16 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a legend of West Indian culture, ambassadors of Christ, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, are not able to kill the soul, are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, be renewed and refreshed, be witnesses unto me, believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, Calypso Rose, Caribbean culture, carnival celebrations, Christ employs us to spread His gospel around the world, claypso rivalry, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine help, do a better job of witnessing for Christ, even the smallest most insignficant details, faith, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell, fear not them which kill the body, fear ye not therefore, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, give our leaders wise guidance, God takes an interest in everything in our lives, God watches over us with tender loving care, God's omnipotent help, gone home to be with the Lord, grateful for the two day work break, help us to be responsible, him will I confess before my Father in heaven, holy spirit, iin soul body and mind, Jesus Christ, keep God first place in our lives, legacy of calypso, Lord Kitchener, Lord Melody, Lord we desperately need your help, LOVE, mercy, no place in a Christian's life, one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, put calypso on the world stage, recuperate from the Thanksgiving celebrations, salvation, serious problems are escalating, Slinger Francisco, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Birdie, the Calypso King of the World, the good example that we your faithful believers set, the good outweighed the bad, the Mighty Sparrow, the social conscience of the nation, the throne of grace, the very hairs of your head are all numbered, the weekend's here at last, to handle these unexpected storms properly, took politicians to task, trusting faith, truth, unto the uttermost part of the earth, whosoever shall confess me before men, wisdom, with your generaous help, ye shall receive power when the Holy ghost is come upon you
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 October 2026 Matthew 10:31.
Matthew 10:31. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
And yes, it’s truly Friday, so although it’s a wet, cloudy, windy, chilly day, our Friday Mantra was still offered up with a loud, thankful voice: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ We’re all grateful for the two day break from work, but some of us badly need it to recuperate from all the Thanksgiving celebrations at the beginning of the week, and then the horror of work right on top of it. (smile)
And today I want to offer a short tribute to one of the world’s greatest entertainers, Slinger Francisco (1935-1926); better known as the Mighty Sparrow, who recently died in New York, the place he’s called home for several years now. Sparrow was one of the men who put Calypso on the world stage, along with other performers like Kitchener, Melody, and Calypso Rose. What’s not as widely known though is that Sparrow was also a wonderful balladeer as his album of ballads proves. Sparrow was indeed an all-round performer, who kept the legacy of Calypso alive for some seven decades.
Born in Grenada, Sparrow grew up in Trinidad and did the country proud. He wasn’t an angel, and there are numerous stories about his bad side. But I believe the good outweighed the bad, and that’s about all any of us can ask for in this complicated and oftentimes tough life. However, I remember the days of the rivalry between himself, Kitchener and Melody, always fighting to win the Road March, the most popular tune played on the road at the Carnival celebrations, while constantly provoking each other in song.
Those were the days when the calypsonians were the social conscience of the nation, because they sang about the problems of the nation, took politicians to task, and generally kept the nation alive to some of the things that were happening, be they good, bad or indifferent. Sadly, today that social consciousness has been lost, as the young performers don’t seem to care about what’s happening in their country, their songs are now about sex, alcohol and having a good time, while the nation flounders under poor governments. But I guess I’m just an ole fogey, as one friend would call that progress.
Anyhow, Sparrow, Dr. Slinger Francisco, the Birdie, the Calypso King of the World, the Supreme Serenader, amongst his many names, was given a major send off today in Trinidad, on the road obviously, as only Trinidadians can do, and his awesome legacy to Caribbean Culture will live on forever. Yes friends, one of the legends of West Indian culture has gone home to be with the Lord, for he was not only a singer of Calypso, but I believed he found religion in his later life and also has a compilation of religious songs in his wide and amazing repertoire. Rest in peace Sparrow.
Now let’s look at an interesting scripture where Jesus teaches about fear and worry, and just happens to talk about sparrows. (smile) He warns: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him (God) which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.’ (Matt. 10:28-31)
Oh my people isn’t that ever so reassuring to know that our God watches over us with tender, LOVING care. And though sparrows were sold for only a small price, making them insignificant in the market place, God still sees and knows when they fall, and we are valued much more than many sparrows. So much so that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. (smile) Therefore we don’t need to live in fear or anxiety because our marvelous God takes an interest in every single thing that happens in our lives; yes even the smallest and most insignificant details.
The problem though is that we need to keep God first place in our lives, if we expect Him to pay serious attention to all that happens to us and then help us solve whatever problems we encounter. Jesus addressed that situation right after making the above statements. He said; ‘Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 10:32-33)
There we have it my brethren, accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour doesn’t mean just doing so and then keeping quiet about it. No! It means talking to others about Jesus, because we are in effect His ambassadors, His representatives, His disciples on the earth, the means He employs to spread His gospel around the world. As he said to the disciples before His ascension: ‘But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts. 1:8)
And it’s obvious that we’re not doing a very good job of being His witnesses all over the world, because the world is now in such an uproar of hate and strife, that would not be happening if we were better ambassadors. But all is not lost, we can still go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to obtain divine help to do a better job.
Altogether: Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Let’s remember though, that we believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, so that we can do a better job of witnessing for Christ! Much LOVE!
…with God closely watching over us…constant fear and anxiety…have no place in a Christian’s life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pronouncement of victory, according to his own purpose and grace, according to the power of God, afraid of man, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth, are not able to kill the soul, baptizing them, be able to separate us from the love of God, be not ashamed of the Lord's testimony, be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, before the world began, by the risen Saviour through his disciples, called us with an holy calling, christianity, deepen my breath, doubts about out situation with christ, even unto the end of the world, faith, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell, fear them not which kill the body, forever at the mercy of Satan, given us in Jesus Christ, go ye therefore and teach all nations, God is infinitely greater than any potential enemy, God's desire to redeem believers cannot be frustrated, God's love is set forth in someone who's God himself', god's plan will be realized because it's His purpose, holy spirit, I am persuaded, I am with you always, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in all sincerity and truth, in Christ Jesus our Lord, in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, live the gospel of Christ, LOVE, loyal followers of christ, make disciples of all nations, many of us are ashamed of the gospel of christ, mercy, misgivings, never wavered in their commitment, no one can take us away from Christ, nor height nor depth, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, not according to our works, once a child of God always a child of God, or any other creature, our salvation was totally unmerited, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, saved by Christ's shed blood, sends forth his ambassadors, share with me the sufferings of the gospel, slow my thoughts, spend a peaceful day, spread Christ's gospel around the world, stand strong and steadfast for Christ, strong winds, teaching them, thank you for this tenderness, that neither death nor life nor angels, the BIBLE, the Great Commission, the triumphant living Lord, to observe all things I commanded you, to proclaim His gospel throughout the world, to stay attached to their host, too comfortable in the world, too lay, truth, unpredictable lives, who hath saved us, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
2 Timothy 1:8. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions (share with me the sufferings) of the gospel according to the power of God;
And the strong winds howled constantly through the cold, dark night into the wee hours of the morning. But yuh know what? Those few dozen leaves on the tree in my neighbour’s backyard stood strong and steadfast, never wavered in their commitment to stay attached to their host. Glory be! Now that’s how we believers in Christ Jesus ought to be so thoroughly committed to Him that nothing or no one can move us away from His magnificent, majestic and compassionate orbit.
It’s like Bruh Paul says in that most reassuring and encouraging chapter of Romans 8: ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, or 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) The question now friends, is do we sincerely believe that nothing whatsoever can separate us from the LOVE of God, found in Christ Jesus?
And it’s very important that we truly believe it, and then live like it, otherwise we’ll be forever at the mercy of Satan and his evil cronies. They will always be able to influence us with doubts and misgivings about our true situation in Christ. And we certainly don’t need those doubts and misgivings further clouding our already unpredictable lives. Therefore, it’s important that we stand very strong and steadfast in our beliefs about our association with Christ!
And the scholars offer this explanation for those 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 infinitely greater than any potential enemy. His plan will be realized because it is His purpose (cf. 28).’
Now verse 28 of Romans 8 is one of God’s great promises. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ So if we LOVE God and are called according to His purpose, then everything will work out good in the end. That’s God’s promise, and He never breaks or reneges on a promise. That’s why we can be reassured that nothing or no one will ever come between us and God if we truly desire and believe it.
That then brings us to these words from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions (share with me the sufferings) of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (before time).’ (2 Tim. 1:8-9)
And as loyal followers of Christ, saved by His shed blood on the cross of Calvary, that’s what we need to be doing; not being ashamed of the gospel of Christ, but doing our best to spread it all over the world, as directed by God’s will and purpose found in the Great Commission, (Matt. 28:18-20 ) and willingly undergoing any sufferings that might come against us while doing so, remembering that our salvation was totally unmerited, and it was only the great LOVE of God that caused it.
And just in case we’ve forgotten what the Great Commission says, (smile) let’s review it and thus refresh our memories. Christ begins by telling the disciples, and consequently all believers: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 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. 28:18-20)
Now, our job here on earth could not be made any clearer that that my brethren. We are supposed to share the gospel of Christ while also living it. And are we doing that? Not as well as we ought to, because too many of us are indeed ashamed of the gospel, or are too lazy and comfortable in the world to do it, or afraid of what mankind will do to us. But let’s also remember Jesus’ warning on the fear of man. ‘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) And the person who can destroy both soul and body is Almighty God! So, if we’re to fear anyone, that’s whom we should fear, not mankind.
But getting back to the Great Commission, I like how the scholars frame it. They say: ‘Christianity is not represented here as the mere reverential devotion of disappointed men who honour their martyred leader. Here is a far different scene. The triumphant, living Lord sends forth His ambassadors to proclaim His gospel throughout all the world. The Great Commission is not just and order but a pronouncement of victory by the risen Saviour through His disciples.’
Now, hopefully that description of the Great Commission will reawaken our sleeping or dormant spirits and cause us to stop allowing Christ’s victory to slip through our hands, and consequently become better disciples of our Lord and Saviour. And no, I haven’t forgotten it, (smile) but things just worked out differently today. Instead of usually being first, today it’s last. So then, on this chilly but somewhat sunny lazy-day Saturday, where thankfully yesterday’s snow fall wasn’t as bad as forecasted, before we get to lazing around, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And if our prayer was truly sincere, then the Lord’s peace and calm will soon fall on us, allowing us to spend a peaceful day, pondering on what we’ve spoken about, and the important ramifications thereof. Much LOVE!
…once a child of God…always a child of God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a name which is above every other name, accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, alive and kicking, all should come to repentance, appreciate how good God is to us, are not able to kill the soul, at the name of Jesus, believers are not stepping up to the plate, but of power love and a sound mind, cast off the works of darkness, Christ selflessly sacrificed His sinless life, Christ's church is in a terrible state, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, comfortable Christians, consequences for every misdeed, destined for hell, dissensions, divisions, do something worthwhile for Christ, do stuff in our own backyards, duty bound, eagerly await a Saviour, eternal life, everlasting life, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, evil and ungodliness being perpetrated, faith, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, get up off of our fat fannies, give thanks, glorify your Father which is in heaven, God is longsuffering towards us, God wanted nobody to perish, greed, hitting many home runs, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, it is high time to awake out of sleep, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus paid our sin debt in full, knowing the time, Let your light so shine before men, life altering consequences, light of the world, live in urgent expectation, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, mind-boggling consequences, mitigate the negative circumstances, more afraid of man than God, movers and shakers, no place for spiritual lethargy, obedience to the Father's will, our citizenship is in heaven, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed, put on the armour of light, rebellious attitude, salt of the earth, salvation, Satan is ruling the roost, see your good works, selfless sacrifice, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, sitting on the sidelines, strife, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the breath of life that's still fowing through us, the day is at hand, the night is far spent, the sad truth, there are consequences to all decisions, time to heed the wake up call, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undeserving children of men, we owe Christ a debt we can never repay, wide-awake preparedness, wisdom, worry
Romand 13:11. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we (first) believed.
And after Monday comes Tuesday… just like the Lord designed it. Yes mih bredrin, it’s a brand new day, and we’re still alive and kicking so let’s give our wonderful Lord and Saviour much thanks for the breath of life that’s still flowing through our finite, fragile, mortal bodies, not forgetting the hope of salvation and eternal life that He so selflessly died to provide for us. And all God’s people sent up a sincere prayer of ‘Thank You Jesus! You are the Greatest! And we LOVE and worship you with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds! Amen!’
Ah friends, it’s so good when we give God thanks for His wonderful attention and blessings to us underserving children of men. And it’s something I don’t think we do often enough, because we don’t truly understand/or appreciate how good God has been to us, when He had no reason whatsoever to be. Instead, He had, and still has, every reason to destroy us completely for our prideful and rebellious attitude towards Him.
But as the Bible tells us He LOVED us so dearly and is so longsuffering or patient with us, and didn’t want any of His most wonderful creation to perish, but that all should come to repentance, (2 Pet. 3:9) that He broke His own heart and sent His ONE Son, yes His ONLY Son to earth to die for our rebelliousness, so that all who believed in Him could have everlasting life and not perish in the fires of hell, where we were all destined for, before Christ’s death ransomed us. (John 3:16)
So, when we talk about being indebted to our heavenly Father, it’s no joke or simple matter, because it’s a debt we can never repay. But the good thing about our God is that He doesn’t require repayment, all He needs is for us to sincerely accept His Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and thus gain salvation and eternal life. And why is that? Because it’s Jesus who, in obedience to the Father’s will, paid our sin debt in full with the selfless sacrifice of His sinless life.
That’s why the Word says: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and those (things) under the earth; And that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2: 9-11)
Now that’s how the Father rewards those who do His will. Are we in line for rewards…are we doing His will to the best of our ability? I doubt it. Otherwise, neither Christ’s body, the church, nor the world would be in such a terrible state, with dissensions, divisions, hate, greed, strife and all the negative aspects front and centre, rather than in the background.
And it’s no wonder that Satan is ruling the roost, because we supposed Christians, supposed believers in Christ Jesus, are not doing what He desires of His followers, namely to be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, and thus show others how living with and for Him is the best life possible. In other words, we’re not doing as Jesus says: ‘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)
And that’s the sad truth! We believers are not stepping up to the plate sufficiently and hitting the many home runs that we need to turn things around in this evil and ungodly world. Remember that doing nothing to improve matters, is the same as encouraging them to be bad. So, sitting on the sidelines and seeing evil and ungodliness being perpetrated all over the world when you’re in a position to make some small improvement, makes you just as guilty as the perpetrators of the evil and ungodliness.
Consequently, a whole lot of us supposed Christians are guilty of plenty evil and ungodliness, for there’s always some small way that we can mitigate those negative circumstances, if it’s even in our own families or neighbourhoods. Oh friends, any evil or ungodliness mitigated is a win for Christ! Most of us can’t be big movers and shakers of the world, but we can certainly do stuff right in our backyards to improve the situation. It’s just that too many of us who call ourselves Christians, are either afraid of what others might say and/ or do, or too lazy and comfortable in our material wellbeing, and thus we refuse to get up off of our fat fannies and do something worthwhile for Christ!
But under those circumstances, here are two scriptures that we should consider well. The first comes from Bruh Paul to his protégé Timothy, regarding fear. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) And the second in Jesus words, is like unto it: ‘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)
Now, that means you should not fear mankind, because they can only kill your body and not your soul. But the One to be truly afraid of is Almighty God, who can kill both body and soul in the roaring fires of hell! And it’s a sad fact that many, if not most of us are more afraid of man than of God. How foolish! But I guess we are more concerned about our bodies than our souls. However, let’s remember there are consequences for every misdeed, and sometimes those consequences can be mind boggling and also life-altering.
Anyway, let’s hope what we’ve spoken of today will jumpstart our consciences, will wake us from our stupor, for as Bruh Paul says to the Roman church: ‘And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we (first) believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.’ (Rom. 13:11-12) And as this commentary explains: ‘That means there’s no place for spiritual lethargy in the Christian life. Believers must live in urgent expectation and wide-awake preparedness for what is coming because “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20)
So, nuff said. Let’s go home now declaring (chuh!!!) 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 with those words, we’ve now become duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for believers to heed the wake up call…for who knows what will happen tomorrow…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of God, a disciplined mind, a very present help in trouble, an abundantly available help, are not able to kill the soul, be of good cheer, both in the good and bad times, but of power love and a sound mind, call on God continually, don't be afraid of those who persecute you for your faith, endure to the very end with Christ, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faith is only built through tough times, fear God, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, God is a refuge for us, God is our refuge and strength, God's sovereignty over life and death, halfway home, hands on the plough, he is my defence, He only is my rock and my salvation, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, I shall not be moved, In God is my salvation and my glory, in me ye might have peace, in the palm of his hands, in the world ye shall have tribulation, in time of trouble, Jesus Christ, Jesus defeated hell the death and the grave, light the candle at both ends, LOVE, mercy, my expectation is only from him, my refuge is in God, my soul wait thou only upon God, not turning back, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, pour out your heart before God, salvation, save from the ravages of this evil world, second wind day, Selah, set your soul free of fear, sons of Korah, thank God, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the importance of prioritizing God over human authority, the Lord God Almighty, the rock of my strength, therefore will not we fear, these things I have spoken unto you, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the mountains shake, though the water roar and be troubled, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose, trust him at all times, truth, we know that all things work together for good, Wednesday Wail, who has authority over the physical and spiritual realms, wisdom
Psalm 46:1. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in time of trouble.
So it’s Wednesday my people, our second wind day. It opened bright and sunshiny and somewhat cool, but it’s warming up, and we on the late bus, because after church, I ran around and did a couple errands, then had to come home and rest before writing the Bit. Yuh know the ole fella’s not as young as he used to be, and unfortunately can’t light the candle at both ends again. (smile)
And today, as we witness all the strife, the anger, the carnage and all the other negative things that are so prevalent in our world, I believe this word from the Sons of Korah in Psalm 46, is a good scripture for us to hold close to our hearts. So please read with me: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in time of trouble. Therefore will not we 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)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s how strong our faith ought to be; winning out even in the most serious predicaments. That’s because the Lord God Almighty; our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Deity has us in the palm of His hands and has promised to take care of us. Like Bruh Paul says in his letter 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.’ (Rom. 8:28)
So, though we will have problems in this ungodly world, the Lord’s promised that in the end He will work it all out for the good of those who put their trust in Him. And Jesus reinforces that promise when He says: ‘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) And He certainly has, by defeating hell, death and the grave through His death and resurrection!
That means we ought not to be afraid of what man can do to us, but be more concerned about what the Lord Jehovah can do. As Jesus said: ‘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. 18:28) And what does all of the mean?
This commentary explains that verse thus: ‘Jesus encourages his followers not to be afraid of those who might persecute or kill them for their faith, as such people can only affect their physical body. The verse contrasts this with the fear of God, who has authority over both the physical and spiritual realms. The phrase “destroy both body and soul in hell” refers to the concept of eternal punishment, where the soul is also eternally separated from God. This verse highlights God’s sovereignty over life and death and the importance of prioritizing Him over any human authority.’
Now those are some things that we ought to take into serious consideration as we walk amongst all the evil and ungodly doings that are currently running rampant in our world. We all are human, and fear does come upon us at some time or other, but the important thing to remember is that God is sovereign over the entire universe, and as a child of God, you have His protection and ought not to let fear overtake you for any length of time. Remember these marvellous words of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
And if that doesn’t set your heart and soul free of fear, then listen to these most assuring words of Bruh David from Psalm 62, titled My Rock and My Salvation. He writes: ‘My soul, wait thou (silently) only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah’ (Ps. 62:5-8)
And if there’s one thing we can say about both Bruh David and Bruh Paul is that they not only talked the words of God, but they also walked them. They both had oodles of trials and tribulations, many more serious than any we will ever have, but they never once gave up on their faith, never once feared that the Lord would not come through for them. Now that’s the kind of faith we all need to build in these fearful and troubled times. However, unfortunately, faith is only built when we go through trials and tribulations, when we personally endure tough times.
We don’t need faith when the going’s good; but we surely need it when we don’t have the foggiest notion how to handle our tough situations. And that’s the time to call upon Almighty God for help, and believe that He will see you through! But more importantly, take a page from Bruh David’s book and continually call on Him. (smile) Bruh David constantly called on the Lord, even when thinks were good. That’s when we need to give Him praise and thanks for keeping our souls and lives together.
We can’t only know Him when things are rough. But sadly, that’s the only time many of us call on Him. No friends, the Lord God Jehovah must always be in our sights, be our times good or bad, for that’s when He knows that we truly care for Him, and are not only interested in what He can do for us. And with all that glorious information under our belt, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail.
As one, in a strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if you truly know the Lord, then you’ll know of the promise that those who endure right to the very end with Jesus, will have a future even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s be wise and make plans to endure right to the very end nuh, and so enjoy that glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…only in God…can we be truly safe…from the ravages of this evil world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive outlook on life., and all the host of them, are not able to kill the soul, awesome power and imagination of God, Bible, bounden duty, by the breath of his mouth, by the word of the Lord, Christ's ambassadors, Christ's Church, Christ's saving grace, christianity, Christians, courage, creativity, curse, dead in trespasses and sins, faith, favour, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear them not which kill the body, god, God spoke the world into existence, improve our witness, Jesus Christ, let all the earth fear the Lord, live by the dictates of Satan, living the true christian life, LOVE, many devices in a man's heart, negative word, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, playing the blame game, salvation, success, supernatural wisdom, the children of disobedience, the counsel of the Lord shall stand, the counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the course of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works, the thoughts of his heart, to all generations, truth, we walked according to, were the heavens made, wisdom, you hath he quickened
Psalm 33:11. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
One more time friends; one more time! Yes, it looks like another bright and sunshiny day in my neighbourhood, but it certainly won’t be as warm. I believe that even the trees have finally got the message, for more of them seem to have finally begun changing colour and shedding their leaves. And my neighbour has a tall tree in his backyard and it’s all golden and yellow and rust and whatever! Every time I look out my bedroom window, I’m amazed at it’s beauty, and the awesome power and imagination of our great God!
And why not eh, since our God created the universe and all therein mostly by speaking them into existence. As the Bible says: ‘By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth, He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth (deep) in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices (plans) of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.’ (Ps. 33:6-11)
And that’s the gospel truth, to which Cousin Sol totally agrees, as he says in Proverbs: ‘There are many devices (plans) in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.’ (Prov. 19:21) Yes my people, our God is a great and awesome God, Creator and Father! There’s no other like Him! That’s why we ought to both revere and fear Him in the real sense of the word. For as Jesus said: ‘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)
And that’s a sad fact which not too many of us seem to take notice of, and thus keep on whiling away our precious time in the fleshly lusts and carnality of this sinful and ungodly world controlled by Satan and his evil minions. Yes, the Lord can kill all of our many parts, because He created them, but He certainly doesn’t want us to go to hell, and He doesn’t really send any of us to hell, we do it ourselves. He’s given us the way to salvation and eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, and if we don’t obey Him and end up in hell, how can we blame Him eh?
But from the very beginning with Adam, Eve and Satan, we’ve been playing the blame game. When the Lord asked Adam why he ate of the forbidden fruit, he blamed Eve, and Eve blamed Satan. (Gen. 3:11-13) So it’s no wonder that today we’re still shirking our responsibilities and then trying to blame others for any negative consequences that occur from so doing. But friends, please, please, let’s remember these fateful words from our dear departed Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley). ‘Obey God, and lave all the consequences to Him.’
That’s about the best motto a human being, especially a supposed Christian can have! It seems though that we have gone back to what we were before the Lord saved us. Listen as Bruh Paul tells the Ephesians: ‘And you hath he quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.’ (Eph. 2:1-2) Yes my brethren, while we were wasting away in sinfulness and ungodliness, the Lord saved us from our sinful life by sending Jesus to die on the cross for us.
Before that as the scholars explain: ‘Ye walked means “you lived.” The course of this world: The word course signifies all the tendencies, thoughts, pursuits, deeds, and so on, that characterize the present period of history. This world means “world system,” that is those philosophies, values, and life-styles that are opposed to God and hostile to Him. Before conversion the Ephesians used to conduct themselves in accordance with such ungodly values. The prince of the power of the air may be read “the ruler of the kingdom of the air.” They also used to live by the dictates and wishes of Satan.’
Unfortunately friends, that’s exactly what’s happening in our current world; the majority of us are living by the carnal and fleshly lusts and desires as promoted by Satan. Many of us still don’t even know about Christ and His saving grace, and therefore are unable to live the way He desires. And we, the supposed believers are neither spreading His gospel to the degree that’s necessary to combat Satan’s evil ways, or living the true Christian life that just might attract others to Christ.
And the body that’s supposed to oversee and push the overall work of Christ, that’s His church, is so divided into numerous denominations and cliques, and in such dissension over His Word, that it’s falling far short of what it needs to make any worthwhile difference in this evil world. And we only have ourselves to blame for that my fellow saints. We can’t lay the blame on any one else, for we are supposed to be Christ’s ambassadors on the earth, but for whatever reason, it’s obvious we’re not doing such a good job, because instead of being lifted out of the mire, the world is constantly falling into more evil and ungodliness.
And if we don’t smarten up soon, make some appropriate changes, and improve our witness, we’ll be doing a whole lot of answering to Christ on the judgement day. But thankfully all is not yet lost, for the Lord in His amazing goodness has bestowed undeserved blessings for us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare them so that they can be activated in our lives 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, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…Christians desperately need to improve their witness…if they truly desire to see godly changes…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a healthy fear, a reverential awe of God, a word to the wise is sufficient, and follow me, another glorious day on earth, are not able to kill the soul, Bible, blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, Caribana Week Festivities, christianity, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fear God and obey his commandments, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, fear of God, fear of man, glad to be alive, god, going to hell in a handbasket, halfway home, hands on the plough, his righteousness endureth for ever, his seed shall be mighty on the earth, if any man will come after me, Jesus, Jesus anoints us to do His work, Jesus Christ, let him deny himself, LOVE, love of the comfortable life, loved the praise of men, more than the praise of God, not turning back, regain our second wind, sacrifice for Jesus, silence our witness for Christ, stand in awe of God's supreme authority, strife, strife is still rampant in the wolrd, take up his cross daily, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the end of all matters is this, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, to a glorious future with Jesus, wealth and riches shall be in his house, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, with a good attitude, worth it's weight in gold
Matthew 10:28. 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.
So our work week is moving along quite nicely; we’ve endured the pangs of frustration and tiredness on Monday, then the less hectic and frustrating passage of Tuesday, until now, we’ve come to the soothing calm of Wednesday, the last day of July, where we hope to regain our second wind. But that’s difficult to do with all the summer activities on hand, especially the Caribana Week Festivities that are already in full swing, just building to culminate in the big parade on Saturday and all the other glorious weekend entertainment!
And though we’re hanging in there, nothing much has changed; we’re still doing the same ole, same ole stuff, not making any progress in our personal lives or in that of the world. Strife is still rampant on the world stage, and we are not doing much to change it, because we’re still resisting the necessary call to our duty; that’s witnessing sincerely for Christ! Now, since the Lord blessed us with the privilege to see another glorious day on His earth, as promised, we’ll continue looking at the two things that seem to stop us from doing the Lord’s work as we ought to.
Yesterday, we said they were fear, fear of what man can do to us, but not what God, who is so much more powerful can do. And we proffered the serious warning of Christ on the subject: ‘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) And the second thing which keeps us from doing Christ’s work is our LOVE of the comfortable life. Oh friends, there’s nothing we LOVE as much as the comfortable life, especially in these times of plenty and numerous amenities that just make life so much easier to handle.
But before we get into that aspect, I want to share a few more words on the fearing of God and not man. And you ask what does it mean to fear God? Well this commentary gives us some insight into the matter. ‘To fear God is to stand in awe of His supreme authority, the most excellent authority that is or ever will be. If you will do that, things will be well with you. That is what God wanted for the Israelites, but they would not fear Him like they should.’ And sadly, neither are we fearing Him like we should.
And this other commentary further expounds on the subject. ‘Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, “The end of all matters is this: to fear God and to obey His commandments.” So, the first step to entering into the kingdom of God is to fear God. All true saving faith has in it the fear of God.’ Now that fear is not a fear that causes us to tremble with fright, to shake in our boots, although we should also have that fear of God in the background, a God who can destroy us seven ways from Sunday, as Jesus mentions in the scripture above, but it’s more a reverential awe of His sovereignty, of His majesty.
As the scholars tell us it 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.’ Unfortunately though, not enough of us have that supposedly healthy fear of God which causes us to act in an appropriate manner. Instead, we seem to have the unhealthy fear of man which causes us to act in an inappropriate manner.
And friends, that fear of man rather than God is a deadly force in the believer’s life. For instance it can silence our witness for Christ, as John writes in his gospel. ‘Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him (Jesus); but because of the Pharisees they did not confess (publicly acknowledge) him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they LOVED the praise of men more than the praise of God.’ (John 12:42-43) And sadly nothing much has changed down through the years, every day, by our lack of witness, we still show our fear of man and our LOVE of his praise, rather than that of God.
But please listen to these wise words from Psalm 112 – The man who fears the Lord. ‘Praise ye the Lord (Hallelujah). Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon the earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 112:1-3) That’s just the beginning of the good things that happen to those who fear the Lord, and I strongly suggest that you read the rest of the psalm before the day is out, so you can get the full message it proclaims. (smile)
Finally, let’s turn to the other thing that keeps us from doing a good job for Christ, that’s our LOVE for comfort and the comfortable life. And nowadays, can life ever get comfortable! For we have almost every amenity known to man right at our fingertips, and we just hate for any of them to be even unavailable for a few minutes. We hate to be uncomfortable even for a minute, but let’s remember that being a disciple of Jesus can be one fraught with discomfort. For Jesus defined discipleship thus: ‘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)
Now that doesn’t mean living entirely in comfort, but when necessary to give up one’s comforts, to sacrifice something for Jesus, like He sacrificed so much for us. And if it means doing it every day, then we do it with a good attitude EVERY DAY! That’s what sincere discipleship is all about; doing whatever is necessary to promote Christ’s kingdom, regardless of the difficulty. And let’s remember that Jesus NEVER asks us to do anything that He won’t do, and always gives us the wherewithal to do it.
So if He gives us a difficult task, it’s surely means that He will anoint us to do it, and will also be in the fray with us, as He’s faithfully promised: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) So please, let’s wise up nuh my fellow believers and get serious about being ambassadors for Christ. For if we desire to see better days in this world, then it’s up to us to instigate the necessary changes, for the enemy will not do it, since they like things as they are – going to hell in a handbasket! A word to the wise is sufficient!
Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) 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 if we endure to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s plan to meet at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!
…being a disicple of Christ is not easy…but it’s surely worth it’s weight in gold…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
