31 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive outlook on life, abundance, all will be well, always planning in love, band my jaw, brain weary, courage, creativity, curse, despair and loneliness hedge me in, duty bound, faith, favour, fighting the good fight, God's supernatural wisdom, happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, holy spirit, I lift up my soul, in peevish rebellion, in the midst of consuming sorrow, in the northern climes, in the silent darkness, Jesus Christ, Lead me in thy truth, let me not be ashamed, let none that wait in faith on thee be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me, LOVE, mercy, my fears, my hesitancies, negative word, O my God I trust in thee, on thee do I wait all the day, One Year Book of Bible promises, place our total trust in jesus, powering our motors, quiet my fragmented heart, rail against you, receive clear direction for my life, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, scamper from doubt to doubt, shew me thy ways O Lord, sitting inside by the fire, talent, teach me thy paths, the BIBLE, the concrete jungle, the cross we have to bear, the end of July, the furnace of affliction, the strength of Jesus, the white-flamed furnace of affliction, thou art the God of my salvation, Trust me, truth, unto thee O Lord, whose hope is in the Lord his God, wisdom, work in me silently, you forgive so quickly my outbursts, you never drive me away, you refine me, you understand my frailties, you whisper
Psalm 25:2. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
Well here it is finally friends, the end of the summer month of July! And though it’s been rather hot, and sometimes vexatious, we still prefer it to the cold winter weather. Now, sadly, only one more month of summer is left…and if that passes as quickly as the first two, then we’ll soon be sitting inside by the fire trying to keep warm, rather than in the air conditioning, trying to stay cool. But that’s the cross we have to bear in the northern climes.
However, with the wonderful and magnificent strength of Jesus powering our motors, we can accomplish whatever we need to accomplish. Please, let’s never forget that, because it’s that joy and strength from Him that keeps us fighting the good fight. And isn’t it strange that after all those hot days, July seems to be ending on a cool and cloudy note, with rain that’s been falling, thankfully just drizzling, for the past couple of hours.
Now some of you might be wondering how come the Bit’s so early. Well there’s good reason. I have an early morning doctor’s appointment in the concrete jungle city of Toronto, which means I have no idea when I’ll be back, plus when I return from those city outings, I’m always too tired and brain weary to write anything worthwhile, so I just have to band my jaw and do it before I go. So please don’t think that this will be a usual occurrence. When I’m getting up here, is when I’m usually going to bed. (smile)
And today, the Lord has decreed that we look at this encouraging and reaffirming poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, titled ‘All Will Be Well.’ I’m pretty sure I’ve shared it before, but we know that all those writings are so good and so applicable in these tough times, that they ought to be shared again and again.
So please read with me: ‘O Lord God In the midst of consuming sorrow when despair and loneliness hedge me in You understand my frailties – My hesitancies, my fears. As I scamper from doubt to doubt You forgive so quickly my outbursts. Never do you drive me away when I rail against you in peevish rebellion. When I scream don’t you even care? You quiet my fragmented heart. You work in me silently Always planning in LOVE. You refine me in the white-flamed Furnace of affliction. In the silent darkness You whisper: Trust Me – all will be well.’
And that’s exactly how it is my faithful brethren when we surrender our all, and place our total trust in the Lord Jesus Christ! All ends up being well, despite all the rebellion, the sorrow, the despair and loneliness, for as the poem so rightly says, our God and Saviour plans only and always in LOVE! For that’s His major attribute, and why He created us in the first place; to have LOVING communion with us! And the good thing is that God knows all our problems, our frailties, etc. etc. so nothing we do surprises Him, and He’s planned for them from the very beginning.
And the Bible verse for this poem come from Psalm 25, where Bruh David talks about Trust in the Lord. The poem quotes it from the NIV (New International Version) ‘To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God.’ (Ps. 25:1-2) But we here prefer the good ole King James Version, which tells it like it really is. (smile) ‘Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait (in faith) on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause (deal treacherously). (Ps. 25:1-3)
Yes friends, it’s in Almighty God alone that we ought to put our trust, for He’s the ONLY One who can protect us from our enemies. And we ought also to pray as Bruh David continues: ‘Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.’ (Ps. 25:4-5)
Oh my people, the Bible is filled with such requests, from almost all of those who put their trust in God, for their faith journey was not easy, but they knew that the One who led them had the power and the grace to show them the way. And that’s how we ought also to believe today. We will have trials and tribulations along the way, but it’s of the utmost importance to know that we can call on our great God for help at any time and any place, and He will positively respond.
He’s already being so generous to bestow on us underserved blessings to do His earthly work, we call them our Thursday Blessings, so why won’t He answer our heartfelt cries eh? No reason whatsoever! So let’s declare and activate those blessings right now 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 made that declaration, (yeaahhh!!!) we’re duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…happy is he…that hath the God of Jacob for his help…whose hope is in the Lord his God… (Ps. 146:5)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a healthy fear, a way for the lightning, and unto man he said, be it good or evil, Behold, Bless His Holy Name, christianity, death and destruction say, effective witnesses for Christ, endure to the end, faith, fear God and keep his commandments, fools despise widom and instruction, God has commanded man, God knows the place thereof, God looks to the ends of the earth, God sees under the whole heaven, God shall bring every work into judgement, God understandeth the way thereof, halfway home, handle the situation, hands on the plough, hear the conclusion of the whole matter, holy spirit, it cannot be gotten for gold, it is hid from all the eys of the living, Jesus Christ, Jesus gives us the strength, kept close from the fowls of the air, living for Jesus, LOVE, make the weight for the winds, man knows not the price thereof, mdae a decree for the rain, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, neither is it found in the land of the living, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof, not turning back, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, salvation, second wind, set the limit for the rain, simpering excuses, so glad to be alive, sumbission to the Lord and His revelation, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the certainty of divine judgement, the controlling factor of life is the fear of God, the controlling principle of wisdom, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, the fear of the Lord that is wisdom, the Good Book, the Price of Wisdom, the price of wisdom is above rubies, then did he see wisdom, this is the whole duty of man, to a glorious future with Jesus, to depart from evil is understanding, to live joyfully responsibly and wisely, truth, walking with Jesus, we have heard the fame thereof with our ears, Wednesday Wail, weighs the water by measure, whare shall wisdom be found, where is the place of understanding, wisdom, wisdom and understanding can't be purchased with earthly wealth, wisdom dictates that we fear God, with every secret thing, with great aplomb
Job 28:28. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, is understanding.
Good ole Wednesday is up friends! Hope you’re ready to catch your second wind. (smile) And thankfully, it doesn’t seem like today is going to be as hot as the last few days. There’s even a small cloud cover to retract some of the heat. I know it’s been somewhat rough with all the heat and the attendant problems it brings, but if you’re walking with and living for Jesus, we know you’ll handle the situation with great aplomb (smile) because He gives us the strength and the wherewithal to do so. Bless His holy name!
So what are we going to talk about today eh? Who knows? Let me open the Good Library and see what it advises. And lo, and behold, I opened it, and it opened unto the Book of Job, unto an interesting passage of scripture that many of us don’t know. It speaks of the Price of Wisdom. And according to the scholars, ‘Job Chapter 28 is one of the most beautiful poems on wisdom found in the scriptures. After describing how laboriously man works to extract the ores and precious metals from the earth (vs. 1-11), Job raises the ultimate question of the sufferer: where shall wisdom be found? (vs. 12)’
And that’s where we’ll begin. So please read with me: ‘But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price (value) thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth (deep) saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for (pure) gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels (vessels) of fine (pure) gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls (quartz or crystal): for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.’ (Job 28:12-19)
Ah friends, it seems that none of earth’s valuables can purchase those marvellous attributes of wisdom and understanding. No sir! They cannot be purchased with earthly wealth. So where then are they found? That’s Job’s next question. ‘Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close (concealed) from the fowls of the air (heaven). Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof (the report of it) with our ears.’ (Job 28:20-22) So if no one knows where wisdom and understanding come from, but even death and destruction have heard of it, then what’s man to do?
Job then tells us the source of wisdom and understanding. ‘God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven: To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree (set a limit) for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder (thunderbolt): Then did he see it (wisdom), and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, is understanding.’ (Job. 28:23-28)
Yes friends, those are the issues of wisdom and understanding, and they only come through the Lord God Almighty! And the sooner we recognize and appreciate that, the sooner we will become more effective in our witness for Christ. And as the scholars tell us, ‘wisdom and understanding are only conveyed through the controlling factor of the fear of the Lord. This concept of the fear of the Lord unites all the wisdom books (cf. Prov. 1:7; Eccl. 12:13)’ And we do know those scriptures: Proverbs 1:7, tells us: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning (the principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’
And what’s the fear of the Lord you ask? The scholars explain: ‘The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner. The beginning does not mean that the fear of the Lord is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom.’ So now you know about the beginning and the fear of the Lord. (smile)
Then the verses from Ecclesiastes tells us: ‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ (Eccl. 12:13-14) And yuh know what my brethren, if Cousin Sol, the wisest man ever says it’s so, then it’s so! No ifs and buts about it. He had the time, the resources and the knowledge to check it all out.
Therefore, we’d better be careful of our earthly doings, for God will bring everything we do to judgement eventually… and we won’t be able to make any simpering excuses then. No, we will have to stand our bounce. So please lets’ wise up now, and begin living the way we ought to. Or, as the scholars point out: ‘God has not answered every problem of life, but He has commanded man to live joyfully, responsibly, and wisely. Finally, the controlling factor of all of life should be the fear of God, that is, submission to God and His revelation. The certainty of divine judgement demands it.’
And Judgement Day will surely come my people! There’s no doubt about that, so please, let’s get prepared! And for those of us who are trying our best to do so, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. ‘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!’
Furthermore, it’s been promised that all who endure to the end with Jesus, will enjoy a future so glorious that the human mind cannot imagine or comprehend. So let’s be wise; fear the Lord and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…wisdom dictates…that if we’re to fear…the most obvious Being to fear…is our Creator and Controller…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a belief in divine intervention, a future certainty, a heat warning, All glory be to Jesus, an expectation of positive outcomes, an optimistic state of mind, believers in Christ Jesus, bounden duty, christianity, come to a dead end, come to know and love christ like we do, down in the dumps, every morning is a fresh beginning, faith, faith walk, for what a man sees why does he yet hope for ir, give me new direction, goals vanish, God can make a path through the wilderness, guide my steps, handle anything that comes against us, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, he that comes to God, holy spirit, hope, hope leads to faith, hope that is seen is not hope, hope thou in God, hope when facing adversity, hurry, I know you never fail, I shall praise him, I take your hand in this place, I will do a new thing, in god's eyes, In Touch Organization, In you I always have hope, Jesus Christ, joy and strength of God, light in the darkness, LOVE, make a way in the wilderness, make a way where there seems to be no way, mercy, must believe that he is, now it shall spring forth, perseverance, rivers in the desert, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, shrouded in darkness, sing a song of praise, strong belief, tempted to feel all is lost, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the evidence of things not seen, the gospel truth, the health of my countenance and my God, the King of Kings, the Lord of lords, the substance of things hoped for, the trail ahead, the whole wide world, to cherish a desire with anticipation, to expect with confidence, to provide solutions, trust in a higher power, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we are saved by hope, when plans evaporate, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, wisdom, with patience we wait for it, without faith it is impossible to please God, without hope you can't have faith, worry, You know the way
Psalm 42:11b. hope thou in God: for I shall praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Ah mih people, it was hot yesterday, and it will be hot again today, with a Heat Warning already been issued. But we’ve been longing for summer, and that’s what we’re getting. (smile) Anyhow, we believers in Christ Jesus can handle anything that comes against us, be it human, animal or weather related, for we are assured that we can do anything that’s necessary through our Lord and Saviour who strengthens us! (Phil. 4:13) And all God’s people shouted a loud and grateful: ‘All glory be to Jesus, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords!’
And today, we’re going to look at a word that’s ever so important in our faith walk; it’s the word HOPE! And what’s HOPE all about eh? One commentary tells us that ‘Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one’s own life, or the world at large. As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines hope as “to expect with confidence” or “to cherish a desire with anticipation”.’
But then this other commentary says: ‘What is the Bible definition of hope? The Bible almost never uses the word “hope” the way we do. For us, “hope” refers to something like a “wish” or a “dream.” But in the Bible, “hope” refers to an “expectation”—a future certainty.’ And hope leads to faith, for without hope, you cannot have faith, that strong belief, which as the Bible tells us: ‘is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1)
That means hope and faith primarily involve believing for future things, for what is unseen or not yet attained, not something that’s the present reality, already visible, like Bruh Paul writes to the Romans. ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) wait for it.’ (Rom. 8:24-25)
And having established our basic definition of HOPE, let’s now turn to the recently issued Prayer Cards by the In Touch Organization and offer up a prayer on that controversial but very important and relevant Christian attitude of HOPE! Please pray with me: ‘Thank You, God, for the hope I have today. The trail ahead is shrouded in darkness, but You’re my light. Though I’m tempted to feel all is lost, I know You never fail. Guide my steps, because You know the way. When plans evaporate and goals vanish, give me new direction. Every morning is a fresh beginning in Your great faithfulness. So I take Your hand in this place and sing a song of praise. In You I always have hope. Amen.’
That’s the end of the official prayer, but the card continues with this wonderful advice: ‘You may think you’ve come to a dead end. But God can make a path through the wilderness.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth, as He’s promised through the prophet Isaiah. ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:18-19) Yes friends, all through the scriptures the Lord has promised to make a way where there seems to be no way, for those who sincerely believe and trust in Him and His Son Jesus Christ.
As this commentary further explains. ‘The saying “God can make a way where there seems to be no way” expresses a belief in divine intervention and the power of faith to overcome seemingly impossible situations. It’s often associated with verses like Isaiah 43:19, which speaks of God making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. This concept is a common theme in religious and spiritual contexts, emphasizing trust in a higher power to provide solutions and hope even when facing adversity. The saying also offers comfort and encouragement to individuals facing difficult situations, reminding them that they are not alone and that solutions can be found through faith.’
And many of us who have been Christians for a while, will be able to attest to those sentiments, for we have indeed found solutions, comfort and encouragement in our faith journey with Christ. But getting back to the Prayer Card. It offers this verse from Psalm 42, as the basis of our prayer. It only quoted one line: ‘Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him,’ but we’ll quote the whole verse here because it’s very applicable and appropriate to the whole situation of hope and faith.
It’s that famous verse from the pen of the Sons of Korah: ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.’ (Ps. 42:11) Oh my people, that is such a beautiful and encouraging verse of scripture that it’s quoted twice in Psalm 42 (vs. 5,11) and once in Psalm 43 (vs. 5) It just shows the wonderful, uplifting emotions we can gain from Almighty God when we are down in the dumps, and encourages us to never give up the hope, the promise, the light in the darkness, the joy and strength we find in Him.
Now, with all of that marvelous and miraculous hope built up in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, (smile) 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 having made that statement, it’s now become our bounden duty to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do. Much LOVE!
…but without faith…it is impossible to please God…for he that cometh to God…must believe that he is…and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him… (Heb. 11:6)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bulwark for love and freedom, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new theatre of strife, a small inkling, a warning from God, all ye that labour, anguish, at breakneck speed, back of my neck, became obedient unto death, before it's too late, being alone, being found in fashion as a man, chaotic world, Christ needs our help to save the world, Christ's Church, Christ's way of life, come into deep waters, come unto me, crying out for help, disaster laden world, disobeyed your word, divided by petty differences, divine aid, ease the pain, faith, faith if it hath no works is dead, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, fighting the good fight, find rest unto your souls, gentle, get back to basics, get our prerogatives straight, getting dirty and gritty, give up the fight, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, greed for ever more money, he humbled himself, heavy laden, holy spirit, hot town, humble and obedient, humble servants, I am meek and lowly in heart, I will give you rest, in over our heads, Jehovah Rapha, keep your promise to prosper us, keeps getting worse, learn of me, lost their way, LOVE, mass confusion, mentally incapacitated, mercy, mine eyes fail while I wait for my God, Mother Earth, my burden is light, my throat is dried, my yoke is easy, negative stuff, no help is forthcoming, numerous forest fires, our light has grown dim, our perspectives in order, our salt has lost its flavour, praise Your Holy Name, pray, refuse to interact with each other, ripe for the taking, running to Jesus, salvation, save me O God, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek your face, sink in deep mire, sitting ducks, something is wrong with your mind, stand up strong, steadfast in faith, strife, strong faith in Christ, summer in the city, take my yoke upon you, take serious and sincere action on Christ's behalf, thank you for life, the chaos on the earth, the death of the cross, the floods overflow me, the God who heals, the great invitation, the many suffering from negative situations, the only one, the oppressive heat, the power to solve our problems, the throne of grace, the waters are come in unto my soul, the world through him might be saved, tired of fighting, to alleviate our problems, too many denominations, truth, turbulent times, turn from our evil ways, turn you off of hell, unassailable odds, unvarnished dictatorial power, wasting our prayers, we cannot give up, we divide ourselves, we have all sinned, weary of crying, what hell would be like, where there is no standing, wisdom, wise guidance and direction
James 2:17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
‘Hot town, summer in the city…the back of my neck getting dirty and gritty!’ Yes friends that what it’s been like for the past week, and most likely what it will be like for the next couple of days. The oppressive heat is causing all kinds of illnesses. And then we have the numerous forest fires burning around the country and around the world…it surely seems like hell on earth.
And if this weather and all the other negative stuff that’s happening doesn’t turn you off of hell and have you running at breakneck speed to Jesus, then I’d say that something is definitely wrong with your mind. (smile) For if this is only a small inkling of what hell will be like, then why would I want to go there eh? No reason whatsoever! So please, let’s take this as a warning from our heavenly Father, to wake us up and get our prerogatives and perspectives straight and in order before it’s too late.
And furthermore, none of the strife and anguish that’s taking place right now on Mother Earth is lessening or getting better, but instead, every day seems to bring a new theatre of strife and anguish to the forefront of our already chaotic and disaster laden world. And I guess like Bruh David in Psalm 69, we should be crying out to the Lord for help in these days of undeserved suffering for many. And what was his petition?
He cried out: ‘Save me O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul (neck). I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while wait for my God.’ (Ps, 69:1-3) And sadly friends, that is what’s happening to a large portion of today’s world population. We’re in over our heads, for one reason or another, and we’re crying out for help every day, from one god or another, but no help seems to be forthcoming.
The chaos on the earth just keeps getting worse. And why is that? Who knows? The grab for unvarnished dictatorial power and greed for ever more money is all over, and we can’t seem to stand up strong against it. And that goes doubly for Christ’s church, which was meant to be a bulwark for LOVE and freedom. But how can we stand strong against the enemy when we’re separated, totally divided by all sorts of petty differences and dissensions, with so many denominations and sub groups that refuse to interact with each other, which leaves us like sitting ducks ripe for the taking.
Satan doesn’t even have to divide us, for we have created the divisions for him. He simply has to conquer us. I believe, that in these trying and most difficult times, the church is required to put up sincere and strong resistance against the evil enemy. That’s what Christ died for. Remember what He said to Nicodemus? ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17)
And He died for that very purpose. As Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:8) So Christ did what He came to earth for, but the problem is that He cannot save the world by Himself, that’s why He needs disciples, people like us who believe in Him and what He stands for and are prepared to stand strong and steadfast in the faith, even to the death, to serve His purpose and plan.
Unfortunately though, the church as a whole, seems to be fighting against itself and not so much against the enemy. Meanwhile, many individual believers seem to have lost their way, and no longer seem to care about what’s happening in our world, or we are simply tired of fighting the seemingly unassailable odds, thus our salt has lost its flavour, and our light has grown dim. But let’s take a moment on this hot and sweltering Monday morning in late July of 2025, to contemplate what will happen if we give up the fight for Christ’s way of life.
And then let’s remember His Great Invitation, which He issued to all and sundry, and which still stands: ‘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 (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Yes my fellow believers, we’ve got to get back to the basics and refresh ourselves, so that we can continue fighting the good fight in Jesus’ name, for we cannot ever give up.
And to help us do that, let’s go right now to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid in these turbulent times. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And yes, praying is necessary, but until we take up all the tools we have and take serious and sincere action on Jesus’ behalf, we’ll just be wasting our prayers. Much LOVE!
…even so…faith…if it hath not works…is dead…being alone… (James 2:17)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fully refuelled spirit, a safe retreat, after he had patiently endured he received the promise, after the shower is gone, an anchor of the soul, an high priest for ever, an unbending anchor, Anne Murray, at the foot of the cross, be thankful unto him, bless His name, blessing I will bless thee, both sure and steadfast, breathing a lesson unheard, brighten the glimmering star, Canadian Songbird, come to my sad eary heart, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, deepening darkness, despising the shame, endured the cross, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, entering God's presence, faith, filled to overflowing, for the joy that was set before him, God cannot lie, God will not allow His word to fail, God's covenant with Abraham, God's unchanging word, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, holy spirit, hope as an anchor so steadfast, hope for the sunshine tomorrow, hope with a gentle persuasion, how welcome thy voice, in its sorrow rejoice, in the dusk of the twilight, into his courts with praise, Jesus Christ, Jim Reeves, joyful worship, lay hold upon the hope set before us, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, making my heart, mercy, obtained the promise, our anchor is in heaven, praise, rends the dark veil of the soul, renewed faith, robbing the grave of its goal, sacrificial praise, salvation, Septimus Winner, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, soft as the voice of an angel, Statler Brothers, thanksgiving, the author and finisher of our faith, the basics of Christianity, the cities of refuge, the forerunner, the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, The Lord is good, the Lord's Day, the Lord's sanctuary, the reliable anchor we have in Jesus, the wisest place to lay our burdens, thou blest hope of glory, truth, wait till the darkness is over, wait till the tempest is done, watch for the breaking of day, when the dark midnight is over, when the night is upon us, whispering hope, whispers her comforting word, why should the heart sink away, wisdom, with a heart full of gratitude, within the veil, worship
Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith;
And after Saturday comes Sunday, which means we’re heading for the Lord’s sanctuary on the Lord’s Day, to offer up praise, worship and thanksgiving, while receiving strength, confidence, renewed faith and a fully refuelled spirit; one that’s filled to overflowing! And all we’re doing there is what Psalm 100 highly recommends: ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:4)
Wow! What a wise and wonderful scripture passage! Now, this commentary explains that ‘This verse encourages entering God’s presence with a heart filled with gratitude and joyful worship. It highlights the importance of expressing thankfulness and praise as a way to approach God.’ And are we ever taking it to heart this Sunday morning. So, let’s prepare our vocal chords to sing forth an old but wonderful hymn titled ‘Whispering Hope,’ written by Philadelphian Septimus Winner (1827-1902), a well-known poet, composer and violinist.
Many of you old timers will remember hearing the sultry male voice of Jim Reeves singing on your parents’ radio, while some of the young ones will remember the female version done by our Canadian Songbird, Anne Murray, but today we’ll sing a more up-tempo and scintillating version done by the Statler Brothers. And let’s not forget the sweet, wonderful responses in the chorus. Oh, how could we ever forget that eh, for it makes the song even sweeter! (smile)
Therefore, with heartfelt sincerity, let’s raise our voices filled with sacrificial praise to heaven. Singing: ‘Soft as the voice of an angel, Breathing a lesson unheard, Hope with a gentle persuasion Whispers her comforting word: Wait till the darkness is over, Wait till the tempest is done, Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, After the shower is gone. (Refrain: Whispering hope, whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice.)
If, in the dusk of the twilight, Dim be the region afar, Will not the deepening darkness Brighten the glimmering star? Then when the night is upon us, Why should the heart sink away? When the dark midnight is over, Watch for the breaking of day. [Refrain] Hope, as an anchor so steadfast, Rends the dark veil for the soul, Whither the Master has entered, Robbing the grave of its goal;
Come then, oh, come, glad fruition, Come to my sad weary heart; Come, O Thou blest hope of glory, Never, oh, never depart.(Refrain: Whispering hope, whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice…making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice…’
That was certainly wonderful my fellow believers, and you didn’t let me down with the responses in the chorus. (smile) And as always, heaven was overjoyed and joined us to regale our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ in worshipful song. And what’s the song about, you ask? It’s basically about hope and faith and the reliable anchor that we have in Jesus. The Author of Hebrews puts it this way, when talking about the promise of God.
‘For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise…. Wherein God willing more abundantly (determining) to shew the heirs of promise the immutability (unchangeableness) of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.
That by two immutable (unchangeable) things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil (in the Presence behind the veil). Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made (having become) an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.’ (Heb. 6:13-15; 17-20)
And what does all of the mean? The scholars explain it thus: ‘God’s covenant with Abraham, which involves salvation (Gal. 3:15-25), is secure, being based upon two immutable things, that is elements that cannot change. First, God’s promise is based on His own unchanging Word. He cannot lie, nor will He allow His Word to fail (Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; 17:17). Further, His Word was confirmed by an oath. And since He can swear by none greater, He swears by Himself. He rests His Word on His holy character.
Then, starting at the end of verse 18, the author uses three pictures to demonstrate the security of being in Christ. First, it is described as a safe retreat for the believer, as were the six cities of refuge in the Old Testament to those allowed their protection (Num. 35:6-32). Second, our hope is sure and steadfast as is a well-placed, unbending anchor. Our anchor is not located in the deepest sea but in the highest heaven.
The third figure is that of a forerunner. Though the figure changes, the location does not. Our forerunner is likewise positioned in the sanctuary of heaven. As our forerunner is far different from the Old Testament priests. In the sanctuary they could intercede for the people, but they could not lead the people in themselves. As our forerunner, Jesus has opened the way before us, that eventually (and certainly) we might enter in with Him.’
Oh friends, I know that is a lot of meat and potatoes, but as Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians, we’ve been in the Word for so long, it’s time we stop drinking milk, just dealing with the basics of Christianity, and start eating heavy, solid food or diving deeper into the Word. It’s time we grew up, matured spiritually. (smile) And we’ll close with these wise words from Hebrews which corroborate all we’ve said.
‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls). (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes my faithful brethren, it’s to Jesus whom we ought to look for everything, each and every day! Much LOVE!
…at the foot of the cross…that’s the wisest place to lay all our burdens…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of peace, acceptable to God, actively pursuing peace, against them that do evil, approved of men, be as wool, be devoured with the sword, be not overcome of evil, be red like crimson, be white as snow, be willing and obedient, but righteousness peace and joy in the Holy ghost, cease to do evil, christianity, condemned, deceit, deepen my breath, defend, delivers them out of all their troubles, depart from evil, do good, dwell for evermore, eat the good of the land, end of sermon, evil shall slay the wicked, faith, fall short of the grace of God, follow after the things which make for peace, follow peace with all men, fomenting strife, for our own benefit, from before mine eyes, guilty, He keepeth all his bones, he that desires life and loves many days, his ears are open unto their cry, holiness, holy spirit, I marvel to think, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, judge the fatherless, keep thy tongue from evil, laze around, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, learn to do well, lest any man fail, let not your good be evil spoken of, let us reason together, looking diligently, LOVE, make hay while the sun shines, many are the afflictions of the righteous, many be defiled, mercy, none of them that trust in him shall be desolate, overcome evil with good, plead for the widow, put away the evil of your doings, quiet my soul, raise our hopes dreams and faith, relax my muscles, relieved the oppressed, reprove the oppressor, salvation, saveth such as be of a contrite spirit, seasoned instruction, seek justice, seek peace and pursue it, slow my thoughts, spend some intimate time with the Father, teach you the fear of the Lord, thank you for this tenderness, that he may see good, that I may know you all the more, the BIBLE, the face of the Lord, the kingdom of god is not meat and drink, the Lord and His word dont ever change, the Lord is nigh unto them of a broken heart, the Lord redeems the soul of his servants, the Lord's loving-kindness, the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, the remembrance of them from the earth, the reverence of the Lord, the righteous cry, the root of bitterness springing up trouble you, they that hate the righteous shall be desolate, things wherewith one may edify, thy lips from speaking guile, to cut off, truth, upgrading our witness for Christ, vindicate, wash you make you clean, wisdom, without which no man shall see the Lord, ye refuse and rebel, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present, your sins be as scarlet
Psalm 34:14. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
And then it was Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, where we don’t have to do anything but laze around, if we so desire. (smile) And since it looks like it’s going to be another hot and hazy day, even with a promise of rain in the afternoon, the wisest thing is to stay inside and enjoy the calm and peace of an air conditioned situation. (smile) And to help us do just that, 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!’
Ah friends, just offering up the words bring a sense of peace and quietness, and when the Lord replies with His LOVING-KINDNESS, then it will be even better. So let’s raise our hopes, our dreams and faith as we spend some quiet, intimate time with the Father, this last Saturday in July 2025. Yes my brethren, July will be finished in less than a week’s time, so let’s make hay while the summer sun still shines by upgrading our witness for Christ. End of Sermon!
And as we promised yesterday, if God spared our lives today, we’d continue looking at the remainder of Psalm 34, as the scholars called it, the section of ‘seasoned instruction that can stem from such a deliverance,’ like Bruh David had from Saul and the Philistines with the Lord’s help. And that section begins thus: ‘Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear (reverence) of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and LOVETH many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit) Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.’ (Ps. 34:11-14)
Yes my people, if we want to learn the reverence of the Lord those are some of the things we need to do; don’t speak or do evil, but do good and seek peace, and pursue it. As Bruh David says in Psalm 37: ‘Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.’ (Ps. 37:27) And as Isaiah proclaims on the Lord’s behalf: ‘Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgement (justice), relieve the oppressed (reprove the oppressor), judge (vindicate or defend) the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ (Is. 1:16-17)
Now those are the things we’re supposed to be doing rather than doing evil and fomenting strife like we’re doing today. And it’s certainly interesting how Isaiah continues that passage. ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is. 1:18-20)
It’s laid out plain and straightforward my people. If we are obedient to the Lord’s word, we will prosper, if not, we shall be destroyed. And we can see evidence of it in the many heart rending problems that the Israelites faced when they disobeyed God, so why do we think it will be any different today eh? The Lord and His Word don’t change.
And as per peace, let’s note, it’s not only a matter of seeking peace, but actively pursuing it, looking for it, going out of our way to find it and make it happen! Bruh Paul in his epistle to the Romans, also warns us: ‘Let not the your good be evil spoken of: for the kingdom of God is not meat (food) and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.’ (Rom. 14:16-19)
And later on the author of Hebrews also encourages us to: ‘Follow (pursue) peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God. Looking diligently lest any man fail of (fall short of) the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.’ (Heb. 12:1-5) So friends, we see how very important the pursuit of peace is in the believer’s life. And if we don’t actively seek it, we can cause a lot of problems in both our lives and the lives of others.
Then Bruh David continues explaining why we should fear the Lord and do good. ‘The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off (destroy) the remembrance of them from the earth.’ (Ps. 34:15-16) Yes my brethren, the Lord dislikes evil, and has promised to destroy it and all memory of it from His world. Now, we don’t want to be amongst those that are destroyed, do we?
Obviously not! Then listen and inwardly digest these marvellous words of the rest of the psalm. ‘The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of contrite (crushed ) spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate (condemned or held guilty). The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate (condemned or found guilty).’ (Ps. 34:17-22)
Oh my fellow saints, that’s what we have to look forward to when we fear the Lord, do good and not evil, and sincerely pursue peace! There’s nothing better to be gained in all the world! So please, let’s spend some time today contemplating those scriptures and seeing how they fit into our current lives. It can only be to our own amazing benefit. Much LOVE!
…be not overcome of evil…but overcome evil with good… (Rom. 12:21)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a helluva thing when yuh getting old, a man of many parts, a new flock of believers, a testimony, apologize for wrong date on Bit, be a good witness for Christ, be responsible, blessed is the man that trusteth in him, by the example your faithful believers set, can only have a testimony, change the batteries in the keyboard, changed his behaviour, christianity, computer keyboard, David his ten thousands, David the king of the land, delivered me from all my fears, divine help, faith, feigned himself mad in their hands, feigned madness, fled to a cave in the wilderness, Friday chant, godly coincidence, Goliath's sword, gospel truth, grin and bear it, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, holy spirit, I sought the Lord and he heard me, I will bless the Lord at all times, if God spares life, Jesus Christ, laid up these words in his heart, let his spittle fall down upon his beard, let us exalt His name together, LOVE, mercy, my soul shall make boast in the Lord, narrowly escaping death, O fear the Lord ye his saints, o magnify the Lord with me, O taste and see that the Lord is good, omnipotent help, our chaotic world, praise of one who was redeemed, problems are escalating, psalm 34, radiant, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, saved him out of all his troubles, scrabbled on the doors of the gate, seasoned instruction, seek refuge in your enemy's camp, shrew bread, sinful world, stay safe, Sual hath slain his thousands, suffer hunger, take your own medicine, Thanks be to God, the BIBLE, the computer expert, the error of their ways, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad, the Lord heard him, the poor man cried, the throne of grace, the young lions do lack, their faces were not ashamed, there is no want to them that fear him, they looked at him and were lightened, they that seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing, took these words to heart, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffe, wary of his presence, when you've passed a test, wisdom, wise guidance, witness for Christ
Psalm 34:8. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth him.
Oh friends, please let me apologize this hot, humid and somewhat cloudy Friday morning, for the date error I made on the Bit yesterday, naming it the 23rd of July instead of the 24th. And you would not believe the number of times I usually scrutinize the headings to see if they are correct. And I distinctly remember scrutinizing them yesterday and still found nothing wrong! Ah Lord eh! The devil surely finds ways to disrupt our lives. And believe me he’s doing a very good job right now through this keyboard of mine, where I am typing letters that are either not coming out, or when I hit the space button it doesn’t work and the typing comes out all jumbled up.
Chuh! Typing that last sentence took me a few minutes because I had to go back and fix several pieces of it …hn! hn! hn! Had to fix that last phrase too. (smile) Guess I’ll just have to buy a new keyboard, and this one is barely two years old. But they don’t make them like they did before, and I’m pounding away on this one every day. And you wouldn’t believe how nicely that typed there. (smile) I’ll just have to grin and bear it, as I like to preach. Believe me, it doesn’t feel so fine when you have to take your own medicine.
Hn, hn, hn! Yes friends, I’m laughing, but it’s a laugh of shame. And it’s a good thing that our God does move in mysterious ways yes, because I took a break there just now and was about to buy a new keyboard when the Duchess suggested I first consult my young daughter, the computer expert in the family. And her wise advice was to simply change the batteries in the keyboard. Brother! Did I ever feel foolish, for only then did I remember having that same problem before and simply changing the batteries solved it. It’s a hell of a thing when yuh getting old yes!
But thanks be to God, we solved that most vexing problem! So we can move on now with some serious stuff. Yes, my fellow believers, serious stuff like Psalm 34. A psalm Bruh David wrote after narrowly escaping death at the hands of king Saul. (1 Sam. 21) He lied to the priest Abimelech about being on an important mission for the king and hadn’t had time to collect food or weapons for himself and his men. The priest gave him the shrew (hallowed) bread, the only bread he had, and also gave him Goliath’s sword, the only weapon in his possession. What a godly coincidence (smile) Bruh David using his mortal enemy’s sword. But that’s how our God works.
And having gotten those things, he fled to Gath, the city of the Philistine king Achish seeking refuge from Saul. Imagine the boldness, or stupidity, (smile) of running from your people, to seek refuge in your enemy’s camp. But that’s what you do when you have no choice. Obviously though, the Philistine king was wary of his presence, as his servants recognized Bruh David and said, ‘Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
And David laid up these words in his heart (took these words to heart), and was sore (very much) afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands (feigned madness), and scrabbled (scratched) on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle (spit) fall down on upon his beard.’ (1 Sam. 21:11-13) The king believed the mad actions of Bruh David and refused him entry, so he and his men fled to a cave in the wilderness.
Ah friends, Bruh David was indeed a man of many parts, and with God’s help put on a good show. And these are some of the marvellous words that he wrote after that narrow escape. ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked at him and were lightened (radiant): and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him from out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ (Ps. 34:1-10)
What gospel truth, my people! Those who put their trust in the Lord God Jehovah will not want for anything! And I like how the scholars describe the psalm. They say: ‘It bears all the marks of the testimony of one who narrowly escaped death, just as the passage in Samuel describes. As such, it contains the praise and testimony of one who was redeemed (vs. 1-10) and the seasoned instruction that can stem from such deliverance (vs. 11-22).’ Today we’ve covered the section of praise…and is it ever so encouraging and uplifting and true! Tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll look at the section of ‘seasoned instruction’ and see what we can gain from it.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help for ourselves and our chaotic world. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, despite our supposedly sincere prayer, we also know that our witness for Christ is not good enough, that’s why our world is in such a disastrous state. So please, let’s get ourselves together and improve our witness nuh. It’s the least we can do, for all that Jesus has done for us. Much LOVE!
…you can only have a testimony…when you’ve passed a test…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a holding pattern, a source of hope and encouragement, above all that we ask or think, abundance, according to the power that worketh in us, ask and it shall be given you, by Christ Jesus, cleanse any infection, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, divine refreshing, duty bound, every breath I wake, every one that asketh receiveth, faith, favour, fill me with the healing power of your Spirit, God's power can exceed all our human expectations, God's power is boundless, God's power working within believers, God's supernatural wisdom, got a zeppo, have faith that god can work, he spake a parable unto them, he that seeketh findeth, heat warning, heavenly Father, holy spirit, I call on you right now, I live under your power, if you created me from nothing, in a special way, in mind body and spirit, in ways that exceed our human expectations, it shall be opened, Jesus Christ, keep on keeping on, knock and it shall be opened unto you, laziness and procrastination, let the warmth of your healing love pass through my body, LOVE, men ought always to pray and not faint, mend what is broken, mercy, my body will function, n a special way, negative word, not give up, not lose heart, on a short leash, open any blocked arteries or veins, prayer is the beleiver's most potent weapon, promotion, prosper, rebuild any damaged areas, remove all inflammation, restore me to full health, root out any unproductive cells, salvation, seek and ye shall find, serve you for the rest of my life, succeed, success, talent, the Prayer of Physical Renewal, the way you created it to function, through the Holy Spirit, through your power I was created, throughout all the ages, to accomplish far more than is humanly possible, to do exceeding abundantly, to him that knocketh, to make new any unhealthy areas, to this end, touch me now with that same power, trust in God's power, truth, unto Him be glory in the church, unto him that is able, we worship a Supernatural God, wisdom, world without end, you can recreate me
Luke 18:1. And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).
Please, don’t even remind me that it’s Thursday, the second to last day of the work week, a sunny and very hot one with a heat warning, for I’ve done very few of the numerous things I promised myself to do this week! Chuh man! Is it just laziness and procrastination on my part, or does the Lord have me in a holding pattern, where, like a tied up animal straining to get loose, I can only go as far as my leash would allow me?
To my thinking it’s a bit of both, but the problem is to decipher which one has the strongest hold, which one’s keeping me back the most. I’ve been enquiring of the Lord, but so far I haven’t received a conclusive answer, so I guess my best bet is to get up and throw off the laziness and procrastination and see where it gets me. If it gets me nowhere, then I will know that it’s the Lord who has me on a short leash. (smile)
On the other hand, even before I began to write the Bit, I got a zeppo as to what to write. Hn! Consider that nuh! Now, there’s a prayer which a friend gave me a long time ago that I say every morning before writing the Bit. I’ve shared it before, but today while saying it, I was guided to share it again, because it’s a prayer that so many of us in our sick and broken lives desperately need in these chaotic and ungodly times. Now it doesn’t have an official name, but for our purposes we will call it the prayer of Physical Renewal. (smile)
So please pray with me: ‘Heavenly Father, I call on You right now in a special way. It is through Your power that I was created. Every breath I wake, I live under Your power. Father, I ask You now to touch me with that same power. For if You created me from nothing, You can recreate me. Fill me with the healing power of Your Spirit. Cast out anything that should not be in me. Mend what is broken.
Root out any unproductive cells, open any blocked arteries or veins and rebuild any damaged areas. Remove all inflammation and cleanse any infection. Let the warmth of your healing LOVE pass through my body to make new any unhealthy areas so that my body will function the way You created it to function. And Father, restore me to full health in mind, body and spirit so that I may serve You for the rest of my life. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!’
Yes friends, that’s one of my backbone prayers. For at my stage in life, with all my maladies, aches and pains, I do need divine refreshing every day. And I don’t doubt that many of you are in the same position, therefore we all need to pray for our specific healing needs. Remember this Bible verse: ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1)
That was the parable of the persevering woman and the unjust judge that we recently spoke of. She only got justice because she kept on bothering the judge until he gave in and did His job properly. Likewise, we’re not to give up on prayer, despite not receiving the answers we desire or any answers at all. It’s like Jesus said in the sermon on the Mount: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8)
That means we have to keep on keeping on, and not give up, though things might look tough, even impossible, because our God is a supernatural God and therefore has the power to do things supernaturally, things that we cannot imagine or comprehend. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all the ages, world without end. Amen.’ (Eph. 3:20-21)
And what does all of that mean? This commentary explains it thus: ‘It expresses the belief in God’s limitless power and capacity to exceed human expectations and desires. This verse is often interpreted as a source of hope and encouragement, emphasizing that God’s actions can surpass anything we can ask for or even imagine. It emphasizes that God’s power, working within believers through the Holy Spirit, enables Him to accomplish far more than what is humanly possible.’
In other words, God’s power is boundless, and can exceed all our human expectations, but we need to trust in His power and to have faith that He can work in ways that are beyond our understanding. That’s the only way we will ever see God’s power show up in our lives, my fellow believers; with sincere faith and trust in His boundless ability. And we already know that He’s very generous because He’s bestowed on us undeserved blessings we call our Thursday Blessings, so that we can do His earthly work. Therefore, let’s declare and activate them right now 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 made that declaration, we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings in the lives of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…prayer is the believer’s most potent weapon…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a free gift of God, a great rise in lawlessness, accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, apostasy, attain eternal life, be not soon shaken in mind, betrayals, blessing and cursing, choose life, choosing eternal life over eternal death, choosing Jesus over Satan, christianity, cry day and night unto him, die by the flesh, embracing evil and ungodliness, endure to the very end with Christ, eternal death, even when faced with adversity, except there come a falling away first, faith, get doing the Lord's work, get our acts together, god moves in mysterious ways, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, halfway home, hands on the plough, hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, he that believeth not is condemned already, he that believeth on him is not condemned, he that shall endure to the end, he will avenge them speedily, holy spirit, I call heaven and earth, I have set before you life and death, iniquity shall abound, Jesus Christ, know the truth of God's word, LOVE, many false prophets shall rise, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, natural disasters, neither be troubled by spirit or word or letter, not looking back at the past, not turning back, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, persecutions, rumours of wars, salvation, satan a toothless lion, set us free from the bondage of sin, shall God not avenge his own elect, shall he find faith on the earth, thank God, that both thou and thy seed shall live, that man of sin shall be revealed, the antichrist, the BIBLE, the big money question, the breath of life, the death of our spiritual souls, the epitome of wisdom, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, the importance of perseverance in prayer, the love of many shall wax cold, the parable of the unjust judge, the potential for faith to wane over time, the same shall be saved, the son of perdition, the wages of sin is death, the world through him might be saved, though he bear long with them, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be carnally minded is death, to be left behind, to be spiritually minded is life and peace, to record this day against you, truth, turning away from God, unwise behaviour, vindicate those who persevere in faith, walk in the flesh, walk in the Spirit, when the Son of man cometh, when the trumpet sounds up yonder, wisdom, wisdom in spades
Luke 18:8. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
And then it was Wednesday, our second wind day. But Brother, are these second wind days ever coming up quickly! (smile) The truth is that all the days are moving ahead quickly, waiting for nothing or no one, so we all had better get our acts together and get doing the Lord’s work, because it would be a serious mistake to get left behind when the trumpet sounds up yonder. (smile)
And who says our God isn’t wonderful and moves in mysterious ways eh, for as I opened the Good Library, it opened at that passage in Luke where Jesus was telling the parable of the unjust judge who refused to give justice to a wronged woman, but finally did so when she kept bothering him. What caught my eye though was this very relevant observation of Jesus. ‘Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall God not avenge (vindicate) his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge (vindicate) them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?’ (Luke 18:6-8)
Now that’s the important question in these evil and ungodly times my people! When Jesus returns to earth, how much faithful believers will there be eh? Judging by the way we’re turning away from Him and embracing evil and ungodliness, it might not be a substantial amount, although the Lord has promised to vindicate those who persevere in faith.
And this commentary offers an interesting take on the subject. It says: ‘This question, posed by Jesus, implies a potential decrease in faith among humanity. The parable of the persistent widow in the preceding verses highlights the importance of perseverance in prayer and faith, even when faced with adversity, and contrasts this with the potential for faith to wane over time.’
And there are a couple of scriptures that suggest that very thing, the waning of faith preceding Christ’s return. The first one is Jesus speaking to the disciples re signs of His coming again and the end of the world. He tells them about wars and rumours of wars, a lot of natural disasters, betrayals and persecutions for His sake. ‘And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity (lawlessness) shall abound, the LOVE of many shall wax (grow) cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:11-13) And right now we are seeing a titanic rise in lawlessness and licentiousness, which are certainly reducing the ranks of the believers.
Then Bruh Paul warns the Thessalonians thus: ‘That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that day of Christ is at hand (had come). Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.’ (2 Thess. 2:2-3)
Now, according to the scholars the Thessalonians were anxious and deeply troubled when Bruh Paul talks about the about the Rapture (our gathering together unto him in vs.1), thinking that the day of Christ had already begun. Then the falling away is the great and final apostasy or repudiation of the Christian faith that will occur at the appearance of the son of perdition, the Antichrist. So Bruh Paul himself is insinuating that when the Antichrist appears there will be a “falling away” or apostasy that will precede the return of Christ.
How sad that will be, for so many will have to face eternal death because of their foolish and unwise behaviour and beliefs. And what makes it even worse is that so many of us know the truth of God’s Word which can set us free from the bondage of sin, but we refuse to accept it for whatever reason. Maybe the attractiveness of sinful behaviour is too powerful for us to resist, or we just LOVE it despite its terrible consequences. For remember if we walk in the flesh, we will die by the flesh, but if we walk in the Spirit of God, we will attain eternal life. ‘For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom. 8:6)
Yes friends, only when we follow the leading and guidance of God’s Holy Spirit will we ever enter heaven’s pearly gates and see His wonderful face. And this other scripture verse puts it quite simply but truthfully. ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.’ (Rom. 6:23) And the beauty of the whole situation is that you don’t have to work hard to get it, because it’s a free gift of God! All you have to do is simply accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and begin seriously living for Him instead of for Satan.
And Jesus said it very clearly to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who, fearful of his fellow rulers, came to Him under cover of night seeking answers. ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:17-18)
It could not be more explicit or straightforward than that my brethren! It’s very simple: you believe in Jesus and you live. You don’t believe in Him and you die. Please note we’re speaking of the life and death of our spiritual souls not our physical bodies, for we all shall die a physical death, but the big question is where will our souls go after our physical death? That’s the big money question my fellow believers!
And the answer is in the hands of each of God’s human creations. We each make the final decision as to where we spend eternity. But please, let’s allow wisdom to rule and do like Moses advised the Israelites way back when: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day 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) Now that’s wisdom in spades! And having wisely accepted it (smile) let’s go home declaring 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 there’s an even more glorious future promised to those who endure to the very end with Jesus, one that our finite minds cannot even imagine or comprehend. So let’s endure to the end nuh, so that together, we can enjoy the glorious future with Christ! Much LOVE!
…the epitome of wisdom is…choosing Jesus over Satan…eternal life over eternal death…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a source of strength and resilience within us, accept God's gifts, as a blood bought truth, be not afraid only believe, be of good cheer, bombarding us with carnal things, cling to every promise of scripture, comfort, distract us from our witness for Christ, duty bound, experience one disappointment too many, faith, fearful times, go and pray into me, God will not fail us, God will not renege on His promises, great faith, greater is he that is in you, guidance, help me to see a shimmer of hope, hold on, holy spirit, hope seems naive, hurry, i have overcome the world, I rpay to know somewhere in my soul, I will hearken unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the name of Jesus, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional, it takes work and faith on our part to believe, jaded moments, Jesus and Jairus, Jesus Christ, Jesus keeps all of His promises, life is not an easy road to hoe, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make it to the next day, mercy, move the world, nothing shall be impossible to you, on the hard days, one proviso, our Christian motto, prayers met with silence, refuge for our souls, remove and it shall remove, salvation, say unto this mountain, share His love with my neighbours, sincere prayer, something for a fool, surpasses all external forces, than he that is in the world, that it's safe to trust you, the beloved of God, the Christian life, the gospel truth, the power of God is stronger than the powers in the world, the rough and tumble times, these things I have spoken unto you, this earthly sojourn, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn to you, waiting in faith, when ye search for me with all your heart, whom we belong to, wisdom, with the whole wide world, worry, ye shall call upon me, ye shall seek me and find me
Mark 5:36b. Be not afraid, only believe.
So friends, it’s now Tuesday, we’ve successfully gotten past our nemesis, Monday, and are well on our way to a glorious week of work, all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! What a blessing it is to have Jesus in our lives, to help us travel the ofttimes rocky road we call life. But even with Jesus in our lives, this earthy sojourn is still not any easy road to hoe, for all kinds of ungodly things and powers keep fighting for our attention, bombarding us with all sorts of carnal things, trying to distract us from our witness for Christ.
But that’s where sincere prayer comes in, it helps to quiet our souls, our worries and our fears. And today we’ll look at one such prayer from the July In Touch Devotional. So please pray with me. ‘Lord, when my prayers are met with silence or I experience one disappointment too many, hope seems naïve, something for a fool. In those jaded moments, I pray to know somewhere in my soul – deep, deep down – that it’s safe to trust You, God. On the hard days, help me to see a shimmer of hope and hold on, to turn to You and make it to the next day. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
And you know what friends, we all experience such days, especially in these fearful and crazy times our world is currently going through. But it’s worth noting that Jesus is our help in any and every situation, we just need to call on Him. But there’s one proviso, as stated in the Book of Jeremiah. ‘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 all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes my people, we can’t only run to Jesus when life gets tough and forget about Him in the good times. We have to be continually having communion with Him, so that when those rough and tumble times come, we’re already in His presence and we don’t have to go searching for Him like crazy, as so many of us seem to do. And as long as we live, there will be problems, hurts, disappointments and all the other unfortunate moments of life. But let’s remember what Jesus said as per those times: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Now that’s much easier said than done, but if you truly believe in Jesus, then you will know that He’s faithful to keep all His promises, but it also takes work and faith on our part to stay strong and believe His words. It all doesn’t happen automatically like so many supposed believers think. No! It’s a two way street. God has a part to play, and so do we, but until we do ours, God won’t do His. So all the promises in the Bible are sincere and true, but in most cases we have something to do to access them, like believing and waiting in faith.
Remember the incident with Jesus and Jairus, the Jewish synagogue ruler who came to Him seeking help for his sick daughter? As He was on His way to heal her, He got waylaid by the woman with the twelve years issue of blood. But as Jesus was talking to the woman, He overheard them tell Jairus that His daughter was dead. He immediately turned to Jairus and said, ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’ (Mark 5:36) And that ought to be our Chrisitan motto! Be not afraid, only believe, for when we do that, the powers of heaven align with us and take us through the tough times.
And I like how this commentary explains that verse. ‘So what does it mean for the Christian to not fear, but only believe? It means to cling to every promise of scripture as a blood bought truth and refuge for our souls. It means to trust that God will not fail us, that He will not prove to be deceptive, that He will not back out of His promises.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! God will never renege on His promises, but we do need to hold on tightly to them, if we want to see them come true.
As Jesus said, ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you.’ (Matt. 17:20) That means with even a small amount of faith, we can do great things and overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. So can you imagine what we can do with great faith? Not only move mountains but move the world!
Then there’s this final question: why do we think we have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us eh? It’s to give us power and faith and hope, comfort and guidance to live the Christian life! But there again, we need to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and do what it commands us if we expect to have divine intervention in our affairs. So friends, let’s wake up this Tuesday afternoon in late July of 2025, and realize that the enemy is bearing down on us with all he has, but we have the power to withstand him, if we choose to do so, for as John writes in his first epistle. ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 1:4)
More indisputable truth my people. The Holy Spirit that lives within us is greater than the devil that’s in the world! As this commentary explains: ‘The verse emphasizes that the power of God residing within believers is stronger than any worldly power or challenge. It suggests that those who believe in God have a source of strength and resilience within them that surpasses any external forces they may encounter.’ But we first need to believe and then work with the power within us for any of it to come true!
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!’
Now, we’re duty bound to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…God’s given us all we need to live the life He desires…but we must first accept His gifts…then put them into action…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
Previous Older Entries
SCRIP-BITS 