05 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a foundation of trust and reliability for believers, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a roof over our heads, a solid foundation for faith, a source of comfort and assurance, according to his riches in glory, all I have needed thy hand hath provided, all sinned and disobeyed your word, all these things shall be added unto you, better examples to the unbeliever, christianity, Christians, Christians are not putting their best foot forward, Christopher Rice, clothes on our body, comes down from the Father of lights, divine aid, ease the pain, establish His covenant, every good and every perfect gift is from above, faith, food on our table, For I am the Lord I change not, God doesn't change, God is immutable, God is steady and stable like a rock, God is the original source of everything, God's consistent character, God's constant presence in our lives, God's essence love and covenant, God's sovereignty over the universe, God's steadfastness, God's unchanging nature, God's unchanging reliability, God's unwavering commitment to his promises, great is thy faithfulness, hath gotten me this wealth, hear and answer our prayers, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, humble ourselves, indisputable truth, it is God who gives you the power to get wealth, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, morning by morning new mercies I see, my God shall supply all your needs, my power and the might of mine hand, neither shadow of turning, not subject to change or fluctuation, placed the Lord first in our lives, praise the Lord for his wonderful benefits, pray, returned to the dust from whence we came, salvation, seek ye the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, the BIBLE, the Father would meet our needs, the God who heals, the Immutability of God, the Lord's faithfulness, the Lord's mercies, the many suffering from negative situations, the mass confusion in our world, the power to solve our problems, the throne of grace, they are new every morning, thou say in thine heart, thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, through Christ Jesus, to alleviate our problems, to those who believe in Jesus Christ, trials and tribulations, truth, turn from our evil ways, we have a job, wisdom, wise guidance, with whom is no variableness, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed
Lamentations 3:23b. … great is thy faithfulness.
Monday, oh Monday! How glad we are to see you again, because it means we have a job to go, and can thus keep a roof over our heads, food on our table and clothes on our body. Praise the Lord for His wonderful benefits to those who believe in His Son, Jesus Christ!’ Jesus promised that the Father would meet our needs if we placed Him first in our lives. He said it thus: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Yes friends, our God knows that we need, food, clothing and shelter and has faithfully promised that we won’t lack for anything if He is Number One in our lives. And Bruh Paul also corroborated that statement when he wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) Now that’s another powerful verse highlighting the Lord’s faithfulness.
So what’s this about the Lord’s faithfulness eh? Jeremiah ever so wisely reminds us in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3: 22-23) And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers, for if our God wasn’t merciful and faithful, then we’d been long ago returned to the dust from whence we came.
That brings us to these marvellous words from the hymn ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness,’ by author Christopher Rice. The second verse sincerely proclaims: ‘Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness Morning by morning new mercies I see All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.’ More indisputable truth my brethren!
And what, you ask, does the Bible mean when it says great is thy faithfulness? This commentary explains. ‘The phrase “Great is Thy faithfulness” comes from the Bible, specifically Lamentations 3:23. It is a declaration of God’s unchanging reliability and constant presence in our lives. The term “faithfulness” here refers to God’s steadfastness, His unwavering commitment to His promises, and His consistent character.’
What a steadfast and reliable God we serve my people! That’s why James, the brother of Jesus, could also confidently proclaim: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) That means that God doesn’t change, He is immutable (unchangeable). He’s steady and stable like a rock. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to the Lord Himself as He makes that fact known through the prophet Malachi. ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6)
Now what does that statement mean? It signifies that God’s character, promises, and nature remain consistent and unchanging, providing a foundation of trust and reliability for believers. And this commentary breaks it down further for us. As per ‘God’s Unchanging Nature: The verse emphasizes that God’s essence, LOVE, and covenant are not subject to change or fluctuation.’ Then, as per ‘Comfort and Assurance: This immutability of God is a source of comfort and assurance for believers, knowing that His character and promises are steadfast.
And as a ‘Foundation of Faith: God’s unchanging nature provides a solid foundation for faith, allowing people to trust in His character and promises throughout their lives. And in it’s ‘Application to the Descendants of Jacob: The verse specifically mentions the descendants of Jacob, signifying that even though they may have experienced trials and tribulations, their preservation is due to God’s unchanging nature.’
Yes friends, without a doubt, we’re still around because of God’s LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, grace and faithfulness. And if we will only stop taking those things for granted, but pay serious attention to them, bind them sincerely to our hearts and put them into practice, our lives would be a great deal more enjoyable than they currently are. And it all boils down to one thing my fellow believers, understanding God’s continued sovereignty over the universe He created, and that He is the One, who, in the long run causes us to get whatever we have, regardless of how we get it, for He is the original source of everything in the universe.
As Moses, said to the Israelites, in warning them not to forget God when they became prosperous in their new land. ‘And thou say in thine heart, my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:17-18) Oh my people, let’s remember that all we have, comes from Almighty God, our Creator and Controller!
Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle hymn, seeking divine aid in these very troubled and difficult times. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And what we learn from our prayer, is that until we believers start being better examples to the unbeliever, divine aid will not be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…the world is filled with so much evil…because Christians are not putting their best foot forward…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an awesome protector, be able to endure it, be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, be with him in time of trouble, because he hath known my name, both hope and wait quietly, christianity, Christians, deliver him, destroy every attempt of the evil one, disobedience, evil is no match for God, evildoings, faithful is that called you, for he who promised is faithful, for the salvation of the Lord, God abideth faithful, God cannot deny Himself, God is faithful, God is sovereign, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, God's promises are always faithfully kept, God's word may run free, grateful for God's protection, great is thy faithfulness, guide me away from danger, he hat set his love upon me, he shall call upon me, he will not be delay with those who hate him, his compassions fail not, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, honour him, hurry, I praise and thank you God, I will answer him, I will deliver him, if we bead with him, if we deny him he will deny us, if we suffer with him, in god's eyes, in him will I trust, In Touch Organization, it is a faithful saying, it is good that a man, it ism of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, keep me safe in your care, keep you safe from evil, keep you safe from the evil one, keeps covenant and mercy with those who love him, LOVE, make a way to escape, mercy, no evil shall befall thee, no plague shall come nigh thy dwelling, no temptation has overtaken you, over all heaven and earth, playing an untimely joke, reign with him, repays to their face them that hate him, rest confidently in the shelter of your hand, roaring back with vengeance, salvation, set him on high, share His love with my neighbours, show him my salvation, such as is common to man, temptation, thanks for your promise, that the word of the Lord may have free course, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the faithful God, the God of All Creation, the Lord is faithful, the Lord is my refuge and fortress, the Lord thy God He is God, the word of the Lord, they are new every morning, though evil may threaten, to a thousand generations, to bring me to harm, to watch over those who love you, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we shall also live with him, who shall establish you, wisdom, with long life will I satisfy him, worry
2 Thessalonians 3:3. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you safe from evil (the evil one).
And isn’t it wonderful to have another sun-filled, not too cold winter’s day? (smile) But of course! Now, let’s hope that spring is truly in the offing and winter isn’t playing an untimely joke on us, only to come roaring back with a vengeance in the next little while. However it turns out though, we believers will do well in handling the situation because we have an awesome protector…the Best there is…that’s the God of All Creation! And if we stick sincerely with Him, then all will be well with us.
And on that note, I want to share this prayer on Protection from the recent Prayer Cards issued by the In Touch Organization. So please pray with me: ‘God, how grateful I am for Your protection. The evil in this world may threaten, but it’s no match for You. Truly You are sovereign over all heaven and earth. Thank You for Your promise to watch over those who LOVE You. Please keep me safe in Your care. Guide me away from danger and temptation. Destroy every attempt of the evil one to bring me harm. I praise and thank You, God, that I can rest confidently in the shelter of your hand. Amen!’
And indeed, we can rest confidently under the shelter of God’s omnipotent hand my fellow believers! Why? Because He’s made numerous promises in His Word to that effect, and we know that His promises are always faithful and totally kept. And if you don’t believe me, then let’s check His Word and review some of those faithful promises of protection. And our first scripture passage will be one the prayer writers referenced, to which I’ll add the two verses before it so we can get the full context of Bruh Paul’s message on the Faithfulness of our God.
‘Finally brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course (run free), and be glorified, even as it is with you: and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you safe from evil (the evil one).’ (2 Thess. 3:1-3) And the scholars tell us that there Bruh Paul is contrasting the unfaithfulness of men to the faithfulness of God, which is a favourite topic of his. And they reference a couple of scriptures on the subject (1 Cor. 10:13, 1 Thess. 5:24, 2 Tim. 2:13)
So let’s look at them nuh. This first one we all know and quote all the time. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Meanwhile, the second one, with an added verse from Bruh Paul’s final exhortations to the Thessalonians is this: ‘And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it.’ (1Thess. 5:23-24)
And the last reference with a couple of added verses for enlightenment says: ‘It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer (endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim. 2:11-13) And that’s the gospel truth my people; our God cannot deny what He is. He cannot turn off His LOVE, faithfulness, compassion, holiness, or none of His other major attributes! That’s why He’s such a great, faithful and unchangeable God!
Now, we still have space for a couple of other faithful scripture references, like this one that we all know: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’ (Heb. 10:23) Then there are these words from Moses to the children of Israel, as he lets them know that God had chosen them as his people. ‘Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that LOVE him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations. And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that (delay with him who) hateth him, he will repay him to his face.’ (Deut. 7:9-10)
Yes friends, our God is faithful on either side of the coin, (smile) so it’s wise to stay on His good side. And what about these words from that great Psalm 91, which features God as our refuge and hiding place. ‘I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust… Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge, even the most High thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh (near) thy dwelling….
Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. he shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life (length of days) will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:2, 9-10, 14-16) That’s how it goes when you know the Lord and consistently make Him your go to person my fellow believers.
And we’ll end our scriptures on God’s faithfulness with these awesome and truthful words from Jeremiah in his Lamentations. ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness…It is good that a man should both hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:22-23, 26) Truer words were never spoken my brethren! It’s only because of God’s great compassion and faithfulness that we haven’t been long ago wiped off the map for our total disobedience and abominable evildoings. Instead, we ought to be praising Him and giving much thanks for His faithfulness to us woeful ingrates.
Now, 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 said that, we’re now 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!
…because of God’s true, holy and unchangeable nature…He cannot be anything other than faithful to His promises and His people…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable sins, abundance, as far as the east is from the west, be careful for nothing, be not drunk with wine, bless the LOrd o my soul, but in every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, courage, creativity, crowns thee with loving-kindness, curse, dissipation, enter his gates with thanksgiving, established it upon the floods, every good gift, every perfect gift is from above, excess, faith, favour, firstfruits of his creatures, forget not all his benefits, forgives thine iniquities, give thanks unto the Lord, giving thanks always for all things, great is thy faithfulness, he founded it upon the seas, he is good, heals all thy diseases, his compassions fail not, his mercy endures for ever, his truth endures to all generations, in every thing, in everything give thanks, in the fear of God, into his courts with praise, It is of the Lord's mercies, Jesus Christ, joy, let your moderation be known unto all men, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, making melody in your heart to the Lord, mercy, negative word, neither shadow of turning, of his own will, pray without ceasing, prosper, pumpkin pie, redeems thy life from destruction, rejoice evermore, Rejoice in the Lord always, renews thy youth like the eagle, sacrifice, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, serve the Lord with gladness, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, success, supernatural wisdom, talent, tender mercies, thankful for all our blessings, thanksgiving, the abundant life, the cross of Calvary, the earth is the Lord's, the Father of lights, the fulness thereof, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the word of truth, they are new every morning, this is the will of God in Christ, tribulation, truth, Turkey, we are not consumed, wisdom
Happy Thanksgiving U.S. of A!
Yes, it’s officially Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. and one can imagine how busy it is down there, with all the turkey and pumpkin pie celebrations. And they do have a lot to be thankful for; the question is to whom are they thankful for their many blessings? But that’s a story for another time and place. (smile) And on this Thanksgiving Thursday, I believe it’s only right and most appropriate to check out some scriptures on thanksgiving.
So, let’s begin with this most relevant and interesting one from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians, where he advises them, and consequently us to ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Ah friends, that’s indeed true! For our God desires us to enjoy the abundant life he’s provided for us through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, but at the same time He desires to hear some prayerful and thankful sentiments from us, His people.
It’s only natural. We give much thanks to humans who give us non-essential earthly stuff, so why not give even greater thanks for ‘Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. Of His own will he begat us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:17-18)
Oh my people, the Lord created us to be the best and most important of his many creations and blesses us with more than we can ever ask or imagine, therefore it behooves us to give Him thanks, not only on this special day, but each and every day! Today we just pile it up a li’l higher and be more sincere! (smile)
And then, both 1 Chronicles 16:34, and Psalm 107 1, rightly advocates: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-KINDESS) endureth for ever.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! From the very beginning our great God has been nothing but good to us! And even when we’ve fallen into temptation and sin, His unconditional and abiding LOVE shone forth as He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary so that our abominable sins could be forgiven, and cast away as far as the east is from the west. (Ps; 103:12)
How then, can we not in all good conscience give Him much thanks and LOVE, for as Bruh David reminds us earlier on in Psalm 103: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5) Now if that isn’t more than sufficient to give thanks for, then I don’t know what is!
And what about this admonishment from Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus? ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear (reverence) of God.’ (Eph. 5:18-21)
What wonderful, godly advice! Unfortunately though, I know that many will be drunk with wine to excess today, despite that good advice. However, let’s hope that that dissipation will not incur too many negative consequences, as it is generally wont to do. (smile)
Then there’s this exhortation from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Eph. 4:4-7)
And I’m chuckling here, because it seems like Bruh Paul wrote some kind of admonishment to each of the churches to keep praying, rejoicing and offering thanks to God come what may! And that’s exactly how it ought to be, given the fact that ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23)
Oh my fellow believers, there are so many things to be thankful to God for, especially His breath of life which He unselfishly shared with us when He created us and breathed it into our lifeless bodies made of dirt. That’s why it’s very surprising and hard to believe that so many of us can be so unthankful and disparaging of God to whom EVERYTHING belongs, and who gave and gives us EVERYTHING we possess. Listen up to these last wo scriptures which attest to those facts. From Psalm 24, Bruh David writes: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
Then Psalm 100 tells us to ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
And if you don’t believe that friends, then I don’t know what else to say. However, let’s declare and thus activate our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us do His earthly work and see if it makes a difference. (smile) As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And if you believe, then it behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…be it in joy…or tribulation…it is essential to give thanks to Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a peace that endures, a period of grief, because of the Lord's great love, bright hope for tomorrow, celebrate the Lord's Day, every good and perfect gift is from above, faith, fear not, fellowship, firstfruits of his creatures, God never changes, God works in simple ways, great is thy faithfulness, great is your faithfulness, harvest, he will not fail thee, his compassions never fail, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, LOVE, manifold witness, morning by morning, neither be dismayed, neither forsake thee, new mercies I see, no shadow of turning, no variableness, no variation, nothing we do escapes God's presence, pardon for sin, salvation, springtime, stable as a rock, strength for today, strife-filled times, summer and winter, the consequences of faithlessness, the Father of lights, the gospel truth, the Lord doth go before thee, the rock of ages, they are new every morning, thine own dear presence, Thomas O Chisholm, thou changest not, thy compassions fail not, to cheer, to guide, truth, tumultuous circumstances, voices of thanksgiving, we are not consumed, wherever two or three are gathered in my name, William Runyan, wisdom, worship
Lamentations 3:22-23. Because of the LORD’s great LOVE we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
And once more, in the many times in our lives, we are called on to celebrate the Lord’s Day, preferably in His sanctuary, but wherever two or three believers are gathered, He’s promised to be there and listen to our prayers, our voices of thanksgiving and worship. So the important thing is not so much the place we are gathered, but that we are gathered in a place. (Matt. 18:20) (smile)
And today’s song of worship is a most appropriate one in these dreadful and disastrous times. It was written by Franklin, Kentucky born, Thomas O. Chisholm. (1866-1960) He apparently wrote the poem in 1923 about God’s faithfulness over his lifetime then sent the song to William Runyan in Kansas. Runyan set the poem to music, and it was published that same year by Hope Publishing Company and became popular among church groups.
And it is still very popular to this very day because it reassures us of God’s goodness and faithfulness. So, let’s send up sweet sacrifices of praise to heaven as we sing a mid-tempo, soulful version of the marvellous hymn, ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness!’
Singing: ‘Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be. (Refrain: Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!)
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and LOVE. [Refrain] Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
(Refrain: Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! Oh yes, Lord, great is thy faithfulness unto me! Each and every day I experience it… And I give you much thanks and praise for it… For great is thy faithfulness Lord, yes, great is thy faithfulness…unto me…’
And isn’t that gospel truth my fellow believers? It most certainly is! Every single day we enjoy God’s faithfulness and new mercies because that’s the kind of God He is. And we see the author quoting James in the very first verse. ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:17-18)
Yes friends, God is the Creator of the universe and all therein, setting everything as stable as they can possibly be…until mankind interferes with them. However, He himself is as stable as the rock of ages. He’s immutable; does not change, which means we can rely on His awesome stability or faithfulness, in every circumstance.
And one of the good things about this song is as this commentary states: ‘Unlike many hymns that have heart-wrenching stories behind them (for instance “It Is Well With My Soul”), “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is inspired by the simple realization that God is at work in our lives on a daily basis. The hymn reminds us that God doesn’t only work in dramatic or miraculous ways, but also in simple, everyday ways. It also reminds us that Jesus has never failed us in the past, so we have no reason to doubt his faithfulness in the future.’
And that’s more gospel truth friends! The sad problem though is many of us don’t seek or even perceive God in the little things in our daily lives, we only think of Him being in the big things. But in reality, He is there in EVERYTHING! That’s how He operates, He takes pleasure in being involved in whatever we are doing, and that’s why His faithfulness is so awesome. For nothing we do escapes His presence, as He so faithfully promised through Moses, so long ago. ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8)
Now, if we’re indeed true believers, and really looking for assurance, that’s a scripture we ought to have buried deep in our hearts, minds and souls, for it is the quintessential promise of God – Never to leave nor forsake us. So whatever is happening with us, He’s there right in the middle of it, we just have to acknowledge Him and ask His help.
And in closing, I’d like to offer this other interesting commentary on the song and its writer. It says: ‘Thomas Chisholm, author of “Great is Thy Faithfulness” led a pretty ordinary life. He did not write this hymn during a period of intense grief or after encountering God in a profound way. Instead, he found truth in the words he encountered in Lamentations 3:22-23: “Because of the LORD’s great LOVE we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Jeremiah, on the other hand, was in tumultuous circumstances when writing Lamentations. The people to whom he prophesied did not listen, and he was ostracized and completely alone because of what God called him to do. He also lamented the consequences of their faithlessness. God allowed them to be conquered by the Babylonians, resulting in their entire world being laid to waste.
But in the midst of that utter devastation, Jeremiah still offers them hope on the horizon: they are not completely destroyed because of the LORD’s compassion and faithfulness, and in the morning, after this “dark night of the soul,” things will be better. So whether we are at a place in our lives where everything is pretty ordinary, or whether we are in a period of grief: no matter what our circumstances, God never changes and is faithful to us, sustaining us in his compassion and faithfulness each and every day.’
Oh my fellow saints, please, please, let’s remember that and put it to good use in these treacherous, strife-filled and hateful times, because it’s only for our benefit, not for God’s! Much LOVE!
…when one is offered the faithfulness of Almighty God…it’s foolish to turn it down…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heart glowing with praise, a positive outlook on life, be careful for nothing, Bible, christianity, compassionate heart, courage, creativity, devotional, faith, favour curse, great is our God and of great power, great is our Lord, great is thy faithfulness, he healeth the broken in heart, his compassions fail not, his understanding is limitless, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in every thing give thanks, in the morning, it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, it is good to sing praises unto God, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, it is pleasant, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, more love and joy, negative word, praise is comely, Praise ye the Lord, pray without ceasing, psalms, rejoice evermore, success, supernatural strength, the believer's best freind, they are new every morning, this is the will of God in Christ, Thursday Blessings, thy faithfulness every night, to shew forth thy lovingkindness, to sing praises unto thy name O Most High, to warm our cold hearts, upon an instrument of ten strings, upon the harp, with a solemn sound, worship
Psalm 92:1. ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
Oh friends, at long last, warm and sunny days seem to be here again! Thank the Lord! It’s about time we felt some of the sun’s awesome heat to warm our cold hearts, souls, bodies and minds after this long winter season. Granted, it wasn’t that cold, but still the chilly, damp weather is what really gets into the bones and causes all sorts of illnesses and emotional downturns. But with summer seemingly on the way, there is a li’l more LOVE and joy in the society, although not as much as we so badly need.
And today we’ll take a look at a couple of scriptures about giving thanks to our great God, for all that He’s done on our behalf. And the first scriptures come from Psalm 92, aptly titled ‘Give Thanks to the Lord.’ So please read with me: ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth (declare) (steups!!!) thy LOVING-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lyre or lute); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonious or melodic) sound. For thou Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps. 92:1-4)
Oh my fellow saints, it’s so obvious that the Lord deserves our thanks, both morning and evening, and even during the daytime because of His unfailing goodness and mercy to us each and every day! And if, as the psalmist says he has made us glad through His work, then there’s even more reason to give Him praise and thanks!
And Psalm 147, titled ‘Sing Praise to the Lord,’ gives the same message. ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah): for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely (beautiful). (It surely is!) The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds (sorrows). He telleth (counts) the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite (limitless).’ (Ps. 147:1-5)
More indisputable truth my brethren! Our God is both great and good, therefore He necessitates praise from His people! Unfortunately though, His people don’t thank him as much as they ought to. Some of us only give thanks on Sundays when we go to church, others don’t even remember to give thanks at all. But please remember as Jeremiah says: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23)
Oh friends, our wonderful God deserves amazing praise and thanks for the simple reason that we are still alive today, through His great mercies and faithfulness. You know how many people didn’t wake up this Thursday morning? Many! Why? I don’t know. But I’m sure some of them did not waken today because they were not in the habit of giving the Lord the thanks and praise He so richly deserves. It’s mind boggling that we can call on the Lord for all the stuff we want, but when we get it, we forget to give Him thanks and praise.
My people, we should be thanking our God all through the day: for every good and positive move we make; for every scrape or negative situation that He gets us out of. Praise should be a continual thing in the hearts and lives of the true believer. Why do you think Bruh Paul highly advised us through his letter to the Philippians to ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) And to the Thessalonians, he said: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5: 16-18)
Yes my fellow believers, giving thanks and praise to Almighty God is essential in our daily lives, it’s His will for us. One of the reasons He created us is that we could praise and worship Him, and reciprocate his wonderful LOVE like all the other heavenly hosts. He didn’t just make us to beg and badger Him for lustful, ungodly stuff, as some of us seem to think from our ungrateful and rebellious attitudes. Heartfelt thanks is essential for the believer if he or she expects to receive all that God has in store for them. And I don’t know how else to say it but like that.
Anyway, enough preaching for today. And the Bit is already late because I had to go down to the hospital for some tests this morning, so let’s keep it short and sweet. (smile) And since it’s Thursday, it means declaring (chuh man!!!) our Thursday Blessings very generously given to us by the Lord to do His earthly work. So as one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!) it’s now our duty to go out and generously use those blessings, so that others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…a heart glowing with praise and thanksgiving…is the believers best friend…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
15 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, agitate a complaining spirit, Bible, blameless and harmless, bless your Holy Name, climate change, compassion, complaining, crying our for help, do all things without murmurings and disputings, do not allow discontentment to fester, faith, Friday chant, give you thanks, god, grace, great is thy faithfulness, handle the unexpected storms, his compassions fail not, I may prove them, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lack of meat, LOVE, mercy, omnipotent help, problems escalating, rain bread from heaven, rain from the skies, restoring faith in you, return backsliders to your fold, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example we faithful believers set, the right attitude, the simmering unrest, the sin of complaining, the sons of God, they are new every morning, wake up and smell the coffee, walk in my law, wisdom, wise guidance, without me ye can do nothing, without rebuke, ye shine as lights in the world
Philippians 2:14. Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings:
Well, we were disappointed in the sun yesterday because it never won the battle with the dark clouds, and instead of blinding sunshine, those dark clouds poured down rain from late afternoon to late night. Now, today, when everyone’s shouting ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ it appears to be another cloudy day, with li’l hope of the sun’s appearance. But as the ole people would say, ‘be thankful for small mercies,’ since it could have been snow and not rain pouring down from the heavenly skies. In fact, without the startling effects of climate change, at this time of the year, it ought to be snow and not rain.
And we’re not really complaining nuh, (smile) we’re saying, ‘Thank You Lord for life and LOVE this Friday morning, be it cloudy, sunshiny, rainy or snowy! As always, we give You Thanks and bless your holy name! Amen’ Now, that’s the proper attitude to display, regardless of our circumstances, although it’s much easier said than done, and we do need the Lord’s help to do it. As Jesus so rightly said, ‘For without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) At least nothing worthwhile or substantial. And as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5)
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! It surely is, for without the mercy and grace of God we cannot do anything, and without His awesome breath of life, we won’t even be alive! That just goes to show how much we owe to our wonderful God Jehovah! As Jeremiah so wisely said in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) Yes friends, every day we get a new batch of grace, mercy and compassion! It’s like how Jesus taught us to pray: ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ (Matt. 6:11)
And that’s how the Lord dishes out His largesse, just enough for every day. It’s like when the Israelites were complaining about food in the wilderness and the Lord, angered by their complaining, said unto Moses: ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day (only eneough for one day), that I may prove (test) them, whether they will walk in my law. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.’ (Ex. 16:4-5)
In other words, every day, they would collect just enough for that day, except on the day before the sabbath, when they would collect twice as much, so they wouldn’t have to go and gather any on the sabbath. And for forty long years the Lord provided the Israelites with manna which they abhorred. But although it might not have tasted or looked as good as the food they had back in their bondage in Egypt, that manna kept them going strong and healthy in the wilderness, because it was food from Almighty God. And sadly, it’s the same way so many of us complain today about what we don’t have, forgetting all that we do have.
We could have ninety nine good things, but we’d rather complain about the hundredth thing that we’re lacking, instead of enjoying the ninety and nine that we already have. But I guess that’s the nature of the beast, especially in these selfish and greedy times, where it’s all about ‘Me, Myself, and I.’ And one of Israel’s greatest sins was complaining. Remember what we spoke of yesterday when they complained about the lack of meat, being tired of the tasteless manna. The Lord rained down so much quail flesh on them, that they got sick of it, then He smote them with a great plague. (Num. 11:18-33)
Oh friends, the Lord knows that sometimes things are difficult, and what we’d like, we don’t have, or are not getting, but He expects us to always have a good attitude and not complain as though life were so tough and He wasn’t looking after us. And it’s not that He doesn’t want us to come to Him with our problems, real or perceived, but it’s how we come to Him; not in anger and defiance, casting blame, where it doesn’t belong. Technically speaking, it’s not wrong to complain, but it’s how we do it, and if there’s really something to complain about.
Nowadays, most of what we complain about are either petty or nonsensical. As this commentary so wisely advises: ‘The sin of complaining is a sin that God deals with swiftly and severely. The example recorded for us in Numbers 11 reminds us of the awful, wicked sin of complaining in our own lives. Don’t minimize what God has provided for you, and do not allow discontentment to fester and agitate a complaining spirit.’
No my people. That is one of the worst things we can ever do. Instead, let’s remember this memorable advice from Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:14-15) Yes my fellow saints, if we heed that wise advice, we will never go wrong…at least where complaining is concerned. (smile)
Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant with confidence and humility, to ask for the divine help we so badly need to handle our earthly problems. 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 right there in our prayer, we have the beginning of the answer to it; ‘by the example, we, your faithful believers set.’
Yes friends, we need to set a good example for the unbelievers to see, if we expect God to help us. Much LOVE!
…be careful how you complain…and what you complain about…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
18 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A woman of Compassion, crying out for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, does not live in pieces, doing something to alleviate a need, embrace your love and compassion, Friday chant, God is full of compassion, God's overwhelming love for humanity, his compassions fail not, I'm here for you, introduce a new flock of believers, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus is the epitome of compassion, lives in peace, LOVE, of great mercy, omnipotent help, one purpose, One Year Book of Bible promises, priceless individuality, putting our hearts where our mouths are, return backsliders to your fold, seeks first the kingdom of God, slow to anger, the error of their ways, the Lord is gracious, The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, the reliability of the Word of God, they are new every morning, to know and do the will of God, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee
Psalm 145:8. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Well then, it’s Friday! So ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ Yes, it’s nice to see Friday come around, but it’s not such a wonderful day in my area, cool, cloudy and very windy. And after the rain, lightning and thunder we had last evening, a cool, cloudy and windy day doesn’t thrill the soul. (smile) But here’s a li’l something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that ought to thrill our souls. It’s aptly titled ‘A Woman of Compassion.’
So please read with me: ‘A woman of compassion seeks first, always first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness, knowing that all else will be given to her. She has one single purpose: to know and do the will of God. Often she narrows her interests in order to expand her heart for others. She says to her troubled friend, “I feel your pain in my heart. I don’t have a cure-all kit, but I will walk through the dark tunnel with you until the light breaks through again.”
She says to her reserved husband, “I understand that you don’t want to talk now, but I’m here for you if I can help.” She listens to the outbursts of her children in a way that makes them feel secure. She reminds them of their priceless individuality. She opens her home as well as her heart. she knows that a cup of hot tea and an hour of concerned listening means so much more than “We want to have you for dinner some day.” A woman of compassion rests her total self on the reliability of the Word of God. Consequently she does not live in pieces – she lives in peace.’
Mama Mia! What a wonderful way to live! Oh, how our world could use so many more people like that woman of compassion. And please note, that story doesn’t only apply to compassionate women, but also to compassionate men. And what do we mean when we talk of compassion? Simply putting our hearts where our mouths are. Instead of just talking sympathy, we do something to alleviate the need. It’s empathy plus. And who’s the most compassionate of us all?
Obviously our great God! For as Jeremiah puts it so aptly in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) Yes friends, it’s because of the Lord’s compassion, His empathy and overwhelming LOVE for us that we’re not totally destroyed for our sinful behaviour and disobedience towards Him! And Jesus showed that same overwhelming LOVE for humanity when He walked this earth.
And there are several examples of where His heart ached for humanity, so let’s look at a few of them, starting with this commentary. ‘God comforts his people with compassion. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, exemplified compassion during his ministry on earth. One of the most poignant examples of compassion in the Bible is when Jesus showed compassion at the grave of Lazarus. When Jesus saw Lazarus’ friends weeping, he wept alongside them (John 11:33-35). And that last verse is probably the shortest verse in the bible, and also one of the most poignant, for all it states is ‘Jesus wept.’
Then we have this instance where Jesus was going around the land, teaching, preaching and healing. The Good Library tell us though: ‘But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt. 9:36-38)
Now, if that isn’t sufficient evidence of Jesus’ compassion, then check out this time when he fed the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two small fishes. That’s after He heard of John the Baptist’s beheading by Herod. He went out by boat into a desert place by Himself, but the multitudes followed Him on foot out of the cities. The Bible tells us: ‘And Jesus went forth, and saw the great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.’ (Matt. 14:14)
And later on, when evening came and the disciples wanted to send the crowd away hungry, Jesus again had compassion on them and performed the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes that fed five thousand men beside women and children, and then they collected twelve baskets of fragments afterwards. (Matt. 14:15-21) And what about that time when Jesus went up into a mountain and sat down there and the multitudes came with their ‘lame, blind, dumb (mute), maimed (crippled), and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them. And when the multitude saw His great deeds, they glorified the God of Israel.
Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days , and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting (hungry), lest they faint in the way.’ (Matt. 15:29-32) And again the disciples questioned His ability to feed so any people on what little they had. This time they had seven loaves of bread and a few fishes. And after commanding the multitude to sit down, ‘He took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they all did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat (fragments) that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside woman and children.’ (Matt. 15-35-39)
Ah friends, when we talk of compassion, Jesus is the epitome of that characteristic! And yuh know something else; if we supposed believers would sincerely try to be like Him, as our discipleship demands, our world would be a whole lot better than it currently is. And please remember that it’s only because of the Lord’s great compassion that we’re still alive and kicking, because we certainly don’t deserve it in our own strength and behaviour. And if anybody truly knew of the Lord’s compassion after all his misdeeds, was Bruh David, as he so rightly states in Psalm 145. ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies (compassions) are over all his works.’ (Ps. 145:8-9)
And that last verse was the Bible verse associated with our ‘Compassionate Woman’ reading earlier on. So please, let’s spend sometime today thinking about our own level of compassion nuh, and sincerely try to improve it, so we can show some true discipleship. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant and ask for help come up higher. Altogether now. ‘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 having prayed, it’s time to make good on our promises Much LOVE!
…the hallmark of Christ and His family is…COMPASSION…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
08 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: archangel Lucifer, become so enamoured of ourselves, blessed are they that keep judgement (justice), EGO - Edging God Out, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, gave them their request, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, God is good...all the time, halfway home, hands on the plough, he saved them for his name's sake, he that doeth righteousness at all times, his mercy endureth for ever, I am the Lord that is my name, I may glory with thine inheritance, I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, I may see the good of thy chosen, I'm so glad to be alive, LOVE, lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, man is made in the image of God, my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images, not turning back, power hungry, Satan, sent leanness into their soul., tempted God in the desert, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the mercies and compassions of God, the world and they that dwell therein, they are new every morning, they soon forgat his works, to a glorious future with Jesus, too busy to notice what God's doing, visit me with thy salvation, waited not for his counsel, Wednesday Wail, where their bread was buttered, who can show forth all his praise, who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord
Psalm 106:3. Blessed are they that keep judgement (justice), and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
Oh boy, it’s another brand new sunshiny day, filled with all the many mercies and compassion of our great God. And isn’t it wonderful to know that every day, regardless of the weather or our circumstances, has them brand new, newly made. Yes friends, no left-over mercies or compassions for our God! He cares for His children too much to allow them to have leftovers. (smile) That means on this middle of the week Wednesday, we can truly rise up and declare (yesss!!!): ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
Why? Because our God is good, and He’s good to us all of the time. The psalmist said it so perfectly in Psalm 107. ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 107:1) Wow! What a statement! But what does it mean eh? One commentary explains it thus: ‘This means that as long as He exists, He will be good. No factor controls His goodness, God is good all the time. In fact, ‘good’ began with God. We associate the word “good” with people but forget that God made people in His own image.’
Wow! I just had to say it again, (smile) because it is a wow moment to realize that we’re made in the beautiful image of Almighty God! And are we ever privileged to declare (yesss!!!) that we are the only one of His many creations that have that marvellous, miraculous and momentous honour! And Psalm 106, after opening with the same basic statement as Psalm 107, continues: ‘Who can utter (express) the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise? Blessed are they that keep judgement (justice), and he that doeth righteousness at all times.’ (Ps. 106:2-3)
Yes my faithful brethren, that’s what is expected of us in return for God’s continued goodness. That led the psalmist to plead: ‘Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation; That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance (the people of thine inheritance).’ (Ps. 106:4-5)
Now that’s a prayer, a sentiment that we should all be sincerely floating up to heaven, because like the psalmist says: ‘We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.’ (Ps. 106:6) And indeed we have. For as the psalm continues: ‘Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of they mercies (LOVING -kindness); but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea. Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known…Then believed they his words; they sang his praises.’ (Ps. 106: 7-8, 12)
Ah friends, like the people of Israel, we have forgotten the Lord’s kindness. Though He parted the Red Sea for them to escape the Egyptian army, and did so many other wonders on their behalf in the wilderness, they still rebelled and followed their own lustful and sinful ways. Oh, they sang the Lord’s praise after He parted the Red Sea for them to cross over, then drowned the Egyptian army. But ‘They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.’ (Ps. 106:13-15)
Yes, the Lord gave the Israelites what they desired, but they suffered mightily for their rebellion, with all kinds of natural disasters,; fires, earthquakes, physical sickness, snakebites, etc. etc. And likewise, are we currently suffering for our rebellion, after the Lord gave His Only Son, Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Redeemer, showed His redemptive powers and heart, but we continue in our evil deeds and ungodliness. No wonder we’re experincing so many unaccustomed natural disasters; snow in places that haven’t seen it in generations, volcanoes erupting that haven’t done so for ages, worldwide famine, drought, strife, greed, envy, poverty, economic frustration and pandemics like the world has never seen all at one time together!
Please don’t tell me that the hand of God is not somewhere in all of that natural as well as manmade disaster. And even if He’s not causing it, He’s certainly not preventing it. That ought to tell us something. But, like the Israelites of old, we’re so taken up with our own petty, prideful selves, that we’re too busy to notice what God’s doing. We’ve become so enamoured of ourselves and the amazing society we’ve developed that we’ve forgotten where it all comes from, and who gave us the ability to do it; Almighty God.
Our egos are now so big, that we believe we don’t even need God any longer in our lives, so we’re trying to remove Him from our society. And by the way, that word EGO, is an acronym for ‘Edging God Out.’ But that’s a dream that will NEVER come to pass. For though the Lord might allow us to fool ourselves into thinking we’re removing Him, the earth and all therein is His creation and He WILLNEVER give up His possession. God said it quite clearly a long time ago through the prophet Isaiah. ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8)
Just ask the foolish, power-hungry once upon a-time archangel Lucifer, now renamed Satan about that. And the Israelites also found that out the hard way, like we are currently doing. But unlike them, we don’t have the wisdom or humility to turn back to God when we find our lives falling apart and there’s nothing we can do, or will do to stop it. Down deep, the Israelites knew where their bread was buttered, and after every rebellious period, when their lives were becoming extremely difficult, they repented and returned to the God of their Fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
And being the ever-LOVING, forgiving, gracious and merciful God He is, He took them back and restored their worthless lives. But no, our generation is so pompous and foolish, despite all our own insufficent efforts to right our societal woes, we refuse to even consider a return to godly ways as a means of solving our many problems. End of sermon!
Now, for those of us who are trying to live right, to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole word know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, so that hopefully some of them will joyfully come to know Him. Altogether now: ‘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 those of us wise enough to endure to the very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So please, let’s use that to encourage us to endure to the end nuh. Much LOVE!
…the earth is the Lord’s…and the fulness thereof…the world…and they that dwell therein… (Ps. 24:1)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
23 Oct 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all I have needed thy hand hath provided, dark night of the soul, For I am the Lord I change not, forgave their iniquity, God being full of compassion, God is at work in our lives daily, great is thy faithfulness, his compassions fail not, It is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, LOVE, manifold witness, morning by morning new mercies I see, Praise the Lord!, the children of men put their trust, the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant God, they are new every morning, Thomas O Chisholm, tumultuous circumstances, under the shadow of thy wings, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed
Lamentations 3:22-23. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Here it is again my people, Sunday, The day of the Lord! The Sabbath Day, that we should keep holy and gather in sweet fellowship to praise and give thanks to Almighty God our Creator and Provider for all that He’s done, is doing, and has promised to do for us. And all God’s children gave a mighty and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord!’
Now, today’s song is a very popular one amongst the brethren, and is aptly titled ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness.’ And would you believe we’ve never sung it in our Sunday worship. I was most amazed when I decided to sing it today and went looking for it amongst the archives. But it was nowhere to be found, so I had to research it from scratch. The song was written by Thomas O. Chisholm born in Franklin, Kentucky – (1866-1960). He wrote the poem in 1923 about God’s faithfulness over his lifetime and sent it to William Runyan in Kansas, who set it to music. It was published the same year by the Hope Publishing Company with which Runyan was affiliated and soon became popular among church groups.
So let’s put our hearts and voices together and sing a rousing, mid-tempo, soulful, but oh so scintillating version of this amazing song, so that heaven will have no doubt that we are indeed grateful for God’s awesome faithfulness. Singing: ‘Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be. (Refrain: Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!)
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and LOVE. [Refrain] Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! [Refrain] Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!)’
That was wonderful my brethren! Now there’s no doubt in heaven about our sincerity. So let’s look at some background info on the song. It seems that Chisholm’s life was ordinary. He grew up on a farm, was converted to Christianity at age 26, then became a minister in 1903, and according to one article ‘His aim in writing was to incorporate as much Scripture as possible and to avoid flippant or sentimental themes.’ And He’s certainly done that in this one.
Then, in 1994, Greg Scheer wrote these words about the song and it’s author. ‘Unlike many hymns that have heart-wrenching stories behind them (for instance “It Is Well With My Soul”), “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is inspired by the simple realization that God is at work in our lives on a daily basis. He (Chisholm) wrote, “My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me on until now. Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.” The hymn reminds us that God doesn’t only work in dramatic or miraculous ways, but also in simple, everyday ways. It also reminds us that Jesus has never failed us in the past, so we have no reason to doubt his faithfulness in the future.’
And isn’t all of that the God-awesome truth my fellow saints! It certainly is! For we serve a marvellous God filled with compassion and faithfulness. And apparently it’s these heart opening words of truth found in Jeremiah’s Lamentations that the song is based on. ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) And believe me, that’s the gospel truth, for if our God wasn’t merciful and compassionate, we’d have been destroyed long ago.
And I like how this second commentator compares Chisholm’s experiences to that of Jeremiah. He says: ‘Jeremiah, on the other hand, was in tumultuous circumstances when writing Lamentations. The people to whom he prophesied did not listen, and he was ostracized and completely alone because of what God called him to do. He also lamented the consequences of their faithlessness. God allowed them to be conquered by the Babylonians, resulting in their entire world being laid to waste.
But in the midst of that utter devastation, Jeremiah still offers them hope on the horizon: they are not completely destroyed because of the LORD’s compassion and faithfulness, and in the morning, after this “dark night of the soul,” things will be better. So whether we are at a place in our lives where everything is pretty ordinary, or whether we are in a period of grief: no matter what our circumstances, God never changes and is faithful to us, sustaining us in his compassion and faithfulness each and every day.’
More gospel truth friends, for which we should be eternally grateful. Now let’s look at a few scriptures that corroborate and solidify what we’ve been saying. And I like this first one from the prophet Malachi, when talking to his people about the payment of tithes. ‘For I am the Lord I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein, (in what way) shall we return?’ (Mal. 3:6-7)
And yuh know what friends? It’s the very same thing the Lord is saying unto us today. We have turned away in great droves from Him, being sinful and disobedient, but He’s still pleading with us to return to His fold, where we will find goodness and mercy, rest and peace. And do we ever need those things in these turbulent times. But we stubbornly refuse to accept His call, despite the serious problems in which our world is currently floundering and going down for the count.
Then, there’s this verse from the pen of the psalmist Asaph. He writes: ‘But he (God), being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.’ (Ps. 78:38) Oh my people, we cannot dispute those sentiments of Asaph, because they are totally true. How many times have we turned away from the God of our forefathers eh, and He has not completely destroyed us? We shouldn’t even be alive to tell the tale right now, but for His mercy and compassion for his frail and foolish creation. And yet we claim that He does not LOVE us. Hogwash!
And we’ll end with these words from Psalm 36, where Bruh David declares: (yesss!!!) ‘Thy mercy (LOVING-kindness), O Lord, is in the heavens, and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains (mountains of God): thy judgements are a great deep (ocean): O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.’ (Ps. 36:5-7)
And if we want to alleviate the sure destruction that seems in store for our world, if we continue on our current path, I can assure us that there is no better place for mankind to put their trust right now, than in the Lord God Jehovah! So please my people, I am pleading with us to take time and sincerely and seriously ponder that wisdom today. For it will do us a world of good. Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise…is usually sufficient…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
22 Apr 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an attitude of total trust, bring backsliders back to your fold, commit thy way unto the Lord, defeat the virus, Easter Season, faith is a condition of the soul, faith is more than inner belief, for a witness unto all nations, Friday chant, great is thy faithfulness, have our hearts reflect what our mouths have spoken, he shall bring it to pass, his compassions fail not, I wait for the Lord, imbued with consistent and responsible service to God, in his word do I hope, introduce a whole new flock, It is of the Lord's mercies, LOVE, many shall come in my name, marked by a stable character, more than they that watch for the morning, my soul doth wait, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord, no greater love, preached in all the world, take heed that no man deceive you, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the beginnings of sorows, the believer's whole life, the gospel of the kingdom, then shall the end come, therefore I have hope, they are new every morning, this I recall to mind, trust also in him, unrest in our streets, wake up and smell the coffee, we are not consumed, we will rejoice and be glad in it, with him is plenteous redemption, with the Lord there is mercy
Lamentations 3:22. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
And so, Friday has opened bright and sunshiny, but somewhat chilly, not as warm as it ought to be at this time of spring. But that’s okay, we can handle anything that comes against us because of the Holy Spirit of Jesus that indwells us. It gives us the boldness, the confidence to declare: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’
And since it’s a day He has made, we shall therefore rejoice and be glad in it! So, please give our great God some thanks and praise for His wonderful works to us undeserving children of men. Let’s gratefully remember, as Jeremiah said in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23)
Oh my people, it is indeed because of the Lord’s compassion, His mercy and faithfulness that we are not totally destroyed. And He especially showed His great LOVE and compassion for us in this past Easter Season when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross so he could justly and righteously have reason to forgive our sins! No greater LOVE than that can ever be found!
And in explaining ‘faithfulness,’ the scholars tell us that: ‘The word root from which it comes stresses that real faith is more than inner belief, even more than whole-souled committal. It is a condition of the soul marked by such a stable character and an attitude of total trust that the believer’s whole life is imbued with consistent, responsible service to God (c.f. 1 Sam. 26:23; Ps. 37:3-6). From the biblical standpoint, true faith results in faithfulness in one’s life.’
Yes friends, just like God has been faithful throughout His long existence, so we His creation and joint-heirs with Christ need to be faithful in all walks of our lives. And I believe that shows up positively in Jeremiah’s life when he remembers how he was mistreated, locked up and derided for preaching God’s word, and though he tried to get rid of it, the fire of the word still burned in his belly. ‘And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) in me. This I recall to mind, therefore have I hope.’ (Lam. 3:18-21)
That’s when he talks about the Lord’s compassions and mercies that we’ve spoken of above. Yuh see, once you’ve been associated with our wonderful God, and seen His faithfulness, it’s difficult to lose faith in Him, even when you go through real tough times on His behalf. That hope He imbues within us just doesn’t die, because deep down, we know that He is Almighty God; omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present, to whom all things are possible, the One who can bring us through any untoward situation if He so chooses.
Sometimes though, unfortunately, He doesn’t choose to make us escape the difficulty, because He has some good reason for us experiencing it. But the wonderful thing about our God is that He will NEVER allow us to go through something alone; He is always beside us monitoring our progress through the particular situation and through life itself.
That’s why the psalmist could also confidently declare in Psalm 130. ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps. 130:5-8)
Wow! What hope, and trust in God the psalmist shows there! His soul is waiting more deeply for God, than those who are keeping watch for daybreak. And he says it twice, for us to know how deep His trust and faith are in the God of his forefathers! Now that’s the kind of faith that we modern day believers ought to be showing, especially in these contrary and oh so difficult times, which seem to mimic the beginning of the last days that Jesus spoke about.
‘Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ: and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers (various) places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows (birth pangs)…And the gospel must first be published among all nations.’ (Mark. 13:5-8, 10)
But Matthew is more explicit per that last verse. He recalls Jesus saying: ‘ And the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.’ (Matt. 24:14) And we are indeed seeing the beginnings of those sorrows for all that Jesus spoke about is currently happening, with wars and rumours of wars, famines in a world with wonderful farming skills and technology, deception everlasting, pestilence, sickness and natural disasters like we’ve never seen before.
And above all, with our wonderful technology the gospel has already been preached or proclaimed to most of the world, and it should not take very long to do as Jesus desires; proclaim it to ALL the world. But in the meantime, we the faithful, must remain faithful and true to His name, and do what He desires of us. And the first thing in our arsenal is always prayer, that awesome method of communication between us and our heavenly Father. So let’s go to Him in prayer right now nuh, through our Friday Chant, seeking His divine help in these rather difficult times.
As one strong, but humble voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now that means cleaning up our act and having our hearts sincerely reflect what our mouths have just spoken. That is, if we want to receive a positive response from Almighty God! Much LOVE!
…commit thy way unto the Lord…trust also in him…and he shall bring it to pass… (Ps. 37:5)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
Previous Older Entries
SCRIP-BITS 