The Two Ways to Live this Earthly Life: for God or for Satan!

13 Dec 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Revelation 21:7.        He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Oh my people, let’s give thanks to our wonderful God for another day of life on His great planet earth, especially on this lazy-day Saturday in the Christmas season, where we don’t have to rush off to work, or anywhere else, and we can just relax and enjoy the warmth and comfort of our beds, or simply take our time and be comfortable with whatever catches our fancy, (smile) before getting into the busyness of the day, with stuff like Christmas preparations. 

But before we get too comfortable or too busy, let’s offer op our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with sincere hearts and voices. Altogether: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

Ah friends, it’s a simple prayer, but what I particularly like about it is that though simple, it still brings out, or highlights our wanting to spend more time with God, to get closer to Him and know Him better. And there’s nothing more fulfilling and rewarding that that in this entire world; for intimacy with Him, was God’s major purpose for creating human beings. But unfortunately with the fall of man and the rising of our sinfulness, we have lost that desire to get intimate with God and His righteousness, we seem to be more intent on getting intimate with Satan and his evil ways, which doesn’t say much for our intelligence and wisdom. 

But please, let’s remember Satan’s prophetic destiny. The Bible says: And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed (released) for a little season (while).’ (Rev. 20:1-3) 

Yes my brethren, during Christ’s thousand years reign on earth Satan will be locked up and unable to tempt or deceive the people. And as the scholars tell us: ‘Any temptation to sin during the Millennium (the thousand year reign of Christ on earth) must come from within those people who are born after the kingdom begins. It must be assumed that all of Satan’s demons or fallen angels are also imprisoned at the same time (cf. Is. 24:21-23).  And we’ll quote those verses to give us a better understanding of the scriptures. 

Isaiah writes: ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones  that are on high (Satanic powers), and the kings of the earth upon the earth (earthly powers). And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall be visited (punished). Then the moon shall be confounded (disgraced, ashamed), and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients (elders) gloriously.’ (Is. 24:21-23) 

So, after that Christ will reign on earth without opposition for a thousand years, and His kingdom will be characterized by righteousness, peace and LOVE.  But remember that after the thousand years Satan will be released for a short while, as we see in the following verses. ‘And when the thousand years are expired (completed), Satan shall be loosed (released) out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 

And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed (surrounded) the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever.’ (Rev. 20:7-10) 

Yes my people that’s the faith that will eventually befall the powers of evil.  And for those who follow them rather than God, here’s their fate: ‘But the fearful (cowardly), and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers (sexually immoral), and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (eternal punishment).’ (Rev. 21:8) 

Now please contrast that ending with this one. ‘And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:2-4) 

Oh my faithful belieers, that’s what we have to look forward to when we endure with Jesus right to the very end. Listen closely as John tells it. ‘And  he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst (who thirsts) of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.’ (Rev. 21:6-7) 

There it is in black and white my friends; the two endings to the two ways to live this earthly life. It’s up to each individual to make a decision, let’s hope and pray that we all make the right one. Much LOVE!

…if you believe that the Bible is God’s Guidebook to man…then you’d better believe what it says…and live accordingly…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Continually Seeking Greater Intimacy With God!

08 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 37:25.        ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread.’

Okay! At last it’s our lazy-day Saturday, where anything goes…well, anything within reason. (smile) For we are followers of and believers in Christ Jesus, and that means there are some things we ought not to do, for He does not condone many of the things the world considers all right. But there are enough things allowed to keep us joyful and contented on this chilly, windy but bright and sunshiny Saturday, and one of them is to offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. 

So let’s do so with all sincerity and truth. ‘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!’ 

Now, if our prayer was truly sincere, if we truly desired to get a li’l closer to God, to develop some more intimacy with Him, then we’ll soon be feeling that sense of peace and calm washing over us, for there’s nothing He LOVES more than His human creations seeking to get close to Him. And if our hearts and motives are right, He will surely grant our request for greater communication and involvement. And that’s why so many of our lives are dull, dreary and without good purpose; we refuse to get closer to the One who controls our lives and all that’s in the world. 

Remember what the Bible tells us: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers). (Ps. 24:1-2) So that tells us that the Lord is sovereign over all the earth and all that’s in it, which includes us human beings. Consequently, wisdom ought to be leading us to pay much more attention than we’re currently doing to the Creator and Ultimate Sovereign of the universe. 

Remember our lives are in His hands. He controls our birth, life and death. And also as Moses wisely informed the Israelites: ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. (Deut. 8:18) Ah mih people if everything in and on the earth belongs to the Lord, then it must also be in his power to cause us to be prosperous. Simple logic decrees that. 

So, if the Lord has so much power over our lives, why are we so reluctant and consequently foolish in trying to ignore Him as much as possible, instead of running to Him and being greeted with open arms? Because we’ve fallen for the foolishness of Satan, who promises us all sorts of things but cannot keep those promises. And whatever he is able to give has so many strings attached to it, like a spider’s web, that we can never get loose from his avaricious grasp without the help of Jesus. Remember that; Jesus is the ONLY ONE who can take us from Satan’s greedy and evil grip. 

It’s also worthy of note that Satan, like us, is a created being, and if he was as powerful as he pretends, he would not have been kicked out of heaven for trying to overthrow the Lord. And like us, his time is finite. Yes, he’s living on borrowed time, for when the Lord is ready Satan will come to the end the Lord promised. ‘And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.’ (Rev. 20:10) 

And is that the same fate we desire to meet? I sincerely hope not! Not when we can achieve the exact opposite of life in heaven on earth with Jesus, where ‘God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:4) 

Now please look at both those scenarios and tell me which you prefer? The one for Satan might look somewhat rosier on earth, but the end certainly is unacceptable. And I don’t know why we sell our souls to the devil to get material wealth and power, when we can get the same things from the Lord if we live the way He desires. Living sincerely for God doesn’t mean a poor, downtrodden, primitive, sad, desperate life. No way! Remember Jesus came to earth not only to save us from our abominable sins, but also that we could have an abundant life right here on earth. He said it quite clearly: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10b) 

And an abundant life doesn’t mean scratching and scraping to make ends meet. No. But to get that abundant life, we also have to do as Jesus declared. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And what better way to close today than with these most reassuring and faithful words of Bruh David from Psalm 37. He assuredly states: ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread.’ (Ps. 37:25) 

Now, if we can’t believe Bruh David, who went through so many trials and tribulations in the service of the Lord, then who will we believe eh? So what are we to do? It’s like Cousin Sol says: ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.’ (Prov. 4:7-8) 

And where do we get that wisdom and understanding? From Almighty God obviously! Where else? As Cousin Sol so profoundly declares: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov. 1:7) 

Please my people, let’s not be foolish, but be wise on this lazy-day Saturday and seek the Lord while He may be found. Much LOVE!

…it all begins with God…flows through God…and ends with God…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Solid Reasons for Believers to Resist the Devil’s Lure!

11 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 37:1.       Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

Oh friends, it’s another beautiful, sunshiny day in my area, with temperatures supposedly around plus 7 degrees. Wow! Now, yesterday it was also supposed to be around the same temperature, but it surely didn’t feel that warm. Thankfully though, most of the snow has now melted, and if this warm weather continues, then it shall soon be all gone. 

And by the way, I heard some other good news this morning; some birds chirping outside my bedroom window. Was I ever surprised. Birds chirping in the second week of March? It’s either they didn’t go south for the winter, or they believe that spring is near, so they came back. And when I came downstairs just now and looked out the kitchen window, I saw a couple of them frolicking in their usual fashion out there. It would surely be a boost to our collective spirits if spring was right around the corner, giving us a much-needed break from the tough winter that we’ve now become unaccustomed to. (smile) 

Yes, we’ve gotten so accustomed to the easy living of these modern and prosperous times that what in earlier times would have been a normal winter, has now become a winter of huge proportions. What a set of wusses, that’s weak, shallow, ineffectual people we’ve become! No wonder we feel so entitled to living the good life without even lifting a finger to make it happen. But do not fear, we will all get our comeuppance in due time. The Lord’s promised it, and we know that whatever He promises will come to pass…in His good time. (smile) 

And what’s on tap for today, you ask? Well, I just opened the Good Library, and this most interesting and most relevant psalm jumped out at me. It’s Psalm 37, where Bruh David writes about Trust In the Lord. So let’s read it together nuh, and see what good and useful information we can glean from it. He begins: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2) 

And right there in the opening verses my people, we have some very important and reassuring words. Don’t be jealous and envious of those who do evil and seem to prosper, for their undeserved prosperity will eventually be diminished by God’s intervening hand. Now, those words of reassurance have never been needed more than in these very evil and ungodly times, where Satan’s rule is at it’s highest. And how do we counter Satan’s attempts to inveigle us into his evil doings. 

Bruh David lays it our very plainly in these following verses of the psalm. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-6) Yes my brethren, those are the basic ways to keep the devil at bay and the Lord in first place in our lives, so that He can uplift and exalt us in due time. 

And we all know that sticking to the Lord like white on rice is not easy in these very turbulent and chaotic times, but He’s given us all the tools we need to do it, we simply have to get up the gumption to use them, and not let the seemingly pleasurable things of the world get us off track, like Beelzebub is trying so hard to do. And if we do that to the best of our ability, here’s what Bruh David says will happen. ‘And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:6) For sure! The Lord will ensure your justice and righteousness, if you make Him number one in your life. 

Then Bruh David adds a li’l langniappe, or extra for good measure, when he continues: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who propsereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place (look diligently for it), and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps. 37:7-11) 

Oh my fellow saints, the wicked are ruling the roost right now, but we know that eventually the Lord will cut them down like the grass withers at high noon, so we should encourage ourselves and each other not to give up, not to let the worthless baubles and bangles that the enemy flashes in front of our faces to lure us into his evil trap. The Lord’s promised, and He’s faithful. So let’s stand strong and wait on Him. He knows what He’s doing. Remember His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, that we cannot even begin to understand them. (Is. 55:8-9) 

Remember too, that Satan is a created being just like us, and his power is nonexistent in our lives, unless we allow him to use it. And the Bible tells us that when the Lord’s ready, He will get rid of him forever. ‘And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.’ (Rev. 20:10) So friends, it’s certainly within our power to resist the devil, but we have to use the tools provided, if we wish to do it successfully. 

And I like how the scholars explain it. ‘The psalm also contains a simple formula for achieving peace of mind in the face of the wicked’s prosperity: fret not…neither be thou envious (vs. 1), trust…do good (vs. 3), delight thyself also in the Lord (vs. 4), commit thy way…trust (vs. 5), rest…wait patiently…fret not (vs. 7), cease from anger…forsake wrath…fret not (vs.8). All of these exhortations urge the believer to confidently trust in the Lord with all of life’s problems. The psalm concludes appropriately with an undying affirmation of faith and trust in the unchanging character of God.’  

Yes friends, our God is immutable, unchangeable! And we see the Lord saying that in Malachi: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) ‘That implies that God’s character and eternal purposes do not change, which gives a solid foundation for his people’s faith and hope.’ Amen! 

Now let’s go home with boosted faith and spirits, declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And having made that declaration (steups!!!) we’re now 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!

…Jesus reaffirmed Bruh David’s promise in the Beatitudes…blessed are the meek…for they shall inherit the earth… (Matt. 5:5)

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 July 2023 Daniel 9:3.

18 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Daniel 9:3.       And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

And it looks like it’s going to be a glorious summer Tuesday in my neck of the woods! Praise the Lord! Except that I have to drive into the big metropolis of Toronto this afternoon for a doctor’s appointment. Chuh! Usually, I would take the Government’s Go Bus and enjoy a cool, quiet and stressless ride, and do the same thing coming back. But unfortunately, some wise Alec, and I’m being nice and Christian there, decided to change the bus route for their own convenient purposes and threw a lot of people out of convenient transportation. 

And they didn’t even have the good manners to ask for queries or inform the public that it was going to happen. They just threw it up unexpectedly. And it’s not like it wasn’t a profitable route, because the bus was always well stocked with commuters, especially students going to school in Toronto. One friend who’s been taking the bus for several years now, summer, spring, winter and fall, don’t know how she did it, now has to stay all week in Toronto with her daughter and be away from the rest of her family because what’s available is now too inconvenient. 

And to top it all off, the mighty city of T.O. doesn’t want people driving into its congested, under construction and badly paved roadways, but yet they are allowing convenient, profitable bus routes into the city to be discontinued. As the man would say, ‘beat me down yes!’ (smile) But that’s my rant for today. Now let’s see what the Lord has to say about it all. And the Good Library opened today unto the Book of the prophet Daniel at this particular spot where he was about to pray for His people Israel during their seventy year captivity in Babylon. 

It states: ‘And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful (awesome) God, keeping the covenant and mercy (LOVING-kindness) to them that LOVE him, and to them that keep his commandments. We have sinned and committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings and princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.’ (Dan. 9:3-6) 

Now my fellow believers, unless we are the devil’s own children, we will agree that our society is very reminiscent of the one Daniel was referring to way back then in Israel! For we have indeed rebelled against the rules of God and committed such iniquity, iniquity that’s never ever been seen before in all the days of mankind on the earth. And I just have to sadly shake my head when I think of some of the stuff that routinely goes on in our most wonderful and enlightened society. Steups! I hope you caught the sarcasm. 

Like mankind is just going out of his way to search for the worst kind of iniquity possible. Instead of seeking for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, we’re adamantly seeking for the kingdom of Satan and his evilness. It seems like the most depraved, vile, nefarious, pernicious and corrupt situations are what we are consistently after. It must be, if we have no place for God in our hearts and are demanding He be driven out of our society. 

But as the Good Library and I keep saying, that’s a fool’s wisdom, something that will NEVER happen, because the Lord God Almighty, Creator and Controller of this mighty universe, will not allow himself to be kicked out of what He created. Now, He might allow a lot of sinful and iniquitous nonsense to go on for a time, like how a cat plays with a mouse before it finally delivers it from its torture, but the day of the wicked and its purveyor of wickedness Satan are numbered. 

The Good Library tells us in the Book of Revelation, that after the Millennium reign of Christ, during which time the devil will be locked up and unable to tempt anyone, he will be released and continue with his stupid actions, causing the wicked to fight the saints of God. But then, after the last battle, here’s what happens. ‘And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.’ (Rev. 20:10) 

Oh my people, however you want to put it, the simple fact is that Satan and his minions, any who are foolish enough to follow his deceitful and evil ways, will eventually be destroyed. That’s the long, short and in between of the story. And it’s been repeated over and over throughout the whole of the Good Library. So, I don’t understand how we can continue with the foolish and unwise action of listening to Satan and doing his evil deeds, when certain destruction is in the offing for evil doers. 

And as Daniel said way back then: ‘As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.’ (Dan. 9:13) Yes friends, despite all the evil both in and around us, we still refuse to take our problems to the God of the universe who has faithfully promised to help us in every and any way necessary, so that we can live righteously, for Him and His kingdom. 

Apparently, the lure of Satan and his fake and fancy baubles and bangles are greater than the imperishable rewards that will be stored in heaven for the righteous. As usual, with our greedy lust of the eyes, we want to see it before we believe it. But I definitely don’t want to be there when those who fall for Satan’s lies and deceptions see their promised destruction coming upon them. Now, let’s hope that what we’ve said has gotten home to all of us, and will deter us from turning away from Almighty God and keep us revelling in His awesome grace and mercy. 

And for those of us who are intent on doing just that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. As one voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

Now let’s get out into the evil and ungodly world and share that awesome and amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…it’s time for Christians to stop talking…and instead get to doing some serious action for Christ… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ