The Utmost Necessity for Christians to Persevere and Stand Strong and True in Faith until whenever Jesus Returns!

22 Dec 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 9:6a.         For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:

Only two more days friends…and then it’s Christmas Day! Let’s hope that the excitement and anticipation don’t have an anticlimactic end, leaving you with a less than jolly, merry Christmas, (smile) for that can be the worst feeling ever, when a moment you put so much energy and time into doesn’t live up to your expectations. But I’m sure if you keep your focus on Jesus, that won’t happen. 

So, what shall we talk about on this Monday of Christmas week eh? Well… let’s see what the Bible suggests… And after looking through the Word and seeking spiritual insight we’ve been led to this familiar passage from the prophet Isaiah, where he declares the prophecy of the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. 

‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7) 

You see friends, centuries before Christ was born, His birth was foretold by the prophet Isaiah to give the people of Israel hope in their tough lives. And the zeal of the Lord indeed began the process through His birth at Christmas. Likewise, today, the promise of Christ’s Second Coming ought to give us hope to stand strong in faith with Him, so that all who believe in Him and endure to the end, can be blessed with eternal life, as He so clearly says in the gospel of Matthew while talking about the end times. ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:13) 

So just like the Israelites of old were given encouragement by Isaiah’s prophecy, so we today are meant to take encouragement from Jesus’ words. But getting back to Isaiah’s prophecy, the scholars offer some interesting explanations on that passage. They say: ‘The Gift-Child in this passage is the same divine Child as Immanuel (God with Us). (Is. 7:14) Again, using the prophetic perfect, the prophet sees Him as though He were already born. 

Wonderful, Counsellor is actually one term in Hebrew. A wonder is indicative of a miracle. Counsellor is often used in parallel with King (cf. Mic. 4:9) Thus miraculous counsel is given by this God-like King. The mighty God (El Gibor) is the strongest of these titles. In Isaiah, El is always used of God and never refers to man. Gibor means: “Hero.” Together they describe One who is indeed God Himself. (A most definite attribute of Jesus!) 

Everlasting Father literally means Father of Eternity. He alone is the source of eternal life. (Another attribute of Jesus.) Prince of Peace (Sar-Shalom) indicates that the mighty God will be a benevolent ruler bringing eternal peace on earth through the establishment of His kingdom. Thus, the obscure figure of Immanuel is now brought to clear light: He is Himself God Incarnate!’ And everybody shouted: ‘Jesus, God Incarnate!’ (smile) 

And I do hope that those explanations improved our understanding of the terms and how they were used back in the Old Testament. But, as per the reference to ‘Immanuel,’ let’s check out Is. 7:14. The situation existed where two nations were plotting war against Judah, and the Lord sent Isaiah to warn King Ahaz that the attack would not be successful. And though Ahaz was told to ask for a sign, He piously refused to ‘tempt God.’ But Isaiah nonetheless informed him: ‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God be with Us).’ 

Another prophecy of Christ’s birth. So, it wasn’t like the Israelites didn’t know of Christ’s coming, they just didn’t know when. Similarly, we know of Christ’s Second Coming, but we don’t know when either. That means we must persevere in faith until whatever time the Father chooses to send Him back, because the rewards for those who persevere until the end will be enormous and most worthwhile. And to help us do that on this Christmas Monday, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid. 

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!’  

Ah friends, our prayer is very touching, but there’s only one problem; we must first fulfil the requirement for God to prosper us, that’s turn from our evil ways. So, let’s concentrate on doing that nuh, if we indeed desire divine aid! Much LOVE!

…Jesus’ coming to earth…was never a secret…it only called for persevering faith to believe it… 

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

A Merry Christmas, with Peace and LOVE to One and All, as We celebrate the Birth of Christ!

25 Dec 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 9:6a.       For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:

Ho, Ho, Ho! A Merry Christmas to all; and to all a Happy New Year! Yes friends, we wish you and yours all the best for this joyful Christmas season. For as Isaiah prophesied so long ago: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of his father David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7) 

And my fellow believers, the zeal of the Lord of hosts did perform that miracle some two thousand years ago, when in the fields of Israel, one starry, starry night, an angel descended from heaven on high and appeared to shepherds watching over their flocks. And the shepherds were terribly afraid, because as the angel appeared, so too all around them the glory of the Lord began shining. 

‘And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David (Bethlehem) a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes (cloths), lying in a manger.’ (Luke 2:10-12) 

Yes friends, our great God does whatever He promises. And on this day some two thousand years ago, the Prince of Peace was born of lowly parents in a lowly stable and laid in a manger (feed trough) for a cradle. And please note whom the Lord decided to first inform of His Son’s birth, lowly shepherds. That must say something about the Lord’s purpose for His Son; that His earthly life would not be princely and proud, like so many expected, but humble and peaceful as befitted the prince of peace. 

And the Lord wasn’t satisfied with just letting the shepherds know that Jesus Christ was born, no, He instigated a ceremony worthy of His Son. As the Bible tells us: ‘And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:13-14) And that is exactly what we hope will manifest itself as we celebrate Jesus’ birthday; that there will be a curtailing of the strife and all the negative emotions that’s oppressing our world, and we will begin a slow march back to the peace that Jesus desires of us. 

It’s the perfect day and time to end all the nonsense, all the wars, and rumours of wars that are burdening our world and sadly dragging it under. It’s time to repudiate Beelzebub and all his foolishness and turn back to the One True God, as personified by Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary, so that our sins could be forgiven, and we receive salvation and eternal life! 

What good has Satan ever done for us eh? Absolutely nothing! He’s simply trying his best to drag us down to the depths of hell with him, because he was once foolish enough to try to overthrow his Creator, and is now paying dearly for that foolishness. In other words friends, Satan is just looking for company, he doesn’t have our good at heart at all. So please, let’s try and break the bondage he holds so many of us in nuh. As believers in Christ Jesus, along with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we have all the tools to resist him, but we must be prepared to make a serious effort, because he doesn’t ever give up trying to belittle us in the eyes of the Lord. 

But to accomplish that we need to do as James, the brother of Jesus says in his epistle: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10) 

Oh my fellow saints, if we want to get away from the devil, that is exactly what many of us need to do in these oh so trying and troubled times; draw closer to God, for you cannot resist Satan without God’s help. However, there are many of us who are trying the ole sitting on the fence trick, trying to play one side against the other, but that won’t work, because neither God not Satan accepts double minded people, or those who try to outsmart them. So, it’s absolutely necessary to ramp up our situation with God, if we want to be a part of the Prince of Peace’s peaceful army. (smile) And there’s no better time to do it than on this the celebration of His birthday. 

And before I forget, let me apologize for the lateness of the Bit, but I went to church this morning, then came home and found a big breakfast waiting for me, which I heartily enjoyed. But that then meant I had to go and get a nap and allow the food to digest, because there’s another, even bigger meal in the offing this evening. Brother! I don’t see the need for so much food, with so few people! But I don’t make the rules, the ladies of my household do, and I’m just expected to abide by them. And in my own fashion, I’m trying to be obedient. (smile) 

Oh, I also wanted to sing a hymn today yes, ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing,’ but it seems like I got sidetracked, so let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, it’s very applicable and appropriate for today, showing our trust and faith in Christ. As one strong and sincere voice:  

‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Christmas Day Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And we know that the Lord has sincerely promised that whoever endures with Jesus to the very end, will enjoy a future that will be more glorious than they can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s make a solemn date to meet there at the very end nuh, and enjoy that future together! Much LOVE!

…Jesus birth…began the winds of change…in our evil and ungodly world…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Christian Life is all about Jesus and His Amazing Work on Mankind’s Behalf!

23 Sep 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

1 Corinthians 15:57.        But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

And the weekly merry-go-round of workdays, begins again with another Monday on our plate. But we’re not afraid, worried or anxious about it in the least, for we have been well rested and renewed in the strength of our faith through worship and fellowship. That means we have every confidence that we can handle Monday and whatever it brings against us, like the rainy and cloudy start to the day! And Jesus reminds us of that awesome power when He says: ‘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) 

And so He has! His death, resurrection and ascension assure us of victory over the world. And this commentary gives us a brief, insightful look into what that means. ‘Jesus proved then and there that He was victorious over death. The grave could not hold him. Acts 2:24 says it this way: “But God raised Him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.” No one should be surprised. Jesus had been saying this all along.” 

Yes, He had been telling the disciples that He must die, then rise again, although they did not fully understand His meaning, and Peter quite boldly told Him that that would never happen. Then Jesus famously rebuked Peter: ‘Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not (are not mindful of) the things that be of God, but those that be of men.’ (Matt. 16:21-23) 

Then there are these famous words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians re Jesus’ victory over death. ‘So, when this corruptible (body) shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal (body) shall have put on immortality (through the Rapture of the church), then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:54-58) 

Yes, my fellow believers, that victory of Christ over hell, death and the grave ought to encourage and reassure us to stand strong and steadfast in Christ, doing His work with all diligence and excellence! That’s sacrificing where necessary, being generous, merciful, compassionate, LOVING and kind, fighting against oppression and inequality, for justice and human rights, because when we live that way, when we allow the fruit of the Spirit to flourish in us, then are we true disciples, and will be well rewarded in due course of time. 

And just to show how Bruh Paul was a master of putting scriptures together to suit his purpose, that verse above ‘Death is swallowed up in victory,’ comes from Isaiah 25:8. And the one about ‘O death, where is thy sting?’ comes from Hosea 13:14, which simply means that in many cases, the New Testament is a reflection of the Old Testament, except that in the former, Jesus is formally introduced to fulfill the Old Testament Prophecies. 

One of which was to conquer sin and death. As Isaiah so confidently tells us of Jesus’ birth: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7) 

And the zeal of the Lord certainly gave us the incarnate Son of God, the Messiah, when the time was right! And Isaiah also prophesied of Jesus tough earthly days and His excruciating death characterizing Him as a Man of Sorrows. ‘Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm (power) of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form (stately form) nor comeliness (splendour); and when we shall see him, there is no beauty (appearance) that we should desire him. 

He is despised and rejected of (forsaken by) men; a man of sorrows (pains), and acquainted with grief (sickness): and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs (sickness), and carried our sorrows (pains): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God, and afflicted. But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement (correction, discipline) of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes (the wounds he suffered) we are healed.’ (Is. 53:1-5) 

And we know that all of that was fulfilled in Jesus’ life, as well as the other verses that we don’t have time for, that explained Him being like A Lamb to the Slaughter (Is. 53:6-9), and An Offering for Sin, verses 10-12. So, from the beginning of the Bible, right to the very end, it’s all a Testament to Jesus and His marvellous work on mankind’s behalf. Therefore, with that in mind, let’s go to the throne of grace seeking divine aid. 

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 reminds us, the necessary requirements for divine aid are humbling ourselves, praying, sincerely seeking God’s face and turning from our evil ways! Much LOVE!

…to God the Father be the glory…for giving us redemption through Christ Jesus…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 April 2024 Psalm 34:14.

24 Apr 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 34:14.       Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

So friends, Wednesday, our mid-week, catch our second wind day has rolled around, though somewhat cloudy and chilly. But that won’t stop us from doing whatever we have to or need to do in Jesus’ name. Consequently, I went to my Wednesday morning church group, where we usually read some scripture, say some prayers and have communion, nothing very elaborate, but short and sweet. (smile) And believe me, sometimes I think I get more out of the little group, about seven or eight people, than in the big Sunday service, because the small group is much more personal and not as solemn and impersonal as the larger Sunday gathering. 

Today though, we did something a li’l different, we prayed for peace in our world. There were a couple of prayers, but mostly silence as we sat and communed with ourselves and God about the strife-filled world we currently live in and how we can ever get it to be much more peaceful. While doing that, we were supposed to jot down, or journal any thoughts we had on the subject on the mostly blank pamphlet, we had in our hands. To tell the truth, all the pamphlet had on it were these words. A prayer titled ‘Reflections for Peace’ by one Yael Splansky.  

It says: ‘If we pray for Peace. Let us work prayerfully for Peace. If we pray for Justice. Let us work Justly for Justice. Prayer may not change the World, but Prayer can definitely change us, and we with God’s help can change the World, or at least our corner of it.’  And that’s the gospel truth my people. Most of us cannot make any real worldwide changes, but through prayer, faith and God’s help, we can change ourselves and the small bit of the world directly around us. And yuh know that’s all that’s really expected of us; to change ourselves into better, more mature Christians, and help those we come into contact with to do the same. 

However, many of us don’t even want to do that relatively small task, but yet we expect peace and justice to flourish in our homes, our neighbourhoods and our world. That though is a fool’s wisdom, for nothing, no change happens, be it good, bad or indifferent without somebody or somebodies raising their voices and taking action. And I’m chuckling here because when Father Jeff handed out the empty pamphlets and said we should write down our thoughts, I laughed, figuring that I wouldn’t be writing down anything. But lo and behold, I found myself writing a whole lot of stuff that came to mind. And I want to share some of the stuff I jotted down on the subject of peace. 

The first thought was, whatever we pray for, it must begin with us. As Yael Splansky says, whatever we pray for, we must prayerfully work for it. And some wise person once said, if we pray for, or want peace, then peace must begin with us. And it’s oh so true. However, we all talk a good talk about peace, but how many of us, beginning with ourselves, are seriously working for it eh? Obviously not enough, otherwise our world surely would not be as strife-filled, evil and ungodly as it is. 

Then the next jotting was that the Bible also tell us in several scriptures, in no uncertain terms, that peace is essential for Chrisitan living. Bruh David says it thus in Psalm 34: ‘Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.’ (Ps. 34:14) Yes friends, peace is something we must actively seek and pursue. We have to work at it, for it doesn’t come naturally. Bruh Paul meanwhile wrote thus to the Romans: ‘Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest (have regard for good things) in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men.’ (Rom. 12:17-18) 

Later in Romans, Bruh Paul also wrote: ‘Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.’ (Rom. 14:19) And there’s yet this scripture from the pen of the Hebrews author which categorically tells us: ‘Follow (pursue) peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.’ (Heb. 12:14)  So there are oodles of scripture which categorically state that believers ought to pursue peace as much as they possibly can. 

Then my next note was, ‘You can’t have peace without Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace.’ Now that’s another glorious truth, for how can you have peace in your life when you don’t know or have the Prince of Peace involved in your very life eh? It’s impossible! As Isaiah so wisely prophesied of Jesus: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.’ (Is. 9:6) There you have it  friends, if you don’t know the Prince of Peace, then you can’t have true peace. 

And in between the silence we recited these purposeful words of Jesus on the subject. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you, Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Now my brethren, please note that the peace Jesus grants is not the same peace that the world speaks of. Jesus’ peace is way different and certainly more peaceful. It allows us to go through hard and disturbing circumstances in the world without being too afraid or troubled by them. We are concerned, but not worried or afraid. 

And I put it to us, that the peace of Jesus is the first kind of peace we need in this ungodly world. That’s where all peace ought to begin, for without it, no other kind of true or real peace is possible. Unfortunately though, our world is filled with darkness and strife, and so many who don’t know the Prince of Peace, nor the Light, LOVE and Joy He brings to those who accept Him as Lord and Saviour. That brings me to my last jotting; that we who are not physically involved in the strife, don’t care to get involved and thus disrupt our comfortable lives. 

And that’s another gospel truth, even among Christians. So how do we expect to get peace eh? We won’t, unless a majority of us work persistently and sincerely together to achieve it. That’s the long and short of the story. Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus! 

As one strong and  sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And if we endure right down to the end with Christ, then it’s promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine it. so please, let’s be wise and make plans to see that future together! Much LOVE!

…to gain true peace…one must pursue, persist and persevere in attaining it…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ

Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 March 2022 Isaiah 33:22.

16 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.

And now that we’ve come to Wednesday, the middle of the work week, hopefully we can take a restful breath and catch our second wind, especially after the snowfall we endured yesterday afternoon that tied up the traffic and caused numerous problems, as it has the bad habit of doing. (smile) But, as believers in Christ Jesus, we are expected, hard as it might be at times, to rise above the worries and problems of this world, through the leading and guiding of Christ’s Holy Spirit that dwells within us for that very purpose. 

However, that only happens when we listen and are obedient to the Spirit’s guidance. So, to all of us, I plead, please, please, let’s pay serious attention to the Holy Spirit nuh, so that our earthly journeys can be less difficult and frustrating than they otherwise will be. End of sermon! (smile) 

And since the Lord has seen it fit to give us another day on earth to continue His important work, let’s return to those marvellous words of Isaiah that we’ve been studying for the last couple days. ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will save us.’ (Is. 33:22) Yes friends, our God is all of those things to His most magnificent creation. Give Him thanks and praise for His goodness to us underserving children of men! 

Now, today we will tackle the last and possibly the most important aspect of them all, ‘he will save us.’ And why is that you ask? Because God can be our judge, lawgiver and king, but if He doesn’t save our sinful souls, we’ll still be ending up in ole hades with the demonic master. So, saving us is of the utmost importance! And Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, knew this, for when prophesying over His sons, said about Dan: ‘I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.’ (Gen. 49:18) 

But, being the wise and wonderful Deity that He is, Jehovah God obviously had a plan for that from the very beginning, and made it clear in several passages of His Guide Book for Earthly Living: the Bible. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to these magnificent scriptures of the promise of salvation, beginning with these most encouraging and reassuring words from Bruh David from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. 

He ends the psalm thus: ‘But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps. 37:39-40). And we know that our God doesn’t make idle promises! 

Then Isaiah, in talking about Israel’s restoration to Zion, delivers this message from God: ‘Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense: he will come and save you.’ (Is. 35:4) All through His word the Lord’s been reassuring His people of salvation and a good end. And Isaiah again, in The song of praise by the redeemed, confidently declares: ‘And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is. 25:9) 

Yes, my faithful brethren, ONLY, the Lord God Jehovah can give us salvation! And He spelt it right out, so that there could be no misunderstanding, through this mighty promise of scripture from Isaiah that we all know, re the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus, the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. 

‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7) 

Oh, what a powerful picture that is my people of our Lord and Saviour, Immanuel! A benevolent ruler, who will eventually bring peace and LOVE to our fractured world! And that Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day and grew into the man who declared His Sonship of God, and the fulfillment of God’s promises, His mighty plans of deliverance and salvation for His people, through these awesome words. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world ; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) 

Game, set and match, mih bredrin! Matter done! Salvation has been provided! God’s awesome promises have been fulfilled! And it’s so simple: all we have to do is believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and truly died on the cross of Calvary to atone for our sins! John, the apostle, who walked with Christ, agrees and says it thus: ‘And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.’ (1 John 4:14-15) 

Wow! None of the other supposed gods make it that easy to come to them. They can’t, because they don’t exist. But the Lord God Jehovah can do so because He is the One True and Living God who has the omnipotent power to save with righteousness and justice! All glory be to His mighty and holy name! 

Ah friends, all I can say is that the option Jesus provides is much better than that provided by the enemy Satan. And since there are only two options, I believe, or rather I know, that Jesus is the wiser choice. However, we each have to make our own decisions. But please remember that there are serious consequences to either choice, and do take the consequences into consideration before making your personal choice. 

For those of us though, who have already made the decision to follow Jesus, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Jesus. As one confident voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And as we remind ourselves every Wednesday; if we endure to the end, the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So please let that encourage us to endure to the end nuh! Much LOVE!

…JESUS…the Saviour of the world…He defeated death…and now offers Eternal Life…to any who believe… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8  

    

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 December 2021 Luke 2:14.

19 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 2:14.     Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Ah friends, it’s a chilly Sunday morning with the remains of yesterday’s snowfall still with us. But the sun’s out in full force, not with any heat mind you, (smile) so it’s a good day to worship either in a physical sanctuary or by technological means. And with Christmas day just around the corner, a mere six days, it’s most appropriate for us to begin worship with a traditional Christmas hymn, one from way back in the eighteenth century, titled ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing,’ written by that celebrated hymn writer Charles Wesley. So let’s belt it out with much gusto, in perfect harmony and sincerity, letting heaven know that our hearts are truly focused right now on the birth of our Messiah, Jesus Christ. 

‘Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King: peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with the angelic hosts proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” (Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King”) Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold him come, offspring of the Virgin’s womb: veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the ‘incarnate Deity, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel. [Refrain] 

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth. [Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King” Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King” 

That was most excellent my fellow believers! Heaven could surely tell that we are sincere in our worship of Christ Jesus, for we sang from the depths of our overflowing hearts of LOVE, praise and adoration for Him! But what does the song mean eh? The website Hymnary.org gives us this insight. ‘This hymn by Charles Wesley was written within a year of Wesley’s conversion. Thus, as Albert Bailey writes, “the inspiration of his newly-made contact with God was still fresh” (The Gospel in Hymns, 100). 

Rather than simply tell the nativity story, Wesley pours theological truths into this text. The first verse tells the story of the angels proclaiming Christ’s birth, and the second and third verse go on to make it very clear why the angels sang. Simply by describing Christ, Wesley tells us the entire Gospel story. We are told of Christ’s nature, his birth and incarnation, his ministry, and his salvific purpose (purpose of salvation, or redemption). 

The Psalter Hymnal Handbook describes the hymn like this: “A curious mixture of exclamation, exhortation, and theological reflection. The focus shifts rapidly from angels, to us, to nations. The text’s strength may not lie so much in any orderly sequence of thought but in its use of Scripture to teach its theology. That teaching surely produces in us a childlike response of faith; we too can sing ‘Glory to the newborn King!’” 

And do we ever have much cause to sing those marvellous words, since Jesus came to earth to bail us out of the terrible sinful mess we were in. So, let’s look at a few of the scriptures that Wesley apparently based this hymn on. The first verse is obviously based on Luke’s telling of the night, or morning of Christ’s birth with all the fanfare by the angelic host around the frightened shepherds out in the fields watching over their flocks. The Good Book says: ‘And suddenly there was with the angel (who brought the good news) a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:13-14) 

Yes friends, the Prince of Peace was born on that fateful day, and it was indeed a day for all of us to celebrate, because as the hymn adds: ‘God and sinners reconciled!’ Mama O Mama! What a beautiful sensation and happening to know that Christ’s birth would finally lead us back into the good graces of our wonderful and ever-LOVING God! 

Bruh Paul wrote it thus to the church at Corinth in his second letter. ‘And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor. 5:18-19) 

And the scholars offer this explanation on the topic. ‘5:19. Reconciliation is the act whereby God on the basis of Christ’s death, has eliminated the cause of hostility between Himself and humanity, making possible a complete and maturing fellowship. (The hostility was caused by sin, and was eliminated by the cross). And those who have become reconciled to God have also been given the ministry of reconciliation, which is fulfilled when they engage in soul-winning (vs.19).’ Wow friends! What a joy it is to be reconciled to God, and to be able to also reconcile others to Him! 

Now moving on to the second verse, when the author talks about Christ as ‘late in time behold him come, offspring of the Virgin’s womb: veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the ‘incarnate Deity, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel, he apparently has these verses in mind. First off, Bruh Paul’s words to the Galatians. ‘But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made (born) of a woman, made (born) under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.’ (Gal. 4:4-5) And isn’t it oh so wonderful to be called the child of God! It surely is! 

And that second stanza also reminds us of these immortal words of John in the opening chapter of his gospel. ‘And the Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:14) Yes mih bredrin, the Word, that’s Jesus, did become flesh, mortal man like us, and dwelt among us, bringing us some much-needed heavenly grace and truth, which unfortunately, many of us still don’t appreciate and hunger for. 

And the last verse seems to pertain to these other magnificent scriptures. Firstly, Isaiah’s awesome verse: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.’ (Is. 9:6) Then we turn to Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, where he says of God: ‘But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall (grow fat like stall fed calves.’ (Mal. 4:2) What another awesome promise from our awesome God! 

Next comes these words from Bruh Paul to the church at Philippi, speaking of Jesus’ humility. ‘Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made of himself no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:6-8) 

Oh, what a man was our Jesus! Though God, He became flesh and behaved like a servant, humble, sacrificial and obedient, even unto the horrible death on a cross. And those who claim to believe in Him, ought to be much more appreciative of the great sacrifice He made on our behalf. He didn’t have to do it, but the Father who LOVED us so much, asked Him to, and He LOVED the Father so much, that He obediently did the Father’s will. Wish we could only be half as obedient. 

And the last scripture pertaining to that third verse comes from 1 Peter, where he writes to the Christian brethren on the topic of salvation. ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-4) 

Ah mih people, how wonderful is that second birth eh, that being born again by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, then receiving salvation, a certain resurrection through Christ, to dwell with Him in peace and LOVE until eternity! It’s all without comparison. 

Now one thing is for sure, Charles Wesley had a good knowledge of the scriptures, otherwise he could not have written such a complicated and intriguing hymn. How I wish to God that many more of us knew them that well, and would also put them into practical use, for our lives and our world would be in much better shape. Please, let’s make that our immediate resolution nuh…for Christ’s sake, and for future generations.  Much LOVE!

…for our lives to improve…we have to improve…not later…but right now… 

P.S. Yes, it’s long, but also good. (smile) Hope it lifts our spirits, this Advent Sunday. Much LOVE! 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8             

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 December 2020 Matthew 1:21.

24 Dec 2020 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 1:21.     ​And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins.

By Jove mih bredrin, it’s Thursday; Christmas Eve! The day before Christ’s birth! Wow! Can you imagine the celebrations and otherwise that’s going on around the world right now in anticipation and preparation for that glorious morn, even though it might be somewhat muted this year because of all our unforeseen problems, especially the corona virus pandemic? 

But however yuh take it friends, Christmas is still Christmas, and unless we in real straightened circumstances, we believers in Christ will make every effort to celebrate His awesome and incarnate birth! No pandemic, or political strife, or whatever, is going to stop us from worshipping and giving much thanks to our wonderful God for initiating salvation and eternal life through His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ with His birth! 

Please let the world know it and take serious note! Christians are rising up in the name of Christ! We taking back the world for God the Father through Jesus, the Son! Mama Mia! And when Christians rise up in and through Christ, NOTHING can stop them; certainly not the defanged and ‘detoothed’ evil lion called Satan, since He has no authority or power over us, except what we allow him to have. 

That’s because he was totally defeated at Calvary’s cross by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who summarily took away the keys of hell, death and the grave from his evil highness, and now he’s just like a li’l loopy dog, going home whining with his tail between his legs after he got crushed in the biggest fight of his evil life! Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit! 

Yeh friends, the ole fella waxing philosophical this Christmas Eve morning. (smile) And why not eh, when we celebrating the faithful keeping of a promise made centuries before the actual event occurred? The prophet Isaiah told it to us quite clearly: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7) 

And yuh better believe the beginning of this promise was fulfilled on Christmas day some two thousand years ago, when the Christ child, the incarnate one was born of the virgin Mary. As the angel reassured her husband Joseph: ‘Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived (begotten) in her is of the Holy Ghost. 

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet (Isaiah), saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted (translated) is, God with us.’ (Matt. 1:20-23) 

Oh mih people, what a great and faithful God we worship! That prophecy was made by Isaiah, way back when (Is. 7:14), and though it took a long time to come true, it did eventually. That’s the important thing: our God keeps all His promises, He just doesn’t tell us when He will fulfill them. That means we have to learn to wait in trusting faith, with eager expectation, and there is where we too often break down and fall apart. But as Jesus keeps on saying, ‘only believe, fear not, have faith.’ That’s all we need to do. And yes, it’s not easy, but with Him in our lives, it is certainly doable. 

And I want to elaborate a bit on some of those scriptures with the knowledgeable words of the scholars. ‘1:21-22.Call his name JESUS: The name of the child Jesus (Heb. Yehoshua) means “Jehovah Saves.” This points to the very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world – to save sinners. Placed early in the New Testament, this statement becomes the foundational concept of the gospel. Jesus, by His very name and nature, is the Saviour.’ And as Jesus Himself plainly said: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) 

And that’s it right there in a nutshell friends. Our God LOVED us so much that He wanted to save us from eternal damnation. And the only righteous and just way He could do that, since sins needed to be paid for, was to have His only Son come to earth in human form and pay for them on our behalf. Please note too that ONLY an unblemished, a sinless body could pay for sins, and Jesus was the only person like that. 

So just contemplate for a moment the heartache that the Father felt knowing that to save a bunch of ungrateful sinners, He had no alternative but to place our punishment on His wonderful Son. Now please let that sink into our souls and minds and remind us of how we hurt when our children suffer. Maybe then we’ll realize what a big gift the Lord made to us on that first Christmas Day. 

And as per the scholars, re “Immanuel, which being interpreted (translated) is, God with us: This is a title describing the deity of the person of the Son of God rather than a name actually used by Him. It implies God will come to dwell among His own people, which He did in the person of Christ.’ So friends, the coming of Jesus, His earthly birth, is not be taken lightly, because it marks the beginning of the era of our salvation, something for which we should be eternally grateful. 

And for those of us who are truly grateful for what our Holy Trinity has done, is doing, and will continue to do for us, let’s go home now declaring (awright!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been so magnanimously granted to us to do their earthly work. Altogether now in strong sincere voice, with a thankful Christmas Spirit. (smile) 

‘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!’ 

And since it’s Christmas, a time of celebration, and a time of severe shortage of most things, especially LOVE, it’s even more important than ever that we share those blessings just as generously with others. Much LOVE!

…please remember…that CHRIST…is the ONLY reason…for the season…   

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 December 2019 Isaiah 9:6.

20 Dec 2019 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 9:6.     ​For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
 
And yes, it’s Friday, the day we all been longing for, the one that heralds the end of the work week! And it’s also the Friday before Christmas! And that’s an even bigger Friday than usual, because we’re all wrapped up in the Christmas thing, where we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; eat, drink and give gifts to celebrate the occasion! But please, please, let’s not put the eating and drinking and gift giving first as we tend to so often do nuh! Let’s put the thought of Christ being born first and foremost, as it ought to be. Remember it’s the greatest gift this sinful and evil world has ever received. So let’s be adamant about putting Christ in His right and proper place in the season: FIRST! For HE is the reason for the season. 

Now let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say on this Friday before Christmas nuh. And he joyfully shouts: ‘Oh mama, mama, TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! Christmas Friday to boot! And ah taking the whole of next week of! No work for another seven days; just eat and drink and party! Brother! And is the slave master ever so vex, because several people taking holidays this week, and he have to pay we for Christmas and Boxing Day as well, even though we not working. So yuh know he’s not a happy camper, because he don’t like to pay at the best of times, but it just kills him when he have to pay us for days we don’t actually work. 

But that’s the system Mr. slave master, and yuh got to live by it, like it or not. But enough about he oui! Is Christmas; Christmas time in the city! And all the lights bright and shiny on the Christmas tree inside and the leafless trees outside! The weather is not the greatest, snowy and dreary, but the children happy because they see gifts packing up under the tree, and I happy too because plenty drinks and food in the cold room downstairs, and plenty treats up here. So how can I not thank God for Fridays, the weekends and Christmas eh?’ 

And that’s ever so right my brethren! We’ve got to thank the Almighty for ALL that we have, especially His Son at Christmas time! And though the ordinary workingman does have some good points in his song, we, as believers have to be ever so careful that we don’t overdo the carnal side of the equation and allow the enemy to get inside our spirits and souls and cause confusion as he just likes to do. That’s why our Friday Chant, though enthusiastic, is not as ebullient as the workingman’s. (smile) We have to pay a li’l more attention to the evil around us. 

So let’s chant it now nuh, with sincere hearts and strong voices. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’ 

Ah friends, working for Jesus is wonderful, adventurous and exciting, but as they say, it’s never done. We always have to be on our p’s and q’s, even when, or especially when we’re enjoying ourselves. So I guess Granny’s warning is apropos right here and now: ‘Sonny boy, ah begging yuh, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ And that my people should be our motto for this Christmas season. We don’t need any more problems than we already have…

Oh, and by the way…let’s not forget church nuh! Ah notice nobody ain’t say nothing about church yet nuh! (smile) But it is imperative that we visit the Lord’s sanctuary over this Christmas season and give him much thanks and praise for sending His One and Only Son to earth at this time so that our salvation could be forthcoming. And there is no better scripture that proclaims this than the mighty and momentous words of Isaiah. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ 

Mama Mia! What a promise! And that’s not all: ‘Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is.9:7) And perform it He did, starting with the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus! We just waiting for His Second Coming now to continue the fulfillment of that prophecy! What a mighty and faithful God we serve my people! 

Now let’s look at some New Testament scriptures that attest to the fulfillment of our Bit, starting with ‘For unto us a child is born.’ Hear the angels talk to the shepherds on Christmas night. ‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’ (Luke 2:11) And per ‘unto us a son is given.’ Listen to Jesus Himself: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) 

Then, per ‘the government shall be upon his shoulder,’ listen to Jesus again, this time as He sends the disciples out into the world to proselytize it: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.’ (Matt. 28:18) We’ll leave out ‘his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,’ because it’s found in the Old Testament (Judges 13;18) (smile) And by the way, in Hebrew that’s one word, talking about ‘miraculous counsel given by this God-like King.’ 

And as per ‘the mighty God, The everlasting Father,’ hear Bruh Paul from Titus, as he talks about the Christian life. ‘Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.’ (Titus 2:13) ‘The everlasting Father, literally means Father of Eternity. He alone is the source of eternal life.’ And finally, per, ‘The Prince of Peace,’ hear Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘For he (himself) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition (division) between us.’ (Eph. 2:!4) 

Yes friends, Jesus is the ONE, the One of Peace who broke down the enmity between Jews and Gentiles and made us ONE in the Christian Church, His Church. So please, let’s ponder all of that this upcoming week as we celebrate Christ’s birth nuh, and keep Him first place in our hearts, souls and minds. Much LOVE!

…without Christ’s birth…there’d be no Christmas… never forget that…

P.S. Yeh, I know it’s long and late, but it’s ever so good! (smile) Much LOVE!