01 Nov 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an inspiring ballad, another day of bright sunshine, be able to comfort those in trouble, beats so imperfectly, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, bow down and worship God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, chicken feed for our great God, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, comforts us in tribulation, Daylight Savings Time, disturbs sleeping patterns, each restless heart, Elijah on Mt. Horeb, emotional weariness, empowerment gained from being lifted up, empowers someone to overcome adversity, faith, faith waivers under tough circumstances, fellowship, find rest unto your souls, finding inner strength and hope, finding strength hope and perseverance, gentle and humble in heart, God showers us with grace mercy and divine power, holy spirit, hope thou in God, human hearts created to be hungry for God, I am filled with wonder, I am still, I am strong, I can stand on mountains, I glimpse eternity, I shall yet praise him, I will give you rest, in these evil and ungodly times, Jesus Christ, Jesus is always right there to restore our strength, Jesus' great invitation, Josh Groban, joyfully fellowship with each other, learn of me, LOVE, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, Moses standing on Mt. Sinai as God passes before him, my heart burdenend be, my soul so weary, my yoke is easy and my burden light, no life without its hunger, o thou of little faith, offering encouragement and support, our faith can stand strong, overcme challenges, Peter walks on water with Jesus, realize our full potential, rest under God's awesome wings, salvation, Secret Garden, stay hungry for God, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, the Father of mercies, the first and great commandment, the first Sunday in November, the full picture of eternity, the God of All Comfort, the gospel truth, the health of my countenance and my God, the heathen god Baal, the Holy Trinity, the Lord renewed Elijah's strength and faith on Mt. Horeb, the mournful plea, the presence of a loving you, the sons of Korah, the support of another person, the Ten Commandments, times of adversity, to heights never dreamed possible, to walk on stormy seas, truth, until you come and sit awhile with me, wait here in the silence, when I am down, when I am on your shoulders, when troubles come, when you come, wherefore didst thou doubt, who comforts us in all our tribulation, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, wisdom, with all our hearts souls and minds, worship the Lord, You Raise Me Up, you raise me up to more than I can be
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 November 2026 2 Corinthians 1:3.
2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Come on down to the Lord’s sanctuary on this first Sunday in November, my fellow believers, so that we can worship the Lord and joyfully fellowship with each other, offering encouragement and support in these evil and ungodly times. And it’s another awesomely bright and sunshiny, warm day. Hope they never end! (smile) Now please ensure that you’re not too early (smile) because the clocks have gone back one hour in the Province of Ontario so we can get in tandem with daylight savings time.
Now that’s a very controversial subject, something more than a mere annoyance because, it disturbs the sleeping patterns and life rhythms of many people, but Ontario continues to follow it. And there’s no doubt it will briefly inconvenience us, but it won’t kill us, so let’s get with today’s program, starting with the singing of this wonderful ballad, You Raise Me Up, first recorded by the duo Secret Garden in 2001, but then made famous worldwide by Josh Groban in 2003. So, without further ado, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a rich, slow, soulful, heartfelt version, that leaves no doubt as to our sincerity.
Singing: ‘ When I am down and oh, my soul so weary When troubles come and my heart burdened be Then I am still and wait here in the silence Until You come and sit awhile with me (Chorus: You raise me up so I can stand on mountains You raise me up to walk on stormy seas I am strong when I am on Your shoulders You raise me up to more than I can be: You raise me up so I can stand on mountains You raise me up to walk on stormy seas I am strong when I am on Your shoulders You raise me up to more than I can be.)
There is no life, no life without its hunger Each restless heart beats so imperfectly But when You come and I am filled with wonder Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity You raise me up so I can stand on mountains (You raise me up, I can stand on mountains) You raise me up to walk on stormy seas (Walk on stormy seas) And I am strong when I am on Your shoulders Oh, you raise me up to more than I can be You raise me up to more than I can be.’
Now that was a beautiful rendition my people! No one can ever doubt our sincerity. But then someone asks, what’s the song all about? Well, this overview gives an excellent explanation. ‘It’s an inspiring ballad about finding strength, hope, and perseverance through the support of another person, often interpreted as God or a spiritual source, especially during difficult times. The lyrics describe a person’s emotional weariness and how the presence of a LOVING “you” empowers them to overcome adversity, “stand on mountains,” “walk on stormy seas,” and achieve more than they could alone.’
Yes friends, that’s what it’s basically about; finding inner strength and hope in times of adversity, with someone aiding you to ‘stand on those mountains, and walk on those stormy seas,’ and thus overcome the challenges. For our Christian purposes though, that someone who encourages us, is none other than Almighty God, showering us with grace, mercy and divine power so that our faith can stand strong. And there’s no one better at lifting us when we’re down than our God, as Bruh Paul describes Him in his second letter to the Corinthians.
He writes, ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4) Wow! That shows how great and compassionate our God is. He comforts us, and also gives us the ability to comfort others with the comfort received from Him. Now let’s not forget that He’s also ‘the Father of mercies;’ meaning that He offers us things like blessings that we don’t deserve.
So how could He not be a wonderful God eh? And how could we not be grateful and thankful for all His LOVE and compassion and bow down and sincerely worship Him with all our souls, hearts and minds eh, like the first and great commandment says? (Matt. 22:37) And as the song opens with a weary soul and burdened heart, it reminds us of the mournful plea of the sons of Korah, found in Psalm 42: ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health (strength) of my countenance, and my God.’ (Ps. 42:11)
Now that’s the kind of reaction our God brings out in us, even though we’re worried and burdened. And if you don’t have that kind of strong faith, then simply look to Jesus’ Great Invitation, where He compassionately declares: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Oh my people, only from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ can we get such a wonderful invitation! Nowhere else!
And standing on mountains and walking on stormy seas…well that is chicken feed for our great God. Look at how He had Moses standing on Mt Sinai and passed by before him, when he came to get the second set of the Ten Commandments. (Ex. 34:1-9) Then there’s the great prophet Elijah, who, after killing hundreds of the prophets of the heathen god Baal, got a death threat from Queen Jezebel and eventually ran to Mt Horeb in fear. But the Lord accosted him up there and renewed his strength and faith. (1 Kin. 19:1-15)
And we all know about Peter’s walking on water with Jesus during a fierce storm, but began sinking after becoming afraid, and cried out for Jesus to save him, which He did, and afterwards admonished Peter: ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt.’ (Matt. 14:33) Unfortunately though, under tough circumstances, our faith also waivers, but remember that Jesus is always right there to catch us and restore our strength.
Another good thing about the song is that it suggests some sort of empowerment gained from the person that’s raising you up. As per the lyric ‘You raise me up to more than I can be. ‘ That support ostensibly enables you to achieve bigger things and to realize your full potential. There again, there’s no one better at that than our amazing God. Just look at how he enabled people like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Bruh Joseph, Bruh David and Bruh Paul to rise to heights that they never dreamed possible.
And we’ll close with this interesting excerpt from the song: ‘There is no life, no life without its hunger Each restless heart beats so imperfectly But when You come and I am filled with wonder Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! Human hearts were created to be hungry for God, and when we do find Him, we’re so filled with wonder, that it looks like we’ve been given a glimpse of eternity. The important thing though is for us to stay hungry for God and rest under His awesome wings, so that at the end of this life, we’ll experience not a glimpse of eternity, but the full, real picture with the Holy Trinity! Much LOVE!
…because of God’s LOVE and compassion…He will raise us up…both in this life and the next…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big life cahnge, according to His abundant mercy, acknowledgement of God's faithfulness, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, an opportunity for gratitude, an optimistic frame of mind, at the appearing of Jesus Christ, be found unto praise and honour and glory, be renewed and refreshed, be sincere about trying, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the example that we faithful believers set, christianity, Christians, David lived out his faith, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, difficult to look beyond what's currently happening, divine aid, faith, fill you with all joy and peace in believing, find the silver linings in hardships, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, Friday chant, full of glory, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's faithfulness, God's unconditional LOVE, great is thy faithfulness, hard family times, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, have hope faith trust and love in Jesus' goodness and mercy, he is my defence, He only is my rock and my salvation, help in these evil times, help us to be responsible, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, I shall not be moved, in heaviness through manifold temptations, in tough and uncertain times, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, kept by the power of God, LOVE, loving-kindness, mercy, more precious than gold that perishes, my expectation is from him, my hope is from God, my soul wait thou only upon God, our responsibility to get the ball rolling, personal health concerns, problems are escalating, ready to be revealed in the last time, receiving the end of your faith, reconciliation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, reserved in heaven for you, salvation, see a difficult challenge, sighs and groans, stand strong and steadfast, tell a story of tiredness and uncertainty, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that fadeth not away, the BIBLE, the God of hope, the light at the end of the tunnel, the Lord takes pleasure in those who reverence him, the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the salvation of your souls, the scriptures were written to give us hope, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the throne of grace, the trial of your faith, the undisputed truth, the weekend is here at last, therefore have I hope, they are new every morning, this I recall to mind, those that hope in his mercy, though it be tested with fire, though now for a season, though now ye see him not, through faith unto salvation, through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might have hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost, to handle the unexpected storms properly, trials and tribulations, trusting faith, truth, turning to scriptures of hope, whatever was written beforehand, whatsoever things were written aforetime, wherein ye greatly rejoice, whom having not seen you love, wisdom, wise guidance, with God's generous help, with hope there's always life, written for our learning, ye may abound in hope, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, yet believing
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 May 2026 Romans 15:13.
Romans 15:13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Oh my people, we could not ask for a better Friday; a sunny one with temps in the high teens. No wonder our Friday Mantra was so bubbly when it was sent up. (smile) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ Yes, the work week has wound down to this last day and the many sighs and groans being emitted do tell a story of tiredness and uncertainty in managing these never before experienced ungodly and evil times. But let’s remember that we are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ; that means we have hope, faith, trust and LOVE in His goodness and mercy.
And I like how this commentary from the website countryliving.com talks about our behaviour and activity in those times. ‘In tough and uncertain times, it can be difficult to look beyond what’s currently happening in your life and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether you’re going through a big life change, a hard time for your family, or personal health concerns, an optimistic frame of mind can help you see a difficult challenge as an opportunity for gratitude. When you’re feeling low, try to find the silver linings in your hardships.’
And that silver lining begins with turning to scriptures of hope. And since we’ve been granted life for today, let’s keep our promise of yesterday to continue looking at scriptures on hope. Now there are so many, that it’s difficult to choose which ones to share. But we’ll begin with this one we all know from the pen of Jeremiah in His Lamentations. ‘This I recall to my mind (God’s faithfulness), therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:21-23) And that’s the undisputed truth friends! For it’s only because of God’s mercy and compassion that we’re alive to tell the tale today.
Now what about these interesting verses from Psalm 62, where Bruh David confidently declares: ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 62:5-6) What strong faith my people! And we know Bruh David lived it out in his own lifetime, despite the many trials and tribulations he suffered. And that’s the same way we need to come up hopeful, strong and faithful when we go through adversity. It’s not easy, but we have the tools to do it, if we’re sincere about trying.
And we have this other reassuring verse from Psalm 147: ‘The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear (reverence) him, in those that hope in his mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS).’ (Ps. 147:5) More comfort, support and acknowledgement of God’s faithfulness! Meanwhile, Bruh Paul in talking about being likeminded, wrote thus to the Romans: ‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime (beforehand) were written for our learning, that we through patience (perseverance) and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.’ (Rom. 15:4) Oh my people! The scriptures were written so that we could have hope! Glory be to God!
Then there’s this marvelous scripture from Peter that raises hope to a higher level. He writes: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness (distressed) through manifold temptations: That the trial (genuineness) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that persisheth, though it be tried (tested) with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing (revelation) of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye LOVE; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-9)
Yes mih bredrin, our hope in Jesus is not a dead one, but alive and kicking because of His resurrection. And our hope and faith and belief in Him is so great that although we’ve never seen Jesus in person, we LOVE Him nonetheless with a mighty LOVE, that exceeds our LOVE for anything or anyone else, because He’s provided the salvation for our souls so that we won’t be eternally separated from God, but instead spend eternity with Him. Now that’s the level of hope to which we all need to attain, so that we can rejoice with unspeakable, indescribable joy.
And we’ll end with this heartfelt prayer from Bruh Paul to the Romans: ‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.’ (Rom. 15:13) Ah my fellow believers, once our forefathers Adam and Eve disobeyed God and brought sin into the world, life has never been easy, but through God’s insurmountable, unconditional LOVE, we’ve always had hope, and in the coming of Jesus Christ; His death and resurrection, we’ve finally received the reconciliation that God planned from the very beginning. So please, let’s not lose hope now, when the rewards are oh so near.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid and reassurance to help us in these evil times. 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!’
Yes friends, our whole world needs to wake up and smell the coffee, and it’s our responsibility to get the ball rolling, and thereby set a good example for the rest of the world! So let’s get to it right away nuh, for remember God doesn’t want to lose even one human soul to Satan, that means we’d better hurry up and get working, for time is quickly slipping away! Much LOVE!
…once there’s hope…there’s always life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lively hope, a living hope, a long and arduous journey, a new stage of life, a paradox, a sinner becomes a saint, a Sunday evening stroll, abundance, according to His abundant mercy, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, at the appearing of Christ, be found with praise honour and glory, being much more precious than gold, believers in Christ, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, children of the Most High God, clear direction for my life, conform to the image of Jesus, continually guarded by God, courage, creativity, curse, distressed through numerous temptations, diversified trials, divine protection, earthly trials, even the salvation of your souls, faith, fear, for a season, fortitude, full of glory, God's infinite wisdom, God's Master Plan, godly courage, good friends, good health, guaranteed by Jesus' resurrection, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, holy spirit, in heaviness, Jesus Christ, Jesus is a hard act to follow, kept by the power of God, looks to the future, LOVE, made of stern stuff, manifold temptations, mercy, mind boggling, morally untainted, more than conquerors, negative word, no element of uncertainty, not subject to the ravages of time, our godly purpose, promotion, receiving the end of your faith, refining faith through trials, reflecting a christ-like image, rescued from this world into the presence of God, reserved in heaven for you, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, spiritual growth, talent, temptation, testing, that does not fade away, that fadeth not away, the author of salvation, the best example to follow, the Christian life, the genuineness of our faith, the indisputable truth, the level of faith, the metamorphosis of a butterfly, the paradox of the Christian life, the parched earth was satisfied, the portrayal of salvation, the problem of salvation looks to the present, the rains fell, the resurrection of Christ, the salvation of your souls, the trial of your faith, the ultimate salvation, the work of salvation, though now you see him not yet believing, though you see him not, through faith unto salvation, to be revealed in the last time, trials and tribulations, tried with fire, true faith cannot be destroyed, truth, unspeakable joy, we can handle whatever comes against us, we only grow in hard times, whom having not seen you love, wisdom, work everything out for our good, ye greatly rejoice, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable
1 Peter 1:9. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
And the rains fell…and the parched earth was satisfied… Yes friends, the rain did fall this Thursday morning in early September, thus it’s wet, dark and somewhat chilly out there in my neighbourhood. But as believers in Christ Jesus, we are made of stern stuff and can handle whatever comes against us, for we are also children of the Most High God, and more than conquerors.
However, all joking aside, it’s not easy to get to that level of faith where we can deal fairly easily deal with the trials and tribulations of this cruel and evil world. And as we’ve been seeing for the last couple of days, the Lord has an overall Master Plan for His children; that’s to conform them to the image of His firstborn Jesus. Now, Jesus is indeed a hard act to follow, but He is indeed the best example of godliness, holiness, obedience, LOVE and compassion that exists. And the Lord God Jehovah in His infinite wisdom has built up a way for His adopted children to attain a good likeness to His first born.
Unfortunately though, this transformation doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s a lifelong journey with the Lord, the Master Potter that He is, molding us a little more every day into the Christlike image that He desires. And we know that clay goes through a lot of changes and plenty of heat until it eventually turns into what the Potter desires. And so it is with us, as the Father LOVINGLY molds us to His Son’s image.
The best analogy of Christian transformation might be the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly, where it goes through a comparatively long and arduous task and journey of turning from one to the other, but with the Lord’s inbuilt help, it eventually accomplishes it and flies away on beautiful gossamer wings. And we saw yesterday where this work of transformation was done by the Holy Spirit. And somewhere along the line we also mentioned testing and temptation as being the only way to grow spiritually. And that’s simply the indisputable truth. We only grow when we go through unfamiliar and tough times.
Now, per those aspects of testing and spiritual growth, Peter captures the very essence of the paradox of Christian life, in his first epistle, when he writes: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness (distressed) through manifold temptations: That the trial (genuineness) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried (tested) with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye LOVE; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-9)
Oh my people, that sounds mind boggling, but it’s simple when you understand it. Now here are some explanations from the scholars, which I hope will bring us such understanding. They say that, ‘The portrayal of salvation looks to the future, that is the ultimate salvation when the believer will be rescued from this world into the presence of God. The author of salvation is portrayed as the blessed God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The work of salvation (vs. 3-5) is described as to its effect.
Hath begotten us again refers to a new stage of life that begins at salvation. This lively hope has no element of uncertainty, for it is guaranteed by Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. The believer’s inheritance is described as incorruptible, imperishable or indestructible, and undefiled (i.e. morally untainted). That fadeth not away means it is not subject to the ravages of time. Further it is reserved, that is, it has been preserved in the past and still is in heaven. Kept is a present passive participle – we are secure because we are continually guarded by God, who never relaxes His vigil. Salvation here refers to final salvation, that is, deliverance from the presence of sin and into the presence of God.’
Now, that’s all the flowery and heavenly stuff, but getting down to brass tacks, to the actual heart of the matter, which concerns us in the now not the hereafter, the scholars explain about verses 6-9 thus: ‘The problem of salvation looks to the present. Earthly trials constitute a problem of our salvation, but they are only for a season, or temporary. Manifold temptations means diversified trials. True faith cannot be destroyed though God is in the process of refining faith through our trials.’
Yes friends, the life of the serious Christian is not a Sunday evening stroll in the park, but serious business, with tough stuff coming from Satan as well as from God. However, we must never forget God’s promise to eventually work out everything for our good, (Rom. 8:28) because He LOVES us dearly and has our best interest at heart. But we do have to bear the unfortunate or tough stuff that comes against us with godly courage and fortitude, not allowing fear, the enemy’s weapon, to distract us from our godly purpose, because the Lord God, our heavenly Father, is always with us, and will not let us fall.
And as the scholars explain above; ‘true faith cannot be destroyed…’ No! Because God shores up our faith while refining us! And hopefully, as we continually read and meditate on God’s Word and better understand it, we’ll relax and walk expectantly and patiently with the Lord. Now, it’s time to declare and thus activate our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
All together: ‘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 (awright!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those underserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…it’s oh so beautiful…when a sinner…becomes a saint…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great high priest, a harbinger, according to His abundant mercy, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, blessed us with all spiritual blessings, come boldly unto the throne of grace, endure to the end, find grace to help in time of need, from God our Father, grace to you and peace, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, hold fast our profession, I'm not loking back, I'm so glad to be alive, in heavenly places, it bringeth forth fruit, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, living for Christ brings heavenly blessings, living for Satan brings helllish curses, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven, passed into the heavens, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the enemies of the cross of Christ, the gospel produces godly character and noble conduct, the hope laid up for you in heaven, to a glorious future with Christ, vain deceit, we may obtain mercy, Wednesday Wail, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, word of truth of he gospel
Matthew 6:21. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Well friends, we’ve come full circle around again to another Wednesday, the middle of our work week. Some of us look forward to Wednesday as a sort of harbinger of Friday, that magic day when labour ceases for most of us. Yes, just two more days to go. But Wednesday, in and of itself is a very good day. It has all the new mercies and compassions that the other days have, and it also gives us another chance to get closer and more intimate with our Creator and to make a much needed difference in our crazy, turbulent world.. So please stop looking at Wednesday, just in terms of Friday. (smile)
And to show how special Wednesday can be, this morning we’ll open with the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus, a greeting that’s unlike any other greeting. So listen up, pay attention. My fellow saints, all over the world where this missive is read or heard, ‘Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be (worthy of praise is) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.’ (Eph. 1:2-3)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul has deemed the Lord as being worthy of much praise because of the spiritual blessings He has put aside for us in heaven, through His Son, Jesus Christ. And what are those spiritual blessings that are in our names in heaven. Here are a few of them, as noted by the scholars.
The first one is the Christian’s citizenship, which is listed in Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians, when he advises them to imitate him and not others who ‘are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, who mind (set their minds) on earthly things. For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence we also look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself.’ (Phil. 3:18b-21)
So, if we follow Christ, sincerely, the first thing we’re assured of is citizenship in heaven with Him. The scholars also note that our High Priest is in heaven. ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (weaknesses), but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
Wow! What a wonderful high priest we have in heaven my brethren! One who can identify with all of our faults and frailties. It certainly does help to be able to go to Him and know that He will understand whatever we’re going through. Then there’s our hope. As Bruh Paul puts it in his missive to the Colossians.
‘We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the LOVE which ye have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:’ (Col. 1:3-6)
And I like some of the scholars’ explanations of those verses. As per vs. 4, they say: Evidence of a person’s faith is Christ Jesus is his LOVE…to all the saints.’ And we cannot deny the truth in that statement. Then as per vs. 5, they explain that ‘Hope is salvation, as it refers to the object for which one hopes. While Word of truth of the gospel could be rendered as “the message of the gospel which is true.” This is meant to contradict the Colossian heresy: unlike its false teaching, or “vain deceit” (2:8), the gospel is true indeed.
And then in vs. 6, they explain that ‘The universal spread and effectiveness of the gospel verify the assertion in verse 5 that it is the truth. The Colossian heresy is merely local; while the gospel has come to the Colossians, it has gone beyond them in all the world. And it bringeth forth fruit; that is, when embraced by faith, the gospel produces godly character and noble conduct in its converts.’ Let’s hope that’s true of us my people.
Then we have our ‘inheritance’ which Peter talks of thus: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5)
Ah mih people, salvation begins a new stage of life for us, and we have that certain hope because it’s guaranteed by the death and resurrection of Christ. and our inheritance is imperishable, cannot rust, be tainted by moth, stolen or ravaged by the passing of time. And it’s securely preserved and guarded in heaven for us by our heavenly Father. Wow! Now why would I choose to bow down and worship any other god eh? No way Jose!
And lastly, we have our treasure stored up in heaven as spoken of by Jesus. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:10-21) And I do hope we’ve taken Jesus seriously and laid up our treasures in heaven rather than down here on earth, for it’s all safe and secure up there.
So you see friends, some of the spiritual blessings we have laid up for un in heaven by the Father through Christ, and which are ‘being progressively dispersed to us on earth in accord with our need and Christian growth.’ We couldn’t have a better life than that friends. That’s why it’s wise to hook up with Jesus and stay hooked up! Now for those of us who have done that, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And one last bit of encouragement. If we endure to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…if living for Christ brings heavenly blessings…why live for Satan which brings hellish curses…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
11 Sep 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a camel can't go through the eye of the needle, a rich man to enter heaven, according to His abundant mercy, acts of service, an inheritance incorruptible, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, But God commendeth his love toward us, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, change begins and ends in the mind, don't ever change your mind about believing in Jesus, faith in the One and Only God Jehovah, faith is believing in God and trusting His plan, great expectations of good things to come, hath begotten us again, have faith in God, it takes great faith to live for Jesus, kept by the power of God, lay your burdens down, let go of all worries and anxieties, life keeps moving on, live life to the full, LOVE, obedience to god, our friend Anselm, progress is impossible without change, rally to the cross of Jesus, receive christ as Lord and Saviour, reserved in heaven, shortchanging ourselves, sometimes it pays to have a little faith, stand strong and steadfast in your belief, that fadeth not away, the beautiful sunsets, the Lord was with Joseph, the unexpected storms, through faith unto salvation, time to curtail life, unto a lively hope, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, with God all things are possible, with men this is impossible, without any explicit reason, without Christ we're nothing, your life's a total waste
Mark 11:22. Have faith in God.
Then it was Saturday…and life keeps moving on regardless! Yes friends, despite what we say, do or think, life is moving on, and it will move on, because that’s what it was programmed to do by its omnipotent Creator. And until He decides that it’s time to curtail life, there’s nothing the creation can do to thwart it. So, having made that indisputable fact clear, (smile) let’s go out then and enjoy life nuh, live life to the full, live it abundantly, as Christ Jesus died to have us do. For there’s no sense in trying to change or disrupt stuff over which we have no power.
That means letting go of all our worries, anxieties and negative circumstances. We claim to have faith in the One and Only God Jehovah, and in His Son Jesus Christ, who can enable us to do anything, so please, let’s show more of that faith in our everyday lives nuh. Otherwise, we are making ourselves liars, for in these greatly troubled times, great faith in Almighty God is an absolute necessity. So, as life moves on, let’s move on too, and see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week. Help me to wrap my head around them and make some sense of them. (smile)
And the first one says: ‘Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.’ I guess that’s basically true. You can’t make progress unless you change up stuff in your life, and it sounds logical that if you can’t change your mind you will never change anything, since change begins and ends in the mind. It’s the control centre of our life. But friends, a serious word of caution here, do all the changing you want, but please don’t ever change your mind about believing in Christ Jesus! For without Him, we are nothing!
And I guess our friend Anselm was on a faith kick this week, because all the other quotes deal with some aspect of faith. So hear this one: ‘Make a space in your life for the glorious things you deserve. Have faith.’ Now I don’t know how much we deserve, if anything, but the Good Lord does shower us with glorious stuff, and we do need faith to believe that He will continue doing so. Remember that several times Jesus chided those around Him for having little or no faith, and after cursing the fig tree that had leaves but no fruit, He told the disciples: ‘Have faith in God.’ (Mark 11:22)
But what exactly is faith eh? I found this simple but interesting definition on the pushpay.com/blog website by commentator Allison Sakounthong. She says that ‘Put simply, faith is believing in God and trusting in His plan, even when you don’t understand it and can’t see it. As it applies to our life, however, faith is about more than just a feeling, it’s about living it. We live our faith through obedience to God and acts of service.’ And I think that’s as simple as you can put it. It’s all about believing in God and living for Him, with great expectations of good things in our future.
That’s segues very nicely into this next quote. ‘Patience is not the ability to wait. Patience is to be calm no matter what happens, constantly take action to turn it to positive growth opportunities, and have faith to believe that it will all work out in the end while you are waiting.’ Now that’s all true, but again we have to transfer it to faith and belief in God, since there are a lot of things we cannot make happen on our own, but remember what Jesus said about the camel going through the eye of a needle, as opposed to a rich man entering the kingdom of God? ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26)
That’s what we need to believe, with absolutely no doubt whatsoever in our souls, and spirit! Otherwise we will always be lacking something, or even shortchanging ourselves, for it takes great faith to live sincerely for Jesus. Just check out the lives of the great saints before us, like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Job, and our three Bruhs, Joseph, David and Pablo. (smile) And I guess most of you didn’t know that Joseph was a Bruh eh, because I don’t talk about him much. But to be truthful, I believe he was an even bigger example of patience and perseverance than Job. Just look at all he went through as a teenager; from slavery, to prison, in complete innocence.
But you’ll notice that he never whined or complained about his unfair treatment, and that wherever he was, be it in Potiphar’s house, or in prison, the Good Book tells us that ‘the Lord was with Joseph…’ (Gen. 39:2, 22) Yes my people, Bruh Joseph had a dream of great things from God, but the way it actually played out in his life seemed very contrary to the promise. But he never gave up, he stuck it out without complaints, possibly sensing deep down that there was a good and godly reason for all his unwarranted hardship.
And that’s what faith in God means: to stand strong and steadfast in your belief, and keep being godly, although the reality of the situation doesn’t match up with your dream. For God doesn’t move us to high positions unless we go through the low ones faithfully. That brings us to this next quote. ‘Sometimes beautiful things come into our lives out of nowhere. We can’t always understand them, but we must trust in them. I know you want to question everything, but sometimes it pays to just have a little faith.’
Ah mih people, that’s the contrariness of our great God! Sorry, ‘contrariness’ is not the best word nuh, but I just couldn’t think of it at the time of writing. (smile) I basically mean that sometimes God allows us to go through hardship without any explicit reason, but then He also blesses us with beautiful things, also without any explicit reason. But if we truly know who He is, and how He operates, then those unexpected storms or beautiful sunsets won’t bother us, we’ll take them in stride, knowing that He has a good reason and purpose behind all He does, and as He has faithfully promised, eventually He will work it all out for our good.
Then there’s this last quote. ‘Believe in a LOVE that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this LOVE there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it.’ Oh my fellow saints, we know about that LOVE! We’re talking there about the greatest LOVE EVER! That of our wonderful God for us: The Good Book tells it plainly: ‘But God commendeth (showed) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Now how can ever be a LOVE greater than a Father sending a Son to die for ungrateful, disloyal and disobedient people eh? No way! And though that LOVE is visible right now in our earthly lives, it’s also stored up in heaven for us, as Peter tells us. ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5)
Oh friends, there’s nothing else I can say nuh, except to rally us to the cross of Jesus, for that is where it all begins and ends! And if you don’t come to foot of that wooden cross at some stage of your earthly life, to lay your burdens down and receive Christ, as Lord and Saviour, then your life would have been a total waste! Much LOVE!
…if God could display so much LOVE…mankind ought to display much more faith…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
06 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acclimatized to the, before the foundation of the world, benefits, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, But God commendeth his love toward us, calamitous times, die an eternal death, God is worthy of blessings, grace, halfway home, I'm so glad to be alive, in heavenly places in Christ, kicked out of heaven, living a life that's worthy, LOVE, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back at the past, nothing to inspire soul body or spirit, our rock and place of refuge, our safe shelter from the storm, rigours of the work week, spiritual maturity, step out in faith, the breath of life, to a glorious future with Jesus, trust in jesus, trying to turf God out, Wednesday Wail, when you can't beat them join them, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings, worshipping a fallen angel, you can lead a horse to water, you can't make it drink, you won't regret it
Ephesians 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
And then it was good ole Wednesday, the day that gets us over the hump in our work week, that is for those of that are still working. By then we have become acclimatized to the rigours of the work week and have settled down in our spirits, knowing that we can’t get away from it all, if we want to make a living. What a wonderful thing that we have Jesus to encourage and energize us as we go through the ups and downs of this evil and cruel world!
Can you imagine the state of our livers right now in these dismal, controversial and calamitous times, if we didn’t have Jesus to hold on to, to be our rock and place of refuge, our safe shelter from the storm? Brother! It would be like the bleak, damp, winter days that we’re currently having in my area, with no sunshine whatsoever, just a grey and dark hood over the land, with nothing to inspire soul, body or spirit. But as Bruh Paul says to the Ephesians: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.’ (Eph. 1:3)
Yes friends, our God is indeed worthy of blessings, of much praise and thanks, because He has blessed us, conferred unimaginable benefits upon us. And as the scholars ask, ‘When did He do this? Probably in eternity past (cf. vs. 4-5).’ And I’ll quote those verses here for convenience. ‘According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in LOVE. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children (as sons) by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.’ (Eph. 1:4-5)
Ah precious people, it’s so wonderful to know that we have been chosen long ago to be God’s children and heirs through Christ Jesus, who, through His sacrifice made it possible to become holy and righteous and in right relationship with the Father. And what’s amazing is that the Father did this out of His own LOVE and caring for us, greatly desiring to offer us His grace and mercy so we would not die an eternal death, but live with Him in eternity, for ever and ever. Yes, we need to remember that it was all God’s doing and show the appropriate thanks and gratitude by living a life that’s worthy of and appropriate for a believer in Christ Jesus.
As Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Can you imagine any other supposed god doing that for a bunch of ungrateful, disobedient people? Not on your life! But Yahweh, Jehovah God, the Deity we worship did it, because of the magnanimity of His soul and Spirit, the awesome LOVE He had for His most precious creation. Wow!
And turning back to our Bit, talking of the spiritual blessings conferred on us, the scholars ask: ‘Where are these blessings located? In heavenly places, that is, in heaven. As the Christian’s citizenship (Phil. 3:20), high priest (Heb. 4:14), hope (Col. 1:5), and inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4) are all “in heaven,” as his treasure (Matt. 6:20-21) and affection (Col. 3:1-2) are to be “in heaven,” so also the Christian’s blessings are “in heaven.” These spiritual benefits were granted to the believer and are retained in heaven for him, being progressively dispersed to him on earth in accord with his need and Christian growth.’
Oh my people, as we grow in spiritual maturity, we receive more of our heavenly blessings here on earth. It’s like the money we save in the bank; when we need it we take it out. And yuh know what? It was all done through Christ Jesus! Yes, from day one, the Father planned to bless us through His magnificent Son. That was just how it had to be to be done, so it would be authentic, be just and right as demanded by His holy, righteous and just position as judge of the universe! So none of it is an accident, but a well prepared and thought out plan designed to meet all the needs, desires and commitments of all concerned.
Bless His holy name my fellow saints for being so kind, considerate and compassionate, when we didn’t even deserve one iota of His LOVE, grace and mercy! So why we do refuse to bow down and worship Him eh? Why are we so enamoured with and are so desirous of worshipping a fallen angel, who has nothing of substance to offer but eternal death and damnation, a mere creation of God, just like us, who couldn’t defeat God, but was kicked out of heaven for rebelling against His Creator?
Do we think that with us in tow, he can now defeat God eh? Hn! Friends, God is the Creator and Controller of this universe, and NOTHING happens in it unless He allows it. I don’t know why that’s so hard for us to accept, especially when our frailties, weaknesses and mortality show that we are no match for the Almighty.
Friends, it should be oh so clear that we are fighting a losing battle by trying to turf God out of our society. He made it and controls it, and He’s not going anywhere. Look at how long we’ve been trying to resist His word and invitations, thousands of years, and yet still they are here with us today, stronger than ever. Shouldn’t that tell us something?
Yes! That it’s a waste of time fighting God. And it’s best, as the ole saying goes: ‘When yuh can’t beat them, join them!’ That makes so much sense in these trying and disastrous times my people, since as our efforts are meeting with no success whatsoever. But as they also say, ‘you can only lead a horse to water, but you can’t make Him drink.’ Let’s hope that I have at least led us to Christ, and once we get there, I know that He will do the rest. (smile)
So for those of us who are truly interested, let’s go home now declaring (awright!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful and most enviable position in Christ Jesus! Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And my brethren, please remember that if we endure until the end, our future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! That’s the promise of Jesus!Much LOVE!
…step out in faith…trust in Jesus…and you won’t regret it…
