17 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, as sheep going astray, bare our sins in his own body, be responsible, being dead to sins, bring us back to his fold, by the example we faithful believers set, by whose stripes ye were healed, carry them in his bosom, cast into hell fire, discontent, dissatisfaction, distorted concept, divine aid, even my servant David, faith, feed his flock like a shepherd, find pasture, for His name's sake, Friday chant, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, go in and out, God is good all the time, God's loving kindness, have it more abundantly, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul, his arm shall rule for him, his reward is with him, his work before him, holy spirit, how foolish it is, I am come that they might have life, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, I the Lord will be their God, I will fear no evil, I would not be searching for you, if any man enter in he shall be saved, if you were not first wanting me, improved Christian witness, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, Jesus walked his talk, keep us safe from harm, leadeth me beside the still waters, leads me in the paths of righteousness, let me remember always, live unto righteousness, lost sheep, Lost Shepherd, lost souls, LOVE, major deterrent, marvellous reassurance, mercy, my servant David a prince among them, now returned unto the shepherd, on the late bus, One Year Book of Bible promises, our sinful world can wake up, problems escalating, prone to forget, rebellion against God, rebellious and disobedient sheep, return backsliders to your fold, reversed the parable of the Shepherd and the sheep, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, searching for you, set up one shepherd over them, show them the error of their ways, smell the coffee, stay safe, surrender to your search for me, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the bishop of your souls, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the Lord God will come with strong hand, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the shepherd has been lost, the thief cometh not but to steal, the weekend, these ungodly times, thieves and robbers, thou art with me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to stumble through darkness, trudged down dangerous mountain cliffs, truth, unexpected storms, who his own self, wisdom, wise guidance
John 10::11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Oh my people, it’s Friday, a damp and cloudy one, with showers promised for the weekend. But I know that we’ve all offered up our ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ jubilation, because the weekend is here. And unfortunately, today we’re on the late, late bus because I had to go out early this morning and do some stuff, and by the time I returned, a li’l rest was needed, but unfortunately that li’l rest turned into a much longer one than expected. (smile) And thus we’ll get right into it, with an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Most likely I’ve shared it before, but in these lost and scary times, it’s certainly worth sharing again.
The title is simply ‘Lost Shepherd.’ Please read with me. ‘Sometimes, Lord In my groping effort to find You I have reversed the parable Of the Shepherd and the sheep. In my distorted concept The Shepherd has been lost And the sheep have trudged down Dangerous mountain cliffs to find him. How sadly prone I am to forget That I would not be searching for You If You were not first wanting me. Let me remember always, Lord How foolish it is To stumble through darkness Searching for You When I need only to surrender To Your search for me.’
And all God’s children said a loud and grateful shout of ‘Amen! God is good all of the time!’ And that He is my fellow believers! There’s absolutely no doubt about it, otherwise we would have all been cast in to hell fire long ago for our disobedience and proud, arrogant rebellion against His Sovereign Majesty! But in His awesome LOVING-KINDNESS, He set out to find us, like lost sheep, so that He could bring us back to his fold and keep us safe from harm. Now the Bible tells us that we should seek Him with all that we have, but it’s also worthy to note, as our poem above says, we would not be seeking Him, unless He was first wanting us.
And isn’t it so good, so encouraging and reassuring that our Creator LOVES us so much that He would send out someone special to look for us and bring us back home. It’s like Isaiah said so long ago: ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11)
Yes friends, that’s the picture of a God that’s been painted throughout the Bible; that of a Good Shepherd. Ezekiel also said it of the Lord. ‘And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.’ (Ezek. 34:23-24)
Therefore, it’s no surprise that Bruh David could write in that most popular Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters, he restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:1-4) Oh yes my brethren! For that’s what a good shepherd does; provides food, safety, warmth and comfort for his sheep!
And no one has done that more for us lost souls than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He said it Himself, then went and proved it on the cross of Calvary. Listen to this last part of his discourse on the sheep and shepherd. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:7-11)
Wow! What marvellous reassurance! And that last verse is the Bible Promise for our poem today. And as we said earlier, Jesus did walk His talk; He went out and died for us lost, unworthy, sinful, disobedient sheep! He certainly did all he could to salvage the situation for us. Now the onus lies in our hands, on our shoulders. There’s no Lost Shepherd, but plenty lost sheep! And hopefully, we can end up as Peter says: ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but now are returned unto the Shepherd and the Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2:24-25)
Yes my people, that’s where we belong, and hopefully that’s where we’re all headed, but it’s not an easy row to hoe, therefore, we need to go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to get divine help. 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 having said all of that my fellow believers, we need to follow it up with improved Christian witness, for it’s the major deterrent to us not receiving more divine aid! Much LOVE!
…Jesus first came looking for us…we now need to go looking for Him…and if we are sincere…He isn’t hard to find…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leisurely day, anger, at the forefront of our minds, away from have to things, be of good cheer, behooves us, burn out, coddling a pent-up rebellion, come to know and love him like we do, didn't want to go to church, do what we feel like, doing a brisk business, faith, fear, followers of Christ Jesus, foolishness, for His name's sake, get away from the alarm clocks, get away from work family friends, God is a refuge for us, greed, handle our problems properly, hate, he leads me beside the still waters, he leads me in the paths of righteousness, he makes me lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul, holy spirit, hurry, i have overcome the world, I shall not want, I will fear no evil, In God is my salvation and my glory, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, insecurity, Jesus Christ, learned a profound lesson, let not your heart be troubled, life is good, lock stock and barrel, lose our focus, lose the capacity for personal enjoyment, LOVE, mental illness, mercy, my hope is from him, my peace I give unto you, my refuge is in God, my soul wait thou only upon God, neither let it be afraid, not as the world gives, of whom shall I be afraid, Once in a while we can, once in a while we can do what we want to, once in awhile we need to walk think meditate, One Year Book of Bible promises, only God can satisfy our deepest longings, our competitive society, Peace i leave with you, personal enjoyment, pour out your hearts before him, pressing commitments, propaganda, rely upon God, reminiscent of our current society, retain our sanity in this crazy world, salvation, Selah, sense of purpose, share His love with my neighbours, share our private secrets with God, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, the beloved of God, the Lord is my light and my salvation, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord is the strength of my life, the mind doctors, the negatives running rampant in our society, the rock of my strength, the shattering pressures, these things I have spoken unto you, thou art with me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to whom we belong, trust in him at all times, trust my friend Jesus, truth, trying to keep up with the world system, unfair systems of the world, whom shall I fear, wisdom, without hurting someone, worry
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
And finally the bright sunshiny days have come to an end! Yes, rain is in the offing for today. We’ve already had a small drizzle, but with all the cloudiness around, we’ll probably have some bigger showers later in the day. And we really can’t complain because we’ve had such beautiful unseasonable weather recently, and though rain might fall, the temperature is still almost summer-like. (smile) So let’s give thanks, for life is good; we’re alive, and the weather is fine!
Now, here’s a very interesting and rather appropriate writing from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And though I’m sure I’ve shared this one before, it’s worthwhile hearing again, because it’s highly reminiscent of our current society. It’s aptly titled, ‘Once in a While We Can.’
So please read with me: ‘One bright Sunday when I was twelve, I didn’t want to go to church. I wasn’t coddling a pent-up rebellion. I simply pictured a leisurely day away from “have to” things. How to explain and be understood! Finally I just blurted it out as Mother prepared breakfast. She listened attentively. “Honey,” she said calmly, we can’t always do what we feel like doing without hurting someone.” That settled it, I thought. I was sorry I had asked. Suddenly I heard, “But once in a while we can do what we want to – just because we want to. You may stay home this Sunday.”
The memory of that day is still vivid. Not because I stayed home from church, but because I learned a profound lesson: Once in a while we can! Once in a while we can get away from the alarm clocks, peanut butter jars, milk cartons…away from the shattering pressures of our competitive society. Once in a while we need to get away from work, family, friends, and pressing commitments. Often we lose the capacity for personal enjoyment. Once in a while we need to walk, think, and meditate. Only God can satisfy our deepest longings. He longs for us to share our private secrets with Him. Once in a while we can.’
And that my friends is ever so true! In fact, it’s not only we need to do it, but we must do it, if we’re to retain our sanity in this crazy world in which we now live! Everything is fast and quick, busy and now for now, that if every so often we don’t get away from it all, we’ll simply burn out, lose our focus and sense of purpose. And that’s not a very nice picture to contemplate, much less experience.
And all around us, we see the danger in living at the crazy pace our society dictates with the high amount of mental illness and burn out that now exists. Pharmaceuticals for tiredness and mental illness have reached a sky high level, and the mind doctors are doing a brisk business because of the amount of fear, insecurity, greed, anger, hate, and all the other negatives that currently are running rampant throughout our world. And please note that this downward trend is not filled with only unbelievers, but also many believers, who are trying to keep up with the world system, but unfortunately are not doing so well at it.
Why? Because we have forgotten where our hope, health and strength come from. And just to remind us where it comes from, please listen as Bruh David passionately declares: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1) Yes my fellow believers, as a follower of Christ Jesus, that’s where our health, hope and strength are supposed to come from! Not from the insecure, unfair and uncompromising systems of the world, that so many of us are trying to get them from.
That’s why Bruh David also penned these words in Psalm 62: ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your hearts before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62:5-8) Now that’s something we ought never to forget, especially when the trials and tribulations of the world come upon us.
And we also need to vividly remember these two poignant and very reassuring verses from Jesus. The first says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And the second verse strengthens the first. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Now, if those two verses from our Lord and Saviour don’t resonate strongly within us, then I don’t know what will.
But hopefully, may be these verses will. (smile) They are the ones listed as the Bible Promise for our reading today. So, please read with me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:1-4)
And if we keep those scriptures at the forefront of our minds, then we won’t allow the world to drive us crazy with all the foolishness and the propaganda that it purports to be progress and wisdom. Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the 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 all of that, it now behooves us 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!
…only as we rely upon God…will we be able to handle our problems properly…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: awakened from a troubled sleep, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, blessed be God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, declare all thy works, destroyed all them who go a whoring from thee, don't lose faith, entrepreneurial crisis, envious of the wicked's prosperity, facing bankruptcy, faith, fellowship, God has us in the palm of his hand, God is the strength of my heart, God on the Mountain, God took them through the valley, God will make them right, holy spirit, I will fear no evil, in the presence of mine enemies, it is good for me to draw near to God, it's down in the vallesy, Jesus Christ, know it deep down in our hearts, life is easy when you're on the mountain, LOVE, mercy, my cup runneth over, my flesh and my heart faileth, my portion for ever, of whom shall I be afraid, peace of mind like you've never known, prayers of praise and thanksgiving, put it into action, put my trust in the Lord God, reward of God's goodness and grace, salvation, still God in the bad times, still God in the night, still God in the valley, stood strong in faith, swimming pool business, talk comes easy, talk of faith, the day of the Lord, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, The God of the day, the God of the good times, the God on the mountain, the gospel truth, the indisputable truth, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, the trials and tribulations of life, their world seemed to be falling apart, they that are far from thee shall perish, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Tracy Dartt, trials and temptations, truth, ungodly times, up on the mountain, we ourselves are comforted by God, when life's at its best, when things change, when things go wrong, when you're down in the valley, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, whom shall I fear, wisdom, you're never alone, your faith is put to the test
Psalm 23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Sunday has come around again my fellow believers! That wonderful day of our God, where we endeavour to visit His house, and with other believers offer up prayers of praise and thanksgiving and worship Him with a true and sincere heart. In return, we receive His strength and wisdom to face another week of work in these tough and ungodly times. And on our worship schedule for today is a song that’s very appropriate for these times and offers encouragement to those of us who are having a hard time managing the trials and tribulations of our lives.
The song’s aptly titled ‘God on the Mountain.’ It was written by Tracy Dartt in the mid 1970’s when his wife Sharon and himself were going through an entrepreneurial crisis, where there swimming pool business in California was facing bankruptcy, and to make matters worse, their partner became discouraged, threw in the towel, and signed everything over to them. That obviously caused them even more anxiety and stress for they had several swimming pools to build, but no money to build them with.
It so happened though that the Dartt’s were also country gospel music singers and per Mr. Dartt: ‘In the midst of the turmoil, I awakened from a troubled sleep one night. It was two o’clock in the morning. A tune was echoing in my troubled brain. I picked up a tablet and a pencil and began to write, “Life is easy when you’re up on the mountain, and you’ve got peace of mind like you’ve never known. But, when things change and you’re down in the valley, don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone.”
“Thank You, Lord,” I prayed, “for being God in my valley.” The chorus came, “The God on the mountain is still God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right…” In all, it took about thirty minutes. I again prayed, “Thank You, Lord,” and then settled back down to sleep.’
And wouldn’t you know it, the next day he went off to work and through God’s goodness and mercy, he got a call for a new swimming pool. Then a few days later he got another call. And so it went, until as he writes: ‘Through the off-season, we ended up selling and building 12 pools in all, at a time when no one else was building pools. The building season came, and suddenly we were able to finish all of our construction and eliminate our debts. We were free and clear, without having to bankrupt the business. God had taken us through the valley.’
And believe me friends, that is not an exception but has happened to many believers down through the ages, who stood strong in their faith even when their world seemed to be falling apart around them. So now that we know some the song’s background, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, soulful version of the song, a la the American Gospel Artiste, Lynda Randle.
Singing: ‘Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known But things change, when you’re down in the valley Don’t lose faith, for you are never alone For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night We talk of faith way up on the mountain
But talk comes easy, when life’s at its best Now it’s down in the valleys, trials and temptations That’s where your faith is really put to the test For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley, When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night The God of the day, is still God in the night.’
And that’s the indisputable truth my people! Our God is the God of both the day and night, as well as of the valley and the mountain top. But we must know that deep down in our hearts and put it into action, like the Dartt’s did, if we want to experience the same kind of reward of God’s goodness and grace that they received.
And we all know that one of the most famous scriptures on being down in the valley is this one from Psalm 23, where Bruh David confidently affirms: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.’ (Ps. 23:3-4)
Yes my brethren, the Lord has faithfully promised that He will never leave nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5) that means wherever we are, He is there with us, leading and guiding us. However though, valley life is not easy. For as the song so rightfully points out. ‘We talk of faith way up on the mountain But talk comes easy, when life’s at its best Now it’s down in the valleys, trials and temptations That’s where your faith is really put to the test.’
Now that’s the gospel truth! When things are going well, we can always boast about our faith, but it’s down in the trenches of the valleys, when the darkness seems overwhelming, that our faith is really tested. And it’s where so many of us fail the test, because we cannot walk our talk of faith. But when we put our trust in God during those dark and dismal times, He helps us to get through them. It’s like the psalmist Asaph who found himself in the valley, being envious of the wicked, then went into the sanctuary of God and finally understood the wicked’s end. (Ps. 73:17).
Later, he declares: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:26-28)
And we’ll close with possibly the most comforting scripture verses in the Bible. The words of Bruh Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Yes friends, our great God not only comforts us, but in such a manner that we can comfort others. Isn’t He wonderful? Of course He is! So, let’s remember, that though times are tough and seem to be getting tougher daily, our God Jehovah has us in the palm of his hand, but we need keep our faith strong, to even build it up, so that we can make it through the many death-like valleys that are appearing nowadays. Much LOVE!
…the Lord is my light and my salvation…whom shall I fear…the Lord is the strength of my life…of whom shall I be afraid…NO ONE… (Ps. 27:1)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cloud received him out of their sight, a testament to God's goodness, baptized with the Holy ghost, be able to comfort those in trouble, blessed be God, by the same comfort we received from God, comforts us in all our tribulation, destroyed all them that go a whoring, destroyed all who are unfaithful to you, don't lose faith, down in the valley, faith, fellowship, fight the good fight of faith, file for bankruptcy, give God the reverence He deserves, God in the valley, God is a faithful God, God is the strength of my heart, God on the Mountain, God will make things right when they go wrong, holy spirit, I have put my trust in the Lord, I may declare all his works, I will fear no evil, in the midst of the turmoil, in the presence of mine enemies, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jesus Christ, life is easy when you're on the mountain, LOVE, mercy, my cup runneth over, my flesh and my heart faileth, none on earth I desire but you, salvation, Seventh Sunday of Easter, shall come again in like manner, sweet sacrifices of praise, swimming pools, taken up from you to heaven, talk of faith, the Ascension of Christ, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the God of the bad times, The God of the day, the God of the good times, the god of the night, the gospel truth, the Great Commission, the Mount of Olives, the second coming of Christ, they that are far from thee shall perish, things change, this same Jesus, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Tracy Dartt, trials and temptations, truth, use our innate wisdom, walking the talk, whom have I heaven but thee, wisdom, you have peace of mind, you're never alone, your faith is put to the test
Psalm 23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
And it’s another Sunday, this one the first day of June, the Seventh Sunday of Easter, when many churches celebrate the Ascension of Christ which happened this past week Thursday. The Lord spent forty days on earth after He rose from the grave, and on that day, while He gathered with the disciples on Mount Olivet (the Mount of Olives), He gave them the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20), also telling them to remain in Jerusalem until they were baptized with the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:4).
‘And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld (looked on), he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.’ (Acts 1:9:11) Yes friends, Jesus went away, but He will come again, when He comes to judge the earth.
Now, the scholars offer these explanations of those verses. ‘While they beheld suggests several things that are not apparent. Unlike the appearances and disappearances of the former 40 days in which Jesus instantly appeared and vanished, this was a gradual and visible departure. This was different and final. He would no longer appear to them. His next appearance on earth will be at the Second Coming when he visibly (Rev. 1:7) and bodily sets His feet on Mount Olivet (Zech. 14:4).’
And since Jesus left from the mountain, and will return to the mountain, it’s appropriate that we begin our worship today with the song, ‘God On the Mountain.’ (smile) The story of the song is a wonderful testament to God’s goodness and faithfulness. In a nutshell, Tracy Dartt, the author, was in California building swimming pools with a partner in 1974, and though on the outside things looked rosy, in reality they were not. They discovered they had more pools to build than they could afford, and nothing they did could alleviate the problems.
The partner wanted to file for bankruptcy, but Dartt felt that was right. So, in frustration, the partner turned everything over to him, including the massive debt. And all they could do was pray. And did they ever pray! However, while things were going good, Dart and his wife Sharon had founded a country gospel group with another couple, called ‘Country Congregation, for which he wrote all the music, and they were functioning fairly well with a recording contract in hand.
And as the Lord would have it, in the midst of the turmoil, he awoke from a troubled sleep at two o’clock one night with a tune echoing in his mind. He picked up pen and paper and began to write. The first verse came, and as he thanked the Lord for being his God in the valley, the chorus came. And in roughly thirty minutes the song was completed. He thanked the Lord and went back to sleep. The next morning things were still up in the air and they prayed for the Lord to show them His will.
Shortly after he got to his office, someone called and requested a pool for an injured athlete. A few days later another call came for another pool. And so it went on, until they built some 12 pools in the off season, when no one else was building any. And they were able to save their business. And yet, people still say that the Lord is not a good and faithful God and is always with you, wherever you are! Nonsense!
So, finally, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt, mid tempo version of this testimonial song to our great God. Singing: ‘Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known. But things change, when you’re down in the valley. Don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone. (Chorus: For the God on the mountain, is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day is still God in the night.)
You talk of faith when you’re up on the mountain. But talk comes so easy when life’s at its best. But its down in the valley, of trials and temptations That’s where your faith, is really put to the test. (Chorus: For the God on the mountain is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day, is still God in the night. (2)’
And isn’t that gospel truth my faithful brethren! Our God, when we’re celebrating on the mountain top, is the very same God who walks with us when we’re in despair in the valley. That’s why Bruh David could famously proclaim from Psalm 23: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’’ (Ps. 23:4-5)
Yes friends, that how good our God can be to us when things look ever so bleak, with no apparent way out of our unfortunate situations. And that’s why the psalmist Asaph in Psalm 73 – Prosperity of the Wicked – could also write these marvellous words of assurance. ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to thee). But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:25-28)
Now that’s how Christians ought to be talking…while also walking the talk! For our God is undoubtedly a good God, who has promised to never leave not forsake us (Heb. 13:5), and He never breaks any of His promises, so we can stake our lives on any promises He’s made. And furthermore, as Bruh Paul writes of Him to the Corinthians: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them, which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Now what more can we ask for my fellow believers? We have a God who is always with us, whether we’re on the mountaintop or in the depths of the valley, one who comforts us in times of trouble, even to the extent that we can comfort others with the comfort we receive from Him! Wow! What a magnificent God we serve! If only we would use our innate wisdom to give Him the right gratitude and reverence He deserves, our lives would be so much better! Much LOVE!
…whether we’re on the mountaintop…or in the valley…Christians must always be fighting…the good fight of faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, abundant provision, all the days of my life, alleviate our problems, divine aid, faith, flying wingman for you, for His name's sake, God's goodness, grin and bear it, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul, holy spirit, honoured position, humble servants, I am the good shepherd, I bless you and praise your holy name, I know my sheep and are known of mine, I shall not want, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, I will fear no evil, in the presence of mine enemies, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus riding shotgun, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, leads me beside still waters, leads me in the paths of righteousness, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, my cup runneth over, my peace I give to you, neither be afraid, not as the world giveth, pain, pray, repentance, salvation, separation from Almighty God, shame, sincerely seek your face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, strong faith in Christ, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, the God who heals, the King of Kings, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord of lords, the peace of Christ, the peace of God which passeth all understading, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, truth, turn from our evil ways, winter's finally arrived, wisdom, wise guidance, without faith it is impossible to please God
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Well friends, it’s seems like winter has finally arrived, with minus temperatures and flurries of the white stuff happening in my area. However, cottage country, just north of the Greater Toronto Area, was bombarded with oodles of snow early in the weekend, so badly that roads were closed and thousands out of power. I guess it’s only a matter of time before we get our fair share down here. But one can only grin and bear it, especially when you have the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, Jesus Christ, flying wingman for you. (smile)
Oh my people, Jesus is all we ever need, for with Him running our lives through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, we will not want for anything. Like Bruh David declares with such assuredness in his most famous psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) The question now is do we believe that statement as strongly as Bruh David did when he wrote it? We better had, otherwise we’ll lose out on so much of God’s goodness and mercy by being unsure and insecure.
Remember what Hebrews says: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) Yes friends, it’s of the utmost importance that we believe God is who He says He is, and can do what He says He can do, if we want to enjoy benefits like what Bruh David continues to write about in Psalm 23. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.’ (Ps. 23:2)
How wonderful is that peace which God provides to those who believe and diligently seek Him! It cannot be beaten by anything or anyone the world has to offer. As Jesus so rightly characterized His peace: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And why don’t we need to be troubled or afraid when we have the peace of Jesus? Because, as Bruh Paul explains to the Philippians: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7)
Yes my fellow believers, the peace that Jesus gives is one that far surpasses anything that can be found on earth, because it is the peace of Almighty God Himself! And with the peace of Jesus riding shotgun by his side, Bruh David could afford to write: ‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps. 23:3) Of course, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit of Jesus, He restores your soul and helps you to walk a path of righteous behaviour. That’s why the Holy Spirit indwells us; to help with those tough endeavours!
And Bruh David takes it up several notches when he adamantly proclaims: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) Wow! What an awesome declaration! (chuh!!!) Can you imagine walking through the valley of the shadow of death without fear? Only if Jesus is the your Guide and Protector! And please notice that Bruh David specifies ‘walking through’ not stopping in ‘the valley of the shadow of death.’ He’s assured that he will make it safely through because Jesus is the Number ONE person in his heart!
And he gets even bolder and more courageous on the Lord’s strength as he continues: ‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’ (Ps. 23:5) Now that’s certainly something to think about! We must be very important to the Lord for him to do all those extraordinary things for us. And so we are, as Bruh David concludes: ‘Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6)
And why not, for that is the eventual reward for belief, obedience, trust and faithfulness in Almighty God; He of Abraham, Issacc and Jacob! Ah my fellow saints, the psalm is simple but powerful, as it depicts God as our shepherd, who guides, protects, and provides us with a good life. We are the sheep of His pasture who follow Him closely. As Jesus says: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:14)
And I like how the scholars characterize our relationship to God. ‘The believer is more than a dependent sheep, however; he is also like an honoured guest, since the Lord prepares a table for him. Connected with this honoured position is abundant provision, vindication before one’s enemies, an eternal celebration of God’s goodness.’ Now it doesn’t get any better than that, so why do we still hobnob with the old devil Satan who can do absolutely nothing good for us, just cause us pain and shame and eternal separation from God?
It’s therefore high time to remove him from our lives, and to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these times of dire need. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it should be obvious that we won’t receive any divine aid until we do like our prayer indicates; that’s humble ourselves, turn from our evil ways and sincerely seek God! Much LOVE!
…with Jesus as our Good shepherd…who needs anyone else…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: by faith alone, delivered me from all my fears, dreams that slip through like grains of sand, face the raging seas, faith, fallen on my knees, fellowship, get us off our game, God proved His love for me, greater is he that's in us than he that's in the world, hope thou in God, I sought the Lord and he heard me, I will fear no evil, it was in the night, Jesus Christ, Lawrence Chewning, LOVE, many are the afflictions of the righteous, mercy, my salvation and my God, praising His holy name, salvation, studying God's Word, swallowed up in sadness, sweet sacrifices of praise, the anchor holds, the last days, the Lord delivereth him out of them all, the Lord is nigh unto them of a broken heart, the Lord shall be a light unto me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, though the sails are torn, through the storms of life, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, when I fall I shall arise, Why art thou cast down o my soul
Psalm 34:19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
Once again it’s Sunday, and time for Christ’s followers to gather together and renew their allegiance to a great Lord and Saviour, while receiving His goodness and mercy and confidence to face another week of work and numerous distractions fashioned by the enemy to get us off of our game for Jesus. But although the enemy knows that He who is within us is greater than him, who is in the world, he still insists on tempting us, just in case we falter when times and circumstances make us weak. The enemy believes he can win by being persistent, and it surely is possible, unless we are also persistent in following Jesus, by continually studying His Word and praising His holy name.
And that’s exactly what we do when we gather in the Lord’s sanctuary every week and open with a song of praise, like this one, titled ‘The Anchor Holds.’ It’s a song that shows forth the great faith that we all need to have in this ungodly and turbulent world, which looks like we’re in the last days. And before we sing the song, I think it will help if we know something about its origins.
It seems that in 1992, the writer, Lawrence Chewning and his wife were going through a rough season. He called it their year of sorrows. His father died, He was a burned out pastor in a church that was having some problems, and then his wife had her third miscarriage. He took a sabbatical for six months, and just ended up playing the piano all the time, while talking to God. And found himself creating the song. Sometime later, while speaking with singer Ray Boltz, Chewning mentioned the rough season and the song the Lord had given him during that time.
Obviously Boltz liked the song, remodelled it, recorded and released it 1995, and the rest is history. We all badly need to understand and desperately hold on to the fact that there is indeed life after the storm, and the anchor does hold with Jesus operating it. Now, let’s turn to offering up sweet sacrifices of praise in a rocking, rollicking reggae version of the song, a la Judith Gayle, because I believe if Jesus is our anchor, then a joyful, exuberant song should be our response.
So singing: ‘I have journeyed, Through the long, dark night Out on the open sea By faith alone, Sight unknown And yet His eyes, were watching me. (Chorus: The anchor holds, though the ship is battered. The anchor holds, though the sails are torn. I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm.) I’ve had visions, I’ve had dreams, I’ve even held them in my hand, But oh Lord, I never knew, They would slip right through, Oh my Jesus, Like they were only grains of sand. (Chorus: The anchor holds, though the ship is battered. The anchor holds, though the sails are torn. I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm.)
Oh, I have been young, but I am older now, thank the Lord, And there has been beauty, that these eyes have seen, But it was in the night, through the storms of my life, Oh, that’s where God proved, His LOVE for me. (Chorus: The anchor holds, though my ship is battered. The anchor holds, though my sails are torn. And I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Oh, I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Yes, the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Thank You Jesus! I have fallen on my knees, As I face the raging seas, But the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Yes, the anchor holds, In spite of the storm. Thank You Jesus!’
Oh friends, what heartfelt praise, because we all know the truth of the sentiments, since we have all experienced God’s goodness and mercy at some time, or rather many times, when our lives were swallowed up in sadness and discouragement, and He eventually puled us up out of the dark dungeon in which we were wallowing. And all we could truly say was: ‘Thank You Jesus!’ For there are no words that really contain or can truly convey the sense of true relief and gratitude we feel in those remarkable times.
But maybe some scriptures like these words of Bruh David from Psalm 34 can uplift us and keep us constant in the Lord. He writes: ‘I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and they were lightened (radiant): and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.’ (Ps. 34:4-6) Yes friends, we all find ourselves in difficulties, or our spirits are just sad and melancholy for whatever reason, but please remember that the Lord is our guide and good shepherd, and He is the One we ought to turn to when our lives feel like they are suffocating, trapped, under the shadow of death.
That is when these words of Bruh David from Psalm 23, ought to rise up and drive those doubts and fears away. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) And that’s not always easy to do when it seems like your whole world is falling down around you, but it’s in these times that your faith needs to overcome all the obstacles and temptations of this world and rise up with scriptures that remind you of our God’s great and faithful promises.
Scriptures like this one from the prophet Micah. ‘Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.’ (Mic. 7:8) Wow! What a powerful scripture. And what about this one from the wisdom of cousin Sol. ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) And what better words to finish with than these of Bruh David from Psalm 34.
‘The Lord is nigh (near) unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite (crushed) spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate (condemned, held guilty) The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate (condemned).’ (Ps. 34:18-22)
Words of awesome wisdom and truth my fellow believers! And it would do us a whole lot of good if we spent some time today meditating on them and writing them indelibly in our hearts, so that we can raise them up in times of need. Much LOVE!
…O my soul…why art thou cast down…hope thou in God…who is my salvation…and my God… (Ps. 42:11)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
23 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a very present help in trouble, be of good cheer, beloved of God, change matters on the big stage, cling to God in uncertain times, compassion, crying in pain, faith, fear, fear hath torment, fear not, God is our refuge and strength, holy spirit, hurry, i have overcome the world, I will fear no evil, I will help thee saith the Lord, in god's eyes, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, lessen the tension at the grass roots level, LOVE, loving-kindness, mercy, perfect love casteth out fear, pray for clarity, Selah, share His love with my neighbours, so much noise in the world, the pleas of the hurting, the veil of anger, there is no fear in love, therefore will not we fear, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, times of uncertainty, to hear through all the commotion, to recognize suffering, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, voices shouting in anger, wisdom, worry
Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.
And may the grace and mercy of our wonderful God be on all of us this snowy winter’s Tuesday, my Scrip-Bit friends and family! And do we all ever need His LOVING-kindness and compassion in these troubled and frenzied times. For, instead of getting better as the days go by, our world seems to be getting more angry, violent, hateful and strife filled. Who knows why? Some of the players may have even forgotten why they got involved, and are just acting out for acting out sake. But for sure, it’s not a good scene we’re currently witnessing.
And though most of us cannot do anything to change matters on the big stage but pray for godly wisdom and guidance for our leaders, on the smaller stage of our individual lives we can certainly do our best to show the LOVE and compassion of Christ in our own neighbourhoods, and thus lessen the tension at the grass roots level. So to help us do that, let’s turn to our biggest privilege and our number one source of help, PRAYER, as we go to our heavenly Father with these words of prayer from the January In Touch Devotional.
Please pray with me: ‘Father, there is so much noise in the world: voices shouting in anger, crying in pain at one another and at You. We pray for clarity, to hear through all the commotion the pleas of the hurting, to recognize suffering underneath the veil of anger in each other and in ourselves. Lord, soften our hearts. Let compassion and gentleness be our first instinct. May You be near to every aching person, and may every aching person feel heard. In Jesus’ name. Amen.’
Oh friends, the sentiments in that prayer are ever so necessary and needful in these uncertain times. And yuh know what? It’s the times of uncertainty that cause us the most worrying concerns. At least that’s the way it is with me. If I am certain about something, then, although the outcome might be unpleasant and hurtful, I don’t worry about it nearly as much as if I am not sure of the outcome. I believe the devil nags and niggles us a li’l more in those times of uncertainty to get us to lose our cool and not trust our Lord and Saviour the way we ought to.
But if our faith is strong enough, we can successfully run him off with some overruling scriptures like these powerful verses of faith from Psalm 46, where the Sons of Korah write: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3)
Yes my faithful brethren, that’s a good example of strong faith with which to deter the devil’s evil lies and deceptions. We won’t be afraid even though the world is falling down around us, because our omnipotent God has promised to protect us in each and every situation. He is always present in our lives. And as the saying so truly goes: ‘When uncertainty abounds – cling to God.’ There can be no greater truth than that my people! Now, I’m chuckling here because I just got the bright idea to make today’s Bit one chocked full with scripture verses that talk about handling fear and anxiety.
And why not eh, since our world is currently filled with so many of those negative emotions? So let’s continue with this magnificent verse from the first epistle of John, which exhorts: ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18) And that says so much about God’s LOVE, how strong and potent it is, that it can even sustain us in our darkest times, and drive away our fear and anxiety.
Then we have these verses from Isaiah, where our God ascertains His help in times of trouble. ‘For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.’ (Is. 41:13-14) Oh my bredrin, isn’t that wonderful? It surely is! Just imagine Almighty God promising to help us nuh. As this commentary so rightly says: ‘God’s promise is to comfort and help us amid our worry. This Bible verse about fear holds the power to give us peace during the most uncertain of times. The Lord will take your hand and journey with you through the storm.’
How true that is! For with Christ as our Pilot and Guide, there’s no storm that conquer us! And we all know this next verse that drives away fear. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Now that’s a verse we all should have indelibly written in our hearts, souls and minds. For as this commentary reminds us: ‘We know we will face troubles in this life, but one of the Bible verses about fear that can sometimes be the most comforting is John 16:33. When you consider all Jesus faced — His torture and death — and how He overcame, it offers us profound comfort. Remember this among the Bible verses about fear and worry when you reflect on difficult times.’
Yes friends, we definitely need to remember that our Lord and Saviour has already overcome the world and all the evil therein, it’s just for us to faithfully live out the days till He returns in victory and takes us home. And with that promise uppermost in our minds, we can do it without fear of Satan and his evil doing consorts. And although there are many more notable verses of scripture that tone down fear, unfortunately, we only have time and space for one more. And it’s this marvellous one from Bruh David’s most famous writing. ‘Yea, though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4)
Now that’s a certain fact my faithful brethren. And I like how this commentary explains it. ‘God will not abandon you. Bible verses about anxiety remind us that we do not need to fear evil or uncertain events, because God will walk with us through these valleys. He LOVES us and wants the best for us. The Psalmist knew that the peace of God would be with him wherever he went and whatever situations he encountered. Know that God is right beside you during those difficult times.’
Yes my fellow saints, let’s go home with that comforting thought as we declare (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. As one voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, it time to go out and do just that; 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!
…FAITH…the only thing that can successfully drive out…FEAR…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
29 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heart overflowing with faith, a successful walk with Christ, and lo I am with you always, be strong and of a good courage, call his name Immanuel, econoic deprivation, even unto the end of the world, famine drought, gallivant ourselves into action, God be with us, God doesn't require us to strive and stumble, He is faithful that promised, hurry, I long to rest with you, I will fear no evil, LOVE, natural disasters, share His love with my neighbours, shewed him mercy and gave him favour, teach me to experience you, the beloved of God, the Lord was with Joseph, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, without wringing my hands, worry
Matthew 28:20b. …and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Oh friends, what a beautiful Tuesday morning it is in my area! The sun’s shining brightly in a clear blue sky, the birds are singing, the insects chirping, and everything seems right with the world! (smile) But we know that’s not true. In fact, it’s the opposite, not a whole lot is right with our world. When you consider the overwhelming natural disasters happening all over our world; the wildfires, the hurricanes and tornadoes, the flooding, the drought, famine, economic deprivation and sickness, plus the serious strife caused by man’s greed and inhumanity to his fellow man, how can anything be right eh?
But that’s what we believers in Christ Jesus are here for, to make it better, or as best as we can before our Lord and Saviour returns. But we have to get serious about it, not only talk, but gallivant ourselves into action, helping those in need; that’s the vocation and purpose of Christ’s body, the church. Unfortunately, it’s an area in which we have not been doing as well as we should. But with things as bad as they are right now, it’s of the utmost importance that believers rise to the occasion and help alleviate the serious situation existing in our disaster filled world.
And the best place to begin is always with prayer. So, here’s this month’s prayer from the In Touch Devotional. Please pray with me. ‘Father, all my striving has one goal – to know You. Have mercy on me. I make mistakes, I stumble, but always toward You. Have mercy on me. I confess, Lord, that I long to rest with You. Have mercy on me. Teach me to experience You without wringing my hands. Have mercy on me. Forgive me for scrambling and striving – You’ve never required it. Have mercy on me. You’ve always been here and always will be. Have mercy on me. Amen.’
Yes my fellow believers, two things jump out at me in that prayer; first that our wonderful and merciful God doesn’t ever require us to strive and scramble, because if we dwell sincerely with Him, He always provides for our needs. And secondly, He has always been with us, and always will be. And until that fact becomes a permanent and active part of our lives, our spiritual walk will not be as comfortable and significant as it ought to be. And there are numerous scriptures where the Lord has promised to be with us, so let’s look at a few to remind ourselves of his gracious promise and thus renew our faith and trust in Him.
And the first one comes from way back when, when Moses told the Israelites on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) Then there’s the personal outpouring of God’s favour in the life of Bruh Joesph. Yes, Joseph is one of our three Bros: we just don’t talk about him as much as we do the other two, Paul and David, but he was the forerunner of the Israelite nation in Egypt, and though he suffered much misfortune, the Lord was always with him.
As the Bible records in Genesis. ‘But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.’ (Gen. 39:21) Wherever Joseph went, despite his many misfortunes, he remained faithful to God and God favoured him with steadfast LOVE, so that he was always well looked upon. And it’s the same way the Lord will look upon us with favour and steadfast LOVE if we are faithful to His will.
And Isaiah made this pronouncement about the coming of Jesus, long before it ever happened. ‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’ (Is. 7:14) And what does ‘Immanuel mean? God with us! So the Lord didn’t just talk about being with us, but He sent His Son, God in the flesh to be with us! You can’t get any better than that!
And probably the most in your face and direct promise of God being with us, is when He said to Joshua: ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) And believe me friends, the same promise holds good for each and every sincere believer in Christ Jesus! He is with us wherever we go!
The problem is that we have to believe it, do like Bruh Joseph and have strong faith despite all the unfortunate and unfair things that happen to us. Don’t think that he was not confused and wondering why his brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt, why Potiphar’s wife wrongly accused him of sexual abuse, and why the chief butler forgot for two years to tell Pharaoh about him. But despite all that stuff, he held on to the dream the Lord had placed in his heart, and because of his faithfulness, it eventually came true.
That’s how we have to be my fellow believers; strong in our faith, despite whatever happens that doesn’t sync with what we expect, for our God is faithful. As Hebrews tells us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised.)’ (Heb. 10:23) And again there’s this promise through Isaiah to the people of Israel. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) How much more can we ask eh?
Now listen to Zephaniah tell it like it is. ‘The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest (quiet you) in his LOVE, he will joy over thee with singing.’ (Zeph. 3:17) How much reassurance do we need of God’s faithfulness eh? And Bruh David lived it and said it in spades in our favourite psalm. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) And why do you think Bruh David escaped all the times that Saul tried to kill him eh? Because the Lord was with him, and will be with us too if we stick close and faithful to Him.
Now there are many more scriptures where God poured out His promise to be with us, but we’ll close with this one straight from the horse’s mouth as it were. (smile) It’s Jesus promise, when He gives the disciples the Great Commission: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) And if we can’t believe that, then I don’t know what else to say.
Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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 it’s now our duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the most important aspect of a successful walk with Christ…a heart overflowing with faith…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 May 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a family that loves you, a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, as the spirit gave them utterance, began to speak with other tongues, blessed be God, but of power love and a sound mind, by the comfort, cloven tongues like as of fire, filled with the Holy Ghost, God on the Mountain, I will fear no evil, it shall come to pass, life is easy when you're on the mountain, on the brink of bankruptcy, sing and be merry, still God in the bad times, still God in the night, sweet smelling sacrifices of praise, the Comforter, The Day of Pentecost, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Feast of weeks, the God of all mercies, The God of the day, the God of the good times, the Helper, the Lord hath not given us a spirit of fear, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, times of adversity, Tracy Dartt, we are comforted ourselves by God, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, you've got peace of mind
2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Welcome my Scrip-Bit friends and family to the Lord’s sanctuary, on one of the most auspicious Sundays on our Christian Calendar, the Day of Pentecost! Wow! It’s a day of plenty drama, the day that Christ’s Church was officially born. The day that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ kept His promise to the disciples to baptize them with the amazing power of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter or Helper that the Father would send to replace Him. The Spirit that would remind them of all the things He had spoken about to them, and to lead and guide them in doing His earthly work, the Great Commission.
The Good Library tells the story thus: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (one purpose or mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (in other (languages) as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4)
And from that day, the Holy Spirit of God has indwelt ALL believers! That’s about the first thing that happens to you when you put your trust in Christ Jesus and accept Him as Lord and Saviour. And yuh better believe when that information got out into the great crowd from all over the known world, that was then in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, and they heard the believers speak in their native tongues or languages, they were amazed and wondered what was happening. Some even mocked them, saying that the believers were drunk.
But Big Peter set them straight, getting up and telling them that they were not drunk at nine o’clock in the morning, but it was the fulfillment of the promise made by the prophet Joel. ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.’ (Acts 2:17) Then Peter went on to explain the rest of Joel’s prophecy and the significance of the day, preaching the greatest sermon of His life and one of the best and most important in the annals of Christianity.
You can read all about in it Acts 2: 18-47. And the prophecy of Joel can be found in Joel 2:28-32. Please read both passages, so you can become more mature and learned in the scriptures. (smile) And having said all of that, let’s turn to some praise and worship, singing this popular song written by Tracy Dartt in 1974, when, as a builder of swimming pools in California he was experiencing some significant business troubles, his partner gave up his half of the business, leaving him on the brink of bankruptcy.
And he writes: ‘In the midst of the turmoil, I awakened from a troubled sleep one night. It was two o’clock in the morning. A tune was echoing in my troubled brain. I picked up a tablet and a pencil and began to write, “Life is easy when you’re up on the mountain, and you’ve got peace of mind like you’ve never known. But, when things change and you’re down in the valley, don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone.” “Thank You, Lord,” I prayed, “for being God in my valley.” The chorus came, “The God on the mountain is still God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right…” In all, it took about thirty minutes. I again prayed, “Thank You, Lord,” and then settled back down to sleep.
Morning came, breakfast and prayer time. “Lord, show us Your will.” Then he went off to work, and like a miracle, during the next little while several calls came through for new swimming pools, and they were able to finish all their projects and eliminate all debts without bankrupting the business. As he says: ‘God had taken us through the valley.’ And that’s what He will do for you too my friends, if you stick closely to Him. Now let’s send up some sweet smelling sacrifices of praise by singing a soulful, heartfelt version of that song ‘God on the Mountain,’ which went on to become a number one hit and has been recorded by numerous artists over the years.
Singing: ‘Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known. But things change, when you’re down in the valley. Don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone. For the God on the mountain, is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day is still God in the night.
You talk of faith when you’re up on the mountain. But talk comes so easy when life’s at its best. But it’s down in the valley, of trials and temptations That’s where your faith, is really put to the test. For the God on the mountain is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day, is still God in the night.’
And is that ever the gospel truth my friends! It’s the same God we worship if we’re up or if we’re down, and the same one who will eventually work everything out for our good, just like He did for Tracy Dartt, in an unexpected, miraculous fashion. It’s all about sincere faith and trust, and not just talking it, but more importantly living it. And I’m sure if you’ve been walking with Christ for any length of time you can also remember those times when things looked really rough and you had no idea what to do, but in some small and seemingly insignificant manner He put things in motion to make it right.
And who do you think comforted Mr. Dartt that troubled night, gave him the words of comfort and peace and a song that would make world history? The Holy Spirit, our heavenly Comforter and Helper, that’s who! And there are so many scriptures that encourage us to stand strong and steadfast and trust in the Lord during times of adversity, that we only have time and space for a few.
Listen to this one by Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4) Now can you beat that for comfort? Obviously not! Because it comes from the God of all comfort.
Then there is this li’l gem. ‘For the Lord hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ Wow! More comforting scripture from 2 Tim. 1:7. And as always, we’ve saved the best for last. These magnificent words of faith, comfort and trust from Bruh David’s paean or tribute to our wonderful God, Psalm 23. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Ps.23:4)
Oh my people, what more do we need the Good Shepherd to do eh? He’s promised to lead and guide us even in the valley of the shadow of death, so please let’s get out there on this day of Pentecost and sing and be merry and not be afraid, for we have the Creator of the Universe, the God of all comfort, to look after us! Much LOVE!
… when you believe God’s promises…they will be fulfilled in your life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
26 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beast before thee, a crown of righteousness, blessed be God, don't lose faith, finished my course, God is the strength of my heart, God on the Mountain, He'll make things go right, I have fought the good fight, I have put my trust in the Lord, I may declare all thy works, I will fear no evil, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jehovah-Jireh, life is easy when you're on the mountain, LOVE, Lynda Randle, my flesh and my heart faileth, never give up, peace of mind like you've never known, still God in the valley, the Father of mercies, the God of All Comfort, the God of the bad times, the God of the good times, the God on the mountain, the Holy spirit is our shepherd, the righteous judge, the time of my departure is at hand, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Tracy Dartt
Psalm 73:28. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.
It’s that time once again friends, to come on down to the Lord’s sanctuary and join other believers in worship, praise and thanks to our Creator and Provider, Jehovah Jireh! Yes, there’s no better place to be on the Lord’s Day than in the Lord’s house. And as often as possible, we should endeavour to pay a visit to His house on Sundays, because that’s where and when we are renewed, refreshed and made ready to face the upcoming work week and all the ungodly stuff that will come against us out there in the crazy, turbulent world.
And today’s song of worship is an interesting one, in that it tells us about both the highs and lows of life, and is aptly titled ‘God on the Mountain.’ It’s a song written by Tracy Dartt and made popular by the gospel artist Lynda Randle. So, let’s offer up our sacrifices of praise in a soulful, mid-tempo harmonious version, making note of the simple but very important sentiments it offers.
Singing: ‘Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known But things change, when you’re down in the valley Don’t lose faith, for you are never alone For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night
We talk of faith way up on the mountain But talk comes easy, when life’s at its best Now it’s down in the valleys, trials and temptations That’s where your faith is really put to the test For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley, When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night The God of the day, is still God in the night.’
Yes my fellow saints, it’s short, simple, sweet and to the point. Our God is the same God whether it’s day or night, whether we’re on the mountain top or down in the valley, whether things are going right or wrong. He’s the same one we must turn to in ALL circumstances, for He is the ONLY ONE that has all the answers!, and who’s promised to work everything out eventually for our good. (Rom. 8:28)
And none of us can ever get away from the comparison between life on the mountain and life in the valley, because we all visit either place at some time or other in our earthly lives. For as the song says, ‘Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known But things change, when you’re down in the valley.’
Now isn’t that the awesome truth! We talk a big talk when we’re living high on the hog, but when our circumstances fail, that’s a horse of a different colour. We don’t talk as big, sometimes we even lose our voices and go dumb. (smile) But that’s exactly when we ought to allow our faith to rise up and keep us steadfast and strong, because although we might be down in the dumps, we’re never alone. No, our wonderful God is always with us, wherever we are, whatever our situation, be it day or night, it’s the same great God that controls our lives.
And we couldn’t find a better scripture to encourage us when we’re in the depths of the valley than these marvellous words of Bruh David from the magnificent Psalm 23. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ And Bruh David, being a shepherd, could write with sure testimony of the value of the shepherd’s rod and staff in taking care of the sheep. And like a kind and compassionate shepherd, Our God uses the Holy Spirit to do His shepherding in our lives; leading and guiding us in the best ways possible to do His will and accomplish His plan for our destiny.
Now here’s another excellent scripture on much needed faith during adversity. It comes from the psalmist Asaph, when he almost fell prey to the prosperity of the wicked. But after he caught himself, and in the sanctuary of the Lord to boot, he wrote: ‘So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. nevertheless, I am continually with thee: thou hast holden (held) me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart (my rock), and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (are unfaithful to thee). But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:22-28)
Ah mih people, how can we quarrel with those words and sentiments eh? We can’t, because they are the living truth, it’s what our great God is all about. And both Bruh David and Asaph, and also many of us can speak from personal experience of God’s help in both the rough and the good times. The important thing is that we NEVER GIVE UP! I like to say those words are not in Jesus’ vocabulary, so we can’t ever use them. (smile)
And when we talking about comfort in the tough times, brother, there’s none better at that than our ever-LOVING God. Listen to how Bruh Paul describes it to the church at Corinth in his second missive. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Now how can you beat that eh? Our God comforts us so that we can comfort others with the comfort that He comforted us! Mama Mia! And how can I not LOVE and worship Him! And here’s a most fitting scripture to close with today. It’s from Bruh Paull’s second letter to Timothy, when he knew that his time was running out.
He wrote: ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8)
Oh, my fellow believers, please let’s raise our level of faith, good works and whatever else we need to raise, so that at the end of our days, we will be able to make such a positive declaration. (steups!!!) Much LOVE!
… the Lord God Jehovah is all we need…in this life…and the next…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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