09 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a strong will, abundance, all the negatives of evil, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, be no priest to me, beautiful weather, blood toucheth blood, bloodshed follows bloodshed, break all restraints, Canadian Thanksgiving, ceased obeying the Lord, change their glory into shame, come to know and love him like we do, commit whoredom, committing adultery, confessing sins, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, duty bound, eat and not have enough, eat up the sin of my people, everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish, fall in the day, favour, forgotten the law of the Lord, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, holy spirit, hot tub Christianity, I will also reject thee, in the night, Jesus Christ, killing, left off to take heed to the Lord, let no man strive, like people like priest, LOVE, lying, man's incessant greed, mercy, millions of humans are languishing, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, negative word, new wine take away the heart, no knowledge of God in the land, nor eprove another, penultimate day of our workweek, pesticides, priests are a large part of the problem, promotion, punish them for their ways, reject thy children, rejection of knowledge, repay them for their deeds, reward them for their doings, salvation, self-discipline, set their heart on iniquity, shall also be taken away, shall not increase, sinned against me, slef-control, stealing, stumble, success, swearing, take most of the blame for our sinful state, taken pleasure in the sin of the people, talent, the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee, the fishes of the sea, the fowls of heaven, the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, the people of god, the priests have gloried, the prophet also shall fall, therefore hsall hte land mourn, they break out, they that strive with the priest, thou hast rejected knowledge, truth, undeserved blessings, use them to help others, waste away, whoredom and wine, wisdom
Hosea 4:6a. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,
Another almost completed week friends, as it’s already Thursday, the penultimate day of the work week! And although most of the days are sunny and beautiful, they are surely passing by very quickly. We’re already up to the 9th of October, a month that just recently began. And since this weekend is also our Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend, you know it’s going to be a vey lively one. Let’s hope the beautiful weather stays put for it.
Oh friends, I just opened the Good Library, and lo and behold, it opened at this interesting passage in the Book of the Prophet Hosea. And as I read it, it felt like I was reading the story of our own current world. The passage is titled, ‘No Knowledge of God in the Land.’ And isn’t that what it seems like in today’s world? It surely does. So please read with me as Hosea talks to his people Israel.
‘Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with (a charge against) the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out (break all restraints), and blood toucheth blood (bloodshed follows bloodshed).’ (Hos. 4:1-2)
Now doesn’t that sound just like what’s currently happening in our world, where all the negatives of evil are running rampant, and the Word of the Lord, His truth, grace and mercy are barely noticeable? Of course! And don’t talk about bloodshed following bloodshed…that’s happening all over the world, for strife has become our number one occupation.
And Hosea continues with the Lord’s warning. ‘Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish (waste away), with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.’ (Hos. 4:3) And sadly, in this time when there’s plenty, more than enough to go around, all those things are still happening; the land is not as rich and fruitful as it once was, what with all the pesticides and other poisons we’ve spread over it.
So crops are not as plentiful or as nourishing, while countless millions of human beings are languishing, wasting away all around the globe, and even the wild animals, the birds and fishes are dwindling in number, all due to man’s incessant greed for more. And in his drive to do so, he’s sadly destroying Mother Nature, slowly turning the earth into a veritable wasteland. Now, a lot of that is simply because we do not reverence God nor respect the earth any longer.
And the warning of the Lord continues: ‘Yet let no man strive (contend), nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive (contend) with the priest. Therefore shalt thou fall (stumble) in the day, and the prophet also shall fall (stumble) with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing that thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also reject thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.’ (Hos. 4:4-7)
And it’s all happening right before our very eyes. We suffer from not so much a lack of knowledge, because this is the most knowledgeable generation ever, but because of our rejection of the most important knowledge, that of the law of God. And a lot of the blame for that has been placed on the shoulders of the priests, who don’t uphold God’s law. And believe me, the children of priests are liable to me more evil and disgusting because they have been forced into the religious mode, and so, much more is expected from them than from the children of ordinary men.
Thus verse 8 continues: ‘They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart (desires) on their iniquity. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward (repay) them for their doings (deeds). For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom (harlotry), and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to (ceased obeying) the Lord. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.’ (Hos, 4:8-11)
Ah friends, all that happened in olden Israel is still happening today, just in greater numbers and more intensity, for we have developed so many more ways of wrong doing, that it would make those old time people shake their heads in total wonder. The long and short of the story though is that the priests are a large part of the problem, for they have not helped the people to face their sin and deal with it. It’s what one Pastor calls ‘hot tub Christianity.’ Where, instead of confessing sins, we tone them down so that they no longer bother us. Or as the scholars suggest, ‘the priests have gloried and taken pleasure in the sin of the people. However, the priest of God is corrupted and made like the sinning people’
In all honesty though, in these modern times we cannot blame the priests for all of our turning away from God, since there’s much bigger and more powerful machinery running the affairs of men than back in olden Israel. We the people, the supposed people of God, have to take most of the blame for our sinful state, for if we know the Word of God, then we won’t stray from it, regardless of what false preachers and teachers tell us. And it’s rather unfortunate that we’re turning away from God, when He’s so generously blessed us with undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare and thus 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!’
Now having activated those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…a righteous God…will deliver justice…where there is unrighteousness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a different set of norms, a great family, a positive outlook on life, a shield around me, a strong will, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, be life unto thy soul, be not afraid of sudden fear, blessed with God's supernatural widom, by understanding, clear direction for my life, come to the end of myself, curse, dark clouds threatened rain, divine protection, do as I say not as I do, everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed, faith, father revive me, favour, good friends, grace to thy neck, he established the heavens, he heard me out of his holy hill, holy spirit, human frailties, human imperfections, I awaked, I cried unto the Lord with my voice, I laid me down and slept, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, in Jesus' name, in those moments, instruction in righteousness, irreparable damage, Jesus Christ, keep sound wisdom and discretion, keep thy foot from being caught, let me lie down in peace at night, LOVE, mercy, more than in the time, my glory, negative word, prayer and thanksgiving, problems are a part of earthly life, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, promotion, salvation, Selah, self-control, self-discipline, September Edition of the In Touch Devotional, show me your tender care, struggles, that set themselves against me, the desolation of the wicked, the lifter up of mine head, the Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, the Lord shall be thy confidence, the Lord sustained me, the Lord us made us to need Him, the Lord's anointed, the man of God may be perfect, the vagaries of climate change, their corn and wine increased, there is no help for him in God, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, thou hast put gladness in my heart, thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety, thou shalt not be afraid, thy foot shall not stumble, thy sleep shall be sweet, to revive our souls, total surrender to Christ, truth, unwillingness to listen, use those blessings to help others, wake again to your mercy, walk in thy way safely, we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us, weakneses, when thou liest down, which is always waiting for me, wisdom, you alone strengthen my soul, you know my limits, you know my soul
Psalm 3:5. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.
And I guess after many sunny and dry days, it’s only natural to expect some cloudy and damp ones, thus we’re not surprised that Thursday is as cloudy and damp as Wednesday was. Now, what’s interesting is that yesterday, the dreary, scary looking dark clouds threatened rain all day, but it’s only in the evening hours that some actually fell, and not a whole lot either. But who really knows what the weather will be like in these uncertain days of climate change eh? I’m sorry for the weather forecasting people, who now have a different set of norms to deal with, if one can call the vagaries of climate change norms. (smile)
However, be that as it may, today we’ll focus on the prayer from the September Edition of the In Touch Devotional. So please pray with me: ‘Lord, You know me – my limits, struggles, and weaknesses – and when I’ve come to the end of myself. In those moments, Father, revive me. Show me Your tender care by day; let me lie down in peace at night and wake again to Your mercy, which is always waiting for me. You know my soul, and you alone strengthen it. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Yes friends, because of our human frailties and imperfections, we all come to the end of ourselves at some time or another. I guess the Lord made us that way, so that we would need to depend on Him in those rough times, to revive our souls and spirits through prayer and thanksgiving. And there are all kinds of scriptures that promise the stuff we’re asking for. So let’s look at a few of them nuh. Like these scriptures from Psalms 3and 4.
In Psalm 3, when Bruh David fled from his son Absalom, who was seeking to overthrow him, he writes: ‘Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) mine head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill (mountain). Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps. 3:2-6)
Yes my people, when we place our trust, our total surrender in the Lord God Jehovah, then He works continually on our behalf. It’s like Bruh David declares in Psalm 4: ‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” (Ps. 4:7-8)
Oh my faithful brethren, it’s only when our hearts and souls are truly immersed in Almighty God, can we say and do those things. And Bruh David proved it when king Saul sought to kill him for so many years, but was unable to, because he was the Lord’s anointed, and was kept safe by His grace and mercy. And we can’t have scriptures on subjects like these and not hear from Cousin Sol, the wisest man ever. Of course not! For he has something to say on almost every topic under the sun. (smile)
Thus, he reminds us that: ‘The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths (deeps) are broken up, and the clouds drop down dew. My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace (favour) to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’ (Prov. 3:19-29)
Oh my fellow believers, what encouraging words those are from Cousin Sol. Words that he himself experienced when he sought the Lord, and consequently, in his old age, when he allowed his numerous pagan wives to turn him away from the God of his father David, he paid a huge price for his foolish transgression. So like Bruh David, he knows what he’s talking about from hard experience, not merely hearsay. Thus, we ought to listen to them both and follow their advice.
And as the old people would often tell us: do as I say, not as I do. But the young people today simply don’t understand that wisdom. They believe that they ought to do as we do, even if our behaviour doesn’t follow our words. But there’s wisdom in listening to wiser souls, which many of us forego, and thus often suffer irreparable damage for that unwillingness to listen.
And please remember that the Bible was written to give us wisdom and understanding, to give us examples of how to and how not to live, if we want to be righteous and successful in this earthly life. For as Bruh Paul so wisely wrote to Timothy. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
And with all of that wisdom now under our belts (smile) let’s get to declaring our undeserved Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us, so that we can do His earthly work. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!…
earthly life consists of problems…but in Jesus…we can do all things through Him…who strengthens us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a prophet unto the nations, abundance, all things work together for good, as yet was none of them, be not afraid of their faces, before I formed thee in the belly, before thou camest out of the womb, Christians, clear direction for my life, courage, covered me in my mother's womb, creativity, curiously wrought, curse, divine protection, faith, favour, formed my inward parts, frustrating, fulfillment, good friends, he also did predestinate, health, holy spirit, How high Lord, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, I am not eloquent, I am slow of speech, I am with thee to deliver thee, I have put my words in thy mouth, I have this day set thee over nations, I knew thee, I ordained thee, I sanctified thee, I set thee apart, I was made in secret, I will be with thy mouth, I will praise thee, in continuance were fashioned, in thy book all my members were written, it's best to say, Jesus Christ, LOVE, marvellous are thy works, mercy, my soul knoweth right well, my substance was not hid from thee, negative word, of a slow tongue, promotion, prosper and succeed, salvation, say I am not a child, Scrip-Bits Blog, showers of blessing, success, supernatural wisdom, talent, teach thee what thou shalt say, testify to the Lord's faithfulness, the BIBLE, the firstborn among many brethren, the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth, the word of the Lord came unto me, them he also called, therefore go, thine eyes did see my substance, thou hast possessed my reins, time consuming, to be conformed to the image of his Son, to build and plant, to destroy, to pull down, to root out, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose, truth, undeserved blessings, whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak, when the Lord says jump, who hath made man's mouth, who maketh the dumb the deaf the seeing or the blind, whom he did foreknow, whom he did predestinate, whom he justified he also glorified, wisdom, womb, wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, yet being unperfect
Jeremiah 1:8. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
Now, this last Thursday of August, the penultimate day of our work week, is definitely a cloudy one. No sign whatsoever of the morning sun. But that’s okay, cause it might mean we will finally receive some showers of blessing. And we do need it because the earth, at least in my area, is desperately calling out for refreshment. (smile)
So, what’s on the agenda for today? Well I just opened the Good Library and it fell open at the first chapter of Jeremiah, where the Lord called him to be a prophet. Therefore, I guess that’s what the Lord wants us to talk about today. (smile) And it’s a very interesting situation, so applicable to many of our own lives. It seems, as the book opens Jeremiah prophesied under three kings, Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. That means he had a long prophetic career.
But getting to God’s call on Jeremiah. He writes: ‘Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart), and I ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ (Jer. 1:4-5) Yes friends, that’s how the Lord operates. He calls some of us even before we are formed in our mother’s womb.
As Bruh David so eloquently writes in Psalm 139: ‘For thou hast possessed my reins (formed my inward parts): thou hast covered (weaved) me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee: for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right (very) well. My substance (frame, bones), was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously (skillfully) wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect (unformed); and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned (the days fashioned for me), when as yet was none of them.’ (Ps. 139:13-16)
Oh my people, you see the majesty and wonderful works of our great God. He knows everything about us, has a plan for our lives before we’re even formed in our mother’s womb. It’s also like Bruh Paul wrote to the Romans. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and who he justified, them he also glorified.’ (Rom. 8:28-30)
Wow mih bredrin! Our God is so good and great, that when He calls us to do his work, He gives us all we need. But we often respond to His call in a negative manner. We behave similarly to Jeremiah, who after the Lord called him, responded thus. ‘Then said I, Ah Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child (youth). (Jer. 1:6) Now, many of us have behaved the very same way eh, finding some foolish excuse to refuse the Lord’s call.
It’s like when Moses tried to refuse the Lord’s call to lead the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. ‘And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore (before), nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; but I am slow of speech, and of a slow (heavy, dull, stuttering) tongue. And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.’ (Ex. 4:10-12) But Moses persisted in asking for help, then the Lord in His anger finally promised to send Aaron his brother with him as the spokesperson. (Ex. 4:13-16)
And I’m chuckling here because I know exactly how both Jeremiah and Moses felt, for when the Lord initiated a conversation with me, some eighteen years ago, about writing what turned out to be the Scrip-Bits Blog, I also excused myself by saying I didn’t know enough scripture to write such a thing. But just like Moses and Jeremiah, I found out that the Lord does not give up when He wants us to do stuff for Him. Consequently, He kept after me, making my life so difficult, that final I had no choice but to relent and do it. And you’d notice, the first few Bits are merely pieces of scripture, without anything much added.
Now, it wasn’t easy, very time consuming and ofttimes frustrating, and several times I wanted to give up. However, as the years went by, with the Lord’s help, I got more involved with the Word, until now I’ve reached the stage where I write too much. (smile) But through it all, I can certainly testify to the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness in helping me do what He desired.
Thus, when Jeremiah claimed to be a child and unable to do the Lord’s bidding, he writes: ‘But the Lord said unto me, Say not I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down (tear down), and to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant.’ (Jer. 1:7-10)
And we all know that Jeremiah’s life was not an easy one, but the Lord stuck with him through all the tough times, just like He will stick with whoever He calls to do a job for Him. Meanwhile, let’s not forget God’s general goodness in generously bestowing our undeserved Thursday Blessings on us, so that we may do His earthly work. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made those declarations (yesss!!!), it now behooves us to go out and use those underserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed then on us. Much LOVE!
…when the Lord says jump…it’s wisest to quickly say…Yes Lord…how high…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 24 hour spans of time, a bad habit, a deep abiding joy, a great family, a spiritual strength, a very present help in trouble, an intimate relationship with Jesus, cast into the future, christianity, comes from a relationship with god, curse, despising the shame, divine protection, do what God has assigned for today, don't worry about tomorrow, empowers believers to face challenges, encourage their joyful walk with the Lord, endured the cross, faith, favour, find strength in difficult times, for the joy that was set before him, fulfilment, getting ahead of ourselves, God is our refuge and strength, God's grace is sufficient in our weakness, God's joy, God's supernatural wisdom, good freinds, handle the challenges of each day, holy spirit, is set down at the right hand of God, Jesus Christ, Jesus' selfless sacrifice, knowing God's love and provision, like jelly in his hands, looking unto Jesus, lose sight of what's happening today, LOVE, mercy, negative word, panting for Friday, planting worrisome thoughts in our minds, promotion, propser, rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, reliance on God's prmises, reluctant to endure sacrifice and pain, robbed us of our joy, robbed us of our strength, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, stolen our joy, succeed, success, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, supernatural strength, take one day at a time, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, the author and finisher of our faith, the BIBLE, the devil's plaything -worry, the Feast of the Tabernacles, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the things of itself, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the mountains shake, though the waters roar and be troubled, truth, undeserved blessings, use our blessings to help others, we will not fear, wisdom, worry and fear take over
Nehemiah 8:10b. …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
Then it was Thursday, our second to last day of the work week, and everyone’s panting for Friday and the weekend. However, before we get there, we need to navigate Thursday first, and enjoy the sunshine, with a touch of cloud cover, and the cool breezes it brings, while doing what God has assigned us for today. Yes, we do have a bad habit of getting ahead of ourselves, often to our detriment. (smile)
That’s why God broke up the time into 24 hour spans, with day to work and night to rest, because He knew we could not handle much more than that. Consequently, as the saying goes, we can only take one day at a time, and that’s today, that’s why it’s called the present, not the past or the future.
And Jesus fully understood this problem, that’s why He advised in His Sermon on the Mount: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) And many of us, even believers, ought to take those words to heart and sincerely action them in our lives, because our minds are too often cast into the future, or tomorrow, and thus we lose sight of what’s happening around us today.
No wonder Jesus said we should not worry about tomorrow, for each day has its own challenges and problems, which we need to responsibly handle and not concern ourselves with what might or might not happen the following day. And I’m sure we’ve all concocted possible fearful and disastrous happenings that will come upon us on the morrow, and not even one problem, or one iota of what we’d imagined presented itself on the day. Now, that doesn’t mean we must not make plans for certain possible outcomes, but we’re not to worry about them, especially if, in our own strength we cannot do anything to curtail or prevent the problems.
That’s the thing about worry, the devil’s plaything. It causes you to use up your hard earned energy and joy on things that you have no control over. So why worry about them when you can’t do anything about them eh? But that’s what the devil takes immense pleasure in doing; planting worrisome thoughts in our minds, so that he can steal our joy, for once he has stolen our joy, we are like jelly in his hands. Remember what the Bible says about our joy? ‘…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) That means once Satan has robbed us of our joy in the Lord, then he’s also robbed us of our strength, and that’s something we should strive to never allow to happen!
And I like how this commentary explains ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ It says: ‘This verse (Neh. 8:10) emphasizes that God’s joy, experienced through a relationship with Him, empowers believers to face challenges and find strength in difficult times. It’s not a fleeting happiness, but a deep, abiding joy that comes from knowing God’s LOVE and provision.’
Yes friends, Nehemiah had been speaking to the Israelites after they had lost their joy through the destruction of Jerusalem. However, they had rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in a miraculous fifty-two days through the astute, God-given leadership of Nehemiah, and were just getting to know the scriptures of the Lord through the public reading and explaining of them by the scribe Ezra and his associates, and were about to celebrate the Feast of the Tabernacles. Thus Nehemiah’s exhortation to encourage their joyful walk with the Lord.
And according to the commentary: ‘The joy of the Lord: is not simply a feeling, but a spiritual strength that comes from a relationship with God and reliance on His promises.’ Therefore, if we desire to have that spiritual strength, then we need to build a strong and intimate relationship with Jesus on an ongoing basis.
And there are several other scriptures that talk about the joy of the Lord as a source of strength. For instance these words of the Sons of Korah from Psalm 46 – Our Refuge and Strength. They confidently declare: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available hep) in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3)
Now that definitely shows strong faith and joy in the Lord! That although things are turned topsy-turvy, we will not fear, and keep our joy knowing that the Lord’s faithful in His promises, and will not allow anything untoward to happen to us. Meanwhile, this other scripture from Hebrews 12, tells us about ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher (the 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 God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
Yes my people, for the joy that was to come from His selfless sacrifice, Jesus endured the shame and disgrace and pain of the cross. So why are we so reluctant to endure a little sacrifice and pain for the joy that will eventually be ours eh? And to help us endure the problems we will obviously face in this ungodly and evil world, as well as to do His earthly work, the Lord has generously bestowed on us numerous undeserved blessings, that we call our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus 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 awesome declaration, (chuhhh!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…even if we lose our strength in the Lord’s joy…there’s no need to worry…for we will then find…His sufficient grace in our weakness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jul 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, a godless society, a great family, a positive outlook on life, a strong will, abundance, actions prove love, an expression of love, another day another dollar, arise and flourish, baptizing them in the name of the Father, be completely lost, Christians, complacent, curse, discarded on the dumping ground fo life, divine protection, even unto the end of the world, faith, favour, fear him which can destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, fight the good fight, glorify your Father which is in heaven, good for nothing, good friends, greed, hide your light under a bushel, highest level of innovation, his commandments are not grievous, holy spirit, I am with you always, if any man will come after me, if ye love me keep my commandments, in the name of the Holy Spirit, in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ, keep arrogance and judgement from my heart, lack of faithful witness for Christ, lazy, let him deny himself, Let your light so shine before men, lost our salty flavour, LOVE, mercy, negative things, negative word, nigh impossible, not able to kill the soul, not putting fort the necessary effort, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, overrun by negative things, positive ad productive changes, preach Christ Crucified, promotion, prosperity, salvation, see your good works, self-aggrandizement, self-control, spread our salty flavour, stand strong in Faith, supernatural wisdom, take up his cross daily and follow me, talent, teach all nations, teaching them to observe all things, that we keep his commandments, the BIBLE, the Great Commission, the salt of the earth, this is the love of God, through him that loved us, to be cast out, trodden under foot of men, truth, we are more than conquerors, we can do anything through Jesus, whatsoever I have commanded you, wisdom, with Jesus in our lives, Ye are the light of the world
John 14:15. If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.
Another day, another dollar! That’s what we’re working for, on this Thursday morning in early July. But in reality, after taxes, inflation, pension plan etc. etc. we might only end up with about thirty five cents out of that dollar, and it’s definitely not easy, nigh impossible, to live on that in these dreadful times. However, as children of God, who have been made to see another sunshiny summer’s day on God’s great earth, we have the ability to make something from nothing, for we can do any and everything through Christ Jesus who strengthens and enables us. (Phil. 4:13)
Give Him the glory my people! For He’s been such a blessing to us, that without Him, we’d be completely lost and discarded on the dumping ground of life. But with Jesus in our lives, we can arise and flourish, for we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. (Rom. 8:37) And how wonderful it is to further know that NOTHING can separate us from the marvellous LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:38-39)
No wonder we stand strong in faith and fight the good fight that Jesus has called us to engage in on His behalf. We know it as the Great Commission, where He commands us to ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20)
Now that’s the job we ought to be doing down here on earth if we claim to believe in Jesus and all that he stands for. But unfortunately we’re not doing such a great job, judging by the overwhelming strife, anguish, poverty, hunger and sickness that exist in a world of plenty; a world that’s reached its highest level of innovation, knowledge, information and prosperity in its entire existence. But all these negative things exist because our world is also a generally godless society that is overrun by other negative things like greed, arrogance, entitlement and self-aggrandizement.
The truth of the matter though is that we supposed believers are not putting forth the energy and effort necessary to make positive and productive changes in our world. We’re either lazy and complacent, living in our comfortable little corner, not wanting to be disturbed or bothered to help anyone in need. Or, we are afraid of what man can do to us, if and when we preach and live Christ crucified. But please remember Jesus’ warning to that situation. ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28)
That means we’re not to be afraid of man, because all he can kill is our bodies, but our fear should be of God who can destroy both our bodies and souls. But that doesn’t seem to bother us in the least since we’re going about our selfish business as usual, without a qualm regarding our lack of good and faithful witness for Jesus.
Like we’ve also forgotten, or simply disregarded His entreaty, that we’re the salt of the earth, and should be spreading that salty flavour of Christianity all over the planet. And why aren’t we doing that eh? Is it because we have apparently lost our salty flavour? If so, then as Jesus says, we are good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. (Matt. 5:13) I would certainly hope that is not the case.
And what about Jesus’ other contention? ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.’ (Matt. 5:14) Yes friends, that’s what we’re supposed to be; bright lights shining forth like cities and lighthouses set on hills, to provide the light of Jesus for the numerous people who are still living in darkness today. But instead, we seem to be hiding our light under a bushel or a basket, so that it’s not getting to anyone else and lighting their way. But Jesus’ specific instruction was to: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16)
Ah mih people, how easily we disregard Jesus’ desires, but yet still insist on calling ourselves His ambassadors and disciples. Remember His saying on discipleship? ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Yes friends, that’s what a disciple of Christ looks like! And how many of us can truthfully claim to be doing that to the best of our ability eh? Not enough of us!
Let’s also remember the rather profound statement that Jesus made while comforting the disciples before His departure. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) It’s as simple as that my fellow believers. If we LOVE Jesus, we will keep His commandments. And this commentary explains the verse thus: ‘It emphasizes that LOVING Jesus is demonstrated through obedience to his teachings and instructions. The verse highlights that keeping commandments is not a burden, but an expression of LOVE and a way to experience a deeper relationship with God.’
And John corroborates that when he says in his first epistle: ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ (1 John 5:3) No my brethren, God’s commandments are not burdensome, but we do have to come up a little higher than normal to keep them. And on that exhilarating note, (smile) let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) and thus activating what we call our Thursday Blessings, undeserved, but generously given to us by God to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…you can’t say you LOVE someone…and not have actions to prove it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a positive outlook on life., a reverential awe of God, a tree of life, abundance, all her paths are of peace, an understanding heart, as a shining light, being obedient to God's Word, by god's knowledge, by understanding he established the heavens, courage, creativity, curse, discern between good and bad, drink the wine of violence, eat the bread of wickedness, enter not into the path of the wicked, faith, favour, for Christ's sake, forget not wisdom, forsake her not, get understanding, get wisdom, go not in the way of evil men, good freinds, happy is everyone that holds wisdom fast, happy is the man that findeth wisdom, hear O my son, help us overcome the world, holy spirit, humility, Jesus Christ, keep Gdd's commandments, led thee in the right paths, let her not go for she is thy life, LOVE, love wisdom and she will keep you, mercy, negative word, promotion, receive my sayings, riches and honour in wisdom's left hand, salvation, seeking God's advice, share our blessings, she shall preserve thee, success, supernatural strength, take fast hold of instruction, talent, the clouds drop down dew, the contentious quality of wisdom, the depths are broken up, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, the Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, the path of the just, the perfect day, the way of wisdom, the years of thy life shall be many, therefore get wisdom, they sleep not unless they've done evil, they're robbed of sleep unless they casue someone to fall, thou shalt not stumble, thy steps shall not be hindered, to judge thy people, treacure chest of wisdom, truth, when thou runnest, wisdom, wisdom is more precious than rubies or anything we can desire, wisdom is more profitable that gold or silver, wisdom is precious, wisdom is the principal thing, with all thy getting
Proverbs 4:7. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
And finally the rain’s ended, after a somewhat rainy evening in my area. However, it’s fairly cloudy with a strong breeze trying to exert its authority over the poor trees. (smile) But that’s God and Mother’s Nature business, and I have no intention of getting between them. (smile) Anyway, as promised yesterday, if God spared our lives to see another wonderful day, we’d continue looking at the wise advice of Cousin Sol in Proverbs, re the unique, but rather contentious quality of Wisdom. And since we’re still alive and kicking, let’s get right into Cousin Sol’s treasure chest of Wisdom.
Now, the first thing we need to understand is that wisdom is precious, therefore he writes: ‘Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of (gain from) it is better than the merchandise of (profit from) silver, and the gain (profit) thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her (holds her fast).’ (Prov. 3:13-18)
Wow mih bredrin! What a marvellous thing wisdom is! More profitable than silver and gold, and more precious than jewels or anything else that we can desire! Mama O Mama! Then she controls length of days in one hand, and riches and honour in the other! She brings joy and peace. She’s a tree of life to those who find her, and all who keep her close are exceedingly happy! Now, what a mighty woman is wisdom to be able to do all that! And furthermore: ‘The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths (deeps) are broken up, and the clouds drop down dew.’ (Prov. 3:19-20)
Oh brother! If the Lord used wisdom and understanding to create the universe, then that just shows how important those two things are! No wonder, Cousin Sol could later declare: ‘Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline (turn it away) from the words of thy mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: LOVE her, and she shall keep thee.’ (Prov. 4:5-6) Yes, Wisdom is surely something else my people! Thus Cousin Sol’s cry: ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.’ (Prov. 4:7)
And Cousin Sol did not just talk the talk, but also walked it. Remember that is exactly what he asked the Lord for when he became king of Israel. ‘Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart (a wise heart) to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?’ (1 Kin. 3:9) Oh friends, the Lord was so thrilled that Cousin Sol did not ask for riches, or long life, or his enemies capitulation, that He gave him what he asked for and a whole lot more; made him both the wisest and richest man ever! (1 Kin. 3:11-13)
And that’s how the Lord desires that His people approach life; in humility, seeking His advice and being obedient to His Word. And let’s not forget that ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov. 1:7) So we ought not to be foolish and despise wisdom, but voraciously seek it, for as Cousin Sol continues: ‘Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.’ (Prov. 4:8-9)
And we all desire those things, but we cannot acquire them unless we listen to and practice these wise and instructive words of Cousin Sol. ‘Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction: let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass by it (do not travel on it), turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except (unless) they have done mischief (evil); and their sleep is taken away (they’re robbed of sleep), unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining (bright) light, that shineth more and mor (ever brighter) unto the perfect day.’ (Prov. 4:10-18)
And yuh know what friends? There’s nothing in those wise words of advice that we’ve not heard many times over, but still too many of us refuse to follow them. Let’s hope that this time they will encourage some more of us to follow the path of the just, which like a bright light, shines brighter and brighter every day, for that is what our world desperately needs right now since evil is rampant and the men who use it to their advantage are controlling our world, something that we cannot allow to continue, for Christ’s sake!
And let’s also remember, to help us fight that encroaching evil, the Lord in His exceeding goodness has bestowed on us our undeserved Thursday Blessings. So 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!’
Now, it behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like do! Much LOVE!
…wisdom dictates that we keep God’s commandments…which are not burdensome…and furthermore…help us to overcome the world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a great family, a new arena of strife, allow our guilt to become a burden, be strong and of a good courage, big and bold prayers, bring my soul out of trouble, broken right now, christianity, Christians, climate change, come to know and love God like we do, cut off mine enemies, deliver me from mine enemies, despise not the chastening of the Lord, destroy all that afflict my soul, determine to have our own way, disobedience, duty bound, eager to show us his kindness, even when we're faithless, faith, fall flat on our faces, favour, fear not, finally renewed commitment, for thy name's sake, for thy righteousness sake, forgotten the exhortation, fulfilment, give into temptation, glad to teach us the proper paths, God cannot deny Himself, God cannot excuse disobedience, God is compassionate and unchanging, God is determined to bless us, God is forever faithful, God is omnipotent, God will never let us down, God will never let us go, God will never let us off, God's reliable faithfulness, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, gospel truth, he will never fail thee nor forsake thee, He will never leave nor forsake us, holy spirit, I am persuaded, I am thy servant, I flee unto thee to hide me, in the image of Christ, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, lead me into the land of uprightness, lifts our spirits, LOVE, may David's prayer be our prayer, mercy, must have access to our hearts, my son, negative word, no signs of peace in our world, nor be afraid of them, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, nothing can separate us from God's matchless Love, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, of thy mercy, One Year Book of Bible promises, promotion. curse, prosper and succeed, Quicken me, rebellion, receive clear direction for my life, resist, resist until we feel exhausted, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, scourgeth every son he receives, self-control, speaks to you as children, strengthens our faith, strong will, success, teach me to do thy will, the beginning of May, the BIBLE, the Lord thy God doth go with thee, then confession, thou art my God, Three Discoveries, thy spirit is good, tough truth, truth, until comviction comes, use our blessing's on behalf of others, Whom God loves he chastens, windstorm, wisdom
Psalm 143:10. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
And this Thursday, the first day of May, looks like it’s going to be a somewhat wet and cloudy one, although the sun is fighting a valiant battle to come out. But the winner of the contest is not as important as the fact that we’re now into the fifth month of 2025, almost half of the year is gone, and our world is no closer to any kind of peace and quiet. Instead, every day, a new arena of strife is popping up, with none of the old ones being settled. Even the climate change situation seems to be getting worse.
And I never realized how much damage that windstorm of two days ago had caused until yesterday, when I saw the pictures of fallen trees, damaged house, and learned that thousands of people were without power. As the duchess said when I mentioned it; although your area might be fine, you never know what’s happening elsewhere. And that’s the awful truth of this situation, for there wasn’t much damage in my area. So, please, let’s pray for those who suffered serious damage to their lives and properties, being thankful that we were spared such misfortune.
And here’s something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that reassures of us God’s goodness, faithfulness and LOVE for His human creation. It’s titled ‘Three Discoveries.’ And yes, I’ve shared this one before, (smile) but we all know these writings are so wonderful that they can be shared over and over and over again, as each time we read or hear them, they lift our spirits and strengthen our faith. So please read with me:
‘I have made three overwhelming discoveries regarding God’s reliable faithfulness. The first: God will never let us go – NEVER! We may fall flat on our faces. We may resist until we feel exhausted, but nothing can separate us from His matchless LOVE. The second: God will never let us down – NEVER! He is forever faithful, even when we are faithless. He cannot deny Himself. He will never leave us nor forsake us. The third: He will never let us off – NEVER! Whenever we give in to temptation, when we determine to have our own way – He says with all the LOVE of His Father-heart, I LOVE you too much to excuse disobedience .” Whom He LOVES, He chastens.
God is determined to bless us. He is eager to show us His kindness. He is glad to teach us the proper paths; but He must have access to our hearts. He will allow our guilt to become a burden until conviction comes, then confession, and finally renewed commitment! May David’s prayer be our prayer.’ And yes my people, all of what we’ve read there is the gospel truth! Our wonderful God is all about growing us up into strong, faithful children, in the image of His Son, Jesus Christ!
And there are scriptures to back up each of those three discoveries. So let’s check out a few nuh. As per the first one – God will never let us go, listen to this rock solid statement from Bruh Paul to the Romans nuh. ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, not things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:38-39) No friends, it could not get any surer than that!
Then, as per the second discovery – God will never let us down. Wow! There are so many scriptures that speak of His faithfulness that it would take us a whole day to go through them. (smile) But here’s one of the earliest promises of faithfulness. Its one Moses made to the children of Israel as he encouraged them re their journey into the Promised Land. ‘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 Himself commanded Joshua in the same manner, several times, when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. (Josh. 1:7-9)
Now, per the third discovery – the Lord will never allow us to get away with disobedience or rebellion, we took a good look at that only a few days ago, when we considered some of the scriptures that tell of God’s chastening of His children. Scriptures like this one: ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, (sons of God), My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he recieveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6) Lots of tough truth in those verses my brethren, (smile) but that’s just the Lord’s way.
So, we’ve seen scriptures that corroborate the three discoveries, but we’re yet to discover what the last line of the prayer means. ‘May David’s prayer be our prayer.’ And what was Bruh David’s prayer? It comes from Psalm 143, where he’s pleading with God for guidance and deliverance as he’s once again best by enemies. ‘Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me (unto to thee I take cover). Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken (revive) me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off (put an end) to mine enemies, and destroy them all that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.’ (Ps. 143:9-12)
Oh friends, Bruh David was not afraid to pray big and bold prayers, because he knew that God was omnipotent, could do whatever He desired. Likewise, we should not be afraid to cry out to God when we’re in distress, because He desires us to call out to Him for help. He’s our Father, we’re His children, so whom else are we going to look to for help eh? And He’s gone even one step further by giving us undeserved blessings to do His earthly work, what we call our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus 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 (steups!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of 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!
…God’s goodness, LOVE, mercy, grace, and faithfulness…will never change…for that’s who God is…a compassionate and unchanging God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a great family, a sense of shame or remorse, a tooth for a tooth, abundance, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, an eye for an eye, angry attitudes, avenge not yourselves, basement leak, be not overcome of evil, be tenderhearted, be ye all of one mind, christianity, clear direction for my life, courage, courteous, creativity, curse, duty bound, equipped to do good works, faith, favour, give place unto wrath, give way to anger, go two miles when asked to go one, God has the right to avenge, God's supernatural wisdom, good freinds, good heallth, good will always prevail over evil, haing compassion on each other, have regard fro good things, heap coals of fire on his head, holy spirit, if he thirst give him drink, if thine enemy hunger feed him, in the sight of all men, inherit a blessing, instruction in righteousness, Jesus Christ, like manna from heaven, live peacefully with everybody, LOVE, love as brethren, make the right choices, mercy, negative word, not rendering evil for evil, overcome evil with good, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, prosper, provide things honest to all men, recompense to no man evil for evil, salvation, self-control, snow raining down, strive to be kind, succeed, talent, the BIBLE, the Lord shall reward thee, the man of God may be perfect, truth, turn the other cheek, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, when it's not one thing it's another, wisdom
Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Oh friends, I woke up this morning, looked outside and saw snow raining down like manna from heaven and thought the balmy weather was over. But a short while later the snow stopped and it began melting. And therein lies the source of my biggest problem this Thursday morning. Ah Lord eh! But as the old people would say, when it’s not one thing in this life, it’s certainly another!
I came down to write the Bit about an hour ago, only to discover an unknown leak in the laundry room of my basement that the melting snow was seeping through, apparently for some time now, because all the stuff on the ground around it was wet, and water was flowing down to the furnace. We thought that the furnace was leaking, and called the furnace people, but I’m not so sure about that now nuh. (smile) So I obviously had to move things around and clean it all up, plus set some preventive measures in place so that the new leak would not spread water all over the laundry room floor.
By the way, the furnace repair man eventually came, wasted a half hour more of my time, only to reaffirm my suspicion, the furnace was not leaking, it was the water from the leak on the wall finding its way down to the drain at the bottom of the furnace. No wonder the Bit keeps getting delayed. (smile) Anyway, as promised, today we’ll continue with the words of Bruh Paul from Chapter 12 of Romans. And my fellow believers, these are some very important ones pertaining to our behaviour between good and evil.
So please read and inwardly digest with me. ‘Recompence (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest (have regard for good things) in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not your selves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17-21)
Ah mih people, those instructions are indeed godly and good, but very difficult to maintain in this evil and vengeful world. Nonetheless, as believers in Christ we have to try our best and live up to them. Not repaying evil for evil seems to be the same thing Jesus teaches on forgiveness in Matthew 5:38 42., about not giving an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth, turning the other cheek and going two miles when asked to go one. It’s just not a natural human reaction. But the truth of the story is that Jesus’ kingdom and ways are different to normal human reactions.
And Peter also weighs in on the topic. ‘Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, LOVE as brethren, be pitiful (tenderhearted), be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing (reviling) for railing (reviling): but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. (1 Pet. 3:8-9)
Next comes the admonishment to live peacefully with all men. Now that’s truly difficult to do with the angry, hateful and resentful attitudes that are now running rampant in our world. Then there’s the big one, where we are advised not to give way to anger and take vengeance in our own hands, for that is the Lord’s jurisdiction. The scholars say that ‘Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:35 to show that only God has the right to avenge, and he certainly will avenge.’
As per heaping coals of fire on an enemies head by treating him good, the scholars believe that Bruh Paul might have been referring to ‘a sense of shame or remorse engendered when we treat an evildoer kindly. Paul is discussing personal, not national enemies. He is not teaching pacifism.’ And it’s interesting to note that Bruh Paul might have gotten those words of being kind to our enemies and heaping coals of fire on an enemy’s head from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. In Proverbs 25, he solemnly states: ‘If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.’ (Prov. 25:21-22)
Now, isn’t it interesting that throughout the Bible you have different people reiterating different things from by gone times to reinforce the stuff they want to get home to their readers and/or listeners. That’s why the Bible is such a wonderful Book, it gives encouragement, wisdom and spiritual understanding all the way through, from the first page to the last. That’s why Bruh Paul could attest to these facts to Timothy: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
And one of the most important of those facts that are good for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness is this last one that Bruh Paul wrote in our scripture passage for today: ‘Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:21) Once again, that’s a hard nut to crack, especially with all the evil that’s floating around in our current world. However, we are required to do our best, obviously with God’s help. And to show how our God is a good and wonderful God, He’s generously bestowed on us all kinds of tools to help us do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong 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!’
Now, we’re fully equipped to do God’s work, and therefore duty bound to go out and share those blessings with 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!
…Let us always strive to be kind and make the right choices…for in the end…good will always prevail over evil…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Feb 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, accounted as sheep for the slaughter, adversity, all things work together for good, anxiety, any other creature, as it is written, be not afraid of life, be not dismayed, Bible, christianity, clear direction for my life, curse, depth, distress, faith, famine, favour, fear thou not for I am with thee, for thy sake, God gives us the tools to do His work, God is greater than any potential enemy, God's desire for us, God's desire to redeem believers cannot be frustrated, God's purpose, good friends, good health, hard tiems, hjeight, holy spirit, hunker down, I am persuaded, I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, I will uphold thee, in a state of alarm, in all these things, in Christ Jesus our Lord, Jesus Christ, LOVE, make the right decisions, mercy, nakedness, negative word, neither death, nor angels, obedient to God's will, peril, persecution, powers, prevailing circumstances, principalities, prosper, salvation, show our mettle, statements of trust and faithfulness, succeed, success, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, sword, the right hand of my righteousness, things present, things to come, through him that loved us, to grow in spiritual maturity, to separate us from the Lorve of God, to them that love God, tribulation, truth, undeserved blessings, want to have things easy, we are killed all the day long, we are more than conquerors, we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us, who are called according to His purpose, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, wisdom, with God's help
Romans 8:35a. Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ?
And it’s a somewhat cold and cloudy Thursday morning in my part of the universe. The sun’s striving valiantly to come out, but not with a whole lot of success. Thankfully, that does not apply to us faithful believers in Christ Jesus, for He’s promised that when we are obedient to His will, we can do all things through the strength He provides us. (Phil. 4:13) Therefore we should not be dismayed, or afraid to keep on keeping on when things look somewhat dismal, and we can’t seem to make the right decisions in our prevailing circumstances.
That’s why I LOVE this verse from the prophet Isaiah, where God tells us: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) Oh friends, there could not be a better promise than that from the Lord our God, Creator and Controller!
And just for your information, they say that the phrase ‘do not be afraid,’ occurs 365 times in the Bible. Therefore, it must surely be important for our wellbeing. And this commentary offers an interesting take on the subject. It says, ‘There’s a word in that verse, you don’t hear much anymore… dismayed. Dismayed means feeling distress or anxiety, typically at something unexpected. It also means to look around in terror. God is speaking with tenderness here, telling us not to look around as one might do in danger or in a state of alarm.’
Now that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! For all through the Lord’s Word we are reminded not to be afraid, not to live in fear, not to be dismayed, because our great and ever-faithful God is always with us! That’s why Bruh Paul could make these wonderful statements of trust and faithfulness in that mighty Chapter of Romans 8.
‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:35-39)
Wow! What a wonderful scripture! And the scholars offer this explanation per the last two verses. ‘We cannot be separated from God’s LOVE, because it is set forth in a person who is God Himself, Jesus Christ, our Saviour. God’s desire to redeem believers cannot be frustrated, because He is definitely greater than any potential enemy. His plan will be realized because it is His purpose (cf. vs. 28).’ Which says: ‘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) More acknowledgement that though life will not always be easy, God will eventually work it all out for our good.
And all these promises that our great God has made are certainly wonderful, but the problem is that they don’t just happen automatically. No! We must have the hope, faith, and trust to believe them, and live a life, an obedient life, that will allow them to come true. And yes, we all want to have things easy, but that obviously is not God’s desire. He desires that we grow in spiritual maturity, and the only way to grow is through adversity, through hard times. That’s because in the good times we learn nothing at all, or very little, but when the times get tough, we need to hunker down and show our true selves, show the mettle that we truly possess, all with God’s help!
And the marvellous thing about our God is that He not only helps us in all situations, but that He’s also bestowed underserved blessings for us to do His earthly work. He’s not asking us to do stuff in our own strength, which He knows we are incapable of doing. So, He gives us the tools to do it. We call these particular tools our Thursday Blessings. And to activate them, we must declare them aloud. So, let’s do that 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 awesome declaration (yesss!) we must now go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…true believers in Christ…ought not to be afraid of life…and the troubling circumstances that can and will confront them…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a benevolent young couple, a compassionate heart, a great family, a piece of life, abundance, ask forgiveness, at thy right hand, bruised for our iniquities, by his stripes we a re healed, clothing, compassion, complain unnecessarily, courage, creativity, curse, disappointment, divine protection, doesn't always come to the surface, doubted God's faithfulness, eternal life, faith, faithfulness, fall on our knees, favour, food, God's goodness, grace, grin and bear it all, He is enough, holy spirit, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, in god there is enough of everything, in our heart of hearts, in the annals of the Bit, in thy presence is fullness of joy, is now and forever, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, M, may I never forget, mercy, misfortune, my great enough, my limited concept of God, negative word, never enough of anything, New York, not enough, One Year Book of Bible promises, pain, pass the test, pleasures evermore, pleasures intermingled with pain, promotion, prosper, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, shelter, spend a week at the seashore, succeed, supernatural wisdom, take it in stride, talent, that God Himself, the chastisement of our peace, the crowded city, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the miracle healer, the most deprived section, the path of life, to satisfy the longings of my heart, truth, uncertainty, unwanted side effects, warmth, wisdom, with me in the middle of it all, worship Christ like never before
Psalm 16:11. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures evermore.
Ah friends, that’s another missed day in the annals of the Bit, but the good thing is that we’re still alive and kicking. (smile) Yesterday was another day spent in the hospital going through procedures, and by the time I got home in the afternoon, I was all tired out from the procedures and whatever medication they used, so all I could do was get into bed and try to catch myself. Let’s hope that that concludes all the searching and questions, and now we can spend time fixing whatever is wrong, and there won’t be any more days with missed Bits.
Now, let’s turn to an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s simply titled, ‘He Is Enough.’ As always, I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but even if I have, it’s still worth sharing over and over again. (smile) So, please read with me. ‘She lived in the most deprived section of the crowded city of New York, where there was never enough of anything – never enough food or clothing, never enough warmth or shelter, never enough compassion. But one day a benevolent young couple invited her to spend a week at the seashore, to experience a piece of life she had never known.
Hour by hour she breathed deeply as the crashing waves brushed against her small frame. She looked at the vast expanse of water – and then, without warning she began to sob. For the first time in her life she saw something of which there was enough! Today I ask forgiveness for my limited concept of God. At times I’ve secretly felt cheated – as though somehow He was not enough to satisfy the longings of my heart. I need to learn and relearn that in Him there is enough faithfulness, enough LOVE, enough grace, enough joy! May I never forget that God Himself is now and forever my great enough.’
Oh my people truer words were never spoken! And although most of us know that deep down in our heart of hearts, sometimes it doesn’t always come to the surface when we need it, which unfortunately causes us to complain unnecessarily. And I can certainly testify to that in this past week of so much pain and uncertainty. I never doubted God’s faithfulness, and I knew that He was right there with me in the middle of it all, but yet, sometimes I felt a bit of disappointment that He was not taking me through the process quicker and with less pain and provocation.
And even now, when most of the questions have been answered, I still have pains, and the pain medication, as it so often does, is causing unwanted side effects. But I just have to grin and bear it all, knowing that the medical personal are doing their best – and believe me, I am having the best treatment possible – and in God’s own good time, this problem will be solved, but until then I need to grin, bear down and pass the test. (smile) But as with so many other things in this life, that is much easier said than done. However, since I know that I am in the miraculous hands of Jehovah Rapha, the miracle healer, I won’t be worried.
And the good thing about our God, is that whenever He allows misfortune to befall us, He always gives us the strength and surety to go through it with a smile. Yes, sometimes it is difficult to smile when enveloped in all the pain and uncertainty, but when you’ve been experiencing God’s goodness as long as I have, I should be able to take it in stride. And that’s where the scriptures like these come in handy. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me:’ (Phi. 4:13) ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,’ (Phil. 4:19)
‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) ‘But he (Jesus) was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with (by) his stripes (the blows that cut into His body) we are healed.’ (Is. 53:5) Not forgetting these most encouraging words of Bruh David from Psalm 16, the Bible Promise for today’s poem: ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures evermore.’ (Ps. 16:11)
And that’s the indisputable truth friends! There are joys and pleasures intermingled with the pain and suffering, but let’s remember the hefty price Christ paid for us to have them. He paid such a mighty price for our redemption that we can never really evaluate it. It therefore behooves us to fall on our knees and worship Him, like we’ve never worshipped anything or anybody before! That’s what His sinless, selfless sacrifice on our behalf calls for. And we ought to be very serious about doing His earthly work, of trying to lead sinners to Him for salvation and eternal life, especially when He’s bestowed on us undeserved blessings to do that work.
We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare (chuh!!!) 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!’
Now, let’s go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the Lord is my shepherd…I shall not want… (Ps. 23:1)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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