15 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a true Christian, advertises Christ both in word and deed, baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost, be it sinner or saint, broached the topic of Christ to anyone, Christ's ambassadors, christianity, Christians, cloudy skies trying to suppress the sunshine, come to know and love christ like we do, committed them to prison, devout men carried Stephen to his burial, dragging of men and women, easier said than done, faith, feeling like the weather, gave heed to what Philip spoke, go ye therefore and teach all nations, greater is he that is in you than he that's in the world, haling men and women, have overcome them, help bring unbelievers to Christ, holy spirit, hurry, in fear of the unbeliever's reaction, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, Jesus is indeed stronger than the devil, keep their mouths shut, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lo I am with you always, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, made great lamentations over him, made to stumble, make disciples of all nations, mercy, one of those days, persecuted Christians didn't run and hide, persecution against the church at Jerusalem, Philip went down to a city of Samaria, preached Christ unto them, put you out of the synagogue, responsible for administering Christ's earthly kingdom, salvation, Saul made havoc of the church, Saul was consenting unto Stephen's death, Saul watched them stone Stephen to death, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, stand steadfast and persevere, surrender to his evil wiles, teaching them to observe all things, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the decptive devil, the Great Commission, the indwelling strength of Jesus, the people were scattered abroad, the people with one accord, the time cometh, there was great joy in that city, these things have I spoken unto you, those scattered abroad, till the Son of man come, today's Christians are afraid to talk about Christ or His word, too focused on their own comfort, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unworthy of the name, went everywhere preaching the word, whatsoever I have commanded you, when they persecute you in this city flee to another, whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God a service, wisdom, worry, ye are of God little children, ye should not be offended
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 September 2026 1 John 4:4.
1 John 4:4. ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’
Ah friends, we’re running a tad late, because it’s one of those days, when the ole fella is feeling somewhat like the weather, (smile) cloudy skies trying to suppress the sunshine. But we won’t allow it to happen, with the indwelling strength of Jesus we will stand steadfast and persevere. And we all know that’s easier said than done, especially when the deceptive devil is doing his best to make you surrender to his evil wiles. But let’s remember the truth and wisdom of John’s words in his first epistle: ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4).
And is that ever the glorious truth! Jesus who dwells in us is much stronger than the devil who dwells in the world! And that’s one of the scriptures we need to keep first place in our hearts for when the evil Beelzebub dares to come against us. That brings us to these words of warning from Jesus to the disciples in John’s gospel. He tells them: ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended (made to stumble). They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God a service.’ (John 16:1-2)
I guess that refers to the cruel times in the early days of the church, and to people like Bruh Paul when he was called Saul and very intent on hurting the followers of Christ, like when he stood by in silent consent and watched them stone Stepehen to death. (Acts 7:57- 60) The Bible tells it thus: ‘And Saul was consenting unto his (Stepehen’s) death. And at the time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the region of Judaea and Samaria, except for the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentations over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling (dragging off) men and women committed them to prison.’ (Acts 8:1-3)
Yes mih bredrin, the supporters of the early church experienced much persecution, but hear the good news that the Bible brings: ‘Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.’ (Acts 8:4) It’s like they took Christ’s warning in the gospel of Matthew to heart. ‘But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over (through) the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. (Christ’s second coming).’ (Matt. 10:23)
That’s when the Bible recalls: ‘Then Philip went down to the (a) city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people (multitudes) with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies (paralysis), and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.’ (Acts 8:5-8)
Yuh see how it was back then my people? When the early Christians were persecuted, they didn’t run and hide or keep their mouths shut like so many of us do today. No. They simply moved on to another place and continued preaching the truth of Christ’s gospel. And the sad part is that very few of us have ever suffered or will ever suffer the kind of persecution that they underwent. But yet, so many of us supposed Christians refuse to speak of Christ or His Word to the unbelievers, either in fear of their reaction, or because we’re too focused on our own comfort to be bothered to expend any energy on Christ’s behalf.
And now’s a good time for all of us to consider the question that one Pastor asked his congregation: ‘When last have any of you broached the topic of Christ to anyone, be it sinner or saint?’ And the sad part is that too many of us, if we’re truthful, would have to answer: ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve done that,’ or ‘I’ve never done that.’
And that surely doesn’t speak well of our Christian conviction and witness, for remember Christ’s directive was for us to: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20) That means friends, that too few of us are really doing our small part of the Great Commission, and thus not helping to bring the unbelievers to Christ, like we ought to.
Remember we’re Christ’s ambassadors, meaning that we’re responsible for administering His kingdom here on earth. And if we’re not doing anything to help build and/or stabilize His earthly kingdom, then we’re unworthy of the name ambassador, or even follower, believer or Christian. Now that’s not a very nice thing to be said of us, but unfortunately it’s very true. However, we still have the opportunity of turning it around. So please let’s do that nuh, beginning right now, by 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 said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…you can’t be a true Christian…unless you advertise Christ…both in word and deed…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a desire to obey God, a heartfelt plea, a hidden agenda in our hearts, a man after God's heart, a willing mind, according to thy loving kindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, against thee only have I sinned, be strong and do it, blameless when thou judge, blot out my transgressions, cast me not away from thy presence, cast thee off for ever, christianity, Christians, cleanse me from my sin, committed to doing God's will, create in me a clean heart, deepen my breath, dem's the breaks, done this evil in thy sight, Dr Charles Stanley, each time you fall, faith, flush our souls and spirits, God's all embracing calm and peace, grow up in the true presence of God, have a true heart for God, have mercy upon me O God, his heart was always stayed on the Lord, holy spirit, honoureth me with their lips, I acknowledge my transgressions, I have refused him, I marvel to think, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if there be any wicked way in me, if thou forsake him, if thou seek him he will be found of you, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, inner attitude, Jesus Christ, know thou the God of thy father, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lead me in the way everlasting, look not on his countenance, LOVE, man looketh on the outward appearance, mercy, more intimacy with God, my sin is ever before me, obedience, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, pay a price for our sinful behaviour, pay lip service to God, perfect kind of day for lazing around, Pharisees, quiet my soul, real motives being selfish, relax my muscles, renew a right spirit within me, restore unto me, salvation, search me O god and know my heart, serve him with a perfect heart, slow my thoughts, Solomon my son, take heed now, take not thy holy spirit from me, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the height of his stature, the joy of thy salvation, the Lord hath chosen thee, the Lord looketh on the heart, the Lord searcheth all hearts, the Lord seeth not as man seeth, the slate isn't washed clean, their heart is far from me, this people draw near to me with their mouth, thou might be justified, to be a man after God's heart, to build an house for the sanctuary, truth, try me and know my anxious thoughts, turn back to him in humility, understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts, uphold me with thy free spirit, wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, wisdom, wisdom of the highest order, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 September 2026 Matthew 15:8.
Matthew 15:8. ‘This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.’
Oh boy, it’s our lazy-day Saturday! Another bright and sunshiny summer’s day; the perfect day for lazing around and taking things easy after a hectic week. I’m a tad unhappy though because I just had to get up from a nice lazy-day snooze and come downstairs to write the Bit. But dem’s the breaks; you got to do what you got to do. (smile) So, let’s get going by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And all it takes is a sincere, heartfelt plea for more intimacy with Almighty God for Him to flush our souls and spirits with His all embracing calm and peace, because greater intimacy with His human creation is what He so desperately desires. Of course He wants other things like obedience, but the problem is you can do those things and don’t have a true heart for Him.
And there are so many verses of scripture that talk about having a true heart for God, that we can only talk about a few today, beginning with these words of Jesus, where He calls the Pharisees and the religious leaders hypocrites, quoting Isaiah 29:13, and saying: ‘This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.’ (Matt. 15:8)
That states the problem very clearly my people; we can pay lip service to God, saying the right prayers and gushing forth about God, while our hearts and true desires are elsewhere; our inner attitude and real motives being selfish and distant from Him. And that’s why when the Lord sent Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel, Bruh David, He warns him thus about Eliab, Jesse’s eldest son. ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)
Yes friends, that tells us very directly that when we approach God for anything, the first thing He does is look at the motives of our heart, and if they aren’t right, He won’t even consider our requests. And nobody knew that better than Bruh David. Listen as he imparts these words of wisdom to Cousin Sol. ‘And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.’ (1 Chr. 28:9-10)
Ah mih people, how I wish that many more of us today would impart those wise words to our children, so that they can grow up in the true presence of God! And we all know that the Lord referred to Bruh David as a man after his own heart, (1 Sam. 13:14) now why is that when Bruh David made several serious mistakes (adultery and murder)? The answer is simple. Unlike Saul who did his own thing then made excuses, Bruh David had a desire to obey God. he was deeply committed to doing God’s will, and when he failed turned to God and repented.
He was only human, like all of us, and obviously made mistakes, but His heart was always stayed upon the Lord. and we see that very clearly when he declares in Psalm 139: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139:23-24) Oh friends, how many of us are brave and true enough to make that request of Jehovah God eh? Not too many; because many of us have a hidden agenda in our hearts that doesn’t vibe with God’s will.
And just look at Bruh David’s response in Psalm 51, to God’s sending the prophet Nathan to accuse him of his sinful behaviour. He immediately repents and plaintively cries out: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING-KINDNESS: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (be found just) when thou speakest, and clear (blameless) when thou judgest… Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free (generous) spirit.’ (Ps. 51: 1-4; 10-12)
And yuh know what? The Lord forgave him, because He knew that His heart was right and sincere. However, Bruh David had committed some real grave sins and set a very bad example as the king, so although he was forgiven, he didn’t get away scotch free. War continually came against him, even his son Absalom tried to overthrow him. Then one son raped his half-sister, and another brother killed him. His household was forever plagued with problems and the Lord refused to allow him to build the temple, choosing Cousin Sol instead.
So although we confess, repent and are forgiven, it doesn’t always mean that the slate is completely washed cleaned. No. Sometimes we need to pay a price for our sinful behaviour, and it can often be a steep price, that’s why it’s so much better to do as the late Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) says: ‘Obey God, and leave all the consequences to Him.’ That’s wisdom of the highest order! May we take it to heart this lazy-day Saturday and sincerely and successfully put it into action in our lives. Much LOVE!
..a man after God’s heart…turns back to Him in humility…every time he falls…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fear to mine acquaintance, a reproach among all mine enemies, against the righteous, all ye that hope in the Lord, an house of defence to save me, be of good courage, be silent in the grave, be thou my strong rock, believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, blessed be the Lord, bow down thine ear to me, by the good example we your faithful believers set, christianity, Christians, considered my trouble, courage, crying out to God is always the best solution, cut off from before thine eyes, daily grind and common task, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, deliver me in thy righteousness, deliver me speedily, divine aid, especially among my neighbours, faith, faith rose to the forefront, fear was on every side, feel the warmth of the sun, for thy name's sake, forgotten as a dead man, fortitude, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, from the pride of man, from the strife of tongues, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, hated them that regard lying vanities, hated them that regard vain idols, have laid privily for me, have mercy upon me O Lord, he shall strengthen your heart, heard the slander of many, help us to be responsible, hide them in the secret of thy presence, holy spirit, I am in trouble, I said in my haste, I trust in the Lord, I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy, In thee O Lord do I put my trust, in times of trouble, into thine hand I commit my spirit, Jesus Christ, keep them secretly in a pavilion, known my soul in adversities, laid up for them that fear thee, lead me and guide me, let me never be ashamed, let the lying lips be put to silence, let the wicked be ashamed, like a broken vessel, LOVE, make hay while the warm sun still shines, make thy face to shine upon thy servant, mercy, mine eye is consumed with grief, my bones are consumed, my life is spent with grief, MY rock and My fortress, my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, my times are in thine hand, my years with sighing, O Lord God of truth, O love the Lord all ye his saints, oh how great is thy goodness, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our witness for Christ is not good enough, our world would not be in tottal disarray, out of my mind, perilous times, plentifully rewardeth the proud doer, proudly and contemptuously, pull me out of the net, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rock of refuge, salvation, save me for thy mercies sake, schemed to take away my life, serious problems are escalating, set my feet in a large room, shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city, shut me up into the hand of the enemy, smell it sweet and strong, speak grievous things, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the Lord preserveth the faithful, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, them that trust in thee, they devised to take away my life, they fled from me, they have laid secretly for me, thou art my rock and my fortress, thou art my strength, thou hast redeemed me, thou heardest the voice of my supplication, took counsel together against me, trust in thee before the sons of men, truth, turn to the God of his forefathers, unexpected storms, wisdom, wise guidance
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 September 2026 Psalm 31:1.
Psalm 31:1. In thee, O lord, do I put my trust (I take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
And if you didn’t know it was Friday, the loud shout of our Friday Mantra would certainly have informed you. Yes, it went up to heaven on a wing and a prayer: (smile) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ Both the children and parents will be glad for a break from school and work, while trying to acclimatize themselves once more to the common task and daily grind. And it’s another beautiful sunshiny summer’s day! Oh how I just LOVE to wake up and see the sun shining brightly and also feel it’s warmth on my skin, because I know it won’t be long now before I might see it shining, but it’s warmth would have disappeared with the incoming cold weather. So let’s make hay while the warm sun still shines! (smile)
And today, we’ll contemplate some interesting words of Bruh David from Psalm 31, titled My Rock and My Fortress. So please pray with me: ‘In thee, O lord, do I put my trust (I take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (rock of refuge), for an house of defence (fortress) to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily (secretly) for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. I have hated them that regard lying vanities (vain idols): but I trust in the Lord.’ (Ps. 31:1-6)
Oh my people, can we make those same claims that Bruh David makes about trusting in God, of Him being our rock and refuge, our fortress and strong tower? I certainly hope so, because if you read verses 9-13, you’ll see that Bruh David was going through a very rough time, but he still had the faith, courage and fortitude to turn to the God of his forefathers, as he says: ‘I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities (troubles); and hast not shut me up into (given me over to) the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room (a wide place).’ (Ps. 31:7-8)
And after acknowledging God’s goodness, then he explains his cry for help and entreats the Lord to do so. ‘Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed (wastes away) with grief, yea, my soul and my belly (body). For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed (waste away). I was a reproach (a despised thing) among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without (outside) fled from me. I am forgotten as a dead (perishing) man out of my mind: I am like a broken vessel. For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised (schemed) to take away my life.’ (Ps. 31:9-13)
Life was indeed not easy for Bruh David at that particular time, but then again, his faith rose to the forefront. ‘But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies sake. Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave. Let the lying lips be put to silence which speak grievous (insolent) things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.’ (Ps. 31:14-18)
Yes friends, through all his laments, Bruh David is still finding time and place to praise the Lord and give thanks for His help. And this last section is no different, when he declares: ‘Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear (reverence) thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence (secret place) from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues.
Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps. 31:19-24)
Yes my faithful brethren, we will certainly go through many trials and troubles in this evil and ungodly world, but if we stand strong in faith and cry out sincerely to our God foe help, He will help us, not always in the ways we desire, but in much better ways than we can help ourselves. And we can do that right now by going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these perilous 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!’
Now, let’s note that we supposed believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee sweet and strong, because our current witness for Christ is certainly not good enough or else our world would not be in total disarray! Much LOVE!
…when troubles drive us crazy…a sincere cry to Almighty God for help…is always the best solution…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a great family, a positive outlook on life, all of you be subject one to another, all such rejoicing is evil, an haughty spirit before a fall, and doeth it not to him it is sin, as God hath dealt to every man, be clothed with humility, be humble and receive oodles of grace, better it is to be of humble spirit with the lowly, boast and be detested by God, buy and sell and get gain, cause the believer to conduct himself with humility, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, climate change, come to know and love christ like we do, continue there a year, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, every imagination of the thoughts of his heart, evil continually, exercise lovingkindness judgement and righteousness in the earth, faith, favour, God giveth more grace unto the humble, God resisteth the proud, God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble, God saw that the wickedness of man was great, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, holy spirit, I am the Lord, if the Lord will, in these things I delight, it is even a vapour, Jesus Christ, lamented the folly of his faithless people, let him that glorieth glory in this, let not the rich man glory in his riches, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, LOVE, mercy, negative word, neither let the mighty man glory in his strength, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, pride goeth before destruction, prideful boasting, properly using our different God-given gifts, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, talent, thanks to God, that appeareth for a little time then vanisheth away, that he understandeth and knoweth me, the BIBLE, the consistent application of justice for all, the exercise of spiritual gifts, the maintenance of what is right in the sight of the Lord, the measure of faith, the penultimate day of our work week, the righteousness of God, the scripture saith in vain, the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy, the true source of wisdom - the Lord Himself, think soberly, to every man that is among you, to him that knoweth to do good, today or tomorrow, true covenant loyalty, truth, use those blessings to help others, we shall live and do this or that, we will go into such a city, what is your life, wisdom, ye know not what shall be on the morrow, ye ought to say, ye rejoice in your boasting
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 September 2026 Proverbs 16:18.
Proverbs 16:18. ‘Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (stumbling).
And then it was Thursday, our penultimate day of the work week; a beautiful sunshiny, windy day, with temps in the mid-twenties, almost in the middle of September. Now, I’m not sure if that’s a usual occurrence, but we’ll surely take it and say thanks to climate change, and/or the Lord for it! (smile)
And today we’ll talk about prideful boasting, one of the things in human beings that the Lord most thoroughly detests. And there are many scriptures that attest to that sentiment. So let’s look at a few nuh. Beginning with this one from Cousin Sol in Proverbs, that gets right to the heart of the matter. ‘Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (stumbling). Better it is to be of humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil (plunder) with the proud.’ (Prov. 16:18-19) Words of absolute wisdom my brethren!
Then there’s Jeremiah, where he writes on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise LOVING-KINDNESS, judgement (justice), and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer. 9:23-24) Yes friends, the Lord doesn’t take kindly to boasting about one’s earthly accomplishments or achievements.
And the scholars explain. ‘Having lamented the folly of his faithless people, Jeremiah turns their attention to the true source of wisdom – the Lord himself (9:23-10:25) True wisdom was to be found in the consistent following of the three central qualities of spiritual life: LOVING-KINDNESS (the exercise of true covenant loyalty; like that between Bruh David and Jonathan, King Saul’s son), judgement (the consistent application of true justice for all), and righteousness (the maintenance of what was right in the sight of the Lord in all of life).’
That’s why Bruh Paul warns us in Romans: ‘For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God had dealt to every man the measure of faith.’ (Rom. 12:3) Then he goes on to talk about properly using the different gifts God has given us (vs. 4-8)
And per the scholars to those verses: ‘The righteousness of God will cause the believer to conduct himself in humility in the local church (vs. 3-8). Paul meets two dangers that the individual faced in the exercise of his spiritual gifts. He might overestimate himself and try to exercise a gift God never gave him. Or he might underestimate himself and fail to exercise the gift God has given to him. Paul shows that God has given each believer specific gifts to enable him to do what God wants him to do. No one is excluded.’
And James, Jesus’ brother, lays it on thick for us in his epistle, where he questions. ‘Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to (yearns) to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth more grace unto the humble.’ (James 4:5-6)
In that 4th verse it seems James was alluding to the chapter in Genesis, where it says: ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (intent) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (all the day long). (Gen. 6:5) Then the Lord regretted making man and decided to destroy it all. ‘But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.’ (Gen. 6:8) That’s because Noah was humble and not proud like the rest of mankind. And the Lord is still giving more grace to the humble today than the proud or boastful.
And James goes on to talk further about the boasting problem. ‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice (boast) in your boasting (arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:13-17)
That says it all my people! Boasting, or not taking the Lord’s will into consideration is wrong. And If we know what’s right and don’t do it, then to us it’s sinful. And we’ll close with a word from Peter, where, in talking about subjecting ourselves to each other, he declares: ‘Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.’ (1 Pet. 5:5) Now, it could not get any clearer than that my people. (smile)
And having refreshed our memories with those potent scriptures on boasting and humility, let’s go home declaring our undeserved Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…why boast and be detested by God…when you can be humble and receive oodles of grace…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessing in disguise, a more glorious future than we can ask or imagine, accept with calmness, an hour or two away from it all, best example of rest and relaxation is Jesus, buried deep in our hearts, calms my inner muddle, christianity, Christians, come aside into a deserted place, come ye yourselves apart, constantly on the go, cuts through the confusion, departed into a desert place privately, do something that calms your spirit, endure to the end with Jesus, eyes fixed staight ahead, faith, filled with compassion towards them, for the certain knowledge, get away from the multitudes and the noise, halfway home, hands on the plough, he began to teach them many things, here and there, holy spirit, I needn't condemn, in the morning, it's all about rushing, Jesus always obeyed the Father, Jesus Christ, Jesus departed into a solitary place to pray, Jesus went apart from the crowd to rest, legitimately snatch, LOVE, many were coming and going, mastering my flesh, mercy, Moments of Leisure, more loving, more patient, more understanding with my family, no time to make wise decisions, not, not looking back, now for now stuff, on a late bus, One Year Book of Bible promises, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, overruled my flesh, peaceful solitude, people don't have time to think, plan more wisely, reinvigorate and re-energize our our souls bodies and minds, rest a while, rest and relax, rising up a great while before day, salvation, Satan is driving the world at such a fast pace, second wind day, shopping just for fun, so glad to be alive, so much as to eat, So must I, social media, solitary time in a quiet place is essential, spend time reading or resting, take an occasional break, take breaks from the rat race, take time to rest, thank God, thank you for assuring me, thank you for convincing me, thank you for the moments of lesiure, Thank You God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through one's body, the crowd followed Jesus, the human body is not a machine, the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes, the multiple demands imposed upon me, the tumult and confusin of our world, there's no glory in a rat race, they had no leisure, they were as sheep not having a shepherd, things will only get worse, to a glorious future with Jesus, to keep our marbles, to pick up a few things, truth, turns it topsy turvy, Wednesday Wail, when Jesus saw the multitude, wisdom, with the increase in technology, without a driving sense of urgency I think more clearly, without apologizing, words of wisdom, writings by Ruth Harms Calkin
Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 September 2026 Mark 6:31a.
Mark 6:31a. He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart (aside) into a desert (deserted) place and rest a while:
Ah friends, on this rainy, cloudy, humid Wednesday in early September, we’re on a real late bus with the ole fella desperately trying to catch his second wind! Why, you wonder? Because I took the Duchess to a mid-morning doctor’s appointment, then, on the way back, she surprised me by wanting to go to the grocery to pick up a few things, which obviously turned into many things. So by the time we got home and put away the few things (smile), it was minutes to two, and the ole fella just wanted to go and rest for a spell. But I overruled my flesh, and instead came down to write the Bit. Aren’t you proud of me…mastering my flesh? (smile)
And today we’ll look at the poem designated for September 9th in our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s most appropriately titled; ‘Moments of Leisure.’ So please read with me: ‘Lord, thank You For the moments of leisure And peaceful solitude I can legitimately snatch Here and there Without apologizing. Thank You for assuring me That I needn’t condemn myself When I spend some time reading or resting Or shopping just for fun. Thank You for convincing me That there’s no glory In a rat race.
I’ve discovered, dear Lord That an hour or two “Away from it all” Calms my inner muddle And cuts through the confusion. Without a driving sense of urgency I think more clearly – I plan more wisely. I am more patient, more LOVING More understanding with my family. I even accept with calmness The multiple demands imposed upon me. Thank You so much, dear God for the certain knowledge that Jesus (who always obeyed the Father) Went apart from the crowd to rest. So must I!’
Oh my people, all of that poem is certainly the most glorious truth! And furthermore, many of us today, who are participating in the crazy rat race that our world has now become, would do well to take an occasional break from it and just rest and relax, and do something that calms your spirit rather than turns it topsy turvy. Yes mih bredrin, Satan and his evil cronies are just driving the world at such a fast pace that people don’t have time to think, to make wise decisions. It’s all about rushing, about now for now stuff. And with the surprising increase of technology, especially the social media demon, things will only get worse.
And as always, we have the best example of that from Jesus, who was known to go away by Himself quite often to just rest, relax and pray. And the Bible verse for today’s poem comes from the gospel of Mark. It occurs after the disciples came back from their teaching and healing journey, that Jesus had earlier sent them out in pairs to perform. After they told Him all that they’d done, ‘He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart (aside) into a desert (deserted) place and rest a while: for they were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert (deserted) place privately (by themselves).’ (Mark 6:31-32)
That shows that Jesus was also cognizant of the fact that His followers needed rest and relaxation. Now that was a blessing in disguise, for when they arrived at their destination, they found the crowd had followed them and gathered together unto Him. ‘And when Jesus saw the multitude, He was moved and filled with compassion towards them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.’ (Mark 6:34)
And at the end of that day the feeding of five thousand men, plus women and children with five loaves of bread and two small fishes and picking up twelve baskets of leftovers took place. (Mark 6:35-44) And right after that Jesus sent the disciples away in a ship, to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away, then went up into a mountain to pray. (Mark 6:45-46) There again, Jesus recognizes both His and the disciples need for a break from the multitudes.
And talking about getting up early to be by oneself to pray, Jesus was the epitome of that habit. Mark tells it thus. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) Yes friends, solitary time in a quiet place is essential for us to keep our marbles, otherwise the world will drive us crazy from all the tumult and confusion that’s currently happening in it. So please, like Jesus, let’s take time to rest, to get away from the multitudes and all the noise and commotion they create, and thus reinvigorate and reenergize our souls, bodies and minds.
And with those words of wisdom buried deep in our hearts, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Jesus Christ. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the end with Jesus, then it’s been promised that we’ll enjoy an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine. So please let’s endure right to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the Lord didn’t make the human body to be like a machine…constantly on the go…but to take occasional reinvigorating breaks from the rat race that’s our current world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: christianity, Christians, confidence in God's faithfulness, do serious work for Jesus, establish you and keep you from evil, faith, filled with wonder, for thou art with me, from Genesis to Revelation, God comes through in amazing ways, God will never leave nor forsake us, god's ever-faithful promise, great is thy faithfulness, he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, He is faithful that promised, his compassions fail notthey are new every morning, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, I praise God's name, I remember all God's done in the past, I will fear no evil, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord, if we be dead with him we shall also live with him, if we believe not, if we confess our sins, in god's eyes, In Touch Prayer Card on God's Faithfulness, it is a faithful saying, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jeremiah's lament, Jesus Christ, keep his commandments, keepeth covenant with them that love him, lift up my heart to you in trust, lock stock and barrel, look forward with joy, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, nothing is too hard for God, our bounden duty, our faith grows when we remember God's faithfulness, our trust in God deepens, refresh our hearts minds and souls, run and not be weary, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, summer time freedom over, take stock of our spiritual maturity, thank you for your perfect works, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the faithful God, the gospel truth, the Lord is faithful, the Lord thy God He is God, the Lord will take care of me, the lord will take me up, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they too can come to know and love Christ like do, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds, thy faithfulness shalt thou esteblish in the very heavens, thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to a thousand genearations, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, to seeing your plans fulfilled, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk and not faint, when I don't understand an outcome, when my father and mother forsake me, when things look impossible, wisdom, with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness, with the whole wide world, you are faithful, your ways never fail
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 September 2026 Psalm 36:5.
Psalm 36:5. ‘Thy mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.’
So the Labour Day partying is over and done with now. That means the summer time freedom and frolicking is also done, and it’s time to get down to some serious work for Jesus; contemplating, who He is, what He’s done and is doing, and how we are reciprocating His awesome LOVE and compassion. It’s time to take stock of our spiritual maturity; see whether we’re growing, regressing, or just standing still, marking time, for who knows what. And to help us do that, today we’ll take a look at God’s faithfulness, starting with the information on the In Touch Prayer Card on the subject.
Please pray with me: ‘I’m filled with wonder, God, when I think of Your great faithfulness. When things look impossible, You come through in amazing ways. Truly nothing is too hard for You. I remember all You’ve done in the past and praise Your name! When I don’t understand an outcome, I will lift up my heart to You in trust. You are faithful, and Your ways never fail. I look forward with joy to seeing Your plans fulfilled. Thank You for your perfect works.’
Ah friends, those are perfect sentiments for us to consider in our own lives. Do we feel and also remember God’s faithfulness in our own lives? If we are true believers then we certainly ought to! And that’s one of the great things about our faith. When we remember God’s faithfulness, all the times that He’s shown up when things seemed impossible, but He came to our rescue just in time, then our faith grows, our trust in Him deepens, because we know that we can depend on Him in the tough times. He will never leave, forsake nor fail us, it’s is ever-faithful promise, and He keeps repeating it in His Word from Genesis right through to Revelation.
So let’s see if we can find some scriptures that reflect God’s faithfulness to refresh our hearts, minds and souls. And we’ll begin with this one where Moses reminds the Israelites of God’s faithfulness, as they are about to enter the Promised Land. ‘Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that LOVE him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.’ (Deut. 7:9) And I believe that scripture will do some of us a world of good if we sit and ponder it for a moment or two; the important thing there being the keeping of God’s commandments.
Then we have this verse from Psalm 36, that the In Touch Prayer Card uses as its resource. Bruh David writes: ‘Thy mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.’ (Ps. 36:5) Meanwhile in Psalm 89, which speaks of the Mercies of God, Ethan the Ezrahite contemplates God’s faithfulness and writes: ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.’ (Ps. 89:1-2)
And we all know Jeremiah’s famous lament on the subject: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) What more can we ask eh? Now here’s another magnificent verse re God’s faithfulness, one we all spout, but don’t truly pay much attention to. It’s from Bruh David’s famous Psalm 23, where he declares in no uncertain terms: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) What assuredness in God’s faithfulness! Do we have that confidence in God’s faithfulness? Let’s hope so.
Then in 2 Thessalonians, Bruh Paul tells them: ‘But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil (the evil one).’ (2 Thess. 3:3) And to Timothy, Bruh Paul writes: ‘It is a faithful saying: for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer (endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he will also deny us: If we believe not (are faithless), yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim. 2:11-13) And that’s the gospel truth friends! God cannot deny His attributes.
Then we come to this scripture from Hebrews that strongly and wisely advocates: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is fateful that promised;) (Heb. 10:23) And that’s great advice for us to follow, especially in these deceitful and untrustworthy times. And what about this amazing verse from John’s first epistle, where he states with all certainty: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 John 1:9) Now that’s a wonderful scripture for us to know and keep at the forefront of our minds!
And here’s another awesome verse displaying God’s faithfulness, another one we know but don’t truly action in our lives. The prophet Isaiah shouts it from the mountaintop: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31) Yes friends, waiting on God is never in vain, for He will always be faithful to those who are faithful to Him. And we’ll close with this very reassuring verse from Psalm 27, when Bruh David declares: ‘When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up (take care of me).’ (Ps. 27:10)
Now isn’t that wonderful assurance of God’s faithfulness! It certainly is! And there are plenty more scriptures that address God’s faithfulness, but unfortunately time and space prevent us from quoting anymore. So let’s go home now 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!’
Now, it’s become our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…take time to remember God’s faithfulness in your life…then let it lift your trust and faith in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lack of responsible behaviour, a new week of work, a universal proclamation of the gospel, also to the Greek, as it is written, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, bring glad tidings of good things, cast our care to the wind, cause havoc in the enemy's ranks, Christians, constantly buffeted, divine assurance, divine help, Esaias saith, eternal life, exercise a modicum of circumspection, faith, faith cometh by hearing, faith is built by what one hears, faith must be preceded by hearing, faith must have a valid content, fiath that comes about by what is heard, fill us with steadfast faith, furthering your glorious kingdom, go out to meet the enemy in battle, hearing by the word of God, hearing requires a preacher, heavenly Father, holy spirit, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, how shall they believe in him, how shall they hear without a preacher, how then shall they call on him, humble servants, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, in whom they have not believed, inebriation, into the evil and ungodly world, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, knowledge is essential to belief, Labour Day, let our hair down, Lord who hath believed our report, LOVE, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, monergism, no better tidings than the gospel, no other way to be saved but by the explicit gospel of Christ, of whom they have not heard, overindulgence, partake of the day's festivities, preachers are necessary to spread the gospel, preachers bring the good news of the gospel of peace, preaching requires being sent, preaching to a disobedient people, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, sally forth with confidence, salvation, salvation is completely from God, Salvation is God's work alone, Saving faith can come about only through the gospel, saving faith is not man doing his part in response to god having done His part, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, synergism, terrible misfortunes happen, the BIBLE, the call must be preceded by faith, the good news gospel of Christ, the just shall live by faith, the One who sends is God, the only thing that wake up and shake up this evil and ungodly world, the oral communication of Christ's gospel, the power of God unto salvation, the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, the throne of grace, they have not obeyed the gospel, to every one that believeth, to lead and guide all your servants, to the Jew first, truth, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, wisdom, you've wrought in our weary souls, your incredible aura of love
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 September 2026 Romans 10:15.
Romans 10:15. ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.’
So it’s Monday, the first one in September, which means it is Labour Day! Glory be! That means many of us don’t have to get up and fight the chaotic situation that involves getting to work on time, but can lay abed and enjoy the benefit of the Labour Day Holiday, then get up leisurely and partake of the day’s festivities, and it’s certainly a beautiful summer’s day for doing so.
Remember though, there’s one proviso: please exercise a modicum of circumspection in all activities, so that no accidents occur, either from inebriation or overindulgence and lack of responsible behaviour, for it’s at times like these when we let our hair down, cast care to the wind, that the most terrible misfortunes happen. And remember tomorrow is a working day. But enough sermonizing! (smile)
And I just LOVE it when I don’t have anything particular to write about, and I simply open the Good Book, and it opens to one of my favourite scriptures. And that’s what just happened. It opened to Bruh Paul’s treatise in Romans about Preaching to a Disobedient People. He opens by declaring: ‘How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not obeyed the gospel. For Esaias (Isaiah) saith, Lord who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ (Rom. 10:14-17)
What a poignant, emotional picture Bruh Paul paints about the spreading of the gospel. The scholars say that ‘he is presenting a universal proclamation of the gospel, and in this passage, he gives reasons why a universal proclamation is necessary. First, because the call must be preceded by faith; second, because faith must be preceded by hearing. This shows that knowledge is essential to belief. Faith must have a valid content; third, because hearing requires a preacher; fourth because preaching requires being sent. The One who sends is God. Salvation is completely from God.’
Yes, it can be somewhat ‘confuffling’, but let’s see if we can’t make it a little simpler. In other words, the oral communication of Christ’s gospel is necessary to begin the proceedings. When one hears it preached, then faith is built by what one hears. However, for one to hear the word preached, there must be a preacher, or someone to preach and explain it. But how does a preacher come about? That preacher must be sent to those who have not heard the gospel. Therefore, preachers or teachers of the word are absolutely necessary for the gospel to be spread.
And I just I LOVE the scripture that points it out by saying: ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.’ (Rom. 10:15) Because it’s oh so true! Preachers bring the good news of the gospel that include belief and faith in Jesus, as well as salvation and eternal life, and there are certainly no better tidings to hear and accept in this whole wide world! And that quote originally comes from Isaiah 53:1. Bruh Paul is so adept at using the scriptures to form His own pronouncements.
Now here is an interesting note from the scholars re faith and hearing. They say: ‘It is not faith in what is heard, but faith that comes about by what is heard. This is what Paul meant in Rom. 1:16, when he said the gospel “is the power of God unto salvation.” Saving faith is not man doing his part in response to God’s having done His part (synergism). Saving faith can come about only through the gospel. Salvation is God’s work alone (monergism). This also shows there is no other way to be saved but by the explicit gospel of Christ.’
And here is what Bruh Paul actually says in that passage: ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.’ (Rom. 1:16-17) And the as it is written comes from Habakkuk 2:4. (smile)
Now, although many of us are off work today, some of us still have to keep the 24-hour modern day machine a rolling, so you need some help to do that. Therefore, let’s go to the best place to get divine help, 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 that we have that awesome divine assurance, let’s get out there and cause havoc in the enemy’s ranks! Much LOVE!
…the good news gospel of Christ…is the only thing…that wake up and shake up this ungodly and evil world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a magnificent day, a perishable crown, acceptable unto God, achieve glory, always abounding in the work of the Lord, an awesome greeting, an imperishable crown, an incorruptible crown, an indisputable fact, be a castaway, be disqualified, be not conformed to this world, be of good cheer, be rewarded with glorious victory, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, be ye steadfast, bondaged to Satan, bought with a price, bring it into subjection, but one receiveth the prize, by the mercies of God, children of the Most High God, Christ's sacrificial death, Christians, clothed by freedom in Christ, competes for the prize, conquering power, constantly bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, disciplining our minds and bodies, divine aid, does man have access to God, don't allow the world to contaminate you, enter thou into the joy of the Lord, even our faith, every man that striveth for mastery, expect to come out victorious, face the music of the working world, faith, faithful over a few things, fill us with steadfast faith, find favour with God, finished my course, finished my race, fought a good fight, furthering your glorious kingdom, getting serious about living for Jesus, give me at that day, glorify God in your body and spirit, go out to meet the enemy in battle, God is sovereign over the world, God's presence within us, he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, holy, holy spirit, honour God with how we live our lives, humble servants, humbly ask, I beseech you therefore brethren, I discipline my body, i have overcome the world, I have preached to others, I keep under my body, I therefore so run, in a practical manner, in me ye might have peace, in our endeavours for Christ, in the world ye shall have tribulation, into the evil and ungodly world, invincible, irrevocable presentation, Jesus Christ, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, kept the faith, know ye not, lest that by any means, LOVE, make thee a ruler over many things, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, my beloved brethren, not as one that beateth the air, not to me only, on Christ's behalf, one more Monday, one more time unto the breach, only through the Son, present your bodies a living sacrifice, prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God, put on the new man, rejuvenation of spirit, rewarded with a crown of righteousness, run not as uncertainly, run that ye may obtain, sally forth with confidence, salvation, self-control, so fight I, sure conquerors, take off the old man, temperate in all things, thankful for jobs, thanks be to God who gives us the victory, the BIBLE, the christian life begins with total commitment, the indwelling of the Holy spirit, the joy of the Lord, the judgement day, the parable of the five talents, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the righteous judge, the righteousness of God is manifested, the throne of grace, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, these things I have spoken unto you, they which run in a race run all, this is the victory that overcometh the world, through him that loved us, through our Lord Jesus christ, to lead and guide all your servants, to obtain a corruptible crown, trials and tribulations, truth, unmoveable, unto all them that love his appearing, we surrender our all to you, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, well done thou good and faithful servant, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, who is he that overcometh the world, wisdom, ye are not your own, you've wrought in our weary souls, your body is the temple of the holy Ghost, your incredible aura of love, your labour is not in vain, your reasonable service
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 August 2026 1 John 5:5.
1 John 5:5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.
One more Monday, one more time unto the breach dear friends, one more time to face the music of the working world! And though we may experience numerous trials and tribulations in our endeavours for Christ, we fully expect to come out victorious because we are the children of Most High God, and thus sure conquerors through him that LOVED us. And that’s an indisputable fact! If we diligently pursue God’s will for our lives, then we will eventually be rewarded with glorious victory!
As John so rightly states in his first epistle: ‘For whatsoever is born of God (every believer born of God) overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.’ (1 John 5:4-5) And I like the scholars’ explanation of that last verse. ‘There is conquering power through this confession because God is sovereign over the world, and only through the Son does man have access to and find favour with God.’
Jesus Himself also spoke about overcoming the world when He said to the disciples, and consequently to us. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) So John’s words are gospel truth.
And Bruh Paul corroborates John’s words with his own testimony to the Corinthians: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:57-58)
And that’s for sure! The Lord will never give us work to do, then not reward us if we do it diligently and excellently. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy in his last letter. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (my race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:7-8)
Yes, my brethren, all who LOVE the Lord and faithfully do His bidding will be rewarded with a crown of righteousness come the judgement day. It will be just like the Jesus describes it in the parable of the five talents, where one of the servants did a good job with the duties given to him, and the Master rewards him thus: ‘Well done thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee a ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord.’ (Matt. 25:21)
Wow! What an awesome greeting, and what a magnificent day that will be when we receive it from Jesus! And how do we achieve that glory in a practical manner? Listen to some practical advice from Bruh Paul contained in his first letter to the Corinthians, which ties in very nicely with his comment to Timothy about running his race. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control).
Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown; but we an incorruptible (imperishable crown). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Yes friends, it all begins with disciplining our minds and bodies, getting serious about living for Jesus. As Bruh Paul further advocates: ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:1-2)
Now that’s not easy to do, but if we are to truly serve Christ, then we must do our best and don’t allow the world to contaminate us, neither in soul, body or mind. And according to the scholars, ‘This means that the Christian life begins with total commitment and irrevocable presentation. And our bodies are now to be presented to God as a channel through which the righteousness of God is manifested.’
For as Bruh Paul spells out in 1 Corinthians. ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Yes mih bredrin, we no longer belong to ourselves, but to God who paid a rather high price for us, through Christ’s sacrificial death, and with the indwelling Holy Spirit, or God’s presence within us, we are now called to honor God with how we live and treat ourselves.
And for divine aid to help us do 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 having our prayers answered, let’s now go out and do sincere battle with the enemy on Christ’s behalf! Much LOVE!
…take off the old man…bondaged to Satan…and put on the new one…clothed by freedom in Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an abomination unto God, be not far from me, Be not thou far from me O Lord, Bell Network, blinded the eyes of our hearts to the truth, by understanding he established the heavens, Christians, clinging to a rough swinging rope, desperately cling to God, duty bound, egotistic leaders, faith, fall into the bottomless abyss, falling into nothingness, feel as though, foolish pride, Forsake me not Lord, frightened child, go out and share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, greedy, hands are bruised and bleeding, hang on, haste thee to help me, holy spirit, hurry, I'll catch you, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, just let go, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock stock and barrel, lost my cool, LOVE, make haste to help me, mercy, my anger doesn't last long, no possible way, not a wise way to live, O dear God, O God please help me, O Lord of my salvation, O my strength, on a late bus, One Year Book of Bible promises, paying lip service to God, power hungry, pride is causing a lot of disaster, pride is rampant in our world, reached the end of our rope, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, sins are a heavy burden, the beloved of God, the benefits of wisdom, the BIBLE, The end of the rope, the living truth, the Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, the Lord is always there to catch us, these trying and troubled times, they too can come to know and love Christ like do, tie a knot at the end of the rope, too proud to cry out to God, trust my friend Jesus, truth, trying to do our own thing, Tuesday Mantra, turn to God, wisdom, wisdom is the principal thing, with all thy getting get understanding, without very much success, worry
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 August 2026 Psalm 38:22.
Psalm 38:22. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.
Ah friends, we’re on a somewhat late bus this loverly Tuesday morning, because I’ve been forced to spend time on the phone with representatives of my phone and internet company, the mighty Bell Network, trying to fix a relatively simple problem. It’s been three days now since the problem arose and the Duchess began talking to them. And she is still talking to them. She is indeed a better woman than me, for I interacted with them twice and lost my cool each time. That’s why I don’t deal with those kinds of problems, but I got involved because the service is in my name. But the good part of it all, is that though I can get angry when faced with unnecessary bureaucracy, my anger doesn’t last for long. Praise the Lord! (smile)
And today we’ll check out a rather interesting and relevant poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, titled ‘The End of the Rope.’ As always, I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but it’s certainly worth sharing again, especially in these trying and troubled times. So please read with me. ‘O dear God I feel as though I’m clinging To a rough, swinging rope. Beneath me there is only emptiness. My hands are bruised and bleeding. There is no possible way For me to tie a knot At the end of the rope And hang on. O God, please help me. (And God’s response is:) Frightened child Just let go. I’ll catch you.’
Oh my people, isn’t that the living truth? It certainly is, for whenever we’ve reached the end of our rope, the Lord is always there to catch us! And He allows us to get there because then we realize that there’s no other place to turn than to Him. We either fall into the bottomless abyss or turn to God and desperately cling to Him. It’s a lesson than many of us today need to learn, for we are fighting the idea of turning to God, trying to do our own thing without very much success, and it’s only when we cannot do anymore in our own strength that we finally turn to Him.
But that’s not a very wise way to live my brethren. We ought to turn to God as soon as possible, so that we don’t ever feel like we’re swinging from a rope, with bruised and bleeding hands, staring at only emptiness below us. And then we end up doing like the Bible verses for our poem, crying out: ‘Do not abandon me, O Lord. do not stand at a distance, my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my saviour.’ (Ps. 38:21-22) That’s the New Living translation. Here’s how the King James version says it as Bruh David writes about sins being a heavy burden. ‘Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.’
Anyway we say it though, it’s still a cry for help from the Only One who can help us when things get real bad and it looks like we’re sinking into the mire of death and despair. And Bruh David for one is not afraid or too proud to call on the Lord for help in his tough situations, as He does again in Psalm 22 – a Plea for God’s Presence – where he cries out: ‘But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.’ (Ps. 22:19) And we all know that Lord helped him numerous times as he went through a lot of trials and tribulations, but many of us are too proud to ask or cry out for help.
And thus foolish pride eventually has us swinging from the end of a rope, headed nowhere but down to destruction. Let’s remember too that pride is possibly the sin that the Lord dislikes most, because it tells Him that we don’t need Him, and according to Cousin Sol, is listed among the seven things that are an abomination to God. (Prov. 6:16-19) Consequently, that’s why our world is also in such a chaotic state, for foolish pride is rampant all over it. And you only have to look at the leaders of today’s nations to see how pride is causing more disaster than anything else, because they all feel they know best, are greedy, power hungry and egotistic, and most have no use or time for God.
And the few who spout some sort of godly rhetoric are mainly paying lip service, because their actions show no godly intent or purpose whatsoever. No wonder the Lord apparently refuses to intervene in our troubles, allowing us the freedom that we so greatly desire to do it ourselves, and create the chaos that’s currently enveloping our world. The big picture of our world certainly looks like many of us dangling from that proverbial swinging rope, hands bruised and bleeding, with only emptiness below us. But our foolish pride still prevents us from crying out for help to the Only One who can help us in that disastrous situation; Almighty God.
That’s why Cousin Sol wrote so much about the benefits of wisdom in Proverbs. ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.’ (Prov. 4:7) Wisdom; the knowledge of something, and understanding; knowing how to use that knowledge properly are the foundation of a successful life. And the great importance of wisdom and understanding is shown earlier on in Proverbs, where Cousin Sol declares: ‘The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens.’ (Prov. 3:19)
That means, if our great God used wisdom and understanding to create the universe, then we ought also to be very much interested in them and use them constantly in our lives. Unfortunately though, Satan has blinded the eyes of our hearts to the truth, and thus we keep on falling into nothingness. But for those of us who know the truth, 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!’
That then makes us duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…don’t wait until you’re at end of your rope…to cry out to God for help…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a boost to our spirits, a cloudy rainy day, a man's heart deviseth his way, a modicum of circumspection, a prevalent habit, a vapour that apeeareth for a little time, all good things will come to an end, all such boasting is evil, all such rejoicing is evil, always seek God's opinion, and doeth it not to him it is sin, anxiety and confusion, be responsible, boast in your arrogance, boast not thyself of tomorrow, buy and sell and get gain, Christians, continue there a year, doing our own thing, eat drink and be merry, faith, fleshly lusts and desires, following the world, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, help in troubled times, holy spirit, if the Lord will, invoke God's mercy and will for our lives, is not rich toward God, Jesus Christ, life is full of surprises, LOVE, make a profit, man made idols, man plans and God laughs, mercy, no concern for what God expects of us, no room to bestow my fruits, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our witness for Christ is unacceptable, plans of the heart belong to man, problems are escalating, pull down my barns and build bigger, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, say to my soul, so is he that layeth up treasure for himself, Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the asnwer of the tongue is from the Lord, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, the BIBLE, the example we faithful believers set, the Lord can ditch all of our best laid plans, the Lord directeth his steps, the Lord is a jealous God, the Lord is sovereign over man's scheming and planning, the Lord is sovereign over our thoughts and words, the preparations of the heart in man, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, then vanisheth away, these ungodly times, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, thou fool, thou knowest not what a day may bring forth, to him that knoweth to do good, today or tomorrow, truth, we don't come up to scratch, we shall live and do this or that, we will go into such a city, wealth driven society, what is your life, whose shall those things be which thou hast provided, wisdom, ye know not what shall be on the morrow, ye ought to say, ye rejoice in your boasting
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 August 2026 Proverbs 27:1.
Proverbs 27:1. Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
And finally the streak of bright, sunshiny summer days has ended, corroborating the saying that all good things will come to an end sometime, leaving us all hoping that it will happen later rather than sooner. (smile) Anyway, this first Friday in August is a cloudy, rainy one, but that didn’t stop us from sending up a boisterous Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Regardless of what’s happening or what the weather is like on a Friday, we always seem to get a boost to our spirits simply because the weekend is at hand.
And some of us want this weekend even more than normal, so we can catch up on our rest, after the great amount of partying we did last weekend and from which we have not yet recovered. But going to work tired is the price we pay for overdoing it, for that lack of the modicum of circumspection. (smile) And that is a fitting start to the situation we’re going to address today, conveyed by these wise words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1)
But unfortunately, in today’s busy and ungodly world, that’s a very normal situation. We all talk about and plan for what we’ll do tomorrow, not knowing whether we’ll even be around to put those plans into action. For who knows when the Grim Reaper will show up and announce our time has come? No one. And many of us have made future plans but never woken up to action them. It’s like the parable Jesus told of the rich man, whose land was very productive.
‘And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits (store my crops)? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow (store) all my fruits (crops) and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, but is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:17-21)
And in this current wealth and power driven society, that’s a very prevalent habit. We’re all seeking our individual treasure, with scant, if any concern for God and what He expects of us. That’s why so many of our supposed well-laid plans fall by the wayside, and have thus led to sayings like, ‘man plans and God laughs,’ or ‘the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry,’ meaning that life is full of surprises. Or as Cousin Sol wisely puts it in Proverbs: ‘The preparations (plans) of the heart in man (belong to man), and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.’ (Prov. 16:1) And the scholars tell us, that means the Lord is sovereign, even over a man’s thoughts and words.
Then later on in that same chapter, Cousin Sol writes another wise saying on the subject. ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) And per the scholars, the Lord is sovereign over man’s scheming and planning. So if the Lord can ditch all of our best laid plans, how are we to approach the situation eh?
I guess it’s like James describes it. He writes: ‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, To day or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is you life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boasting (boast in your arrogance): all such rejoicing (boasting) is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:13-17)
Yes friends, the answer to the question is ever so simple; invoke God’s mercy and will for our lives! What will it take for us to understand that God wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives, and since He is our Creator and Controller, He is able to do exactly as He desires if, in His opinion, we don’t come up to scratch. But no, we insist on following the path of the ungodly world and doing our own thing without any thought of or consultation with our Maker. And remember, He is indeed a jealous God and does not want us bowing to any other gods, be they man-made idols or our own fleshly lusts and desires.
So the only wise way to live this earthly life is by talking to Him about our desires and plans, and then listening for His replies. So let’s do that right now nuh, by confidently but humbly, approaching the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, so we can find grace and mercy to help in these very troubled 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 our egos get too puffed up, let’s note that we believers need to also wake up and smell the coffee, because our witness for Christ is totally unacceptable! And it’s high time we improve it! Much LOVE!
…God’s opinion should be sought…in every plan or decision we make…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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