06 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all scripture is given by inspiration of God, all things were made by him, become as little children, broken lives, caribana festivities, except ye be converted, faith, find God's wisdom on the Bible's pages, forbid them not to come to me, have good success, hurry, in god's eyes, instruction in righteousness, Jesus Christ, keep us in sinful bndage, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, makes our hearts callous, mediocre lives, negating christ's death, one truth from the Bible, our guidebook for godly living, place too much importance on earthly possessions, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, Satan is manipulating our lives, shall not depart out of thy mouth, share His love with my neighbour, stewards of His belongings, still fresh through all the ages, strife filled times, such is the kingdom of heaven, suffer the little children, the beloved of God, the Bible is God's word to us, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the hardness of the world, the heaven of the heavens is the Lord 's thy God, the man of God may be perfect, this book of the law, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, thou shalt meditate therein day and night, to do all that' is written therein, to free us from sinful bondage, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, vulnerability, weakness, wisdom, without him was not anything made, worry, worth more than all the wisdom of man, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven
Joshua 1:8a. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (shall continually be in thy mouth); but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,
Well, the Caribana weekend festivities are all over now, and it’s time to get back to the daily grind and common task, although there are still plenty of small summer activities left to be enjoyed. Not forgetting the granddaddy of all fairs, that in the Exhibition Stadium grounds which will soon open. But as always, the secret of longevity and godliness is moderation in all matters.
Now, here are a couple more truths that we ought to be remembering on this wet and cloudy summer Tuesday morn. The first one says; ‘The Bible is God’s word to us still fresh through all the ages. And if we read it we will find God’s wisdom on it’s pages.’ Wow! What an awesome statement, but one that’s oh so true! And do we ever need God’s wisdom so desperately in these strife filled and chaotic times!
That means we ought to be spending much more time reading and studying the Bible than we’re currently doing, because one of the main reasons for the disastrous state of our world is we have deliberately and rebelliously turned away from Almighty God, thus allowing Satan to manipulate our lives and keep us in sinful bondage, negating Christ’s death to free us from said bondage.
Remember what Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy about the purpose of the Bible. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Yes friends, that’s the very noteworthy and important purpose of the Bible in our lives! It’s our Guidebook for godly living. So then how can we live godly lives if we don’t read and study it? How can we put its many wise truths into action in our lives, if we’re not constantly meditating on it, like the Lord strongly imparted to Joshua way back when he became the leader of the Israelites, after the death of Moses.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (shall continually be in thy mouth); but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
Oh my people, what’s in there that we cannot understand eh? The Bible is the ONLY way to true prosperity and success! The Lord said it, and if you’re a supposed follower of Christ, then you ought to believe it! No wonder so many of us have mediocre or even broken lives, because we don’t read and study the Bible and live by its dictates. It’s oh so simple. But nowadays mankind detests anything that‘s simple. If it’s not complex and complicated, then it’s of no use.
But the truth is that simplicity is more akin to kingdom living than complexity. Look at Jesus’ earthly life; He lived very simply, but in that simplicity there was a profoundness that can never be matched. Remember what Jesus said to the disciples when they tried to stop children from going to Him? ‘Suffer (allow the) little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 19:14)
Yes my brethren, even children can follow Christ, but the effect of Christ’s words were that for one to come into the kingdom, one must be simple, uncomplicated and obedient like a child. And I like this commentary on that scripture: ‘When Jesus said, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me,” He was reaching out to a segment of society that was thought to be insignificant. Children, in their weakness and vulnerability, have much to teach us as adults. As we grow, the hardness of the world often makes our hearts callous.’ And that’s for sure!
Now, Jesus was even more explicit earlier on when He took a child and placed him in their midst, and said: ‘Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 18:3-4) Not like the rich, complex ruler who later came to him seeking what he could do to earn salvation. And when told to sell all his earthly goods and then come and follow Jesus, he went away sad and sorrowful, because he had a lot of earthly possessions. (Matt. 19:16-22)
And right there is one of our problems; we place so much importance on our earthly possessions, that we end up allowing them to turn us away from God. But friends, God is the creator and owner of everything and everyone on the earth! As Bruh David so rightly says in Psalm 24. ‘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 flood (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
And there’s’ no doubting that, as John also says in his gospel. ‘All things were made by him, (the Word – Jesus); and without him was not anything made that was made.’ (John 1:3) And if you still don’t believe, then listen as Moses adds his two cents worth. (smile) ‘Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.’ (Deut. 10:14) So there’s no doubt that all the heaven’s and earth and whoever and whatever is therein, belongs to the Lord in it’s entirety, and we’re only stewards of His belongings.
And no, I have not forgotten that I promised two truths. (smile) So here is the second. ‘One truth from the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man!’ And that’s an indisputable fact my fellow believers! Why? It’s simple: because God’s thoughts, ways and wisdom are ever so much higher than ours! Matter fixed! So please, let’s contemplate what that simple truth means and can do in our lives, as we go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra.
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!’
That means 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!
…a true believer in Christ…ought always to have the scriptures in their hearts…at their beck and call…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a modicum of circumspection, acknowledgement of sin, all the day long, all ye that are upright in heart, alleviate our problems, be glad in the Lord, be held with bit and bridle, be ye not as the horse or the mule, Caribana weekend, Civic Holiday Monday, common sense, compass me about, confession of sin, consntat prayer, disobeyed your word, distractions, divine aid, divine instruction, ever changing emotions, faith, fleshly lusts, forgiveness, guide thee with mine eye, have no understanding, he that trusteth in the Lord, holy spirit, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Last Lap, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, mercy shall compass him about, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my bones waxed old, my roaring, my vitality, preserve me from trouble, rejoice ye righteous, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, shout for joy, sincere repentance, songs of deliverance, strong faith in Christ, teach thee in the way thou shall go, the blessedness of confession, the God who heals, the throne of grace, the word of the Lord, thou art my hiding place, thy hand was heavy upon me, trun from our evil ways, truth, turned into the drought of summer, we have all sinned, when I kept silence, wise guidance
Psalm 32:11. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Well, it’s Civic Holiday Monday in Ontario and all the weekend festivities are set to climax today, as the good ole workweek resumes again tomorrow. And I know that many of us are going to try to finish on a high note, but please be careful, as that last lap go round, might just be the one to do you in. (smile)
So a modicum of circumspection is strongly advised today. Let’s think of the possible consequences before we commit to the actions. And remember that many of us cannot afford to book off sick tomorrow, having already used up most of our sick time. Anyway, the boss will know just why you’re sick. So please let common sense prevail. (smile)
And today we’ll continue looking at Psalm 32, the blessedness of Confession and Forgiveness, which will surely be rather important to many of us, after this Caribana weekend. (smile) Last week we stopped where Bruh David agreed to acknowledge his sin and confess his transgressions, and the Lord forgave him. (Ps. 32:5)
He then continues: ‘For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of the great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble: thou shalt compass me about (surround me) with songs of deliverance. Selah.’ (Ps. 32:6-7)
Yes friends, Bruh David knows that if he stays steadfast in prayer, acknowledging his sins and asking for forgiveness, the Lord will keep him safe, preserve him from trouble and surround him with songs of deliverance. How wonderful is that eh! But it only comes from constant prayer and acknowledgement of one’s sins to Almighty God.
And with that steadfast attitude of prayer and confession of sins also comes divine instruction. As Bruh David writes of the Lord: ‘I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.’ (Ps. 32:8-9)
How excellent is that my fellow believers! If we stay close to the Lord and empty our hearts and souls to Him, He will guide us with His divine eye. However, we must be wise and sensible, and not be like the mule or horse that have no understanding, and must have bit and bridle to be controlled.
But unfortunately, many of us in these times of turbulence, entitlement and extremism, are behaving just like those animals who lack understanding. We’re allowing our fleshly lusts and our ever changing emotions to govern our lives, rather than the Word of the Lord. We’re not listening to His Holy Spirit that dwells within us for the very purpose of leading and guiding us in a godly fashion.
We don’t pray or confess our sins and ask for forgiveness as we ought to, so what kind of life can we expect to live but one with no true godly support. One like Bruh David describes in the early stages of the psalm. ‘When I kept silence, my bones waxed (grew) old through my roaring (groaning) all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture (vitality) is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.’ (Ps. 32:3-4)
Yes my people, that’s how we feel when our connection to Almighty God is missing, or simply not in tune. And we have no one else to blame but ourselves, for it’s our responsibility to go to Him in prayer for whatever ails us. And believe me, the confession of sin and its forgiveness can lift one’s soul from the very depths of misery and hell, right to the hallowed halls of heaven!
But we need to stay steadfast in prayer and confession of sin. For as Bruh David further advises: ‘Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about (surround him). Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.’ (Ps. 32:10-11)
Oh my fellow saints, we could not ask for wiser direction than that! But just remember that our heart must be right for it to work. We must be doing as Jesus advises: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That’s Christianity 101 friends!
And we all know it’s difficult to stay steadfast and focused on God in this evil and ungodly world, with so many distractions and bombardments constantly coming at us, but with God’s help we can certainly do it. And it all begins with prayer. So lets’ go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid down here on earth.
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 if we truly listen to our prayer, we can see that the basic elements for divine aid is a turning from evil ways, humility, prayer and sincerely seeking the Lord. So please let’s put that in our pipe and smoke it…that is if we truly want to receive divine aid! Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing that improves a believer’s life like…confession of sin…and the resultant forgiveness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a chain of comfort, a fatal vehicle accident, a pillar of cloud, a pillar of fire, blessed be God, by a roadway in the wilderness, by the comfort, can a women forget her sucking child, Caribana, comforted us by the coming of Titus, depart this earthly life, Don Moen, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, faith, fellowship, Give God thanks and praise, God is always with us, God is the Great Comforter, God will be my guide, God will do something new today, God will make a way, God will never leave us in the lurch, God works in ways we cannot see, graven thee upon the palms of my hands, have compassion on the son of her womb, heaven and earth will fade, His word still remains, hold me closely to his side, I will not forget thee, Jesus Christ, LOVE, love and strength for each new day, mercy, our flesh had no rest, rivers in the desert, sacrifices of praise, salvation, spiritual celebrations, the Father of all mercies, the God of All Comfort, the gospel truth, the Olympics, them which are in any trouble, to go by day and by night, Toronto Carnival, troubled on every side, truth, we may be able to comfort, wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, wisdom, within were fears, without were fightings
2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all mercies, and the God of all comfort.
And the summer festivities continue to make front page news, like the Olympics in France, and the Toronto Carnival, or what ever is its the new name, capturing the lion’s share of the news in Toronto. But please note, that despite the new title, the carnival festivities in Toronto will forever be known as Caribana in the hearts of the people. For names are continually changing, but not so people’s hearts. (smile)
Anyway, it’s Sunday, that means we need to take a break from the external worldly celebrations and turn to the internal spiritual ones in the sanctuary of God with other believers, so we can give Him much thanks and praise for getting us safely through this week and asking for His awesome mercy and grace to continue into the upcoming week. So let’s get on with it by singing our worship song for today, aptly titled, ‘God Will Make A Way!’
And isn’t that the gospel truth, as I found out from personal experience yesterday evening in the Exhibition Stadium, when I was struggling to make it to my venue, and He sent one of the supervisors of the grounds to give us an unexpected lift in his golf cart, and then gave me the strength and energy to walk back the long distance to the car at the end of the show. Now that might be the lesson, or one of the lessons, He wanted me to learn through that experience, who knows, but I’ll surely remember it. (smile)
Unfortunately though, the song we’re about to sing was born out of a much more tragic situation. The author, Don Moen, a previous choir director of The Hour of Power Religious Programme, had some of his family members depart this earthly life in a fatal vehicle accident some years ago, and deep in sorrow, on his way to the accident scene, while contemplating what to do, the Lord placed these words in his heart. Just another sign that God is always with us, whatever our circumstances, and we can always find comfort and reassurance in His presence.
So, let’s offer up sweet sacrifices of praise in a sincere, mid-tempo, soulful version of the song, remembering times when God showed up unexpectedly and calmed our sorrows. Singing: ‘God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way By a roadway in the wilderness, He’ll lead me And rivers in the desert will I see Heaven and Earth will fade but His word will still remain And He will do something new today
Oh, God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way By a roadway in the wilderness, He’ll lead me And rivers in the desert will I see Heaven and Earth will fade but His word will still remain And He will do something new today.
Oh, God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way.’
And if you’ve been a believer for a while, you’ll know that’s absolutely true! No friends, God will NEVER leave us in the lurch! He might not show up exactly when we want Him to, but He’s never late, and knows the best time to make His awesome appearance. And there are scriptures throughout the Bible speaking of God’s comforting nature, a few of which we can take a look at. And possibly the most well known one on the subject is this one from Bruh Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth, where he writes in no uncertain terms.
‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all 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) Wow! Yuh see that mih people! Our God is the Great Comforter! And in comforting us, He gives us the power and the encouragement to comfort others! Isn’t He a most magnificent and LOVING God? He certainly is!
Now listen to this other scripture where the prophet Isaiah talks about singing of God’s Comfort and Mercy. ‘Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking (nursing) child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven (inscribed) thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.’ (Is. 49:13-16)
How much more of the Lord’s comfort can we ask for eh? Even if a mother forsakes her newborn baby, the Lord has promised never to forget His people. And He is a most faithful God. We see him again making a way for His people, Israel, when He brought them out of Egypt. The Bible says: ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, or the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.’ (Ex. 13:21-22) What a great God we serve my brethren!
Then we have this last scripture from Bruh Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, where he writes: ‘For when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without (outside) were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; And not by his coming only, but by the consolation (comfort) wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me (zeal for me); so that I rejoiced the more.’ (2 Cor, 7:5-7)
Yes my fellow saints, even the great apostle Bruh Paul needed comfort at times, and was comforted by the Lord in Macedonia through the coming of Titus with good news from the church at Corinth. Likewise, all of us need comfort at one time or another, and there’s no better place to seek it than from our heavenly Father and each other! Much LOVE!
…God…in His awesome wisdom…provides a chain of comfort…from Him to us…then to each other…and back to Him again…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lesson in every situation, a pox on the judges!, antidote for life's problems, barren womb, better not to vow than vow and not pay, Bible, Christian, delay not to pay it, exalt the horn of his anointed, Exhibition Stadium, faith, girded with strength, Hannah's Prayer, he hath no pleasure in fools, heaven-sent gentleman, I rejoice in thy salvation, inherit the throne of glory, irresponsible judges, Jesus Christ, judge the ends of the earth, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let not arrogancy come out of thy mouth, lifeth up the beggar from the dunghill, LOVE, mediocre show, my heart rejoiceth in the Lord, my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, no rock like our God, Praise the Lord, salvation, Steelband Competition, the barren hath borne seven, the bows of the mighty men are broken, the Lord is a God of knowledge, the Lord maketh poor and he maketh rich, the Lord moves in mysterious ways, the Lord will keep the feet of his saints, there is none holy as the Lord, they that stumbled, total disrepect for patrons, truth, when thou vowest a vow to God, wisdom
1 Samuel 2:1. And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over (smiles at) mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
Well friends, it’s our lazy-day Saturday, and I took full advantage of it this morning after the horrible evening I had last evening attending the Steelband Competition in Toronto. Ah Lord eh, what a nightmare. First of all, just at the entrance to the city, the traffic was horrendous because of road construction. Then, the new location for the Carnival is in the heart of the big Exhibition Stadium, where several activities were scheduled for the same time, and with several roads closed within the stadium, moving around and parking was another disaster.
Then, when you were finally directed to a parking spot on the grass, with cars packed close together, you had to walk at least a quarter mile to the entrance of the show we wanted to attend. But who says the Lord doesn’t work in mysterious ways, for halfway there, a heaven-sent gentleman offered a middle aged woman and us two old men a ride in his golf-cart. Praise the Lord!
Now that was the good part, for when you got into the show you found that the stands were situated behind the judges and the D.J, and both of them had canopies covering them, so you could not see the full stage, which was in front of them. You either had to sit right down at the very front on the first couple of rows, or go to one end of the stand or the other to see anything. I went to the left side of the judges’ placement, which means I didn’t see the right side of any of the seven bands that performed.
It was such a total disrespect to the patrons who were paying their hard earned money to see a mediocre show in the first place, because only about three or four bands really deserved to be there. Our West Indian community has put on some bad shows in our time, but I’ve never seen such total disrespect for the patrons before. And in talking to the duchess this morning, it was apparently the same way with the King and Queen Show the night before.
And the seven, middle-aged to elderly West Indian men who were the judges just sat in their comfortable seats with no sun shining down on them, oblivious to the sad plight of the paying people! A pox on you judges, who have all been involved in entertainment in the city over the years! You should have been big and responsible enough to speak up and have the covering removed, and not be simply concerned with your own comfort.
Then when the competition was over, you had the long walk back to your car, if you could find it in the crazy maze of cars parked all over the grounds. And the sad part is that instead of driving, we spoke about taking the Go-train which stops at the Exhibition grounds, but figured that the last train home would be too early, and we would have to leave before the show was over, which turned out to be untrue. It’s the earliest I’ve ever seen the show finish; shortly after eleven o’clock.
Anway, if the venue for this Competition is the same place next year, God spare life, I won’t be there! I know they won’t miss me, but neither will I miss the terrible organizing that has characterized West Indian promotions in this city for the last fifty odd years. End of my griping! (smile)
Now let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with heartfelt sincerity. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Yes Lord, thank you for the calm and peace that you’re sending into my soul, as I contemplate the events of last evening. I know there is a lesson somewhere in there for me, please help me to see it and learn it. Yes friends, in every situation we encounter, there’s a lesson embedded there for us, that’s how our Lord moves. The problem though, is for us to discern that lesson and then action it in our lives. So please pray that I will be able to discern whatever it was the Lord desires to teach me, in allowing yesterdays fiasco to happen. (smile)
And as for today’s scriptural lesson, I just opened the Good Library and it opened to Hanah’s Prayer and Song, that’s the prophet Samuel’s mother, as she gave her son Samuel to the duty of Lord, as she had vowed if the Lord heard her prayer and opened her barren womb. And it’s a perfect prayer or song for us to sing today and every day. So let’s pray or sing it, whichever you prefer. (smile)
‘And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over (smiles at) mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy (arrogance) come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased (to hunger): so that the barren hath borne seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor our of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar form the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn (strength) of his anointed. And Elkanah (Samuel’s father) went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister (serve) unto the Lord before Eli the priest.’ (1 Sam. 2:1-11)
Yes my fellow believers that’s the kind of faith and prayer life we should have! Hannah prayed sincerely to have a son as she was undergoing torment in her barren life, and vowed that if the Lord heard her prayed she would enlist him in the Lord’s service. And that’s exactly what she did. Unlike many of us who vow to do stuff if the Lord hears our prayers, then don’t keep our promise. But as we sit today and ponder Hannah’s powerful prayer, let’s also remember these wise words of Cousin Sol from Ecclesiastes. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:4-5)
And we should not keep our promises only to God, but to all mankind, which will surely increase the faith, trust and LOVE in our faithless and distrustful world! Much LOVE!
…sincerely walking with God…is the best antidote…for the problems of this earthly life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man after God's own heart, a new flock of believers, a sensitivity to sin, according to thy loving kindness, against thee only have I sinned, backsliders, Blessed is he, blessed is the man, blot out my transgressions, by grace are ye saved through faith, caribana festivities, cast me not away from thy presence, Civic holiday, cleanse me from my sin, confession, create in me a clean heart, crying out for help, day and night, dead to sin, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divien aid, done this evil in thy sight, dysfunctional family, error of their ways, faith, forgiveness, Friday chant, God forbid, have mercy upon me O God, I acknowledged my sin, I will confess my transgressions, in whose spirit there is no guile, it is the gift of God, Jesus Christ, lest any man should boast, LOVE, my bones waxed old, my moisture, my sin is ever before me, not of works, purge me with hyssop, purposeful sin, renew a right spirit within me, salvation, shall we continue in sin, stand strong and steadfast, take not thy holy spirit from me, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that grace may abound, the joy of thy salvation, the multitude of thy tender mercies, thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin, through my roaring all day long, thy hand was heavy upon me, truned into the drought of summer, truth, unto whom the Lord Imputeth n iniquity, wake up and smell the coffee, wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, when I kept silence, whieter than snowmake me to hear joy and gladness, whose sin is covered, whose transgression is forgiven, wisdom
Psalm 32:1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
It’s the big day people; Friday! And it’s especially big in the Province of Ontario because it’s our long Civic weekend holiday, where the yearly Caribana celebrations will be front and centre. They had the King and Queen Competition last night, and tonight the Steelbands will be on stage, then tomorrow the grand parade. So when we shout ‘TGIF! Thank God It’s Friday!’ many will truly be thankful. (smile)
But fortunately, or unfortunately, my time for all the Caribana hoopla is over. I only go to the Steelband competition these days, as I don’t like the sorry spectacle it’s turned into. But that’s just my opinion…and anyway, the ole body can no longer handle all the physical exertion required to participate in the Saturday parade. (smile)
Today however, we’ll look at Psalm 32, where Bruh David talks about Confession and Forgiveness, two things that are ever so necessary in a believer’s life, especially in these ungodly and evil times. So let’s read: ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no iniquity (doesn’t charge his account with sin), and in whose spirit there is no guile (deceit).’ (Ps. 32:1-2)
Ah friends, those are such important words for us as believers. For Jesus died that we could be set free from the bondage of sin, and thus we have forgiveness of our sins through the shed blood of Christ on the cross of Calvary. And as Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians: ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ ((Eph. 2:8-9)
But does that give us the right to sin as we please? Obviously not! And Bruh Paul addresses that question in his letter to the Roman church, when he asks: ‘What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid (certainly not). How shall we, that are dead (who died) to sin, live any longer therein?’ (Rom. 6:1-2)
That means we cannot take advantage of the grace that abounds from God for our sins and keep on living a sinful life. We ought to do our best to live righteously, although we’re still human and will sin occasionally. (smile) However, when we sin, it is in our best interest to ask for God’s forgiveness as soon as possible.
Why? Listen to Bruh David from psalm 32: ‘When I kept silence, my bones waxed (grew) old through my roaring (groaning) all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture (vitality) is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.’ (Ps. 32:3-4) Yes mih bredrin, that’s what happens to us when we don’t confess our sins; they lay heavy on our souls, along with the Lord’s displeasure, such that our vitality, our pleasure in life seems to be lost.
But look at what happens when we confess. Bruh David writes: ‘I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.’ (Ps. 32:5) Now that’s what we ought to do when we know that we have sinned. And we have a very good example of that not being done by Bruh Daid after he had sinned with Bathsheba. He only confessed his sin after the prophet Nathan, on the Lord’s directive, confronted him with it. And you can find that story in 2 Samuel 12. And from that, it seems Psalm 51- A Plea for Forgiveness – was born.
There Bruh David writes: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (be found just) when thou speakest, and be clear (blameless) when thou judgest.’ (Ps. 51:1-4)
And although Bruh David’s sin affected his work for God very much, and his confession and plea for forgiveness was somewhat late, the Lord forgave him because of his sincerity, but for the rest of his life he suffered for it with a dysfunctional family. And according to the scholars: ‘The psalm gives expression to why David was “a man after God’s own heart”: he was not perfect, but he had a sensitivity to sin that few knew about.’
So much so, that after confessing his sin and pleading for forgiveness, he continues with a plea for cleansing. ‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all of mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free (generous) spirit.’ (Ps. 51:7-12)
Yes friends, ofttimes that’s the sort of cleansing we need for some of the sins we’ve committed. But please, let’s remember that if we don’t confess our known sins and ask for forgiveness, they will lay heavily on our conscience and will drag us down, causing us to lose our joy and be very ineffective witnesses for Christ. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, asking for divine aid to live our best lives.
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 as always, the granting of divine aid depends on the examples that we, supposedly faithful believers set. Much LOVE!
…God’s grace should not be abused…by continual and purposeful sin…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a horse of a different colour, a still small voice, be prepared, being proactive, Bible, divine aid, Dr. Charles Stanley, faith, forgotten our mistakes, get enough rest, god, have good success, he will guide you into all truth, holy spirit, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, like a chicken with our heads cut off, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, more than you sow and later than you sow, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, one of the realities of nature, pay for our sins sooner or later, power to solve our problems, pray and sincerely seek your face, pray without ceasing, put the word into action, ready fro whatever may come, rebellious, renew our fellowship with God, salvation, shall not depart out of thy mouth, shew you things to come, sincere meditation on God's word, sinful behaviour, speak the word, take us by surprise, the God who heals, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this book of the law, to show us the truth of Jesus, truth, turn from our evil ways, vacillating nature, when he the Spirit of truth is come, wisdom, wise guidance, you reap what you sow
John 16:13a. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
And once again Monday has graced us with its presence, as it will many more times in our long lives. It’s just one of the realities of nature; day will change to night some seven times … and bother it all, Monday will appear again. (smile) So, since we know it’s going to keep cropping up every seven days, we ought to be prepared for it.
But because of our vacillating nature, and our penchant for overdoing the weekend festivities, Monday seems to take us by surprise, thus, often we’re not ready for it and we get miserable and frustrated by our lack of preparation. And all being prepared means is ‘being proactive and taking steps to ensure that you are ready for whatever may come your way.’
And if we know that Monday is coming, then hopefully on Sunday, we go to church and renew our fellowship with God and other believers, then we stop partying in time for us to get enough rest and get all of our stuff ready for the next morning, so that there will be no need to rush and get angry over the lack of preparation. But knowing what’s right and doing it, are two entirely different things.
So, because of our proud and rebellious nature, plus the deceitful egging on of the devil, we end up foolishly believing that we can handle it all in the morning. But when the morning arrives and we get up late and tired and have to rush around like a chicken with our heads cut off, then it’s a horse of a different colour. And we berate ourselves for not getting enough rest, and not having our things in order, and promise ourselves to do better in future.
However, by the time the next weekend rolls around, we’ve conveniently forgotten our mistake(s) of the previous week and simply do it again, allowing it to become a frustrating cycle. And how do we break that cycle? First, by not listening to the father of lies, the devil, when he sneaks into our subconscious and encourages us to do stuff that we know is obviously wrong. Then we get on the positive track and do what is right by listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus promised the disciples: ‘Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine (what is mine), and shall shew (declare) it unto you.’ (John 16:13-14)
Yes friends, that’s one of the major purposes of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life; to show us the truth of Jesus, so we can repel the lies of Satan. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t happen automatically. We also have a role to play in the proceedings; that’s to attune our hearts and souls to the working of the Holy Spirit, by listening to His still small voice, and paying close attention to the circumstances He creates or changes in our lives.
But that calls for continual prayer, or as Bruh Paul says, ‘Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess. 5:17) Then sincere meditation on God’s Word, and finally, putting the Word into action in our lives, with help of the Holy Spirit. And all of that ties in quite nicely with what the Lord told Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) It’s not rocket science friends, just good, ole, diligent work: study the Word, speak it and put it into action.
That’s the basic formula for godly success. But too many of us supposed believers find that too hard to do, and thus resist the prodding of the Holy Spirit, while listening to lying voice of Satan, encouraging us to do the easy thing, to give into our carnal lusts and desires. And carnal lusts and desires can be indeed nice for a period of time, but please, let’s remember that all our actions have consequences, either bad or good, and there comes a time when that rebellious and sinful behaviour must be paid for.
And no, we won’t like the steep payment required, for as the Maytag repair man famously said: ‘You can pay me now or pay me later, but later will be more expensive.’ That’s why we ought to consider the consequences of our actions before we commit them. And the easiest way to do that, is as the late departed Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) liked to say: ‘Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’
Yes my fellow saints, our major aspiration should be simply obeying God, for if we do that, then He will take care of all of the consequences. And for help to do just that, lets’ go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. 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!’
Now friends, the long and short of the story is, only if we turn from our evil ways, with humility, prayer and sincerely seeking God, will divine aid be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…you reap what you sow…more than you sow…and later than you sow… (Dr. Charles Stanley)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of repentance, aboilshed in his flesh the enmity, acces by one Spirit unto the Father, all one in Christ, an IOUa certificate of debt, being dead in your sins, Bible, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, broken down the middle wall of partition, christianity, contrary to us, dressed in its Sunday best, experience the hope of your salvation, faith, fellowship, For christ is our peace, forgiven you of all trespasses, Gentiles, gift of salvation through grace, I come to the cross, in one body by the cross, indebted to God, into the presenece of the King of Kings, into your strength, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jews, looking like riff raff, LOVE, mercy, nailing it to the cross, one new man, open our hearts and souls, out of my weakness, paid the price for my guilt, preached peace, quickened together with him, reconcile both unto God, remember me, salvation, seeking mercy and grace, show some respect to the Lord's sovereignty, spiritual life, sweet sacrifices of praise, tears in my heart, the Mosaic Law, the uncircumcision of your flesh, the wonder of Christ's crucifixion, to make in himself of twain, to them that were nigh, to you whcih were afar, today thou shalt be with me in paradise, took it out of the way, truth, when thou comest into thy kingdom, wisdom, you call me by name, you died in my place, you welcome this child that was lost, your arms are open
Colossians 2:14. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.
Here comes Sunday, here comes Sunday, dressed in its Sunday best! Ah friends, remember the days when going to church was a fashion show? Everybody dressed in the clothes they only wore on Sundays…and the ladies with their fantastic hats. No lady would go to church without a hat! Now that might have been a bit much, because many of us just went to church to see what our friends and neighbours were wearing and to gossip about their ensemble later on.
But today things have turned right around, people go to church looking any ole how. And technically speaking, we’re not going to church for the clothes, because the Lord will accept us anyhow, once our hearts are sincere. But with the Lord’s sovereignty we should still show some respect by going into the Lord’s house looking decent. We don’t go into the presence of earthly kings looking untidy and unkempt, so why go into the presence of the King of Kings looking like riff raff eh?
Anyway, enough of my spiel, let’s talk about our opening song. It’s a song written in 2003 by Bob Somma and Bill Batstone, and very wisely titled ‘I come to the Cross.’ It’s basically a song of repentance and salvation, of where our strength lies, where the foundation of our faith is laid – in the cross of Jesus. So, let’s offer up sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, heartfelt version. And as we sing the poignant, touching words, let’s imagine ourselves at the foot of Jesus’ cross, offering repentance for our sins, and receiving His offer of salvation through grace.
Like one of the two criminals crucified with Christ, who confessed his sin, and said unto Jesus: ‘Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ (Luke 23:42-43) And before we get into the song, let me share this commentary on that scripture:
“Today, you will be with me in paradise.” Let that soak in, that for all who trust in who Jesus is, and what Jesus has done on the cross, in the moment you die on this earth, that day, that moment, you will be with Jesus in paradise, in heaven. You will experience the hope of your salvation.’ It couldn’t get any better than that friends!
So let’s sing: ‘I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Humbly, I come to the cross. I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross. Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame,
Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross. I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross. Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame, Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross Jesus, I come to the cross…Jesus, I come to the cross….’
Oh my people, the words of that song ring so true that there can be no doubt about them. And to show how powerful they can be, please read this comment on the song from an impressed listener. She writes: ‘Praise the Lord. Thank you for the wonderful song “I Come To The Cross.” When I first heard this song, I was so touched by it and found tears in my heart because He died on the cross for my sins and this song really opened my eyes and my whole being to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior for as long as He allows me to live. So again, thank you for your wonderful ministry. May God bless you and may your ministry touch someone else the same way it touched me. Your sister in Christ, Salaia.’
Yes friends, that’s the way the words of the song ought to touch us; to open our hearts and souls to the wonder of Jesus crucifixion on the cross of Calvary and what it accomplished on our behalf. Then to bring us to our knees before our Lord and Saviour, admitting that we’re helpless without Him, and offering much thanks and praise for His selfless work in our ungodly and sinful lives.
And this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Colossians admirably explains the song, or vice versa, the song explains the scripture. (smile) ‘And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. (Col. 2:13-14)
And the scholars offer this explanation of those scriptures. ‘2:13. As per You … hath he quickened: God gave them new spiritual life. 2:14. The handwriting of ordinances: They say, in secular literature, this “handwriting” was an IOU signed by the debtor. Here it might be paraphrased “a certificate of debt consisting of decrees.” This refers to the Mosaic Law, which the Jews had contracted to obey, and to which Gentiles by conscience were obligated. Owing to man’s inability to fulfill this obligation of obedience, he was therefore indebted to God. But through Christ this debt was graciously blotted out.’
Making it the most wonderful gift of God ever! Now, listen to this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, on ‘Christ Our Peace,’ which also helps us understand the selfless and magnificent job that Christ has done on our behalf. ‘For he (Christ himself) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition (division) between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make (create) in himself of twain (the two) one new man, so making peace.
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain (put to death) the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to you which were afar, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.’ (Eph. 2:14-18)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s indeed a wonderful scripture! For, Christ’s coming to earth and dying an atoning death in our stead and with His philosophy of peace and LOVE, had turned the two antagonistic groups of Jews and Gentiles into one single new group, the Christian church.
The scholars tell us, ‘He did this by removing the middle wall of partition, that is, the Mosaic Law. The law was meant to protect Jews from pagan corruptions; but by misconstruing the purpose of the law, the Jews felt superior to Gentiles, who were incensed at this arrogance. So Jesus abolished this enmity (hatred), caused by an abuse of the law, by making the law invalid for His church. Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles now compose this “one new man” or Christian church.’
Oh friends, what a Master Builder was our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Only He could have broken down those walls of enmity and hatred and brought us all into one group, His church. Therefore, considering that magnificent work, shouldn’t we be more LOVING and tolerant of each other, members of the same organization, who all found our salvation at the cross of Christ? Of course! So please, let’s spend some time today pondering the many divisions and dissensions in Christ’s church, and how we can reduce them. Much LOVE!
…through Christ…we are all one…and one for all…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great King above all Gods, at they right hand are pleasures evermore, Bible, Caribana, come before his presence with thanksgiving, cultural festivities', deepen my breath, divine presence, end of the summer, even unto the end of the world, faith, found grace in thy sight, god, God's presence permeating our souls, hibernate, I know thee by name, I love them that love me, in thy presence is fullness of joy, increase my awareness of you, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lo I am with you always, LOVE, my flesh shall rest in hope, my heart is glad, prayer, relax my muscles, search for me with all your heart, seek his face evermore, seek the Lord and his strength, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, shew me the path of life, slwo my thoughts, the last weekend in July, the Lord is a great God, those that seek me early will find me, thou goest with us, truth, where have all the flowers gone, wisdom, ye shall seek me and find me, your peace and love are present
Proverbs 8:17. I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.
Oh friends, can you believe that this is already the last weekend in July? Didn’t we just celebrate Canada Day on the first day of the month? How can we be seeing the end so soon eh? Next week we’ll be talking about August… and you know what that means – the end of summer! Brother! The days are running away from us, and in a li’l while, we’ll be sadly asking, where have all the flowers gone, as the cold weather steps in and the flora and fauna hibernate for another winter.
Thankfully though, all of that’s in the future. We’ve still got time to enjoy the lazy, hazy days of summer. But we have to be quick about it. And there are lots of summer festivities still to come, like Caribana, the EX; that big Canadian Fair at the Exhibition grounds, and every weekend there’s some cultural group celebrating their old homeland with food, drink and other cultural activities. So although the summer’s moving along fast, it’s still far from over.
But before we get out there and enjoy it all, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with sincere, heartfelt emotions. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And we can now feel God’s awesome presence permeating our souls and spirits even more than before, because that’s the kind of prayer the Lord just LOVES to answer. You can’t ask for anything dearer to His heart, than more of His presence in your life. And there are numerous scriptures that advise us to do just that. So let’s look at some of those scriptures about seeking God, about seeking His face.
And this verse from Jeremiah is probably the best one to start with, where the Lord says through the prophet: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) That says it all my brethren! To find God, to come into His holy presence, we must seek Him with all of our heart. Nothing less will do. But that’s why many of us seek God and can’t find Him; we don’t do it sincerely, or with all of our hearts, but for selfish, lustful purposes. Obviously He won’t show up under such circumstances.
Then Psalm 105 tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.’ (Ps. 105:4) Yes friends, we’re to continually seek God’s face, seek His presence continually, every day, all day! And we see it in action when Moses prays for the Lord’s presence.
‘And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight, and consider that this nation is thy people. And he (the Lord) said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
And he (Moses) said unto him (the Lord), If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.’ (Ex. 33:12-17)
Oh my fellow believers, you see how important the Lord’s presence was in the eyes of Moses. If He wasn’t with him and the Israelite people, he didn’t want to go any further, because the Lord’s presence showed that they were safe, separated and protected from other people. It’s the same with us today. If we don’t have God’s presence in our lives, we stand a greater chance of being hurt or destroyed, physically, spiritually or emotionally. And we’ll never feel truly safe while journeying though this strife-filled and evil world.
Meanwhile, in Psalm 16 – God Preserves His People, Bruh David writes: ‘I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins (heart) also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (the abode of the dead); neither wilt thou suffer (allow) thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps. 16:7-11)
Yes friends, as this commentary explains: Bruh David is speaking of ‘the divine presence as the place that is most desired, that gives “fullness of joy” (verse 11). From beginning to end Psalm 16 testifies to a life that finds its ultimate rest in God’s protective presence.’ You cannot find any fault whatsoever with that statement, because it’s the gospel truth! Then Psalm 95 wisely advises: ‘Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and great King above all gods.’ (Ps. 95:2-3) No disputing that either!
And no scriptures will ever be complete without a word of wisdom from Cousin Sol. On this particular subject, he conclusively states: ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’ (Prov. 8:17) Now that’s simply more gospel truth! And there are no better verses to end with than these two from Jesus. The first is the greatest advice going: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) If we’re wise, we’ll do exactly that. And this last one just ramps up our level of assurance in God: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
Now there’s no better reassurance that that my fellow believers! Jesus promised to be with us right down to the very end, and since we know that He keeps all His promise, we can go home today, unafraid, totally reassured, rejoicing in His awesome holy presence. Much LOVE!
…if you’re not in God’s presence…then you’re not enjoying the fullness of life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, all have sinned, Bible, carnal desires, Christ died for us, Christ's atoning death, christianity, clean up our act, come short of the glory of God, compassion, crying out for help, divine aid, eternal life through Jesus Christ, every good and perfect gift is from above, faith, fellowship, firstfruits of his creatures, Friday chant, god, God commendeth his own love toward us, God is the same yesterday today and forever, grace, gratitude, in whom I will trust, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my deliverer, my strength, no shadow of turning, omnipotent help, reciprocate God's love, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, set free from bondage to sin, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the earth is the Lord's, the error of their ways, the Father of lights, the fulness thereof, the gift of God, the horn of my salvation, The Lord is my rock, the throne of grace, the wages of sin is death, the weekend, the word of truth, trusting faith, truth, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, while we were yet sinners, wisdom, with whom is no variableness, worthwhile examples of Christian living
Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.
And then it was Friday, that magical day, where much of the world joyfully shouts ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last! No more dreary and dreadful work for a couple of days! Thank The Lord!’ Then we go off for the weekend, do our own carnal and lustful thing and entirely forget about the Lord who granted us the weekend away from the dreary and dreadful work! Now that’s gratitude for you! Forgetting about the One who has given you all good things!
Remember what James, Jesus’ brother says about that? ‘Do not err (be deceived) my beloved brethren. 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. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:16-18)
Yes friends, God is the creator and owner of everything in this universe, as Bruh David so rightly informs us in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2) And as James tells us above, He’s good and faithful and all good things originate and emanate from Him.
Then He’s also stable, solid as a rock, He doesn’t change! He’s the same yesterday, today and forever! And there could be no more appropriate scripture to show that attribute than these words of Bruh David from psalm 18: ‘I will LOVE thee. O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).’ (Ps. 18:1-2)
And furthermore, on top of all of that, God has redeemed us to be the first step or first fruits in His redemption of all creation! And isn’t that the most wonderful fact ever! It most certainly is! For if God didn’t LOVE us with an immeasurable passion, we would all be headed straight for hellfire and eternal damnation. But because of His great LOVE, as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his great LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Wow mih bredrin! Can you imagine a Creator LOVING His creation so much that He would move heaven and earth to give them a chance to survive their sinful and rebellious nature and be reconciled back to Him? Well that’s exactly what our great God did! He put a plan in place that we could have a second chance; that we could repent, believe on His Son, Jesus Christ and be set free from our bondage to sin and live in eternity with Him. Now, if that isn’t the greatest and most unselfish gift ever, then I don’t know what is!
Remember friends, the Lord broke His own heart on our behalf, by pinning all our abominable sins on His sinless and selfless Son, and having Him die the death we were supposed to die. And let’s not forget what the Good Library says on that subject. ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom. 3:23) Consequently the scriptures say: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23)
So, my fellow believers, you can see that Jesus death on the cross of Calvary had the greatest impact in this world, since its original creation! It was an atoning death! A death in our stead! Imagine a father condemning his only son to death to pay for a bunch of ungrateful, rebellious people nuh. Very few fathers, if any, would make that great sacrifice. But our God did it on our behalf! That just goes to show how much He LOVES us!
That then raises the question, why can’t we reciprocate that LOVE, which is only good and proper, compassionate, longsuffering, filled with grace and mercy, amongst many other attributes. It just boggles the imagination that after the Lord did so much for us, that we still have the ‘boldfaceness,’ the audacity to refuse His LOVING attentions and turn to the sinful and death bearing things of the evil one, Satan, the ex-archangel Lucifer, who got kicked out of heaven for having the audacity, the foolish pride, to try to overthrow God’s kingdom!
He forgot that he was only a creation of God, and how can the created overthrow the Creator eh? But, unfortunately, it’s the same thing that so many of us are doing right now; thumbing our noses at God and blatantly fulfilling the carnal desires of our flesh, devilishly and selfishly encouraged by Satan. Oh friends, it’s time for us to get wise to the devil’s shenanigans. He doesn’t care one iota for us. He’s just looking for company in eternal separation from God. Meanwhile Almighty God cares so much for us, as He’s proven through Jesus Christ.
Now, let’s go to His throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, and ask for His help to handle our earthly problems in these desperate times of need. 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!’
Let’s be aware though, that no divine aid will be forthcoming, until we clean up our act and show ourselves to be worthwhile examples of Christian living. Much LOVE!
…God has done all He can to win our LOVE… the rest is up to us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversity, be of good courage, Bible, Blessed be the name of the Lord, count it all joy, creativity, curse, curse God and die, enduring to the end, faith, favour, fret not because of him who prospers, fret not thyself, fruit of the Spirit, god, He also shall be my salvation, he shall strengthen thine heart, he who endures to the end shall be saved, health, in your patience posses ye your souls, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Job prayed for his friends, longsuffering, LOVE, naked came I out of my mother's womg, naked shall I return thither, negative word, one who lives by faith and not by sight, pateince is bitter but its fruit is sweet, patience, perseverance, Rest in the Lord, shall we not receive evil, shall we receive good at the hand of God, talent, the drudgery of work, the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning, The Lord gave and He hath taken away, Though he slay me, to lose patience is to lose the battle, trials produce patience, trials test our faith, tribulation worketh patience, truth, unquenchable faith, wait in faith on the Lord, wait patiently for him, yet will I trust him
Luke 21:19. In your patience possess ye your souls.
It’s Thursday friends! One more day to Friday, our day of escape from the drudgery of work! (smile) And though work might not be to our liking, let’s realize its utmost importance in our lives, for remember, if we don’t work, most likely we won’t eat. Nuff said. Now, let’s fulfill our promise of a couple of days ago to continue looking into that magnificent, but oh so hard to cultivate, fruit of the Spirit called patience.
The last time we saw how James talked about counting it all joy when we fall into various trials, because those trials test our faith and produce patience. (James 1:2-3) And that’s the cut-tail thing about patience, it can only grow through adversity, through disappointments and such. Because patience is not only waiting for whatever we expect, but also waiting with a good temperament and behaviour.
That’s why Bruh David says in Psalm 27: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) And again in Psalm 35, he advises: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass.’ (Ps. 35:7)
But what does it mean to wait on the Lord? This commentary puts it quite simply. ‘In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust. To hope and trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end.’ Yes friends, we need all of those things to be able to acquire that elusive attribute overall called patience. And we cannot grow in spiritual maturity without it. and no, it’s not easy to acquire, but it’s an essential part of true discipleship.
Look at the story of Job, where the Lord allowed Satan to come against him. He was a righteous man and had not done any apparent wrong, but yet, in short time he lost everything; health, wealth, children. And when he heard the terrible news, what was his response? The Bible tells us: ‘Then Job arose, and rent (tore) his mantle (robe), and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshipped. And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly (accused Him with wrong).’ (Job. 1:20-22)
Now, how many of us would have had that reaction to such a terrible loss? Very few, if any. But that was Job’s reaction. Then his wife said to him: ‘dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.’ (Job 2:9-10)
And when three of Job’s supposed friends showed up to ostensibly comfort him, all they could think of and harp on was that Job had committed some big sin, that’s why such disaster had befallen him. And although he kept telling them he had committed no terrible sin, they still lectured him as though he had. Fine friends those. But here’s the very essence of Job’s faith. Despite his disaster, he could still declare: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust him: but I will maintain (defend) mine own ways before him. he also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.’ (Job 13:15-16)
Oh my fellow believers, what faith! As the scholars say; Job’s words ‘express the unquenchable faith of one who lives by faith, not by sight. Even when it appears that God Himself has turned against Job, he will still trust God.’ Now that’s the kind of faith we all need to have in these evil times if we desire to make a difference, to be the salt and light that Jesus desires us to be. Unfortunately though few of us have it…and even fewer want to develop it, because it takes sacrifice and adversity.
But look at Job’s final situation. The Bible informs us that when Job prayed for his friends, the Lord gave him twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:10) Also: ‘The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning:’ and it goes on to tell of all the wealth and children Job received. (Job 42:12-15) And furthermore: ‘After this lived job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days.’ (Job 42:16-17)
Yes friends, it’s a great story, and it’s why Job is called the Father of Patience. But it’s certainly not an easy story to enact, especially in these times of ease, wealth and much entitlement. However, we do have to do better than we’re currently doing; increasing our patience, and thus our faith, and putting it as best we can into action…right now!
Note too, this commentary on what Jeus taught on patience. ‘Jesus said, “In your patience possess ye your souls” (Luke 21:19). He also emphasized, “He who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13 NKJV). Some things don’t happen overnight, and it takes patience to get there.’ And that’s for certain sure my brethren, as these famous words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome indicate.
‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience (produces perseverance); And patience, experience (character); and experience hope: And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); because the LOVE of God is shed abroad (has been poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’ (Rom. 5:1-5)
Yes my people, patience is a difficult thing to acquire, but if we want to be true followers of Christ, we must sincerely seek to acquire it. Now let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) our Thursday Blessings so we can activate those blessings that the Lord has very generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
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!’
Now, we’re duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
… “To lose patience is to lose the battle. —Mahatma Gandhi… “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” —Jean-Jacques Rousseau…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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