncle Charles – Dr. Charles Stanley)…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deserted place, a solitary place, a waste of a good life, believed in the name of, Bible, bubble up from our hearts and souls, christianity, come before his presence with singing, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, die from lack of nourishment, egotistical people, end up like lost sheep, endured the cross, faith, fellowship, for the joy that was set before him, god, God sent not his son into the world, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, He taught me how, holy spirit, hostility, hungry, I was glad, in the morning, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our Good Shepherd, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, let us go into the house of the Lord, like a wellspring of joy, live in peace and harmony, live rejoicing every day, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mercy, Oh Happy Day, physical and spiritual nourishment, remembering those who died, Remembrance Day weekend, rising up a great while before day, sacrifices of praise, salvation, serve the Lord with gladness, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the author and finisher of our faith, the most joyful day ever, the only begotten Son of God, the reality of the situation, the world through him might be saved, thirsty, to condemn the world, to fight rejection and abuse, to watch fight and pray, truth, wage a peaceful war, wake up to, wandering aimlessly, when Jesus washed my sins away, when they said unto me, wisdom, without a good shepherd
Psalm 100:2. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
‘I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ Now that’s the opening verse of Psalm 122, and this Remembrance Day weekend in God’s house is where we all ought to be, giving thanks and remembering the many millions who senselessly died in the many wars of the last century. And yes, they died that we could ostensibly live in peace and harmony.
But where is that peace and harmony now eh? It doesn’t exist, for most of our world is now a strife-filled battleground, where thousands still die each day for the same supposedly worthwhile ideals of peace, LOVE, honour and country, but usually it’s to satisfy the greed and power hunger of a handful of proud and egotistical people. But that’s a story for another day.
Today however, we’ll do as Psalm 100 so wisely instructs us: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:105)
So, having heard those most encouraging words, let’s grace the Lord’s house on His day with praise and worship through this wonderful rendition of that joyful tune titled ‘Oh Happy Day.’ It’s an 18th century hymn authored by clergyman Phillip Doddridge and recorded in a gospel music arrangement by the Edwin Hawkins Singers in 1967. Soon thereafter, it became an international hit and is now recognized as a gospel music standard.
So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, soulful and joyful rendition, remembering the hand clapping and the call and response of the choir and the lead vocalist. (smile) And as we sing, please let there be no doubt as to our happiness; just allow it to bubble up from our hearts and souls like a wellspring of joy.
Singing: ‘Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) (Repeat) He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day Every day
Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day (Good God) Live rejoicing every day, Every day
Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Yes, what a happy day it was, when Jesus washed all my sins away…taught me how to watch and fight and pray…and live rejoicing every day…Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day)…Yes, every day’s now a happy day…since Jesus washed my sins away…and taught me how to watch and pray…and live rejoicing every day… Oh, happy day… oh, happy day…Oh, happy day…’
And oh my fellow saints, it was indeed a happy day when Jesus washed our sins away…the most joyful day ever! Then in His great LOVE, He added to it by teaching us how to watch and fight and pray… and consequently, how to live rejoicing every day in His new covenant. What can be more joyful that that eh? Nothing whatsoever! For in Jesus, we have ALL that we’ll ever need, both in this world and the next!
And these words of Jesus assure us that He is who He said He is, and did what He set out to do. He said them to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who came to Him under cover of darkness to find out what was what. ‘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.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him 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 3:16-18)
Yuh see friends, all it takes to be saved is true belief in Jesus. He came to save the world, and that’s exactly what He did! Who rejects His saving grace after hearing of it, have only themselves to blame. And He did teach us how to fight by all the rejection and abuse and the awful things he went through on our behalf.
As the author of Hebrews informs us: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Ah mih people, Jesus did teach us how to wage a peaceful war, with LOVE and understanding rather than with worldly weapons and caustic rejoinders. And oh, how He taught us to watch and pray, always making time to spend quietly with the Father and listen to His message, because He knew that he could not accomplish His earthly tasks without the Father’s help and encouragement.
And one of my favourite passages of scripture details that for us. The gospel of Mark puts it thus: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) Now, if Jesus the Son of God, while here on earth needed prayer so earnestly, why wouldn’t we adopted sons need it even more? And the answer is that we do!
So please, let’s wake up to the reality of the situation and realize how badly we need Jesus and all that He brings to the table, otherwise we’ll end up like lost sheep in the wilderness, without a good shepherd, wandering aimlessly, hungry and thirsty, until we die from lack of nourishment…both physical and spiritual. And that would be such a waste of a good life! Much LOVE!
…every sheep…needs a good shepherd to take care of it…and Jesus is our good shepherd…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a vested interest, backsliders, Bible, but sinners to repentance, call the poor, come to seek and to save, compensated at the resurrection, crying out for your help, divine aid, economic deprivation, error of their ways, existing in a prosperous world, faith, feudal times, finished my course, fought a good fight, Friday chant, get together as One, get up off our fat fannies, god, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God so loved the world, greed, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, heal the brokenhearted, holy spirit, hunger for power, I came not to call the righteous, inequality, inequity, Jesus Christ, kept the faith, LOVE, man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn, mercy, out of joint noses, poverty, preach deliverance to captives, preach the gospel to the poor, recovering of sight to the blind, restoring faith in you, set at liberty the oppressed, should not perish, sickness, simmering unrest, still have battles to fight, strife, sufferation, supposed believers in Christ, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that which was lost, the blind, the body of Christ, the downtrodden, the example your faithful believers set, the lame, the maimed, the poor, the Son of man, the spirit of the Lord, the throne of grace, the world through him might be saved, they cannot recompense thee, this day is salvation come to this house, to fight the wrongs in our world, to handle the unexpected storms properly, truth, ungodly state of our world, wake up and smell the coffee, walk the talk, when thou make a feast, whosoever believeth in him, wisdom, wise guidance, won the war
John 3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
And then it was Friday.. and those shouts of TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here!’ echo around some of the world! I can’t even say much or a lot of the world, because much and a lot of the world is shrouded in chaos and disaster, both natural and man-made, so Fridays aren’t anything special for them. And it’s so sad to see all the confusion, poverty, sickness, strife and economic deprivation existing in such a prosperous world as ours. At a time when you’d think that we’d be wise enough to undo some of the inequity and inequality that’s causing the problems, our leaders, power brokers, and the greedy rich are instead seeking to make it worse, to bring us back to feudal times, if possible.
Ah Lord eh! Greed and hunger for power are further decimating our already decimated world. Thus, the term ‘man’s inhumanity to man, makes countless thousands or now millions, or even billions mourn,’ unfortunately is still most appropriate to the sinful, evil, ungodly state of our world. And the situation will never get better, but most likely worse, until and unless we supposed believers in Jesus Christ get up off our fat, lazy, comfortable and fearful fannies and help to do something about it.
We are the only ones, who according to God’s Word, have a vested interest in seeing the sick healed, the lame walk and the poor prosper. But that will never happen until the Body of Christ, His Church get’s together as ONE, not the many divisions now existing, and start fighting a serious and determined fight to right some of the many wrongs in our world. I don’t know if we remember what Jesus said He came to earth for, but let’s check them out nuh.
And it begins with these encouraging and reassuring words of Jesus re His purpose on earth. ‘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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) Now that’s His overall purpose, to save the world. And how did He intend to do that? This scripture from Isaiah 61:1-2a, which Jesus read in the synagogue of His hometown, Nazareth, on the sabbath helps to explain it.
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath appointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised (oppressed). To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’ (Luke 4:18-19) And Jesus showed His cares for the sick and suffering later on in that same chapter. ‘Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers (various) diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.’ (Luke 4:40) So Jesus wasn’t only talking the talk, like so many of us do today, but He also walked it.
Then in Luke 5: 30, where the scribes and Pharisees were complaining about Jesus and His disciples eating with publicans (tax collectors) and sinners. Jesus answers: ‘They that are whole (healthy) need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Luke 5:31-32)
And again in Luke 14, Jesus shows His compassion for the have nots by recommending: ‘When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again (invite you back), and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed (crippled), the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; they cannot recompense (repay) thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection.’ (Luke14:12-14)
But we, with our haughty, arrogant selves, contrary to Jesus’ recommendations, invite only the brightest and the best to our feasts, thumbing our out of joint noses at the poor and downtrodden. But nonetheless, we expect to receive rewards in heaven. Hn! That will be the day!
And remember the incident with the tax collector Zacheus, who climbed the tree so that he could see Jesus as he passed through Jericho, then Jesus called him down saying that He would dine with him. (Luke 19:1-6) Then, having eaten with Jesus, Zacheus said to Him: ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:8-10)
You see my fellow believers, Jesus didn’t just talk about His purpose, He went about fulfilling it, the way we ought to do. Remember we are His ambassadors, His earthly agents and He expects us to put up a good showing. We might not turn the world around, but we certainly can prevent it from sinking any deeper into the mire of Satan. But we can only do that if we become serious about our faith, get together and do what is required of us. We need to be up and doing like Bruh Paul said to Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith:’ (2 Tim. 4:7)
Oh my fellow saints, don’t you feel badly about our lack of real effort and zeal in living for Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who gave up His sinless life for us on the cross of Calvary? Who underwent so much ‘sufferation’ for our sake? Don’t we have enough shame and/or decency in us to do a better job than we’re currently doing in His name? I plead with us to start walking our talk, and not just talking it, otherwise we’ll never receive that crown of righteousness laid up in heaven for those who sincerely LOVE Jesus and have fought a good fight in His name!
Now, let’s go confidently to the throne of grace and through our Friday Chant, ask for divine aid to turn things around in both our lives and in the world. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And please remember, that we’ll get no divine aid until we begin fighting a better fight of faith in Jesus’ name! Much LOVE!
…we might have won the war…but we still have battles to fight…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bad things happen, Bible, Christ's yoke is easy, Christiaity, defends the feeble, Dr. S.M. Lockridge, duty bound, faith, forgives sinners, god, God sent not his son into the world, He is my King, heals the sick, his burden is light, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, Jesus is my King, Jesus is our everything, limitless goodness, lollipops and roses, LOVE, mercy, naive Christians, never-ending faith in Christ, our be all and end all, rewards the diligent, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me today, the answer to our every prayer, the beloved of God, the doorway of deliverance, the fundamental truth in theology, the highest idea in philosophy, the King of Kings, the king of knowledge, the loftiest idea in literature, the Lord of lords, the prince of princes, the well-spring of wisdom, the world through him might be saved, thwarted expectations, to condemn the world, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unfulfilled lives, wisdom, with Jesus in our corner, worry
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 September 2024 John 3:17.
John 3:17. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Well it’s another wet and cloudy day in my area, but it’s Tuesday, a new day, which means an expectation of new and good things. Thus the uplifting acclamation: ‘Something good is going to happen TO me today; something good is going to happen THROUGH me today!’ And that ought really to be the basis of our daily thinking; always expecting good things to happen to and through us, all in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
So what if our dreams and expectations are sometimes thwarted and bad things happen every so often eh? That’s just life in our sinful and ungodly world. However, we do have Jesus to help us handle all those bad things, if we put our never-ending faith and trust in Him. Life won’t always be lollipops and roses, as some of us naive Christians believe, but with Jesus in our corner, we can survive and beat anything that comes against us. And unless we sincerely believe that and practice it in our daily lives, we’ll be forever finding life miserable and unrewarding. End of Sermon! (smile)
Now, last night while going through some papers on one of my desks, I discovered something that I didn’t even know I had, it was some notes by one Dr. S.M. Lockridge, I don’t remember where I got it from or when, but after reading it, I just knew I had to share it with you today. But before we do that, I just googled Dr. S.M. Lockridge and came up with this fantastic information. His real name is Shadrach Meshach Lockridge (1913-2000).
Wow! Like he was meant for ministry from his birth. And he did end up being the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, a prominent African-American congregation in San Diego, California, from 1953 to 1993, and was well-known for his preaching across the United States and around the world. And what a wonderful fount of information our computers can be if used for good, because I just came across the full text of what I was going to partly share. It all comes from Dr. Lockridge’s sermon on the subject, ‘He is My King.’
So let’s listen to someone who really knew Jesus as His King. “He’s enduringly strong, He’s entirely sincere, He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful. He’s God’s Son. He’s a sinner’s Saviour. He’s the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He’s supreme. He’s preeminent. He’s the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest idea in philosophy. He’s the fundamental truth in theology.
He’s the miracle of the age. He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He’s available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He guards and He guides. He heals the sick, He cleans the lepers. He forgives sinners, He discharges debtors, He delivers captives, He defends the feeble, He blesses the young, He serves the unfortunate, He regards the aged, He rewards the diligent, He beautifies the meek. Do you know Him?
Well, my king is the king of knowledge, He’s the well-spring of wisdom, He’s the doorway of deliverance, He’s the pathway of peace, He’s the roadway of righteousness, He’s the highway of holiness He’s the gateway of glory, He’s the master of the mighty, He’s the captain of the conquerors, He’s the head of the heroes, He’s the leader of the legislators, He’s the overseer of the overcomers, He’s the governor of governors, He’s the prince of princes, He’s the king of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Well. I wish I could describe Him to you. But He’s indescribable. Yes. He’s incomprehensible. He’s invincible, He’s irresistible. I’m trying to tell you, the Heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explain Him. You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hands. You can’t outlive Him, and you can’t live without Him.
Well. The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. That’s my king! He always has been, and He always will be. I’m talking about He [who] had no predecessor and He [who] has no successor. There was nobody before Him and there will be nobody after Him. You can’t impeach Him, and He’s not going to resign.
We try to get prestige and honor and glory to ourselves, but the glory is all His. Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, and ever, and ever, and ever. How long is that? And ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and when you get through with all of the forevers, then ‘Amen’.” “Oh I wish I could describe him to you.”
Mama oh Mama! What a wonderful description of what Jesus is, was, and will forever be! And you can only encapsulate that by saying, Jesus is our EVERYTHING! Our BE ALL and END ALL! Without Him, we’re nothing, and with Him, we’re everything! Yes friends, that’s the kind of mighty God and king we serve and worship! And until we truly come to grips with what a magnificent Deity we are a part of, our lives will remain unfulfilled.
And having read that most worthwhile description of all that Jesus is by Dr. Lockridge, all I can do now is to quote this scripture passage on what Jesus said re His earthly purpose. ‘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. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him 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 3:16-18)
Oh my fellow believers, Jesus could not have stated His purpose for coming to earth any clearer than that. So please, let’s be wise and believe nuh, so that we won’t be condemned! Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that awesome declaration (yesss!!!) we now are duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…He is the answer to our every prayer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be wise choose Christ, Bible, blessing and cursing, choose life, climate change, etenal life, eternal separation from God, everlasting life, faith, free from righteousness, god, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, holiness, howling winds, hurry, I call heaven and earth, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, made free from sin, mercy, not to condemn the world, pay for our rebellious ways, pay me now or pay me later, rian, righteousness, salvation, servants of sin, servants to God, set before you life and death, share His love with my neighbours, storms and tornadoes in the U.S., that both thou and thy seed shall live, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the beloved of God, the gift of God is eternal life, the goodness grace and mercy of God, the wages of sin is death, the world through him might be saved, to record this day against you, trust my freind Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, worry
Deuteronomy 30:19b. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed shall live.
Well friends, yesterday was a crazy day in my neighbourhood. First there was rain early in the morning, then the winds just howled through the area all day, into the night, and is still carrying on out there, although thankfully, not as badly as it did yesterday. Brother! At one point in the evening, I went out to sit on my porch, but could only stay a short while because of the wind’s ferocity. The poor trees were dancing like crazy all day, with little respite from the wind storm. At one stage this morning I had to close my bedroom window as the wind was causing the aluminum blinds to bang loudly against the woodwork, disturbing my rest.
But it could be worse, much worse, as many people down in the U.S are finding out with all the storms and tornadoes that are currently tearing their areas apart. And it’s heartbreaking to see the awful wreckage these natural disasters are causing. Call it climate change, or whatever you choose, but it’s certain that our weather patterns have recently changed, and are still changing, much to the dismay of many. Where there was once rain, there’s now drought, and where there was once drought, there’s now flooding.
It’s all turning around, and I don’t know how much is our fault, but we do share a part of the blame for the ungodly and disgraceful manner in which we’ve treated our wonderful planet. And as the man so rightfully said, ‘You can either pay me now or pay me later, but the price later will be much higher than the one today.’ And that’s exactly what we’re seeing now, the high price of our earlier selfish and greedy decisions concerning our planet; not making sufficient plans to keep it clean or to clean it up after we’ve despoiled it.
And it’s the same way in our relationship with God. We will pay a hefty price for our rebellious ways, either right then or later, especially after He was generous and LOVING enough to send His Son Jesus Christ to earth to die a substitutionary death on our behalf, so that He could forgive our sins and reconcile us to Himself. For remember ‘the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life.’ (Rom. 6:23) That means that whoever sins will be rewarded with death, but since Jesus paid our sin debt in full through His dying on the cross, we have been given a chance to come back to God’s secure fold if we believe in and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome. ‘For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.’ (Rom. 6:20-22) Yes my fellow believers, when we were servants to sin, all we had to look forward to was death, or eternal separation from Almighty God, but with the acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Saviour, we now are servants of God and have holiness, righteousness and eternal life to look forward to.
But just like we were foolish not to take care of our planet and are now paying a price for it, likewise we can be foolish not to receive Christ as Lord and Saviour and eventually pay a hefty price for that unwise decision. Please note these very instructive words of Jesus. ‘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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
That, my friends, says it all, and says it very clearly! Why? Because as Jesus continues: ‘He that believeth on him (the Son) 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 3:18) It’s as simple as that. Jesus came to earth and died so that we could have a second option besides eternal separation based on our abominable sins. However, to receive this second option, eternal life with God, one must believe in the Son, and accept Him as Lord and Saviour.
That means the decision is still ours, the Lord is not usurping the free will that He gave us. He’s only saying that if you don’t believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, then you will still be in violation of His rules and regulations, still be a sinner, and thus will still be liable to death or eternal separation from Him. That’s the wonderful goodness, grace and mercy of God my brethren! He LOVED us so much, and did not want to see us perish under the burden of our sins, that He devised a plan whereby we could be forgiven; that’s getting His only Son, His sinless Son, Jesus Christ to die and bear our burdens, pay the price for our sins, once and for all time.
However, to avail oneself of that option, one has to believe in and accept the Son as your Lord and Saviour, and live the way He desires. Rejection of that option means that you are right back where you started… an awful sinner, only worthy of death and eternal separation from the omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God of the universe. Remember what Moses said to the Israelites: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed shall live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
Likewise friends, the Lord is giving us the same choice today, that between eternal life with Jesus, or eternal death with Satan. The choice is all ours. So please, let’s be wise nuh, and choose Christ, so that we and our seed can live forever. And for those of us who have already made that wise, monumental decision, 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!’
And having made that declaration, it means we now have 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!
…God will never abuse His gift of free choice…but He does expect us to make wise choices…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man lay down his life for his friends, a merciful forgiving gracious God, climate change, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, go astray, God commendeth his love for us, God so loved the world, Good Friday, greater love hath no man than this, he gave his only begotten son, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life, hellfire and damnation, humble ourselves, Jesus Christ, lose hope, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, on easy street, rain and wet snow, salvation, sincerely seek your face, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, strong faith in Christ, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the cross, the road to heaven, the world through him might be saved, this is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Then it was Monday, and who knows what kind of day it will turn out to be, weather wise or personal circumstances wise. But let’s hope that the weather is somewhat like yesterday afternoon, with the bright sunshine just pouring forth, after a touch of rain and some wet snow in the morning. Yes, the sunshine won the weather battle yesterday, in this contrary month of March 2024, where thanks to climate change, you don’t know from one moment to the next whether it’s going to be hot or cold, dry or wet. (smile)
And, as per personal circumstances, regardless of what happens, we’ve all made the pronouncement: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! (Ps. 118:24) And along with that positive statement, we’ve also declared (yesss!!!): ‘Something good is going to happen to me today. Something good is going to happen through me today!’ Wow! And with Jesus behind the wicket, or behind the baseball mound, guiding our trajectory, NOTHING can cause us to go astray or lose hope and faith in our wonderful Lord and Saviour!
Give Him much sincere praise and thanks my faithful believers, for He certainly deserves it, after all that He’s done on our behalf, especially the ‘sufferation’ of the cross on Good Friday, and the awesome resurrection three days later on Easter Sunday, momentous calendar occasions of our faith that are just two weeks away! And are those two splendiferous occasions, along with Christ’s immaculate conception and virgin birth at Christmas, ever important! That’s for certain sure, for without them we’d have no Christian faith, nothing on which to base all our hopes and dreams of salvation and eternal life. We’d be automatically doomed for hellfire and damnation.
But because of God’s great LOVE for His amazing creation, He sent His only Son, to die on our behalf and thus pay our sin debt in full. What a great LOVE the Father must have had for us, and still has, to give up His One Son, for a bunch of ungrateful sinners. And I just adore this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Roman church, which soundly endorses that amazing LOVE! He writes: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Mama oh Mama! What a scripture! It just exposes the big heart of our majestic and sovereign God Jehovah! And that’s not all. Listen to how Bruh Paul further describes the amazing strength of that LOVE in his missive to the Romans. ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nr depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus.’ (Rom. 8:38-39)
Now, that certainly deserves another, ‘Mama oh Mama!’ (smile) Yes friends, for Bruh Paul is saying that NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, can ever separate us from the AWESOME LOVE of our heavenly Father! And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, then listen to the sacrificial Son, Jesus Christ, as He explains it. ‘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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) More amazing scripture proving God’s great LOVE friends!
And later on, Jesus bookended those statements with this one. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:30) And that’s exactly what He went out and did on Good Friday; lay down His sinless life for us! Yes my brethren, the Lord desired to save His creation from hellfire and damnation, so He gave up His most valuable possession, His Son to do it! But please note there is one very important proviso in the whole thing: To be saved, one needs to believe in the Son! And that’s about the only requirement the Lord set out in His heart-breaking sacrifice for us to be saved: we must believe in His Son!
The gift of salvation itself is totally free; we need to do nothing else but BELIEVE! And Jesus highlights that ever so clearly in the next verse. ‘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 3:18) Oh my people, it could not be any easier or clearer than that! All we need to do is sincerely believe in Jesus, and we’re on easy street – well not quite easy street, because belief brings a lot of testing, but we are indeed heaven bound. However, if we hear about Him and don’t believe, then it’s cleaners for us, eternal separation from God with Satan in the depths of hell.
And that fact is something that Jesus kept repeating at every instance. Listen to a few of them nuh. In talking about His submissiveness to the Father, He says: 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) Then after saying that He was the bread of life, (John 6:35) Jesus made this other statement re belief. ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me… And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:38, 40)
And when the Jews murmured about Him claiming to be the bread of life, Jesus told them again, in no uncertain terms. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.’ (John 6:47) Oh my fellow saints, how many times does Jesus have to stress the overriding need for belief in Him, before we actually do it eh? But it’s all up to individual choice, the free will that the Lord gave each of us. All I can do is try to pound it into our hard hearts and stubborn minds! End of sermon! (smile)
Now let’s go to the Father in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for His divine help to fix our many earthly problems. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it will stand us in very good stead, if we remember these important words of our prayer: ‘if we turn from our evil ways.’ For then, and only then will divine help be forthcoming! Much LOVE!
…belief is all it takes to get on the road to heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
10 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God of truth and without iniquity, a testimony of believers, all his ways are judgement, all other ground is sinking sand, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, as ye see the day approaching, Edward Mote, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, for it was founded upon the rock, great was the fall of it, his blood supports me in the 'whelming flood, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, I rest on his unchanging grace, Jesus Christ, Jesus' blood and righteousness, LOVE, my anchor holds within the veil, My hope is built on nothing less, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, on Christ the solid rock I stand, refresh and rejuvenate our souls, stir up unto love and good works, the horn of my salvation, The Lord is my rock, the rain descended, the truths of God's Word, the winds blew, the world through him might be saved, truth, wisdom
Matthew 7:25. And the rain descended, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock.
Gather round friends, gather round! Let’s fill the Lord’s sanctuary this Sunday morning for fellowship and worship, to give Him the glory and honour He so assuredly deserves. It’s the best way to refresh and rejuvenate our souls, bodies and spirits at the end of another long and tiring week of work. There’s nothing like the gathering of the saints, as we mix and mingle and encourage each other in the Lord.
As the scriptures tell us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised😉 And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25) Oh my fellow believers, we need to keep meeting regularly, not like some others do, because Christian community and perseverance are of the utmost importance, as the writer of Hebrews stresses.
And furthermore, we need to stand firm in our faith because God is faithful and needs us to encourage each other in LOVE and good works, even more as we see the day of Christ approaching. And believe me, that moment draws closer with each passing day. God does not expect or intend for Believers to stand alone. And having acknowledged the importance of fellowship, let’s break out in praise and worship, with this Christian hymn written by the British author Edward Mote around 1837, most appropriately titled ‘My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less.’
The story goes that apparently ‘Mote only wrote one hymn. And “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less” was just as much an anthem of his own testimony as it has become for believers all over the world. Having grown up knowing nothing of God or His existence, Mote first attended church and became a Christian as a young adult. While still a new believer, he was compelled to try his hand at hymn writing. Thus, Mote wrote from a basic, yet profound understanding of his salvation.
Later that same week, he visited a married couple at the wife’s sickbed. Without a hymnal handy to lead them in a song of worship, Mote produced a folded-up piece of paper upon which he had worked out four verses and a chorus. Together, they sang the hymn now known as “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less” for the first time, blessed by the truths of God’s Word in the lyrics.’ And who says that our great God doesn’t move in mysterious and miraculous ways eh! Just imagine a new believer writing such a wonderful hymn! Only through the auspices of the Holy Spirit!
And now, as we sing it, we’ll realize that it’s the gospel truth! So, let’s offer up sacrifices of praise in a rich, up-tempo, scintillating version showing our joyful sincerity, because it’s a song that’s meant to make us joyful. Singing: ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. (Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.) When darkness veils his lovely face I rest on His unchanging grace In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil.
(Refrain) His oath, his covenant, his blood Supports me in the ‘whelming flood When all around my soul gives way He then is all my hope and stay. (Refrain) Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move; I rest upon unchanging LOVE. I trust his righteous character, his counsel, promise, and his pow’r. [Refrain] When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand. Oh thank You Lord…You solid rock…’
And is our God ever a great and immovable rock! That’s for sure! He’s solid, steadfast, faithful, unchanging with all the attributes we expect of a big rock! That’s why there are so many scriptures portraying Him as such. Listen to Moses, who should know that more than most, seeing that he had such a long and intimate experience with God. He writes in Deuteronomy: ‘He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement (justice): a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut. 32:4) You could not want or get, a better short description of our marvelous God.
And Bruh David said it thus in Psalm 18: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower.’ (Ps. 18:1-2) Wow! What a mighty God we serve my brethren! Any God who is all those things must be powerful, unmovable and a source of safety and refuge! That’s why Bruh David could say in the next verse: ‘I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:3)
Now that’s exactly what we need to do with Jesus – call on Him to save us, for He is the ONLY ONE capable of doing that! His precious shed blood and righteousness are the only things that stand between us and hellfire and damnation! And that’s the major reason He came into the world. In His own words: ‘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’s why He went to the cross and sacrificed His sinless life on our behalf. So that we could be saved, be reconciled back to the Father by accepting him as Lord and Saviour.
Consequently, as he told the disciple Thomas: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) And if I were you, I wouldn’t try to prove Him wrong nuh. (smile) Oh friends, Jesus is the great pilot of our lives. He guides us through all the storms of life to safe shores, if we allow Him to. He is the epitome of all that’s true and wonderful and strong; a most fitting and worthy representative and representation of the Father! And since we’re running out of space and time, we can’t get into all the other rock references to Jesus, but we do know what He meant when He said in Matthew:
‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house on a (the) rock: And the rain descended, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt. 7:24-27)
Let’s hope we all recognize that Jesus was there talking about Himself as the Rock on which all wise people will build their lives! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the ONLY safe, secure and steadfast place to build one’s life…all else is merely sinking sand…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every other name, a spirit hath not flesh and bones, anxious, befuddled, bewildered, come unto me all ye that labour, dioriented, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God shall wipe away all tears, humble servants, I am the resurrection and the life, I will give you rest, inerrant truth, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus is our everything, liveth to make intercession for them, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, My Redeemer lives, no more death, sinned and disobeyed your Word, the former things are passed away, the God who heals, the great invitation, the world through him might be saved, triumphant from the grave, we have an advocate with the Father, whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, why seek ye the living among the dead.
John 3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
So it’s Monday once again! The first day of the work week which causes a sad and unnecessary state of ‘confuffleation’ in many of us. In other words, for one reason or another, when Monday rolls around we just seem unable to think properly, to get it all together, and we become befuddled, bewildered, anxious, perplexed and somewhat disoriented. (smile) And that’s why it’s so important to fellowship with other believers on Sunday, so we can step out brave, bold and confident on a Monday morning, ready to spread the good news and glad tidings of Christ to all and sundry.
Now yesterday we sang the unique, distinctive song, ‘I know that My Redeemer Lives,’ and we asserted that ‘there’s not an untrue word in that hymn, and for every statement made, there is a scripture that can be brought forth to prove its inerrant truth!’ And today I want to try and prove it, as much as time and space would allow. It should bring up a whole raft of delightful, insightful, refreshing and reassuring scriptures. (smile) And the first and most important topic is ‘that my Redeemer lives…who once was dead, he lives…triumphant from the grave.’
Yes friends, if Jesus doesn’t live then everything else is false. So, let’s find some scripture that corroborates it. And the words of the angel sitting on the stone in front of Jesus’ empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning, should be evidence enough. He says to the women who came to the tomb that morning to finish embalming Jesus’ body: ‘Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember when he spoke unto you when he was in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words.’ (Luke 24:5-8)
And we know that Jesus was seen in His glorified body of different people, some eight times after His resurrection, and before His ascension, three of the most notable being when He spoke with the two followers on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), then when those men returned to Jerusalem to tell the others about their meeting with Jesus, and He suddenly appeared before them, and they were terrified, believing that there were seeing a ghost. ‘But Jesus said unto them, Why are ye troubled? And why do (frightened) thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.’ (Luke 24:38-39)
And the next notable occasion was Jesus’ conversation with Thomas who refused to believe until He saw Him in the flesh. (John 20:24-29) Then the song says: ‘he lives eternally to save;’ Jesus said: ‘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) Then to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, He says: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believe thou this?’ ( John 11:25-26) And in his first epistle, John further says: ‘And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14)
And what about: ‘he lives exalted there on high.’ Bruh Paul clearly tells us in Philippians. ‘Wherefore God also hath exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11) Oh my people, besides that of the Father, there’s no higher exaltation possible!
And per ‘he lives to plead for me above;’ listen to these amazing scriptures. Bruh Paul writes thus to the church at Rome. ‘Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.’ (Rom. 8:34) Meanwhile, the author of Hebrews puts it this way. ‘But this man because he continueth for ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.’ (Heb. 7:24-25) Then John writes in his first epistle. ‘My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. and if any man sin, we have an advocate (intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ (1 John 2:1)
And as for ‘he lives to help in time of need,’ you can’t get anything better than Christ’s Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me: for I am meek and lowly (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) And if you’re foolish enough to refuse that invitation, then you deserve to have crapaud smoke yuh pipe!
And you certainly can’t beat this verse that covers: ‘He lives to grant me rich supply;’ Bruh Paul says it in spades in his letter to the church at Philippi. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And furthermore Jesus has already specified that if you seek the kingdom of God and all his righteousness, then all your needs will be supplied. (Matt. 6:33) And what about Bruh David’s immortal words? ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) What powerful scriptures!
And we have time for one more, this marvellous promise: ‘he lives to wipe away my tears;’ And what could be more soothing and comforting than this promise of the end times? ‘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 any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:4) Now that’s something to look forward to my brethren. For our Redeemer certainly lives! So please let’s embrace Jesus as tightly as we can.
Now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, let’s go to the throne of grace where Jesus is running intercession for us, and plead for divine help to handle our many earthly problems. As one voice: ‘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 the situation is simple: if we truly desire divine help, then we have to improve our godly behaviour. Much LOVE!
…Jesus is our EVERYTHING…Redeemer, Saviour, Lord, Brother, Friend, High Priest, Intercessor, King etc. etc…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
17 Jun 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crying shame, cheap imitations, Christ died for us, created us to have fellowship with Him, free will, getting to know the Father better, God commendeth his own love toward us, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God so loved the world, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, I am the good shepherd, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, increase my awareness of you today, it is certain we can carry nothing out, Jesus is the only true way, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let my muscles relax, LOVE, materail wealth, monye, obeying God's word and will, only interested in what god can do for us, prideful arrogant, quiet my soul, slow my thoughts, stubborn, take some sacrifice, thank you for this tenderness, that I may know you all the more, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the world through him might be saved, there are always consequences to our deeds, we brought nothing into this world, while we were yet sinners, you can't be contained, your peace and love are present
John 3:16. 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.
And finally lazy-day Saturday has arrived! Yes. The day that many of us dream of, where we do absolutely nothing, or a little as possible. And it’s a beautiful though a tad cool day. But sadly, some of us only have so much lazy time at our disposal, and unfortunately, I’ve used up all of mine already, so now I’ve got to be about my father’s business. (smile) And with that in mind, let’s say our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
As one strong and sincere 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!’
Ah friends, what a beautiful prayer, and oh so appropriate to a day when we don’t have to do much of anything, where we can just relax and spend some worthwhile time with our wonderful heavenly Father, getting to know Him better, and who gets so much pleasure when we spend sincere time with Him. But that’s one of the reasons He created us, to have fellowship with Him, so why wouldn’t He be joyful when we do it out of a deep and abiding LOVE for Him.
The unfortunate thing though is that many of us are not really interested in God Himself, in enjoying who He is and what He stands for, but merely in what He can do for us. And is that ever a crying shame, for then we miss the true joy that can come from a tight and faithful union with our heavenly Father.
I guess it’s just like so many of us with our earthly father’s; we’re not particularly close, and we don’t really want to get close to them, we’re simply interested I how they can help us; provide a roof over our heads, food on the table and whatever else we need to go our merry way. And though that kind of relationship is never really beneficial to either side, sometimes it can be understandable by the way our human actions play out in this evil, ungodly and confused world, as some of our earthly fathers don’t care much for us either.
But our heavenly Father…why are we against Him? Why do we refuse to truly connect with Him eh? He’s never done us any wrong, and LOVES us with such a powerful LOVE that there’s no stronger LOVE in this whole wide world. And He’s made us so many wonderful promises if we just obey His Word and LOVE Him the way He desires us to. And even when we disobey and turn away from Him, His LOVE still persists, even to the point where the Bible says: ‘But God commnendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Wow! What a powerful LOVE that is, that instead of waiting for us sinners to come to Him and repent, God went ahead and made an easier way for us to come back to Him, where before there was no easy way. But yet still, with the free will He granted us, we chose to keep rebelling against Him, being prideful, arrogant and stubborn, believing that we know the world and all therein that He created, better than Him. But that’s such utter foolishness my people. We are allowing the enemy, the devil and his demonic cohorts to turn us against the One who’s prepared such a wonderful life for those who truly LOVE and obey him.
And the sad part is that the devil has nothing really to offer us but hellfire and damnation, for all he does is lie and deceive. But Jesus said: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that’s exactly what He did: give His life so that our miserable sinful souls could be saved from eternal separation from our Creator. And what has the devil done for us eh? Nothing but steal and lie and deceive us. But yet still we refuse to turn to Jesus and run behind the foolishness the enemy tells us, like material wealth and money, which we cannot do anything with when we’re dead.
As Bruh Paul so wisely reminded Timothy. ‘For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.’ (1 Tim. 6:7) So why run down the things that the enemy and the world think are so important when all we do is leave it all behind for others to misuse and/or fight over.
For as the wisest and richest man who ever lived, Cousin Sol discovered in his search for wealth and wisdom says in Ecclesiastes. ‘Yea, I hated all my labour, which I had taken (toiled) under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. and who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have tule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity (futility, useless).’ (Eccl. 2:18-19)
And that has a whole lot of truth in it. For we see it played out in the world every day, where some wealthy person who spent most of his life accumulating earthly riches only for it to be passed down after his death to complete wastrels and fools, who just use and abuse it until there’s nothing left, or to those who fight each other tooth and nail for some portion of it, and finally most of it ends up in the hands of lawyers and other officials as fees or whatever.
And the sad part is that if we so badly want material wealth the best place to get it from is God Almighty, who owns it all anyway, and gives it generously to those who LOVE and obey Him. The devil can never give you foolproof wealth, because he owns nothing. He’s just the biggest scam and fraud artist around. But we so desire the easy way out, that instead of obeying God’s word and will, which might take some sacrifice, we fall for the enemies lies and deceptions.
Oh friends, please realize that like us, Satan is one of God’s creations, who in foolish pride and arrogance tried to overthrow God and got kicked out of heaven to walk the earth in grief and shame, and be eventually destroyed in the lake of fire So why do we insist on following him eh when he has absolutely nothing of value to offer, only fake baubles and bangles, that look nice but are just cheap imitations of the real McCoy that God has to offer?
And I can’t think of a better scripture to close with today, than this monumental one. ‘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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now therein lies the truth of it all my people, and it’s up to us to believe it or not. But please remember that there are consequences, either good or bad to each side of the equation. Much LOVE!
…you follow the enemies lies and deceptions…to your own travail…for Jesus is the way…the ONLY true way…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: at the name of Jesus, be ye also ready, became obedient unto death, being in the form of God, compassion, empathy, endure to the end, eternity in hell with Satan, even the death of the cross, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, for in such an hour as ye think not, found in fashion as a man, given him a name above every other name, glad to be alive, God hath highly exalted him, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, halfway home, hands on the plough, humbled himself, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus is the answer, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, our eternal benefit, pay a hefty price, suffer in hellfire for all eternity, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the incarnate birth of Christ, the Son of man cometh, the world through him might be saved, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, ye know not what hour your Lord doth come
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Three down, three to go, then the Big Day friends; a celebration of the incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! The only thing to compare to it is His resurrection! So how can we not LOVE and worship Christ eh? He was born, died and rose again ALL for us, for our eternal benefit! If it wasn’t for out abominable sins and disobedience, there would have been no need for Him to be born, much less to die!
But then again, the Father’s LOVE for us was so great that He could not see His greatest creation suffer in hellfire for all eternity with the ole foolish crook Satan and not do something to help us. And since the Father is righteous and just, He couldn’t just wave away our sins, it needed a sinless soul to redeem us. And since Jesus was the only sinless soul besides Him, the burden of our redemption fell on Jesus. And since Jesus was also the obedient Son that none of us could, or would ever be, He did what the Father asked, despite the great ‘sufferation’ that it held in store for Him.
And this scripture from Bruh Paul’s writing to the church at Philippi, should resonate ever so loudly in our ears this Christmas season. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made (came) in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8)
Oh my supposed fellow believers, where is our gratitude, our compassion, our empathy, our supposed LOVE of God eh? Doesn’t it seem shameful and disgraceful to you that Christ did so much for us and we can’t even remember that He’s the reason for this Christmas season. We concentrate on giving and receiving presents, on eating and drinking, and we talk a lot of foolishness about ‘Happy holidays!’ But where did the happiness and the holidays come from eh? From the birth of Christ!
So please, let’s not forget the word Christmas and the reason for this worldwide celebration; the li’l baby boy that was born in the manger on that cold winter’s night that was oh so deep. The same li’l boy that grew up to become the Saviour of the world. As He took such great pains to tell us: ‘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)
Yes friends, that was Jesus’ sole purpose for coming to earth; to save our sinful souls. And He deserves much more thanks, gratitude and praise from the very ones that He came to save than he’s currently getting! It’s a crying shame my brethren, that we don’t appreciate Jesus more than we do! For all He‘s done, we should be constantly bowing down to Him and offering our grateful thanks and praise.
But yuh know what? That will eventually happen, because the Father is not ungrateful like us, and consequently gave Jesus the highest honour possible. Listen as Bruh Paul explains it to the Philippians: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of the things in heaven, and the things in earth, and the things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11)
Yuh see the great difference between the Father and us? He exalted Christ for His obedience, made His name revered for the most excellent work He had done. But no, we the frail, feeble, foolish, created minions, think it too much to glorify His name, although it was all for our benefit. And for that rejection of Christ Jesus, we will pay a most hefty price; eternity in hell, with that other foolish creation, Satan.
But thankfully, it’s not too late my people. Once we are alive, are still drawing the breath that Almighty God breathed into us, we still have a chance to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour and thus forego the eternal date with Beelzebub in the hot and humid chambers of Hades. But let’s put it all in proper context: If you die without receiving Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, or He returns to earth as He faithfully promised before you receive Him, then all bets are off.
That’s why the wise and sensible thing to do is not wait, but receive Him, as your most worthwhile benefactor RIGHT NOW! For no one knows when the Grim Reaper is going to come a calling, or when Jesus is going to show up. Jesus even warned us that He might come like a thief in the night, so we must always be prepared and ready. ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come…Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24: 42, 44)
Yes friends, we cannot say that we have not been warned. Now, for those of us who have received Christ as Lord and Saviour, and are doing our best to live for Him, let’s go home declaring (yayyy!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful and most enviable 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 for a li’l encouragement, let’s remember that if endure to the end with Christ, that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Wow! Won’t that be a great time! Yes! The greatest time ever! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the answer…the answer to every doubt and question…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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