19 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good attitude, a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, a tough nut to crack, abundance, adversity, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, ascend up into heaven, at thy right hand, become intimate with God, behold thou art there, broken right now in the name of Jesus, Christian maturity, christianity, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, commit thy way unto the Lord, constantly be on the lookout, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, duty bound, dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, experience with adversity, faith, favour, feed on his faithfulness, foundational truth, good health, he shall bring it to pass, he shall direct thy paths, holy spirit, I will give thee rest, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in thy presence is fullness of joy, Jane Williams, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, like a thief in the night, LOVE, make my bed in hell, Mellitus College, mercy, my presence shall go with thee, negative words, never escape the presence of God, omni-present, poverty wages, Prayer Through The, promotion, salvation, self-control, shew me the paths of life, so shall thou dwell in the land, take heed, take the wings of the morning, talent, teach me to wait with patience, the BIBLE, the penultimate day of our work week, the problem of trust, the unknown future, there are pleasures for ever more, thou art there, thou shalt be fed, thy right hand shall hold me, to go out and share those blessings, to know your presence, to prepare a place for me, to trust that you are with me, trust also in him, trust comes with experience, trust in the Lord and do good, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, waiting with faith, walking by faith and not by sight, watch and pray, watch with alertness, we need to feel God's presence, whither shall I flee from thy presence, whither shall I go from thy spirit, wisdom
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
And then we come to Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week. Wow! The week’s almost over! But please remember what Jesus said, don’t look forward too much to tomorrow, Friday, for Friday will present its own problems, (Matt. 6:34) let’s concentrate mostly on handling today’s challenges. (smile) Now, since God so generously spared our lives to see another day on His wonderful though currently chaotic planet earth, let’s keep our promise to continue looking at the prayer credited to Jane Williams, a professor at St. Mellitus College in London, England, founded in 2007, whose mission is to provide innovative theological education and training for those called to serve Christ in the church and the world.
The prayer is found in the 2025 publication of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, titled ‘Prayers Through The Ages.’ And it’s short and sweet enough for us to pray it again. (smile) So please pray with me: ‘Christ, you have gone before me to prepare a place for me, that where you are there I may be also. Teach me to wait with patience, to watch with alertness, to trust that you are with me in the unknown future and to know your presence.’ What wonderful sentiments! And yesterday we looked at Jesus’ promise to go and prepare a place for us and then come back to take us with Him, (John 14:1-3) a foundational truth of our faith, as well as the request for God to teach us to wait with patience.
Now that waiting with patience is a tough nut to crack, because it only comes through lots of experience; waiting with faith and a good attitude despite the adversity we all go through. Likewise the other request from the prayer: ‘teach me to watch with alertness.’ That only comes through faith and experience. As we saw a few day ago, where Jesus warns us to ‘Take heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.’ (Mark 13:33)
Yes, we know that Jesus is coming back, but we don’t know when, and it could be anytime, like a thief in the night. That means we have to constantly be on the lookout and also be ready. For if He comes back and we’re not ready, then it’s hell fire and damnation for us. That’s why these words of His are so important. ‘And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.’ (Mark 13:37) And we cannot overestimate how important it is to watch and be ready for whenever Jesus returns.
Then there’s the problem of trust, which means walking by faith and not sight. (2 Cor. 5:7) Putting all our trust in Jesus is again not easy, and only comes with experience. The longer we live with Jesus, the more we see His absolute faithfulness and learn to trust Him. And again there are numerous scriptures that detail that requirement. And here are a couple of the most prominent verses. The first ones come from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight or smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Then there’s this from Bruh David from Psalm 37. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-5)
And finally the prayer talks about knowing God’s presence. That’s another aspect that only comes with experience. But knowing and feeling God’s presence around us is of major importance, as it especially brings us comfort and lack of fear. And there are many scriptures that talk about the importance of feeling God’s presence in our daily lives. And I guess the first one ought to be Moses’ plea to God for grace and knowledge of Him, (Ex.33:13) while leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. ‘And he (God) said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’ (Ex. 33;14)
Now that gave Moses the encouragement he needed, because he knew if the Lord wasn’t present with them, they would see lots of trouble. Then in Psalm 16, Bruh David encourages us with this titillating verse on the subject. He writes: ‘Thou wilt shew me the paths of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for ever more.’ (Ps. 16:11) Yes friends, when we’re in the presence of God, our spirits are light and fanciful and there’s such joy that we cannot contain it.
And I believe Bruh David says it best in the remarkable Psalm 139 ‘Praise to the All-Knowing God.’ There, he expounds thus on God’s presence: ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.’ (Ps. 139: 7-10)
Oh my people, that just goes to show that we can never escape the presence of God; for he’s Omi-present Wherever we go, He’s always around. And every time I read that scripture I’m reminded of the first time I heard it acted out so marvellously by Dr. Robert Schuller on the Hour of Power T.V. programme. The problem though with God’s presence is for us to feel it. He’s always there, but unless we feel it, it does us no good. And to do that we have to become very intimate with God, through prayer, His Word and the Holy Spirit that dwells within us to lead, guide and comfort us.
Unfortunately friends, the whole Christian thing, growing in spiritual maturity, takes time and experience; going through adversity and failure, but not giving up because your faith and trust is strong. And every time you go through something negative; your faith gets stronger. As Cousin Sol says: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…’ (Prov. 24:16a) That’s the only way to grow!
Now, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings, undeserved ones, so generously bestowed on us by God to do His earthly work. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…growing in Christian maturity…only comes through… sincere trust and faith in God…and experience with adversity…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a global conflict, a nuclear blast, a plague, a wake up call to get right with God, all of them shall grow old like a garment, are you ready for Jesus' return, as a vesture shalt thou change them, atomic bombs, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, cause for us to sit up and pay attention, Christ's church come together, christianity, Christians, come as a thief in the night, come to know and love christ like we do, effects of radiation, faith, Greg Laurie, he find you sleeping, heaven and earth shall pass away, Hiroshima, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, let the world know to whom we belong, lift up your eyes to the heavens, lock stock and barrel, look upon the earth beneath, LOVE, mankind invents and perfects methods of destruction, mercy, my righteousness shall not be abolished, my salvation shall be for ever, my words shall not pass away, Nagasaki, nuclear weapons, of old thou hast laid the foundations of the earth, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, stay spiritually awake, suddenly coming, take heed, take the bull by the horns, the antichrist, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the day of the Lord, the earth also, the earth shall wax old like a garment, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the end times, the flesh eyes and tongues of people rot, the heavens are the work of thy hands, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, the rapture of the church, the second coming of Jesus, the Tribulation, the war of Gog and Magog, the works that are therein shall be burned up, they shall be changed, they shall perish but thou shalt endure, they that dwell therein shall die in like manner, thou art the same, thy years shall have no end, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn things around in Christ's favour, watch, watch and pray, watch ye therefore, weapons of mass destruction, what I say unto you I say unto all, wisdom, World War II, worry, ye know not when the time is
Mark 13:37. And what I say unto you I say unto all. Watch.
Well friends, with God’s help, we’ve successfully made it through Monday, so there’s no reason why we should not make it through this windy and chilly but fairly sunny Tuesday too! And, believe it or not, we’re already past the halfway mark of this March month, meaning that time and things are speeding up, so we also have to get a move on if we don’t want to be left behind. It’s therefore essential that Christ’s people, His church, come together, take the bull by the horns and begin turning things around in His favour, otherwise the devil and his evil cronies will just destroy everything that’s good and godly in our world.
We’ve already seen how we are foolishly leading up to another big war, which might just prove to be the last one, and the evil doers are in no hurry to change the situation, so it’s left up to the people of Christ to intervene and stop the foolishness, If not, then we might just see the promise of Peter’s words coming through, for the next big war will indeed be a doozy with nuclear weapons of mass destruction. ‘But the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.’ (2 Pet. 3:10)
And that’s exactly what’s going to eventually happen if mankind doesn’t restrain his warlike tendencies. And if we think the atomic bombs that decimated the Japanese Cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War 2 were bad, please think again, because the weapons we now have are several times stronger and more destructive. But that’s what mankind does so well, invent and perfect methods and weapons of destruction. What’s taken centuries to build, we can now destroy and eliminate in the blink of an eye. Most of our efforts are concentrated on destruction rather than construction.
And we have the same sort of warning about serious destruction from the prophet Isaiah when he talks about the ‘Nearness of God’s Righteousness.’ He writes: ‘Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax (grow) old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished (broken).’ (Is. 51:6)
Yes friends, there are several more references in the Bible to the earth being destroyed, like this one from Psalm 102. The author states: ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundations of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed (descendants) shall be established before thee.’ (Ps. 102: 25-28)
Then this commentary tells us, there are other scriptures like ‘Zechariah 14:12 which describes a plague where the flesh, eyes, and tongues of people rot while they stand on their feet, which some interpret as the effects of radiation or a nuclear blast. Revelation 8:7-10: Mentions a third of the earth, trees, and grass burning up, and a great mountain burning with fire falling into the sea, often interpreted as nuclear missiles and fallout. Ezekiel 38-39: Describes the war of Gog and Magog, involving massive armies, fire, and brimstone, which some commentators suggest could be a global conflict in the end times.’
The problem though is however we explain or understand it, the earth and all therein will at some time be destroyed either by man’s hands or divine design, thus we should be prepared for whatever comes. And I like how Pastor Greg Laurie puts it in his article on the current problems in the Middle East, found on the harvest.org/resources website. He writes: ‘I believe what has taken place in the Middle East is cause for us to sit up and pay attention. Let me give you just a quick flyover of end times events chronologically. Number one, I think the next event on the prophetic calendar is the Rapture of the Church. Then, the Antichrist emerges on the scene and the Tribulation period begins.
The Tribulation ends with the Second Coming of Christ, and then the Lord establishes the Millennium (the 1,000-year reign of Christ). Events like the ones we are seeing now shouldn’t cause us to panic and be fearful, but move us to prayer. Pray for the nations involved. Pray for peace. And pray that many come to Christ. Bible prophecy is not given to scare us, but to prepare us. Are You Ready? Ask yourself today, “Am I ready for the Lord’s return?” Christ is coming again. This is a wake-up call to get right with God, walk closely with Him, and stay spiritually awake. Let’s all make sure we’re ready to meet the Lord—because, well, He could come back at any time.’
And that was Jesus’ exact warning: ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter (doorkeeper) to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even (evening), or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning. Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all. Watch.’ (Mark 13:31-37)
And whatever Jesus says, is what we ought to do! So please my fellow believers, let’s sit up and take notice nuh. It’s all for our benefit. Now let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, it behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…regardless of our many problems…Christians ought to be ready for Christ’s return…at any time…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a spring-like day, a symbol of sorrow, a time of sufferation, an alien to my mother's children, an expected circumstance in a believer's life, be of good cheer, be perfect and complete, became a proverb to them, became my reproach, become a stranger unto my brethren, chastened my soul with fasting, Christ also suffered for us, come into deep waters, come to know and love christ like we do, committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, count it all joy, duty bound, face tough times, faith, fall into divers temptations, fall into various trials, follow his steps, for thy sake I have born reproach, hate me without a cause, he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself, holy spirit, hurry, i have overcome the world, I made sackcloth also to my garment, I restored that which I took not away, I wept, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, if we be dead with him we shall also with him live, if we belive not, if we deny him he will deny us, if we suffer we shall also reign, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, it is a faithful saying, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the best example of God's brusing, leaving us an example, let patience have her perfect work, LOVE, mercy, mine enemies, mine eyes fail while I wait for my God, more than the hairs of mine head, my throat is dried, rejoicing with Christ in eternity, restored what I didn't steal, salvation, save me O God, shame hath covered my face, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, sink in deep mire, stand strong and steadfast for Christ, steadfastness to one's commitment to God, suffering on God's behalf, suffering wrongfully, take it patiently, the beloved of God, the floods overflow me, the reporaches of them that reproach thee are fallen on me, the reproaches of them that reproached thee, the song of the drunkards, the trying of your faith worketh patience, the waters are come in unto my neck, the waters are come in unto my soul, the zeal for thy house hath eaten me up, these things I have spoken unto you, they that sit in the gate speak against me, they that would destroy me, this is acceptable before God, this is thankworthy, those whom God uses the most are the ones He bruises the most, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undeserved suffering, wanting nothing, weary of my crying, what glory is it when you be buffeted for your faults, when he suffered threatened not, when he was reviled reviled not again, when ye do well and suffer for it, where there is no standing, who did not sin. neither was guile found in his mouth, wisdom, worry, ye take it patiently
Psalm 69:1. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul (neck).
It’s Tuesday friends, and thankfully it’s another bright and sunshiny spring-like day with temps in positive double figures, and all the snow has finally melted. Thank God! I can now see the dry grass on the ground and the floor of the deck at the back of my house, which was once covered with snow over a foot high, making it risky to open my back door. Some trees are even starting to push out some buds. But please, let’s not get carried away, it’s only the tenth of March and winter is certainly not over. And soon we’ll be back enjoying the cold weather. (smile) But it’s surely nice to have a break in between.
And today we’ll have a look at Psalm 69, ‘A Cry for Help.’ It was a time of ‘sufferation’ for Bruh David and he cries out to God. ‘Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul (neck). I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away (did not steal)…
Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children. For the zeal of (for) thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to (became) my reproach. I made sackcloth also to my garment (a symbol of sorrow); and I became a proverb (byword) to them. They that sit in the gate (sit as judges) speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.’ (Ps. 69:1-4, 7-12)
And according to the scholars: ‘This psalm gives extensive expression to one of the major themes of the psalms: undeserved suffering. In this case, the suffering has come largely from the psalmist’s steadfastness in his commitment to the Lord.’ Yes my fellow believers, when we are steadfast in our commitment to the Lord we will indeed face tough times. And many men of God have gone through undeserved suffering just because of their faith. People like Moses, Elijah, Isaiah and Jeremiah. They were all doing the Lord’s work, but suffered unnecessarily because of it.
And the same thing is liable to happen to those of us who stand strong and steadfast in God’s name in these modern times. Jesus said it very clearly: ‘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) And people like James have written of such tribulation thus. ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials); Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:2-4)
Now that’s easier said than done! Consequently, listen to this interesting comment from the scholars. ‘Negative experiences are to be accepted with great joy, not for the sake of the trial itself but because of the positive work God can accomplish through the testing. The words in verses 2 and 3 (temptations and trying) are often regarded as virtually synonymous. If this were true, then trials themselves would produce spiritual maturity. But they do not. Often, testings make Christians bitter instead of better, with no spiritual growth occurring. The Greek word for “trying” (dokimion) might be better translated as “approving.” It is not merely one’s presence in such trials but one’s victory over them that brings spiritual growth and maturity. Those Christians whom God can use the most are those whom God has bruised the most.’
And is that ever true! For many of those used by God down through the ages have been well bruised, both before and during their work on God’s behalf. The most prominent example of that being God’s most important worker; Jesus Christ. I guess the reasoning is that if you’re not bruised, you cannot fully understand the problems and sufferings of others.
And to top James’ philosophy, Peter then declares: ‘Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward (harsh). For this is thankworthy (commendable), if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted (beaten) for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with (commendable before) God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did not sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again (in return); when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:’ (1 Pet. 2:18-23)
Ah mih people, that’s the kind of example we’re expected to follow as disciples of Jesus. And though that becomes more difficult as our world becomes more evil and ungodly, the effort is necessary if we’re to be true disciples of Jesus. And hopefully, this scripture from Bruh Paul to Timothy, might mitigate it some. ‘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 also will deny us: If we believe not (are faithless), yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim. 2:11-13)
Yes mih bredrin, suffering for and with Christ here on earth, means also living and rejoicing with Him in eternity! And considering the short time limit to our possible suffering and the infinite extent to our rejoicing, that should help us bear the earthly trials and tribulations with a better attitude. (smile) 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 now friends, we’re 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!
…suffering on God’s behalf…is an expected circumstance in a believer’s life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child sitting with a loving parent, a gift yo help us in our relationship with God, a legacy prayer for the next generation, after prayer sit quietly and listen for God's voice, all is well, approach it the wrong way, be of good cheer, bouts of weakness, breathe and notice the quiet, bring glad tidings of good things, children of the Most High God Jehovah, christianity, Christianity can sound like a lot of shoulds, Chrsitians, clear sailing, come to know and love christ like we do, done like dinner, eliminate distractions, even reading the Bible can be exhausting, faith, give God your full attention, God doesn't need our performance, God wants to be with you exactly as your are, He spake a parable unto them to this end, holy spirit, how beautiful are the feet of them, hurry, i have overcome the world, I will therefore, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional Magazine, it behooves us, Jesus Christ, keep us rooted and grounded in christ, lifting up holy hands, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, men ought always to pray and not faint, men ought always to pray and not lose heart, men pray everywhere, mercy, more than any achievement, more than your discipline, not immune to problems, picture yourself, preach the gospel of peace, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, silence is golden, silence is golden in God's presence, spirtual practices, strife-filled and turbulent times, Thanks be to God, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the indisputable truth, the light of God surrounds me, the love of God enfolds me, the power of God protects me, the presence of God watches over me, these things I have spoken unto you, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we need lots of prayer in these turbulent times, what God wants is us, wherever I am God is, wisdom, without wrath and doubting, worry
John 16:33. ‘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.’
Oh friends, our nemesis, Monday is now done like dinner! And we’ve survived it in good form to see Tuesday, a chilly day with a mixture of sun and cloud! Thanks be to God! So from now on we should have clear sailing through the rest of the week. (smile) It’s just that that first day of the work week takes a lot of strength, faith and confidence to get going. And though we are children of the Most High God Jehovah, we are not immune to problems and bouts of weakness, though they are eventually overcome with our heavenly Father’s awesome help.
Remember what Jesus advised: ‘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) And we all know that in this evil and ungodly world that’s not always easy to do, but if we have the faith, then most of the time we will be able to do it. Now, here’s an interesting article from the February In Touch Devotional that shows how we can begin doing just that. It comes from the ‘Let’s Pause’ section of the Devotional.
So please read with me. ‘Without the right understanding in place, Christianity can sound like a lot of “shoulds.” Even something like reading the Bible can be exhausting if we approach it in a way God doesn’t intend for us. Here’s what we need to remind ourselves. Spiritual practices are a gift to help us in our relationship with Him. But ultimately, He doesn’t need our performance. What God wants is YOU. More than any achievement, more than your discipline – just YOU.
What if, for a few minutes, you gave yourself permission to take the pressure off, to simply show up and give God your full attention? Let’s try something Dr. Stanley practiced: Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, eliminate the distractions. Next, take a few moments to breathe and notice the quiet. If it helps, picture yourself as a child sitting with a LOVING parent – no agenda, just presence. This moment is about remembering that God simply wants to be with you. Exactly as you are.’
And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers. And I know that it works, because I do it every so often. The problem though is remembering to do it regularly, because we get so busy living this crazy life, that we don’t necessarily forget about God, but have to oftentimes make a special effort to just sit and be quiet with Him. But here’s another thing that Uncle Charles (Dr. Stanley) also encouraged. Every time you finish praying, just sit quietly for a few minutes and listen for God’s voice, listen for the answers He might have for whatever you prayed about.
That might help us to more often sit quietly with the Lord and just enjoy His awesome presence which always surrounds us, but we’re often too busy to feel or truly appreciate it, and therefore most times simply take for granted. That reminds me of this prayer that I often say, and believe I might have shared at some time in the past. But please don’t ask me where I got it from, because I could not tell you. (smile) All I know is that I like it. So please pray with me: ‘The light of God surrounds me: The LOVE of God enfolds me: The power of God protects me: The presence of God watches over me: Wherever I am, God is… And all is well! Amen.’
Now that ought to help us remember God’s amazing grace and mercy always looking out for us, and when we say it, we think of all the good things involved and find the time to spend quietly with Him. And by the way, I just remembered that I might have gotten that prayer, along with a number of others, written in the fly leaves of my mother’s Bible, which I took when she died and still use for my own daily devotions. Now that’s a legacy we should all strive to leave for the younger generation. Let them see the kind of prayers we prayed on a regular basis. And if our lives modelled those prayers, then it will surely help them in their own walk with Christ, the way the prayers I found in my mother’s Bible has helped me.
And I like this verse of Bruh Paul to Timothy on the subject of prayer. ‘I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim. 2:8) Then there’s this wonderful admonition from Christ: ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) So if both Bruh Paul and Jesus say that prayer ought to be a major part of our lives, who are we to doubt it eh? And yuh better believe, that in these strife-filled and turbulent times we certainly need a lot of prayer to keep us rooted and grounded in Christ and His way of life!
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 said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! For as the scriptures say: ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.’ (Rom. 10:15) So let’s get out there and bring glad tidings of good things, like we ought to! Much LOVE!
…prayer helps us communicate with God…but silence is also golden in His presence…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, abominable sinfulness, abounding in mercy, abundance, acknowledge God's justice and righteousness, all that are oppressed, amazing love and compassion, apologize for wrong date on Bit, as a father pitieth his children, as far as the east is from the west, as the heaven is high above the earth, awakends the dormant tiger in us, benevolent attributes of God, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, crapaud smoke we pipe, creativity, curse, divien wrath, faith, favour, for mine own sake, God chooses not to bring up our sins, God's longsuffering toward us, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, great is his mercy toward them that fear him, harsh consequences, he knoweth our frame, he remembers that we are dust, he understands our constituion, he will not always chide, his acts to the children of Israel, holy spirit, I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, in the affairs of men, intention to praise God for all his benefits, Jesus Christ, LOVE, loving-kindness, making changes in mid-stream, mankind will never full understand the greatness of God, merciful to their unrighteousness, mercy, negative word, neither will he keep his anger for ever, not dealt with us after our sins, not rewarded us according to our iniquities, physical benefits, plenteous in mercy, prosper and succeed, rebellious behaviour, receive clear direction for my life, renew our commitment to Almighty God, salvation, slow to anger, so far hath he removed our transgressions, spiritual blessings, talent, Thank You Lord, the greatenss of God's character, the Lord executes judgment and righteousness, the Lord is merciful and gracious, the Lord pitieth them that fear him, their sins and iniquities will I remember no more, truth, understand the greatness of our God, we praise and bless your holy name, wisdom
Psalm 103:8. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS).
Awright friends, it’s Thursday, the second to last day of our work week, and it’s a nice, bright, dry, sunshiny but somewhat chilly day. But that’s what winter is all about, and how we prefer it; not wishing for more of the white heavenly precipitation that we’ve seen so much of already this season. And before I forget, let me apologize profusely for the error I made in yesterday’s Bit, right at the beginning, claiming that the Bit came from Psalm 103:2, when it was really from Job 5:17. That’s the price you pay for making changes in mid-stream and not correcting everything you ought to.
But what can I say eh? The ole fella is only human, and thus prone to the odd mistake. (smile) And I do appreciate your forgiveness. So let’s move on with good cheer. And today I believe we should continue looking at Psalm 103, where Bruh David so astutely describes and blesses the Lord’s Holy Character. We’ll begin at verse six, where we left off yesterday. ‘The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS).
He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) toward them that fear (reverence) him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear (reverence) him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution): he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103:6-14)
Oh my people, are we seeing the goodness, greatness and mercy of our God’s character? I certainly hope so. We ought to acknowledge His justice and righteousness in the affairs of men, especially those who are oppressed. And He hasn’t hidden any of His ways from us because He wants us to know them and thus know Him. Then He’s merciful and gracious, abounding in LOVING-KINDNESS, and above all slow to anger. Oh my bredrin, do we realize how blessed we are that the Lord is slow to anger, otherwise His divine wrath would have already descended on us for our abominable sinful and rebellious behaviour.
As Peter says, He’s longsuffering, overly patient toward us, (2 Pet. 3:9) otherwise crapaud done smoke we pipe long time! And to make things even better, the Lord hasn’t dealt with our sins the harsh way they deserve, or treated us to the harsh consequences that ought to flow from them. Instead, He’s so faithfully and generously removed them from us, as far as the east is from the west. And that’s a great distance. And several places in the Bible it says that He remembers our sins no more.
Listen to a couple of them. This one from Isaiah is very revealing. ‘I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’ (Is. 43:25) Yes friends, the Lord blots out our transgressions for His own sake, so that His wrath does not fall on us. Meanwhile Hebrews says: ‘For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities (lawless deeds) will I remember no more.’ (Heb . 8:12) There the author of Hebrews is quoting Jereimah 31:34. And it’s not that He loses it from His omniscient memory, but rather that He chooses not to bring it up. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord! We praise and bless your holy name!’
And what about the understanding He shows to us because He knows that we’re merely dust eh, put together by His own wonderful hands? No wonder He treats us like a father treats His children with amazing LOVE and compassion. Oh my fellow believers, do we really understand the greatness of our God? I don’t thinks so nuh, otherwise we’d be much more into Him and the things He desires and not as rebellious and ungodly as we currently are.
So for our enlightenment, let’s look at how the scholars lay out his greatness as per the psalm. They say: ‘The first section (vs. 1-5) (which we read yesterday) finds the psalmist expressing his intention to praise God for all his benefits. (vs.2) Then with five verbs he enumerates specifically these benefits: who forgiveth … who healeth (vs. 3), who redeemeth …who crowneth (vs.4), who satisfieth (vs.5). All these actions speak of spiritual blessings, though physical benefits may be included.
The next section (vs, 6-19), which speaks of God’s character, contains a veritable catalogue of the benevolent attributes of God: merciful, gracious, slow to anger, plenteous in mercy (vs. 8). These are amply illustrated in an attempt to convey their vastness: the greatness of His mercy (as the heaven is high (vs.11), the greatness of his removal of our sins (as far as the east is from the west, (vs.12), and the greatness of His compassion (as a father pitieth his children, (vs.13).’
And that my people is a synopsis, a brief outline of our God’s greatness and goodness. Let’s hope it awakens the dormant or sleeping tiger in us, and causes us to refresh and renew our commitment to Almighty God! Now, let’s declare and thus activate our 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 with that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those undeserved 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!
…with our finite minds…regardless of how hard we try…we will never fully understand…the greatness of our infinite God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a name which is above every other name, accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, alive and kicking, all should come to repentance, appreciate how good God is to us, are not able to kill the soul, at the name of Jesus, believers are not stepping up to the plate, but of power love and a sound mind, cast off the works of darkness, Christ selflessly sacrificed His sinless life, Christ's church is in a terrible state, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, comfortable Christians, consequences for every misdeed, destined for hell, dissensions, divisions, do something worthwhile for Christ, do stuff in our own backyards, duty bound, eagerly await a Saviour, eternal life, everlasting life, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, evil and ungodliness being perpetrated, faith, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, get up off of our fat fannies, give thanks, glorify your Father which is in heaven, God is longsuffering towards us, God wanted nobody to perish, greed, hitting many home runs, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, it is high time to awake out of sleep, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus paid our sin debt in full, knowing the time, Let your light so shine before men, life altering consequences, light of the world, live in urgent expectation, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, mind-boggling consequences, mitigate the negative circumstances, more afraid of man than God, movers and shakers, no place for spiritual lethargy, obedience to the Father's will, our citizenship is in heaven, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed, put on the armour of light, rebellious attitude, salt of the earth, salvation, Satan is ruling the roost, see your good works, selfless sacrifice, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, sitting on the sidelines, strife, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the breath of life that's still fowing through us, the day is at hand, the night is far spent, the sad truth, there are consequences to all decisions, time to heed the wake up call, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undeserving children of men, we owe Christ a debt we can never repay, wide-awake preparedness, wisdom, worry
Romand 13:11. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we (first) believed.
And after Monday comes Tuesday… just like the Lord designed it. Yes mih bredrin, it’s a brand new day, and we’re still alive and kicking so let’s give our wonderful Lord and Saviour much thanks for the breath of life that’s still flowing through our finite, fragile, mortal bodies, not forgetting the hope of salvation and eternal life that He so selflessly died to provide for us. And all God’s people sent up a sincere prayer of ‘Thank You Jesus! You are the Greatest! And we LOVE and worship you with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds! Amen!’
Ah friends, it’s so good when we give God thanks for His wonderful attention and blessings to us underserving children of men. And it’s something I don’t think we do often enough, because we don’t truly understand/or appreciate how good God has been to us, when He had no reason whatsoever to be. Instead, He had, and still has, every reason to destroy us completely for our prideful and rebellious attitude towards Him.
But as the Bible tells us He LOVED us so dearly and is so longsuffering or patient with us, and didn’t want any of His most wonderful creation to perish, but that all should come to repentance, (2 Pet. 3:9) that He broke His own heart and sent His ONE Son, yes His ONLY Son to earth to die for our rebelliousness, so that all who believed in Him could have everlasting life and not perish in the fires of hell, where we were all destined for, before Christ’s death ransomed us. (John 3:16)
So, when we talk about being indebted to our heavenly Father, it’s no joke or simple matter, because it’s a debt we can never repay. But the good thing about our God is that He doesn’t require repayment, all He needs is for us to sincerely accept His Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and thus gain salvation and eternal life. And why is that? Because it’s Jesus who, in obedience to the Father’s will, paid our sin debt in full with the selfless sacrifice of His sinless life.
That’s why the Word says: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and those (things) under the earth; And that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2: 9-11)
Now that’s how the Father rewards those who do His will. Are we in line for rewards…are we doing His will to the best of our ability? I doubt it. Otherwise, neither Christ’s body, the church, nor the world would be in such a terrible state, with dissensions, divisions, hate, greed, strife and all the negative aspects front and centre, rather than in the background.
And it’s no wonder that Satan is ruling the roost, because we supposed Christians, supposed believers in Christ Jesus, are not doing what He desires of His followers, namely to be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, and thus show others how living with and for Him is the best life possible. In other words, we’re not doing as 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)
And that’s the sad truth! We believers are not stepping up to the plate sufficiently and hitting the many home runs that we need to turn things around in this evil and ungodly world. Remember that doing nothing to improve matters, is the same as encouraging them to be bad. So, sitting on the sidelines and seeing evil and ungodliness being perpetrated all over the world when you’re in a position to make some small improvement, makes you just as guilty as the perpetrators of the evil and ungodliness.
Consequently, a whole lot of us supposed Christians are guilty of plenty evil and ungodliness, for there’s always some small way that we can mitigate those negative circumstances, if it’s even in our own families or neighbourhoods. Oh friends, any evil or ungodliness mitigated is a win for Christ! Most of us can’t be big movers and shakers of the world, but we can certainly do stuff right in our backyards to improve the situation. It’s just that too many of us who call ourselves Christians, are either afraid of what others might say and/ or do, or too lazy and comfortable in our material wellbeing, and thus we refuse to get up off of our fat fannies and do something worthwhile for Christ!
But under those circumstances, here are two scriptures that we should consider well. The first comes from Bruh Paul to his protégé Timothy, regarding fear. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) And the second in Jesus words, is like unto it: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28)
Now, that means you should not fear mankind, because they can only kill your body and not your soul. But the One to be truly afraid of is Almighty God, who can kill both body and soul in the roaring fires of hell! And it’s a sad fact that many, if not most of us are more afraid of man than of God. How foolish! But I guess we are more concerned about our bodies than our souls. However, let’s remember there are consequences for every misdeed, and sometimes those consequences can be mind boggling and also life-altering.
Anyway, let’s hope what we’ve spoken of today will jumpstart our consciences, will wake us from our stupor, for as Bruh Paul says to the Roman church: ‘And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we (first) believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.’ (Rom. 13:11-12) And as this commentary explains: ‘That means there’s no place for spiritual lethargy in the Christian life. Believers must live in urgent expectation and wide-awake preparedness for what is coming because “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20)
So, nuff said. Let’s go home now declaring (chuh!!!) 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 with those words, we’ve now become 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!
…it’s time for believers to heed the wake up call…for who knows what will happen tomorrow…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, abundance, alive and kicking, all these things will I give thee, angels came and ministered unto him, appetite loss, bear thee up in their hands, below ground, by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, cast thyself down, Chrisitanity, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, curse, divine protection, duty bound, faith, fall down and worship me, favour, fulfillment, get thee hence Satan, give his angels charge over thee, God's granted us another day of life, good friends, good health, him only shalt thou serve, holy spirit, if thou be the Son of God, it is written, Jesus Christ, Jesus sat on the pinnacle of the temple, lack of sunshine, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone, LOVE, low energy, man shall not live by bread alone, mercy, negative word, preaching ministry, promotion, SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder, salvation, Satan is no match for us when we have Christ, Satan the usurper, Satan uses scripture deviously, self-control, self-discipline, share the blessings, sleep problkems, success, supernatural strength, talent, the BIBLE, the height of abusrdity, the Kidron Valley, the Messiah, the rightful King, the temptations of christ were real experiences, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, to build Jesus' faith, trample the young lion and serpent under thy feet, tread upon the lion and the adder, tries to bamboozle us, truth, undeserved blessings, wisdom
Matthew 4:10. Get thee hence, Satan (away with you): for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Ah mih people, like the good Lord has given us another day of life on this wonderful planet Earth! And though we’ve spoiled it, so that life now is oftentimes tough, we’re still thankful to be here, alive and kicking, rather than unalive below ground. (smile) And thankfully too, there’s no more dangerous precipitation like we had yesterday; just a cold, somewhat cloudy day. And we can live with that.
There’s also one other thing we cannot complain about this year, that’s SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), when we suffer symptoms like low energy, sleep problems, appetite changes, and loss of interest because of a lack of sunshine. For this year we’ve gotten quite a lot of sunshine with the cold weather, so we can’t complain. (smile)
Now let’s get to our topic for today, the continuation of the importance of Jesus’ temptations. So, yesterday we saw where immediately after He was baptized by John the Baptist, He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, fasting for forty days and nights, then the devil came and tempted Him. All of it to build His faith, mental and emotional strength for the rather difficult journey He was about to embark on in His preaching ministry.
We saw too that when Jesus was terribly hungry after fasting, the devil tempted Him in that supposedly weak area, by saying if He was the Son of God, He could make bread from the stones around Him. But Jesus rebuked him with that famous statement: ‘It is written. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ (Matt. 4:4)
But that did not deter the tempter. The Bible tells us: ‘Then the devil taketh him (Jesus) up into the holy city, and sitteth him on a pinnacle of the temple. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, he shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt (test) the Lord thy God.’ (Matt. 4:5-7)
Wow friends! The devil quoting scripture! Anyway, the scholars offer these explanation re those verses. ‘The second temptation took place in the holy city (Jerusalem) on the pinnacle of the temple, which towered above the Kidron Valley. Evidently Jesus was transported there by Satan’s power, and this time the devil quoted Scripture (out of context) in order to get Him to sin and ultimately shake His faith in the Word. Satan used Psalm 91:11-12 urging Jesus to cast thyself down. Again Jesus replied with Scripture (Deut. 6:16) that he was not to tempt God by such a presumptuous action. The very passage of scripture quoted by Satan actually goes on to promise God’s ultimate victory over him!’
So my brethren, we see that Satan also knows the Bible and can use it in devious ways to his advantage. That’s why we must know our scripture too, so when he tries to bamboozle us with it, we can quote like Jesus: ‘It is written.’ And here’s the scripture the scholars talk about that refers to victory over Satan in Ps. 91. ‘Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (cobra): the young lion and the dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample under feet.’ (Ps. 91:13. The serpent there refers to Satan.
And the verse that Jesus quotes in reply to Satan is that spoken by Moses to the Israelites: ‘Ye shall not tempt (test) the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.’ (Deut. 6:16) That’s when they were in the wilderness with no water and they complained against Moses and God, and God had Moses strike the rock and produce water. (Ex. 17:1-7)
Then we come to the last of the great temptations. The Bible says: ‘Again, the devil taketh him (Jesus) into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan (away with you): for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.’ (Matt. 4:8-11)
But the boldfaceness of Satan! Imagine it nuh! He telling His Creator to bow down and worship Him, when it should be the other way around! But that should not surprise us, because it’s also the way some of us behave towards God, expecting Him to do as we desire instead of us doing His will.
And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘The third temptation takes place on an exceeding high mountain. The mountain is clearly real in the text, though its exact location is unidentified. Despite the grandeur of this temptation, nothing in the passage itself indicates that these temptations were only in the mind of Christ. Clearly, they are depicted as real experiences that actually occurred in the human life of the Messiah. That Satan, the usurper, would attempt to give the kingdoms of the world to Jesus, the Messiah, the rightful King, is the height of absurdity!
For Christ to fall down and worship Satan would have been to acknowledge the Devil’s lordship over Him. In His direct rebuke, Get thee hence, Satan, Jesus clearly asserts His lordship over the old serpent whose head he will soon crush. Matthew’s statement that Satan leaveth him shows that his order of the temptations is the chronological one. (cf. Luke 4:1-13).’
And that reference to Luke’s gospel, simply shows he has the last two temptations in a different order. And for our information, the quote Jesus uses in that last temptation could come any number of verses, such as, Deut. 6:13; 10:20; Ex. 20:1-5. Now, with all of that wonderful information under our belt, let’s go home declaring and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us by the Lord to enable us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out and use those undeserved 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!
…Satan is a wily one…but he’s no match for us…when Christ dwells within us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a frightening request, a pivotal moment, an exposition of the greatness of God's character, as I was with Moses so will I be with thee, ascend up into heaven, Ash Wednesday, at times it feels uncomfortable and scary, be strong and of a good courage, bring glad tidings of good things, carnival celebrations, christianity, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, confidence, confronting sin is hard, Consider This Section of the In Touch Devotional, continually in the Lord's presence, don't be afraid of them, Dr. Robert H Schuller, duty bound, dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, encouragement, even in our darkest moments God remains beside us, even there shall thy hand lead me, faith, faith-filled walk with christ, fear not, formed in our mother's womb, God is with us even when we want to hide, God never leaves us to face anything alone, God's unceasing presence, God's unfailing love, he that speaks evil of his brother and judges his brother, he will not fail nor forsake thee, holy spirit, how beautiful are the feet, I will recompense saith the Lord, in god's eyes, inviting God to examine our thoughts and motives, it is high I cannot attain unto it, Jesus Christ, judging isn't our department, laid your hand upon me, lead me in the way everlasting, lonely, lonely but never alone, LOVE, make my bed in hell, mercy, no man shall be able to stand against thee, of them that preach the gospel of peace, our relationship with God, salvation, search me O god and know my heart, see if there be any wicked way in me, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, speak not evil of one another, speaks evil of the law and judges the law, strengthen our sense of purpose, such knowledge is too wonderful for me, take comfort in the Lord, take the wings of the morning, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the divine presence of God, the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our king, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord shall judge his people, the Lord thy God doth go with thee, the Lord's presence is alway with us, the reality of the human experience, there is one lawgiver, thou art there, thy right hand shall hold me, to uncover what lies beneath, trust my friend Jesus, truth, try me and know my anxious thoughts, Tuesday Mantra, Vengeance belongeth unto me, whither shall I flee from thy presence, whither shall I go from thy spirit, who art thou that thou judgest another, who is able to save and destroy, wisdom, worry, you have enclosed be behind and before
Psalm 139:23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my anxious thoughts;
Then it was Tuesday, and the Family Day partying finish! But it still continues in places like Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago and New Orleans, where the Carnival celebrations are now in full swing, with today being the last day of music, costumes and masqueraders on the streets, carrying on like leggo-beasts. Then tomorrow, we’ll all get pious and godly for Ash Wednesday. Hn! What a life we living!
But judging isn’t our department, it belongs to the Creator and Controller of the universe, and several scriptures speak to that situation like these. Isaiah says: ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.’ (Is. 33:22) Meanwhile Hebrews tells us: ‘For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense (repay), saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.’ (Heb. 10:30)
Meanwhile James, the brother of Jesus puts it a bit sterner, when he writes: ‘Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy: who art thou that judgest another?’ (James 4:11-12) And that’s a very good question, which we will all have to answer on an individual basis.
Now, here is an interesting article from the ‘Consider This’ Section of this month’s In Touch Devotional, which can pertain to many of us. Please read with me: ‘Confronting sin is hard, isn’t it? At times it feels uncomfortable and scary. Lonely, even. But it doesn’t have to. Think about the closing verses of David’s prayer 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).
Such a frightening request – inviting God to examine our thoughts and motives, to uncover what lies beneath. But He is with us, even in those moments when we’d rather hide. He does not leave us to face anything alone. How do we know this? Go back and read Psalm 139 from the beginning. There you’ll find 18 verses that explore God’s with-ness, His unceasing presence and unfailing LOVE toward us. Like David, we can say to our Father, “You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.’ (Ps. 39:5-6) We too, can take comfort in the Lord, knowing that even in our darkest moments, He remains beside us.’
Now how does all of that sit with us as individuals eh my fellow believers? Does it frighten us, or does it make us strong, in the knowledge that even when the Lord uncovers our darkest sins, He never leaves us, His presence is always with us? It should strengthen us, for remember what Moses said to the Israelites? ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6)
And it’s the same thing the Lord told Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5) And it’s the very same thing the Lord is saying to us today my fellow believers. Regardless of what happens, or what we do, the Lord’s presence is, and will always be with us!
There’s no need to be afraid of walking this very stressful and dangerous life alone. We might be lonely, but we’re NEVER alone, for the Lord our God is always with us! And just that fact, ought to strengthen our sense of purpose and allow us to go on in good fashion. And as the article says, I hope you all took a moment to read the first 18 verses of Psalm 139, for it is a magnificent Psalm.
And I like how the scholars describe it: ‘Psalm 139. Certainly one of the grandest psalms in all of the Psalter, it is also one of the richest theologically. It combines an exposition of the greatness of God’s character with the reality of the human experience. From verses 19-22 we find that David wrote the psalm during a time of opposition. It therefore contains truths that were meaningful to him during these troublesome times. They may be summarized under four key thoughts as David addresses the Lord.: You know me (vs. 1-6); You are with me (vs. 7-12); You created me (vs. 13-18); and Your cause is my cause (vs. 19-24)’
Ah friends, it is indeed a marvellous psalm, containing so much information about our relationship with God, and how we are continually in His presence from the moment we are formed in our mother’s womb…and even before. And I always remember my first introduction to the psalm. It was many years ago on the Hour of Power Programme from the Crystal Cathedral in California, when the greatest actor preacher, Dr. Robert Schuller, raised his hands and declared in such an amazing fashion:
‘Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.’ (Ps. 139:7-10) Yes, that was a pivotal moment in my life, and it reminds me of the words of Bruh Paul in Romans, where He’s talking about how the Word reaches listeners. ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!’ (Rom. 10:15b)
Oh my people, I hope and pray that what we’ve spoken of today will encourage and strengthen us in our faith-filled walk with Christ, because we can never get too much encouragement and confidence in these tremulous and uncertain times. 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 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!
…one thing we’re never lacking…that’s the divine presence of our God and Saviour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abraham believed God, abundance, announced good news before hand, believing means having faith, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, complete obedience to the law, concentrate on today, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, faith, faith in the Lord God Jehovah, favour, given all things into his hands, God so loved the world, good family, good freinds, have everlasting life, having faith means belieivng, he gave his only begotten son, he that believeth not on the son shall not see life, he that believeth on the son hath everlasting life, his soul that is lifted up is not upright in him, holy spirit, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, impossible for sinful man, in the sight of God, it was counted as righteousness, Jesus Christ, justify the heathen through faith, LOVE, mercy, negative word, no man is justified by the law, one day at a time, preached before the gospel, promotion, round four of our weekly work fight, salvation, salvation obtained by meritorious works, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, self-discipline, stop looking forward to tomorrow, subject to God's wrath and codemnation, success, supernatural strength, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, takes all those who believe to heaven, talent, the BIBLE, the doctrine of justification by faith, the just shall live by faith, the just shall live by his faith, the law is doing not of belieiving, the Mosaic Law, the power of God unto salvation, the power of the gospel, the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, the wrath of God abideth on him, they which be of faith are blessed with faithful abraham, to every one that believes, tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself, truth, using the law to win divine approaval, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom
Habakkuk 2:4. Behold, his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Then it was Thursday; round four of our weekly fight…only one more day to go! But remember, we must win today’s fight first, so stop looking forward to tomorrow and concentrate on today. And Jesus, after telling us our first act is to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, (Matt. 6:33) warned us of that very fact. ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of the itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34)
In other words, we’re not to worry about tomorrow, for as the scholars explain: ‘Each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ So let’s concentrate on dealing with today’s problems today, for who knows, we might not even be around tomorrow to deal with tomorrow’s problems. (smile) Remember that Lord only gives us one day at a time, and that’s more than enough for us to handle, no wonder we get all confused and muddled when we try to handle more.
That brings us to this interesting and most important principle of scripture from the prophet Habakkuk, where, talking about the battles between the Chaldeans of Babylon, and the Jews of Judah, he prophesies: ‘Behold, his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.’ (Hab. 2:4) Yes friends, Habakkuk is saying that although the Chaldeans would win the forthcoming battle, eventually though the victors would be the Jews because of their belief, of their faith in the Lord God Jehovah.
And the scholars explain that the words or principle, ‘the just shall live his faith’ is often quoted in the New Testament in support of the doctrine of justification by faith. Thus, this Old Testament prophecy anticipates the New Testament Gospel which shall ultimately conquer the nations and bring them to Christ.’
Now let’s look at a few of those New Testament references to that Old Testament Scripture. And the first one comes from the words of John the Baptist, where he informs a crowd of Jews that he is not the Christ; but one sent before Him to testify of Him. (John 3:27-34) And he ends his speech thus: ‘The Father LOVETH the son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not on the son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (remains) on him.’ (John 3:35-36)
And it’s exactly what Jesus said to Nicodemus the Jewish teacher who, for fear of reprisals from his fellow leaders, came to Jesus under cover of night seeking answers. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) It’s very plain and simple my people! Believe in Jesus Christ and you will have eternal life. Don’t believe in Him and you will not have eternal life but eternal death. It could not be said any clearer or more straightforward than that.
Then there are these words on the subject of the just living by faith from Bruh Paul to the Roman church. ‘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 (Gentiles). 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) Oh my people, the power of God is so strong in the gospel of Christ that it takes those who believe all the way to heaven! There’s nothing else as powerful, or can accomplish that feat!
And to the Galatians Bruh Paul justified the principle of the just living by faith when he writes. ‘Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen (nations) through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful (believing) Abraham.
For as many as are under the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written: Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified (declared righteous) by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in (by) them.’ (Gal. 3:7-12)
And the scholars offer some interesting explanations on those verses. As per 3:7: They say; ‘The verse may be read: “Therefore recognize that those who believe, these only are Abraham’s sons.’ So if you don’t believe, you’re not a son of Abraham. 3:8: Preached before the gospel is better said, “announced good news beforehand.” Paul equates justify with being blessed. 3:9. This verse might be, “So then they who believe are blessed along with believing Abraham” – that is, they are justified.
3:10: As many as are of the works of the law refers to all who rely upon obedience to the Mosaic Law as the means of winning divine approval (salvation). To be under the curse is to be subject to God’s wrath and condemnation. Continueth is explained by to do, which means “to obey.” The recipient of divine wrath is every one who, believing salvation can be obtained by meritorious works, fails to obey the law perfectly. Complete obedience to the law is impossible for sinful man (Acts 15:10; James 2:10). All, then, who attempt to secure salvation by this route are doomed. 3:12: This verse declares that the law is a matter of performance, not of faith; it is a principle of doing, not of believing.’
And we know that the gospel of Christ is all about believing. So let’s stop merely trying to obey the law, but first believe Christ is whom He says He is, then use our undeserved Thursday Blessings to do the good works He prearranged for us to do when we first believed. And to activate those blessings, we need to declare them. So, with a 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 with that declaration, (yesss!) 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!
…having faith…means believing…and believing…means having faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bounden duty, a more opportune time, after ye have suffered a while, as a roaring lion, be sober be vigilant, be strong in the Lord, bounden duty, called us into his eternal glory, christianity, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, departed from him for a season, destroy the faith of believers, don't let your guard down, don't take anything for granted, eternal separation from Almighty God, experienced by your brethren, faith, God's protection is greater than the devil's threat, gotten our feet wet, he shall lift you up, holy spirit, humble yourselves in the sight of God, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, lurking in the shadows, maintain a sober and vigilant mind, make you perfect, mercy, muddy the waters of our lives, put on the whole armour of God, rely on God's strength, resist steadfast in the faith, resist the devil and he will flee from you, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the awesome love and friendship of Jesus, stablish strengthen settle you, stand against the evil schemes of the devil, stand firm in faith, submit yourselves to God, successfully fought round one, targeted by the devil, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the devil is a deceptive enemy, the devil is a toothless lion, the devil is not passive, the devil targets the weak and defenceless, the devil uses intimidation, the devil's roar can frighten you into submission, the enemy is a constant presence, the God of all grace, the same afflictions are accomplished by your brethren, the spiritual armour of God, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, to unleash his evil wiles and lies, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, waiting for an opportunity, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, we have all the tools to assure us of victoryu, worry, your adversary the devil
James 4:7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
So we’ve successfully fought round one of this new work week; Monday, now it’s on to round two, Tuesday. And Tuesday ought to be a li’l easier than Monday, since we’ve already gotten our feet wet in the workaday world. But let’s not take anything for granted because the enemy doesn’t, he is a constant presence. Yes, even if he’s not doing anything to us at the present time, he’s always there lurking around in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to unleash his evil wiles and lies on us. Remember what the Bible says about the devil and the temptation of Jesus? ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until a more opportune time).’ (Luke 4:13)
That’s why Peter warns us: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished (experienced) in your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 5:8-9) Now, I don’t know how much comfort it gives me to know that my fellow believers are also being targeted by the devil, (smile) but for my own benefit, I need to stay strong and resist the loud mouthed enemy.
And I like what the overview of this commentary says on the subject. ‘The devil is described as an adversary prowling like a “roaring lion,” actively seeking to devour, intimidate, and destroy the faith of believers. This metaphor highlights his role as a dangerous, loud, and deceptive enemy, prompting calls for Christians to remain sober, vigilant, and firm in their faith.” And is that ever so true, for the enemy’s avowed purpose is to turn us away from God and the things He desires of us.
And the commentary is further broken down into the ‘Key Aspects of the “Roaring Lion” Metaphor: Active Pursuit: The devil is not passive; he “prowls” or “walks about” actively looking for vulnerabilities. Intimidation: Similar to a lion’s roar, the devil uses fear, loud accusations, and persecution to terrify and overwhelm. Targeting Vulnerability: He often targets those who are defenseless, weak, or isolated. Goal of Destruction: The ultimate aim is to “devour”—to disrupt, tempt, and render believers ineffective in their faith.’ And we have all experienced those aspects of the devil’s behaviour time after time, but hopefully we have not given into or fallen for them.
And as protection from those devilish tricks, the commentary offers this ‘Biblical Advice for Response: Be Vigilant and Sober: Maintain a clear, alert, and watchful mind, not allowing your guard to be let down. Resist and Stand Firm: Resist the devil by standing firm in faith, relying on God’s strength rather than one’s own. Use Spiritual Armor: Utilize the “whole armour of God” to withstand attacks. Confidence in Victory: The devil is described as a defeated foe, and believers are encouraged that God’s protection is greater than the threat.’
Yes friends, we possess all the tools necessary to resist the devil, but we need to put them into action. First of all, there is the spiritual armour of the Lord. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11) And please note the active tense there, for us to ‘PUT ON’ the armour. It doesn’t get into our souls and spirits automatically. No. We have to make the definitive effort to put it on, like when we’re putting on our clothes every day.
Oh my faithful believers, we must remember that although Satan is a disarmed and defeated foe by Christ’s work on the cross, the final nail has not yet been driven into his coffin, He is still alive and operates in his evil manner, though with limited power. But such power as he has is still sufficient to muddy the waters of our lives and have us going down the wide and destructive path that leads to eternal separation from Almighty God, something we surely don’t want to experience. That’s why we must always be diligent, and remember scriptures like this one from James: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ (James 4:7)
Yes friends, the first act in resisting the devil is submitting ourselves to God, for it’s in that devotion we find the strength to resist the awful enemy. And in correlation to that scripture, James also advises: ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:10) So, if we want to successfully fight the devil, we must stay close to God in all righteousness and sincerity, and also believe like Peter says: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:10-11)
Ah mih brethren, living for Jesus is all about faith and belief. You need to have sufficient faith to believe the scriptures and all the promises that have been made for those who sincerely believe. It’s not always easy, but the Lord is so wonderful, He’s given us all the tools we need to assure ourselves of victory in His mighty name! So please, for our own benefit, let’s make the effort to put those tools into positive action and thus keep the enemy at bay. 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 now, it becomes our bounden duty to go out and share the awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the devil is a toothless lion…but if you’re not careful…his roar can frighten you into submission…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 