15 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heartrending act, a higher level of love and sacrifice, all which he hath given me, as the heavens are higher than the earth, believest thou this, Christ died for the ungodly, deepen my breath, do anything we want, everyone who sees the Son and believes on Him, faith, God commendeth his love toward us, God created us to spend communal time with Him, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God so loved the world, handle the ups and downs of this strife-filled world, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he that believeth in me, hectic work week, holy spirit, I am the resurrection and the life, I came down from heaven, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I shall lose nothing, I want to be with you now, I will raise him up at the last day, if any man will come after me, in due time, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, laze on the couch, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him deny himself, LOVE, mercy, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, my ways are not your ways, my ways higher than your ways, no doubt of God's great love for mankind, not to do my own will, our eternal destiny, perhaps for a good man, quiet my soul, raise it up again at the last day, read a good book, reconcile them back to Himself, relax my muscles, relax my musclesslow my thoughts, salvation, scarcely for a righteous man will one die, shall have everlasting life, sinful rebellion against God, some would even dare to die, spend time with the Father, take up his cross daily and follow me, thank you for this tenderness, the righteousness of God in christ, the ups and downs, the will of him that sent me, the world through him might be saved, this is the Father's will, this is the will of him that sent me, this strife-filled world, though he were dead yet shall he live, truth, warms the cockles of God's heart, when we were yet without strength, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Oh boy, it’s Saturday; our lazy-day Saturday where we can do anything we want! Now isn’t that a wonderful feeling? It surely is! Except for those who might have young children or old parents to look after. (smile) But otherwise, we can laze the day away, in bed, on the couch in front of the TV, or just sit in our favourite chair and read a book we’ve been dying to read for ages, but could never find the time during our hectic work week. And thankfully I did get to laze away some of the morning hours in bed. But one thing we must not forget to do though, is offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth. (smile)
So please pray with me: ‘‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And it’s oh so wonderful when we spend time with or ask the Father to help us get to know Him better, because it’s only through greater knowledge of and intimacy with Him, that we’ll ever be able to handle the ups and downs of this strife-filled and angry world. And as I always remind us, our heavenly Father desires nothing more than His human creation seeking to spend intimate time with Him, for that’s one of the reasons He created us in the first place; so that we could commune deeply together. And there’s’ nothing that warms the cockles of His heart like us coming to Him seeking closeness and sincere time with Him.
And if you don’t believe that God truly LOVES us and wants to be a major part of our lives, then tell me why He’s done all that He’s done for us, when He was not required to do so, especially after our sinful rebellion against Him? But He did it because He created us to spend communal time with Him and He LOVES us more than any of His other creations. Just think on these scriptures nuh, and tell me if what I’m saying isn’t true.
Hear this first one from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome: ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:6-8) Now that’s one of my favourite scriptures, because it shows how much God really LOVES us, in that He didn’t wait for us to come to Him, like most other supposed gods would, but He came to us through the birth, death and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ.
And I like how this commentary explains it. ‘The saying highlights a contrast between a “righteous” person, who follows the law, and a “good” person, who is seen as noble and selfless. The passage immediately uses this idea to explain that while it is rare for someone to die for a “good” person, God showed his LOVE by having Christ die for “ungodly” people, demonstrating a higher level of LOVE and sacrifice.’
And why not eh, since as He tells us in Isaiah: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) Therefore it’s not surprising that our magnificent and magnanimous God would do such and unheard of thing like sending His sinless Son to die for bunch of abominable sinners, placing the whole weight of their sin on His shoulders, so that He could reconcile them back to Himself as the righteousness of God in Christ, because of Christ’s payment for their sin.
Only someone who truly LOVED someone else would ever dream of doing such a heartrending act. But as Jesus said to Nicodemus when he came searching for answers: ‘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)
Now friends, that’s what true LOVE looks like; sacrificing one’s own heart for an undeserving other. And that’s why Jesus expects those who claim to be His disciples, His followers, to follow His example and sacrifice themselves for others, as He so expressly specifies in the gospel of Luke. ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That shows that following Jesus is a daily thing. We need to do just like He did, that’s follow the will of His heavenly Father.
And He said it out loud and clear: ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:38-40) Yes my faithful brethren, it could not be any clearer than that: The will of the Father, is that everyone who believes in Jesus receives eternal life and will be raised up on the last day.
And as Jesus said to Martha, shortly before He raised her brother Lazarus from the dead: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26)
Now that’s a question we would all do well to seriously consider and ponder on this rainy lazy-day Saturday in the middle of November 2025, because our eternal destiny hinges on it. Much LOVE!
…if one reads the scriptures…there’s no doubt of God’s great LOVE for mankind…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of sinful ingrates, accounted sheep for the slaughter, angels, anyone who's seen the light of Jesus knows the truth, be able to separate us from the love of God, by grace are ye saved through faith, dead in sins, deepen my breath, distress, duped by the devil, eternal life, faith, famine, for God so loved the world, for thy sake, God broke His own heart for us, God commendeth his love toward us, God gave Jesus as a sacrifice, God who is so rich in mercy, God's love for mankind, he gave his only begotten son, holy spirit, I am persuaded, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in all sincerity and truth, in all these things, increase my awareness of you today, it is the gift of God, Jesus Christ, kept in total darkness, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lest any man should boast, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, man's foolish decisions, mercy, nakedness, neither death nor life, never doubt God's great love for mankind, Nicodemus, nor any other creature, nor height nor depth, nor powers, not of works, peril, persecution, principalities, quickened us together with Christ, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, salvation is the gift of God, Satan's evil machinations, seeking greater intimacy with God, shunned intimacy with God, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, the sword, the truth will set him free, things present, things to come, tribulation, truth, we are killed all the day long, we are more than conquerors, which is in christ Jesus our Lord, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Another lazy-day Saturday…and is it ever bright and sunshiny! Brother! September is really treating us to some beautiful summer weather! And I hope that we won’t be angrily complaining when the cold weather at lasts sets in. (smile) But I know that’s just a pipe dream, because in this modern day society, complaining has become an integral aspect of our lives, even to the point of complaining just for complaining sake. Fortunately though, there’s nothing for us to complain about today since it’s so beautiful outside and we don’t have to go to work.
But to help ease whatever anxiety we might still possess, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as we say every Saturday; there’s nothing better than seeking and achieving greater intimacy with Almighty God, our Creator. For intimacy is one of the main reasons for which He created us. But unfortunately, down through the years, mankind, for whatever reason(s) has shunned intimacy with God, obviously much to God’s disappointment and man’s misfortune. However, our God is so wonderful, compassionate and LOVING, that He has never given up on us, even sent His One Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross so that we could be reconciled to Him, to get that intimacy we both were denied through Satan’s evil machinations, and our foolish decisions.
Now, on the subject of God’s LOVE for mankind, there are two most relevant scriptures. The first is where Bruh Paul declares to the Roman church: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) That just goes to show that God did not wait for us to come to Him with clean and pure hearts. No! He instigated the whole affair of salvation and eternal life, because of His great LOVE for His most important creation, and not wanting to lose any of them to the evil Beelzebub.
That’s why Bruh Paul could also write these magnificent and reassuring words to the church at Rome: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake, we are killed all the day long; we are accounted sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
Mama Mia! What powerful and reassuring words from Bruh Paul, letting us know that nothing whatsoever can ever separate us from God’s LOVE, which comes to us through Christ! And just in case you didn’t know, (smile) that scripture is found in Romans 8: 35-39.
Now, the second poignant scripture we spoke of earlier, comes from the lips of Jesus Himself. That happens while talking with Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who had come to Him under cover of night seeking answers. Jesus candidly informs him: ‘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.’ (John 3:16) So what more do we need to see and understand that Almighty God’s LOVE for us is extremely important to Him? So important, that He was willing to break His own heart, to give His Son as a sacrifice, to suffer so much pain and abuse, for a bunch of sinful ingrates!
No wonder, Bruh Paul could write thus to the Ephesians. ‘But God, who is so rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kingdom toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph. 2:4-9)
Yes friends, God LOVES us with such a fierce fatherly LOVE that He’s done everything in His power to give us the opportunity to get back into His good graces. And having seen and heard all of that, how can we then not desire greater intimacy with God eh? Not unless we are totally duped by the devil and his evil cronies and kept in total darkness and falsehood. For anyone who’s seen the light of Jesus knows the truth, and the truth will set him free from the evil and lying wiles of Satan. (John 8:32)
So my people, we can doubt many things in this world, but there’s one thing we can NEVER doubt, that’s God great, unconditional, undying, absolute and everlasting LOVE for His most wonderful, but sadly most foolish creation, human beings! Consequently, on this beautiful lazy-day Saturday, as we laze around doing not much of anything, let’s take some time to ponder that age old, but oh so true question of God’s undeniable LOVE for us nuh! Much LOVE!
…if God didn’t LOVE us…why did He sacrifice His Son Jesus…so that we could be reconciled back to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, being confident of this very thing, being justified by his blood, being made more like Jesus in conduct and character, bounden duty, broken right now, by grace are you saved through faith, Christ's death atones for our sins, Christ's righteousness is imputed to them through faith, created in christ Jesus unto good works, curse, divine protection, eternal life, faith, favour, follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, forgiveness of sins, God commendeth his love for us, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God hath before ordained, God made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, god's declaration that a person is righteous, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, grow in spiritual maturity, he that believeth in me, he which hath begun a good work in you, holy spirit, I am the resurrection and the life, in the name of Jesus, it is the gift of God, Jesus Christ, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, joy in God through Christ, justification, justified by his blood, keep God first place, lest any man should boast, LOVE, mercy, negative word, new life, not becuse of inherent righteousness, promotion, raised from glory to glory, receive clear direction for my life, received the atonement, reconciliation, reconnection to God, salvation, salvation is not of works, sanctified -set apart for God's work, saved from wrath through Christ, self-control, self-discipline, set apart for a sacred purpose, share our blessings generously, the numerous benefits of Christ's death and resurrection, the penultimate day of our work week, the recent heat wave, the righteousness of God in christ, the saving grace of God, though he were dead yet shall he live, truth, underserved divine favour, undeserved blessings, unless we have Christ we have nothing at all, we are his workmanship, we cannot earn salvation, we should walk in them, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in me shall never die, will perform it until the day of Jesus, wisdom
John 11:25. I am the resurrection, and the life he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live:
Ah friends, it’s Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, and it looks like we’ve gotten through the recent heat wave without too much damage! Thank the Lord! And with a li’l rain falling in the early morning hours, and some falling outside right now, it’s helped to give us a cool, but somewhat cloudy day. And as we promised yesterday if God spared our lives, we would continue looking at some of the numerous benefits that His death and resurrection brought us.
Remember, yesterday we read this commentary that gave us a brief insight into some of those things: ‘‘Christ’s death and resurrection offer believers forgiveness of sins, new life, and the hope of eternal life, among other benefits. His sacrifice on the cross atones for our sins, while his resurrection conquers death, granting believers new life and the promise of eternal life.’ And we went through some of the relevant benefits and scriptures.
Today, as time and space permit, we’ll do a few more starting with one we touched on briefly yesterday. That’s reconciliation, or reconnection to God. That’s a major benefit, because our sins had separated us from our heavenly Father, and Christ’s dying and taking them, brought us back into communion with Him. And this passage of scripture touches on several of the things Christ’s sacrifice did for us. And one thing we should note is that it all happened because of God’s great LOVE for us.
Bruh Paul writes: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having been) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more, being (having been) reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation).’ (Rom. 5:8-11)
Yes friends, in that passage we see God reaching out to us, although we were enemies, to provide reconciliation, salvation and justification through the death and the shed blood of His son. And what is salvation? Salvation is the saving grace of God, as Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.’ (Eph. 2:8-10)
And the gist of all that is simply that we are saved by the grace or undeserved divine favour of God, it is a gift of God, and we cannot earn it, no matter how hard we try. The fact is, we do good works because we’re expected to once we’re saved. We don’t do good works to be saved. And that’s something we all ought to understand, because many of us still believe doing good works will get us into heaven! Unfortunately it will not. Only faith, or belief in Christ Jesus will do so.
As Jesus said to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, before He raised him from the dead. ‘I am the resurrection, and the life he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26) Now that’s a very crucial question! For belief and faith in Christ is the only way we will ever experience eternal life. His death paid the atoning price for our sins. ‘For he (God) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ.’ (1 Cor. 5:21)
And ‘the righteousness of God’ is another benefit we received from Christ’s death and resurrection. Earlier on we talked about being ‘justified by his blood” that’s another benefit. So what’s justification, and what’s the righteousness of God? They are both intertwined, as this commentary explains: ‘Justification is God’s declaration that a person is righteous, not because they are inherently righteous, but because Christ’s righteousness is imputed to them through faith.’ Yes friends, all that we are, all that we have is because of Christ and applied to us because of Him. We have been made righteous, justified, reconciled and sanctified because of His work on the cross.
And sanctified simply means been set apart to do God’s work for a sacred purpose. It’s the process of being made more like Jesus Christ in character and conduct. And it’s a lifelong journey, not a one time event. It calls to mind this verse: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus.’ (Phil.1:6) Meaning that once God begins changing you into the image of Christ, He will not stop until Christ returns, or He takes you home.
Ah mih people I know it’s difficult to take in and understand all that Christ has done for us, but as the Lord changes us into His image, and we work with Him to do so, we will grow in spiritual maturity and understand more and more, as He raises us from glory to glory. So there’s no need to worry, once we keep God first place and follow the guidance of His Holy Spirit. And to show His goodness and mercy, God has bestowed on us what we call our Thursday Blessings. Undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it’s now our bounden duty to use those blessings to help others, just as generously as God shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…unless we have Christ…we have nothing at all…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a level of peace, a man lay down his life for his friends, an honour to be so intimately known, April Fool's day, April showers, believers, believers in Christ, But God commendeth his love toward us, christianity, Christians, come to know and love him like we do, despite what and whom we are, duty bound, faith, fly out the window, following Satan and his evil practices, for His awesome goodness and mercy, God cannot deny Himself, God knows all my mistakes, God loves us, God sent not his son into the world, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, God so loved the world, greater love hath no man than this, grow through challenges, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, hellhole, hellhole we're digging for ourselves, holy spirit, hurry, if ye do what I command you, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in god's eyes, in god's world it's all about love, in Jesus name, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, Jesus' crucifixion, listened to my doubts and questions, LOVE, love is the guiding principle of god's kingdom, love rules the roost, makes you want to cringe and laugh at the same time, May flowers, mercy, my bone-deep longings, my heart harbours deceit, negative evils, Nicodemus, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, prayer rings so true, prayers have no timeline, radiant with good intentions, received my genuine praise, salvation, see the coming seasons in my life, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, should not perish, sincerity of heart, surpasses all the understanding of men, Thank the Lord, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the amazing foundation of Christ's gospel, the awesome truth, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the In touch Devotional, the weight of my regrets, this is my commandment, thrive in peace, through him the world might be saved, to condemn the world, to walk beside you in this life, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undeserving and disobedient, undying hope and faith, we don't deserve God's love, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, wisdom, worry, ye are my friends, ye love one another as I have loved you, you truly are love
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
And the month of April has opened bright and sunshiny, though a tad on the chilly side. And though the computer is forecasting some 6 cm of snow for tomorrow, we do hope that as the month rolls on, it will bring some warm April showers that will eventually translate into beautiful May flowers. Yes friends, that’s the amazing thing about believers in Christ Jesus; we always have undying hope and faith. Consequently, we also believe that all the craziness and ungodliness that’s happening in our world is only a figment of our imagination, an April Fool’s joke, and in due course our Lord and Saviour will fix it all, to the benefit of Himself and His followers.
And all God’s people said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Thank the Lord for His awesome goodness and mercy to us undeserving and disobedient but highly LOVED creation!’ And that’s the awesome truth my people! We don’t deserve God’s LOVE nor goodness, but nonetheless He pours them out on us, because that’s the kind of God He is, and He cannot deny His character. Oh, how I wish that our character was even half as good and strong, for what a wonderful world we’d then have.
Anyway, to help us improve our godly character, here’s this interesting prayer from the March issue of the In Touch Devotional. And though some of us protest to hearing March prayers in April, (smile) please know that prayers have no timeline nor special place, they can be said anywhere and at any time, all they need is sincerity of heart. So please pray with me.
‘God, You know about all my mistakes, even those I haven’t made yet. You’ve seen me grow through challenges and thrive in peace. You know my heart both harbours deceit and is radiant with good intentions. You know my bone-deep longings and the weight of my regrets. You’ve listened to my doubts and questions and received my genuine praise. You see the coming seasons in my life and You’re ready, even if I am not. It’s an honour to be so intimately known and to walk beside you in this life. You truly are LOVE, and I’m thankful. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my fellow believers, that’s one of those prayers that ring so true that it makes you want to both cringe and laugh at the same time! Obviously, our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Creator knows all about us, even before we do both the wrongs and good deeds. But He still LOVES us! And that’s the amazing foundation of Christ’s gospel; the good news that Almighty God, our Creator and Chastener LOVES us despite what and whom we are! And I don’t know why that’s so difficult for some of us to believe, since it’s so openly and obviously stated in His Word.
Listen to Jesus tell it like it is to Nicodemus, one of the Pharisee leaders, as he comes under cover of night to find out what is what. Jesus says, in no uncertain terms: ‘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 through him the world might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now my brethren, it could not be stated any plainer than that! God LOVED His human creation so much that He sent His Son to save them from the hellhole that they were digging for themselves by following Satan and his evil practices. And that fact is seen and proven with even more force by Jesus’ crucifixion on our behalf! How then can we ever doubt God’s LOVE for us? Oh, we might not want to accept it, but there’s definitely no doubt that He LOVES us with a great and undying LOVE!
And that just brings to mind one of my favourite verses from the Bible, where Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now which other god has ever done anything like that eh? None! They all want you to turn from your ways toward them first. But Jehovah God is so sure and certain of Himself that He gave us a way out even when we did not deserve it.
And Jesus reiterated His and the Father’s LOVE for us, when He told the disciples: ‘This is my commandment, that ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do what I command you.’ (John 15:12-14)
Yes my fellow believers LOVE is the guiding principle of God’s kingdom, and that’s why the enemy is fighting so hard to keep us from LOVING God, ourselves and each other. For he knows that when LOVE rules the roost, all his negative evils will fly out the window, and he will be even further reduced than He is already by Christ’s victory on the cross and His amazing resurrection.
Bruh Paul also emphasizes the importance of Christ’s LOVE in his epistle to the Romans, when he writes: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ?’ (Rom. 8:35a) Then he goes on to make a long list of negative things. Then says: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8: 37-39)
And that’s what we need to believe friends, especially in these turbulent and chaotic times; that NOTHING whatsoever can, or will ever be able to separate us from the LOVE of God that resides in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And when we sincerely believe that, and do the things it calls for, then we will be able to face this crazy world with a level of peace and calm that passes all the understanding of men.
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh man!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That means, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in God’s world…it’s all about LOVE…that’s why He created us…and that’s why He’s also saved us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a true child of God, according to his riches in glory, all things work together for good, be of good cheer, be strong and of a good courage, be strong faithful and persevering, but of power love and a sound mind, called according to His purpose, carest thou not that we perish, Christ has given us the victory, christianity, do not fear, ever so glad to have Jesus, faith, faith is the antidote for fear, fear of life, God has not given us a spirit of fear, God is with us wherever we go, God shall supply all your needs, God's promised to look after us, halfway home, hands on the plough, he arose and rebuked the wind, he said unto them, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, holy spirit, how is it that ye have no faith, I am with thee, i have overcome the world, I will help thee, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, live in faith and in peace, LOVE, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, navigate through anything successfully, no need to fear, not looking back at the past, not turning back, our second wind day, peace be still, said unto the sea, salvation, satisfy all our needs, spiritual maturity, strange weather, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lord thy God goeth before thee, the Navigator of All navigators, the wind ceased, there was a great calm, these things I have spoken unto you, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them that love God, truth, turbulent times, victory, Wednesday Wail, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, why are ye so fearful, wisdom, with Jesus at our helm, work everything out for our good
Mark 4:40. And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
And then it was Wednesday, our second wind day, but the weather is certainly strange. Earlier on, there was some sunshine with clouds in the background, then some small white pieces of stuff began falling, then that went away after a few minutes, then the sun came out, then the clouds took over. Right now, at midday, it’s a mixture of cloud and sun, with who knows what’s going to happen next.
But that’s why we’re ever so glad to have Jesus! I say it every day, because whatever comes our way, whether it’s weatherwise or finances or sickness, or anything the evil and ungodly world throws at us, with Jesus at our helm, we will be able to navigate through it successfully, because He is the Navigator of All Navigators! Rocks and storms and strong winds or anything else are no problem for Him, because He is the One that created them all, and consequently can control them however He wants to.
Remember that marvellous and miraculous moment when Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat as He crossed the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, when a big storm rose up and threatened to sink the boat, but Jesus remained calmly sleeping. The disciples in great fear, woke him up, asking ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’ (Mark 4:38-40)
Now friends, that’s exactly what Jesus is asking of many of us in these tough and turbulent times because we are sorely afraid of what’s happening around us and what might happen to us. But if you are a true child of God, there’s no need to fear, for He’s promised to look after us, satisfy all of our needs, and to work everything out for our own good. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to these scriptures that promise divine aid and intervention. First off in Isaiah, the Lord Promises: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) What more do we want eh my people?
Then there’s this other promise: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 4:19) What’s in that that we don’t understand eh? Then we have the granddaddy of all promises: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Now, He doesn’t say that we will never have any problems, but in the end, He will work out all those tough times and things for our good. We just have to be strong, faithful, patient and persevering despite what comes against us, knowing that our great and wonderful God is always with us, wherever we go.
And that’s one of the oldest promises in the Bible, for Moses encouraged the Israelites thus before he gave up the leadership of the group to Joshua. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) And the Lord also pounded it into the ears of Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. You can read that very clearly in Joshua 1:7-9. So that’s nothing new, we should all be well aware, believe and expect the Lord to be with us at ALL TIMES!
And would you believe that the words or idea of ‘do not fear,’ occur very often in the Bible, because we still have that latent fear of life, of the devil and all his accomplices, despite the many assurances of God to hold the opposite emotion of faith. That brings us to this most telling exhortation from Bruh Paul to Timothy, and rebuke to us, who should know better. He steadfastly proclaims: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
So why is there so much fear today amongst supposed believers eh, if we weren’t given a spirit of fear by our God but one of strong faith, etc. etc.? Who knows? I guess we all have to speak for ourselves, but to my mind, too many of us have not reached that level of spiritual maturity where we stop being afraid of what the world and all its cohorts can do to us. Oh yes, we are concerned and do our best to help ourselves, but in the long run our help all comes from the God who LOVED us so much back in olden times, and still LOVES us a whole lot today, despite our disobedience and rebellious ways, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Now, that ought to tell us a lot about the wonderful nature and character of our God. But I guess it doesn’t, else we would not be behaving in the fearful and ungodly manner in which we’re currently behaving. For if we were not fearful and afraid, the devil would not be holding the world in as tight a stranglehold as he is right now. That alone shows how fearful and afraid we supposed believers are, otherwise we’d be out there fighting the devil and his evil doings mano a mano, step for step, and winning the battle, because we have the victory already assured by Jesus, we only have to keep it going.
And there’s no better verse of scripture to encourage us than this one from Christ 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) Wow mih bredrin! What encouragement and reassurance it ought to be knowing that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus has already overcome the evil world of Satan, and there’s no need for us to live in fear, but in faith and in His peace.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail to all sundry, letting them know of our wonderful 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 you truly believe, then it’s also been promised that if we endure to the end with Christ, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s pledge to meet there at the very end and enjoy that more than glorious future together nuh! Much LOVE!
…when fear comes calling…send faith to answer…because faith is the only antidote for fear…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lifelong relationship, Ah cyar leave Him, ah cyar live life without him, an unbreakable seal, being justified by his blood, Bible, chocked full of truth, Christ died for the ungodly, christianity, Christians, come from the darkness, Denyse Plummer, divine ownership, eternal separation from God, faith, fellowship, for God I go dead, For God man I living, from revelry to righteousness, from sin to salvation, full of life but so empty, gather in the Lord's house, gave my life to Jesus, getting to know Jesus, glee, go tell my enemies, God commendeth his own love toward us, gospel lyrics, He came to earth and died on the cross, he is my shelter, heard the word of truth, heat up the place, holy spirit, hot hot hot, I am under the rock, I found the truth, I recommend you try him, I saw the light, in due time, in his arms you'll find me there, in times of storm, in whomw I will trust, Jahovah, Jahovah hides me, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the best upgrade, Jesus is the cause, Jesus offered up his sinless life, Jesus shed blood on the cross, journey down south, justification, kept forever by the power of God, King of Kings, land of carnival and calypso, LOVE, mercy, more than gold, more than silver, my deliverer, my fortress, my god, my high tower, my strength, Na Leaving, never condemn or forsaken me, no remission of sins, on my way to a fiery end, our great high priest, reconciled to God, reverence, reworked song, righteousness, rose up just like a boss, salvation, sanctification, saved by his life, saved from wrath, sealed until the day of redemption, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, someone told me about a Saviour, surrender our all to Jesus, the amazing transformation Jesus brings, the Christian walk, the darkness of sin, the death of his son, the gospel of salvation, the greatest decision, the horn of my salvation, the identification mark of a believer, The Lord is my rock, the reason I'm still living, the rock is higher than I, the soca hit, the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, to save us from eternal death, tribute, truth, wallowing deep in a pig pen, when we were yet without strength, when you see me smiling, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, why are ye so fearful, why don't you have faith, wisdom, without the shedding of blood, Yahweh, Yeshua
Romans 5:6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly.
Another Sunday! Another occasion to gather in the Lord’s house and fellowship with other believers. But since it’s somewhat cold and cloudy, we’ve decided to take a much-deserved break from those dreary weather conditions and for today’s worship session journey down south to the beautiful twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, the land of calypso and carnival. And we’re going to warm up, no heat up the place, hot, hot, hot, with this beautiful meshing of African and East Indian riddims that we call chutney soca. It’s a reworked song with gospel lyrics based on the soca hit ‘Na Leaving’ by the late calypso songbird Denyse Plummer.
And just as ‘Na Leaving,’ was a big hit as it celebrated all the good things of T&T, that those who were leaving would miss, likewise the renamed song ‘Ah Cyar Leave Him!’ referring to Jesus was, still is, and will always be a mighty gospel hit! So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise with a sincere and heartfelt, scintillating rendition of this gospel song ‘Ah Cyar Leave Him,’ one so chocked full with everlasting truth!
And as the sweet, easy rocking chutney soca music starts, we hear a couple bars, then we shout out ‘Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah! From revelry to righteousness…Cyar leave Him. From hell-bound to holiness…Cyar leave Him. From sin to salvation…Cyar leave him. A kingdom destination…Cyar leave Him. There I was, in my glee, wallowing deep in a pig pen, full of life, but so empty, on my way to a fiery end. But someone told me about a Saviour, who said He LOVES me and He cares. In times of storm He is my shelter, so in His arms you’ll find me there.
Yuh see ah cyar live life without Him, He is my King of Kings, He’s the reason I’m still living. Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. Never condemn or forsaken me dread…Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. For God man I living, For God I go dead. There are so few, who made it through, and come from the darkness of this world. But I saw the light, I found the truth. I have more than silver, more than gold. I gave my life over to Jesus, the greatest decision I’ve made. Boy I recommend you try Him, Jesus is the best upgrade. He came to earth and died on the cross, rose up just like a boss, when yuh see me smiling, He’s the cause.
Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. Never condemn or forsaken me dread…Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. For God man I living, For God I go dead. I am under the rock. The rock is higher than I. Jahovah hides me. I am under the rock. Go tell my enemies, that I am under the rock. Jahovah hides me, I am under the rock. I am under the rock. The rock is higher than I. Jahovah hides me. I am under the rock. Go tell my enemies, that I am under the rock. Jahovah hides me, I am under the rock.
From revelry to righteousness…Cyar leave Him. From hell-bound to holiness…Cyar leave Him. From sin to salvation…Cyar leave him. A kingdom destination…Cyar leave Him. Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah! (And we shout again) Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah!’
Wow mih bredrin, that sure was wonderful! And yuh better believe that all of heaven, even the Father, was rocking along and singing with us as we gave much deserved praise to our great High Priest, our Lord and Saviour, our King of Kings, the One and Only Jesus Christ! And though Jesus seemed to be a li’l embarrassed by all the praise, nonetheless, He too was tapping His feet and clapping His hands as the sweet soca chutney melody permeated heaven and raised the level of joy normally found there!
Now that’s certainly saying something, for heaven usually has a very high level of joy. But the fact is that all the song says is true, and heaven acknowledged it with us. And yuh better believe that is the kind of difference, the amazing transformation Jesus performs in our lives when we surrender our all to Him! He does bring us from ‘revelry to righteousness, hell-bound to holiness and from sin to salvation.’ For remember that the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.’ (Rom. 6:23)
Yes friends, through His shed blood on the cross of Calvary, Jesus saved us from hellfire and damnation and brought us holiness and salvation instead. And when we were joyfully wallowing in our pig pens, clothed in the darkness of sin, but truly empty of God and heading straight for hellfire, we’d better thank the Lord that someone told us about Jesus who LOVES and cares for us, so much so that He freely offered up His sinless life to save us from our sins and eternal death, meaning eternal separation from the Father.
As Bruh Paul writes in Romans. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having been) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being (having been) reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.’ (Rom. 5:6-10)
Oh my people, all the good things that have happened to us, like salvation, justification, sanctification, reconciliation, righteousness, etc. etc. have all stemmed from Jesus’ shed blood on the cross, for without the shedding of blood there’s no remission of sin. (Heb. 9:22) And He not only saves us from sin, but also shelters us from the storms of life, because He can calm the seas and the winds as He did when crossing the Sea of Galilee with the disciples. And ended up saying to His terrified companions: Why are ye so fearful? How is that ye have no faith .’ (Mark 4:40)
And that word faith plays a rather big role in our walk with Jesus, for if we don’t believe, have strong faith in Him, then we will not have a successful Christian life. That’s the first step in our Christian walk, after we see the light and find the truth, which is worth so much more than silver or gold. And believe me friends, giving your life to Jesus is the best decision you can ever make, for as the song so rightly says, He is indeed ‘the best upgrade.’ (smile)
And the scriptures, especially the psalms tell us that Jehovah is indeed our rock, our shelter from the storm. Bruh David says it well in Psalm 18: ‘The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower.’ (Ps. 18:2) We couldn’t get a better description than that friends!
And most importantly, once Jesus comes into your life, you cannot get away from Him, even if you want to, as the Bible tells us: ‘In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,’ (Eph. 1:13) In other words, ‘it is the mark of identification that the believer is truly God’s own and is kept forever by the power of God. It is an unbreakable seal of divine ownership and salvation.’
Wow! But yuh know what, my fellow saints, even without that seal unto the day of redemption, (Eph. 4:30) once we truly get to know Jesus, it’s simply impossible to leave Him, for such is the great LOVE and compassion He inspires in us! So please, let’s pay Him the awesome tribute and reverence that He deserves! Much LOVE!
…getting to know Jesus…is a beautiful lifelong relationship…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grateful heart, A Prayer of thanks, according to his riches in glory, all my love and adoration, be gracious unto thee, being my guide, being my sustainer in life, Between Freinds newsletter, cast thy burden upon the Lord, christianity, curse, disobedience, divine protection, express my gratitude to you Lord, faith, forgiving my sins, give you his peace, god, God commendeth his own love toward us, God so loved the world, great is thy faithfulness, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he shall sustain thee, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, I bless your holy name, I give you glory, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lift up his countenance on you, LOVE, make his face shine upon thee, mercy, my God shall supply all your needs, negative word, prayer, rebellion, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, self-control, thank you for being my provider, thank you for Loving me, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the Friends of the Society of the Little Flower, The Lord bless thee and keep thee, the Spirit of truth, therefore I have hope, this I recall to mind, thou has lacked nothing, Thursday Blessings, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom, your kindness and grace
Philippians 4:19. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Now there’s no rain on this Thursday morning, but the clouds are battling with the sun to see who will win the day. Let’s hope the latter will be triumphant as the Son was against the dark and evil Satan. And there’s no better way to begin today than with a prayer for all that our wonderful God has done for us. It comes from the Between Friends Newsletter published by the Friends of the Society of the Little Flower, and it’s simply entitled ‘A Prayer of Thanks.’ So please pray with me:
‘Gracious Lord, Thank You for this LOVELY day. I come before You with a grateful heart. Thank You for all of your blessings and goodness in my life. It is only because of your kindness and grace that I am able to get through each day. I give You glory. I give You all my LOVE and adoration. Thank You for LOVING me and forgiving my sins. I want to express my gratitude to You, Lord, for everything You have done in my life. Thank You for being my Provider, I appreciate your works in my life. Thank You for being my Guide and helping me make good decisions. Thank You for being my Sustainer in life. Even when things are difficult, I trust that You are working and that You will always see me through. Thank You, Lord, for all that You do in my life. I bless your holy name. Amen.’
Ah friends, like a good cup of tea hits the spot in our stomachs, so that prayer hits the prayer spot in our souls! It seems to cover all of the major elements of our God’s grace and mercy towards us. So, let’s see what scriptures we can find that exemplify some of the things that our God is to us. And I guess the first scripture we should state is the first blessing that the Lord instituted among the Israelites, where He said unto Moses.
‘Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee and keep thee: The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put (invoke) my name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them.’ (Num. 6:22-27) And yuh know what friends, many thousands of years later we are still invoking the Lord’s name over us and receiving His blessings! Give him much thanks and praise!
And per God’s kindness and grace, I just adore this scripture from Jeremiah’s Lamentations. ‘Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:19-23) Oh my fellow believers, truer words were never spoken! It’s only because of God’s grace and LOVING-kindness that we haven’t been totally destroyed, for that’s what we deserve for our rebellion and disobedience.
But our God LOVED us so much that He broke His own heart and sent His one Son, Jesus Christ, a sinless lamb to die on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven. As Bruh Paul writes to the Romans, one of my favourite scriptures: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now if that isn’t a true showing, or rather the greatest example of LOVE, then I don’t know what is. And Jesus Himself said it so well: ‘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)
And as for being our Provider, there are so many scriptures on the subject that we can only quote a few, like this one that Moses pointed out to the Israelites: ‘these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou has lacked nothing.’ (Deut. 2:7b) And that was the indisputable truth! They had food, clothing, health and every thing they needed. That’s why Bruh Paul could later on make this astounding but real proclamation: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19).
And Jesus could confidently announce: ‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:31-33) And you will discover that it’s the gospel truth, if you seek and keep God first place in your life.
There are also numerous scriptures about God being our guide. Let’s highlight a couple. This one from Isaiah is a popular one: ‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’ (Is. 30:21) And that voice we hear guiding us is the voice of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus said: ‘Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine (what’s mine), and shall shew (declare) it unto you’ (John 16:13-14)) So both the Word of God and the Holy Spirit are our guides in these troubled times, therefore if we need wise guidance, then we must meditate on the Word and listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.
And as God being our Sustainer, we only have room for a few of the many scriptures that exist. Listen to Bruh David as he says in Psalm 55 – The Plea of the Fearful. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 55:22) That’s the indisputable truth my people! And Isaiah said it thus: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee.’ (Is. 26:3) And Jesus wraps it all up when He solemnly declares: (yesss!!!) ‘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)
That says it all my brethren! Now let’s turn to those underserved blessings we call our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has given us to do His earthly work. Let’s declare them so that they can be activated. As one voice! ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having accepted those blessings, we must now go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…like the great planner He is…the Lord has made preparation for ALL of our needs…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
18 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man lay down his life for his friends, a merciful forgiving gracious God, climate change, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, go astray, God commendeth his love for us, God so loved the world, Good Friday, greater love hath no man than this, he gave his only begotten son, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life, hellfire and damnation, humble ourselves, Jesus Christ, lose hope, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, on easy street, rain and wet snow, salvation, sincerely seek your face, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, strong faith in Christ, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the cross, the road to heaven, the world through him might be saved, this is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Then it was Monday, and who knows what kind of day it will turn out to be, weather wise or personal circumstances wise. But let’s hope that the weather is somewhat like yesterday afternoon, with the bright sunshine just pouring forth, after a touch of rain and some wet snow in the morning. Yes, the sunshine won the weather battle yesterday, in this contrary month of March 2024, where thanks to climate change, you don’t know from one moment to the next whether it’s going to be hot or cold, dry or wet. (smile)
And, as per personal circumstances, regardless of what happens, we’ve all made the pronouncement: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! (Ps. 118:24) And along with that positive statement, we’ve also declared (yesss!!!): ‘Something good is going to happen to me today. Something good is going to happen through me today!’ Wow! And with Jesus behind the wicket, or behind the baseball mound, guiding our trajectory, NOTHING can cause us to go astray or lose hope and faith in our wonderful Lord and Saviour!
Give Him much sincere praise and thanks my faithful believers, for He certainly deserves it, after all that He’s done on our behalf, especially the ‘sufferation’ of the cross on Good Friday, and the awesome resurrection three days later on Easter Sunday, momentous calendar occasions of our faith that are just two weeks away! And are those two splendiferous occasions, along with Christ’s immaculate conception and virgin birth at Christmas, ever important! That’s for certain sure, for without them we’d have no Christian faith, nothing on which to base all our hopes and dreams of salvation and eternal life. We’d be automatically doomed for hellfire and damnation.
But because of God’s great LOVE for His amazing creation, He sent His only Son, to die on our behalf and thus pay our sin debt in full. What a great LOVE the Father must have had for us, and still has, to give up His One Son, for a bunch of ungrateful sinners. And I just adore this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Roman church, which soundly endorses that amazing LOVE! He writes: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Mama oh Mama! What a scripture! It just exposes the big heart of our majestic and sovereign God Jehovah! And that’s not all. Listen to how Bruh Paul further describes the amazing strength of that LOVE in his missive to the Romans. ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nr depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus.’ (Rom. 8:38-39)
Now, that certainly deserves another, ‘Mama oh Mama!’ (smile) Yes friends, for Bruh Paul is saying that NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, can ever separate us from the AWESOME LOVE of our heavenly Father! And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, then listen to the sacrificial Son, Jesus Christ, as He explains it. ‘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) More amazing scripture proving God’s great LOVE friends!
And later on, Jesus bookended those statements with this one. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:30) And that’s exactly what He went out and did on Good Friday; lay down His sinless life for us! Yes my brethren, the Lord desired to save His creation from hellfire and damnation, so He gave up His most valuable possession, His Son to do it! But please note there is one very important proviso in the whole thing: To be saved, one needs to believe in the Son! And that’s about the only requirement the Lord set out in His heart-breaking sacrifice for us to be saved: we must believe in His Son!
The gift of salvation itself is totally free; we need to do nothing else but BELIEVE! And Jesus highlights that ever so clearly in the next verse. ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:18) Oh my people, it could not be any easier or clearer than that! All we need to do is sincerely believe in Jesus, and we’re on easy street – well not quite easy street, because belief brings a lot of testing, but we are indeed heaven bound. However, if we hear about Him and don’t believe, then it’s cleaners for us, eternal separation from God with Satan in the depths of hell.
And that fact is something that Jesus kept repeating at every instance. Listen to a few of them nuh. In talking about His submissiveness to the Father, He says: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement); but is passed from death into life.’ (John 5:24) Then after saying that He was the bread of life, (John 6:35) Jesus made this other statement re belief. ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me… And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:38, 40)
And when the Jews murmured about Him claiming to be the bread of life, Jesus told them again, in no uncertain terms. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.’ (John 6:47) Oh my fellow saints, how many times does Jesus have to stress the overriding need for belief in Him, before we actually do it eh? But it’s all up to individual choice, the free will that the Lord gave each of us. All I can do is try to pound it into our hard hearts and stubborn minds! End of sermon! (smile)
Now let’s go to the Father in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for His divine help to fix our many earthly problems. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it will stand us in very good stead, if we remember these important words of our prayer: ‘if we turn from our evil ways.’ For then, and only then will divine help be forthcoming! Much LOVE!
…belief is all it takes to get on the road to heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
19 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and share His love with the world, artificial intelligence, beloved of God, Christ - the reason for the season, Christ's Resurrection, draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you, faith, God commendeth his love for us, God is the strength of my heart, God sent His only begotten Son, God so loved the world, gossip, hurry, in god's eyes, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, nothing can separate us from God's love, redemption of sins, resist the devil and he will flee from you, salvation, slander, social media, speak not evil one of another, submit yourselves to God, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the Birth of Christ, the breadth and depth of God's love, the light of God surrounds me, the love of God enfolds me, the power of God protects me, the presence of God watches over me, there is one lawgiver, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wherever I am God is there, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom, worry
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated His own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Oh friends, this Tuesday of Christmas week has turned out to be somewhat contrary. (smile) It’s windy and cold, with a sprinkling of snow on the ground, and a cloudy kind of sunshine overshadowing the whole thing. Apparently, we had a snow warning for last night, but thankfully it did not hit our neighbourhood. But who knows what today will bring weatherwise, so if you’re going out, please be prepared for anything. And also, as we go about our Christmas preparations, let’s remember to always have Christ in mind as being the true reason for the season. We’ve already had the greatest gifts ever; the birth of Christ and His redemption of our sins, now we just have to trust and obey, for there’s no better way, to be happy in this crazy, evil and ungodly world.
Now here’s a li’l prayer to remind us of all that our wonderful and ever magnanimous God does for us. Please pray with me: ‘The LIGHT of God surrounds me. The LOVE of God enfolds me. The POWER of God protects me. The PRESENCE of God watches over me. Where ever I am, God is there! And ALL is well! Yes ALL is well! Amen!’ And that ought to be a big, heartfelt, sincere ‘Amen’ because of the numerous ways in which Jehovah God surrounds and protects us. Just imagine nuh, we have His LIGHT surrounding us, His LOVE enfolding us, His POWER protecting us, and His PRESENCE constantly watching over us! Wow! We can’t ask for any more than that, because there’s nothing more to be had, that’s everything!
Ah mih people, if we truly knew and understood how our heavenly Father cares for us, the breadth and depth of His LOVE and compassion, towards us, His most important and favoured creation, we would never, or rather, we’d try our very best not to ever disobey or disappoint Him. And I don’t believe there’s anything bigger and better that He could have done after we fell into the bondage of sin and disobedience than send His ONLY Son to take our abominable sins on His sinless shoulders and sacrifice His life on the cross of Calvary, so that we could be redeemed, be reconciled to Him. How many of us would do anything like that for a bunch of worthless sinners eh? Very few of us, if any!
However, the Word tells us: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated His own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) And later on in that same letter to the church at Rome, Bruh Paul reiterated his convictions by writing: ‘( Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:39) In other words, nothing whatsoever can ever separate us from God’s LOVE that is to be found in Christ Jesus!
Meanwhile, Jesus Himself pointed out the great LOVE that the Father has for us, when He said to Nicodemus, the Pharisee who came to Him by night seeking answers to confusing questions. ‘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)
Now, that’s the kind of LOVE and compassion God has for us! But do we truly believe or appreciate it? No way! Otherwise our lives would not be in such a sad state of disarray, of willful sin and disobedience, and Christ’s church would not be the breeding ground it is, for all sorts of ungodly stuff. Neither would we forget and/or neglect to remember that this season of Christmas, when Christ was born, is the beginning of the story of our marvellous and miraculous redemption, that ends with Christ’s earth-shattering resurrection on that first Easter morn!
Instead of our current behaviour and lifestyle, we ought to be saying and believing like the psalmist Asaph did in his famous Psalm 73, after being deceived by the prosperity of the wicked, then going into the Lord’s sanctuary and realizing their eventual destruction: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart (my rock), and my portion for ever… But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:26 &28)
Oh my fellow believers, if we could only make those things true in our own lives, what a wonderful world we’d have! Drawing near to God, surrendering our all to Him, and faithfully declaring (steups!!!) His mighty works are the things we so badly need right now, so that we can fight the good fight of faith that’s staring us in the face, as Satan ramps up his offensive against the people of God. That’s why James warns and encourages us to: ‘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. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10)
Yes friends, that’s where it all begins; by drawing nearer to God, humbling ourselves in His sight, and overall cleaning up our lives. Now, James ends that passage with a further warning and admonishment, but I’ve kept it separate, because it’s of ever so much importance in our current society. He concludes it thus: ‘Speak not evil one of another brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another.’ (James 4:11-12)
Ah mih people, evil speaking, lying, slandering, gossiping and the many other forms of verbal abuse are running rampant in our society because of the proliferation of social media and our technological revolution. And with the recent improvements of Artificial Intelligence, it’s slated to become even worse. The sad part of it all though is because of this technical revolution, we can spread bad and false news without risk of incurring the necessary consequences. Thus, too many of us talk and are judgemental about things we know absolutely nothing about, therefore breeding even more evil in our society.
And yes, we will all have opinions on all sorts of topics, but please, let’s try and restrict spreading them nuh, especially the ones we know nothing about. That would indeed be a valuable start to cleaning up our gossipy, lying world. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel! As one voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s go out and do just that nuh; trust our awesome friend Jesus and share His amazing LOVE with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…all talk and no action…gets us nowhere fast…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: at the bottom of the heap, beloved if God so loved us, beloved of God, Consider This, God is LOVE, God sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, God's knowledge cannot be separated from His love, hurry, in god's eyes, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, lasting peace, looking upward and climbing upward are two different things, LOVE, LOVE is of God, Love makes the world go round, out of shame, prefer to keep hidden, see the sun come shining through, share His love with my neighbour, the chambers of your heart, the top of the mountain, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, up from the valley floor, we ought also to love one another, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, worry
1 John 4:11. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.
And this Tuesday in mid-November, seems to be one of those cloudy-sunny days where any number can play. But thankfully, it doesn’t appear that there will be any untoward precipitation to mar the dry day. And though I still haven’t fully recovered from the severe bout of covid, I do believe I am getting stronger with each passing day! Thank the Lord for that, because at the bottom of the heap is a tough place to be, and though from there you can only look upward, looking upward and climbing there are two entirely different things. Anyway, with the Lord’s help, we’re slowly climbing up from the valley floor to the top of the mountain, and one day soon, we’ll get there and see the sun come shining through. Glory to God!
Now here’s this interesting piece from this month’s In Touch Devotional that simply says: ‘Consider This.’ Please read with me. ‘God knows and understands everything about this moment – from what’s happening in the halls of government to the drama unfolding in the chambers of your heart. What a comfort that is for those of us who understand so little – who are so often confused and overwhelmed. But if God knows everything is an uncomfortable thought, it may be a sign something is off in your relationship with Him.
Perhaps you’ve chosen to LOVE something or someone who harms you physically, spiritually, or both. Maybe there’s a part of you that you’d prefer to keep hidden out of shame, fear, or an unwillingness to let go. Whatever the case, it’s important to know this: God’s knowledge and LOVE cannot be separated. God is LOVE! There’s no point in hiding. And there’s nothing to lose. In fact, there’s everything to gain – freedom, joy, and lasting peace.’ And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
Yes friends, it’s amazing how many of us still run from God, and try to keep stuff hidden from Him. But that’s a fool’s wisdom my brethren, for our God is omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present, meaning He’s all powerful, all knowing and all seeing. There’s nothing that happens in this world, in this universe that He created, that He doesn’t know about. As the reading says, whatever happens in the halls of power, or in the deep recesses of our heart, God knows them completely. So it doesn’t make sense to try and hide stuff from Him.
Just imagine it nuh, a supposed Christian hiding stuff from the Almighty, the One who created him and controls every aspect of his life! How ironical! And furthermore, as the reading says, you cannot separate God’s knowledge from His LOVE, because God is LOVE! And the sooner we realize that, the better off we will be. John puts it quite simply and clearly in his first epistle, when he writes: ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ (1 John 4:7-8)
It couldn’t be any clearer friends. Anytime you start talking about LOVE, you ought to have God in your heart, and anytime you begin talking about God, you ought to have LOVE in your heart, for they are inseparable, one cannot exist without the other! So it’s obvious in these blasphemous times that all is not right with us, when we bandy about the name of God and the word LOVE, using them indiscriminately, without proper judgement.
And John continues to explain the LOVE relationship between God and man. ‘In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that He LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation (atonement) for our sins.’ (1 John 4:9-10)
What a marvellous God we serve and worship my fellow saints! A God, who LOVED us so much, that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to earth to die to atone for our horrible sins. Which other Deity would ever dream of doing something so remarkable and LOVING eh? NONE whatsoever! And Bruh Paul stated it quite clearly in his letter to the church at Rome, when he ascertained: ‘But God commendeth his LOVE (showed His own LOVE) toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Wow mih brethren! What a magnificent God is the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Even to the point of putting aside His feelings, His heartbreak, to allow His Son to die for us while we were yet sinners. And although He was God, that was no easy feat to accomplish. Remember how Jesus cried out on the cross when He felt the weight of the world’s sin on His shoulders and knew that the Father’s face was turned away. ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46)
It was the ONLY time that the Father and Son had ever been separated, and all because of the sin debt Christ was paying on our behalf, because He LOVED the Father and wanted to be obedient to Him. So you see friends, it’s all about LOVE! From the very beginning of creation it was all about LOVE! The LOVE of the Father and Son for us and our LOVE for the Triune Godhead. No wonder John writes in his epistle: ‘Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:11) And that’s the indisputable truth my people! LOVE ought to be the number one emotion flowing through us, to each other and to God! End of Sermon.
Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s go out and do just that nuh; trust our friend Jesus and share His LOVE with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…LOVE is indeed…what we need…to make the world go round…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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