17 Oct 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a draft of air, a glorious future with Jesus, a long road, a longing ache, a perfect heart, a terrific boss, bitterly, bursting with thnaksgiving, captain of my people, colourful sails, deity, dog days, doldrums, eagles, enjoy it, faithfulness, Father of all creation, fifteen years, generously rewards, glory, Glory Halleujah, good in thy sight, grace, gratitude, greatly deserves it, halfway home, heal thee, hearing the surf, heart and soul, Hezekiah, honour, in truth, iron birds, Isaiah, Jamaica, joy, king of Judah, Land of Wood and Water, laughter, loving kindness, mercy, Most High God Jehovah, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, never miss the water, not turning back, obedient to God's will, out of danger, planes, praise, profuse praise, promise, Sea Breeze, set thine house in order, sickness, tears of joy, the breath of life, the captain of my people, the Lord of hosts, the word of the Lord, thy prayer, till the well run dry, unto death, unto thy days, walked before thee, we will follow the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wept sore, Xaymaca, zeppo
2 Kings 6:a. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years…
All praise and honour, glory and exaltation to the Most High God Jehovah, the Lord of hosts, the Great I AM, the Father of ALL Creation! Please give Him much thanks and praise, because He greatly deserves it! He is indeed most worthy of all our thanksgiving! Praise His Holy Name!
And if you’re wondering why such profuse praise to Almighty God at the beginning of the Bit…well it’s simple: My heart and soul are just bursting with thanksgiving and gratitude, because once again He has shown His amazing faithfulness in my life. Yes friends, during the dog days, the doldrums of my illness, I would lie in my bed and hear and see the planes going by in the distance like eagles gliding along on a draft of air, and my heart would just fill with a longing ache to board one of those iron birds and just fly away to some exotic destination.
But yuh know what mih people? In those sad, sick and frustrating times, the Lord would gather me in His Ever-LOVING arms and comfort me with the promise that one day soon, I would fly away on an iron bird to an exotic destination. And friends, in all faithfulness, through His exceeding grace, mercy and LOVING-kindness, the Lord has kept His awesome promise. And that’s why my inner being is just bursting with joy and thanksgiving, and tears of joy are filling my eyes and flowing down my cheeks.
Oh mih people, the ole fella is in J.A, Jamaica; in Xaymaca, the land of wood and water…and beautiful women! Seen quite a few already! (smile) Glory be to the Most High God Jehovah! And the sea, sand, salt, sun…and rum are most excellent, just as the Lord promised! Had a colourful, red, green and blue shark-bite cocktail last night. (smile) How can I therefore not LOVE Him and proclaim His awesome name eh?
Oh my faithful believers, our God is indeed a most wonderful Deity, a terrific Boss, a hard taskmaster who expects diligence and excellence from us, but who also generously rewards us when we are obedient to His Holy Will! Praise His name my people, for there’s no other like Him!
And now, as I write this, feeling the cool sea breeze float through the open door, hearing the surf break upon the sand and see the small boats with their colorful, blue, yellow and green sails, and hear the laughter of other travellers down below, I can’t help but realize how blessed I am! Glory to God!
And as I just read this over, tears again filled my eyes. It’s been a long road my brethren, almost two years of sickness…and not completely out of danger yet. I was so close to going home to Him, but He gave me a reprieve, for which I am everlastingly grateful! As they say here in J.A: ‘yuh never miss the water until the well run dry!’ In my case I was blessed that my well had not run completely dry. So friends, let me seek for a scripture that will admirably fit our Bit today. Soon come!
Oh friends, it didn’t take long. Before I could even open the Good Book the zeppo came; the sickness of Hezekiah, king of Judah. The Good Book says: ‘In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz came to him and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore (bitterly).
And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came again to him, saying, Turn again and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years…’ (2 Kin.20:1-6a)
Oh friends, I don’t know if I can compare my sorrow and weeping and goodness to Hezekiah’s nuh, but I do know that there was a lot of prayer and some tears. And the Lord in His mercy saw fit to grant me some more time here on earth. I don’t know if it’s fifteen years, or more, or less, but I do know that however much it is, I will enjoy it, and will praise and exalt His Holy name as much as I can, because He has been so good to me and mine. Glory be people!
When someone is good to us, we tell and show them thanks, so why not to our Maker and God eh? And I know that I’m not the only one so blessed, so why aren’t we praising and thanking our Saviour much more than we are eh? I don’t know the answer nuh, but it’s time to go home, so let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong 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 if Jesus promised that it will be glorious, then I know it will be so indeed! Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we WILL follow the LORD…no doubt about that…
P.S. Sorry that it’s so late, but I was really tired after the long journey…no longer accustomed to it (smile) and I just got the necessary energy to set up my stuff. And as always, when I’m on vacation, I can’t guarantee what time the Bit will go out, (smile) but you will get it. Much LOVE! Time for the beach now!
14 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cross that raiseth me, a ladder set upon the earth, a standard bearer, age after age, all my song shall be, all that thou sendest me, angels beckon me nearer my god to thee, ascending and descending on it, at rest, Baal Worship, Bethel, Bethel I'll rise, bright with praise, by my woes to be, call upon God's name every day, called the name of that place Bethel, came to a certain place, cleaving the sky, constantly near to God, darkness be over me, descendants, during life's darkest trials, e'en though it be a cross that raiseth me, e'en though it be, faith, fellowship, fighting the good fight, finding God's presence and comfort, for our own well being, give thanks and praise to Almighty god, God's goodness to the children of men, gospel truth, he dreamed, health issues, hearing loss, holy spirit, how awesome is this place, how dreadful is this place, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, I am with thee, I knew it not, I will not leave thee, I'd be nearer my God to thee, in mercy given, in my father's home, in my Saviour's love, in thee and thy seed, Jacob awaked out of his sleep, Jacob went out from Beersheba, Jacob's dream of the ladder to heaven, Jesus Christ, let the way appear, like the wanderer, living the abundant life, LOVE, Luz, mercy, my rest a stone, my waking thoughts, nearer my God to thee, nearer to thee, on joyful wing, out of my stony griefs, perfectly blest, poured oil on the top of it, put them for his pillow, receive God's mercy and grace, safe, salvation, Sarah flowers Adams, search for me with all your heart, set it up for a pillar, shall all the families of the earth be blessed, steps unto heaven, sweet sacrifices of praise, tarried there all night, the angels of God, the foundation of the Jewish nation, the gate to heaven, the house of God, the land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it, the last song played on the Titanic, the Lord is in this place, the Lord never leaves our side, the Lord stood above it, the perfect call to the Lord, the sun gone down, the sun was set, the top of it reached to heaven, the twelve tribes of Israel, thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, to thy seed, took of the stones of that place, truth, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of, upward I'll fly, used stones for his pillow, will bring thee again into this land, will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, wisdom, ye shall seek me and find me
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 June 2026 Genesis 28:16.
Genesis 28:16. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.
And on this somewhat damp and cloudy Sunday summer Sunday in mid-June, we join the millions of other believers around the world gathering in the Lord’s sanctuaries to give thanks and praise to Almighty God for His wonderful goodness to the children of men and to receive His awesome mercy and grace to enable us to keep on living the abundant life and fighting the good fight in His glorious name!
And today’s song of worship is a beautiful 19th century Chrisitan hymn written by Sarah Flower Adams in 1841, that’s ever so appropriate for today’s chaotic times. It’s titled ‘Nearer My God to Thee.’ Apparently, the song was commissioned by a London Unitarian minister, Reverend William Johnson Fox, who desired a song to accompany his upcoming sermon on Genesis 28:10-22—the story of Jacob climbing the ladder to heaven in his dream. And they say Sarah Flower Adams wrote the lyrics within a week, despite suffering from severe health issues and hearing loss.
And did she ever craft a beautiful message about finding God’s presence and comfort during life’s darkest trials. Her sister Eliza composed the tune for it. The song also became famous when it was alleged to be the final one played by the band aboard the sinking Titanic ocean liner. So, having some background info on the song, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo version.
Singing: ‘Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me, Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain: Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!) Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down, Darkness be over me, my rest a stone; Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain) There let the way appear, steps unto Heav’n; All that Thou sendest me, in mercy giv’n; Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain)
Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise, Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise; So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain) Or, if on joyful wing cleaving the sky, Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I’ll fly, Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. (Refrain) There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest, There in my Savior’s LOVE, perfectly blest; Age after age to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!’
That was beautiful friends! And do we ever need to be constantly near to God for our own well-being, finding joy and comfort in being close to Him. And what about the scripture upon which the hymn is based. The story stems from Isaac sending his son Jacob back to his mother’s country to find a wife, because he did not want him marrying a Canaanite woman.
The Bible tells us: ‘And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon (came to) a certain place, and tarried (stayed) there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillow (used stones for his pillow), and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (descendants); and thy seed (descendants) shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.’ (Gen. 28:10-15)
What a powerful dream my fellow believers! But that’s how our great and wonderful God moves. It’s the same way He spoke to Cousin Sol in a dream and kept His word. (1 Kin. 3:5-15) It also shows how the Lord uses those whom we would not usually choose to do great works, or be a standard bearer, for Jacob was a trickster, most of his adult life, but God chose Him nonetheless to be the patriarch of the twelve tribes of Israel. Remember, Abraham only had one legitimate son, Isaac, and Isaac had only two, Esau and Jacob. It was left to Jacob to provide the foundation of the Jewish nation.
But getting back to our story. The Bible then tells us: ‘And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful (awesome) is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Beth-el (house of God): but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.’ (Gen. 28:16-19)
What a story! And only our ingenious God could create it. (smile) Now, here are a couple of interesting explanations from the scholars They say, ‘Jacob’s response to this vision suggests that he may have become a true believer on this occasion. Meanwhile pillar and oil are the symbols normally used for a memorial and consecration. The pillars that were later forbidden were related to Baal worship and objects of that worship.’
And after a great song and a great story, the only thing left to do is to add this most worthwhile commentary. ‘Even when we cannot see or feel Him, the Lord never leaves our side. As we walk through each day, let us remember to call upon His name and give thanks. The beautiful lyrics of ‘Nearer My God to Thee’ are the perfect call to the Lord. And when you hear the story behind this amazing hymn, you will be reminded exactly why we need him every hour and second.’
And that’s the gospel truth my people! We need God every second, every minute, every hour, and every day of our lives. So, let’s be wise, get serious, and constantly seek Him! It’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…and ye shall seek me and find me…when ye shall search for me with all your heart… (Jer, 29:13)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a timeless invitation, a week of stressful work, a wonderful Saturday morning present, according to his riches in glory, actively savour god's presence and goodness, align your desires with God's, all the days of my life, all these things shall be added unto you, asleep at the wheel, christianity, Christians, concentrate on God's will, crucial times, deepen my breath, delight thyself also in the Lord, don't view faith as a list of strict rules, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, faith, find contentment in God rather than in the world, for His name's sake, give thee the desires of thine heart, God is not a genie, granting every fleeting wish, growing intimacy with god, have a personal testimony, he leadeth me beside still waters, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, holy spirit, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I shall not want, I want to be with you now, I will fear no evil, improve our intimacy with God, in the presence of mine enemies, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, laze around the house, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, leadeth me in paths of righteousness, LOVE, make God the absolute delight of your life, marvel to think, may know you all the more, mercy, my cup runneth over, my god shall supply all your need, on the early bus, peace and calm, Praise the Lord, puts us through our paces, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, rewards for intimacy with God, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincerity and truth, slow my thoughts, spend time with God, strong relationships take time, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the heartfelt desire of every believer, The Lord is my shepherd, the peace of God which passes all understanding, the responsibilities of a shepherd, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to ease our weary souls, to guard our hearts and minds, trust God and let go, truth, wake up, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present, your ultimate joy
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 June 2026 Psalm 37:4.
Psalm 37:4. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’
And so we come to Saturday; our lazy-day Saturday. And would you believe the ole fella did not laze around today…well not much. But I’ve been up and about fairly early, although I went to bed pretty late. I’ve even been out the street to fix my glasses. And despite all of that, we’re on an early bus today! Praise the Lord! (smile) So let’s get the ball rolling by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong and earnest 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 if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, then the Lord will soon be responding with a big slice of the peace of God, which passes all understanding, to guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7) Now isn’t that a wonderful Saturday morning present, as you laze around the house doing little if anything, basically resting after a hard week of stressful work?
Of course! We could not want for anything better than a big slice of God’s peace and calm to ease our weary souls and renew, or better yet, improve our intimacy with Him. Oh my people, truly getting close to our great and wonderful God is the most important and delightful thing we’ll ever do, because there are so many wonderful rewards to that, as Bruh David says so well in Psalm 37. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4)
And I like how this overview explains it: ‘”Delight yourself in the Lord” is a timeless invitation from Psalm 37:4 to find your ultimate joy, peace, and contentment in Him rather than in worldly circumstances.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! When we concentrate on God’s will and purpose for our lives, we’re filled with a sense of wonder and astonishment at some of the things He will do for us.
And the overview breaks it down thus: ‘This beautiful phrase from King David carries a deep, two-fold meaning for your daily life: Finding Ultimate Joy: It means to make God the absolute delight and pleasure of your life. Instead of viewing faith as a list of strict rules, it’s about actively savoring God’s presence, goodness, and LOVE. Aligning Your Desires: The second half of the verse promises, “and he will give you the desires of your heart”. This doesn’t mean He acts like a genie granting every fleeting wish. Rather, as you grow closer to Him, your heart becomes so aligned with His will that your desires naturally transform to match what He wants for you.’
That’s why we keep urging and imploring us re finding greater intimacy with God. For that’s when we truly come alive, when our Christian faith truly becomes what it ought to be. And how do we do that in actual practice? Hear what the overview advises. ‘Spend Time with Him: Just like any relationship, delighting in God takes time. You can draw near to Him through prayer, reflecting on scripture, or simply being still in His presence. Trust and Let Go: The passage begins by urging believers not to fret over the wicked or worry about things outside their control. Delighting in God means trusting that He knows what is best for you and will provide for your needs.’
And yuh know that’s really all the Bible is about: having sufficient faith to put our sincere and total trust in Almighty God because we know, are convinced that He knows what’s best for us, and if we sincerely accept His will, then He will ensure we’re well taken care of. Look at the many scriptures that tell us that nuh. Jesus said it thus: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Then Bruh Paul says to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory.’ (Phil. 4:19)
And no one puts it more beautifully than Bruh David in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen!’ (Ps. 23:1-6)
Wow! No wonder that psalm is the most beloved in the Bible, because it lays out what the Lord can do for us in the likeness of a shepherd. And no one could do that better than Bruh David, because remember he began life as a lowly shepherd boy, before the Lord thrust him into greatness. So he knows perfectly what it’s like being a shepherd and the responsibilities it brings. That’s why the saying, you can’t write about what you don’t know about is oh so true. And also why the Lord puts us through our paces, so we can have personal testimony of what we talk about.
And in closing, all I can ask is that we wake up, because so many of us supposed believers are still asleep at the wheel, and in these crucial times, we desperately need to wake up and get wise and do as Bruh David so urgently beseeches: ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ Ps. (37:4) Much LOVE!
…getting closer to God…growing intimacy with Him…ought to be the heartfelt desire of every believer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brutish man knoweth not, a good night's sleep, a melodious sound, a sea of glass mingled with fire, a sigh of relief, all nations shall come and worship before thee, allowing us to see another day, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, be recompensed unto him again, be renewed and refreshed, by the good example we your faithful believers set, christianity, Christians, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, enabling us to get through the day, errands to run, faith, foolish to try and hide from God, for thou Lord, Friday chant, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give thanks morning and evening, give thanks to the Lord, glorify thy name, God is the most powerful being in the universe, God's omnipotent help, God's intricate and intimate knowledge of man, gotten the victory over the beast, great and marvellous are thy works, help to endure, help us to be responsible, his ways past finding out, holy spirit, how great are thy works, how great is the sum of them, how precious are thy thoughts unto me, how unsearchable are his judgements, I will triumph in the works of thy hands, if I should count them, in soul body and mind, it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, Jesus Christ, just and true are thy ways, king of saints, lord god almighty, LOVE, many are thy wonderful works, mercy, more in number than the sand, more than can be numbered, neither doth a fool understand this, O Lord, O Lord how great are thy works, of him and through him and to him are all things, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, our sinful world can wake up, over his image. over his mark, over the number of his name, personal experiences, rise up and do the work of Christ, salvation, sing the song of Moses, smell it sweet and strong, stand on the sea of glass, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the depth of the riches, the Good Library, the greatness of God, the harps of God, the late bus has been my lot, the Millennial kingdom, the servant of God, the Seven Last Plagues, the song of the Lamb, the throne of grace, the ultimate in praise, the weekend is here at last, the wisdom and knowledge of god, they cannot be reckoned up, thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works, thou only art holy, thy faithfulness every night, thy judgements are made manifest, thy thoughts are very deep, thy thoughts which are to us-ward, to shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning, to sing praises unto thy name O Most High, to whom be glory for ever, trusting faith, truth, two short days off, unexpected storms, upon an instrument of ten strings, upon the harp, upon the psaltery, wake up and smell the coffee, when I awake I am still with thee, when it's not one thing it's another, who hath been God's counsellor, who hath first given to hm, who hath known the mind of the Lord, who shall not fear thee, wisdom, wise guidance, with a solemn sound, with God's generous help I made it through, your thoughts are very deep
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 June 2026 Psalm 92:5.
Psalm 92:5. O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
Oh friends, all I can says is ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ And most importantly, I don’t have any more errands to run, or other issues to stop me from getting to the Bit sooner than I’ve been able to for this week. Brother! Everyday it’s been something or other that needs my attention, and all I want to do is sit and write the Bit as early as possible. But sadly, the late bus has been my lot. (smile) And would you believe, I just came from out the street, the hot and windy street, breathing a sigh of relief, but what yuh think happens right after that.
I took out my glasses from the case, and bingo! One of the lenses fell out, the same one I had fixed a couple of weeks ago. I tried unsuccessfully to put it back in. But no way was I going back out there right now, so I went and found an old pair in my car and I’m using that for today. Later on, or tomorrow, I’ll go out and look after that matter. Ah Lord eh! When it’s not one thing it’s another! Between, life, the Lord and Satan, we’re constantly kept busy. But enough of my sad stories, let’s see what the Lord desires us to talk about today.
And the Good Library opened at that wonderful Psalm 92, titled ‘Give Thanks to the Lord.’ And it begins thus: ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:’ (Ps. 92:1) And why is that such a good thing to do eh? ‘To shew forth (declare) thy LOVING-KINDNESS in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lute or lyre); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonious or melodic) sound.’ (Ps. 92:2-3)
Yes my brethren, it is indeed a good thing to give thanks and praise to our God every morning for allowing us to see another day, and at night for enabling us to get through the day and refresh us with a good night’s sleep. Regardless of what we do during the day, morning and evening our thanks and praise ought to always rise up to heaven. Why? As the psalmist continues: ‘For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps. 92:4)
And how wonderful is that eh my brethren! That’s why our God is such a great and generous God. He only does good things for us. And the psalmist then explains why that’s possible: ‘O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish (senseless) man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.’ (Ps. 92:5-6) And that’s very true; neither a senseless man nor a fool can understand the greatness of our God and His great works. But we do, for scripture has ingrained it in our consciousness, and we also have had personal experiences of it.
Now listen to some scripture that talks of the Lord’s greatness and His great works. Bruh David says it thus in Psalm 40: ‘Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up (recounted) in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.’ (Ps. 40:5)
And in that magnificent Psalm 139, where Bruh David describes God’s intimate and intricate knowledge about us, His human creation, he also declares: ‘How precious also are thy thoughts unto me! O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are in more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.’ (Ps. 139:17-18) Oh my people, when you read that Psalm it ought to make you understand how great our God is, and how intimately He knows us, therefore it’s foolish to try to hide anything from Him!
Then hear Bruh Paul sing the praises of our great God, to the church at Rome. ‘O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed (repaid) unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.’ (Rom. 11:33-36)
Wow! What wonderful praise! And for your information, Bruh Paul, as is his wont, has paraphrased or summarized several scriptures in that passage like ‘Is. 40:13; Jer. 23:18; 1 Cor. 2:16, Job 36:22) But it’s all true and very praiseworthy! But listen to the ultimate time of praise. It comes from Revelation 15, when John talks about the Seven Last Plagues.
He declares: ‘And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear (reverence) thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgements are made manifest.’ (Rev. 15:2-4)
Now that’s the kind of powerful worship we’ll offering up in time to come, as all nations will come together to worship God in the Millennial Kingdom. But for help to endure, to be a part of that future, let’s confidently, but humbly, approach the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant.
Altogether: ‘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. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now my fellow believers, please, let’s also wake up and smell the coffee nuh, so that we can rise up and do the work of Christ, that badly needs to be done! Much LOVE!
…God is exceedingly great…because He’s the only omnipotent (all-powerful)…omniscient (all-knowing)…and omnipresent (all-pervading)…being in the universe…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a strong will, abundance, be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage, behave like the Pharisees, being spiritual is not everything, caught up in our spirituality, challenging, Charlie Brown, christianity, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, doubted I'd ever reach the goal, enjoying intimacy with us, faith, Feeling Spiritual, for freedom Christ freed u, freedom from the law, fulfillment, God formed us in the womb, God knows all about us, God put His breath of life in us, God wants to be totally involved in our lives, good friends, good health. favour, holy spirit, hypocritical airs and grace, I could not feel spiritual, I keep remembering, I was delighted, in the liberty, in the quiet of our family room, it's foolish to try and fool God, Jesus Christ, just you and me, let's read it together, lighten up, lose the freedom Christ died for us to have, LOVE, man looketh on the outward appearance, mercy, negative word, never worry about feeling spiritual, One Year Book of Bible promises, our happy time last night, promotion, reading a devotional book, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, sentences twirled, share everything with me, stand fast, stop trying to hide from the Lord, subject to a yoke of bondage, success, suddenly the book felt heavy, supernatural strength, talent, tantalizingly calling our names, the BIBLE, the Lord is that Spirit, the Lord looketh on the heart, the Lord seeth not as man seeth, the penultimate day of the work week, the siren call of Friday and the weekend, the spirit of God indwells each believer, the truth shall set you free, the whole weight of the world on our shoulders, there is liberty, too focused on Friday and the weekend, truth, undeserved blessings, very inspirational, we read and laughed, where the Spirit of the Lord is, wherewith Christ hath made us free, wisdom, with all my valiant effort, words collided, ye shall know the truth
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 June 2026 2 Corinthians 3:17.
2 Corinthians 3:17. ‘Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.’
And then it was Thursday, our penultimate day of the work week, and unfortunately too many of our minds are focused on Friday and the weekend rather than on Thursday and what challenges it presents. But that’s the siren call of Friday and the weekend, (smile) so difficult to ignore, especially when it keeps on tantalizingly calling our names. However, we need to develop the discipline to not look forward too much to Friday and the weekend, and concentrate on the day before us, if we want to be successful.
Anyway, today, we’re going to look at a very interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. All right, I understand, all of them are very interesting…but this one is also amusing, neither do I remember sharing it, as if I ever remember sharing any. (smile) However, it’s simply titled ‘Feeling Spiritual.’ Like many more of us ought to be. So please read with me:
‘Lord, I keep remembering Our happy time last night – Just You and me In the quiet of our family room. I had been reading a devotional book Very “spiritual” Very inspirational So challenging I doubted that I’d ever reach the goal. Suddenly the book felt heavy Sentences twirled Words collided And with all my valiant effort I simply could not feel “spiritual.” Then, glancing at a Charlie Brown book I thought I heard You say “Let’s read it together – You and me.” I was delighted. We read and laughed and read and laughed… And just as we finished the last page You said what I needed most to hear: “Never worry about feeling ‘spiritual.’ Just share everything with me.”
Oh friends, that’s why our God is so great and wonderful! He would like us to be spiritual, but being spiritual is not everything. However, He does desire to share everything with us. He wants to be totally involved in our lives. Whatever we’re doing He wants to be included in it, because that makes Him feel wanted and desired and a part of our lives, and enjoying the intimacy with us He so dearly desires. Besides, He cannot do His best for us unless He’s involved in every aspect of our lives.
And I hope that that poem causes some of us to lighten up and stop trying to be this big, holy, spiritual person, behaving as though we have the whole weight of the world on our shoulders, because we don’t. Life was made for living and once you have God, first and foremost in your life, you will be fine. You don’t have to behave like the Pharisees of old and put on all the hypocritical airs and graces of being spiritual and godly. For God knows who we really are.
Remember what He told Samuel when He sent him to anoint a king from Jesse’s house and Samuel looked on the fine appearance of the eldest son Eliab and assumed he was the one? ‘For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7b)
So friends, it’s time we stop trying to hide from the Lord, for He knows all that we’ll ever think, say or do. Remember He’s the one who created us, who formed us in our mother’s womb, and put His breath of life in us. So it’s foolish to try and fool Him. But many of us still try to do it. And when we do, like a wise and LOVING but disappointed Father, He just shakes His head and sadly chuckles at our unwise attempt to fool Him.
And interestingly enough the Bible verse for the poem comes from the pen of Bruh Paul, where in talking to the Corinthians about the Glory of God, he states: ‘Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.’ (2 Cor. 3:17) In other words, wherever the Spirit of God is, there’s freedom, you don’t have to worry. And since the Spirit of God indwells each believer, then we’re free, we don’t have to trouble ourselves because sometimes we don’t feel particularly spiritual, because the Lord is right there with us…always and forever.
As Bruh Paul say in Galatians: ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ (Gal. 5:1) And as the scholars explain: ‘The verse could be rendered: “For freedom Christ freed us. therefore stand fast, and do not again be subject to a yoke of bondage.” The “freedom” in view is freedom from the law, here called “a yoke of bondage.” Paul wants the Galatians ( as well as us) to “stand fast,” that is, retain their spiritual freedom.’
And that’s exactly what we also need to do my faithful brethren; don’t let the law coax us back into its bondage, for we know the truth about it, and when we know the truth, as Jesus says: ‘And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.’ (John 8:32) And when Jesus says it, then that’s it, full stop! (smile)
Now let’s declare and thus activate our undeserved Thursday Blessings which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to help do our earthly work. 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 with that declaration we’ve become obliged to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…sometimes we get so caught up in our spirituality…that we lose the freedom Christ died for us to have…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a froward man soweth strife, a tinderbox, a whisperer separates chief of friends, above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, an ungodly man diggeth up evil, and have not charity I am nothing, and now abideth faith hope love, be ye therefore sober, beareth all things, become as sounding brass, bestow all my goods to feed the poor, charity envieth not, charity is not puffed up, charity suffereth long and is kind, charity vaunteth not itself, christianity, Christians, discretion over gossip, do today's work today, don't put aside for tomorrow what can be done today, doth not behave itself unseemly, endures to the end, endureth all things, enjoy a more than glorious future together, err from the truth, exercises restraint, extends forgiveness, faith, from the error of his way, give my body to be burned, halfway home, hands on the plough, hate seems to be making the world go round, hatred is causing chaos and disaster in our world, hatred is running amok, hatred stirreth up strifes, have faith to remove a mountain, have not charity, he that covereth a transgression seeketh love, he that repeats a matter separates friends, he which converteth a sinner, hide a multitude of sins, holy spirit, in his lips there is as a burning fire, infinite God rules both heaven and earth, is not easily provoked, it profiteth me nothing, Jesus Christ, keeps no account of evil, knowledge shall vanish away, life is moving at a fast pace, LOVE, love covereth all sins, love covers a lot of wrong doing, love does not broadcast flaws and mistakes of others, love is God's favourite tool, love is God's greatest attribute, love let's go of minor slights and annoyances, Love never fails, love shall cover a multitude of sins, love the ooposite of hatred, mercy, more strife-filled situations are happening every day, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, no time for pussy footing, not looking back at the past, not turning back, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, overlooking minor offences, prophecies shall cease, protects the dignity of others, rejoiceth in truth, rejoiceth not in iniquity, salvation, save a soul from death, seeketh not her own, set the world afire, so glad to be alive, speak with the tongues, strife-filled days, sweep things under the rug in the name of love, sweeping serious wrongdoing under the rug, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the end of all things is at hand, the gift of prophecy, the greatest of these is charity (love), the ultimate forgiveness shown by God, the wheel of life, tinkling cymbal, to a glorious future with Jesus, tongues shall cease, truth, understand all mysteries, waiting to be set alight, watch unto prayer, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 June 2026 Proverbs 10:12.
Proverbs 10:12. Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.
Oh dear me, is it really Wednesday, our second wind day already? How quickly we’ve gotten there! (smile) And we had better catch that second wind, because at the fast pace that the days and life in general are moving, we don’t have much time for pussy footing and leaving things that should be done today, for tomorrow. The proverbial wheel of life that’s supposed to turn slowly, has certainly sped up in the last little while. As least, so it seems to me. But what do I know eh? Not much. For I am a mere mortal with a finite understanding, while the great infinite God in heaven, is the sovereign who controls things down here.
And He’s given me this scripture for us to look at today. Wise and oh so truthful words from the Proverbs of Cousin Sol: ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ (Prov. 10:12) And even if we didn’t know it from personal experience, there’s no doubting it in these strife-filled days, where hatred is running amok in our world and causing all kind of chaos and disaster. And the hatred doesn’t seem to be abating either; in fact it seems to be escalating because none of the strife-filled situations are being peacefully resolved.
We might not hear of some of them, but that’s not because they’ve been peacefully resolved, but because more newsworthy ones have come upon the scene. And right now, all we need is one flash of craziness from one person imbued with hatred to set the world afire. Our world is currently like a tinder box just waiting to be set alight. But then there’s LOVE, the opposite of hatred, which according to Cousin Sol, covers all sins. How true is that eh. According to the scriptures it’s very true.
Listen to Peter tell it: ‘But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling).’ (1 Per. 4:7-9) Meanwhile James puts it thus: ‘Brethren, if any of you do err (turn) from the truth, and one convert (cover) him; Let him know, that he which converteth (covers) a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide (cover) a multitude of sins.’ (James 5:19-20)
Yes friends, LOVE does cover a lot of wrongdoing. And this commentary gives us a rough break down of what that means. ‘Overlooking Minor Offenses: True LOVE is patient and chooses to let go of minor slights, annoyances, and daily frictions rather than keeping score. Discretion over Gossip: Instead of broadcasting the flaws and mistakes of others, a LOVING person exercises restraint and protects the dignity of the person. Extending Forgiveness: Drawing on the ultimate forgiveness shown by God, LOVE forgives wrongs rather than allowing them to breed resentment and divide a community. What it doesn’t mean: It does not mean sweeping serious harm, abuse, or illegal actions under the rug. LOVE protects by addressing destructive behaviour appropriately.’
Now that last explanation needs to be more forcefully administered, because many of us sweep things like abuse and serious harm under the rug in the name of LOVE. But that’s not always right, for oftentimes it only encourages and increases the bad behaviour. It’s as Cousin Sol further says in Proverbs. ‘An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. A forward (perverse) man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief (the best of) friends.’ (Prov. 16:27-28) And in the next chapter Cousin Sol declares: ‘He that covereth a transgression seeketh LOVE; but he that repeateth a matter separateth friends.’ (Prov. 17:9)
So LOVE is a powerful tool, motivator or attribute. And so it should be, since it’s God’s greatest attribute and His favourite tool, the one that caused Him to send His Son Jesus to earth to die for our sins and causes Him to reach out to us in times of need. And with all we’ve said about LOVE, here’s the best treatise on it from the pen of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians.
‘Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (LOVE), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling (clanging) cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge: and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity (LOVE), I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (LOVE), it profitheth me nothing.
Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (LOVE) envieth not; charity (LOVE) vaunteth not itself (does not brag on itself), is not puffed up (arrogant), Doth not behave itself unseemly (rudely), seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil (keeps no account of evil); Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity (LOVE) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail (cease); whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away (cease)… And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor. 13:1-8; 13)
And that’s why LOVE is so great, and so necessary in our too evil world! And hopefully with all that talk on LOVE, some more of it will seep into our souls, bodies and minds and help us turn our world around, as we so badly need to do. Now let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world 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 it’s been promised that whoever endures to the end with Christ will enjoy an even more glorious future than we can ever imagine. So let’s endure right to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…LOVE is supposed to make the world go round…but right now…hate seems to be doing it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as a man chasteneth his son, being confident of this very thing, better unto me than thousands of gold and silver, build an house for my name, chasten him with the rod of men, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, consider in thine heart, despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty, duty bound, Eliphaz the Temanite, establish his kingdom, establish the throne of his kingdom forever, faith, falling prey to my prayers, family doctor, fear God, feeding them with manna, forty years in the wilderness, God chastened David for his affair with Bathsheba, God promised to chasten Solomon if he erred, God's disciplining of His people, happy is the man the Lord correcteth, he maketh sore and bindeth up, he shall be my son, he which hath begun a good work in you, he woundeth and his hands make whole, holy spirit, home remedies, humbling them, hurry, I will be his father, if he commit iniquity, It is good for me I have been afflicted, Jesus Christ, keep all the Lord's commandments, learn the hard way, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, live and multiply, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make us more Christ-like, man does not live by bread alone, mercy, Moses, Moses instructing the young Israelites, my mercy shall not depart away from him, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, on a late bus, proving their faithfulness, salvation, set up thy seed after thee, share His love with my neighbours, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee, sore throat, suffering them to hunger, that i might learn thy statutes, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the law of thy mouth, the Lord's works run the whole gamut of our experience, the potters wheel, the Promised Land, the prophet Nathan, the stripes of the children of men, thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever, to share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk in God's ways, will perform it until the day of Jesus, wisdom, worry
Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 June 2026 Deuteronomy 8:5.
Deuteronomy 8:5. Thou shalt also consider (know) in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.
Ah friends, today we’re on a real late bus, because I went to see my family doctor about a bad sore throat I’ve had for almost a week now and it wasn’t falling prey to my prayers or any of my home remedies, so I succumbed to the medic as a last resort. (smile) Anyway, without further ado, let’s get to our topic for today, making it as short and sweet as possible. (smile)
And it’s the same topic as it yesterday, God’s disciplining of His people, just with more scriptures. And if several people spoke about it down through the ages, that just goes to show how important it is. So we’ll go right back to the early years, where Moses is instructing the young Israelites who were going into the Promised Land, about the things the Lord had unsuccessfully tried to teach their forefathers.
He began by telling them that they had to keep all the commandments that he would tell them that day, so that they could live and multiply and go in and possess the Promised land. Then he related about the tough forty years spent in the wilderness, with the Lord trying to prove their faithfulness, humbling them, suffering them to hunger, then feeding them with manna, so that they could learn that man did not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the Lord’s mouth, and how their garments never grew old, nor their feet swollen in those forty years. (Deut. 8:1-4)
And he continues, ‘Thou shalt also consider (know) in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his way, and to fear (reverence) him.’ (Deut. 8:5-6) And all of that still stands to day my people! If we don’t keep the Lord’s commands as His children, He will discipline us.
Then we have the prophet Nathan speaking to Bruh David about God’s promises after his death. ‘I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes (strokes) of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.’ (2 Sam. 7:12-16)
Yes mih bredrin, that’s how much the Lord valued Bruh David, to make sure the kingdom was always ruled by his descendants, beginning with Cousin Sol, right down to Jesus. But please notice that He promised to chasten Cousin Sol if he erred. Just like He chastened Bruh David for his sinful and ungodly behaviour with Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. So no one is exempt from the Lord’s discipline.
As Eliphaz, Job’s supposed friend reminds us: ‘Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.’ (Job 5:17-18) Now that’s the awesome truth my people; the Lord’s work runs the whole gamut of our existence.
Then in Psalm 119, the psalmist declares: ‘It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.’ (Ps. 119:71-72) Unfortunately though, that’s a fact some of us can only learn the hard way. (smile) But don’t worry, the Lord will not give up on us, once we desire to rest under His umbrella, He will make sure that we learn what we need to.
And in closing, let’s remember this most appropriate verse from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where he reminds them and us: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) That’s just to remind us that every day we’re alive, the Lord will be putting us through our paces on His potter’s wheel, attempting to make us more Christ-like, on our earthly journey.
And since we cannot evade the Lord’s discipline, hopefully the scriptures we’ve reviewed these past two days, will enable us to do what’s right more than ever, and thus not need to be disciplined by the Lord too often. (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And that now makes duty bound to go our 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!
… as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) liked to say…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful summer's day, all the upright in heart shall follow it, allow your incredible aura of love, another work week, As many as I love I rebuke and chasten, be not among the winebibbers, be ready to accept corrections from God, be thou in fear of the Lord all the day long, be wise and guide thine heart in the way, be zealous therefore and repent, Blessed is the man whom the Lord chastens, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, chasteneth him betimes, chastening, chastens him promptly, child abuse, Christians, completely congruous with human practices, conquerors, corporal punishment, dangerous jobs, deliver his soul from hell, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, discipline, don't envy sinners, drive it far from him, drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags, drunkards, erred in their upbringing, evil and ungodly ways, faith, fighting to stay alive, fill us with steadfast faith, foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, forgotten the exhortation, forsake his inheritance, freedom to do what they want, furthering your glorious kingdom, futile, get serious about living in righteousness, give him rest from the days of adversity, gluttons, god, God's principle of discipline, he that loveth him, he that spareth the rod hateth his son, hear thou my son, holy spirit, humble servants, if thine heart be wise, if you beat a child with a rod he will not die, invincible, irresponsibility, Jesus Christ, jobs that serve a useful purpose, jobs we sometimes don't like, judgement shall return unto righteousness, judgement will prevail in the end, keeping lives and families together, lawlessness, let not thine heart envy sinners, LOVE, love and corporal punishment are not incongruous, make progress, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, minor hardships, my heart shall rejoice, my innermost being shall rejoice, my reins shall rejoice, no sense of responsibility, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, over the weekend, parent like God, parental advice, prosper with the Lord's help, relief from adversity, reverence the Lord all day, riotous living, sally forth with confidence, salvation, scourgeth every son he receives, self-correction, speaketh unto you as unto children, surrender our all to you, teaches him out of thy law, tend to spoil those we love, thanks for our jobs, the church at Laodicea, the correction of a child, the current level of misbehaviour, the drunkard and glutton shall come to poverty, the hustle and bustle of our crazy world, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, the Lord will not cast off his people, the Lord's mysterious movements, the pit be digged for the wicked, the rejuvenation of Spirit, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the riotous eaters of flesh, the rod of correction, the thoughts of man are vanity, the throne of grace, there is a hereafter, there is an end, thine expectation shall not be cut off, this evil and deceitful world, time to tune in and listen to God's wisdom, to lead and guide all your servants, to meet the enemy in battle, tough love, truth, try to live as righteously as possible, two complimentary aspects of trianing, we're not afraid, wearing your protective spiritual armour, when thy lips speak right things, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, wisdom, withhold not correction from the child, wrought in our weary souls, your hope shall not be cut off
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 June 2026 Revelation 3:19.
Revelation 3:19. ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.’
Another work week has opened my fellow believers, meaning it’s Monday, a beautiful summer’s day, and we’re back in the hustle and bustle of our crazy world, fighting to stay alive and prosper with the Lord’s help. Let’s remember we cannot make any progress in this evil and deceitful world without His awesome help, so it’s time to tune in and listen to His wisdom through the Holy Spirit that indwells us for that purpose.
And in keeping with the Lord’s mysterious movements, I opened the Good Book just now, looking for something to write on, and lo, and behold, it opened at this interesting scripture in Revelation, where Jesus is sending His message to the church at Laodicea, stating: ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.’ (Rev. 3:19) And that’s a known fact, one that’s referred to several times in the scriptures.
The Lord is the original implementer of the system of tough LOVE. Unlike some of us earthly parents, when we LOVE a child or somebody else, we tend to spoil them, allowing them to get away with stuff you’d not let someone you don’t LOVE to get away with. And that’s one of the big reasons today’s children are so spoilt, have no sense of responsibility and cannot handle even minor hardships because their parents or someone who LOVED them erred in their upbringing. But that doesn’t work with our heavenly Father. If you want to be LOVED by Him, then you must be ready to accept corrections, discipline or chastening.
The author of Hebrews puts it quite plainly. ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons), My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6) And that’s a direct quotation from Cousin Sol’s wisdom in Proverbs 3:11-12.
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation: ‘God’s principle of disciplining His own people is completely congruous with human practices. This quote from Proverbs 3:12, stating God’s practice corresponds to the commands God gave to fathers: ‘He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly).’ (Prov. 13:24; cf. 22:15; 23:13). LOVE and corporal punishment are not incongruous; they are two complimentary and necessary aspects of training.’
But try telling that to some of the parents and administrators of today nuh. Many of them claim that corporal punishment is child abuse, no wonder the current level of misbehaviour and irresponsibility is so high in our society. But there is punishment or discipline, and then there’s’ abuse, or taking the punishment too far. So, we might get away with misbehaviour from our earthly parents, but rest assured, we’ll not get away with it from our heavenly Father.
And it’s certainly interesting that Cousin Sol had so much to say about raising children. Let’s look at a couple of those references from above. The first one says: ‘Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.’ (Prov. 22:15) Now listen to this passage explicitly on ‘The Correction of a Child.’
Cousin Sol declares: ‘Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die. Thou shall beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell (Hades). My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine (indeed my own heart shall rejoice). Yea, my reins (innermost being) shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in fear (reverence) of the Lord all the day long.
For surely there is an end (a hereafter); and thine expectation (hope) shall not be cut off. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among the winebibbers (drunkards); among the riotous eaters of flesh (gluttons): For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.’ (Prov. 23:13-21)
And you cannot find better parental advice than that. But our society has gotten so into evil and ungodly ways that many parents repudiate such advice, and thus allow their children absolute freedom to do what they want and give them whatever their little hearts desire. That only leads to the lawlessness and riotous living that’s become such a large part of our culture.
And Psalm 94 puts it this way. ‘The Lord knoweth the thoughts of a man, that they are vanity (futile). Blessed is the man whom thou chasteneth (instructeth), O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law: That thou mayest give him rest (relief) from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off (abandon) his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But the judgement shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.’ (Ps. 94:11-15) Yes friends, the Lord offers us self-correction, but in the end, He will surely judge. Let’s remember that and thus try to live as righteously as possible.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us do just that. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour!
We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!
Oh my fellow believers, it’s time to get serious about living in righteousness, so the Lord doesn’t have to correct us too much. Much LOVE!
…if we’d parent like God…with tough LOVE…half of today’s problems wouldn’t exist…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant need for Jesus, A Plea for God's Presence, a prophetic hymn, a tenderness in the voice of Jesus to which nothing else compares, Annie sherwood hawks, Be not thou far from me O Lord, been permitted to give out to others, before it's too late, bless me now my Saviour, busy with regular household tasks, can peace afford, come quickly and abide, either in joy or pain, every hour I need thee, faith, feel in the depths of our soul, fellowship, God knows what's best for us, haste to help me, he that abideth in me and I in him, heartfelt, holy spirit, I am the vine ye are the branches, I come to thee, I need thee every hour, I need thee oh I need thee, in, in joy or pain, it so beautifully expresses, Jesus Christ, life is vain, like little fish in a big pond, LOVE, make me thine indeed, mercy, most gracious Lord, most holy one, my hour of sweet serenity and peace, need to put our utmost faith and trust in God, no tender voice like thine, not an expression of personal experience, not the the skill of the hymn's construction, O my strength, offering thanks and praise, on the wings of love and joy, only the tender voice of Jesus can fill us with true peace, our inconsolable loneliness, our utter helplessness in the face of evil, our utter poverty without Christ, out of fellowship with God, personal testimony, praying is at a minimum, receiving confidence and strength, Robert Lowry, salvation, seeking the Lord's help in times of need, self-sufficient planning, sincere, song of praise, stay thou nearby, sweet sacrifices of praise, taking full possession of me, teach me thy will, temptations lose their power, the colossal truth, the godless gain of the world, the gospel truth, the hollow emptiness, the impotence of our own strength, the Lord moves in mysterious ways, the Lord's Day, the most touching aspect of the song, the pathetic pretentiousness of our pathological pride, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the shadow fell over my way, the shadow of a great loss, the stress of personal sorrow, the thought, these strife-filled and evil times, these words were ushered into my mind, thou blessed Son, thy rich promises in me fulfill, to face the upcoming week, touched the great throbbing heart of humanity, truth, understood something of the comforting power in the words, wafted out to the world, ways we can never understand, we know just how much we need God, when thou art nigh, wisdom, without Christ we are lost, without me ye can do nothing, wondering how could one live without God
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 June 2026 Psalm 22:19.
Psalm 22:19. ‘But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.’
It’s a new day friends, in particular, the Lord’s Day, or as we call it Sunday. That means we ought to get out there sometime today to the Lord’s sanctuary and fellowship with other believers, offering up thanks and praise while receiving confidence and strength to face the upcoming week. And today’s song of praise is indeed a beautiful and truthful one, and most appropriately titled, ‘I Need Thee Every Hour.’ The hymn was written in 1872 by Annie Sherwood Hawks, the American poet and gospel hymnist, but this one seems to be the one she’s best known for. Her pastor Robert Lowry apparently wrote the music and added the chorus.
And according to Ms. Hawks: “For myself, the hymn was prophetic rather than expressive of my own experiences, for it was wafted out to the world on the wings of LOVE and joy, instead of under the stress of personal sorrow.” And that’s good to hear, for so many great songs have been written in times of sorrow and under great duress. And what’s the theme of the song? Basically, the lyrics suggest a constant need for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ at all times in our lives…and that’s no lie!
So having said all of that, let’s now offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a most heartfelt and sincere mid–tempo version, (a la Nathan Drake’s version on his Hymns of the Spirit album), so that everyone will know that we truly mean what we sing. Singing: ‘I need thee every hour, Most gracious Lord, No tender voice like thine, Can peace afford. (Chorus: I need thee oh I need thee, Every hour I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee.) I need thee every hour, Stay thou near by, Temptations lose their power, When thou art nigh
(Chorus) I need thee every hour, In joy or pain, Come quickly and abide, or life is vain. (Chorus) I need thee every hour; teach me thy will, and thy rich promises in me fulfill. (Chorus) I need thee every hour, Most holy one, Oh make me thine indeed Thou blessed Son. (Chorus: I need thee oh I need thee, Every hour I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee. I need thee, Oh I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee…I come to thee…’
Yes my fellow believers, that was truly beautiful, and all heaven knew that we meant exactly what we sang. So what’s there to be said about the song? Plenty. But we obviously don’t have time and space to say it all. Let’s therefore pick and choose a few juicy and relevant bits. (smile) First off, it’s said that the scripture reference for the title ‘I Need Thee Every Hour’ echoes the cries of Bruh David in Psalm 22, a Plea for God’s Presence. And the particular verse it refers to is, ‘But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.’ s (Ps. 22:19) And I’m sure that’s a cry all of us have shouted at one time or another, desperately seeking the Lord’s help in our time of need.
It’s also been said that the first printing of the song carried the scripture reference of John 15:5, which we all know, says: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ And if that isn’t the gospel truth, then I don’t know what is. For without Christ prominently in our lives, we are lost and alone like little fish in a big pond. But with Him featuring in our lives, we’re capable of great miracles.
And as per that line in the beginning of the song says; ‘No tender voice like thine, Can peace afford,’ it’s been said to mean, ‘No “other” voice than yours, can bring the peace that your voice brings, O Lord. There’s a tenderness in the voice of Jesus, that nothing else can quite compare to.’ That’s more gospel truth my people. Only the awesome, LOVING and tender voice of God can truly instill the peace and calm we truly need in these strife-filled and evil times.
But the most touching aspect of this song is found in an excerpt from an article on the hymn by Jon Bloom from the desiringGod.org website. In the words of Annie Hawks, re the hymn and its origins. ‘One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words, I Need Thee Every Hour, were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me…
I did not understand at first why this hymn had touched the great throbbing heart of humanity. It was not until long after, when the shadow fell over my way, the shadow of a great loss, that I understood something of the comforting power in the words which I had been permitted to give out to others in my hour of sweet serenity and peace.’
Yes friends, the Lord seldom allows us to write or sing stuff without knowing what it means on a personal level. And I can testify to that, as ofttimes I’ve written stuff in the Bit, and before I could even finish it, I was called upon to testify to it in my personal life. And it’s tough that it was only long after in her time of sorrow that she realized the true benefits of what the Lord had put in her heart. But then we all know the Lord moves in mysterious ways; ways that we can never understand, but nonetheless we need to put our utmost faith and trust in Him, because He’s our Creator, Lord and Saviour and knows what’s best for us, at all times.
And we’ll end on this marvellous note from one commentary. ‘It is not the skill of the hymn’s construction that makes it so powerful. It is the colossal truth it so beautifully expresses. O I Need Thee! We need God. It is not until we feel in the depths of our souls our utter poverty without Christ, our bankruptcy of any inherent righteousness, the impotence of our own strength and self-sufficient planning, our inconsolable loneliness when we are out of fellowship with God, the pathetic pretentiousness of our pathological pride, the hollow emptiness of all the godless gain of the world, our utter helplessness in the face of personal, institutional, cosmic, and molecular evil, that we know just how much we need God.’
And I certainly hope and pray, that all of us, at some time before it’s too late, will personally come to know, understand and action the overwhelming need we have for God! Much LOVE!
…we need to feel that urgent need for Jesus…for where real need is not felt…praying is at a minimum…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive faith journey, at the name of Jesus, be encouraged, became obedient unto death, become discouraged in your souls, being found in fashion as a man, being in the form of God, Chrisitans, christianity, closer ties to God, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, deepen my breath, despising the shame, develop a strong constitution, emptied himself of his privileges, encounter difficulties and problems, endure all the trials and tribulations that come against us, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, enduring to the very end, even the death of the cross, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, faith, for the joy that was set before him, forgiveness of sins, get rid of all our extra baggage, given him a name above every other name, God also hath highly exalted him, God will also reward us for sincerely following Christ, greater intimacy with God, heartfelt voices, holy spirit, humbled himself, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus blazed the trail for us, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father, Jesus endured all the physical emotional and spiritual hardship, Jesus gave his life for the forgiveness of sins, Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to help us, Jesus never complained, keeping our faith strong, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, look to Jesus as our example of running the faith race, look to Jesus as the best example to follow, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, mercy, obedience and endurance, physical painful bidding, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, run our race of faith, salvation, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, sincere voices, slow my thoughts, spend more time with God, thank you for this tenderness, the author and finisher of our faith, the BIBLE, the Holy Trinity, the originator and perfecter of our faith, the rewards of salvation and eternal life, think about how Jesus handled his problems, thought it not robbery, to be equal with God, took upon him the form of a servant, truth, warms the cockles of God's heart, wisdom, wise direction, wonderful rewards at the end, worth the trials and tribulations, you can't be contained, your love and peace are present, your love both surrounds and fills me
Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 June 2026 Hebrews 12:2a.
Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith;
Now, after a hot, humid and sunny Friday with 30 degree temps, then some overnight rain, we come to a Saturday that had opened as a somewhat cloudy day, but by midday it’s showing some sunny features and a rather brisk wind. Hopefully we won’t get another hot and humid day like yesterday, for although the heat is welcome, too much of it is not good for anyone.
That brings us to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. So, with sincere and heartfelt voices: ‘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 so great to know that our Lord never refuses sincere, heartfelt pleas for greater intimacy with Him. No! Never! In fact it warms the very cockles of His heart that His human creation desires more time and closer ties with Him, because that’s one of the main reasons He initially created us. So, if your plea for greater intimacy with our heavenly Father was sincere, then you should soon be feeling that wonderful calming presence of His peace and LOVE flooding your soul.
And since God was good and graceful enough to grant us another day of life on this earth, let’s keep our promise and continue looking at the scriptures about keeping our faith strong and enduring to the very end. We stopped yesterday where the author of Hebrews told us to get rid of all our extra baggage and develop a strong constitution that would enable us to run our race of faith. But then he continues: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
And isn’t that a glorious piece of encouragement and wise direction! We must look to Jesus as our example of running the faith race, for He began it, He was the trailblazer, the first person to run that course, and He’s already successfully completed it. So there could be no better example than Jesus for us to follow. And it was not easy for Him, just like us, He had to get rid of any baggage that was keeping Him back, and also develop stamina and endurance to handle all the many things that would come against Him in His faith journey. But He did it, with the help of His heavenly Father, and so can we.
So let’s look at that verse of scripture again, which tells us, ‘who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…’ That means the race of faith He was expected to run had some wonderful reward(s) at the end; rewards with such motivational power, that it allowed Him to endure the shame and terrible affliction of the cross. And so it did, because at the end of it, the author tells us that now Jesus ‘is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’
Wow! That certainly would have motivated Jesus to do His Father’s tough bidding. But that’s not all He received. Listen to how Bruh Paul explains it to the Philippians. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant (emptied himself of his privileges), 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.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every other name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:5-11)
Mama Mia! What a wonderful exaltation! Yuh see mih bredrin how the Lord exalted Jesus so highly for doing His tough and physically painful bidding. It’s the same way He will exalt us if we sincerely follow Christ and endure all the trials and tribulations that come against us with as much obedience and endurance as we can muster. Just look at how Jesus gave up His wonderful heavenly position to come to earth, to be made like a human being and endure all the physical, emotional and spiritual hardship that was to be His lot.
But He never complained, because He knew the great reason behind the Father’s bidding, which was the payment for and eventual forgiveness of our sins, along with reconciliation back into the Father’s fold. Now, obviously Jesus had some parts and powers that we don’t have, but that doesn’t excuse us from following in His footsteps to the best of our ability, in terms of obedience, endurance and a positive faith journey, for the rewards of salvation and eternal life with the Holy Trinity is most definitely worth the trials and tribulations we need to put up with in this comparatively short earthly life.
So let’s rise up and sincerely follow Jesus nuh, not making the shame and whatever else that comes against us in so doing discourage us. As the author of Hebrews so wisely says: ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:3) Yes my fellow believers, when we encounter difficulties and problems, let’s think about how Jesus handled them with the awesome help of His Father, and be encouraged that He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us handle our own troubles. And that’s something worthwhile pondering on this lazy day Saturday. (smile) Much LOVE!
…to run a faith race for Jesus…one must look to Jesus as the best example to follow…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: an incorruptible crown, anger, anxiety, be disqualified, be renewed and refreshed, blasphemy, bring it into subjection, but one receiveth the prize, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christian faith, christianity, competes for the prize, confusion, covetousness, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desire, discipline my body, divine aid, encompassed about with, every man that striveth for mastery, faith, filthy communication, fornication, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, help us to be responsible, heroes of faith, holy spirit, I have preached to others, I keep under my body, I myself should be a castaway, idolatry, if God spares life, if you want to eat you must work, imperishable, is temperate in all things, Jesus Christ, lack of a strong work ethic, lackadaisical attitude, lay aside every weight, lay aside whatever impediment that weighs us down, lie not one to another, lighten our load, LOVE, malice, mercy, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, not as one that beats the air, our faith keeps us rooted and grounded in God, out faith is being seriously challenged, passion, persihable, poor witness for Christ, problems are escalating, put off the old man with his deeds, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, run our faith race with endurance, run that ye may obtain, run with patience, salvation, self-control, stand strong and steadfast, successful in our race of faith, surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the children of disobedience, the end of the work week, the endurance of a long distance runner, the race set before us, the race that is set before us, the sin which doth so easily beset us, the sin which so easily beset us, the sinful world, the weekend is here at last, the wrath of God, they which run in a race run all, to obtain a corruptible crown, trusting faith, truth, undisciplined, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand the constant temptation, witnesses, wrath, you can't win if you're not prepared
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2026 Hebrews 12:1b.
Hebrews 12:1b. let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.
And then it was that blessed day of Friday, another hot and sunny one, and all the shouts of the Friday Mantra gloriously rose up to heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Our society has become so obsessed with Friday that we don’t give much thanks for any other day. I guess it’s because Friday has become associated with the end of the work week, and our society does not have a great work ethic, so working is not something we like to do.
But as the saying goes; if you want to eat, and have a roof over your head, you have to work. Bruh Paul even went so far as to tell the Thessalonians, that the busybodies and gossipmongers among them, who refused to work, should not be given food. (2 Thess. 3:10-11) Now, that seems a fair reckoning, but doing it is an entirely different story. (smile)
And today we’re going to talk about one of the most precious things we have, but also one of the hardest to keep on the right trail. That’s our Christian faith, which in this evil and godly world of today is being seriously challenged at every turn, but needs to be strong enough to endure and withstand the constant temptation and bombardment that’s thrown at it. For it’s our faith that keeps us rooted and grounded in the goodness, mercy and LOVE of our ever-faithful God.
And this passage in Hebrews 12, gives us an interesting explanation and path to follow. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are encompassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.’ (Heb. 12 :1) Ah friends, that’s a tough requirement, but it needs to be done, if we are to be successful in our race of faith.
There are a lot of heroes of the faith, witnesses, who have gone before us and who are looking on at our progress. We also need to stand strong like they did, but there’s only one way to do that. As the author of Hebrews says; we need to lay aside every weight, or whatever impediment that keeps us weighed down, the scholars suggest stuff like clothing and body weight. But for the diligent runner or the faithful Christian, those things must be removed, so it can lighten our load.
We also need to put aside every sin which so easily ensnares us. And what sins ensnares us eh? The scholars seem to think that refers to the one sin that is uppermost in our lives; the one sin that defeats us above all others. And there are numerous sins that ensnare us. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote the Colossians: ‘Mortify therefore (put to death) your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection (passion), evil concupiscence (desire), and covetousness, which is idolatry:
For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds:’ (Col. 3:5-9) Now that gives us some idea of the kinds of sins we ought to put aside as we run our faith race.
Then the author of Hebrews states that we should run our faith race with patience, that’s perseverance, or better yet endurance. We need to have the endurance of a long distance runner because our faith race is indeed a long one, and those short of breath will never win it. And we have another good example of how we should run that race from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He writes: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.
And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown, but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run , not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Yes mih bredrin, this race of faith that we’re running is one for our very life, therefore we need to be serious about it, have discipline and self-control, while working hard to keep our endurance going strong, for endurance and self-discipline are two important aspects of our race, that we badly need if we hope to win that imperishable crown promised to us by the Lord.
But sadly, endurance and self-discipline are two of the least recognized and practiced attributes in today’s society. Not many of us can stick with anything or project for a long time, or have the discipline to do the tough things needed to accomplish success. No wonder our society has become lackadaisical and undisciplined, wild and unruly. Unfortunately though, time and space have run out on us, so if God spares life tomorrow, we’ll continue looking at this race of faith that we are required to run.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us run our race. Altogether: ‘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. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And we Christians also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our work and witness for Christ is definitely not good or strong enough, otherwise our world would not be in the terrible state it’s currently in! Much LOVE!
…everyone who runs a race…runs to win…but you can’t win if you’re not prepared…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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