06 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man's enemies are the men of his own house, a more glorious future than we can ask or imagine, all lie in wait for blood, artificial intelligence, be very careful in our interactions, blasphemers, blood is thicker than water, boasters, brutal, catch our second wind, christianity, Christians, corrupt and greedy bunch of leaders, covetous, deceit, denying the power thereof, despisers of those that are good, disobedient to parents, don't be afraid, endure to the end, everyone with his neighbour, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, false accusers, fierce, flattery, from her that lieth in thy bosom, from such turn away, godliness depends on an individual's personal decision, godly people are disappearing, halfway home, hands on the plough, haughty, having a form of godliness, heady, Help Lord, highminded, hit the nail right on the head, holy spirit, hunt every man his brother with a net, in the last days perilous times shall come, incontinent, irreconcilable, Jesus Christ, Jesus will make everything right in the end, keep the doors of thy mouth, lies, LOVE, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, may do evil with both hands earnestly, men shall be lovers of their own selves, merciful men are taken away, mercy, money lovers, no man layeth it to heart, no man takes it to heart, none upright among men, not turning back, our society is as vain as a preening peacock, proud, put ye not confidence in a guide, reckless, salvation, slanderers, slanting the truth, so they scheme together, so they wrap it up, social media, strong ties to Jesus, thank God, the ascendance of evil and ungodliness, the backbone of our society, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the daughter in law against her mother in law, the daughter rises up against her mother, the faithful disappear from amomg the children of men, the faithful fail, the godly man ceaseth, the good man is persihed out of the earth, the great man utter his evil desire, the judge asketh for a reward, the prince asketh for gifts, the righteous is taken away from the evil to come, the righteous perisheth, the son dishonours the father, the virus of greed is never satisfied, they speak vanity, to a glorious future with Jesus, traitors, true breakers, trust ye not in a friend, truth, unholy, unthankful, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, with a double heart do they speak, with flattering lips, without natural affection, without self control
Psalm 12:1. Help (save), Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men.
And it’s a wet, chilly and cloudy Wednesday morning in my neighbourhood, but nonetheless, it’s important that we catch our second wind so that we can keep on doing good work for God during the rest of the week. And we know that some days are more tiring and exhausting than others, but we need to try and keep a sense of balance throughout the week, not going overboard, or underboard. (smile)
With that in mind, let’s consider these two interesting verses from Psalm 12, here Bruh David cries out: ‘Help (save), Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men. They speak vanity (idly or falsely) every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart (an inconsistent mind) do they speak.’ (Ps. 12:1-2) Now, I would call that a very good description of what’s happening in our world today. Truly godly people are surely few and far between; they have nearly disappeared from the ranks of men.
It’s like Isaiah said so long ago about his society. ‘The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth (takes) it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come (the presence of evil). (Is. 57:1) Yes friends, the godly are suffering more nowadays because of the ascendance of evil and ungodliness.
And Micah also had something to say on the subject. ‘The good (loyal or faithful) man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly (successfully), the prince asketh (asks for gifts), and the judge asketh for a reward (bribe); and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous (evil) desire; so they wrap it up (scheme together).’ (Mic. 7:2-3)
Oh my people, are we sure that Micah is not alive today and prophesying about our world. For he’s hit the nail right on the head about our evil, scheming leaders. What a corrupt and greedy bunch they are. And the sad part is that many of them already have more than they can ever use in this life, but I guess the virus of greed is never satisfied. But our society is even more disgusting than that. We can talk about vanity, it’s true meaning, and discover that our society is as vain and narcissistic as we can get. We look like a brood of peacocks just preening for ourselves and each other.
And lies, slanting the truth, flattery and deceit have become the backbone of our society. You see it in the behaviour of our leaders, in the television broadcasts, and social media, where everyone has an opinion, but few actually know what they’re talking about. And that situation has only gotten worse, and will get even worse with the introduction and improvement of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Nowadays it’s a real task to decipher what is real or true from what’s not. And people are so wicked and greedy that they spin some evil, untrue stories and put them out in social media and have everybody believing them.
Unfortunately though, that’s the direction in which we’re currently headed, and until and unless AI is quickly regulated, it will become an even bigger problem that when the internet was first introduced, for mankind is by nature an evil, greedy being, and just like how the internet was, and still is used for evil doing, AI will make matters even more difficult and disillusioning.
So what’s the answer, you ask? There could only be one; that’s cling to Jesus as closely as possible, and be very careful about whom you have serious interactions. Or as Micah said back in his time. ‘Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide (companion): keep (guard) the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.’ (Mic. 7:5-6)
And that’s also a very good description of our current society, for there’s lots of infighting and dissension between families today. No wonder the family as the foundation of the society is falling apart. Once upon a time blood was considered thicker than water, but now, blood ties rarely seem to win out over personal satisfaction. And sadly, today we’re definitely seeing a situation like what Bruh Paul prophesied to Timothy.
‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, truce breakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), highminded (haughty), lovers of pleasure more than (rather than) lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
Oh my brethren, we could not get better advice, or a better description of our society than that one from Bruh Paul. Possibly, these might just be the last days, for we are certainly seeing very perilous times, as well as the kind of people he described. But please, let’s not allow all those less than worthy things to scare or frighten us, for we have strong ties to the Number One Person in this world, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who has warned us several times not to be afraid of whatever comes against us, but to keep Him first place and everything will turn out good in the end.
So with that uppermost in our minds, let’s declare 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!’
That’s not all though, for it’s been promised that whoever endures with Jesus right to the very end, will experience an even greater and more glorious future, one that our minds cannot even imagine or comprehend. So let’s be wise and endure to the very end nuh, so that we can endure that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…in the end…true godliness depends on an individual’s personal decision…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of purpose, abide in me and I in you, all have room for improvement, backed up by strong faith, become better Christians, catch our second wind, Chrisitanity, come up higher, commit thy works unto the Lord, Easter celebrations, endure to the end with Jesus, except it abide in the vine, except you abide in me, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, finite minds, get left behind, getting closer to Christ, God always makes a way for us to endure our problems, God always pulled me through, God creating paths where it seems impossible, God is faithful, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, good disciples of Christ, grown in faith and patience, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that abideth in me and I in him, holy spirit, how has our Christian witness improved, I am the vine ye are the branches, I will do a new thing, Jesus Christ, lose some of your enthusiasm when you're sick, LOVE, make a way in the wilderness, mercy, more beneficial to go through the problem, need to pay attention, never give up, New Year's resolution, no more can ye, no one to blame but ourselves, not go along lackadaisically, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, not turning back, now it shall spring forth, on His timetable not mine, our duty is to bear good fruit, our faith needs to rise up and be strong, our sufficiency is of God, physical inability to get around, rivers in the desert, salvation, shall ye not know it, sickness is not easy road to travel, sit up and take notice, so glad to be alive, stay attached to Christ, stick to Jesus like white on rice, such as is common to man, thank God, the BIBLE, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the jet stream of quickly moving days, the living truth, the same bringeth forth much fruit, there hath no temptation taken you, thy thoughts shall be established, to a glorious future with Jesus, to follow Jesus more closely this year, to think any thing of ourselves, to truly live for Christ, truth, Wednesday Wail, will also make a way of escape, wisdom, with God's help, with the temptation, witha s sense of prupose, without me ye can do nothing, ye may be able to bear it
John 15:4. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.’
So we’ve come to Wednesday…already? Yes, already, for the days are not waiting on us, and we’d better catch our second wind today before the week runs away with us. (smile) On a serious note though, that can easily happen if we’re not paying attention to what’s going on around us, and when it does happen, we have no one to blame but ourselves. So please, let’s sit up and take notice of what’s happening around us, if we don’t want to get left behind in the jet stream of these quickly moving days.
And talking about that, do you realize that tomorrow is the last day of April, a month which just recently began with the Easter celebrations. That means we’ve completed four months of the year already and it’s time to look at how our New Years resolution is going. Do you even remember that? Yes, we made a New Year’s resolution to follow Jesus more closely and become better Christians than we were last year. So how has that worked out so far? Have we indeed been getting closer to Christ, being like the branch that abides in Him, with Him abiding in us?
Remember what He said, ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.’ (John 15:4) And remember one of our duties as His follower is to bear good fruit, which we cannot do unless we abide in Jesus, stick close to him like white on rice. As he says: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)
And isn’t that the living truth! Without Jesus we cannot do a whole lot; certainly not bring forth good fruit like He and the Father desire. That’s why, if we want to be good disciples of Christ, we have to always stay close, stay attached to Him, so the sap from His vine can flow into our branches and cause us to bear much good fruit. And Bruh Paul also reminds us that without the Lord we are not able to do much, when he writes: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;’ (2 C0r. 3:5)
So again, the question is, have we improved our Chrisitan witness in the last four months? I think I have made some improvement, but I’ve also slacked off some. The problem stems from my constantly being sick for so much of the year. The sickness wasn’t an easy road to travel, still isn’t, but I believe it has grown my faith and patience some. (smile) For at times I just had to rely on the Lord’s goodness and mercy to pull me through. And in all occasions, He eventually did, but on His timetable, not mine. (smile)
However, it’s also prevented me from doing some of the good things I wanted to do. For when you are in a state of poor health, you lose some of your enthusiasm as well as the physical ability to get around and make things happen. But the important things is that we haven’t given up, and we’re not going to either. We have to keep believing that whatever the Lord allows into our lives, is for a purpose that He considers necessary, even if we don’t, and He won’t give us more than we can bear, or if He does, He will make a way for us.
It’s like the scripture says: ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:19) That’s one of God’s many promises to see us through our difficult times. Of God creating paths where there seems to be no way for Him to do so. But we need to be paying attention, we cannot just go along lackadaisically, but with a sense of purpose backed up by strong faith.
Meanwhile in Proverbs, Cousin Sol tells us: ‘Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.’ (Prov. 16:3) That means first talking to God about our plans before trying to institute them in our own strength. And if He agrees, then we know they will be successful. Then we have this verse from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, that so many of us use to quell our worries in difficult situations. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13)
Yes friends, there are many times when we believe the Lord gives us more than we can bear, and sometimes He might, (smile) but He’s also promised that if that happens, He will always make a way for us to endure the problem. And that’s where our faith needs to rise up and be strong, for we always want to escape the problem, but sometimes it’s more beneficial for us to go through it with God’s help, because that’s where our faith and trust in Almighty God are truly increased. And today is a good day to sit and ponder how we’ve done so far in regards to our New Year’s resolution, and as always, with God’s help try to come up higher, for we all have room for improvement. (smile)
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And for those who stick with Jesus right to the very end, it’s been promised that they will enjoy a future so glorious that their finite minds cannot even imagine it. So let’s use that as ammunition to stick with Christ to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…to truly live for Christ…Christ must be in you…and you in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future we can neither imagine or comprehend, April showers bring May flowers, attest to those sentiments, by the grace of God, can't take another step, catch our second wind, christianity, Christians, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, endure to the end with Jesus, even the youths shall faint and be weary, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faithful believers in Christ, feel like a millon dollars, feel quite bankrupt, find rest unto your souls, gentle and humble in heart, gently led me through it, God held my hand, God I come to you in thanks, God is with us every step of the way, God strengthens all who come to Him with sincere pleas, halfway home, handled the situation, hands on the plough, hast htou not known hast thou not heard, he gives power to the weak, He giveth power to the faint, help me go on, his commandments are not burdensome, his commandments are not grievous, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, I came not to call the righteous, I will give you rest, I've has many cloudy days, In Touch Organzation, in your strength God, Jesus Christ, keep on keeping on, leap along the toughest path, learn of me, let God's strength surprise you, LOVE, mercy, moment by moment, mount up with wings as eagles, my path is long and tiring, my yoke is easy and my burden light, no searching of his understanding, not looking back at the past, not turning back, only Jesus has the power to make such an offer, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, Prayer Cards from IN Touch Ministries, problems seem to grind on endlessly, put one foot in front of the other, refreshes me for each new day, regardless of the circumstances, rest assured, run and not be weary, run the deepest valley, salvation, so glad to be alive, take my yoke upon you, thank God, thank you for your great love, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Creator of the ends of the earth, the great invitation, the Lord fainteth not neither is weary, the Lord never lets' you go through anything alone, the Lord reaches down and enables us, the young men shall utterly fall, they that are whole need not a physician but they that are sick, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, this is the love of God, to a glorious future with Jesus, to call sinners to repentance, to them that have no might he increaseth strength, truth, walk and not faint, we keep His commandments, we need patience and endurance for the long fight ahead, Weariness prayer card, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, you give me strength, you keep hope alive in my heart, you're there to hold me up
Isaiah 40:29. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Well friends, on this rainy and cloudy Wednesday morning, when we’re catching our second wind, we’re also halfway through the month of April. And let’s hope that the saying about April showers bringing May flowers, is true, because we seem to be getting a fair amount of rain everyday this week. But yuh know what, we’ll take the rain over the white precipitation any day. Thankfully too, we don’t have to think about that for at least another six months. (smile)
Anyway, today we’re going to look at one of the Theme Cards published by the In Touch Organization last year, a few of which I’ve already shared. Today’s theme is ‘Weariness.’ And it’s rather appropriate, because it’s a sad fact that many of us all over the globe are indeed weary, for one reason or another, with my name at the top of the list, for I’m just tired of all the sickness I’ve been undergoing for the last few months, where as soon I’ve dealt with one thing, something else crops us. But as faithful believers is Christ Jesus, we have to keep on keeping on as best we can, regardless of the circumstances.
So please read with me the prayer on today’s ‘Weariness’ card. ‘God, I come to You in thanks, because You give me strength. Sometimes I feel I can’t take another step. But when problems seem to grind on endlessly, You’re there to hold me up. When my path is long and tiring, help me go on. Though I’ve had many cloudy days, You keep hope alive in my heart. In Your strength, God, I can run the deepest valley and leap along the toughest path. Thank You for your great LOVE that refreshes me for each new day. Amen!’
Yes friends I can attest to those sentiments, because it was only by the grace of God that I handled the situation, and am still handling it, (smile) especially when in the early stages the medical people could not figure out exactly what was wrong with me, which forced me to make more visits to the hospital than I desired. But the saying that the Lord never let’s you go through anything alone is oh so true. And everyday I endured the unfortunate tiredness and pain, He held my hand and gently led me through it.
And if I ever had any doubts about His goodness and mercy, I certainly don’t have any now, for without His strength I could not have made it… and He’s still here with me, because I’m not completely out of the woods as yet. Some days I feel like a million dollars, others I feel quite bankrupt. (smile) And I’m sure many of you also have that same testimony, because He doesn’t only strengthen certain people, but all who come to Him with sincere and heartfelt pleas. And the scripture for today’s ‘Weariness’ card comes from that famous passage of Isaiah on weariness. Let’s read it together and use it renew our strength today.
Isaiah starts out by querying: ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:28:31)
And that’s no lie friends, for many of us can attest to such testimony, as when we thought we could not even put one more foot in front of the other, the Lord reached down and enabled us to go the whole distance we needed to go! For that’s the kind of God He is! The God of the poor, the weary, the lost, the helpless, the abused and the underprivileged! And yes, He’s also the God of the strong, the healthy and the rich! But it’s like when the Pharisees complained to the disciples about Jesus eating with the publicans (tax collectors) Jesus heard their disparaging remarks and then informed them: ‘They that are whole (healthy) need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Luke 5:31-32)
That’s why the Lord is so interested in the weary, the tired and downtrodden. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Jesus as He offers what we call the Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Oh my brethren, where you can get a better offer than that eh? Nowhere! For Jesus is the ONLY ONE who is able to make such an exciting, promising offer and back it up with His awesome power! And I like how John corroborates Jesus’ last verse there with this one from his first epistle. ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ (1 John 5:3) Yes friends, Jesus’ commandments are not burdensome, but they do need patience and endurance for the long fight some of us might have to endure, and we can rest assured that He will be with us, every step of the tiring, weary way.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure right to the very end with Jesus, then we’re promised a future so glorious that we can neither imagine or comprehend it. Now, I’d say that’s a very good reason to stick it out to the very end…wouldn’t you! Much LOVE!
…let God’s strength surprise you…moment by moment… (the postscript from the ‘Weariness’ prayer card.)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big Glory Hallelujah, a more than glorious future, Always there, be diligent and efficient for Jesus, be like a well-watered garden, be your best, blessed is the man maketh the Lord his trust, bring us to our knees, casting all your care upon him, catch our second wind, challenging changes, christianity, despite our innate strength, distressful and hurting times, do your best, don't know what to do, don't know which way to turn, down to nothing, Dr. Charles Stanley, dry places, endure to the end, established my goings, established my steps, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, feel totally impoverished, from the depths of despair, get ourselves together for Jesus, god, God commendeth his own love toward us, God's timing is perfect, halfway home, hands on the plough, he brought me up also out of an horrible pit, he cares for you, he hath put a new song in my mouth, he heard my cry, he inclined unto me, he may exalt you in due time, holy spirit, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, humility, I call your name, I reach the bottom of the abyss, I waited patiently for the lord, I want to vanish into nowhere, it is there exactly there, Jesus Christ, like a spring of water whose waters fail not, loneliness, look your best, LOVE, make fat thy bones, many are feeling lost and lonely, many shall see it and fear, mercy, my own helplessness, never run from God, not looking back at the past, not turning back, obedience, of all self-sufficency, One Year Book of Bible promises, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, out of the miry clay, perilous and hazardous times, Praise for God's Deliverance, praise unto our God, present circumstances looking dire and hopeless, respecteth not the proud, Ruth Harms Calkin, s promised to work everything out for our good, salvation, satisfy thy soul in drought, set my feet upon a rock, shall trust in the Lord, sincerity, sinking deep into a miry pit, so glad to be alive, so often Lord, strengthen your frame, such as turn aside to lies, sun-scorched lands, taste the dre, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the gospel truth, the joyful Easter celebrations, the Lord shall guide thee continually, the succour that God alone can provide, the true healing and loving that only come from Him, the ups and downs of life, the vicissitudes of life, time to cry out to God for help, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turn immediately to God, ungodly and ungrateful sinners, wallowing in the mires of despair, Wednesday Wail, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom, worthlessness, you are always there for me, you come to my immediate rescue
Psalm 40:2. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings (steps).
So we’ve come to Wednesday, our second wind day. But we shouldn’t need to catch any second wind, for most of us have only worked one day so far this week. What we might need to catch our second wind from is the joyful Easter celebrations that are still weighing us down. We’d be lucky if we can get any serious work done this week.
But we need to get ourselves together for Jesus’ sake, for although celebrating His Easter resurrection is a big deal and a must, we also need to abide by His wishes that we give the best of ourselves to our work, doing so with diligence and efficiency, behaving as though we were working directly for Him. As Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) liked to say: ‘Always look your best, do your best and be your best.’ And that is exactly what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects from His followers.
Now today, we’re going to check out an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin simply titled ‘Always There,’ and I’m sure it will strike a note in many of our hearts because it’s so appropriate in these distressful and hurting times. And as always, I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but it’s certainly worthwhile sharing again. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘So often, Lord I reach to the bottom of the abyss. So often I taste the dregs Of my own helplessness. Yet it is there, exactly there That You come to my immediate rescue. When I feel totally impoverished Of all self-sufficiency When I want to vanish into nowhere From the depths of despair I call Your name And You are always there for me!’
And that calls for a big ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ my people, because that is the gospel truth! Whenever we are down to nothing, wallowing in the mires of despair, loneliness and worthlessness, that is the time to desperately cry out to God for help, for the succour that He alone can provide, for the true healing and LOVING that only come from Him!
And I know that in these perilous and very hazardous times a lot of us are feeling like we’re lost, lonely and don’t know which way to turn. However, the best advice you can ever get in such a situation is to turn immediately to the God of Abraham, Isacc and Jacob for He cares very much for you. As Peter so wisely puts it in his second epistle: ‘Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (2 Pet. 5:6-7)
And He certainly does, else why would He send his only begotten Son to earth to die for you eh? Simply because He cares a whole lot for His finest creation. As Bruh Paul says in one of my favourite scripture verses: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now, if that isn’t showing amazing and abundant LOVE for a bunch of ungodly and ungrateful sinners, then I don’t know what is!
That’s why we never have to run from God. We might not like everything He does or desires of us, but we know in the long run He’s promised to work everything out for our good, (Rom. 8:28) and we definitely know that He is a God who keeps all of His promises, never reneges on any of them. And yes, the ravages and vicissitudes of life, those unpredictable, often uncontrollable, and frequently challenging changes, the ups and downs that we all experience at some time or other, tend to bring us to our knees, despite our innate strength.
And that’s exactly when we need to turn to Almighty God, to cry out for His help, and yuh better believe that His timing will be perfect; He will lift you up out of the mire and bring you to safety. It’s like Bruh David says in Psalm 40 – Praise for God’s Deliverance. ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings (steps). And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.’ (Ps. 40:1-3)
Oh my people, that’s exactly what the Lord will do for those of us who feel lost and sinking deep into a pit of miry clay. But the most important part is that we have to call out to Him, call out to Him in all sincerity and truth for His help! And when you do that, have no fear, He will be there to help you. It’s like the Bible Promise for our poem today from the prophet Isaiah says: ‘And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought (dry places, sun scorched lands), and make fat thy bones (strengthen your frame): and thou shalt be like a well-watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not (never fail).’ (Is. 58:11)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s a promise our God will always keep if we come to Him in humility, sincerity and obedience. And Bruh David said that in spades in Psalm 40. ‘Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps, 40:4) So, on this Easter Wednesday, please, let’s make up our minds to seek God sincerely, especially if our present circumstances are looking dire and hopeless. For that’s what He’s there for.
Now, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting all the 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 here’s an even greater promise: all who endure to the end with Christ, will enjoy a more than glorious future with Him. One that we cannot even imagine or comprehend. So, wisdom dictates that we endure to the very end, that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the ONLY ONE…truly able to pull you out of the mire of life…is Jesus Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Prayer for Hope, a strong serene feeling, a wind that passes away, all sin is punishable by death, believers must be on the alert, catch our second wind, celebrate life every day, Christ can come like a thief in the night, christianity, Christians, Christians must be ready, cosmic disasters, destroyed them not, did not stir up all his wrath, divine judgement, Dr. Robert H Schuller, endure to the end with Christ, every imagination of the thoughts of his heart, expecting God to surprise me with His tender mercy, expecting God's goodness and mercy, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, forgave their iniquity, God being full of compassion, God is planning something good for me today, God saw that the wickedness of man was great, God's goodness and mercy, great is thy faithfulness, grieve him in the desert, grieved him at his heart, guiding my life, halfway home, hands on the plough, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, I am the Lord I change not, I cannot explain it, I will destroy man from the face of the earth, intense persecution of believers, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, looking forward to spring, LOVE, mercy, new life bursts forth, Noah and the flood, not looking back, only evil continually, positive thinking, prove to be a beautiful blessing, pushing the Lord's anger and patience with our rebellion, rampant ungodliness, rebel against him in the wilderness, remembered that they were flesh, salvation, so glad to be alive, thank God, Thank You Lord, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the earth is filled with violence and corruption again, the Great tribulation, the only reprieve from sin is Christ, the rapture of the church, the rise of the Antichrist, the second coming of Christ, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed, they are new every morning, this is the day the Lord has made, time longer than twine, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turn my hurts into halos, unprecedented global suffering, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, what ever happens to me, wisdom, wonderful things are in store for me, work diligently on Christ's behalf
Lamentations 3:22. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
It’s Wednesday friends, the day we catch our second wind, so that we can continue to work diligently on Christ’s behalf! And it’s not a bad day at all; fairly warm and sunshiny. So we’re alive, and enjoying enough good health to keep us moving, and looking forward to a wonderful spring season as new life bursts forth and a warm sun moves back up to the northern climes. And with all of that, we need to acclaim: ‘This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
Yes my people, every day we’re alive ought to be a day of celebration, regardless of the many problems we might have, for there are many who wanted to wake up this morning but unfortunately did not, so let’s consider ourselves blessed! That brings us to this interesting and very appropriate ‘Prayer for Hope,’ that I discovered while going through some old papers last night. It was written by Dr. Robert H. Schuler of the Hour of Power Religious Programme, one of the many who championed positive thinking. And I believe I’ve shared it way back when, but like so many prayers that never lose their usefulness, this one is still apropos.
So please pray with me. ‘I have a strong, serene feeling that God is planning something good for me today. I cannot explain it, but I have a deep feeling that wonderful things are in store for me. I am expecting God to surprise me with His tender mercy. He will turn my hurts into halos. He is guiding my life in such a way that whatever happens to me will prove to be a beautiful blessing. Thank You Lord. Amen.’
Now that’s a good, positive, expectant prayer, looking out for God’s goodness and mercy to show up in our lives, like we ought to. Remember how Jeremiah puts is in His lamentations. ‘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. 3:22-23) Yes friends, God’s goodness, mercy and faithfulness are overwhelming, and we ought to look forward to them. As Jeremiah says, they are new every morning. That means, every morning we open our eyes to a new day, we ought to be thankful and expect God’s goodness and mercy to faithfully flood our lives, as He has promised.
And the psalmist Asaph expounded it in Psalm 78, when he talks about The Compassionate God. He writes: ‘But he (God), being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. How oft did they provoke (rebel against) him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!’ (Ps. 78:38-40)
Yes my brethren, the Israelites sorely tempted the Lord’s patience and anger in the wilderness, but He did not destroy them. Likewise, today we are pushing the Lord’s anger and patience with our serious rebellion, the rampant ungodliness and evil-doing that’s currently in our world. And although the prophet Malachi declared on the Lord’s behalf: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) We are pushing the boundaries so far and wide, that it ought to be no surprise if God loses His longsuffering patience and destroys all within the earth, like He did way back in Noah’s time with the flood.
It’s like the Bible says of that time. ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (intent) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (all the day). And it repented the Lord (He was sorry) that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me (I’m sorry) that I have made them.’ (Gen. 6:5-7)
Oh my people, what do you think is happening with our great God right now eh, since the same abominable rebellious behaviour is recurring again, the earth is once more filled with violence and corruption, even though He went out of His way to give us Jesus? Don’t you think it grieves His heart? How much pain can one heart stand, even if it’s God’s eh? Don’t you think He’s considering destroying the earth again, although not by water as He promised. And not because they say ‘time longer than twine’ means that the Lord will put up with our disgraceful behaviour forever.
Even He has a breaking point, and I believe He’s very quickly reaching it, for the sinfulness of the world has never reached this disgusting and disgraceful stage, and it seems to be getting worse every day. That could also mean that Christ’s coming for the church is not far away, for even a godly Spirit can only handle or take so much abuse and blasphemy against their sovereignty. Consequently, it behooves believers to be on the alert, to be ready for Christ’s coming at any time, like a thief in the night, unexpectedly.
And if we’re not ready, when He comes to take us home, then crapaud smoke we pipe, for if you think things are bad now, then think again, for after Christ comes and raptures the church, a time of sorrows and the Great Tribulation will take place, some seven years of total misery. This commentary describes it thus: ‘The Great Tribulation is a prophesied future period of unprecedented global suffering, divine judgment, and intense persecution of believers, lasting 3½ years. Often identified as the latter half of a seven-year period, it is marked by the rise of the Antichrist, cosmic disasters, and the culminating in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.’
Ah friends, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to undergo any of those seven years, so I’m doing my best to get ready, and strongly advise that you do the same. Now let’s declare 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 you desire to enjoy an even more glorious future, then stick around to the very end with Jesus, because that’s what’s been promised for those who endure to the end. Much LOVE!
…we’re all born into sin…and all sin is punishable by death…and the only reprieve is…sincerely accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a foundational truth of our faith, a warning to christians, be of good courage, catch our second wind, Christians, endure to the end, faith, get up and get moving, go through tough times to learn to wait in faith, gone before me, halfway home, hands on the plough, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, I would have told you, if God spares life, if I go and prepare a place for you, if it were not so, in my Father's house are many mansions, in the unknown future, Jane Williams, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, learn patience through experience, left behind, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, Mellitus College, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, Prayers through the Ages, salvation, so glad to be alive, spend eternity with Christ, teach me to wait with patience, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lord of lords, the promise of answered prayer, the promise of Christ's return, the promise of peace, the promise of spirtual power, the rewards of Christian living are enormous, to a glorious future with Jesus, to know your presence, to our detriment, to prepare a place for me, to trust that you are with me, to watch with alertness, treat us with dignity and respect, truth, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, waiting with patience is a big problem, Wednesday Wail, where I am there ye may be also, wisdom
John 14:3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Now after Monday and Tuesday, comes Wednesday, the day we catch our second wind. And can you believe that it’s already Wednesday, when we were just complaining about it being Monday and having to go back out to work after a relaxing weekend? (smile) That shows how quickly the days, months and years are moving along, warning us Christians to get up and get ourselves together and move along with them, otherwise, to our detriment, we’ll get left behind. Remember, Christ was always a proactive person. He didn’t wait for others to make a move. He usually made the first move. So let’s learn from His example and get doing what we know we’re supposed to do. End of Sermon! (smile)
Today, we’re going to share a short but very interesting prayer credited to Jane Williams, a professor at St. Mellitus College in London, England, founded in 2007, whose mission is to provide innovative theological education and training for those called to serve Christ in the church and the world. This prayer can be found in the 2025 publication of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, titled ‘Prayers Through The Ages.’ So please pray with me: ‘Christ, you have gone before me to prepare a place for me, that where you are there I may be also. Teach me to wait with patience, to watch with alertness, to trust that you are with me in the unknown future and to know your presence.’
Oh friends, the prayer is short and simple but contains a whole lot of biblical references, and things that Christians ought to know and be doing. Let’s look at the first sentence: ‘Christ you have gone before me to prepare a place for me, that where you are I may be also.’ Now that is a foundational truth of our faith. We believe that Christ rose from the dead and ascended back to heaven in part to prepare a place for us to spend eternal life with Him. And it’s not me who said that, but Jesus.
Listen to how He puts it to the disciples and consequently to us: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3) So you see when we believe that, it means we’re believing in Jesus.
And the scholars offer theses explanations. ‘Let not your heart be troubled refers to Peter, Jesus just having told him of his imminent denial of his Lord (13:38). But the larger reference is to all the apostles, through whom Jesus is going to lay the foundation of the church. His comfort also includes instruction about His departure, the sending of the Holy Spirit, the promise of spiritual power, of answered prayer, and of peace, but especially the promise of His return.’
And thankfully, all that Jesus promised the disciples long ago, has now been bequeathed to us, fellow believers in His cause. Isn’t it just great knowing that we have a place being prepared for us by the Lord of Lord and King of Kings where we will spend eternity with Him! It’s not only great, but sensational! Knowing that such a lofty person has taken the time to look upon us poor mortals and treat us with dignity and respect that we don’t deserve, is indeed mind boggling! (smile)
However, before we get to those wonderful hallowed halls of heaven, there are certain things we first need to take care of here on earth. Like the prayer says, ‘Teach me to wait with patience.’ Now that’s one of our biggest problems, because we want every thing now for now, but God doesn’t operate that way. He takes His time to do stuff, and if we want to enjoy His best blessings, we need to learn to wait on His timing. And there are numerous scriptures, especially in the Psalms, that deal with that tough subject. But I think Bruh David says it best in psalm 27: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14)
Now that’s what we need to do, but it’s difficult to do in these busy and crazy times when everything moves so quickly. And sadly, we only learn patience though experience. Yes, we have to go through tough times to learn to wait in faith on God. There’s no quick way to do it. Now, there are some other aspects of the prayer we need to consider but it will make the Bit too long. So, if God spares life, tomorrow we will continue looking at it. In the meanwhile let’s declare 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 stick with Jesus right to the very end, then there’s a promise of an even more glorious future. One that we cannot imagine or comprehend. So let’s stick to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy it together! Much LOVE!
…true Christian living is not easy…and it takes time…but the rewards are enormous..
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a land with no hungry children, a time of joy peace and love, a world where men are free, all our dreams will come to be, be careful for nothing, catch our second wind, celebrating Christ's birth, christmas eve, don't get anxious and irritable, don't sweat it, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fellowship, found what life's really worth, friendship, Glorious Light, halfway home, hands on the plough, hate will be gone, holy spirit, in a world where men are free, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, Jesus Christ, joy, learned what Christmas is for, let not your heart be troubled, let your request be made known unto God, like kids play with toys, LOVE, love will prevail, loving-kindness, Magnificent Redeemer, man will not fail, mar it with evil influences, men won't be boys, mercy, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, no empty hand, no man has fears, no more wars, no tears, not as the world giveth give I unto you, not in time for you and me, not looking back, one happy morning, one prayer away from our world today, one shining moment, one warm Doecember, our hearts will see, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our motto for Christmas, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, Peace and Love, Peace i leave with you, peace on earth, playing with bombs, salvation, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, share a world where people really care, so glad to be alive, someday a new world, Someday at christmas, someday at christmas time, start with hope in every heart, strife-filled earth, thank God, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the glorious promise, the joy of the season, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the rush is on, the undeserving children of men, the unsurpassable peace of Jesus, to a glorious future with Jesus, to fellowship and give thanks God's greatest gift to mankind, truth, visit the Lord's sanctuary, when all men are equal, wisdom
John 14:27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
And then it was Wednesday… a bright and sunshiny Christmas Eve my fellow believers! And it’s also a good day to catch our second wind, because the rush is on to get everything ready. But even if everything is not ready, please don’t sweat it and get anxious and irritable. Remember Bruh Paul’s wise words to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
Yes friends, the one thing we definitely need this Christmas season is PEACE, with a li’l LOVE thrown in for good measure, for that’s what Christ came to bring to our strife-filled earth. So don’t lose the joy of the season because everything’s not as you’d like it to be, just make sure to appreciate the time of Christ’s birth in the next twenty four hours, and both Christ and your family and friends will understand that you tried your best but you simply could not get everything you wanted done in time.
Remember, it’s the occasion of Christ’s birth we’re celebrating, and that doesn’t necessarily mean food or gifts; but simply joy and friendship, peace and LOVE on this marvellous occasion. And don’t forget to MAKE TIME to visit the Lord’s sanctuary at some stage in the next couple of days, to fellowship and give thanks for God’s greatest gift to mankind; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
And all of God’s people said a loud, joyful and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord for giving us Your only Son Jesus Christ to be our Glorious Light and Magnificent Redeemer! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name for Your wonderful LOVING-KINDNESS to the undeserving children of men!’
And that reminds us of this marvellous and ever so appropriate song written many years ago by Bryan Wells and Ronald Miller, then made popular by Stevie Wonder in 1967. It’s aptly titled, ‘Someday at Christmas.’ So please sing with me: ‘Someday at Christmas men won’t be boys Playing with bombs like kids play with toys One warm December our hearts will see A world where men are free Someday at Christmas there’ll be no wars When we have learned what Christmas is for When we have found what life’s really worth There’ll be peace on earth
Someday at Christmas we’ll see a land With no hungry children, no empty hand One happy morning people will share A world where people care Someday at Christmas there’ll be no tears When all men are equal and no man has fears One shining moment one prayer away From our world today Someday at Christmas man will not fail Hate will be gone and LOVE will prevail Someday a new world that we can start With hope in every heart, yeah Someday all our dreams will come to be Someday in a world where men are free Maybe not in time for you and me But someday at Christmastime…Maybe not in time for you and me, But someday at Christmastime…’
Yes friends that ought to be our fervent hope, prayer, wish, supplication, whatever; that at some Christmastime there’d be true peace and LOVE in our world, with all the hate and anger, and the many other numerous evil influences no longer supreme, or better yet existing, just like our Saviour meant it to be when He came to earth on Christmas Day. And though life seems to be getting rougher and more uncertain with each passing day, we must never forget these wonderful and most encouraging words of Jesus: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
And my fellow believers, that ought to be our motto for this Christmas season; not being troubled or afraid, because we have the unsurpassable peace of Jesus and the joy which comes with it, steadfast and strong within our hearts, souls, bodies and minds! Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) 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 please don’t forget the promise that those who endure with Jesus right down to the very end will enjoy a future even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. That therefore means we must be wise and strong in faith to endure to the end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the birth of Christ is a time of joy, peace and LOVE…so let’s not mar it this year with evil influences and behaviour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dysfunctional family, a man after God's own heart, a plea for cleansing, a plea for forgiveness, a sensitivity to sin, according to thy loving kindness, against thee only have I sinned, an ambassador for God, be clear when you judge, bearing the guilt that stole his joy, blameless, blot out all mine iniquities, blot out my transgressions, brought God's name into disrepute, cast me not away from thy presence, catch our second wind, cleanse me from my sin, confessing our sins to God, create in me a clean heart, done this evil in thy sight, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, flowing through me, get away scot-free, glad to be alive, guilt and sorrow in our souls souls, halfway home, hands on the plough, have mercy upon me O God, hidden sins, hide thy face from my sins, holy spirit, I acknowledge my transgressions, in sin did my mother conceive me, in the hidden part, Jesus Christ, LOVE, make me to hear joy and gladness, make me to know wisdom, mercy, my sin is ever before me, Nathan, negative consequences to pay, not looking back, occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, purge me with hyssop, renew a right spirit within me, repentance, restore unto me, salvation, serve as a deterrent to willful sin, shapen in iniquity, sin is a normal human frailty, sin with Bathsheba, sincere confession, take not thy holy spirit from me, thank God, the bones thou hast broken may rejoice, the breath of life, the guilt that stole his joy, the joy of my salvation, the Lord also hath put away thy sin, the multitude of thy tender mercies, thou might be justified, thou shalt not die, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, truth in the inward parts, unconfessed sin, uphold me with thy free spirit, wash me, wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, when thou speakest, whiter than snow, wisdom
Psalm 51:1. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING-KINDNESS: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Oh friends, is it Wednesday already? Just a couple days ago it was Monday! (smile) Yes, the days are quickly moving along, not waiting for anyone or anything, so we’ve best get with the programme, or we’ll get lost in the big muddle that’s our world. And sadly we’re on the late, late bus on this windy, chilly, starting to drizzle, catch our second wind day, because after coming from my church group I had to take the duchess out to do some stuff, and you how that is? It always takes longer than you expect. But not to worry, we’re in full swing now, just waiting for the Lord to show or tell me what to write about. (smile)
And a few minutes after having opened the Good Library, I was drawn to one of the great psalms, Psalm 51, where Bruh David offers up a Plea for Forgiveness, after the prophet Nathan, on the Lord’s directive, had admonished him over his sin with Bathsheba. He begins with a heartfelt plea. ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING-KINDNESS: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (be found just) when thou speakest, and be clear (blameless) when thou judgest Behold, I was shapen (brought forth) in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.’ (Ps. 51:1-6)
Ah mih people, I know that many of us have hidden sins that we’ve been agitating over, but refuse to, or are afraid to take them to the Lord in prayer, falsely believing that the Lord will not forgive you. But that’s the furthest thing from the truth. For if the Lord forgave Bruh David for his terrible shortcomings, then He will also forgive us of ours. But the only way to stop them eating away at us, and causing immense guilt and sorrow in our souls, is by openly confessing them to the Lord.
And the scholars offer some interesting explanations on the psalm. They say: ‘The psalm gives expression to why David was “a man after God’s own heart”: he was not perfect but he had a sensitivity to sin that few knew about. Notice especially the use of the first person singular: mine iniquity, my sin (vs. 2), my transgressions (vs.3), and so on. The first two verses are an introductory petition, rich with meaning in the use of four figures for forgiveness.’
The problem though is that Bruh David was somewhat late with the confession. His sin had taken place about a year before Nathan confronted him, but he refused to confess it, and kept bearing the guilt that stole His joy, and it only came out because the Lord sent Nathan to confront him. And according to the story in the Book of 2nd Samuel: ‘And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die,’ (2 Sam. 12:13-14)
And we all know that prophecy came true, and also Bruh David never knew much peace in His life after that, and eventually had a very dysfunctional family, with one son Ammon, raping his half-sister Tamar, then her brother Absolom having Ammon killed, and later on the same Absolom rebelling against his father and causing him to flee for his life. The point here friends, is as the scholars tell us; ‘David’s sin had brought the name of God into disrepute. Such knowledge ought to serve as a deterrent to willful sin on the part of believers. (cf. 1 Tim. 5:14; 6:1)’
And that’s the awesome truth! Oh, we will all sin, and some might be worse than others, but the important thing is to confess them as soon as possible, and though we will be forgiven, there most likely will be some negative consequences to pay, for we can’t just sin willy-nilly, then confess it and expect to get away scot-free. Especially if you’re such a an important ambassador for God, as Bruh David was.
But the greatness of Bruh David lies in not being afraid of laying open himself to the Lord. For after his Plea of Forgiveness, He delivers A Plea for Cleansing. ‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free (generous) spirit.’ (Ps. 51:7-12)
Oh my people, when we come to the Lord with those pleading words that come from a sincere heart, He will never turn us down. But we must have the necessary assurance to know that God will never turn down sincere confession, and will always help us to restore our lost joy. And scholars make an important statement here re ‘The prayer take not thy Holy Spirit from me: (vs.11) need never be offered by a New Testament saint, since the Holy Spirit indwells every Christian permanently (cf. 1 Cor. 6:19). David’s cry here may reflect only the fear, not the reality, of losing the Spirit, and being rejected by God. Thus, he asks God to restore the joy of his salvation, not salvation itself.’
Yes friends, it easy to lose the joy of our salvation, but we can never lose salvation itself. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) 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 added to that is the promise that whoever endures to the very end with Jesus, will enjoy a more than glorious future, one which we can never comprehend or imagine. So let’s be wise, and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…sin is a normal human frailty…but it should quickly be followed by confession and repentance…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate prayer, a rich reward, a shared commitment to christ, against them that do evil, all in the name of Jesus, as more important than oneself, as my brothers and sisters, be a companion, be concerned for the needs of others, be like minded, be moved with compassion, be of the same mind, be united in spirit, became obedient unto death, being found in fashion as a man, being in the form of God, but every man also on the interests of others, catch our second wind, Christians ill treating each other, conceit, courteous, disunity, divide and conquer, do good, emptied himself of his privileges, endure to the end, even the death of the cross, faith, following the wide and winding road, for selfish purposes, forego the need for words, from their perspectives, fulfil ye my joy, grant me humility, grounded in humility, halfway home, hands on the plough, harmony, have the same values and goals, having the same love, he that will love life and see good days, help me kneel beside them, his ears are open unto their prayers, his lips speak no guile, holy spirit, humbled himself, in an excellent manner, in hard places, in Jesus' name, in lowliness of mind, In Touch Devotional, infighting in the church, inherit a blessing, Jesus Christ, lack of harmony, leads to destruction, let each esteem the other better than themselves, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, like you, living in harmony, look not every man on his own things, LOVE, love as brethren, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not rendering evil for evil, not turning back, of one accord, of one mind, on their journey, our own compassionate efforts, refrain his tongue from evil, regard fellow Christians, reviling for reviling, salvation, seek peace and pursue it, selfish ambition, tenderhearted, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the devil is ruling the roost, the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, the face of the Lord, the form of a servant, the good days and the bad, the perseverance of the Holy Spirit, thought it not robbery, through my neighbour's eyes, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be equal with God, to bubble over with delight, to experience life, to see the world, truth, turn away from evil, ungodly times, unity in purpose, Wednesday Wail, when they rejoice, wisdom, with a good attitude, without partiality
Ephesians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus:
It’s a sunny Wednesday friends, time to catch our second wind and get going again, all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Remember what we said yesterday? That be we slaves or free, we ought to do all that we do, as though we’re doing it for Jesus, that means in an excellent manner and with a good attitude. And not because there’s a rich reward from Christ, but because we simply LOVE Him and want to do all that He desires.
And today, we’re going to check out the Let Us Pray Section in this month’s In Touch Devotional. So please pray with me: ‘Lord, grant me humility – to see the world through my neighbour’s eyes, to experience life from their perspectives, both the good days and the bad. Help me kneel beside them in hard places, to bubble over with delight when they rejoice, to forego the need for words when theirs fail, to be a companion on their journey. Let me be of the same mind as my brothers and sisters, and – like You – be moved by compassion. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Now that’s what you’d call a concerned, caring and compassionate prayer! It’s all about others, not about us, except in the sense that we think about others as much as we do ourselves. And there’s a lot of scripture that commands us to do just that. As one commentary says; ‘passages that emphasize unity in purpose, LOVE, and harmony, grounded in humility and a shared commitment to Christ.’ So let’s check out a few of them nuh, starting with this one from Bruh Paul’s missive to the Philippians, where he writes.
‘Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same LOVE, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things (interests) of others. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus:
Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:2-8)
Yes my brethren, that’s the kind of example we need to follow! Jesus gave up all His godly privileges so that He could come to earth and become one of us. He humbled himself and was obedient to the Father’s directives, even to death on the cross. That says a whole lot about His obedience, something that far too many of us lack in these turbulent and ungodly times. But let’s get to some important explanations from the scholars, as they tell us that Bruh Paul rejoiced over the Philippians, but there was some disunity and lack of harmony among them. Thus he wants them to fulfil his joy, or make it complete by being likeminded, or living in harmony with each other.
And that means: (1) having the same LOVE toward one believer as shown toward another, without partiality; (2) being of one accord; that is to be united in spirit; (3) of one mind; that is, the whole church is to have the same values, and goals; (4) let nothing be done trough strife or vainglory, for selfish ambition or conceit; (5) let each esteem the other better than themselves; that is, each is to regard his fellow Christian as more important than himself; and (6) look…every man also on the things of others; that is, each is to be just as concerned for the needs and problems of his brother as he is for his own affairs.’
Wow! What a wonderful world we would live in if only a half of the supposed believers lived like that! But unfortunately that’s not happening, for today there’s more infighting and backbiting within the church than within the devil’s legions. Too many supposed believers are following the wide and winding road that leads to destruction. That’s why the devil is ruling the roost. And he doesn’t even have to try hard to divide and conquer us, because we are doing the dividing ourselves. Oh my people, it’s so heartrending when you see fellow Christians illtreating each other for selfish purposes.
And Peter also admonishes us on the subject, with these poignant and powerful words. ‘Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, LOVE as brethren, be pitiful (tenderhearted), be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing (reviling for reviling): but contrariwise (instead) blessing; knowing that ye should inherit a blessing.
For he that will LOVE life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile (deceit): Let him eschew (turn away from) evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue (pursue) it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.’ (1 Pet. 3:8-12)
Ah mih bredrin, when will our Christian community ever get to be like that eh? Do we have to wait until Jesus returns? Now that would indeed be a sad commentary on our faith. But who knows? All we can do as individuals is to try to live the way we’re supposed to, and hope and pray that more of us will fall into line through the perseverance of the Holy Spirit and our own compassionate efforts. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail. Tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that talk about unity.
So, 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 you didn’t know it, there’s a promise that says all those who endure with Jesus right to the very end, will enjoy a future so glorious we won’t comprehend it. So please, let’s do our best to endure to the very end with Jesus nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the basics of the Christian church are…humility, compassion, obedience and unity…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversity, apocalyptic judgement, behold I make all things new, blameless, catch our second wind, children of God, christianity, cleansed from all effects of sin, come like a thief in the night, divine origin, divine purpose, endure to the end with Christ, enjoy eternity with the Father Son and Holy Spirit, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, filled with the strength of Christ, God himself shall be their God, God himself shall be with them, God's promises are true, growing in spiritual maturity, halfway home, hands on the plough, he is faithful to His word, he that sat upon the throne said, holy conversation and godliness, holy spirit, I saw a new heaven and a new earth, increasing our witness for Christ, indisputable truth, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the only one we need, joy, look for new heavens and a new earth, LOVE, mercy, neither sorrow nor crying, no more death, no more pain, no more sea, not turning back, nuclear holocaust, patience, peace, perseverance, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, salvation, shall be burned up, so glad to be alive, thank God, Thank you Jesus, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the complete fellowship of God with His redeemed people, the day of the Lord, the earth and the works therein, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the end will be even better than the beginning, the eternal habitation of the saved, the final judgement, the former things are passed away, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the holy city, the Millenium, the new Jerusalem, the tabernacle of god is with men, the thousand year reign, they shall be his people, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, warning to live in righteousness, Wednesday Wail, wherein dwelleth righteousness, wipe away all tears, wisdom, without spot, write for these words are true and faithful, you're the Best
Revelation 21:5a. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And then it was Wednesday…and many of us need to catch our second wind…if we ever caught our first, (smile) what with all the festivities of the past weekend. But the good thing is that being children of God, we have the capacity to handle a lot of work and adversity, because we’re filled with the strength, joy, LOVE, peace, patience and perseverance of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And all of God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Jesus! You’re the best! The Only One we need, and will ever need!’
And that’s an indisputable truth! All this world needs is Jesus: Jesus in live and living colour! But the powers of the world seem to think otherwise, that’s why our world is going through so much disaster and chaos. Anyway, the good thing is that we know in His good time, Jesus will return to this God-forsaken earth and make it brand new. Remember what Peter says? ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.’ (2 Pet. 3:10)
Now that’s when Christ comes back in judgement, not the Rapture, for that day results in the final apocalyptic judgement. By the way, the heavens that shall pass away with a great noise, is merely the atmospheric heavens above the earth, not where the throne of God resides. (smile) And the noise and heat and burning up that Peter refers to, could even be a nuclear holocaust, which we’re not very far from right now, with all the nuclear posturing that’s currently taking place among the nations of this groaning earth!
And because of that possible apocalyptic situation, Peter therefore warns us to live in righteousness. ‘Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (conduct) and godliness. Looking for and hasting (hastening) unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.’ (2 Pet. 3:11-14)
Yes friends, since all that stuff is going to happen, and since the Lord has promised on numerous occasions to destroy the wicked from off the earth, that means we have to live to a high standard of peace, LOVE, righteousness and joy, in other words, show true faith in Christ, so that we won’t be cast into hell fire with the wicked. Now that’s the tough side of the equation, but then, there’s also this glorious situation of a new earth and a new heaven, as John explains in the Book of Revelation, where he enthusiastically declares:
‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 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 shout 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. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21:1-5)
Yes my faithful brethren, that’s what we have to look forward to! As the scholars tell us, that’s ‘the eternal state, following the Millenium (thousand year reign) and the final judgement, centering in the new Jerusalem as the eternal habitation of the saved (cf. Heb. 11:10). The first heaven and the first earth are replaced by a new heaven and a new earth, predicted by Isaiah (cf. Is. 65:17; 66:22). The present universe will thus be cleansed from all the effects of sin (cf. 2 Pet. 3:7, 1013). Since there will be no more sea, the increased land space will be fully capable of handling large numbers of redeemed people from all ages.
The New Jerusalem is fully described in Rev. 21:10-22:5. It is a holy city, totally separate from sin. It is being prepared as the habitation of the bride of Christ (cf. vs. 9) . From God shows its divine purpose and out of heaven its divine origin. And, as per the Tabernacle of God: The presence of God will be with His people, and He will forever dwell with them. A primary purpose of redemption will be accomplished: the complete fellowship of God with His redeemed people. In the eternal state, there will be no tears, death, sorrow, crying, or pain. Everything will become new. God’s promises are true, and He is faithful to His Word. (cf. 19:11).’
What more can I say eh my fellow believers? It’s been explained as fully and simply as possible. And please look up those references, you will find them very pertinent to the scriptures they reference. I obviously don’t have the time or space to spoon feed us with them, as I am won’t to do. (smile) But seriously though, having gotten all that information as to what will happen in the end times, it is therefore very important to ensure that we’re amongst those who will enjoy eternity with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
That means, concentrating on increasing our witness for Christ, while growing in spiritual maturity, doing our best to bring souls to Him, and becoming as much like Him as possible. And to show that we are endeavouring to do just that, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most 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 by the way, it’s been further promised, that those who endure to the end with Christ will enjoy an even more glorious future than our finite minds can even imagine or comprehend. So let’s be wise and stand strong in faith for Christ right to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the end …will be even better…than the beginning…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
Previous Older Entries
SCRIP-BITS 