31 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dry and cloudy day, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a woman of sorrowful spirit, all ye that labour, barren for many years, christianity, Christians, come unto me, covenant relationships, dance to God's music, day and night, divine help, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, faithfulness, feel lost and helpless, find rest unto your souls, for the help of his countenance, gentle and humble, go out like a lion, God is a refuge for us, God is the the wisest being in the universe, good riddance to you, Hannah, he is my defence, He only is my rock and my salvation, heavy laden, help in troubled times, holy spirit, hope thou in God, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am meek and lowly in heart, I shall not be moved, I shall yet praise him, I will give you rest, In God is my salvation and my glory, it takes two to tango, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep Jesus first and foremost, LOVE, mercy, my burden light, my expectation is only from him, my hope is only in God, my refuge is in God, my soul, my soul thirsts for God, my tears have been my meat, my yoke is easy, negative situations, obedience, Our Father, pour out your heart before him, poured out my soul before the Lord, praise Your Holy Name, pray, prosper us, raise up your faith, salvation, seek your face, Selah, severe ice storms, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerity, sinned and disobeyed your Word, spiritually or physically dark, sunshine peeping through the clouds, take my yoke upon you, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the BIBLE, the everlasting truth, the God who heals, the great invitation, the last day of March, the mass confusion in our world, the most appropriate person to ask for help, the power to solve our many problems, the prophet Samuel's mother, the rock of my strength, the throne of grace, the wisest move, to shine a little light in our lives, truth, turn from our evil ways, turn to Almighty God for help, turn to God for guidance, ungodly times, wait thou only upon God, went with them to the house of God, where is thy God, who art in heaven, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, wisdom, with the voice of joy and praise, ye people
Psalm 62:8. Trust in him (the Lord) at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
And this last day of March, which began as a wet and miserable, dangerous Monday, has by midday, thankfully become a somewhat dry and cloudy day with a bit of sunshine peeping through the clouds. It’s been a tough weekend, what with the constant rain in most of the city and severe ice-storms on the outskirts, that left many people without heat and light for several days. And it’s definitely not a pleasant scenario when you have no heat or light, your food is spoiling, and when you look out, or venture to go out, all around you are trees, buildings and roads covered with dangerous ice.
Some people even complained about tree branches, laden by the weight of the ice falling on their houses and being incapable of doing anything about it. And the ice storms are infinitely more dangerous and problematic since you can’t clean them up as easily as the snow storms. So, it seems the month of March intends to go out like a lion, just as it came in. Well good riddance to you! (smile)
Ah friends, in such situations the wisest move is to raise up your faith and turn to Almighty God for help, with prayerful words like these from Psalm 62. ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.’ (Ps. 62:5-7)
Yes my people, when our world is dark, either physically or spiritually, or both, and we’re not sure what to do, our faith must be strong enough to automatically turn us to God for guidance and to shine a li’l light in our lives. And these words of Bruh David in the next verse of Psalm 62, exemplify exactly what we mean. He solemnly declares: ‘Trust in him (the Lord) at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62:8)
And that’s certainly the everlasting truth! For God is our Creator, He’s wiser and more powerful than us. Actually, He’s the wisest and most powerful being in the entire universe, therefore in times of trouble, He’s the most appropriate person to turn to for help. And there are a couple of perfect examples of troubled people doing just that.
The first one is Hannah, the prophet Samuel’s mother. She had been barren for many years and thus looked down upon as unworthy of being a wife, but one day she got her act together went into the temple and cried out to the Lord for a child. The priest Eli saw her mumbling and thought she was drunk. ‘And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.’ (1 Sam. 1:15)
Meanwhile in Psalm 42 -My Soul Thirsts for the Lord – Bruh David is having his problems, is hungering for God, and thus poignantly writes: ‘My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (a pilgrim feast). Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps. 42:3-5)
Yes my brethren, both Hannah and Bruh David poured out their souls to the Lord in their time of need, and He came through for them. Hannah got the son she desired, Samuel, and Bruh David eventually found the peace of mind he was seeking. So it’s very good advice to turn to Almighty God for help in troubled times. Furthermore, throughout His Word, the Bible, He’s promised on numerous occasions to help us when we feel lost and helpless, but we need to make the initial approach.
And what greater promise of help is there than Jesus’ Great Invitation? None whatsoever! He states with heartfelt sincerity: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now, who else could make such an outstanding promise and also have the awesome power to keep it eh? Only our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! That’s why it’s of the utmost importance to keep Him first and foremost in our lives.
So, since we’re all in a spot of trouble, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these crazy and ungodly times. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now friends, let’s remember that it takes two to tango, so therefore, if we need divine help, then we’ve got to do our part and dance…dance to God’s music of obedience, faithfulness, sincerity, etc. etc. Much LOVE!
…covenant relationships cannot be successful…if only one partner is keeping there part of the covenant…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sacrificial blood offering, abominable sinners, agony, amazing pity, as sheep going astray, At the cross, bare our sins in his body, bathed in its own blood, blaspheming his holy name, by whose stripes we were healed, Christ also suffered for us, Christ the mighty maker died, christianity, come unto the knowledge of truth, committed himself, crucifixion, devote that sacred head, did my Saviour bleed, did my sovereign die, dissolve my heart in thankfulness, divine wrath, drops of grief can ne'er repay, Eli Eli lama sabachthani, faith, fellowship, follow his steps, for crimes that i had done, for man the creature's sin, for sinners such as I, gave himself a ransom for all, gave up the ghost, give thanks and praise, good and acceptable in the sight of the Lord, grace unknown, he groaned upon the tree, he threatened not, his soul in anguish stood, holy spirit, I give myself away, I hide my blushing face, I received my sight, isaac watts, It is finished, it was there by faith, Jesus Christ, Jesus gave up his sinless life, leaving us an example, live unto righteousness, LOVE, love beyond degree, melt my eyes to tears, mercy, my god why hast thou forsaken me, neither was deceit found in his mouth, now I'm happy all the day, now returned unto, obedient to the Father's will, one mediator between God and man, physical and spiritual agony, receive his awesome grace, reviled not again, sacrifices of praise, sacrificial death of a sinless person, salty people, salvation, salvation is a free gift from God, separated from the Father, shining lights, shut his glories in, sufferation, Sunday, sweet jesus, the awesome gift of salvation, the bearer of the world's sin, the BIBLE, the burden of my heart rolled away, the day of the Lord, the debt of love I owe, the firm mark of wrath divine, the greatest gift to mankind, the main theme, the man Jesus Christ, the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls, the sun in darkness hide, there is one God, thy body slain, tis all that I can do, to him that judges righteously, to satiate the need, truth, ungrateful sinners, upgrade our spiritual lives, use your free will to choose salvation, we being dead to sins, when he suffered, when he was reviled, where I first saw the light, who did no sin, who his own self, will have all men to be saved, wisdom
1 Timothy 2:5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ;
That blessed day of the Lord, Sunday is upon us once more my faithful brethren, so, despite the rainy weather, let’s make full use of it by joining in fellowship with other believers, wherever it’s possible, to give thanks and praise to our great and wonderful God, and receive His awesome grace, mercy and truth so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body, mind and spirit and continue to be the bright shining lights and salty, flavour filled people, He desires us to be!
Now, that’s a good sentence to begin the Bit with; long, and somewhat unwieldy, (smile) but filled with good reasons for worshipping God! And we’ll open today with an old but very popular hymn written by that master hymn writer, Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748). It’s estimated that Watts wrote over 600 hymns in his lifetime, including this one published in 1707, which has been used by many evangelists during crusades. It’s titled ‘At The Cross,’ with the main theme being salvation, the greatest gift that mankind has ever received.
So, let’s offer up real sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid to up-tempo, soulful rendition of the song, all the while considering the significant words and sentiments of the song as they very definitely apply to all of us. Singing: ‘(Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I?
(Refrain) Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. (Refrain) Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And LOVE beyond degree! (Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.
(Refrain) But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do. At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! Now I am happy all the day…happy all the day…happy all the day…’
Ah friends, what beautiful sentiments and words describing how Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary so that we abominable sinners could have the awesome gift of salvation. As the song so picturesquely describes it: ‘When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin.’ And you better believe it was a very steep price that Jesus paid for our redemption. The song puts it thus: ‘Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood.’
Yes my brethren, Jesus withstood ‘the firm mark of divine wrath,’ all because of ‘Amazing pity! grace unknown! And LOVE beyond degree!’ Jesus withstood the Father’s divine wrath to pay our sin debt, all because of an unbelievable degree of LOVE for us poor sinners. Remember these heart stopping words of the scriptures? ‘And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46)
Yes, the Father had turned His face away from the bearer of the world’s sin. And it was the first and only time that Jesus had ever been separated from the Father. Can you imagine the agony He must have gone through, both physical and spiritual, all for a bunch of ungrateful sinners? No, we definitely cannot! But are we thankful for it? It certainly doesn’t seem so, with the manner in which so many of us have stubbornly and caustically refused to accept Him as Lord and Saviour, while blaspheming His holy name.
But Jesus’ ‘sufferation’ and crucifixion is now a done deed, as He solemnly concluded on the cross. ‘It is finished: and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost (his spirit).’ (John 19:30) And though it broke the Father’s heart to turn away from His sin filled Son, it was His yearning for us to be saved that precipitated that situation.
As Bruh Paul writes to Timothy: ‘For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’ (1 Tim. 2:3-6)
Yes my fellow saints, the Lord wanted all men to have the option of salvation, and the only way it could be accomplished was by the sacrificial death of a sinless person, and Christ was the only person deemed sinless. But He was so obedient to the Father’s will, and wanted whatever the Father wanted, that He willingly gave up His sinless life to satiate the need for a sacrificial blood offering. And these awesome words of Peter ought to touch our hearts this Sunday morning, as he writes:
‘For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was deceit (guile) found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again (in return); when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2: 21-25)
Now, friends, you cannot get a better word on our situation than that! So, I do hope that all we’ve said today will help us be better examples for Christ, for we definitely need to upgrade our spiritual lives. Much LOVE!
…salvation is a free gift from God…but it’s not automatic…you must use your free will…to choose it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a momentous decision, all liars, all of them shall wax old like a garment, and the lust thereof, as a vesture shalt thou change them, as for me and my house, Behold, behold I make all things new, Bible, black ice, blessings and cursing, catches our attention, christianity, coming down from God out of heaven, compassion, contemplate our association with God, deepen my breath, divine peace, easing the stress and tension, faith, forgiveness of sins, freezing rain, God desires greater intimacy with man, God himself shall be their God, God shall wipe away all tears, gracious and merciful connection, have their part in the lake, he that does the will of God abides forever, he that sat upon the throne said, he will dwell with them, heaven and earth shall pass away, holy spirit, I call heaven and earth, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I saw a new heaven and a new earth, I want to be with you now, ice accumulation, idolaters, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, justification, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lift up your eyes to the heavens, look upon the earth beneath, LOVE, many of us are experiencing, meditating on your quality of life, mercy, murderers, my righteousness shall not be abolished, my salvation shall be forever, my words shall not pass away, neither sorrow, New Jerusalem, no more death, no more pain, no more sea, nor crying, of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth, one truth from the Bible, our fault, our sinful nature, personal desires, physical desires, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, putter around, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, righteousness., salvation, sanctification, self-interest, set before you life and death, sexually immoral, shall die in like manner, sindul things of the world, slow my thoughts, sorcerers, stay home, thank you for this tenderness, that both you and thy seed may live, the abominable, the children of thy servants shall continue, the earth shall wax old like a garment, the fearful, the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, the former things are passed away, the gospel truth, the heavens are the work of thy hands, the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, the holy city, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the opposite end of the spectrum, the permanence of God's Word, the pride of life, the second death, the tabernacle of god is with men, the things of God, the things of God will endure forever, the things of the world, the things of the world will disappear, the transient nature of the physical world, the unbelieving, the world passes away, their seed shall be established before thee, therefore choose life, these words are true and faithful, they shall be his people, they that dwell therein, thou art the same, thy years shall have no end, to come to Him, to our benefit, to witness against you, truth, turbulent times, unexpected consequences, waiting with open arms, we will serve the Lord, whoremongers, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and lover are present
Matthew 24:35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
And the weekend’s begun with a wet, chilly, lazy-day Saturday, with the promise of freezing rain and consequently an ice accumulation. And believe me, that’s the worse part of the winter – ice. The snow, you can at least see and navigate through, but the ice so often is invisible, and you walk or drive through it indiscriminately and suffer severe, unexpected consequences. Hence this famous term for it on the roadways; black ice. But tell me nuh, why is everything supposedly dangerous or bad given the misnomer of ‘black’ eh? And unfortunately, to the minds of many white folks, that tendency is also associated with black people.
But that’s a story for another day. The important thing right now is if you don’t have to go out, don’t. Just stay at home and putter around, doing little or nothing important, or simply lazing and meditating on the quality of your life. This is a good time when it’s peaceful and quiet to contemplate our association with Almighty God. But if you must go out, then be very careful, because the temperature is right around the freezing mark, which means ice can be hiding underneath the apparently solid ground.
Now, on a brighter note, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday prayer with all sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And the divine peace and calm simply starts flowing into our connected spirits, easing the stress and tension that so many of us are experiencing in these tough and turbulent times. What a joy it is to be in the Lord’s presence, to have greater intimacy with Him than we normally do. But that’s our fault, for He desires greater intimacy with all His creation, and He’s just waiting with open arms for us to come to Him. However, for whatever reason, too many of us hesitate or refuse to make that unbelievable, gracious and merciful connection, which can only benefit us.
Meanwhile, the Lord is wondering what else He has to do to get His most precious creation to come to Him. He’s offered, LOVE, grace, mercy, salvation, compassion, forgiveness of sins, justification, sanctification, righteousness, etc. etc. What else does He have to do to get us to sincerely turn to Him eh? I guess the bright, shiny, unimportant sinful things that the world offers catches our attention and our sinful nature more than the things God offers. But please note, that the things of the world eventually will disappear along with those who sadly embrace them, but the things of God will endure forever, along with those who wisely and joyfully embrace them.
Remember what we recently read in John’s first epistle. ‘For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires),and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interest), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:16-17) Truer words were never spoken my fellow believers!
And if you don’t believe John, then listen to Jesus as He talks about the signs for His second coming. He emphasizes: ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’ (Matt. 24:35) There again, He stresses ‘the permanence of God’s words compared to the transient nature of the physical world.’
And the psalmist said it in such beautiful poetry, way back in olden times. ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed (descendants) shall be established before thee.’ (Ps. 102:25-28)
Yes friends, even the old time people knew that this world would end eventually along with the wicked who refused to accept God as their Lord and Saviour. And Isaiah’s prophecy on the Lord’s behalf was even more forceful. He wrote: ‘Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax (grow) old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished (broken).’ (Is: 51:6)
And if you still need further clarification, then try these words of John from Revelation. ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne (Jesus) said, Behold, I make all things new. and he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21:1-5)
Well friends, if you’re still not satisfied, then all I can say, that’s too bad, because that’s the Word of the Lord which is the gospel truth. Oh…but wait a minute, this other scripture might help you make up your mind. ‘But the fearful (cowardly), and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers (sexually immoral), and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death.’ (Rev. 21:8)
Now that’s the opposite end of the spectrum, so it’s up to you to decide how you want to go. But wisdom hearkens back to these words of Moses to the Israelites. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:’ (Deut. 30:19) Let’s hope that we all make the right decision, and like Joshua, eventually say with great determination: ‘but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh. 24:15b) And all of heaven said a loud and glad ‘Amen!’
Oh my fellow saints, what a momentous decision for a wet and chilly lazy-day Saturday! (smile) Much LOVE!
…one truth from the Bible…is worth more than…all the wisdom of man…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, abdicated our position, afraid of speaking up for Christ, become contented with the easy life, Bible, busy doing our own work, by the example we set, cause our passion to rise up, chaotic times, Christian shortcoming, christianity, Christians are not activating their saltiness, Christians are not shining, crying out for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, disastrous times, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, divine help, faith, flavourless, Friday chant, glorify your Father which is in heaven, go to hell in a handbasket, good for nothing, have salt in yourselves, heralds the beginning of the weekend, holy spirit, if any man desire to be first, if the salt has lost it s flavour, if the salt have lost it saltiness, introduce a new flock of believers, it giveth light unto all that are in the house, Jesus Christ, Let your light so shine before men, lit a fire in some hearts and souls, living up to the expectations of Jesus, LOVE, major goal, make it through the week, mercy, neither do men light a candle, not good enough witnesses for Christ, not injecting enough salt into society, not making the kind of difference expected of us, omnipotent help, our basic problem, our earthly purpose, our sinful world, peace with one another, pride, problems are escalating, put it under a bushel, restoring faith in God, return backsliders to your fold, rise in the negative schemes of the evil one, salt is good, salvation, Satan's darkness, see your good works, self-centredness, shine in the world's darkness, show the suffering hordes, simmering unrest, stand strong and steadfast, TGIGF! Thank God it's Good Friday, the error of their ways, the fate that awaits our progeny, the generation that gifted the world to Satan, the God-sent day if Friday, the gospel of Jesus, the light of the world, the same shall be last, the servant of all, the throne of grace, the way to truth light and salvation, their bright freeing light, to be cast out, trodden under foot of men, truth, unexpected storms, unsalted, wake up and smell the coffee, wherewith will ye season it, wisdom, wise guidance, wouldn't look good on our resume, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth
Matthew 5:13a & 14 a. Ye are the salt of the earth … Ye are the light of the world.
And though Friday’s opened somewhat damp and cloudy, the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ still go up, because it heralds the beginning of our long-expected weekend. Yes, our major goal, from the time Monday rolls around, is to make it through the week, until that God-sent day of Friday. But truthfully, we ought to have a bigger and better perspective than that, like making a positive difference in our workplaces, our homes and wherever else we may go. In other words, living up to the high expectations of Jesus for His disciples.
Expectations like this one: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13) Oh my people, there’s no doubt that too many of us have lost our salt, no longer have that salty flavour we need to make a difference for Jesus!
Why? Who knows? Possibly because we don’t have time to do God’s work since we’re too busy doing our self-centred work. Or we are afraid of the possible consequences from speaking up for Christ? Or, we’ve simply become fat, lazy and contented, from the good earthly life we’re living. But whatever the reason(s), it’s obvious that we’re not making the kind of difference expected of us, we’re not injecting into our society enough of that most important substance, salt, or the gospel of Jesus, and the amazing LOVE that flows from it, otherwise our world would not be so angry, hateful, and strife-filled.
It’s truly sad to see so many supposed Christians behaving just like the non-believers. Oh, we might get righteous when we go to church on Sundays, but on Mondays we go right back to the same worldly, unchristian behaviour. Remember friends, we’re supposed to be in the world, to show the heathen how to live for Christ, not of the world; that’s to be living like them. And I like how the gospel of Mark reports Jesus’ comments on the subject. ‘Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltiness (its flavour), wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and peace one with another.’ (Mark 9:50)
And the scholars explain that ‘Salt from the Dead Sea contains impurities and becomes easily stale and unpleasant in taste. Salt in yourselves is the distinctive quality that marks the person devoted to God. The reference to peace ties in with verse 33, which precipitated this whole discourse.’ That’s the argument the disciples were having about who would be the greatest amongst them, while journeying through Galilee to Capernaum, which led Jesus to clarify the matter in His kingdom: ‘If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.’ (Mark 9:35)
Now, that should also be something we believers pay close attention to, for in this age, pride and self-centredness are rampant and no one wants to be a servant but to be served continually. And that flows very nicely into our next Christian shortcoming. Yes, being unsalted and flavourless is not the only one. (smile) No! We’ve also abdicated our position of being the light of the world as Jesus expects us to be. When He was here on earth, He was the light of the world, (John 8:12) but when He left, He transferred that designation to His followers, so that they could shine in the world’s darkness and show the suffering hordes the way to truth, light and salvation.
As He so clearly puts it: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
Yes my brethren, that’s what we ought to be doing; lighting our lamps for Jesus and proudly showing them to the whole world, so that they can be relieved of the restricting darkness that Satan desires to contain them in. It’s like Jesus said, a city that is built on a hill, cannot hide it’s light. Consequently, we ought to have our light shining brightly to all and sundry, as though it was situated on a hill, so that it can be seen far and wide. That’s our earthly purpose!
Oh my fellow saints, can’t we see how our world is suffering so terribly because of the sudden rise in the negative wiles and schemes of the evil one? And are we going to simply leave it to go to hell in the proverbial hand basket? I certainly hope not! Just think of the fate that awaits our progeny if we allow that to happen. And it certainly won’t look good on our resumé as being the generation that gifted it to Satan because of our lazy, fearful and ungodly behaviour. Nuff said! But I do hope that we’ve lit a fire in the hearts and souls of at least some of us, that will cause our passion to rise up and help us do better. (smile)
Now, if it’s divine help we need to improve, then let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, seeking it, in these chaotic and disastrous times. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Ah friends, we all know our basic problem is that we’re not good enough witnesses for Christ, and until we improve in that area, divine aid will not be forthcoming! So, let’s get a move on nuh! Much LOVE!
…like the weather…the devil is turning our world dark and fearful…because Christians are not activating their saltiness…nor shining their bright freeing light into Satan’s darkness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a joy, bangles, baubles, bright shiny things, broken right now in the name of Jesus, climate change, curse, dem's the breaks, Demas hath forsaken me, discouraging message, divine protection, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, favour, following Jesus is a serious commitment, fulfillment, go thou and preach the kingdom of God, hands fixed securely on the plough, having loved this present world, he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, holy spirit, if any man love the world, is fit for the kingdom of heaven, Jesus Christ, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, let the dead bury their dead, life's lesser matters, look to the future not the past, looking back, looking back means you're not dedicated enough, LOVE, love not the world, lust of the flesh, mercy, meritorious benefits, moth and rust doth corrupt, negative word, no man having put his hand to the plough, not looking back, only a life with Jesus lasts forever, personal desires, physical desires, plow means work or task, pride, pride of life, prosper, rewards for faithful service, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, self-interest, share generously, springtime, strong faith in Christ, succeed, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, the disciple has more important things to do, the love of the Father is not in him, the lust of the eyes, the lust thereof, the spiritually dead, the spiritually dead can bury the physically dead, the spiritually living, the world passes away, thieves break through and steal, things of the world, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, winter climate, wisdom, working for God on earth
Luke 9:62. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit (suitable) for the kingdom of heaven.
Oh friends, Thursday has opened bright and sunshiny from the very beginning, although it’s still somewhat chilly. Let’s hope it stays that way…but luck of all luck, I just looked down at the bottom of the computer and saw this dreary and discouraging message: ‘3 cm of snow on Sunday.’ Brother, I thought that since we’re in springtime, we were all over with that white stuff, but apparently not. And we can’t write off the report, because last week when it said snow on Monday, we did get snow early on Monday morning, although not a great amount and it melted very quickly.
But dem’s the breaks! If you live in the winter climate, you must expect winter weather at any time, especially with the crazy weather patterns that we’re currently experiencing in the throes of climate change. Anyway, not to worry, we will overcome whatever comes against us through strong faith in, and the help of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. He’s promised it, and He keeps all of His promises.
So, today, let’s look at a couple of interesting verses from Luke’s gospel. The story behind it is that one man wants to follow Jesus, but he wants to go and bury his father first. To which Jesus replies: ‘Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9: 60) Now that sounds somewhat rough and unfeeling of Jesus, but this commentary explains it thus: ‘The man needs to let someone else bury his father; he needs to spread the news of the coming of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ play on words most likely means that the spiritually dead—those who refuse to follow Him—can bury the physically dead; in this case, the spiritually living—the disciple—has more important things to do.’
That leads to this next situation. Another man wants to go and say farewell to his family before following Jesus. ‘And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit (suitable) for the kingdom of heaven.’ (Luke 9:62) Now that’s a big statement my people! And what does it mean? The scholars put it thus: ‘One who makes life’s lesser matters of greater priority than God’s work is of little use to him.’
Then this commentary explains: ‘Luke is showing that following Jesus is a serious commitment. We can’t look back at the past; we need to keep our eyes on our work and where it will take us in the future.’ Meanwhile this other commentary says: ‘Plow is synonymous with work or a task. The implication is that once you begin your walk with Jesus, but then look back to the worldly life you lived once before (i.e.: in longing for), you are not dedicated enough to continue and/or complete that task.’
There you have it my brethren: Basically, once we have begun our walk with Jesus we cannot look back or long for the things of the past, but need to press on to the things of the future that Jesus has in store for us. That’s why we have this statement in our Wednesday Wail: ‘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.’ It’s all about looking to the future my brethren!
And we have an interesting comment on just that from Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica…’ (2 Tim. 4:9-10) Now, that’s the kind of thing Jesus is talking about. We cannot just up and leave our ministry for the world and expect everything to be hunky dory.
As John so rightly puts it in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interest), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)
Ah mih people, I know Satan and his evil cronies are always throwing baubles, bangles and bright shiny things in our faces, and it’s hard to stay away from the entrancing and captivating things of the world, but we need to seriously realize that most of those things are either not necessary, ungodly, or not a part of God’s will for us, plus they will not last forever. Only a life with Jesus will last forever!
Jesus made it quite clear, when He delivered these teachings. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21)
Yes friends, we should not be so taken up with accumulating things here on earth, which rust and rot and thieves can steal, but with accumulating treasures in heaven, where they are safeguarded from moths, rust and thieves. And according to the scholars: ‘The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits, but rather of rewards for faithful service, as illustrated elsewhere in the teachings of Jesus.’
And yuh know what, our God is such a great God that He’s bestowed undeserved blessings on us so that we can better do His earthly work and thus earn more heavenly rewards for faithful service. We call them our Thurseday Blessings. So, let’s declare them out loud and thus activate them nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them 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!
…working for God on earth…should be a joy…as we consider…the treasures we’re building up in heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a true child of God, according to his riches in glory, all things work together for good, be of good cheer, be strong and of a good courage, be strong faithful and persevering, but of power love and a sound mind, called according to His purpose, carest thou not that we perish, Christ has given us the victory, christianity, do not fear, ever so glad to have Jesus, faith, faith is the antidote for fear, fear of life, God has not given us a spirit of fear, God is with us wherever we go, God shall supply all your needs, God's promised to look after us, halfway home, hands on the plough, he arose and rebuked the wind, he said unto them, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, holy spirit, how is it that ye have no faith, I am with thee, i have overcome the world, I will help thee, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, live in faith and in peace, LOVE, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, navigate through anything successfully, no need to fear, not looking back at the past, not turning back, our second wind day, peace be still, said unto the sea, salvation, satisfy all our needs, spiritual maturity, strange weather, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lord thy God goeth before thee, the Navigator of All navigators, the wind ceased, there was a great calm, these things I have spoken unto you, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them that love God, truth, turbulent times, victory, Wednesday Wail, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, why are ye so fearful, wisdom, with Jesus at our helm, work everything out for our good
Mark 4:40. And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
And then it was Wednesday, our second wind day, but the weather is certainly strange. Earlier on, there was some sunshine with clouds in the background, then some small white pieces of stuff began falling, then that went away after a few minutes, then the sun came out, then the clouds took over. Right now, at midday, it’s a mixture of cloud and sun, with who knows what’s going to happen next.
But that’s why we’re ever so glad to have Jesus! I say it every day, because whatever comes our way, whether it’s weatherwise or finances or sickness, or anything the evil and ungodly world throws at us, with Jesus at our helm, we will be able to navigate through it successfully, because He is the Navigator of All Navigators! Rocks and storms and strong winds or anything else are no problem for Him, because He is the One that created them all, and consequently can control them however He wants to.
Remember that marvellous and miraculous moment when Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat as He crossed the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, when a big storm rose up and threatened to sink the boat, but Jesus remained calmly sleeping. The disciples in great fear, woke him up, asking ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’ (Mark 4:38-40)
Now friends, that’s exactly what Jesus is asking of many of us in these tough and turbulent times because we are sorely afraid of what’s happening around us and what might happen to us. But if you are a true child of God, there’s no need to fear, for He’s promised to look after us, satisfy all of our needs, and to work everything out for our own good. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to these scriptures that promise divine aid and intervention. First off in Isaiah, the Lord Promises: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) What more do we want eh my people?
Then there’s this other promise: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 4:19) What’s in that that we don’t understand eh? Then we have the granddaddy of all promises: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Now, He doesn’t say that we will never have any problems, but in the end, He will work out all those tough times and things for our good. We just have to be strong, faithful, patient and persevering despite what comes against us, knowing that our great and wonderful God is always with us, wherever we go.
And that’s one of the oldest promises in the Bible, for Moses encouraged the Israelites thus before he gave up the leadership of the group to Joshua. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) And the Lord also pounded it into the ears of Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. You can read that very clearly in Joshua 1:7-9. So that’s nothing new, we should all be well aware, believe and expect the Lord to be with us at ALL TIMES!
And would you believe that the words or idea of ‘do not fear,’ occur very often in the Bible, because we still have that latent fear of life, of the devil and all his accomplices, despite the many assurances of God to hold the opposite emotion of faith. That brings us to this most telling exhortation from Bruh Paul to Timothy, and rebuke to us, who should know better. He steadfastly proclaims: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
So why is there so much fear today amongst supposed believers eh, if we weren’t given a spirit of fear by our God but one of strong faith, etc. etc.? Who knows? I guess we all have to speak for ourselves, but to my mind, too many of us have not reached that level of spiritual maturity where we stop being afraid of what the world and all its cohorts can do to us. Oh yes, we are concerned and do our best to help ourselves, but in the long run our help all comes from the God who LOVED us so much back in olden times, and still LOVES us a whole lot today, despite our disobedience and rebellious ways, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Now, that ought to tell us a lot about the wonderful nature and character of our God. But I guess it doesn’t, else we would not be behaving in the fearful and ungodly manner in which we’re currently behaving. For if we were not fearful and afraid, the devil would not be holding the world in as tight a stranglehold as he is right now. That alone shows how fearful and afraid we supposed believers are, otherwise we’d be out there fighting the devil and his evil doings mano a mano, step for step, and winning the battle, because we have the victory already assured by Jesus, we only have to keep it going.
And there’s no better verse of scripture to encourage us than this one from Christ Himself. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Wow mih bredrin! What encouragement and reassurance it ought to be knowing that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus has already overcome the evil world of Satan, and there’s no need for us to live in fear, but in faith and in His peace.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail to all sundry, letting them know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if you truly believe, then it’s also been promised that if we endure to the end with Christ, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s pledge to meet there at the very end and enjoy that more than glorious future together nuh! Much LOVE!
…when fear comes calling…send faith to answer…because faith is the only antidote for fear…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sinful nature, against thee only have I sinned, an unbreakable seal, anything praiseworthy, ask your forgiveness, assurance of salvation, at work in me, belonging to God, Bible, blot out all mine iniquities, chaotic times, christianity, cleanse me from my sin, create in me a clean heart, done this evil in thy sight, duty bound, enveloped by the light of Jesus, evil thoughts hidden in our hearts, faith, find my hidden faults, God looks at our hearts not our outward appearances, God's ownership, help me fill my heart with good things, hide my face from my sins, holy spirit, I shall be clean, I want to have a clean heart before you, if there be any virtue, in god's eyes, In Touch Prayer Cards, Jesus Christ, kept forever by the power of God, left behind, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make me to hear joy and gladness, make me whole, meditate, mercy, not on board, nothing as wonderful as walking in the light with you, of a good report, on board with Jesus, purge me with hyssop, Purity of Heart, raise them out of the shadows, remove all impurities, renew a right spirit within me, salvation, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, shapen in iniquity, share His love with my neighbours, sin with Bathsheba, sincerity and truth, Thank You God, the absolute truth, the beloved of God, the down payment of our inheritance, the God of peace shall be with you, the mark of identification, the moral of the story, the redemption of the purchased possession, thnik on these thingsw, to be righteous and holy, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, truth in the inward parts, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly times, untouchable, upstaged by God's help, waiting for no one, wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are true, whatsover things are honest, wisdom, worry, your amazing grace
Psalm 51:10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.
So now it’s Tuesday. We’ve gladly left Monday behind, but remember, we’ll soon leave Tuesday behind too, for these days are just driving forward like the crazy March winds that have recently engulfed us. They’re waiting for no one or nothing. Similarly, the month of March, that too is almost over, and it’s only just begun. And the moral of the story is if you’re not solidly on board, then you’ll simply get left behind. On board where or on what, you ask? On board with Jesus, obviously! For He is the ONLY ONE who can see you successfully through these chaotic and ungodly times.
And to help us do that, today we’re going to turn to a prayer from one of the Prayer Cards recently issued by the In Touch Organization. This one’s titled, ‘Purity of Heart.’ So please pray with me. ‘God, thank You for Your amazing grace at work in me. I want to have a clean heart before You. Please remove all impurities and make me whole. Find my hidden faults and raise them out of the shadows. As You bring each one to my attention, I will ask Your forgiveness and let it go. Help me fill my heart instead with everything good, lovely, and holy. God, I give You praise and thanks. There’s nothing as wonderful as walking in the light with you. Amen!’
And we all know that that’s the absolute truth! There’s nothing in this world better than walking in the bright shining light of Jesus! For when you’re enveloped by that Light, you’re untouchable! Nothing can lead you astray or take you away from Him, for He’s sealed you with the seal of His Holy Spirit, as said in Bruh Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. ‘In whom also after that ye believed (the Gentiles), ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. Which is the earnest (downpayment, deposit) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.’ (Eph. 1:13b-14)
And what does all of that mean? These two commentaries explain. The first says: ‘In a religious context, “sealed with the Holy Spirit” signifies God’s ownership and assurance of salvation, indicating that believers are marked as belonging to God and are guaranteed eternal inheritance and protection.’ And the second enlightens: ‘It is the mark of identification that the believer is truly God’s own and is kept forever by the power of God. It is an unbreakable seal of divine ownership and salvation.’
So there we have it, once we’re sealed by the Holy Spirit of Christ, we’re His, and can never be taken away from Him. And having clarified that, let’s get back to our original prayer sentiment, that of having a pure heart before God. And that’s ever so important my people, since God doesn’t like nor readily accepts evil and improper impurities or faults from His children. He expects us to be righteous and holy as He is. Now, He knows that’s impossible, but with His help, He expects us to be better than we are.
And believe me, some of us have a whole lot of vile and evil thoughts hidden in our hearts. Man can’t see them, because we carefully hide them, but God can, because it’s our hearts He looks at when we talk to Him. And it’s quite easy to offer up a prayer for help, but it’s another matter to actually try and cleanse our hearts of hidden sin. And the earlier prayer was based on Psalm 51: Bruh David’s famous cry for forgiveness after the prophet Nathan, with God’s directive, brought his awful sin with Bathsheba to his attention.
He sincerely pleads: ‘Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (found just) when thou speakest, and be clear (blameless) when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen (brought forth) in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.’ (Ps. 51:2-6)
Yes friends, the Lord knows that we were born with a sin nature, but when we turn our eyes to Him, He expects us to make good changes, and He is willing to help us if we come to Him with all sincerity. And Bruh David did open up his soul to the Lord in that psalm because He knew the great blemish it had placed on himself and his family, as well as on the Lord’s Word.
And he continues: ‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide my face from my sins, blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps. 51:7-10) Now my brethren, that’s exactly what we need to be seeking from the Lord; a clean heart and a steadfast spirit, so that we can worship Him in all sincerity and truth.
And it’s interesting that Bruh Paul in his ever-practical spirit, wrote these words of wisdom and encouragement to the Philippians about the thoughts we ought to dwell on. ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things). Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
There we have it my fellow believers, some good things to think and meditate on, after we have been cleansed in heart and renewed in spirit by the grace and mercy of Jehovah God. There are no more excuses for ‘stinking thinking.’ (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…although we have a sinful nature…it can always be upstaged by God’s holy and righteous help…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a guiding principle, a lack of spiritual guidance, a lack of spiritual leadership, a purpose for life, breathe some godly revelation, busy bodies, cast off restraint, chaos, christianity, coast along on our laurels, command and exhort, desires to bless us, destruction, dies from apathy, dog eat dog world, eat their own bread, entitled to a good living, even when we were with you, every man did that which was right in his own eyes, faith, fell on hard times, for doing as little as they can, forgot God, get as much as they can, get with the programme, gossip, help in times of need, holy spirit, humble servants, idle hands are the Devil's workshop, if any would not work, in a spiritual context, in those days, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, lack of a strong work ethic, lack of divine guidance, LOVE, meddlesome ways, mercy, ministered unto the Lord, Monday, negative consequences, neither should he eat, no open vision, no prophetic revelation, no sense of godly direction, nothing for free, please ease the pain, praise Your Holy Name, praying, refuse to work, salvation, show this evil world, sincerely seeking God's face, social media, some which walk among you disorderly, staring them full in the face, strong faith in Christ, suffering from negative situations, taking stock of ourselves, thank you for life, that frustrating day, that kills a societyeasy to coast along on our laurels, the BIBLE, the fabric of society, the God of our forefathers, the God who heals, the importance of having a vision, the mass confusion in our world, the master of death and destruction, the power to solve our many problems, the same old work cycle, the throne of grace, the word of the Lord was precious (rare), there was no king in Israel, this we commanded you, times of entitlement, to alleviate our problems, truth, turn from our evil ways, we are our worst enemies, went their merry way rejoicing, where there is no vision the people perish, wise guidance, with quietness they work, without a sense of direction, without lifting a finger, working not at all
2 Thessalonians 3:10. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
And then it was Monday, that disturbing and frustrating day, when we begin the same old, same old work cycle again. (smile) But if we want to eat, and have a roof over our heads, some kind of rewarding work is necessary in this dog eat dog world. For no one’s giving you anything for free these days, but that doesn’t stop many of us from being lazy and not wanting to work, believing that we’re entitled to a good living without lifting a finger.
Remember though, what Bruh Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in his second letter. ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.’ (2 Thess. 3:10-12)
Oh my people, how wonderful it would be to implement such a system in these times of entitlement when a large body of our population hates and refuses to work, but delights in indulging in much gossip and meddlesome ways, especially on social media! Many of us would certainly be going hungry. Sadly, the work ethic that existed for generations has now disappeared and everyone wants to simply get as much as they can, for doing as little as they can. But that’s what kills a society, not what builds it.
The problem is that our society has reached such a high level of knowledge and technology, as well as prosperity, that it’s fairly easy to coast along on our laurels and get by. However, when too many people are merely coasting along in life, the fabric of the society soon begins to fall apart and the society eventually dies from apathy and lack of a strong work ethic. As the scholars tell us, ‘idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.’ And that’s no lie! Satan doesn’t want us doing anything that would enhance our society or standard of living, for he is the master of death and destruction.
That brings us to these wise words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision or revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) And that’s oh so true my people! But what does it mean?
This commentary explains it thus: ‘The phrase emphasizes the importance of having a vision, a guiding principle, or a purpose for life. Without such a vision, people are prone to unrestrained behavior and ultimately fail to thrive. Some translations use the word “perish” or “cast off restraint” to convey the idea that without a vision, people are left without a sense of direction or purpose, leading to negative consequences. Meanwhile, in a spiritual context, it refers to a lack of divine guidance or revelation, a lack of spiritual leadership.’
And we see that happening very clearly back in the days when the Israelites were ruled by judges. The Bible tells us: ‘In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.’ (Judg. 21:25) And that’s exactly the evil and ungodly way that our society, or rather our world is moving; everyone doing their own thing, with no sense of godly direction. The Book of Samuel also gives us insight into the problem when it says: ‘And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious (rare)in those days; there was no open vision (no prophetic revelation).’ (1 Sam. 3:1)
The scholars explain that’ the severity of Israel’s apostasy (cf. Judg. 21:25) caused a dearth of God’s revelatory work. The condition was perpetuating and self-defeating (cf. Prov. 29:18). By God’s grace, the prophetic institution would receive renewed impetus and standardization in the person and work of Samuel.’
Oh by God’s grace, I wish we could have someone or some people powerful enough to breathe some godly revelation into today’s crazy, hateful and resentful society. But as has happened to every society which rose to great heights by working diligently and with a God-given purpose, but then forgot God and went their merry way rejoicing, they eventually fell on hard times, with chaos and destruction staring them full in the face.
Now, is that what we want for our society…what we want our children’s children to experience? I very much doubt it. But if we don’t start taking serious stock of ourselves RIGHT NOW, and turn from our evil ways back to the God of our forefathers, then that is the fate that will possibly befall us, but for sure, our progeny. So, with the Lord’s promise of coming to the throne of grace for help in times of need, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it’s good to remember some of those things required to receive divine aid; like humbling ourselves, praying, sincerely seeking God’s face, turning from our evil ways, etc. etc. So, if we truly want it, let’s get with the programme nuh! Much LOVE!
…we are our worst enemies…foolishly turning away from God…when all He desires to do is bless us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a second chance, a symbol of hope, after facing adversity, after living a life of sin, all this time, at our breaking point, born from the knowledge and experience, bright colours, Buju Banton, Buried Alive, challenging circumstances, christianity, come together, difficult times, digged a pit for me, disappointment, don't know what tomorrow will bring, experienced betrayal, fellowship, for all the trials and tribulations, friends of mine, gave his life to God, given one more chance, God has recently seen us through, greater faith in God, he that rolleth a stone, heartfelt rendition, holy spirit, I am alive, I can't care the grave, I survived the worst of times, I'm still breathing, I've been blind, I've got a feeling, identify with the expressed sentiments, if God is for you, in which they themselves have fallen, incarcerated, it will roll back on him, it's my determination to win, Jah made I brave, Jesus Christ, LOVE, made a ditch for one but there would be two, many give in, many give up, mercy, my heart's still beating, my soul is bowed down, mythical bird the phoenix, never give up, no need to fear, of life and of better things to come, of whom shall I be afraid, pass with time, prepared a net for my steps, reaping what you sow, rebirth, resilience, rises from its ashes, running against the wind, salvation, Selah, springtime, sweet sacrifices of praise, symbolism of the phoenix, symbolizes renewal, take a look in the mirror, the ability to emerge stronger and more powerful, the BIBLE, the boomerang effect, The God of second chances, the gospel truth, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, the phoenix, the renewal of nature, the tough winter, the wicked things they do, their attempt to out my life, there must be a reason, to give thanks and praise, truth, Upside Down, whom shall I fear, whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein, win with the help of God, wisdom, with God's awesome help
Psalm 27:1. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Sunday morning in springtime…what can be more enchanting, more enervating, especially after all the tough winter weather we’ve faced, and might still be facing, if the weather forecasters are right about more snow being on the way. But that seldom kept us away from the Lord’s house, to faithfully praise and worship Him, as we fellowshipped with other believers. Now, as we joyfully await the renewal and refurbishing of nature with all its bright colours, we come together again to give thanks for all the trials and tribulations our God has recently pulled us through.
And if there’s a man who knows about trials and tribulations it’s the Jamaican Reggae Artiste Buju Banton, who paid for his wrongdoing with prison time, but as the Lord would have it, became a bigger selling and more popular artiste after he was released and wisely gave his life to God. We open our worship today with his testimonial song, ‘Buried Alive,’ from his 2020 Upside Down Album.
And I know that many of us still hypocritically have Buju in our bad books because of his drug dealings and prison sentence, but if he’s turned his life around and God’s forgiven him, then who are we to question it. I suggest that we take a look in the mirror and remember the many sinful and ungodly things that the Lord has forgiven us for and consider where we would have been if He hadn’t offered us His grace and mercy when we so badly and desperately need it.
So, let’s offer up sweet sacrifices of praise in a rousing, up-tempo and heartfelt rendition of the song, that so many of us can identify with. ‘Singing: (Chorus): ‘Oh Lord, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing. I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart’s still beating.’ (Repeat Chorus) Now all this time… I’ve been blind… only running against the wind. Friends of mine …pass with time… After living a life of sin. Now many give up, many give in. It’s my determination to win. I survived, the worst of times, I survived. (Chorus)
Oh, they made a ditch for one, but there would be two, In their attempt to out my life, The wicked things they do. But Jah made I brave, and I can’t care the grave, Oh no, The Lord is my salvation, Of whom shall I fear? Yeah, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart’s still beating… (One more time)
Yes, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…’
Ah friends, I know that many of us can identify with the sentiments expressed in the song. Oh, we might never have been incarcerated, but we’ve all experienced betrayal and disappointment that brought us heartache and to a very low point in our lives. But with God’s awesome help we’ve been able to do like the proverbial phoenix, that mythical bird that supposedly goes up in flames, but then rises from its ashes.
And I like how these two commentaries explain the symbolism of the phoenix rising from its ashes. The first one says: ‘it symbolizes renewal, rebirth, and resilience, representing the ability to emerge stronger and more powerful after facing adversity or destruction.’ And the second tells it thus: ‘Rising from the ashes of its previous life, the phoenix is a symbol of hope, of life and of better things to come, born from the knowledge and experience of difficult times and challenging circumstances.’
And is that ever the gospel truth! Because whenever we go through tough times, we usually come out stronger, with a greater faith and hope in God! For as Buju says, he doesn’t know why he’s still alive, but there must be a reason that he was given one more chance. Yes friends, our God doesn’t do things willy nilly, we might not see or understand His reasoning, but there’s always an important purpose behind whatever He does or allows to happen.
Then I like this verse that says: ‘Now all this time… I’ve been blind… only running against the wind. Friends of mine …pass with time… After living a life of sin. Now many give up, many give in. It’s my determination to win. I survived, the worst of times, I survived.’ And that’s always the most important thing my fellow believers; the determination to never, never give up, but to win with the help of the Lord!
Now, I don’t know how many of us have noticed it, but I surely have, it’s when we’re at our lowest, at our breaking point that the Lord shows up with grace and mercy and turns us around, gives us a reason for living, a second chance. That’s why He’s called the God of second chances…and even third, fourth and fifth!
Then there’s this seminal or very critical verse in the song that should speak to us all. ‘Oh, they made a ditch for one, but there would be two, In their attempt to out my life, The wicked things they do. But Jah made I brave, and I can’t care the grave, Oh no, The Lord is my salvation, Of whom shall I fear?’ Oh my people, we’ve all been there in times of adversity, when there seems to be no way out, but we’ve found courage and strength in the Lord to see it through.
And I like how he says: ‘Oh, they made a ditch for one, but there would be two,’ in an analogy to Bob Marley’s song where he says, if you dig a ditch for one, you’d better dig two, meaning one for yourself too. All of it referring back to the scriptures found in Psalm 57: ‘They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst of whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.’ (Ps. 57:6)
And Cousin Sol in his vast wisdom, obviously has something on that. (smile) In Proverbs, he writes: ‘Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return (roll back) upon him.’ (Prov. 26:27) They’re all emphasizing the point that if you set a trap for someone it usually falls back on you, like a boomerang effect, or reaping what you sow. Then we have the last line of that verse, which is so instrumental in a believer’s life. As Bruh David puts it in Psalm 27: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1)
Yes my fellow saints, let’s meditate on that verse today nuh, until we can boldly and confidently say…NOBODY! Much LOVE!
…if God is for you…then no one can be against you…so there’s no need to fear…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good omen, a more rewarding prayer, bask in the light of Jesus, be filled with their own devices, be quiet from fear of evil, Bible, call upon him while he is near, call upon me, call upon meI will not answer, christianity, Christians, deepen my breath, disdained all my counsel., distress and anguish come upon you, double-minded attitude, eat the fruit of their own way, faith, fighting a valiant battle, fools hate knowledge, God will abundantly pardon, he will have mercy upon him, holy spirit, how long ye simple ones, I have called and ye refused, I love them that love me, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will hearken unto you, I will not answer, I will pour out my spirit unto you, in all sincerity and truth, in the opening of the gates, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, laugh at your calamity, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him return unto the Lord, let the wicked forsake his way, LOVE, make known my words unto you, mercy, mock when your fear comes, naivety, no man regarded, pray unto me, pros and cons, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, run to the rock for rescue, salvation, seek me and find me, seek me diligently, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, seeking sincere intimacy with God, seriously contemplate the consequences of each decision, she raises her voice in the streets, slow my thoughts, stretched out my hand, thank you for this tenderness, the complacency of fools, the foes of darkness, the morally dull, the scorners delight in scorning, the turning away of the simple, the unrighteous man his thoughts, those who seek me early will find me, truth, turn you at my reproof, undivided attention, waywardness, when terror comes as desolation, whoso hearkens to me shall dwell safely, will ye love simplicity, wisdom, wisdom calls aloud in the streets, wisdom crieth without, ye shall search for me with all your heart, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your destruction comes as a whirlwind, your love surrounds and fills me
Proverbs 8:117. I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.
And it’s another lazy-day Saturday friends, but a windy, chilly and cloudy one, until a short while ago, around mid-day, when the sun, fighting a valiant battle, finally overcame the clouds and shone forth in all its bright and manly presence. (smile) Now that’s a good omen for us believers in Christ Jesus, reassuring us that if we stand strong and fight the foes of darkness, we too can overcome and bask in the glorious light of Jesus!
And with that reassurance under our belt, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And there isn’t a more rewarding prayer than one seeking sincere intimacy with our heavenly Father, for that’s one of His heart’s greatest desires. It warms the cockles of His heart when we come sincerely seeking Him. That’s why there are several scriptures in God’s Word that specifically speak about seeking Him. Let’s check out a few of them nuh, like this one from Isaiah, where He writes: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:6-7)
Right there my people, we see the wisdom of seeking God; He’ll pardon and have mercy on all who seek Him. But there’s one important proviso, as stated in this scripture from Jeremiah that we all know, where he declares: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with your whole heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) Yes friends, there is a necessity to seeking God sincerely, or with all of your soul, body, mind and heart if you want to find Him.
Meanwhile Cousin Sol who has something to say on every subject, (smile) says it thus in Proverbs: ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’ (Prov. 8:17) There again, more sincere and whole hearted seeking of God is necessary to find Him. We just can’t go with any wishy-washy, double-minded attitude and find Him. No! It must be with all of our being! And Cousin Sol further intimates that we must seek God as though we’re seeking for silver or gold, for hidden treasure; that’s with total undivided attention, putting all we have into it. (Prov. 2:4)
So, now that we have heard all about the benefits of sincerely seeking the Lord, let’s look at what happens if we don’t seek Him. And Cousin Sol puts it right out there when he talks in the beginning of Proverbs about ‘Wisdom Cries in the Streets.’ The scholars explain that He personifies her as a prophetess calling out in public places to everyone to come to her and learn.
He writes: ‘Wisdom crieth without (calls aloud in the street); she uttereth (raises) her voice in the streets (plazas). She crieth in the chief place of concourse (concourses), in the opening of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple (naïve) ones, will ye LOVE simplicity (naivety)? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?’ (Prov. 1:20-22) Now those are very good questions my brethren, questions that many of us need to seriously consider today, since our world is currently so full of exactly what Cousin Sol’s talking about; naivety or lack of knowledge, the scorning of scoffers, hatred of wisdom by fools or the morally dull.
But then we have this graceful invitation that was also turned down. ‘Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought (disdained) all my counsel, and would (have) none of my reproof:’ (Prov. 1:23-25) Yes friends, that’s exactly what too many of us have done; rejected God and His awesome help, and what our foolish and mentally disturbed world is adamantly continuing to do.
But hear what’s in the works for such of us nuh! ‘I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear (terror) cometh; When your fear (terror) cometh as desolation (a storm), and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.’ (Prov. 1:26-27) Now is that what we truly desire? I doubt it. And the story is not yet finished.
Listen up: ‘Then they shall call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early (diligently), but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear (reverence) of the Lord: They would (have) none of my counsel: they despised all of my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away (waywardness) of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity (complacency) of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet (be secure or at ease) from fear of evil.’ (Prov. 1:28-33)
There you have it my fellow believers, the pros and cons for seeking God diligently and with our whole being, and also being foolish and rejecting Him. Now, it’s up to each of us to choose the path we shall tread, but first, please let’s very seriously contemplate the consequences of each decision! Much LOVE!
…the time to sincerely seek God is…NOW…for as the old song says…if you wait too late…when you run to the Rock for rescue…there’ll be no rock…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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