06 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep longing for God, a disciplined mind, a man of God, a pilgrim feast, a shattering of my bones, a sword in my bones, an attitude change, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, but of power love and a sound mind, Christian witness, come to faith in Christ, day and night, deep calleth unto deep, despite all of our hardships, divine aid, do a good job for Jesus, doing the right things, don't know which way to turn, faith, for my name's sake, frustration is our lot, getting the wrong results, God has not given us the spirit of fear, gone with the multitude, good for a man, hated by all men, he that endureth to the end shall be saved, hell in a handbasket, his song shall be with me, holy spirit, hope and wait quietly for the Lord's salvation, hope thou in God, humble servants, I remember these things, in the night, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, kept a holyday, LOVE, mercy, my enemies reproach me all the day, my prayer, my soul is cast down within me, my tears have been my meat, never give up, not making any headway, pour out my soul, praise God for His presence, praise him for the help of his countenance, praise Your Holy Name, profess our faith, promise to prosper us, reassuring words, remember all the Lord's done for us, remember thee from the land of Jordan, salvation, say unto my rock, show this evil world, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, so panteth my soul after thee O God, standing strong and steadfast, strong faith in Christ, summer in October, the God of my life, the God who heals, the health of my countenance, the hill Mizar, the house of God, the Lamentations of Jeremiah, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the Lord is my portion, the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the daytime, the mass confusion in our world, the noise of thy waterspouts, the noise of waterfalls, the oppression of the enemy, the power to solve our many problems, the situation is in our hands, the sons of Korah, the voice of joy, therefore will I hope in him, thirsting for God, to the soul that seeketh him, truth, trying times, turn from our evil ways, unbelievers are laughing at us, uncertain times, waves and billows, we're lost, what are we going to do about it, When shall I come and appear before God, where is thy God, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, why go I mourning, why hast thou forgotten me, wisdom, work everything out for our good
Psalm 42:1. As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
And even if you don’t like Mondays, you must admit that this is certainly a beautiful one; summer in October, and that alone should boost your spirits and encourage you to do a good job for Jesus today, this first day of our work week. (smile) In fact, we ought to be reminded of these marvellous words from Psalm 42, as the Sons of Korah sincerely declare: ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2)
Yes my faithful brethren, in these terrible and uncertain times, many of us are thirsting for God, we have a deep longing for Him, because we’re lost and don’t know which way to turn. Frustration is our lot, regardless of what we do. We confess like the psalmists: ‘My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?’ (Ps. 42:3)
And sadly my people, many of us are facing such trying times as our world goes to hell in a handbasket. The unbelievers are indeed laughing at us, when we profess our faith and yet are not making any or much headway in this life. They mock us by asking where is the great God we talk about; the One who is supposed to help us make it successfully through this earthly life?
But like the Sons of Korah further declare: ‘When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them into the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (a pilgrim feast).’ (Ps. 42:4) And it can indeed be tough when we believe we’re doing all the right things, but are getting the wrong results. Thus, we question: ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps. 42:5)
Now that last half of the verse is how we should be standing strong and steadfast despite all our hardships and difficulties. Why? Because the Lord did not promise that we would not see tough times, but that in the long run He would work everything out for our good. (Rom. 8:28) Therefore, despite circumstances that cause our souls to be cast down and disquieted, we need to still praise the Lord, while remembering all that He’s done for us in the past.
And though the psalmist continues his lament, he nonetheless does just that. ‘O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites from the hill (mount) Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts (waterfalls): all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command his LOVING-KINDNESS in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.’ (Ps. 42:6-8)
And will we ever be surprised at how our attitude changes when we remember all the things that God has done in our lives. So, though we still sadly lament: ‘I will say unto my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
As with a sword in my bones (a shattering of my bones), mine enemies’ reproach (revile) me; while they say daily (all day long) unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance (my salvation).’ (Ps. 42:9-11)
Yes my fellow believers, once we come to faith in Christ, we will possibly find more problems simply because of that fact. For as Jesus said: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ (Matt. 10:22) So the important thing is never to give up, regardless of how tough times and things might get.
Now, here are the encouraging and reassuring words of another man of God who had a hard life, lamented much, but never gave up. We’re talking about the prophet Jeremiah, who wrote in his Lamentations: ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:24-26)
And there’s no better advice that that in the Bible. But it’s also hard to take it when things are tough. So, let’s go to the throne of grace, through Our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid with our many problems. 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 as our prayer indicates, to receive that divine aid, we need to improve our Christian witness with acts like sincere repentance, turning from our evil ways, and seeking God more than ever! That means the situation is in our hands…So what are going to do about it eh? Much LOVE!
…God has not given us the spirit of fear…but of power…and of LOVE…and of a sound (disciplined) mind… (2 Tim. 1:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a little while I am with you, a means of restoring faith in you, a new flock of believers, all ye that are upright in heart, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, an everlasting promise of God, be glad in God's loving-kindness, be glad in the Lord, be responsible, be ye not as the horse or mule, by the example we faithful believers set, call ye upon him while he is near, crying out for your help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, discontent, dissatisfaction and discouragement, divine intervention, embrace your love and compassion, faith, Friday chant, God's omnipotent help, have no understanding, he that trusts in the Lord, he will abundantly pardon, he will have mercy upon him, heard you in an accepted time, holy spirit, I acknowledged my sin, I have heard thee in a time accepted, I will confess my transgressions, in the day of salvation, in the way thou shalt go, instruct and teach thee, Jesus Christ, Jesus is seated at the Father's right hand, let him return unto the Lord, let the wicked forsake his way, LOVE, many sorrows shall be to the wicked, mercy, mercy shall compass him about, mine iniquity have I not hid, now is the accepted time, our sinful world, persecution, plagued by hatred anger and greed, preserve me from trouble, receive not the grace of God in vain, rejoice ye righteous, return backsliders to your fold, running rampant in our world, salvation, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, seeking God, Selah, serious problems are escalating, shall not come near unto him, shout for joy, show them the error of their ways, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, strife-filled, stubborn horses, surround me with songs of deliverance, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the abundant pardoning of God, the Great tribulation, the most important concern, the simmering unrest, the unrighteous man his thoughts, thou art my hiding place, thou forgavest me mine iniquity, to our God, trusting faith, truth, turbulent times, uncertain times, unexpected storms, ungodly times, unsatisfactory, upright in heart, violence, whose mouth must be held with bit and bridle, wisdom, wise advice, wise guidance, ye shall seek me and shall not find me, you forgave my iniquity
Isaiah 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
And then, finally, it was Friday! That much beloved last day of our work week, where we offer up shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ And we ought not to give thanks for only Fridays, but for every day we are granted the amazing and most wonderful grace of God to see a new one, especially a nice, bright and sunshiny, fairly warm day like today, early in the month of October. (smile)
Now, we’re on the late bus, because the ole fella went to bed late, and thus got up late, so there’s no time to lose, (smile) let’s get straight into the scripture passage we want to look at today. It comes from the Book of Isaiah, where he’s telling the people about the abundant pardoning of the Lord. He therefore advises: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:6-7)
Yes friends, those words are also very applicable to the evil and ungodly situation we have running rampant in our world today! It would be oh so awesome if many of the unrighteous and ungodly would take that wise advice, then our world would not be as strife-filled and plagued by hatred, anger, greed and deceit as it currently is.
That reminds us of Jesus telling the Pharisees: ‘Yet a little while I am (shall be) with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.’ (John 7:33-34) Obviously the Pharisees did not understand His words, and they still apply to us today, for the wicked and ungodly cannot go to heaven where Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.
It’s also as Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians, re the Day of Salvation. ‘We then as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured (helped) thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Cor. 6:1-2)
Now, Bruh Paul is there quoting from Is. 49:8, but the important matter is that today, right now, there’s a dire need for salvation, for Jesus can return to take us home at any time on any day, and if we’re not prepared, having accepted him as Lord and Saviour, then crapaud smoke we pipe! We’re remaining here to face enormous hardship, violence and persecution in the seven years of Tribulation, that comes after the Rapture. So it only makes sense to call on Jesus right now, while He is near and may be found.
It’s like Bruh David says in Psalm 32, titled Confession and Forgiveness. ‘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. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh (near) 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. 32:5-7)
Oh my people, these turbulent and uncertain times are when we should all concentrate on turning to God Almighty for succour and relief, for He is the ONLY ONE who can truly and sincerely offer us that. It’s like Bruh David continues in Psalm 32 about God’s plans and desires. He says: ‘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 with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.’ Ps. 32:8-9)
Yes my brethren that’s an everlasting promise of God! If we turn to Him He will show us how to go about this life in a successful manner. And He sent His Holy Spirit to help us do just that! However, too many of us are still behaving like stubborn horses and mules, as though we have no understanding of godly things. But please remember, as Bruh David further warns: ‘Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass (surround) him about. 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 believers, there could be no better advice than that! So please, let’s take it to heart nuh. Let’s turn from our evil ways back to the Lord of our forefathers, so that He can lead and guide us safely, through His Holy Spirit, and we can rejoice and be glad in His LOVING-KINDNESS! Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us do what we need to do!
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!’
Ah friends, we talk a good talk, but our Chrisitan witness is unsatisfactory, and we badly need to improve it, for only then, will we receive divine intervention! Much LOVE!
…seeking God…right now…is the most important concern in today’s world
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious opportunity for man, a great high priest, a great moment, a man lay down his life for his friends, a passionate and comforting call, accept Him as Lord and Saviour, anointed me to preach the gospel, at the feet of Christ, cannot be touched by our infirmities, cannot walk, Christ rose triumphantly from the dead, come boldly unto the throne of grace, come to know and love Him, come to save that which was lost, come unto me all ye that labour, Daniel Herbert, dare not talk, disaster-prone world, empathize with our weaknesses, eternal life, ever was the same, faith, faith doesn't make it easy, faith makes it possible, find grace, find rest for your souls, gentle and humble, give you rest, go to waste, greater love hath no man than this, guilt and sin, he hears the sigh or groan, he makes alive, hold fast our profession., holy spirit, I sigh, I'm lame, if you do whatsoever I command you, in all points, in the annals of man's history, in time of need, Jehovah is the sinner's friend, Jesus Christ, Jesus fills the throne, Jesus Son of God, Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, joy shall be in heaven, lay your load at Jesus feet, learn from me, lost blind and lame, LOVE, makes the blind to see, makes the dead to hear his voice, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, more than over ninety nine just persons, my burden light, my yoke ie easy, no practical experience of human life, obtain mercy, over one repentant sinner, passed into the heavens, plead what he has done, poor bankrupt souls, preach deliverance to the captives, preach the acceptable year of the Lord, recovery of sight to the blind, salvation, sanctified, selfless sacrifice, set apart for godly purposes, set the prisoner free, stopped my mouth, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, tempted like as we are, that are bruised, the first Sunday after Easter, the Lord will take you in, the parables of the lost sheep coin and son, the prodigal son, the sinner lost He came to save, the Son of man, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, the weight of our sins, the weight of the whole world, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears, those he kills, to all who feel the weight of their sin, to find mercy, to heal the brokenhearted, to help, to set them at liberty, truth, uncertain times, we owe Jesus much thanks, which need no repentance, whosoever comes, wisdom, without sin, ye are my friends, ye wretched sinners come
Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
And it’s the first Sunday after that marvellous and miraculous Easter Sunday, where Christ rose triumphantly from the dead, and it was such a great moment in the annals of man’s history, such a glorious opportunity for mankind, that we’re still celebrating it. (smile) And we’ll be celebrating it for a long while yet! (smile)
Today though, we’ll sing a song that only Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection makes possible. The song is aptly titled “Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace” and was written by Daniel Herbert (1751 – 1833), a congregational minister who served at Sudbury in Suffolk. It is a passionate and comforting call to all who feel the weight of their sin to come and find mercy at the feet of Christ. And in these uncertain and difficult times, many of us are feeling not only the weight of our sins but also the weight of the whole confused and disaster-prone world in which we currently live.
So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo version, being sincerely thankful for the throne of grace that we have such open access to. Singing: ‘Come boldly to the throne of grace, Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet, And plead what He has done. How can I come? Some soul may say, I’m lame and cannot walk; My guilt and sin have stopped my mouth, I sigh, but dare not talk. Come boldly to the throne of grace, Though lost, and blind, and lame; Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same.
He makes the dead to hear His voice; He makes the blind to see, The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free. Come boldly to the throne of grace, For Jesus fills the throne; and those He kills, He makes alive; He hears the sigh or groan; Poor bankrupt souls, Who feel and know, the hell of sin within; Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in. Come Boldly to the throne of grace; The Lord will take you in…the Lord will take you in…Yes the Lord will take you in…take you in’
And that’s the living truth my people! Regardless of your problems, your sins, your guilt or whatever, if you come sincerely to Jesus, He WILL TAKE YOU IN! No doubt about it! But you now have to come to Him, because He’s already done His work, dying and rising from the grave so that you can have the wonderful options of salvation and eternal life. It’s available to whosoever who comes and asks for it.
But getting back to our hymn for today, the basis for it is found right there in the Bible, in Hebrews 4, which states: ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (weaknesses), but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
Oh my faithful brethren, what a magnificent scripture! Firstly, it assures us that Christ our high priest is in heaven after completing His earthly work. And in so doing, He was tempted in all ways and manners like we are, but did not sin. Therefore He can empathize with our temptations and mistakes, unlike the other so-called gods who have no practical experience whatsoever of human life and problems. But our Jesus does! That’s why we can confidently go to the throne of grace seeking grace and mercy anytime we so desire.
And all God’s people said a loud and thankful, ‘Thank You Jesus!’ Yes friends, do we ever owe Jesus a bunch of thanks for all that He’s done for us. We can never offer up enough thanks to satisfy His selfless sacrifice, neither can we ever make up for it. He knows that, and thus all He really wants from us is to genuinely accept Him as Lord and Saviour and live the life that He desires of us; one that’s sanctified and set apart for His purpose only, encouraging others to come to know and LOVE Him like we do.
And there are some individual scriptures that parts of the song bring to mind, like: ‘Ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus feet,’ That surely reminds of Jesus’ ‘Great Invitation’ where He so graciously and generously offers: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Now there’s no greater invitation in this world, but unfortunately an amazing number of people have turned it down. Only to their own eventual demise. Then there’s the line that says: ‘Jehovah is the sinner’s friend, And ever was the same.’ Here’s what Jesus said to the disciples, and consequently to us. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:13-14)
And what about this line? ‘The sinner lost, He came to save, And set the prisoner free.’ Yes my fellow believers, that’s exactly what Jesus came to do, as He said that day when He lunched with the tax collector Zaccheus. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:10) Then to amplify that statement, in Luke 15, Jesus tells the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son (Prodigal Son), where the owners of the sheep and the coin, or the father never gave up looking for what was lost. And He offers this sentiment: ‘I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just (upright) persons, which need no repentance.’ (Luke 15:7)
And there’s no better scripture on Jesus’ earthly role to close with than this one where He read from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue of His hometown of Nazareth. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set them at liberty that are bruised (oppressed). To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’(Luke 4:18-19)
And after he closed the scroll, with all eyes on him, He solemnly informed them: ‘This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (hearing).’ (Luke 4:21) And so it was friends, Jesus fulfilled all that He came to do. The rest is now up to us. Please, let’s not disappoint Him, and make all His selfless sacrifice go to waste! Much LOVE!
… faith doesn’t make it easy…faith makes it possible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, all the days of your life, anxiety, as I was with Moses, backsliders, be not dismayed, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, be strong and of good courage, Bible, bring down trouble on me, cast thy burden upon the Lord, cause them to inheit it, christianity, confusion, crying out for help, dire need, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, do not give up, experience builds our faith, faith, fear thou not, for I am with thee, Friday chant, get on the good foot, give ear to my prayer, he shall sustain thee, he will not fail thee, holy spirit, I am thy God, i have overcome the world, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, I will strengthen you, I will trust in thee, I will uphold you, improve our witness for Christ, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, lawless times, learning God's word, LOVE, meditating on god's word, mercy, moan noisly, neither forsake thee, never permit the righteous to be moved, no man, omnipotent help, problems escalating, prosperity, putting God's word into action, reassuring scripture, salvation, simmering unrest, so will I be with thee, stand strong in the Lord, strong trust in God, success, surrender, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the Lord doth go before thee, the Lord thy God, the Lord thy God with thee whithersoever thou goest, the oppression of the wicked, the plea of the fearful, the right hand of my righteousness, the throne of grace, the troubles of life, the voice of the enemy, the weekend, these things I have spoken unto you, they cast iniquity upon me, times of trouble, trust in God, trusting faith, truth, uncertain times, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wisdom
John 16:33. ‘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.’
So, at long last it’s Friday, and we can all shout, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ And it’s another beautiful, sunshiny one to start the weekend, with reasonable temperatures too. And, as Cousin James, James Brown, would enthusiastically shout: ‘Let’s get on the good foot!’ Yes friends, we need to begin taking our faith and our duties to it more seriously, especially in these lawless and chaotic times, for it’s only our surrender to and strong trust in Jehovah God that will get us through them.
These are very scary and uncertain times that not many of us have ever faced, but because we’ve had some experience with God in previous times of trouble, we do know that He will see us through, if we abide by His will and put our fate in His wonderful, helping and strengthening hands. And the Bible gives us a whole lot of those reassuring scriptures, verses like this one from Isaiah: ‘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)
What a beautiful and reassuring verse of scripture my people! And even before that, Moses’ words when he turned over the leadership of Israel to Joshua is an inspiring scripture: “Moses said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:7-8)
And we know how the Lord Himself later on reiterated and pounded Moses’ words into Joshua’s ears after Moses died and he actually took over. First though, He promised Joshua: ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5)
Now that’s a wonderful reassurance, but it also came with great responsibility, like we see in verses 7-9. Being strong and courageous and constantly meditating on God’s Word and putting it into practice was essential, because that is what would bring prosperity. And I just LOVE verse 9. ‘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 whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9)
Oh my people, it couldn’t get any better than that! God Himself is still promising to be with us wherever we go if we put Him first place in our lives. And Bruh David also knew this, that’s why in Psalm 55, The Plea of the Fearful, he cries out: ‘Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn (wander) in my complaint, and make a noise (moan noisily); because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity (bring down trouble) upon me, and in wrath they hate me.’ (Ps. 55:1-3)
And I know that many of us are feeling the same fearful way in these fearful times, and are calling out to God for help, and might not be receiving any. But I beg of you not to give up, for our God is faithful and if He promised it, He will do it. Instead, let’s do like Bruh David; after crying out his complaints to God, he says at the end of the psalm. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken). But thou, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody (bloodthirsty) and deceitful men shall not live out half their days: but I will trust in thee.’ (Ps. 55:22-23)
And that last phrase there my brethren ‘but I will trust in thee,’ is probably the most important of all the psalm and of all the scriptures, for without total trust in Almighty God, nothing is going to work for us. Trust is the most important aspect of our walk with Him, because that’s what causes our faith and strength to rise up in times of trouble and uncertainty. We trust Him to look after us. So it’s obvious, that above all else, we need to build our trust in God if we hope to endure the trials and tribulations that will come against us.
However, that trust only comes from learning His Word and putting it in action, standing strong on it when the troubles of life hit, so we can gain the necessary experience that builds our faith. And there are many scriptures both in the Old and New Testaments that encourage us to stand strong in the Lord, but time will only permit us this last one. And it’s this marvellous one from Jesus Himself. ‘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 something all of us should be working towards, having peace in Jesus despite the chaos around us. And to help us do it, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these times of dire 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!’
And having said all of that, it now behooves us to improve our witness for Christ because it’s definitely not as good as it ought to be, and no divine aid will be forthcoming until we do better. Much LOVE!
…true prosperity and success can only be attained…by knowing God’s Word…and then actioning it in our lives…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great cloud of witnesses, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a rain warning, answer our prayers, be conformed to the image of Christ, bet your bottom dollar, Bible, broad is the way, christianity, climate change, constraints on the narrow path, contrary, depend on our faith, despising the shame, discouraged, disobeyed your word, divine aid, ease the pain, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, enter ye in at the strait gate, eternal life, faith, fellowship, few find it, flooding, for the joy that was set before him, galvanizes us, heaven, holy spirit, humble servants, I am the way the truth and the life, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lay aside every weight, lest ye be wearied and faint, light, living for Christ, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, many go in thereat, mass confusion, mercy, narrow is the way, natural diasters, negative situations, never giving up, New Year's Eve, no man comes to the Father but by me, nothing is guaranteed, perseverance, run with patience, running our race to the end, salt, salvation, sin, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, sinned, strait is the gate, strong faith in Christ, take anything for granted, that leads to destruction, that leads to life, that so easily besets us, the author and finisher of our faith, the God who heals, the main priority in your life, the only constant, the only one, the path to salvation, the power to solve our problems, the race set before us, the same yesterday today and for ever, the throne of grace, torubled times, treacherous times, truth, turbulent times, turn from our evil ways, uncertain times, vim and vigour, water damage, white christmas, who can lead us on the right path, wide is the gate, wisdom, wise guidance
Hebrews 13:8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and for ever.
Ah friends, can you believe it, on this Monday morning, the eve of New Year’s Eve, the Greater Toronto Area has been handed a rain warning, and not a snow warning. Flooding and all sorts of water damage is expected if the rain continues to fall as it’s been doing since Sunday morning. In fact, the entire Christmas week has been damp, foggy and cloudy, with no sunshine whatsoever. Unfortunately, the purists weren’t blessed with a white Christmas either, and now, whatever little snow was around, has been washed away with the rain and the springlike temperatures.
But that’s the way of climate change! Two decades ago, you could bet your bottom dollar that you would have a white Christmas and also a white New Year’s Eve, but things have changed so much, that today nothing is guaranteed to be the way it was. Those who never had snow, now have it, and those who had it don’t. It’s the same with drought and rainfall. We are also experiencing more natural disasters than ever. It’s sad, but our world has recently become so contrary that it’s not funny, and we can no longer take anything or any situation for granted.
So what does that mean eh? I guess we just have to depend on our faith even more than before; trust the promises of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, like we’ve never hitherto done, because He seems to be the only constant in today’s crazy, chaotic, disaster- filled world. For what does the Bible tell us? ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8) Now that, you cannot say about any other body or thing. And that’s why it’s of the utmost importance for us to put ALL of our faith and trust in Jesus, because He is the ONLY ONE who can lead us along the right path to that glorious place called heaven.
And if you don’t believe me, then let’s check out some promises of scripture that prove it. And the first one is this very important one about the right path to tread. Jesus strongly advises: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
In other words friends, Jesus is simply saying that the wide and winding road, where you can do whatever you like, where Beelzebub rules, leads only to destruction, and many people are unfortunately following it. However, the path that leads to salvation and eternal life is straight and narrow, and you cannot do whatever you want whenever you choose to. No, because there are some constraints on the straight and narrow path, constraints placed there to keep us, holy, righteous, justified, sanctified, thus living sincerely for Christ.
But unfortunately, not as many people are walking that path as the wide and dangerous one. And it’s our job to get out into the world, be the salt and light thereof, exuding a powerful flavour and a blinding light to help bring others to the wise, straight and narrow way, where they can encounter Jesus, accept His free gift of salvation, and live the abundant life that He died for us to have.
And what about this other promise eh? Where Jesus declares to the disciple Thomas: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Now that also states it plain and clear that one cannot get to the Father, or heaven, unless Jesus is your Lord and Saviour! That’s an even bigger reason for you to have Him as the main priority in your life!
Then there are these most encouraging words of Hebrews: ‘Wherefore (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:1-3)
Oh my fellow believers, what a powerful scripture that is ! Let’s hope that it opens up or refreshes our faith, and thus galvanizes us to do as it says! That’s remember the faithful, the heroes of faith, who have gone before us, running their race with vim and vigour, and attempt to do likewise. However, to do that properly, we have to lay aside anything that’s weighing us down, be it clothing, or excessive body weight, or whatever; then disassociate ourselves from any known sins that are entangling us and preventing us from running our race properly.
And finally, running our race with perseverance, getting back up every time we falter or fall, and keep going right until the end, never giving up, using the originator and perfector of our faith, Jesus Christ as the example to be attained, be reached or accomplished! Now, that’s what we believers need to do in these troubled and trying times; look to Jesus because the Father desires us all to be made in His image. The scriptures tell us: ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29)
Yes my fellow saints, the Lord desires all who follow Jesus to be the spitting image of Him, our big Brother. (smile) And to help us work toward that goal, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help in these treacherous and uncertain times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And before we get too excited (smile) let’s remember that divine aid is only granted when we turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face! Much LOVE!
…please remember that…Jesus is the Only One…we can depend on in these turbulent times…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all flesh is grass, all scripture, awesome grace and mercy, blasphemers, boasters, carried about with divers doctrines, Christ is the only true refuge, compliance to your word, covetous, disobedient to parents, false doctrines, for correction, for reproof, forgive us, given by inspiration of God, God has no pleasure in fools, grow in spiritual maturity, heady, heal our land, high-minded, humble servants, I am the Lord thy God, I change not, in the last days, inclement weather, instruction in righteousness, it is a good thing, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus - a steady rock and refuge, Jesus Christ, Jesus is not temperamental, LOVE, lovers of pleasure, lovers of their own sleves, made a vow to God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situations, not lovers of God, our foundation is built on sinking sand, perilous times shall come, profitable for doctrine, proud, religious strife, repentance, sinned and come short of obedience, the coming apostasy, the flower fades, the grass withers, the heart be established with grace, the same yesterday today and forever, the unchangeability of our God, the word of God shall stand forever, traitors, uncertain like the weather, uncertain times, unholy, unthankful, wet snow, what a crazy world we live in
Hebrews 13:8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
Well friends, we saw the first signs of inclement winter weather yesterday evening. Thankfully though, in my area, it was just some wet snow; the kind that falls and quickly dissipates. But a warning nonetheless of what’s in store in the not too distant future. (smile) But would you believe too, that the weather people are forecasting temperatures in the mid-teens for later this week? What a crazy world we living in eh Dr. Jack!
It’s a good thing that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is not as temperamental and uncertain like the weather nowadays, otherwise we would be in even worse shape than we currently are. Thankfully the Good Book describes our Lord and Saviour thus: ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8) That means we have a steady rock and refuge to look to in times of need.
Our world is constantly changing…and so are we, but not our God. Malachi says it boldly and plainly on His behalf: ‘For I am the Lord thy God, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) Yeh mih people, if our God wasn’t steady and long-suffering, we would have been fish food long time! (smile)
And to cement the unchangeability of our God, and our everchanging hearts, hear the prophet Isaiah as he talks about the voice crying in the wilderness: ‘The voice said, Cry (out). And he said, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness (loveliness) thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth on it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.’ (Is. 40:6-8)
I don’t think we need any more scripture to tell us of our frail and short earthly lives, or the everlasting standard that our God maintains. But because we are so frail and fickle, we tend to fall into all sorts of stuff, moving from one to the next without much rhyme or reason, unsure of what we want or intend to do. In other words, we don’t stick to any one thing for long; because our foundation is built on sinking sand.
That’s why the author of Hebrews, after telling us that Christ is steadfast, continues with this important warning. ‘Be not carried about with divers (various) and strange doctrines (teachings). For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats (food), which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.’ (Heb. 8:9) And are there ever a whole host of various, strange and false doctrines that abound in these turbulent times my brethren!
No wonder Bruh Paul could warn Timothy of the coming apostasy (abandonment of the faith). ‘Thus know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money LOVERS), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…’ (2 Tim. 3:1-2) And isn’t that the indisputable truth in these last days of the church age. All those things above are rampant in our current society.
And Bruh Paul also adds to the list of ungodliness of our time. ‘Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), LOVERS of pleasures, more (rather) than LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:4-5) Yes friends, there are a whole lot of false teachers out there, who tout a form of godliness, mere religion, but without power or spiritual life. We definitely don’t want to get mixed up with that kind. We need to stay pure and true to the gospel of Christ.
Bruh Paul said to Timothy. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (tell us how to live): That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) Yes precious people of God, the Word of God was inspired by His Holy Spirit, meant for mankind to read, study and obey, to help us grow in spiritual maturity, and be useful in whatever situation we find ourselves. We need nothing else but the Word of God in this world to live a godly life! (smile)
So with all the false and evil stuff that’s currently bothering us, let’s go home now taking all of our problems to God in sincere prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. All together now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world.
We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control. And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them.
Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land 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 now, please remember that we just made a vow to God change our evil ways and sincerely seek His face, so let’s pay that vow nuh, because God has no pleasure in fools, who don’t pay their vows. Much LOVE!
…in uncertain times…Christ is the only true refuge…
22 Aug 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 2020 will go down, a grateful life, an eventful and transforming year, attracts more valuable things, be thankful for those who, Behold, build up the church, Christian maturity, encouraging God, enjoying the compassions and mercies, express our gratitude, feeling grateful, for brethren to dwell together in unity, go to God for help, God is always there for us, help us stand strong in faithfulness, how good and how pleasant it is, in the annals of history, in the name of Jesus, lazy summer Saturday, mature Christians, new every single day, of our great God, positive thinking, promised to work all things out for good, reaping what we sow, rekindle the inner spirit, Thank You Lord, the edifying of the body of christ, the highest appreciation, those who love you, to live our words, uncertain times, we are confident, who are called according to His purpose, worth their weight in gold, you are still on the throne
Psalm 133:1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
So here we are, a tad late (smile) on this lazy summer Saturday morning, the penultimate one in the month of August, in this crazy, mind-boggling year of 2020! What a ride it’s turned out to be… and it’s not over yet. Whatever comes next though, 2020 will certainly go down in the annals of history as a rather eventful and transforming year. But nonetheless, we’re still enjoying the compassions and mercies of our great God, which are new every single day. And to that we have to say a loud and grateful:
‘Thank You Lord! We do sincerely appreciate all that you’re doing for us in these disturbing and uncertain times. And we do ask that you keep a close watch over us and help us to stand strong in faithfulness with you. We are confident, because we know that you are still on the heavenly throne, in full control of things, and has promised to work ALL things out for good to those who LOVE you and are called according to your purpose. We pray this in the wonderful name of your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And having made obeisance to our God, let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Oh mih people, like our friend Anselm was in a rather grateful and thankful mood this week, (smile) for all his quotes centre around those two emotions. Hear this first one: ‘What you truly acknowledge truly is yours. Invite your heart to be grateful and your thank you’s will be heard even when you don’t use words.’ I can’t dispute that because when your heart is truly grateful, thanks pours out automatically without your saying anything.
Then there’s this: ‘Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life.’ More living truth friends! When we learn to have a continually grateful heart and attitude, it certainly attracts more of the things we like and value. That’s sort of like reaping what we sow, and positive things happening when we think positively. It’s just that way in God’s economy.
Now listen closely to this quote. ‘We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.’ And isn’t that the God-given truth? Of course it is! We should always be thankful, even extra thankful, to those who help us settle our spirit and soul, help us rekindle the joy and good attitudes we need to face this crazy, evil and uncertain world. Wow! We are indeed blessed if we have those kinds of people around; even one of them. People who can lift our spirits when we are down and depressed are worth more than their weight in gold.
In fact they ought to be considered blessings from heaven, for restoring the equanimity of another’s soul is ever so important in this mish-mash life. Sadly though, very few of us possess the kind of people around us who can truly do that. They are indeed a rare breed, that’s why they are to be greatly treasured. But the encourager and lifter of our spirits to be most greatly treasured is our comforting, enabling and encouraging God. When there’s no human being around to help lift us up, let’s not worry or be anxious, we just need to go to God for help.
We do like Bruh David did when his men threatened to stone him after their home of Ziklag was burned and looted by their enemies. ‘…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’ (1 Sam. 30:6b) Yes mih bredrin, our mighty and stalwart God is ALWAYS there for us! Let’s never forget it, and don’t rely on fickle and frail mankind. Brother, I never intended to say so much on that quote, but I guess it just opened up, touched something in me. (smile)
And since the last two quotes are very similar, one just emoting a li’l more, going a li’l deeper than the other, (smile) we’re going to deal with them as a sparkling and encouraging pair, just what they are. Listen, and let them come into our hearts and remain there forever. ‘As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.’ Gospel truth that; we can’t only talk appreciation, we must show it. Now here’s the clincher. ‘To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.’
Ah mih people, how true and wonderful is that eh! That brings to mind these marvellous words of Bruh David from Psalm 133 – The joy of brotherhood. ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’ (Ps. 133:1) That says it all friends. When we live in unity, we take each other’s concerns and feelings and heartaches and problems in mind and we don’t abuse them, but rather use them positively to build up each other.
That’s what Jesus desires of His followers; unity and tenderness and grace, forgiveness and mercy to each other. What I believe we ought to understand is that gratitude is not just being thankful, but more a way of life, the Christian way of life. As the earlier quote said, when we live a life of gratitude, we don’t even have to say thanks out loud, but it’s understood by our actions. And when we live that kind of life, then we touch heaven, because it’s what Jesus expects of us.
But that will never happen until the saints of Christ learn to live together in unity and harmony. And how are we ever to do that eh? As Bruh Paul said to the Ephesians re the using of our particular gifts and the edifying of the church: ‘For the perfecting (equipping) of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we come in (into) the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect (mature) man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.’ (Eph. 4:13)
And the scholars explain: ‘4:12. This verse discloses the purpose for the gifted individuals of verse 11. Their responsibility is the perfecting of the saints, that is, to train and equip the rank-and-file Christians to do the work of the ministry. The aim of this ministry of Christian service is for the edifying of the body of Christ, that is, to build up the church numerically and spiritually.’ ‘4:13. The edifying of the church (vs.12) is to continue till we all come in the unity of the faith, that is, until all Christians attain spiritual maturity. Since new believers are constantly added to the church, this objective will not be realized until the Lord returns.’
Yes friends, the only way for us to live grateful, and thus touch heaven is by living in unity, bringing all our gifts both spiritual and physical together for the betterment of all! And I’m chuckling here in disgust, because like unity (brother!) is another word I can’t spell right. Every time I’ve used it today, including just now, I’ve spelt it wrong. Ah Lord eh! It’s a good thing the Lord knows my heart. (smile) Please have a blessed and fruitful day, living in LOVE and unity! Much LOVE!
…to the saints of Christ…a normal life…ought to be a grateful life…
31 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a faithful ambassador, a horror show, a lie, a sin, a wicked messenger, ambassadors of Christ, brings health, burn the candle at both ends, Caribana, Christians, controlling things, Covid-19 pandemic, defeat the virus and unrest, diligence, excellence, falleth into mischief, fellow saints in Christ, followers of Christ, Friday chant, lockdown, omnipotent help, people behaving irresponsibly, racial riots, reconciled to God, represent Christ, sinful world, still on His throne, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the long weekend, the Lord God Jehovah, the ordinary workingman, the right attitude, the weekend, this too shall pass, tools at our convenience, towards Him and His word, uncertain times, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, we can't help others, what a bam bam, working for Jesus
Proverbs 13:17. A wicked messenger falleth into mischief (trouble): but a faithful ambassador is (brings) health.
And then it was Friday and everybody…well most everybody was shouting with glee: ‘The weekend, the weekend, the long weekend at last!’ Yeh friends this is the Civic Holiday weekend, the first Monday in August. And it’s also what should have been Caribana weekend in Toronto with all the carnival stuff happening. But like most everything else the Covid-19 pandemic has put paid to that for this year. What a bam bam of a year this 2020 has been eh! (smile) But what to do eh? We need to know that the Lord God Jehovah is still on His throne and still controlling things and that with the right attitude towards Him and His Word, this too shall pass!
But enough of me, let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say nuh. And as always, he exclaims: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! And thank God for this long weekend too! Just hope it not too hot and miserable though. And finally the rest of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is being released into the Stage 3 lockdown mode. More places opening and inside service in restaurants and stuff. That sounds good, but ah wondering how safe or sensible it is for them to make this decision on this long weekend eh, knowing how people behaving irresponsibly all over the place?
Just think about that house party last week up in Brampton nuh, with some two hundred people and cars parked all over the grass and wherever. Steups! Can yuh imagine how some of them going to behave with the freedom granted them over this long weekend? But who am I to question it eh? The government seem to think they know what they doing…ah certainly hope so yes, for all of our sakes. But me and mine not going to do anything much different, to what we been doing – barbequing and going for walks and playing games together.
I need to get some rest too, as well as cut down on the drinking and smoking. Ah finally realizing that I’m not as young as I used to be, and can’t burn the candle at both ends like I used to, and get away with it. Hn, Hn! Let us hope though, that the release in this lockdown don’t drive people crazy and they end up doing nonsense to cause the virus to start spreading again nuh, and we have to go back into another lockdown. Brother! Would that ever be a horror show!’
And isn’t that the God-awful truth people! Having the society locked down again will definitely cause much more panic and disobedience than the original seclusion did! So let’s pray that people will be sensible, serious and responsible nuh, and we won’t be forced back into a lockdown situation again, but keep reopening li’l by li’l, glory by glory.
As one voice, with sincere hearts, let’s declare (steups!) our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. It’s been pretty rough…some of it from work, as many of us are now back to work in varied ways, but most of our anxiety still comes from all the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus still causing. We not accustomed to that Lord, and it really telling on us. And now, on top of all that, we have racial riots and protests to put up with. Oh Lord, yuh know we can’t handle it on our own and desperately need Your help.
Yes, heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Ah friends, so much of this recovery from our current sickness and strife depends on how we, followers of Christ, Christians behave. We need to show the world Christ though not only our talk, but more importantly through our actions and behaviour. Things like LOVE, compassion, care, forgiveness and mercy have to be prominently displayed by us in these dark, angry and dangerous times. This is when we truly have to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, showing forth our faithfulness in spades.
This is more a time for action rather than talk, and even though some of us are still in lockdown mode we can still do a lot to help those less fortunate than us. We now have so many tools at our convenience that it would be a lie, and a sin, to say we can’t help others. Yes my fellow saints in Christ, this is a time when the cream, we believers in Christ need to rise to the top, be true and good ambassadors of our Lord and Saviour. Bruh Paul said it quite plainly to the Corinthians. ‘Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray (implore) you in Christ’s stead (behalf), be ye reconciled to God.’ (2 Cor. 5:20)
Oh friends, we who have been reconciled to God, become righteous and justified, through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, now need to go out and do what He wants us to do. He is our leader, and followers ought to do what leaders desire of them. Just like political ambassadors represent their countries in foreign lands, we too need to represent Christ wherever we go. And like Cousin Sol so wisely declares (yeahhh!) in Proverbs: ‘A wicked messenger falleth into mischief (trouble): but a faithful ambassador is (brings) health.’ (Prov. 13:17)
Oh my people, please, I implore us to be faithful ambassadors of Christ in these dangerous and uncertain times, and thus bring health to our society. Much LOVE!
…truly working for Jesus…means diligence and excellence… from a compassionate heart…
26 Mar 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a compassionate heart, a positive outlook, according to our iniquities, Anglican Diocese of Toronto, as the heaven is, called by my name, collapse the stock market, common to man, controls the universe, Covid-19, crying out sincerely for help, curse, Day of Prayer and fasting, forgive their sin, give thanks and praise, God is on the throne, good friends, gracious, great family, heal their land, high above the earth, humble themselves, I will hear from heaven, in true blue colours, Jesus, loving kindness, my people, negative word, no need to fear or worry, no temptation, only thing that really matters, personal revivial, pray, prosper, rewarded us, righteousness., seek my face, sekk ye first, show faith, shut down the churhes, shut down the Civic Centres, shut down the economy, shut down the stadiums, sin, slow to anger, so great is his mercy, stay healthy-keep moving, succeed, take us to task, thanks to the health care givers, the distractions of the world, the kingdom of God, the Lord is merciful, the plagues of Egypt, Thursday Blessings, toward them that fear him, turn from their wicked ways, uncertain times, will find a way of escape, worship actors, worship athletes, worship money, worship musicians
Psalm 103:11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him.
Well it’s another brand new day in the life! Let’s give thanks and praise to our great and mighty God for it, despite the many problems we face in these trying and uncertain times. There’s no need to fear or worry for our God can handle any circumstance and has promised to do so once we cry out to Him for help. That is our most serious problem; not crying out to Him sincerely for help. But thankfully, this Covid-19 virus seems to be slowly changing our outlook. We’re supposed to be a faithful people, and now it’s time for us to show that faith in true blue colours.
And I got a very interesting note from a friend yesterday which encourages us to do just that. It reads as follows: ‘In three short months, just like He did with the plagues of Egypt, God has taken away everything we worship. God said: “You want to worship athletes, I will shut down the stadiums. You want to worship musicians, I will shut down Civic Centres. You want to worship actors, I will shut down the theatres. You want to worship money, I will shut down the economy and collapse the stock market. You don’t want to go to church and worship Me, I will make it where you can’t go to church.”
(And then there’s a quote directly from the Bible; God’s guiding Word and light to mankind:) “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) And the message continues: ‘Maybe we don’t need a vaccine; maybe we need to take this time of isolation from the distractions of the world and have a personal revival where we focus on the ONLY thing in the world that really matters: JESUS!’
Oh my people, that’s what I’ve been saying for the last little while. This Covid-19 stuff is no happenstance circumstance, but a warning from our God! And there’s no MAYBE we should turn back to Him. It’s the ONLY Solution to our problem, for even if and when we do discover a vaccine, it might just be too late. Remember God’s promise: ‘If we humble ourselves and pray, and seek his face, and turn from our wicked ways, then He will hear us, forgive us, and heal our land.’ Now humbling ourselves, praying and seeking His face is comparatively easy, but if we don’t change our wicked ways, then nothing’s going to improve.
It’s mostly the wicked ways, or in everyday parlance, the overwhelming SIN in our world, that causes our problems. And if, as we’re currently doing, venerating everything and everybody else besides Almighty God, in blatant and blaspheming disobedience, then eventually He will take us to task. Just think about all the times God’s Chosen people, the Israelites turned aside from worshipping Him nuh, and how each and every time they suffered some significant dilemma and disaster. Why won’t He do the same to us now eh? Oh yes! He’s still sits on His heavenly throne and still controls the great and wonderful universe He made.
And in a significant expression of hope, the College of Bishops of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto are encouraging ALL believers to a day of prayer and fasting TODAY, Thursday March 26. And you can turn to the Diocesan Day of Prayer & Fasting, March 26, on the website that follows. You will have to type it in manually, because my limited technological knowledge would not allow me to just copy it for your ease of use. (smile) And there you will find some suggested prayers for morning, noon and evening, and guidelines for fasting. (smile) www.toronto.anglican.ca/2020/03/20/diocesan-day-of-prayer
Oh friends, I cannot stress how important the need is RIGHT NOW for sincere prayer and true repentance! And I just had a thought that made me chuckle. Yuh notice when the Lord start this whole Covid -19 ball rolling – in the season of Lent, when we’re supposed to be more contemplative and godly and into Him and His ways! Remember, NOTHING happens with us and our God without a reason and a purpose. And you know what I LOVE about our God, is that although He punishes us for our disobedience, He never gives us more than we can bear.
Hear this awesome promise, He makes through Bruh Paul. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13)
And to those inspiring and reassuring words of Bruh Paul, let’s add these momentous words of Bruh David’s. ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.’ (Ps. 103:8-13)
Yes friends, the Lord is a most merciful and magnanimous God… but to those who fear, who reverence, who sincerely seek and worship Him! The wicked He will cast away like trash, but the righteous He will comfort and care for. And you definitely can’t say that our world has recently been a place of righteousness, but one of infernal wickedness.
And just a li’l side story on the subject. Yesterday afternoon I went up the street for a walk; the sun was shining brightly and it was somewhat warm, but much to my surprise along the sidewalk somebody or bodies had drawn smiles, and hearts and sunshine in different colours of chalk, as well as written messages like: ‘Thanks to anyone who is helping others.’ Thanks to all the health care workers.’ ‘Stay healthy – keep moving.’ Well that is exactly what I was trying to do, along with a few other people, but nowhere near the amount you would normally have seen out on such a lovely spring-like day.
And those messages also show that people are caring. Let’s see if we can’t ramp up that caring nuh. And we do have the tools for doing so; our Thursday Blessings, generously bestowed on us so we can do the same to others. So, in strong voice, with sincere hearts, let’s loudly and proudly declare them: ‘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 everyday! Amen!’
Now, with those awesome tools, let’s do whatever we can in our lockdown state to further the kingdom of Jesus nuh! It is our bounden duty! Much LOVE!
…seek ye FIRST…the kingdom of God…and His righteousness…
13 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, abundance, bend their tongues, controversy, courage, creativity, current incumbent, curse, demise, destroy yourself, destruction, divine protection, downfall, drizzle, evil, faith, farewell speech, favour, fight, followers of Christ, from evil to evil, hatred, heavenly blessing, hold my peace, humidity, Jeremiah's lament, Judah, learned the lesson, lies, like their bow, LOVE Revolution, negative backlash, negative word, not valiant for truth, others may hate you, overcome evil with good, pained at heart, piece of the pie, plundered, Praise the Lord, prosper, Richard Nixon, scratch, self-control, self-discipline, spoiled, strife, succeed, success, talent, the alarm of war, the sound of the trumpet, they don't know the Lord, Thursday Blessings, uncertain times, ungodly, weather prognosticators, wisdom, you don't win, you hate them
Jeremiah 9:3. And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.
Ah mih breddren, at last a cloudy day! Yeh, so we can get a li’l rain, a li’l heavenly blessing to water our land. My area hasn’t seen any rain in almost two weeks, although the weather prognosticators have been daily promising it.
But rain has been falling in other areas. I guess the Lord’s been doing some selective blessing. Let’s hope today is our day, for the short drizzle we got yesterday afternoon was almost immediately dried up by the humidity.
And I do hear a few drops falling outside, and a rumble of thunder in the distance. Hopefully some meaningful rain will happen soon. Praise the Lord!
Moving on to other matters, I want to share a transcript from an old newspaper clipping I recently found amongst some papers on my desk. I shared it a long time ago, but is it ever so appropriate for these evil and uncertain times.
Now, according to the newspaper clipping, on August 9, 1974, the day ex-President of the U.S, Richard Nixon left the Presidency, he ‘gave an emotional farewell speech in the East Room to his staff, his friends, and his Cabinet. His family stood with him.
Near the end of his remarks, he waved his arms, as if to highlight the most important thing he had to say. “Always remember,” he said, “others may hate you, but those who you hate you don’t win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself.”
His hatred had brought about his downfall. Nixon apparently grasped this insight, but too late. He had already destroyed himself.’
Ah friends, such words of immortal wisdom eh! But as the paper says, Nixon learned the lesson too late. I think we can all take that lesson for ourselves today. When we hate, we destroy ourselves! It’s as simple as that.
And I believe that’s a very valuable lesson that the current incumbent of the U.S Presidency, ought to heed, because he is causing such unnecessary strife and controversy with his untoward behaviour that it can only lead to a severe negative backlash.
And sadly, it all fits in so smoothly with our Bit. ‘And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.’
Ah precious people of God, I sometimes wonder if our society can get any more evil and ungodly than it already is. And it shakes me to my very soul when I discover that the answer is yes, because I just can’t imagine our society getting worse than it is right now. But it surely seems possible.
That brings to mind Jeremiah’s sad lament over Judah so long ago. ‘My bowels, my bowels (inner parts, soul)! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled (plundered): suddenly are my tents spoiled (plundered), and my curtains in a moment. How long shall I see the standard (banner), and hear the sound of the trumpet (sounds of war)? (Jer.4:19-21)
Likewise friends, I am lamenting over our present world because it is filled with the same disgusting sounds of war and disaster all over. And the sad part is that those who really seem to care about its possible demise are in the minority, as the majority scratch and fight for their own li’l piece of the pie.
But that unwise activity also recalls one of Jeremiah’s most astute proclamations on behalf of Almighty God. ‘For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish (stupid, silly) children, and they have none (no) understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.’ (Jer.4:22)
Ah my fellow believers, it’s so sad that the saying History repeats itself is ever so true, because we are living the same kind of evil, ungodly life that Judah and so many others have lived down through the ages and eventually felt their sad demise. It’s just that ours is on a much bigger, wider and more intense scale because our world is larger than theirs..
Oh friends, as followers of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, the Patriarch of LOVE, I’m imploring us to do our best, in our li’l corner of the world to promote the oh so necessary LOVE Revolution of our infallible Leader, because that’s the only way our world can, or will be saved from imminent destruction.
And having said all of that, let’s go home on a more positive and productive note, as we declare our Thursday Blessings. With one loud voice now: ‘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 everyday! Amen!’
Yes friends, that’s the wonderful kind of life we have to look forward to when we live for Jesus! And since blessings need to be spoken to be most effective, let’s go out and speak them over others nuh, as our Lord and Saviour Jesus so avidly desires of us. Much LOVE!
…do not fight evil with evil…but overcome evil with good…
SCRIP-BITS 