23 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as I have seen in the sanctuary, be renewed and refreshed, because thou hast been my help, become too self-righteous, blessed is the man that trusteth in him, Christians, dark clouds fighting the sunshine for supremacy, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, delivered me from all my fears, despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, early will I seek thee, encampeth round about them that fear him, endure the trials and tribulations of this world, eternal life, faith, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give our leaders the wise guidance, glorifying our heavenly Father, God delivers them, God is a refuge for us, God's omnipotent help, help us to be responsible, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, holy spirit, hope thou in God, I shall yet praise him, I sought the Lord and he heard me, I will bless the Lord at all times, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is, in all sincerity and truth, In God is my salvation and my glory, in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ will eventually reign supreme, Jesus is the best thing that's ever happened to mankind, let us exalt His name together, lift up my hands in thy name, LOVE, meditate on thee in the night watches, mercy, my flesh longeth for thee, my lips shall praise thee, my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips, my refuge is in God, my soul followeth hard after thee, my soul shall be satisfied, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, my soul thirsteth for thee, O God thou art my God, o magnify the Lord with me, O taste and see that the Lord is good, O thou that hearest prayer, our serious problems are escalating, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our witness for Christ has been unsatisfactory, pour out your heart before him, praise the Lord for His goodness to the children of men, remember thee upon my bed, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, saved him out of all his troubles, Selah, so have I looked for thee, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the angel of the Lord, the BIBLE, the fool says in his heart there is no God, the good example that we your faithful believers set, the health of my countenance and my God, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad, the living truth, the Lord heard him, the rock of my strength, the sacrifice of Jesus, the sunshine will eventually reign supreme, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, the wise man continually seeks god, their faces were not ashamed, they looked unto him and were lightened, they were radiant, this poor man cried, thus will I bless thee while I live, thy loving-kindness is better than life, thy right hand upholdeth me, time to wake up and do better, to handle these unexpected storms properly, to see thy power and thy glory, tough and turbulent times, trust him at all times, trusting faith, truth, unto thee shall all flesh come, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, wisdom, with marrow and fatness, with your generous help
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 October 2026 Psalm 34:8.
Psalm 34:8. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
And then it was Friday, the day we all look forward to, so we can send up our Friday Mantra to high heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ Unfortunately though, today is not as bright and sunshiny as the last few days, because there are some dark clouds fighting the sunshine for supremacy, but we are not perturbed or concerned, because we all believe that the sunshine, like our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, will eventually reign supreme. (smile)
And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord God Almighty for His goodness to the children of men, so generously giving us His Only Son Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Saviour!’ And my faithful brethren, that’s the best thing that’s ever happened to mankind, because it’s only through the sacrifice, strength and grace of Christ that we can endure the trials and tribulations of this evil and ungodly world, and then with salvation, enter eternal life with Him. That means Jesus deserves all the praise, honour and glory we can ever bestow on Him, for He’s definitely earned it several times over!
And that’s why these verses from various psalms encourage us to turn to God in each and every situation. Like this one from Psalm 42, when sadness fills our hearts, and the Sons of Korah question: ‘Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health (help, salvation) of my countenance, and my God.’ (Ps. 42:11) Turning to God in times of sorrow, certainly lifts our spirits.
Then listen to these verses from Psalm 62, as Bruh David confidently announces: ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust him at all times; ye people, pour our your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62: 7-8) And isn’t that the glorious truth? It certainly is! Therefore, Bruh David could also say in Psalm 63, when he was in the wilderness of Judah, running from his enemies: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary (so have I looked for thee). Because thy LOVING-KINDNESS is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard (close) after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.’ (Ps. 63:1-8)
Oh my people, can we long for the Lord and sing His praises so confidently if we were hiding out in a dry and thirsty land? I doubt it. We can’t even do it when we have all the advantages of this easy life, so how will we when we don’t have them eh? Or is it because we have all these advantages that we believe there’s no need to long for God and praise Him, but when we are disadvantaged we will be quick to seek Him? Either way friends, we ought to long for God, to seek and praise Him! As Bruh David says in Psalm 65: ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ (Ps; 65:2)
And that’s how it ought to be. As we see in Psalm 34,where Bruh David ardently declares: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened (radiant): and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’ (Ps. 34: 1-8)
Now that’s the living truth my people! But the problem is you’ll never know it, unless you turn to the Lord in all sincerity and truth and discover the truth of those words for yourself. And to help us do just that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant for divine aid in these tough and turbulent times. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them.
Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And before we get too self-righteous, let’s understand that we believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, strong and sweet, because our witness for Christ so far has been rather unsatisfactory, and it’s one of the reasons why our world is in such an angry and strife-filled state. So it’s high time we wake up and do better! Much LOVE!
…the wise man continually seeks God…while the fool says in his heart…there is no God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a golden autumn of our lives, a little thing, a positive outlook on life, abundance, allow God to have total control, another beautiful autumn day, as lovlely as this golden autumn morning, Autumn Glow, autumn is the most brilliant, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, enjoy a golden autumn lifestyle, faith, favour, feeling up to scratch, generously share our undeserved blessings, grieve the passing days of summer, his commandments are not burdensome, his commandments are not grievous, holy spirit, I said Thou art my God, I trusted in thee O Lord, Jesus Christ, losing our memory, LOVE, make my life brilliant too, memories don't leave like people do, mercy, my neck of the woods, my times are in thy hand, negative word, not feeling well, not look back to grieve, not very mobile, nothing is impossible for God, of all the regal seasons, older and closer to heaven, on a late bus, our bad memories also helped to shape our lives, promotion, prosper and succeed, put our complete trust in God, recall our memories, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, self-control, sit quietly in our rocking chairs and reminesce, supernatural strength, surrender our lives completely to God, talent, the autumn of my life, the BIBLE, the good old days, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the penultimate day of our work week, the summer of our lives, they always stay with you, they're never something that you had, this is the love of God, to stop the Lord's work, truth, undeserved blessings, we keep His commandments, whether thye've been good or bad, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 October 2026 Psalm 31:14-15a.
Psalm 31:14-15a. But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand:
Ah friends, it’s another beautiful autumn day in my neck of the woods, and we’re very thankful for it, but the truth is we’re on a real late bus this Thursday afternoon, because the ole fella wasn’t feeling up to scratch earlier today, and thus lay in bed longer than usual. However, we cannot afford to allow a little thing like not feeling well to stop the Lord’s work, so here we are, ready and able to write the Bit, with God’s help obviously. (smile) But enough excuses, let’s see what the Lord desires us to talk about on this penultimate day of our work week.
And here’s a most appropriate poem for the season, especially a fine day like today, from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s short and simply titled ‘Autumn Glow.’ So, please pray with me: ‘Lord, if You will make The autumn of my life As LOVELY as this Golden autumn morning I will not look back to grieve The passing days of summer. Of all the regal seasons Autumn is most brilliant. Make my life brilliant, too!’ Oh my people, that’s certainly a beautiful prayer; short and right to the point; a golden autumn of our lives!
And since many of us are definitely in that season of life, it’s rather appropriate for us. Sometimes too, as we get older and closer to heaven, (smile) we wish for the good old days of the summer of our lives, when we were busy and very active, not like now when many of us are not very mobile and are also losing our memory. It would definitely be great to enjoy a golden autumn lifestyle as the winter cold creeps up on us. And if that can happen, as the poem indicates, we won’t grieve those good old days of summers past.
Now that doesn’t mean we cannot recall the memories we made back then, for that’s what memories are there for; to be recalled at later dates. And as the song so rightly says: ‘Memories don’t leave like people do, they always stay with you. Whether they’ve been good or bad, They’re never something that you had…’ And now, in this golden autumn of our lives is when we need to look back at the memories we made and appreciate them, both the good and the bad, because they are the moments that shaped our lives and brought us to where we are now.
And is it ever good to sit quietly in our rocking chairs and just reminisce; letting whatever memory just float into our minds. And yes, there are some memories that we all surely wish to forget, but let’s acknowledge that those bad ones also helped to shape our lives and livelihood, so although they might not be pleasant, we ought to be able to look back on them without too much distaste, because they are a part of our overall story.
And as the poem says, ‘Of all the regal seasons Autumn is most brilliant.’ That’s certainly true! With all the variety of colours, autumn is indeed the brightest and most colourful; the Lord didn’t hold back any of the colours at his command; just proudly displayed them with artistic brilliance. That brings us to main point of the poem; our desiring to have the Lord also make our lives brilliant like the autumn season. Now that’s no problem for our mighty God, because we know nothing is impossible for Him, but it does entail certain things and conditions on our part before it can happen.
And what’s that, you ask? It’s like the Bible verses from the poem declare: ‘But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand:’ (Ps. 31:14-15a) Yes my faithful brethren, for our lives to become a golden autumn season, we need to put our trust completely in the God of our forefathers; surrender our lives completely to the God of Abrahm Isaac and Jacob. As Bruh David says, place our times, our lives in His awesome, miraculous hands. Only then can the Lord fashion our lives as a golden autumn season.
The artist must have total control of the painting if we want to see the outcome we truly desire. And that’s how it is with our God; if we don’t allow Him to control it all, He cannot make the masterpiece we desire. And surrendering our all to Him is not such a big thing to do, once we know who He truly is, and what He desires of us. As John so rightly says in 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)
And the Lord makes that even easier to do by generously bestowing undeserved blessings on us to help do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings! So let’s declare and thus activate them right now, because a blessing is only a blessing when it’s been spoken. With 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 expected to go out and generously use those blessings to help others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Christ like we do! Much LOVE!
…we cannot ask God to brilliantly shape our lives…unless we also bring our trust and surrender to the table…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a great family, a strong will, abundance, agrarian statement, all that came before me were thieves and robbers, answer with a positive Yes, as long as I am in the world, bear good fruit, behooves us to go out and share those blessings, believe in the godly sovereignty of Jesus, believest thou this, Christians, clear direction for my life, clod weather, come to know and love God like we do, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, experience everlasting life, faith, favour, find pasture, find safety and salvation, follow the light of the world, go in and out, God's revelation to Moses about His identity, good friends, good health, have the light of life, he that abideth in me and I in him, he that believeth in me, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, holy spirit, I Am sent me, I AM that I AM, I am the door, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, I am the light of the world, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the true vine, I am the vine ye are the branches, I am the way the truth and the life, I know my sheep and are known of mine, if any man enter in he shall be saved, Jesus Christ, Jesus has exclusive rights to the path to heaven, Jesus has the power over life and death, Jesus is indeed the first the last and everything in between, Jesus is the only way to God the Father, Jesus laid down His life for us on the cross of Calvary, Jesus witnessed to Himself, Jesus' husbandry lesson, mercy, Moses and the burning bush, my Father is the husbandman, negative word, never see the pearly gates of heaven, no man cometh to the Father but by me, promotion, prosper and succeed, salvation, self- discipline, self-control, stick to Jesus like white on rice, success, supernatural wisdom, talent, that the Father could justly forgive our sins, the BIBLE, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the light whose name is Jesus, the most important question in this life, the protective keeper of the door, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the sheep did not hear them, the way ye know, the winter season, though he were dead yet shall he live, to receive spiritual strength, truth, undeserved blessings, we've finally seen the light, whither I go ye know, whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, wisdom, without close ties to Jesus our abilities are severely limited, without me ye can do nothing
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 October 2026 John 8:12.
John 8:12. ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’
It’s finally happened friends; yes the bright and sunshiny warm days are now over, and the cold weather is slowly creeping in. Thus, the trees, possibly been fooled by the unbroken spell of warm weather, are now hurriedly starting to change the colours of their leaves and then discard them. Yes, they have finally seen the light, and let’s hope that we have also seen the light, whose name is Jesus!
And on this cool and cloudy Thursday in the middle of October, with the winter season quickly approaching, it’s of the utmost importance that we know, appreciate, receive and follow the light of this world. Jesus Himself said it: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) And He is bold and secure enough to repeat it in the next chapter.’ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ (John 9:5) That means He guides people out of spiritual darkness or death, and offers them the light of life.
Now, if Jesus said it, then it must be true, because He’s God and has no need to lie. The problem there was that the foolish, hypocritical Pharisees disputed His claim because Jesus witnessed to Himself. But if He is God; the highest Being in the universe, who else is there above Him to witness for Him eh? So please let’s not do like those Pharisees of old, be narrowed minded and stubborn, and doubt Christ’s claim to be the light of the world, or really none of His six other claims. And you wonder what those are?
Let’s see if we can gather them together. Here is this very important one, sorry, all of them are important. (smile) Jesus solemnly declares: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And He repeats it a little later, with a slightly different angle. ‘I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:14) In those two statements Jesus emphasizes His care and protection, and willingness to die for His sheep, just like any good shepherd would. And we all know He laid down His life for us on the cross of Calvary, so that the Father could justly forgive our sins.
And shortly before that, He also said: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.’ (John 10:7-9) There Jesus is presenting Himself as the protective keeper of the door through which people can find safety and salvation.
Then in Chapter 11 of John, while talking to Martha about her brother Lazarus’ death, Jesus says to her. ‘ I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26) Now that’s the perfect question for us to ponder on this cool, cloudy Thursday in mid-October 2026! Yes friends, it certainly is, for like Jesus asked Martha if she believed, He’s also asking us the same question today because it’s the most important question we will ever need to answer in this life. Jesus has the power over life and death, and only those who sincerely believe in Him will experience everlasting life. So it’s of the utmost importance that we answer that question with a very positive ‘YES!’
Then, when Jesus tells the disciples, that He’s going away, He adds: ‘And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:4-6) Ah mih people that’s something else we must also take into great consideration. Jesus is the ONLY way to get to God the Father! He has exclusive rights over that path, and thus, if you don’t believe in Jesus, you will never see the pearly gates of heaven. And believe me, that’s not a very pleasant thought to entertain. So it’s very necessary that we accept and believe in the godly sovereignty of Jesus right now, before it’s too late, since there’s no way to do it after death.
And when Jesus turns to his husbandry lesson, He rightly expounds: ‘I am the true (genuine) vine, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser).’ (John 15:1) Now that’s another agrarian statement that the Jewish people would have clearly understood, like the allegory of the good shepherd. Here, Jesus is saying that we have to stick to Him, like white on rice, so we can get spiritual strength and thus bear good fruit. And later on He enlarges on the statement by saying: ‘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 that’s the gospel truth, for without closeness to Jesus our abilities are severely limited! And to cover all those ‘I am’ statements, the scholars say that it echoes God’s revelation to Moses at the burning bush, about His identity. ‘And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.’ (Ex. 3:14) So Jesus was quite right in declaring all those ‘I ams’!
Now, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings most generously bestowed on us by our heavenly Father 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, it now behooves us to go out and generously use those blessings to help others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE God like we do! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is indeed the First…the Last…and Everything in between…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and now abideth faith hope love, avenge not yourselves, be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good, be patient, be patient unto the coming of the Lord, Beauty for Ashes, boggle our finite minds, catch our second wind, cease from being a nation, Christians, don't take personal revenge, Dr. Robert H. Schuller, endure to the end with Christ, establish your hearts, even when it's behind the clouds, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faith in Almighty God, faith is the substance of things hoped for, give place unto wrath, God's greatest attribute is love, God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours, halfway home, hands on the plough, hath long patience for it, heap coals of fire upon his head, heap shame on his head, holy spirit, Hour of Power 50th Anniversary Book of Daily Motivation and Inspiration, I beleive in faith even when betrayed, I beleive in God even when my prayers aren't answered, I beleive in hope even when hurt, I beleive in love even when rejected, i beleive in the seed, I believe in the sun, if he thirst give him drink, if thine enemy hunger feed him, in God's kingdom belieiving is seeing, it lies unsprouted under the ground, it takes faith to believe in the faithfulness of God, Jesus Christ, keep on doing good work for Jesus, leave it all in God's hands, LOVE, love covers the multitude of sins, mercy, not looking back at the past, not turning back, on a late bus, planted by the Lord for his glory, rooted and grounded in faith, salvation, seeing is believing, so glad to be alive, sow good seeds in good soil, stand strong in Faith, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, the conviction of things not seen, the earth bringeth forth the fruit of herself, the essence of a Christian's belief system, the evidence of things not seen, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, the fruit ripens, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, the greatest commandments, the greatest of these three is love, the harvest is come, the kindom of God, the Lotd gives the sun for a light by day, the oil of joy for mourning, the ordinace of the moon and stars for a light, the planting of the Lord, the realization of things hoped for, the seed of Israel, the truth of God's word and His promises, to a glorious future with Jesus, to give unto them that mourn, trees of righteousness, truth, vengeance is mine I will repay, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, you see it when you believe it
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 October 2026 Hebrews 11:1.
Hebrews 11:1. Faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.
Ah mih people, we’re on a bit of a late bus today, because I was up early, then went out to my Wednesday church group and ran a couple of errands afterwards, so by the time I got back home, I was tired and had to rest a spell to catch my second wind. (smile) Let’s hope we all do that today, so we can keep on doing good work for Jesus.
And today we’ll look at an interesting prayer from the Hour of Power 50th Anniversary Book of Daily Motivation and Inspiration, with writings by the late Dr. Robert H. Schuller. It’s a short prayer simply titled, ‘Faith.’ Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I believe in the sun, even when it’s behind the clouds; in the seed, even when it lies unsprouted under the ground; in faith, even when I have been betrayed; in LOVE, even when I have been rejected; in hope, even when I have been hurt; in God, even when you do not answer my prayers. Amen.’
And to be a true Christian you must believe in al those things, even when you don’t see them, or when you feel them, or when God’s says no. That’s because we have faith; faith in Almighty God and the truth of His word and His promises. And why do we have faith? We have faith because we simply need to believe that what God says is true, since we don’t see everything He says or does in our time frame. Remember His thoughts and ways are both higher and different than ours, (Is. 55:8-9) therefore not everything He does or doesn’t do we’ll understand, so something is necessary for us to believe Him and His doings. We call that thing faith.
And what is faith? Hebrews tells us that ‘Faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) Now all that basically means is believing for things that you don’t see, but expect them to happen, because God promised them. The world says ‘seeing is believing,’ but God says, ‘believing is seeing,’ or you see it when you believe it. That’s why we can believe in the sun, even when we don’t see it on cloudy days, because we know it’s still there, just not visible because of the clouds.
God promised the Israelites, through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light, which divideth (disturbs) the sea when (and) the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.’ (Jer. 31:35-36) Yes friends, the Lord promised that if the sun, moon and stars ever disappear, then so will the nation of Israel. And it takes faith to believe in the faithfulness of God!
It’s the same thing with the seed that remains unsprouted in the ground. Jesus tells it thus: ‘So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast his seed into (upon) the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear (grain in the head). But when the fruit is brought forth (ripens), immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.’ (Mark 4:26-29)
Yes friends, we sow the seeds, and they eventually sprout, how, we don’t know, but we believe by faith that they will sprout and produce a harvest, because God’s promised that when we sow good seeds in good soil they will grow. It’s also like James remind us about the value of patience and prayer. ‘Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman (farmer) waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and later rain. Be ye also patient; stablish (establish) your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (comes nearer every day).’ (James 5:7-8)
Ah mih bredrin, patience plays a large part in faith, for we oftentimes have to wait for things we desire, just like the farmer waits long months for the seed to grow and produce a harvest. In other words, faith is impossible without a large dose of patience. (smile) And as Christians, even when we’re betrayed, rejected or hurt, we’re still expected to stand strong in faith, hope and LOVE, for the Lord has promised that He will repay, comfort and restore us in times of trouble.
Remember Bruh Paul’s words from 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 (shame) on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:19-21) That means we’re not to take personal revenge against those who do us wrong, but leave it all in God’s hand. And the ‘it was written,’ pertains to Deut. 32:35, when Moses first told that to the Israelites.
Remember also, the Lord’s promise in Isaiah: ‘To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, (console them) to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.’ (Is. 61:3)
And I like how this overview breaks down that promise. ‘Beauty for Ashes: Replaces dust and ashes—ancient symbols of grief, mourning, and repentance—with a crown, garland, or diadem of beauty. Oil of Joy for Mourning: Replaces sorrow and weeping with gladness and comfort. Garment of Praise for Heaviness: Replaces a spirit of despair, heaviness, or faintness with festive praise and thanksgiving. Trees of Righteousness: Describes those who receive this restoration as strong “oaks of righteousness” planted by the Lord for His glory.’
And friends, we’ve left the best for last; that’s LOVE; God’s greatest attribute. And Bruh Paul rightfully testifies to the values and worth of LOVE in 1 Cor. 13:, then finally makes this declaration: ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), but the greatest of these three is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor, 13:13) Peter then puts it all together by saying: ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet. 4:8) And that’s why LOVING God and LOVING ourselves and our neighbours are the greatest commandments! (Matt. 22:36-40)
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 those who endure to the very end with Jesus, will experience such a glorious future that it will boggle our finite minds. So let’s be wise and endure to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the essence of a Christian’s belief system…is rooted and grounded in faith…in Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a house divided against itself won't stand, a little fire sets ablaze a large forest, a more glorious future than we can ask or imagine, a snowball's chance in hell, a world of iniquity, adders' poison is under their lips, an unruly evil, be able to bridle the whole body, boasteth great things, can a vine bear figs, can the fig tree bear olive berries, children of the living God, Christ's church is too divided and disunited, Christ's church must stand up and be counted, Christians, does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter, doth a fountain send forth at the same place, driven of fierce winds, endure to the very end with Christ, everything has been tamed by man, eyes fixed staight ahead, faith, full of deadly poison, go missing when it's time for action, great ships are turned about by a small rudder, halfway home, hands on the plough, hate, holy spirit, if any man stumble not in word, impossible is such an irresponsible word, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in Jesus' name, in many things we offend, Jesus Christ, keep us keeping on, LOVE, made after the likeness of God, mercy, no fountain can yield salt water and fresh, not focusing on the past, not turning back, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, nothing is impossible to God, our second wind day, our very talkative society, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, out of the same mouth, proceedeth blessing and cursing, put bits in the horses' mouths, receive greater condemnation, salvation, seek for glory and honour and immortal life, Selah, set on fire by Satan, sets on fire the course of nature, sets on fire the whole course of life, sharpened their tongues like a serpent, small things can make big changes set on fire of hell, so glad to be alive, straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus, stricter judgement, sure conquerors through Christ, talk a good talk, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the cold weather draws closer, the gospel truth, the last day of September, the main culprit is our tongue, the perfect man, the power of the tongue, the similitude of God, the tongue can no man tame, the tongue causes war and oppression, the tongue defiles the whole body, the tongue is a fire, the tongue is a little member, the tongue is a system of iniquity, the tongue is small but hard to control, the tongue prevents peace and love, these things ought not so to be, they may obey us, through him that loved us, too many tongues are preaching evil instead of good, truth, turn about their whole body, violent recriminations, we all stumble, we bless God and curse man with the same tongue, Wednesday Wail, wherever the pilot wants, who by patient contiuance in well doing, why can't we conquer the tongue, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 September 2026 James 3:8.
James 3:8. But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Aye mih people, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day, hope we catch that second wind to keep us keeping on in Jesus’ name. Unfortunately though, it’s also the cloudy last day of September, meaning that the cold weather draws closer with each passing day. And although most of us don’t like the chilly times, we all know that we can handle it because we are sure conquerors through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As Bruh Paul so wisely writes in Romans when talking about nothing can separate us from God’s LOVE: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37)
And that’s the gospel truth my faithful brethren! Nobody or nothing can separate us from Christ, nor conquer us, unless we allow them to. And it’s interesting to note, that if we’re such great conquerors, why can’t we conquer our little bodily part called the tongue? Yesterday we saw how our words can cause all sorts of problems according to the way in which we use them, and the main culprit is our tongue, because that’s what enables us to speak. That brings us to this very important treatise of James on the power of the tongue, where he writes.
‘My brethren, be not many masters (let not many of you be teachers), knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation (stricter judgement). For in many things we offend all (all stumble). If any man offend (stumble) not in word, the same is the perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet they are turned about with a very small helm (rudder) whithersoever the governor listeth (pilot wants).
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire). And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (existence); and it is set on fire of hell.’ (James 3:1-6)
Oh my brethren, small things can indeed make big changes, and one of the worse of those small things is our tongue. As the scholars explain about that last verse: ‘The tongue is a system (world) of iniquity that sets on fire the whole course of life, and is even set on fire by Satan (cf. 3:15).’ And we see that every day in our very talkative society. It’s the tongue that causes war and oppression, and prevents peace and LOVE.
And James continues: ‘For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith we bless God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude (likeness) of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.’ (James 3:7-12)
That’s more gospel truth my people! So why do our tongues both curse and bless eh? We bless God, but then turn back and with the same tongue, curse our fellow human beings who are made in God’s image. Doesn’t something seem wrong with that picture? It surely does! But for some unknown reason we can’t seem to control our tongues, one moment we allow it to be peaceful and LOVING, while the next, we allow it to go berserk with hate and violent recriminations. It’s like the psalmist says of evil, war-like men. ‘They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ (asps) poison is under their lips. Selah.’ (Ps. 145:3)
And sadly, that’s the way too many of us behave; no wonder we have so much strife, war, hatred, oppression and anger in our world. Too may tongues are preaching evil instead of good. So how are we to turn this around eh? By Christ’s church standing up and being counted. But that seems impossible when that church is so divided and disunited. However, as Dr. Robert H. Schuller, one of the great Possibility Thinkers liked to say: ‘Impossible is such an irresponsible word.’ And it certainly is for children of the Living God Jehovah, to whom nothing is impossible. But it certainly won’t be easy.
Oh friends, as I keep saying, until Christ’s church unites and acts as one, our world isn’t going to change very much in the direction of godliness, for right now the separated and divided parts of the church are working against each other. And as Jesus so rightly said, a house, church or any organization divided against itself, won’t stand. No, it won’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell! So why do we keep staying divided, making it so easy for the enemy to continue doing his evil deeds without much resistance? We talk a good talk, but when it comes down to critical action to make a stand for Jesus and godliness in our world, too many of us go missing.
But let’s remember that we’ll all be judged on that fateful day, for our own works, not the works of others. So let’s do our best, be like Bruh Paul declares when talking about God’s righteous judgement: ‘To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortal life.’ (Rom. 2:7) Please let that be our motto. 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 endure to the very end with Christ, a more glorious future than we can imagine with our finite minds is promised. So let’s be wise and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the tongue…it’s small…but oh so hard to control…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a chance to listen and learn, a positive impact, a variety of stunning colours, allow the enemy to make us talk too much, anger does not produce the righteousness of God, autumn - the most beautiful season, bridling our tongues, Christians, cliched sayings, come to know and love christ like we do, death and life are in the power of the tongue, enormous benefit to our society, even a fool when he holdeth his peace, everyone has an opinion, faith, fix problems before they get out of control, forgers of lies, Glory be, harbinger of winter, he that shutteth his lips, hearken to the pleading of my lups, hold your peace, holy spirit, hurry, I am not inferior unto you, I desire to reason with God, in god's eyes, interrupting others whie they're talking, is counted wise, is esteemed a man of understanding, it should be your wisdom, Jesus Christ, keep silent, keeping quiet when you don't know is wisdom, keps us from saying hurtful things, let every man be swift to hear, listen more than you talk, listening first, LOVE, mercy, mine ear hath heard and understood it, mine eye hath seen all this, our future behaviour, our two cents worth, pay close attention to the words of others, pay the price for talking too much, physicians of no value, proving they are not wise but foolish, put your foot in your mouth, rowdy and ungodly times, salvation, self-control, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, silence hides ignorance, slow to speak, slow to wrath, social media, speaking too much leads to mistakes, spouting of at the mouth, stay calm, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the leaves are changing colour, the Lord displays His artist's palette, the Lord spoke the universe into existence, the vaalue of restraint, the wrath of man, there's power our words, they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Manrta, understand the other's viewpoint, unsympathetic terms, using our tongues indiscriminately, we assume quiet people are smart, wisdom, words might be wind but can cause unkind blows, worketh not the righteousness of God, worry
Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 September 2026 Proverbs 17:28.
Proverbs 17:28. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace (keeps silent), is counted (considered) wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Oh friends, it’s a somewhat cloudy but warm autumn Tuesday at the end of September. And if you didn’t know that it was autumn, then you’ll certainly know it now, because all the leaves have begun changing colour. I looked out my bedroom window a short while ago and was I ever amazed at the beautiful golden yellow that a couple of trees had already turned in my neighbour’s backyard. And although autumn is the harbinger of winter, we still need to acknowledge it as the most beautiful season; the time when the Lord displays His artists’ palette with a variety of stunning colours.
And today we’re going to look at a very interesting and most applicable scripture for these rowdy and ungodly times in which we’re currently living. It comes from the awesome wisdom of Cousin Sol in Proverbs, where he unequivocally states: ‘Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace (keeps silent), is counted (considered) wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.’ (Prov. 17:28)
Now that’s oh so true my brethren, as most of us have experienced through our long years of life. For we’ve seen so many of our supposed wise fellow human beings spouting off at the mouth, and so proving that they are not wise, but rather foolish. And we’ve also known foolish people, who have kept their mouths shut and thus considered wise. And in a sense they are indeed wise; keeping quiet when you don’t know something is indeed wisdom.
And I like how this overview breaks down that proverb. ‘Meaning and Lesson: Silence Hides Ignorance: When an unwise person stays quiet, others cannot hear their foolish thoughts, so people assume they are smart. Value of Restraint: Speaking too much often leads to mistakes, arguments, or trouble. Choosing not to speak shows self-control. Listening First: Keeping quiet gives you a chance to listen and learn instead of reacting too fast.’ And those are all good reasons for not spouting off at the mouth.
And the last one ‘Listening first,’ ties right into these wise words from James. ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20) Yes friends, man’s anger does not produce God’s righteousness, meaning the way He desires His people to live.
And being swift to hear and slow to speak also provide several other benefits. It teaches us self-control, helps us to stay calm and hopefully fix problems before they get out of control. We also need to pay close attention to what others are saying, trying to understand their point of view, before rushing to reply or getting angry. Waiting before you answer also helps stop arguments and keeps us from saying hurtful things we may later regret.
Believe me friends, those two Bible passages above are of great importance in our Christian lives, if we are to successfully live for Christ. And they all boil down to a few old and clichéd sayings which we all know but don’t pay much attention to in these days of social media, where everybody has an opinion and are ever so willing to share it. We all know the saying about putting our foot in our mouths. But we still do it all the time. What about listening more than you talk? Hn! That’s a no brainer! But we still make the mistake of interrupting others, not giving them a chance to finish their speech before rushing in with our two cents worth.
And in this oh so voluble society of today, talking less and listening more would surely be a step in the right direction, especially for those who claim to believe in and follow Christ! It’s like Cousin Sol says earlier in Proverbs: ‘In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth (restrains) his lips is wise.’ (Prov. 10:19) Yes mih bredrin, there is more likelihood of sin in a multitude of words than in a few choice ones. It’s like Job warned his friends when they began talking in rather unsympathetic terms about why he had suffered his calamity.
He declares: ‘Lo mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it. What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value. O that ye would altogether hold your peace (keep silent)! and it should (would) be your wisdom. Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.’ (Job. 13:1-6) Yes friends, that’s one of those instances where Job’s friends should have just kept quiet, instead of ranting on about his sins causing his calamity.
And these later words of Cousin Sol are also true: ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ (Prov. 18:21) Yes, there is power in our words, for remember the Lord spoke the universe into existence. However, when we LOVE to talk, we will eventually pay the price of our too many words. Oh my people, we know all those things, but yet we allow the enemy to taunt and tempt us into using our tongues indiscriminately. So, let’s hope that all we’ve said today about talking too much will have some positive impact on our future behaviour, for bridling our tongues would be of enormous benefit to our society.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to 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!
…words might be wind…but they can cause some very unkind blows…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gift of grace, according to his labour, aggravated souls, allow your incredible aura of love, anchoring our daily choices values and faith in His teachings, beat upon that house, become evident, bufeted and bombarded, build on incombustible material, building our lives on the foundation of Jesus, built his house on a rock, built his house upon the sand, Christians, combustible and incombustible material, consuming power, did ye never read in the scriptures, divine help, divinely inspired, early morning commute, endure the fire of judgement day, enlightening power, every man shall receive his own reward, every man's work shall be made manifest, everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not, faith, fill us with steadfast faith, fire is figurative for judgement, for it was founded upon the rock, furthering your glorious kingdom, go out to meet the enemy in battle, gold, great was the fall of it, hay stubble, he himself shall be saved, he that planteth and he that watereth are one, holy spirit, humble servants, if any man build upon this foundation, if any man's work shall be burned, if any man's work abides, if any man's work endures, in the long run, invincible, it fell not, it is marvellous in our eyes, it shall be revealed by fire, Jesus chosen by God and exalted, Jesus Christ, Jesus was rejected by human builders, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keep life and limbs together, keeping lives and families together, learn to live with it, liken him unto a wise man, likened unto a foolish man, look to yourselves, lose not the things we have worked for, LOVE, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, making the long slow trek, mercy, not on a personal relationship to Christ, nothing stronger than the rock that's Jesus, of what sort it is, on service to Christ, other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ., our Father who art in heaven, precious stones, receive a full reward, receive a reward, rejuvenation of spirit, sally forth with confidence, salvation, shifting cultural trends, silver, spread the good news of Christ's gospel, straw, suffer loss, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, thank you for our jobs, the BIBLE, the day shall declare it, the enemy's evil schemes, the fire shall try every man's work, the floods came, the house fell, the Lord's promised to work everything out for our good, the parable of the vineyard, the rain descended, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the righteous judgement of God, the sullen reply, the supreme foundation of faith, the winds blew, this is the Lord's doing, to begin a new week of work, to earn a day's wage, to lead and guide all your servants, truth, two days of sleeping in, using Christ as the cornerstone of our lives, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, wisdom, wood, wrought on our weary souls over the weekend, yet so as by fire
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 September 2026 Matthew 21:42a.
Matthew 21:42a. Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner (chief corner stone):
And then it was Monday… So what else is new came the sullen reply. Nothing really, just another day in the life, where one is expected to get up and make one’s way to a job so you can keep life and limbs together in a fairly reasonable manner. (smile) Yes, we all know how it feels to get up oh so early on a Monday morning, after two wonderful days of sleeping in, and join the other aggravated souls making the long, slow trek to some distant point to earn a day’s wage. And though the early morning commute was somewhat disrupted by some cloud and drizzle, at midday it’s mostly sunny and dry.
Now, it might not be the best scenario, but it’s the best we have right now, so let’s learn to live with it, using our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as the corner stone for our lives, knowing that in the long run, the Lord’s promised to work everything out for our good. (Rom. 8:28) And what does building our lives on the foundation of Jesus mean? According to this overview: ‘Building your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ means anchoring your daily choices, values, and faith in His teachings rather than shifting cultural trends.’
And why is Jesus such a great choice on which to build our lives eh? Because as He points out in the parable of the vineyard. ‘Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner (chief corner stone): this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?’ (Matt. 21:42)
There Jesus is referring to the words of Psalm 118:22-23, which prophesy about a stone rejected by the builders becoming the most important part of the building, the corner stone, which in ancient building, was the largest, strongest, and most carefully placed stone. Everything else was carefully aligned with it. Psalm 118:22 therefore signifies how Jesus was rejected by human builders yet chosen and exalted by God as the supreme foundation of faith. And believe me friends, there is no better foundation to build our lives on than Jesus.
Listen to the case Bruh Paul makes for it in his first letter to the Corinthians. ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble (straw); Every man’s work shall be made manifest (become evident): for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try (test) every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide (endures) which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved: yet so as by (through) fire.’ (1 Cor, 3:11-15)
Yuh see mih bredrin, we must build strong works from strong stuff, like silver and gold that will endure the fire of the judgement day, so we can be well rewarded. As the scholars explain: ‘Fire is figurative for judgement, more specifically, the absolutely righteous judgement of God. Fire is used here to denote, not enlightening power, but consuming power. Of the six types of material mentioned, three are incombustible (silver, gold, precious stones) and three are combustible (wood, hay and stubble).
As per Reward (wages; cf. 3:8) And the “wages” mentioned here are entirely a gift of grace (cf. 1. Cor. 9:17; 2 John 8; Rev. 11:18). As per Saved: Such a one does not suffer the loss of his salvation, but the loss of reward. The stress in this entire passage is not on a person’s relationship to Christ, but on service to Christ.’
And to help us understand the situation a little better, we shall quote the first reference verse from the Reward section above. ‘Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.’ (1 Cor. 3:8) Meaning that you will only be judged on your own labour, not someone else’s.
And as per the other references, 2 John 8 says this: ‘Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought (worked for), but that we receive a full reward.’ That means we have to be careful and build on strong, incombustible material and then make sure we don’t do anything to lose our full reward.
Now if you’re still uncertain about all we’ve said so far, then here’s some practical advice from Jesus on the subject, where He explains about the wisdom of two builders. ‘Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt. 7:24-27) Oh friends, Jesus is there reassuring us that He is indeed the Rock, and we’d be wise to build our lives on Him! And for divine help to aid in doing that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!
And now, having been divinely inspired, let’s get out there and diligently and proudly spread the good news of Christ’s gospel to all we meet and thus turn our world around! Much LOVE!
…anything you build is only as strong as its foundation…and there’s nothing stronger than the Rock…that’s Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a den of thieves, a great storm of wind, a sad ending, a strong legacy of Canadian penned and recorded songs, Anne Murray, as the heavens are higher than the earth, asleep on a pillow, before I reached the age of seven, boggle our finite imagination, carest thou not that we perish, cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christians, drive the evil traders from the temple, even the sea and the wind obey him, every time I look into the holy book, faith, fellowship, forever grateful, Gene Mac Clellan, Give God the thanks and praise He deserves, good advice, got to do what you got to do, he arose and rebuked the wind, his anger rises against you, his throne in heaven, holy spirit, how is it that ye have no faith, how securely are our hands clasped in Jesus', I want to tremble, I'm close to heaven, in the hinder part of the ship, in the stern of the ship, it causes me shame, it is written, Jesus Christ, Jesus hand is the only one worth holding, Jesus healed the blind and the lame in the temple, Jesus went into the temple of God, Jesus' atonement for our sins, Jesus' disdain for the corruption of organized religion, look at others differently, LOVE, mercy, mighty acts and words of wisdom in the Bible, my daddy lived his life, my house shall be called the house of prayer, my mama taught me how to pray, my thoughts than your thoughts, no different fellas, no guilt and shame, no wiser advice, overthrew the tables of the money changers, peace be still, Put your hand in the hand, raise our voices in sweet sacrifices of praise, read about the part, said unto the sea, salvation, see those buyers and sellers, sent the multitude away, Snowbird, so are my ways higher than your ways, start looking at yourself differently, take a look at yourself, take God's goodness and faithfulness for granted, teach our children to pray from a young age, temerity or fear, the BIBLE, the carpenter cleared the temple, the creator of the world, the Great Avenger, the Lord's Day, the lowly carpenter from Galilee, the man from Galilee, the man who calmed the sea, the man who stilled the water, the Prince of Peace, the seats of them that sold doves, the waves beat into the ship, the wind ceased and there was a great calm, they awoke Jesus and said to him, they feared exceedingly, to know that man is not what he should be, truth, what manner of man is this, what you and I profess to be, when I'm down on my knees, who can this be, why are ye so fearful, wisdom, with two kids and a wife, ye have made it, you got to take a good look at yourself
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 September 2026 Mark 6:39.
Mark 6:39. And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Here it is again my fellow believers; a warm, sunshiny and beautiful Sunday, the Lord’s Day. That means gathering for fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary to worship and give Him the thanks and praise He so obviously deserves, while gaining confidence and encouragement to get back out into the working world and continue doing good work in His name. And today’s opening song of worship is one that gives us very good advice for these unholy and troubled times, and is most appropriately titled ‘Put Your Hand In The Hand,’
The song was written by prolific Quebec born, Canadian singer, songwriter Gene Mac Clellan (1938-1995), who after teaming up with fellow Canadian Anne Murray on her first hit single, ‘Snowbird,’ in the late sixties, got together again with the 1970 tune, ‘Put Your Hand In The Hand, from her third studio album, Honey, Wheat and Laughter. Unfortunately, it seems that MacClellan died by suicide in January 1995 on Prince Edward Island in Eastern Canada. Despite the sad ending though, he left us a strong legacy of Canadian penned and recorded songs, and for that we will be forever grateful.
Now, let’s raise our voices in sweet sacrifice, in a soulful, up-tempo version of the song, a la Anne Murray, beginning with the wonderful Chorus. Singing: ‘(Chorus: Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea Take a look at yourself, and you can look at others diff’rently. Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.)
Every time I look into the Holy Book, I wanna tremble When I read about the part where a carpenter cleared the temple, See those buyers and the sellers were no diff’rent fellas Than what you and I profess to be And it causes me shame to know that man is not what he should be (Chorus)
Hey, my mama taught me how to pray, before I reached the age of seven When I’m down on my knees, hey, I’m close to heaven. My daddy lived his life with 2 kids and a wife, and you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. But he showed me enough of what it takes to see you through This is what he used to tell me…
Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea Ya gotta take a good look at yourself, and you can look at others diff’rently Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee. Yes, Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea…and you’ll start looking at yourself differently. So Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea…’
Oh friends, there is no better or wiser advice in this evil and scary world than putting your hands in those of Jesus, that wonderful man, the lowly carpenter from Galilee, who stopped the wind and calmed the sea, and also had the parts to drive the evil traders from the temple, His Father’s house. And the good thing about the song is that it’s all scripture based. The chorus itself is based on the story we all know, where Jesus and the disciples are going over to the other side of the lake to get a much-needed break from the multitudes.
Mark puts it thus: ‘And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full (already filling). And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part (stern) of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him,
Master (Teacher) carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:36-41)
Now that’s a very good question, but the answer is very simple. The wind and the sea obeyed Jesus because He was the one who originally created them. And that’s exactly why we should all place our hands in the hand of that lowly carpenter from Galilee, who was in fact the Creator of the world, and is still controlling it from His throne in heaven! And yuh better believe every time you read the Bible, you ought to tremble, because there are so many mighty acts and awesome words of wisdom contained therein to boggle our finite imagination.
Remember what the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah? ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:9) Yes friends, the Lord created us with a much lower mind frame than His, so we cannot understand all His ways or His words, and sometimes we just have to take His goodness and faithfulness for granted. And who would have thought that that lowly carpenter from Galilee would have the parts to cleanse the temple eh?
The Bible tells us that on the day He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, (Palm Sunday) after all the excitement had died down, ‘Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast (drove) out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew (overturned) the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves. And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.’ (Matt. 21:12-14)
Yes mih people, though our Saviour is called the Prince of Peace, He is also known as the Great Avenger, so please don’t take His peaceful outlook for one of temerity or fear, for you will be very disappointed when His anger rises against you, as those who were using the temple as a marketplace for buying and selling, experienced His disdain for the corruption of organized religion.
Oh my people, there is such glorious truth in the song, like we ought to teach our children to pray from a very young age, for when we are down on our knees in prayer, we seem to be close to heaven, and when we put our hands in the hands of Jesus, then there’s no guilt and shame like those in the temple, because He’s removed it all by His atonement for our sins, and therefore we can look at ourselves in a very different manner than before. So, let’s take time today to ponder if our hands are in the hands of Jesus, and if they are, how securely are they clasped in them! Much LOVE!
…the only hand truly worth holding…is that of Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thousand shall fall at thy side, a very present help in trouble, an abundantly available help, be a refuge for those caught, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be renewed and refreshed, beyond their control, Blessed are the peacemakers, blessed be God, by day in a pillar of cloud, by night in a pillar of fire, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, called the children of God, caught between nations and forces, children of God must stand up now and make peace, Christians, Christians must play their part, comfort the grieving, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, established it upon the floods, faith, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, from the noiseome pestilence, further your glorious kingdom, God is a refuge for us, God is indeed our help and refuge in troubled times, God is our refuge and strength, God provides a safe shelter in difficult times, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, guding those fleeing violence, guide those who are fleeing, he hath founded it upon the seas, he is my defence, he is my refuge and my fortress, He only is my rock and my salvation, He shall cover thee with his feathers, he took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, hear my prayer, help us to be responsible, his truth shall be thy shield and buckler, holy spirit, I shall not be moved, I will say of the Lord, In God is my salvation and my glory, in him will I trust, inner power, it shall not come nigh thee, Jesus Christ, lack of proper witness for Christ, Lord you reign over all things, LOVE, may I rest in your care, mercy, most need divine aid, move in the hearts, my expectation is from him, my god, my refuge is in God, my soul silently wait thou upon God, not be afraid of the terror by night, our evil and ungodly world, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our world will continue sinking, pour out your heart before him, protect the innocent, protection, remind me that nations rise and fall, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rest and relaxation, Selah, Septemebr In Touch Devotional Prayer, shall not come near to you, sinking into the mire of evil and ungodliness, stand strong and steadfast, ten thousand at thy right hand, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the arrow that flieth by day, the BIBLE, the destruction that wasteth at noonday, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the good example that we your faithful believers set, the Lord went before them, the pestilence that walketh in darkness, the rock of my strength, the weekend is here at last, the world and they that dwell therein, therefore will we not fear, those empowered to bring peace, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the mountains share with the swelling thereof, though the waters roar and be troubled, to give them light, to go by day and night, trust in him at all times, trusting faith, truth, under his wings shall thou take refuge, under the mighty wings of God, wars and rumours of wars, when the news is heavy, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, wisdom, wise guidance, wonderful protection
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 September 2026 Psalm 62:8.
Psalm 62:8. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
It’s Friday friends, that day we all look forward to, and it’s another beautiful sunshiny day, without the brisk breeze of the last few days. But the best news is that not all of the sun’s heat has already migrated to the south. No! Because just now I went outside and felt it flush and wonderful on my face. That’s why our Friday Mantra was possibly so loud and sincere this first Friday of autumn! ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ Who wouldn’t be overjoyed at the prospect of a warm and sunshiny weekend in the last week of September eh? (smile) And with all the joy of the expected warm and sunshiny weekend, let’s offer up the prayer from this month’s In Touch Devotional.
Please pray with me: ‘Lord, when the news is heavy, I turn to You. Hear my prayer: Be a refuge for those caught between nations and forces beyond their control. Protect the innocent. Comfort the grieving. Guide those who are fleeing. Move in the hearts of those empowered to bring peace. And through it all, remind me that nations rise and fall, but You reign over all things. Lord, I entrust this to You. May I rest in Your care. In Jesus’ name, amen.’ Oh my people, that is certainly a prayer that we need today, with all the wars and rumours of wars that are being fought and heard around our evil and ungodly world.
And there is no one better to put our total trust and confidence in when bad tidings befall us than Almighty God, who created the universe and all therein and still rules it from His heavenly throne. Remember these marvellous words of Bruh David from Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
Then, talking about a place of refuge, there’s also no place better to run to and hide than under the mighty wings of our God. As Bruh David again points out in Psalm 46. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountain shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1) Yes friends, God provides a safe shelter, protection, and inner power when we face difficult or frightening times.
As Bruh David further says in Psalm 62: ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62:5-8) Oh my people, it could not be put any clearer than that! God is indeed our refuge and help in troubled times!
And as per protection for the innocent, I like this verse from Isaiah. ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:11) Where else can we get such protection? Nowhere else! But listen as the psalmist further informs us: ‘I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler (bird trapper), and from the noisome pestilence (perilous or deadly forces).
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shall thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (small shield).Thou shalt not be afraid for (of) the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth (lays waste) at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.’ (Ps. 91: 2-7) Ah mih bredrin, if that isn’t wonderful protection, then I don’t know what is!
And when talking about comfort, there’s certainly none better than our God, as Bruh Paul writes to the Corinthians. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all out tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4) Wow! What comfort can be better than that eh? God comforts us so that we can comfort others with that same comfort we receive from Him!
And as per guiding those who are fleeing violence, we know the Lord is the best at that, as He proved when the Israelites fled from slavery in Egypt. The Bible tells us: ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.’ (Ex. 13:21-22) That’s what you call godly guidance! (smile)
But what we need most of all today my fellow believers is as the prayer says, for God to ‘Move in the hearts of those empowered to bring peace.’ Yes, that is today’s most needed divine aid, for there is way too much unnecessary suffering, killing, oppression, poverty, evil and ungodliness in our world right now! We need as Jesus says in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt. 5:9) Oh my people do we ever need those peacemakers, those children of God to stand up right now and make peace, because our world is dying from lack of it!
And to help us do our small part, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid. 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 friends, it’s also time for us to wake up and smell the coffee, because our lack of proper witness for Christ has contributed greatly to our world’s current ungodly and evil state! Much LOVE!
…if Christians don’t play their part…our world will continue sinking…into the mire of evil and ungodliness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a new decree, a positive outlook on life, a strong will, abundance, an ash heap, another pagan king praising God, be cut in pieces, be it known unto thee, before the white stuff flies, blessed be the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, cast three men bound into the fire, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love him like we do, creativity, curse, Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, Daniel stood strong and God was glorified, deliver us out of thine hand, delivered Daniel, delivered his servants that trusted him, divine protection, except their own God, faith, first day of autumn, frustrated the kings word, glorify your Father which is in heaven, go out and share our blessings, God's supernatural wisdom, God's word legally exposed in the kingdom, he delivereth and rescueth, he is the living God, his dominion, his dominion shall even unto the end, his kingdom shall not be destroyed, his servants steadfast behaviour, holy spirit, I see four men loose, important lesson to be learned, in every dominion of my kingdom, in heaven and in earth, Jesus Christ, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, let your light shine before men, like the Son of God, LOVE, men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, mercy, might not serve or worship any other god, negative word, nor the smell of fire had passed on them, nor was an hair of their head singed, nor worship the golden image thou has set up, on the late bus, oredered the fire heated seven times hotter than normal, our God is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace, peace be multiplied unto you, promotion, salvation, saved him from the lions, self-control, sent his angel, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego refused to bow to the golden idol, slef-discipline, speak amiss against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, stand strong and steadfast for Christ, steadfast forever, steadfast standing up for God, talent, the BIBLE, the form of the fourth, the power of the lions, the powerful hand of Almighty God, the son of the gods, their houses made a dunghill, there is no other God who can deliver after this sort, they have no hurt, they may see your good works, to help others, truth, undeserved blessings, unscheduled stops, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, walking in the fire, we will not serve thy gods, wisdom, worketh signs and wonders, ye servants of the most high God, yielded their bodies
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 September 2026 Daniel 3:18.
Daniel 3:18. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Aye friends, it’s a beautiful Thursday morning, possibly the first official day of autumn, and it’s sunny and warm, though somewhat windy, but we will gladly take many more days like it before the white stuff starts to fly. (smile) Now, yesterday I promised to not be on the late bus as often as I’ve recently been, however today is not my fault. I had to take the Duchess out this morning, and obviously that meant a couple of other unscheduled stops So don’t blame me for today’s late bus activity, because I have to do what the boss says. (smile)
So let’s continue with Daniel’s story from yesterday, where we saw the powerful hand of Almighty God saving him from the lions, while those who had plotted against him, plus their families ,were decimated by the lions. And one important lesson to learn from that situation is what it caused to happen in the country; King Darius wrote a new decree. The Bible puts it thus: ‘Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men (must) tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power (paw) of the lions. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.’ (Dan. 6:25-28)
Yes mih brethren, Daniel’s steadfast standing up for his God, gave the Almighty an opening through the pagan king to have His word legally exposed in all the kingdom. Now that doesn’t mean that Darius embraced the God of Daniel, but he was sufficiently impressed with His power to acknowledge Him in his kingdom. And that’s the kind of thing that happens when we stand strong and steadfast for Jesus. It’s like Jesus says, ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16) Daniel stood strong and God was glorified.
It’s the same kind of thing that happened when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to the golden image that king Nebuchadnezzar made and were thrown into the fire. But before we get to that, here’s one very important part of the action. That’s when king Neb told them about bowing down to his idol, they replied: ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not (have no need to) be careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.’ (Dan. 3:16-18)
Oh brother! Do we have it in us to stand up and defy the greatest power in the land in support of our faith and God? That’s a good question for us to ponder. Nowadays, you can’t even talk to a king like that, so to do so back then, when the king had total power was a sure method of signing your death warrant. And so it happened to the three Hebrew boys. Neb got mad, and ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than normal, then had the boys bound and thrown into the fire. Things got so topsy turvy, that those who threw them into the fire got burned to death.
But then king Neb was astonished when he looked into the furnace and said to his counsellors: ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no (are not) hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God ( a son of the gods). Then Neb came near to the mouth (door) of the burning fiery furnace and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, came forth out of the fire.’ (Dan. 3:24-26)
And the most wonderful thing is that when they came out of the furnace, all were amazed at these men, ‘upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats (garments) changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.’ (Dan. 3:27) Oh my people, only our great God can do such miracles. No wonder after that spectacular showing, Neb got up and spake thus: ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed (frustrated) the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill (an ash heap): because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort (like this). Then the king promoted (caused to prosper) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.’ (Dan. 3:28-30)
Yes mih bredrin, another pagan king praising and lifting up our God because of His servants’ steadfast behaviour. Now it’s our turn to show that kind of behaviour, so that our God can be further glorified. And He’s certainly given us the help to do it through the generous bestowal of a number of undeserved blessings, we call our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and activate them right now nuh, for a blessing is not a blessing until it’s spoken.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!…
when we stand steadfast…God will do signs and wonders…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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