11 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a call to faith, a state of continual rejoicing, and again I say rejoice, anything praiseworthy, at peace with his fellow Christian, be careful for nothing, be caught napping when Jesus returns, be prepared, become passionate, Christ is coming as a judge, christianity, Christians, deepen my breath, divine tranquility, don't worry about anything, easier said than done, eternal separation from Almighty God, exceeds one's ability to understand, experience all God has in store for us, faith, frees the believer from fear and worry, get lost, God is always working to accomplish good, greater intimacy with God, grow closer to god, holy spirit, human understanding dictates fear, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if there be any virtue, in all sincerity and truth, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Jesus' return is near, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, like a thief in the night, LOVE, mercy, of good report, peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, put them into action, quiet my soul, receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour, Rejoice in the Lord always, relax my muscles, room for improvement, salvation, shielding hearts and minds from anxiety, slow my thoughts, spring time lazy-day Saturday, thank you for this tenderness, the best accoutrement for a lazy-day Saturday, the BIBLE, the God of peace shall be with you, the last days, the Lord is near spiritually, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the solution to undue anxiety is prayer in everything, the tranquility of mind, think on these things, times of extreme challenges, transcends human logic, truth, we need intimacy with God every day, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are true, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Philippians 4:4. Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
And yes, on this fairly warm, spring time lazy-day Saturday, we have already reached double figures in the days of April! But didn’t we just celebrate Easter last week at the beginning of April? Yes, but that should remind us how quickly the days are moving, and we have to get with them, especially in receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour, unless we want to get lost in eternal separation from Almighty God.
Many people are calling these the last days, and who knows if they are right, but just in case they are, we don’t want to be caught napping when Jesus returns. Remember He said He could return at any time, like a thief in the night, so we have to be prepared at all times for such an occasion. So let’s begin today by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And that’s a prayer the Lord will always cherish and answer, because it means we want to get into greater intimacy with Him, and there’s nothing His heart desires more than intimacy with His greatest though very disobedient creation. (smile) So, if our words were sincere and heartfelt, then that peace, that calm and understanding that surpasses all human understanding will soon be flowing through us, bringing the best accoutrement or trimming for a fine lazy-day Saturday. (smile)
The only problem though is that we need to get intimate with our heavenly Father every day, not only on one day. And that’s why Bruh Paul, then resident in a Roman jail, wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (graciousness or gentleness) be known unto all men. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 44-7)
Now Bruh Paul says a lot in those 4 verses. First of all we need to be in a state of continual rejoicing. And as the scholars explain: ‘This command to rejoice at all times and in all circumstances is nothing less than a call to faith. For if the Christian believes that his life and all its circumstances are in the hands of a sovereign, wise, and LOVING God who is always working to accomplish good for him, then he can indeed ‘rejoice always.’ Wow! What a call to faith indeed!
And as per moderation, the scholars tell us that ‘The believer who is at peace with his fellow Christian (vs.2) and who rejoices always (vs.4) is indeed a gracious, reasonable person.’ You can’t help but be gracious under those circumstances! Then ‘The Lord is at hand means two things. First, His return to earth is near. His imminent coming as judge encourages the Christian to be “gracious” unto all men, for He will judge the believer for all his actions toward all people, and will avenge all wrongs committed by others against him.
Second, the Lord is at hand spiritually. The Lord’s being presently near should free the Christian from fear and anxiety. Hence the command of verse 6.’ And that says, be careful for nothing, meaning don’t worry about anything. And per the scholars. ‘The Lord’s nearness (vs.5b) leads Paul to forbid his readers from worrying. This is no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concern. The solution to undue anxiety is prayer in every thing, “in any matter of life.”
The way to be free of anxiety is to be prayerful about everything. However, while God is eager to hear our requests, they are to be accompanied with thanksgiving.’ Meanwhile, The peace of God is that tranquility of mind that frees the believer from fear and worry. And the peace which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; and (2) God’s peace far surpassing one’s own understanding of the problem, and His ability to cope with and solve it.’
Yes friends, that peace which comes from our God is truly magnificent and is certainly above our level of understanding. And I like how this commentary explains it. ‘The “peace that passes all understanding” is a profound, divine tranquility that transcends human logic and emotional reasoning, shielding hearts and minds from anxiety, as described in Philippians 4:7. This inner calm is seen as a gift from God, often experienced during extreme challenges when human understanding would dictate fear.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth! When fear captures our souls, there’s nothing like the peace of God to drive it away! But as Bruh Paul assures us, that will not happen unless we cultivate that intimacy, that prayer with thanksgiving, the moderation with which we live our daily lives, and not being devastated by worry, especially in crucial and critical times like we’re now experiencing.
And from a practical standpoint, Bruh Paul then offers these recommendations. ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever thigs are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
And yes my fellow believers, it’s all easier said than done, but the Lord has already granted us all the tools we need to do it, we just need to become passionate and put them into action. Now that’s something we ought to ponder, to seriously consider this lazy-day Saturday. How are we using the tools God gave us, and what benefit, if any, are we deriving from them? Then ask the Lord to help us do better, for we all have room for improvement! Much LOVE!
…only as we grow closer to God…can we experience all that He has in store for us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a new commandment I give unto you, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, as I have loved you that ye also love one another, as it pleased God, as the body is one and hath many members, be disciples both in word and deed, be renewed and refreshed, been all made to drink into one Spirit, believers though diverse in gifts and roles are united in Christ, brought to desolation, by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, by the good example we your faithful believers set, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, championing goodness and godliness, Christ's Church, christianity, Christians, Christians are united in Christ, Christians divide themselves, clouding its spirit, correct the disunity in the church, daunting week of work, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desire for comfort and earthly pleasure, different parts with different duties, different responsibilities, divine aid, divisions and dissensions within Christ's church, every city or house divided against itself shall not stand, every kingdom divided against itself, every one members one of another, evil and ungodliness is running rampant all over our world, faith, follow Christ's example, Friday chant, further your glorious kingdom, get much needed rest after the Easter celebrations, get our act together right now, get sufficient fun fellowship, God set the members everyone of them in the body, God's omnipotent help, have the same care one for another, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, if the whole body were an eye where were the hearing, improved Christian witness, Jesus Christ, LOVE, LOVE FOR EACH OTHER, loving each other the way Christ loves us, make a positive difference, many members yet one body, mercy, only unity moves an organization forward, our sinful world can wake up, problems are escalating, rest and relaxation, salvation, seeking excess in everything, smell the coffee strong and sweet, so we being many are one body in Christ, stand strong and steadfast, tenet of our faith, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that ye love one another, the BIBLE, the body is not one member but many, the church is one body, the church is rife with strife jealousy and backbiting, the church requires cooperation, the crowning glory of discipleship, the road to certain destruction, the shed blood of Christ, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, there should be no schism in the body, to avoid dysfunction and ensure growth, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, vim and vigour, welcome the weekend, whether we be bond or free, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, wisdom, wise guidance
Matthew 12:25. ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.’
And then it was Friday; a cloudy and rainy day, but that didn’t stop us from shouting out our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ And many of us are indeed overjoyed to welcome the weekend, be it rain, sleet or snow, so that we can get some much needed rest after the exhausting Easter celebrations and this daunting week of work. (smile)
But as usual, we don’t listen, we never introduced a modicum of circumspection in our celebrations, so when the work week hit us, shortened though it might have been, we still were not prepared to meet it with the necessary vim and vigour. Thus, we had to labour, drag ourselves through it, desperately hoping that we could make it until that day of release called Friday. Hopefully, one day we will learn though, not to behave like the world, seeking excess in everything, for that’s the road to certain destruction. End of Sermon. (smile)
Now, since I had nothing to say in particular, I opened the Good Library for some inspiration, and lo, and behold, it opened at a rather interesting scripture in the gospel of John. It’s where Jesus declares to the disciples: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35)
Yes friends, the crowning glory of discipleship in Christ is our LOVE for each other. At least it ought to be. But unfortunately, too many Christians today don’t share that attribute with each other. Just look at the numerous divisions, disputations and dissensions in Christ’s church nuh, even within the same religion. How can true LOVE flow from a group of supposed similar faith, when there is so much strife, envy, jealousy and backbiting clouding it’s spirit eh?
Let’s remember that the church of Christ is supposed to be one body, as specified by Bruh Paul in Romans: ‘For as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office (function): So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one (individually) members one of another.’ (Rom. 12:4-5) And this commentary explains it thus: ‘The church as “one body” is a central biblical metaphor (1 Cor 12:12-27, Romans 12:4–5) indicating that believers, though diverse in gifts and roles, are united in Christ. Christ is the head, leading the organism, while individual members function as interdependent parts, requiring cooperation to avoid dysfunction and ensure growth.’
Yes my fellow believers, we are indeed supposed to be one body under the marvellous umbrella of the shed blood of Christ and His amazing resurrection. That tenet of our faith is so important that Bruh Paul again explained it to the church at Corinth. ‘For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond (slaves) or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.’ (1 Cor. 12:12-14)
Oh my people, Christ’s church can never be victorious if it’s filled with as much dissension and disunity as it now contains, for the ONLY thing that moves any body or organization truly forward is unity. That’s why in any war, the enemy always tries to disunite its foe, so they can be more easily routed. But sadly, the devil, our arch enemy, doesn’t even have to do that with us, because we do it ourselves. Why do you think there’s so much evil and ungodliness running rampant all over our world eh?
Because the body, Christ’s church, that is supposed to be championing goodness and godliness has apparently lost the will to fight the enemy, through fear or the desire for comfort and enjoyment of earthly pleasures, but it doesn’t stop them from fighting amongst themselves. Just look at the state of our world and of Christ’s church, and tell me if any visitor to earth would be able to differentiate the godly from the ungodly by their LOVE for each other, as Christ desires? Certainly not! They would most likely think that we’re all one ungodly, unrighteous bunch, because that’s the way we behave.
That’s why Bruh Paul, after saying: ‘For the body is not one member, but many,’ broke it down finely for the church in Corinth. ‘If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body (where would the body be)? But now are they many members, yet one body.’ (1 Cor. 12:15-20)
Yes my brethren, just as the Lord made man with one body, but many different parts with various duties, so has Christ has set many members in His body, the church, each with different responsibilities. ‘That there should be no schism (division) in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.’ (1 Cor. 12:25) Sadly though, Christ’s body is terribly divided, and until that division is mended, the church will not be able to perform the way it ought to.
For as Jesus Himself said: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.’ (Matt. 12:25)So let’s take serious heed of those words nuh, and do our best to correct the disunity in the church, so that we can follow Christ’s example and be His disciples both in word and deed, by LOVING each other, the way that He LOVES us. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking help to do just that!
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And though the Lord might acknowledge our prayer, He’s definitely looking for improvement in our Christian witness, before dispensing divine aid. Much LOVE!
…Christians badly need to get their act together…if they truly desire to make a positive difference in our world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, accosted by the devil, all destinies lead to God, as a roaring lion, avenge not yourselves, be not overcome of evil, be sober be vigilant, be ye angry and sin not, bless them that curse you, cease from anger, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, commune seriously with God, curse, determine what's right for us, divine protection, do good to them that hate you, don't change for change sake, don't go overboard when you're angry, don't go to bed angry, duty bound, etenal life, face the battle mano a mano, favour, forsake wrath, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, generously share our blessings, get left behind, heap coals of fire on his head, heed its warning, holy spirit, I shall repay, if he thirst give him drink, if it's not broken don't fix it, if thine enemy hunger feed him, it only causes harm, Jesus Christ, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, looking for an opportunity to disrupt our lives, lots of bark but no bite, LOVE, Love your enemies, make you immune from eivl, mercy, negative word, neither give place to the devil, not all walk the same path to get to God, overcome evil with good, pray for them which spitefully use you, promotion, prosper and succeed, salvation, self-control, self-didcipline, shaming our enemy with good treatement, success, supernatural wisdom, talent, the BIBLE, the Bible is our everyday guide to life, the devil is powerless if we stand strong in the Lord, the devil's a toothless lion, the indisputable truth, the joy of the Lord is our strength, time's moving forward very quickly, truth, undeserved blessings, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, wisdom, with God's help, your adversary the devil
Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Oh brother! It couldn’t be Thursday already, the second to last day of our work week? But it surely is! That just goes to show how time is moving forward very quickly, and if we don’t heed its warning, we will get left behind, which is not a good feeling. But that doesn’t mean we have to change for the sake of change. The old cliché that if it isn’t broken don’t fix it, still stands as a reminder that a lot of things that are happening now are not really necessary and some of them can be bypassed. The difficult question though, is which ones should we bypass and which shouldn’t we?
I only wish I knew the answer. And unless you’re clairvoyant, the only way to find out is by each one of us facing the battle, mano a mano, and determining for ourselves, with God’s help, what is right for us. For although our destinies lead us all to the same place; salvation and eternal life with Jesus, not all of us walk the same path to get there. That’s why the Lord made us as individuals, with no two of us fully resembling each other in all aspects. He has a different path for each one of us to walk to get to Him, and only as we commune seriously with Him, will we find out the path He desires us to tread.
Consequently, that’s why He gave us His Word in the Bible as a guidebook for living this earthly life. And that’s why the psalmist so wisely declares: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And Cousin Sol elaborates on that in Proverbs by warning: ‘My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.’ (Prov. 6:20-23)
Yes my brethren, God’s Word is there to guide us and keep us safe, but we have to read and study it, then put it into action before it can do that. Just becoming a Christian doesn’t make you immune from the evil and ungodliness of this world. In fact, that will make the enemy try even harder to tempt you and make you miserable, because he doesn’t want you to enjoy the strength of the Lord which is our joy. (Neh. 8:10) Yuh see, even Jesus was tempted, and it was the Holy Spirit that led Him into the wilderness to be thus accosted by the devil. That means we will also have the wily snake hanging around us all the time, looking for an opportunity to disrupt our lives.
And as Peter warns: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’ (1 Pet. 5:8) But he’s a toothless lion, lots of bark, but no bite. However, if we allow him, he can wreak much havoc in our lives. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote these words to the Ephesians. ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph. 4:26:-27)
Yes, when we get angry, we’re liable do foolish and ungodly stuff, that just gives the devil and opportunity to get into our lives. So, we must be careful when we get angry not to go overboard and react foolishly. Neither should we go to bed angry, because that just disturbs our sleep, and most likely we’ll wake up angry also, which is not a nice or sensible way to start our day.
Bruh David also warned about anger in Psalm 37, when he writes: ‘Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:8) And that’s the indisputable truth! For evil does nothing good for mankind, only brings pain, suffering, death and sorrow. And Bruh Paul said it thus to the Romans. ‘Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:19-21)
Yes friends, we can become angry, but must be careful what we do in those times, don’t repay evil for evil, neither seek revenge, for that right belongs to the Lord. We’re suppose to treat our enemy with graciousness, feed and give him drink if necessary, thereby sought of shaming him. (smile) It’s as Jesus declared: ‘But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you.’ (Matt. 5:44)
Now, although that command is often difficult to put into action, we must do our best to follow our Saviour’s directives, and our God is such a wonderful God that in His goodness and wisdom He’s bestowed several undeserved blessings on us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, we are now duty bound to go out and generously use those blessings to help others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the devil is powerless…if we stand strong in the Lord…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future we cannot imagine or comprhend, a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, a lack of mountain-moving faith, a lesson for all of us, a motivator, a small amount of living faith, a small beginning with massive God-given potential, a small seed that grows into a very large plant, achieve monumental spiritual feats, All Fools Day, appraise opportunities intellignetly, April Fool's day, be wise and endure, because of your unbelief, catch my second wind, christianity, Christians, communicating continually with God, conservative and cautious attitude, discipleship requires forward-focused undivied devotion, discouragement is rampant in our soicety, do not be discouraged, do not expect to succeed, doing God's will with diligence and excellence, don't accomplish everything you set out to do, Don't Get Discouraged, dontrust in the size of our faith, Dr. Robert H. Schuller, endure to the end with Christ, eyes fixed straight ahead, fail to move forward with an expectant confidence, faith, fall into calamity, get cold feet, grab the opportunity, guide you into all truth, halfway home, hands on the plough, he shall glorify me, he shall not speak of himself, he shall receive of mine and declare it unto you, help you move on to victory, hold back your full power, holy spirit, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, indecisive people, is fit for the kingdom of heaven, it shall move, Jesus Christ, looking back, looking back after gripping the plow, looking back compromises one's service and spirtual progress, lose nerve, LOVE, mercy, never give up attitude, no man having put his hand to the plough, not looking back at the past, nothing shall be impossible unto you, produce significant results, promote opportunities confidently, receive what is mine, remove hence to yonder place, run a few errands, salvation, say unto this mountain, second wind day, seize opportunities swiftly, shall not speak on his own authority, shew you things to come, sincere trust placed in God, small authentic faith can grow and accomplish great things, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the evil and ungodliness permeating our society, the fast moving opportunity, the gospel truth, The Hour of Power 50th AnniversaryBook of Daily Motivation and Inspiration, the wicked shall fall into mischief, these dark and dangerous times, to a glorious future with Jesus, total commitment to following Jesus, trust in the power of God, truth, want to be a success, Wednesday Wail, when he the Spirit of truth is come, wisdom
Matthew 17:20a. If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move);
And then it was Wednesday, our second wind day, but unfortunately we’re on the late, late bus, no I won’t deceive you on this 1st of April, April Fools Day. (smile) But I went to my church group, then I ran a few errands, which always take longer than planned, and by the time I got home the ole fella was tired, and therefore had to rest a spell to catch his second wind. What a great excuse for All Fool’s Day, as we call in the West Indies. But it’s the truth and I’m sticking to it. (smile) And since we’re running late, I’ll endeavour to keep the Bit short and sweet… although I sometimes wonder if the word short exists in my vocabulary. (smile) Yes, it’s a smiley kind of day!
Anyhow, in my attempt to keep things short and sweet, here is an encouraging passage from The Hour of Power 50th Anniversary Book of Daily Motivation and Inspiration by Dr, Robert H. Schuller. The passage is aptly titled ‘Don’t Get Discouraged,’ and that’s a wonderful motivator for us today in these very dark and discouraging times. I’m sure I shared this already, but as with so many other things, this is worth sharing again and again. So please read with me, as Dr. Schuller advises us.
‘Do not be discouraged if you do not accomplish everything that you set out to accomplish. Surely if you do not expect to succeed you will hold back your full power, investment and enthusiasm. Immediately, the kind of people who would help to move you on to victory begin to draw back. Your conservative and cautious attitude will reflect itself in an anxious look on your face that will disturb and discourage people from helping you. There are two major reasons why people fail. Both stem from a lack of mountain-moving faith.
(1) People who fail are often people who are indecisive. They cannot make decisions swiftly and surely. The fast moving opportunity is past before they decide – too late – to take hold. (2) Then some decisive people fail because after making the decision, they fail to move forward with an expectant confidence. They grab the opportunity only to lose nerve, get cold feet, and begin to wonder if they have done the right thing. They have gripped the plow but now they are looking back. Want to be a success? Develop the ability to appraise opportunities intelligently, seize opportunities swiftly, and promote these opportunities confidently.’
And in there somewhere is a lesson for all of us, because discouragement has become so rampant in our society because of the evil and ungodliness that’s permeating it. But the first thing we all need to have is as Dr. Schuller calls it, is ‘mountain-moving faith.’ It’s like Jesus said to the disciples who could not cure an epileptic boy. When they asked why? ‘Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you.’ (Matt. 17:20)
Yes friends we need to start with faith, not necessarily plenty, but strong. And I like how this commentary explains it. “Faith the size of a mustard seed” is a metaphor from Jesus in the Gospels (Matthew 17:20) indicating that even a tiny amount of genuine, living faith can achieve monumental spiritual feats, such as moving mountains or uprooting trees (Luke 17:6). The mustard seed represents a small beginning with massive, God-given potential.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people!
For, as the commentary continues: ‘The mustard seed was considered one of the smallest seeds, yet it grows into a very large plant, symbolizing that small, authentic faith can grow and accomplish great things. However, the message is not to trust in the size of our own faith, but in the power of God, with whom nothing is impossible. The metaphor encourages believers to trust God even in the face of massive, insurmountable obstacles (mountains). In essence, having faith the size of a mustard seed means having a small amount of sincere trust that, when placed in God, can produce significant results.’
And after having the faith to do whatever we want to do, then we must act decisively on it, expecting it to be successful, not being luke-warm and non-enthusiastic about the outcome. And we can only do that properly if we communicate with our heavenly Father through the auspices of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. For as Jesus told the disciples: ‘Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority), but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of (what is) mine, and shall shew (declare) it unto you.’ (John 16:13-14)
Oh my people, living this life successfully is a matter of having faith, communicating continually with God, then doing what He says with diligence and excellence, keeping our hands on the plow and not looking back, for as Jesus says: ‘No man having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven.’ (Luke 9:62) That means, as this commentary tells us: ‘Luke 9:62 is a profound biblical proverb emphasizing total commitment to following Jesus. It signifies that discipleship requires forward-focused, undivided devotion, warning that looking back at past comforts, sins, or regrets compromises one’s service and spiritual progress.’
And above all friends, it means never giving up, for in Jesus’ vocabulary ‘giving up’ does not exist. It’s as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘A just (righteous) man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity.’ (Prov. 24:16) And that’s as short as we could make it, (smile) so let’s go home now 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’re faithful and endure to the very end with Jesus, then we will also enjoy a more than glorious future, one we cannot comprehend or imagine, promised to those who stick it out! So let’s be wise and endure nuh! Much LOVE!
…Christians have enough tools and support from Christ…to not give into discouragement…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man who sowed good seed, a warning to labourers in the filed, an enemy hath done this, anxiety and confusion, be renewed and refreshed, bind them in bundles to burn them, brought forth fruit, by the good example we your faithful believers set, cast them into the furnace of fire, christianity, Christians, didst thou not sow good seed, divine aid, easier in the church age to have counterfeits, escalating problems, faith, faithful believers, false converts produce no lasting fruit, fellowship. rest, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, gather the wheat into my barn, gather together first the tares, get sufficient fun, good example, he that soweth the good seed is the Son of man, help us to be responsible, I made it through, ignorance of the law is no excuse, in the kingdom of their father, in the time of harvest, is likened unto a man, Jesus Christ, lest while ye gather up the tares, let them both grow together until the harvest, LOVE, mercy, omnipotent help, practice lawlessness, refeshed in body soul and mind, relaxation, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, shall we go and gather them up, tares bear no fruit, tares look almost identical to wheat, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thanks for getting me safely though another week of work, the BIBLE, the enemy is Satan, the enemy sowed tares among the wheat, the field is the world, the good seed are the children of the kingdom, the harvest is the end of the church age, the meaning of the parable's gone over our heads, the parable of the wheat and the tares, the reapers are the angels, the righteous shine forth as the sun, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the Son of man shall send forth his angels, the tares are false converts, the throne of grace, the time for serious christianity is right now, them which do iniquity, then appeared the tares also, true converts produce fruitful lives, truth, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wailing and gnashing of teeth, when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, while men slept, who hath ears to hear let him hear, wisdom, wise guidance, with your generous help, ye root up also the wheat
Matthew 13:43b. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Oh mih people, Friday, that long awaited day, is here at last! Therefore, we can offer up our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is finally here!’ What would we do without the weekend eh? I don’t know. Our forefathers must have had it really hard when they were forced to work six and seven days a week, but thanks be to their fighting spirit, we’ve cut it down to five, and some are blessed enough to have only a four day work week. But let’s remember the hefty price our forefathers paid for reducing the work week, and truly appreciate it, and thus work diligently and efficiently as unto Jesus.
And today, we’ll look at an interesting parable of Jesus, that of the Wheat and the Tares (weeds), one we don’t hear a lot about. Jesus said to the multitude: ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade (grain) was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.’ (Matt. 13:24-26)
Now, according to this commentary, ‘Tares are weed plants (specifically darnel,) that look almost identical to wheat in their early stages, acting as a poisonous, bitter choking weed in grain fields. In appearance, they are incredibly similar to wheat, making them difficult to identify until the wheat bows down with grain and the tares remain upright.’
And Jesus continues the parable. ‘So the servants of the house-holder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while we gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.’ (Matt. 13:27-30)
And it’s obvious that Jesus’ audience back then would hardly understand what He was talking about. Oh, they knew about wheat and tares because it was an agrarian, or agricultural society, but Jesus’ hidden meaning would have gone over their heads, much like it would go over ours. (smile) So what does He mean?
The scholars offer these explanations. ‘24-27. This parable serves as a warning to the labourers in the field (the world, vs. 38). Unlike the Jewish form of the kingdom in the Old Testament, where citizens could easily be recognized, during the church age, converts will be made from all over the world and received upon their profession of faith. Thus, it will be easier to slip in some counterfeits who profess the church, which is the subject of these parables.
The enemy is Satan and the tares (darnel) are false converts. The darnel, although it resembled the wheat did not come to fruition (didn’t bear fruit). Thus Jesus words: The good seed …sprung up, and brought forth fruit, again, emphasizing that true converts produce fruitful lives. By contrast, false converts produce no lasting fruit.’
Then, as per verses 28-30, the scholars note: ‘The servants asked what could be done with these tares. To uproot them would be to damage the entire crop. Root up…the wheat with them: The implication seems to be that too much scathing (caustic criticism) of people’s genuineness of faith may damage the saved before it exposes the lost. Let both grow together indicates that there will always be some false professors among true Christian believers until the time of harvest or judgement. Note that the tares are gathered, bound, and burned first, whereas the wheat is gathered into my barn (heaven).’
Now, that’s a tough parable to break down, and not surprisingly, even the disciples didn’t understand it, and later asked Jesus for an explanation. ‘He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world (age); and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world (age).
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity (practice lawlessness); And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ (Matt. 13:37-43)
Oh friends, none of that needs further explanation. Jesus explained it fully, and if we don’t receive it, then that’s our problem. As He says, ‘Who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ So it’s all up to us now. We cannot say we didn’t know. Remember, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant for divine aid in these crucial times. And you’ll notice that I’ve reworked it with an older version, and made it a little shorter. (smile)
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example that we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And to receive that divine aid, it now behooves us to go out and set the good example that we were talking about! Much LOVE!
…the time for serious Christianity…is RIGHT NOW…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a by product of our addiction to speed, abundance, addiction to speed, be of good courage, blessed are all they that wait for him, both hope and wait quietly, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, delight thyself also in the Lord, divine protection, duty bound, even the youths shall faint and be weary, excessive reliance on speed, eyes blazing, faith, favour, focus on today's tasks, fulfillment, give thee the desires of thine heart, good friends, good health, He giveth power to the faint, he may be gracious unto you, he may have mercy on you, he shall exalt thee to inherit the land, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, I had fainted, I wait for the Lord, in his word do I hope, in the Lord's kingdom timing is everything, it is good that a man, it's hard to wait on the Lord's timing, Jesus Christ, let Israel hope in the Lord, LOVE, mercy, more than they that watch for the morning, mount up with wings as eagles, mouths salivating, my soul doth wait, my soul waiteth for the Lord, negative word, offering their morning sacrifices of praise, personal experience, promotion, prosper and succeed, run and not be weary, salvation, self-control, serenade the one who provides for them, talent, the BIBLE, the Lord has me in waiting mode, the Lord is a God of justice, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the young men shall utterly fall, therefore will he be exalted, therefore will the Lord wait, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, thou shalt see it, times of total impatience, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, to the soul that seeketh him, to them that have no might he increaseth strength, truth, undeserved blessings, unless I had believed, uplifting to hear them, use those blessings to help others, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, wait on the Lord and keep his way, waiting on God and His timing, wake up to the sweet singing of birds, walk and not faint, when the time is right things will happen, when the wicked are cut off, wisdom, with him is plenteous redemption, with the Lord there is mercy
Psalm 37:34. ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it.’
Oh friends, how wonderful it is to awaken to the sweet singing of the birds on a spring Thursday morning, or any morning for that matter! It’s certainly uplifting to hear them offering their morning sacrifices of praise to their Maker and Provider, in such a natural manner. They can’t think like we do, but they know that they must serenade the one who provides for them. Only wish that more of us would do like them.
And on this fairly warm but cloudy and drizzly penultimate day of our work week, instead of wishing that tomorrow and the weekend would hurry up and come, let’s focus instead on the many tasks we need to perform today, for some of us might not even be around to see tomorrow. That’s why I believe the Lord guided me to these scriptures for today on waiting on Him and His timing.
Listen to these wise words of Jeremiah from his Lamentations. ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:25-26) Yes my people, waiting on our God is most important, but sometimes extremely difficult to do especially in these times of total impatience and the excessive reliance on speed.
And waiting on God is so important that there are many scriptures that call for it. So let’s look at a few of them, so that we can renew our minds and spirits on the subject. (smile) Hear, as the prophet Isaiah, talks about God’s graciousness and mercy. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait. That he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18)
And we all know this next popular scripture from Isaiah. ‘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. 40:29-31)
Now all of us want to ‘mount up with wings as eagles,’ but we don’t want to do the waiting on the Lord. And not wanting to wait is a sad byproduct of this society’s addiction to speed, to have everything move faster and done more quickly. We’re regularly offered new devices, and in many cases they’re not really much better than the last one, but they are always faster, and that gets our eyes blazing and our mouths salivating for them.
Meanwhile in Psalm 130 – Hoping and Waiting for the Lord – the psalmist declares: ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), And with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption.’ (Ps. 130: 5-7) Wow! What great reasons to wait on the Lord: abundant redemption and plenty mercy!
Then there are a couple of scriptures from Bruh David that we all know, but don’t necessarily action them. (smile) The first comes from Psalm 127 – My Heart Shall Not Fear. he writes: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 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. 27:13 -14) Bruh David could not have put it any clearer or stronger than that my faithful brethren. And we all know his story, where although he made some bad mistakes, he waited on the Lord for most of his life, and he was successful as a king, a warrior, a poet and a musician.
And yes, it is hard to wait on the Lord’s timing. I can tell you that from personal experience, because I’ve been through it earlier on in life. When I didn’t wait, my projects were unsuccessful, but when I waited, they bore good fruit. Right now, I have several projects waiting in the wings, but not doing anything about them, either because I’m too lazy to jump start them, (smile) or the Lord has me in waiting mode. I’d like to think it’s the latter, but who knows,?
Anyway, I’ve learned from hard experience that when the time is right, things will happen. Therefore I’m doing as Bruh David says in Psalm 37 – Trust in the Lord – ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4) And do I ever have several desires of mine heart still left to be manifested, in the short time I have left! (smile)
And lastly, there’s this verse also from Psalm 37, where Bruh David advises us to: ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it.’ (Ps. 37:34) Yes my people, if we want to see the goodness and mercy of God, then we have to wait on His timing. That’s the living truth. Now, let’s declare and thus activate our undeserved Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in the Lord’s kingdom…timing is everything…
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
20 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a common occurrence, a contrast between outward appearance and inward reality, a cultural thing, a heavenly reward, a shortcoming of Christians, appear beautiful outward, as a service to God not for human approval, as unto the Lord and not unto men, as your Father in heaven is perfect, be responsible, be the children of your Father in heaven, be ye therefore perfect, bless them that curse you, by the example we faithful believers set, Christian behaviour, Christians, confusion of these ungodly times, crying our for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, do good to them that hate you, do not even the publicans the same, dress down Fridays, faith, Friday chant, full of dead men's bones, God sends rain on the just and the unjust, God's omnipotent help, greedy and deceitful times, greet only your brethren, he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, he that doeth wrong, holy spirit, hypocrisy has become rampant in today's society, hypocrites, if ye love them which love you, improve our motives and sincerity, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, knowing that of the Lord, lazing around, LOVE, love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy, Love your enemies, mercy, no respect of persons with God, our sinful world can wake up, performing all tasks wholeheartedly, pray for them which spitefully use you, prayer for divine aid, prejudices, receive the reward of the inheritance, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, serious problems are escalating, shall receive for the wrong that he hath done, show them the error of their ways, slacking off from work, smell the coffee, stand strong and steadfast for Christ, stay safe, talk a good talk about Jesus, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, The Bible - God's divine word, the norm not the exception, the sincerity and motives of our hearts, the throne of grace, trusting faith, truth, unbelievers doubt our witness, unexpected storms, we work as for man not as for God, what do ye more than others, what reward have ye, whatsoever ye do do it heartily, white washed sepulchres, wisdom, wise guidance, woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, work in an efficient and diligent manner, work should not be shirked, ye serve the Lord Christ
Colossians 3:23. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
So it’s finally Friday! Yes the day we’ve all been looking forward to since Monday. (smile) And though it’s dark, cloudy and rainy, we still lifted up our voices in our Friday Mantra with much enthusiasm. ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is hear at long last!’ But friends, just because today is Friday, the entry day to the weekend, it doesn’t mean that we can laze around and not do what needs to be done in an efficient and diligent manner, just like Jesus desires.
For some of us mistakenly think that Friday is a lazy day, but that is Saturday. Friday is another working day, it’s just that on Friday we can look forward to Saturday, the truly lazing day. But all five days of the work week ought to be taken seriously and not slacking off on Friday. I know it’s become a sort of cultural thing, with dress down Fridays, and Friday after work gatherings, but there’s nothing that says work should be shirked. And sadly, if some of us were paid on the work we actually did, we’d get very little in our pay packets.
However, as believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, we ought to follow this golden rule that Bruh Paul wrote to the Colossians. ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:23-25) Yes friends, whatever we do down here on this earth it must be done as to God and not unto man.
As this commentary tells us, ‘”Do everything as unto the Lord,” means performing all tasks—work, chores, or relationships—wholeheartedly, with enthusiasm, and as a service to God rather than for human approval. This mindset shifts the focus from seeking recognition from others to serving Christ, which provides peace, purpose, and a heavenly reward.’
I could not put it any better my people! And that’s one of the shortcomings of many of us Christians, we work as for man, and not as for God. But remember that last verse from Bruh Paul’s letter above, warns us that wrongdoers will pay for their wrong doing, and we all know that the Lord is no respecter of persons, regardless of who you are, you will pay.
And unfortunately, that’s one the things that causes the unbeliever to doubt our witness. We talk a good talk about Jesus, but then they see us lazing around and slacking off from work. That either makes them feel that you can do that as a Christian, or we are just a bunch of hypocrites. Which again, unfortunately, many of us are.
It’s like Jesus describes the Jewish leaders of His time. ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres (whitewashed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)
Now, sadly, that can be said of many supposed believers. Like this commentary explains: ‘”Like whitewashed sepulchres” (or tombs) is a metaphor used by Jesus in Matthew 23:27 to condemn hypocrisy, describing people who appear righteous, beautiful, or holy on the outside but are inwardly corrupt, full of “dead men’s bones,” and moral uncleanness. It signifies a stark contrast between outward appearance and inner reality.’
And that’s such a common occurrence in these greedy, deceitful, evil and ungodly times, not only amongst Christians, but in our entire society. Consequently, because of the kind of society in which we currently dwell, hypocrisy has become rampant and more the norm than the exception. And yes, we all have our likes and dislikes, our prejudices and whatever, but that doesn’t mean we have to encourage or action them, especially when Jesus says we should not.
So let’s remember these words of Jesus: ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5: 43-48) Yes my brethren, as disciples and ambassadors of Jesus, we’re expected to do a tad more than the ordinary unbeliever.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant for divine aid to help us do just that! Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Oh my people, you know we can talk a good talk, but the Lord doesn’t listen to our talk, but instead looks at the sincerity and motives of our hearts, and if our motives weren’t right and our prayer sincere, then we won’t be receiving any divine aid. It as simple as that. That means we need to improve our motives and our sincerity! Much LOVE!
…Christian behaviour is expected to be serious and sincere…not hypocritical…
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
17 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a global conflict, a nuclear blast, a plague, a wake up call to get right with God, all of them shall grow old like a garment, are you ready for Jesus' return, as a vesture shalt thou change them, atomic bombs, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, cause for us to sit up and pay attention, Christ's church come together, christianity, Christians, come as a thief in the night, come to know and love christ like we do, effects of radiation, faith, Greg Laurie, he find you sleeping, heaven and earth shall pass away, Hiroshima, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, let the world know to whom we belong, lift up your eyes to the heavens, lock stock and barrel, look upon the earth beneath, LOVE, mankind invents and perfects methods of destruction, mercy, my righteousness shall not be abolished, my salvation shall be for ever, my words shall not pass away, Nagasaki, nuclear weapons, of old thou hast laid the foundations of the earth, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, stay spiritually awake, suddenly coming, take heed, take the bull by the horns, the antichrist, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the day of the Lord, the earth also, the earth shall wax old like a garment, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the end times, the flesh eyes and tongues of people rot, the heavens are the work of thy hands, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, the rapture of the church, the second coming of Jesus, the Tribulation, the war of Gog and Magog, the works that are therein shall be burned up, they shall be changed, they shall perish but thou shalt endure, they that dwell therein shall die in like manner, thou art the same, thy years shall have no end, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn things around in Christ's favour, watch, watch and pray, watch ye therefore, weapons of mass destruction, what I say unto you I say unto all, wisdom, World War II, worry, ye know not when the time is
Mark 13:37. And what I say unto you I say unto all. Watch.
Well friends, with God’s help, we’ve successfully made it through Monday, so there’s no reason why we should not make it through this windy and chilly but fairly sunny Tuesday too! And, believe it or not, we’re already past the halfway mark of this March month, meaning that time and things are speeding up, so we also have to get a move on if we don’t want to be left behind. It’s therefore essential that Christ’s people, His church, come together, take the bull by the horns and begin turning things around in His favour, otherwise the devil and his evil cronies will just destroy everything that’s good and godly in our world.
We’ve already seen how we are foolishly leading up to another big war, which might just prove to be the last one, and the evil doers are in no hurry to change the situation, so it’s left up to the people of Christ to intervene and stop the foolishness, If not, then we might just see the promise of Peter’s words coming through, for the next big war will indeed be a doozy with nuclear weapons of mass destruction. ‘But the day of the Lord shall 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)
And that’s exactly what’s going to eventually happen if mankind doesn’t restrain his warlike tendencies. And if we think the atomic bombs that decimated the Japanese Cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War 2 were bad, please think again, because the weapons we now have are several times stronger and more destructive. But that’s what mankind does so well, invent and perfect methods and weapons of destruction. What’s taken centuries to build, we can now destroy and eliminate in the blink of an eye. Most of our efforts are concentrated on destruction rather than construction.
And we have the same sort of warning about serious destruction from the prophet Isaiah when he talks about the ‘Nearness of God’s Righteousness.’ He writes: ‘Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax (grow) old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished (broken).’ (Is. 51:6)
Yes friends, there are several more references in the Bible to the earth being destroyed, like this one from Psalm 102. The author states: ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundations of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed (descendants) shall be established before thee.’ (Ps. 102: 25-28)
Then this commentary tells us, there are other scriptures like ‘Zechariah 14:12 which describes a plague where the flesh, eyes, and tongues of people rot while they stand on their feet, which some interpret as the effects of radiation or a nuclear blast. Revelation 8:7-10: Mentions a third of the earth, trees, and grass burning up, and a great mountain burning with fire falling into the sea, often interpreted as nuclear missiles and fallout. Ezekiel 38-39: Describes the war of Gog and Magog, involving massive armies, fire, and brimstone, which some commentators suggest could be a global conflict in the end times.’
The problem though is however we explain or understand it, the earth and all therein will at some time be destroyed either by man’s hands or divine design, thus we should be prepared for whatever comes. And I like how Pastor Greg Laurie puts it in his article on the current problems in the Middle East, found on the harvest.org/resources website. He writes: ‘I believe what has taken place in the Middle East is cause for us to sit up and pay attention. Let me give you just a quick flyover of end times events chronologically. Number one, I think the next event on the prophetic calendar is the Rapture of the Church. Then, the Antichrist emerges on the scene and the Tribulation period begins.
The Tribulation ends with the Second Coming of Christ, and then the Lord establishes the Millennium (the 1,000-year reign of Christ). Events like the ones we are seeing now shouldn’t cause us to panic and be fearful, but move us to prayer. Pray for the nations involved. Pray for peace. And pray that many come to Christ. Bible prophecy is not given to scare us, but to prepare us. Are You Ready? Ask yourself today, “Am I ready for the Lord’s return?” Christ is coming again. This is a wake-up call to get right with God, walk closely with Him, and stay spiritually awake. Let’s all make sure we’re ready to meet the Lord—because, well, He could come back at any time.’
And that was Jesus’ exact warning: ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter (doorkeeper) to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even (evening), or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning. Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all. Watch.’ (Mark 13:31-37)
And whatever Jesus says, is what we ought to do! So please my fellow believers, let’s sit up and take notice nuh. It’s all for our benefit. Now let’s declare 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!’
Now, it behooves us 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!
…regardless of our many problems…Christians ought to be ready for Christ’s return…at any time…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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