15 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big life cahnge, according to His abundant mercy, acknowledgement of God's faithfulness, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, an opportunity for gratitude, an optimistic frame of mind, at the appearing of Jesus Christ, be found unto praise and honour and glory, be renewed and refreshed, be sincere about trying, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the example that we faithful believers set, christianity, Christians, David lived out his faith, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, difficult to look beyond what's currently happening, divine aid, faith, fill you with all joy and peace in believing, find the silver linings in hardships, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, Friday chant, full of glory, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's faithfulness, God's unconditional LOVE, great is thy faithfulness, hard family times, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, have hope faith trust and love in Jesus' goodness and mercy, he is my defence, He only is my rock and my salvation, help in these evil times, help us to be responsible, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, I shall not be moved, in heaviness through manifold temptations, in tough and uncertain times, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, kept by the power of God, LOVE, loving-kindness, mercy, more precious than gold that perishes, my expectation is from him, my hope is from God, my soul wait thou only upon God, our responsibility to get the ball rolling, personal health concerns, problems are escalating, ready to be revealed in the last time, receiving the end of your faith, reconciliation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, reserved in heaven for you, salvation, see a difficult challenge, sighs and groans, stand strong and steadfast, tell a story of tiredness and uncertainty, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that fadeth not away, the BIBLE, the God of hope, the light at the end of the tunnel, the Lord takes pleasure in those who reverence him, the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the salvation of your souls, the scriptures were written to give us hope, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the throne of grace, the trial of your faith, the undisputed truth, the weekend is here at last, therefore have I hope, they are new every morning, this I recall to mind, those that hope in his mercy, though it be tested with fire, though now for a season, though now ye see him not, through faith unto salvation, through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might have hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost, to handle the unexpected storms properly, trials and tribulations, trusting faith, truth, turning to scriptures of hope, whatever was written beforehand, whatsoever things were written aforetime, wherein ye greatly rejoice, whom having not seen you love, wisdom, wise guidance, with God's generous help, with hope there's always life, written for our learning, ye may abound in hope, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, yet believing
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 May 2026 Romans 15:13.
Romans 15:13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Oh my people, we could not ask for a better Friday; a sunny one with temps in the high teens. No wonder our Friday Mantra was so bubbly when it was sent up. (smile) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ Yes, the work week has wound down to this last day and the many sighs and groans being emitted do tell a story of tiredness and uncertainty in managing these never before experienced ungodly and evil times. But let’s remember that we are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ; that means we have hope, faith, trust and LOVE in His goodness and mercy.
And I like how this commentary from the website countryliving.com talks about our behaviour and activity in those times. ‘In tough and uncertain times, it can be difficult to look beyond what’s currently happening in your life and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether you’re going through a big life change, a hard time for your family, or personal health concerns, an optimistic frame of mind can help you see a difficult challenge as an opportunity for gratitude. When you’re feeling low, try to find the silver linings in your hardships.’
And that silver lining begins with turning to scriptures of hope. And since we’ve been granted life for today, let’s keep our promise of yesterday to continue looking at scriptures on hope. Now there are so many, that it’s difficult to choose which ones to share. But we’ll begin with this one we all know from the pen of Jeremiah in His Lamentations. ‘This I recall to my mind (God’s faithfulness), therefore have I hope. 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. 3:21-23) And that’s the undisputed truth friends! For it’s only because of God’s mercy and compassion that we’re alive to tell the tale today.
Now what about these interesting verses from Psalm 62, where Bruh David confidently declares: ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 62:5-6) What strong faith my people! And we know Bruh David lived it out in his own lifetime, despite the many trials and tribulations he suffered. And that’s the same way we need to come up hopeful, strong and faithful when we go through adversity. It’s not easy, but we have the tools to do it, if we’re sincere about trying.
And we have this other reassuring verse from Psalm 147: ‘The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear (reverence) him, in those that hope in his mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS).’ (Ps. 147:5) More comfort, support and acknowledgement of God’s faithfulness! Meanwhile, Bruh Paul in talking about being likeminded, wrote thus to the Romans: ‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime (beforehand) were written for our learning, that we through patience (perseverance) and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.’ (Rom. 15:4) Oh my people! The scriptures were written so that we could have hope! Glory be to God!
Then there’s this marvelous scripture from Peter that raises hope to a higher level. He writes: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness (distressed) through manifold temptations: That the trial (genuineness) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that persisheth, though it be tried (tested) with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing (revelation) of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye LOVE; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-9)
Yes mih bredrin, our hope in Jesus is not a dead one, but alive and kicking because of His resurrection. And our hope and faith and belief in Him is so great that although we’ve never seen Jesus in person, we LOVE Him nonetheless with a mighty LOVE, that exceeds our LOVE for anything or anyone else, because He’s provided the salvation for our souls so that we won’t be eternally separated from God, but instead spend eternity with Him. Now that’s the level of hope to which we all need to attain, so that we can rejoice with unspeakable, indescribable joy.
And we’ll end with this heartfelt prayer from Bruh Paul to the Romans: ‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.’ (Rom. 15:13) Ah my fellow believers, once our forefathers Adam and Eve disobeyed God and brought sin into the world, life has never been easy, but through God’s insurmountable, unconditional LOVE, we’ve always had hope, and in the coming of Jesus Christ; His death and resurrection, we’ve finally received the reconciliation that God planned from the very beginning. So please, let’s not lose hope now, when the rewards are oh so near.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid and reassurance to help us in these evil 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!’
Yes friends, our whole world needs to wake up and smell the coffee, and it’s our responsibility to get the ball rolling, and thereby set a good example for the rest of the world! So let’s get to it right away nuh, for remember God doesn’t want to lose even one human soul to Satan, that means we’d better hurry up and get working, for time is quickly slipping away! Much LOVE!
…once there’s hope…there’s always life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heightened desire, a new week of work, a new zest for life, a serious rampage, allow your incredible aura of love, as a lion in his den, be rewarded for your faithfulness, blesses the covetous, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, constantly buffeted, delight themselves in the abundance of peace, diligently consider his place, divine aid, don't give up hope, draws him into his net, evil doers shall be cut off, faith, fill us with steadfast faith, fun-filled weekend, furthering your glorious kingdom, go out to meet the enemy in battle, God has forgotten, God hides his face, God is not in his thoughts, God keeps all His promises, God will never leave nor forsake us, he says in his heart, he sitteth in the lurking places of the villages, heaven is getting ready to quench the fires of hell on earth, his mouth is full of cursing, holy spirit, I shall not be moved, in secret places, into the swing of things, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, lies in wait secretly, lies in wait to catch the poor, look diligently for the wicked, LOVE, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, murders the innocent, never be in adversity, new insight, one for Jesus all for Jesus, our new best friend, raise our spirits, rejuvenation of spirit, ruling the roost, sally forth with confidence, salvation, stand strong and steadfast for Christ, stay faithful to the end, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, taken in the devices they have imagined, thank you for jobs, the BIBLE, the evil and ungodly world, the hands of the clock turn, the indisputable truth, the poor are getting poorer, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the rich are getting richer, the throne of grace, the wicked are ruling the roost, the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, the wicked in his pride persecute the poor, the wicked sneers at his enemies, the wicked's ways are always prosperous, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, through the pride of his countenance, to do good work for Christ, to lead and guide all your servants, triumph over the righteous, truth, under his tongue is mischief and vanity, under his tongue is trouble and iniquity, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, when the right time comes, who renounce the Lord, whom the Lord abhorreth, why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble, why standest thou afar off o Lord, will not seek after God, wisdom, you've wrought in our weary souls
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 May 2026 Psalm 10:1.
Psalm 10:1. Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
And the hands of the clock turn, and the days fly past until they come to our new best friend; Monday! And someone says, Are you crazy? How can Monday ever be our best friend when it suddenly shows up and disrupts and disturbs our nice, fun-filled weekend? Because it gets you back into the swing of things with a new zest for life, with new insight and a heightened desire to do good work for Christ, as the times get more troubled and uncertain. And besides, this Monday is a nice, bright, sunshiny day, so that should also raise our spirits. (smile)
That brings us to this interesting Psalm 10, where Bruh David cries out to God about the oppression of the poor. ‘Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?’ Now that seems to be a very good question to ask of our current times. For as Bruh David continues: ‘The wicked in his pride doth persecute (hotly pursues) the poor: let them be taken in the devices (plots) that they have imagined (devised). For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous (greedy), whom the Lord abhorreth (who renounces the Lord).
The wicked through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts (all his thoughts are, there is no God). His ways are always grievous (prosperous); thy judgements are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth (sneers) at them. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity (trouble).’ (Ps. 10 :2-6)
And doesn’t that sound just like the wicked of today? It certainly does, because they believe that they are ruling the roost, and therefore have no time for God nor for the poor. They do whatever they like, with thoughts only for themselves and what they can gain. And we can see that happening all around our world right now, where the rich and powerful are getting richer and even more powerful, while the poor are getting poorer and even more powerless. And that’s not all; Bruh David continues: ‘His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud (oppression); under his tongue is mischief (trouble) and vanity (iniquity).’ (Ps. 10:7)
And is that ever the indisputable truth! For we now hear very blatant base, coarse and deceitful language from our leaders and power brokers, like we’ve never publicly heard before. It seems that they have absolutely no class at all. But how can they, when Bruh David declares: ‘He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places does he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily (secretly) set against the poor. He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. He croucheth, and humbleth himself (bows down), that the poor may fall by strong ones (strength). He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.’ (Ps. 10:8-11)
And sometimes when things get really bad, when the wicked go on a serious rampage, like we’re seeing right now, we tend to think that God has forgotten us, is hiding His face from us. But we know better than that, for He has promised that He will never leave nor forsake us several times in His word, (Heb. 13:5; Deut. 31:8) and we also know that He keeps every promise He makes. In His opinion, it’s just not the right time. But as the song says, ‘when the right time come,’ He’s also promised that the wicked will be destroyed, will perish from off the earth.
As per Psalm 37 when Bruh David declares: ‘For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider (look diligently for) his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps. 37:9-11)
Yes my fellow believers, though times might look pretty bad right now, as though God seems to have permitted the wicked to triumph over the righteous, with the wicked doing all they can to drive the righteous into the grave, the end of the story however, as promised by our faithful God is that the wicked is the one who will pay the eventual price for his unrelenting and perverse iniquity. So please don’t give up hope; stay faithful to the end, and the Lord will reward you for your faithfulness. And to help us hang in there right down to the wire, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to stand strong and steadfast in Christ.
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!’
Yes friends, let’s get out there and put it to the enemy for Jesus’ sake! As the late Ernie Smith’s song puts it: ‘one for Jesus…all for Jesus!’ Much LOVE!
…when the fires of hell seem to burn bright and hot here on earth…let’s remember that heaven is getting ready to quench them…
Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.com
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big storm arose, a directive from God that we don't like, always obey God's directive, another week of work, arise, be renewed and refreshed, by the good example we your faithful believers set, call upon thy God, cast lots, cast me forth into the sea, Christian witness leaves a lot to be desired, christianity, Christians, cry out against it, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, disobey the Lord's directive, disobeying God also causes others to be hurt, divine aid, faith, flee from the presence of the Lord, for my sake is this great tempest upon you, found a ship going to Tarshish, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, getting me safely through another week of work, give our leaders wise guidance, go to Nineveh that great city, God is omnipotent omniscient and omni-present, God working in His mysterious ways, God's omnipotent help, green foliage, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, how foolish was that, hurt ourselves and others when we intentionally disobey God, if God spares life, in these two short days off, Jesus Christ, joah rose up to flee unto Tarshish, Jonah was fast asleep, Jonah went to Joppa, lay not upon us innocent blood, let us not perish for this man's life, LOVE, made vows, make multiple excuses, mercy, offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, others suffer for our disobedience, our sinful world can wake up, paid the fare thereof, problems are escalating, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, so shall the sea be calm unto you, spring, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that God will think on us, that we perish not, the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, the BIBLE, the long and short of the story, the lot fell on Jonah, the men feared the Lord exceedingly, the rebirth of our dead world, the safest wat to avoid trouble, the sea ceased her raging, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, the word of the Lord came unto Jonah, their wickedness is come up before me, these troubled times, they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea, thou O Lord hast done as it pleased thee, to handle unexpected storms properly, trusting faith, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, we beseech thee O Lord, we cannot escape god's presence, we cannot run from God without consequences, what meanest thou O sleeper, wherefore they cried unto the Lord, wisdom, wise guidance, with your generous help
Jonah 1:2. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry (out) against it; for their wickedness is come before me.
And after the rain comes the sun … that’s the Lord’s decree. And so it’s been this Friday morning in early May, when the trees are blooming with new life and a picturesque colour of green foliage. That tells us that it’s surely spring, the rebirth of our dead world in the northern climes. And with that breath of freshness in the air, our Friday Mantra rose gaily to heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’
And is it ever so nice to see leaves on the trees again. By the way, that tree in my neighbour’s backyard still has the old leaves that survived the winter, blowing along with the new ones. You can see their light brown colour amongst the light green of the new leaves. Will keep you informed on that unusual scenario. (smile)
And today, we’ll also look at another interesting story, that of the prophet Jonah. The Bible tells it thus: ‘Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah (Dove) the son of Amittai (Truth), saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry (out) against it; for their wickedness is come before me.’ (Jon. 1:1-2)
Now, that’s how it usually begins; with a directive from the Lord that we don’t care for. So what happens then? We make multiple excuses and then disobey the Lord’s directive. And Jonah was no different. The Bible continues: ‘But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.’ (Jon. 1:3)
How foolish was that eh? Did Jonah really expect to escape from the Lord’s presence? Likewise, do we really expect to escape from His presence when we run and hide from Him? Oh friends, hiding from Almighty God is impossible, because He’s omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present. Meaning, He’s all powerful, all knowing, and all present, or present everywhere. So, I don’t know if Jonah really thought he could run from the Lord without any consequences. But hopefully we know that. (smile)
And during the journey to Tarshish, a big storm arose, that wanted to break up the boat. So the voyagers were all afraid, and cried out to their own god, while casting out stuff to lighten the boat. ‘But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.’ (Jon. 1:5b) Like Jonah was doing a Jesus routine; fast asleep during the storm, while the boat was about to break up. (Mark 4:35-41) But like Jesus, his restful sleep was unfortunately disturbed.
‘So the shipmaster (captain) came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil (trouble) is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.’ (Jon. 1:6-7) How amazing eh mih people for the lot to fall on Jonah! But we all know that was the hand of the Lord working in His mysterious ways.
And there’s one important thing to note here; in our disobedience, or running from God, we don’t only hurt ourselves, but very often innocent people too. The other people on the ship didn’t do anything to warrant the trouble, but Jonah’s disobedient presence amongst them, forced them to withstand unnecessary trouble. So please, let’s think seriously about what we’re doing when we try to get away from God, for some of our LOVED ones might end up suffering for our disobedience.
The long and short of Jonah’s story is that he eventually told his shipmates what was happening with him. And when they asked what they could do so that the sea would be calm; ‘And he said unto them, Take (pick) me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto (for) you: for I know that for my sake (because of me) this great tempest is upon you.’ (Jon. 1:12) But the men didn’t take him seriously and still rowed hard through the storm trying to come to land.
But the storm was too powerful for them. ‘Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us (do not charge us) with innocent blood: for thou O Lord hast done as it pleased thee.’ (Jon. 1:14) And there was absolutely no doubt about that; the Lord had indeed done as He pleased. (smile) ‘So they took up (lifted) Jonah, and cast him forth (hurled him) into the sea: and the sea ceased her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows.’ (Jon. 1:15-16)
Now, it doesn’t always happen thus, but fortunately in this case, Jonah’s disobedience might also have created some believers, as they witnessed God’s immense power. However, the safest way to stop potential trouble from happening, is always to obey the Lord’s directive. And tomorrow, if God spares life, we will continue with Jonah’s story, and see what other valuable lessons we can learn from it. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid to help in these 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 as we keep saying, it’s not only the unbelievers who need to wake up and smell the coffee, but also we supposedly faithful believers, because our Christian witness still leaves a lot to be desired. Much LOVE!
…oh…how we hurt ourselves and others…when we intentionally disobey God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a false witness that speaketh lies, a hodge podge of wannabes, a lying tongue, a proud look, admire people for mediocre achievements, all of you be subject one to another, allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, allow your incredible aura of love, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, be clothed with humility, blowing their own trumpet, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, change unwise phiosophy, christianity, Christians, Christians are not expected to be glory seekers, comparisons sometimes make things easier to handle, constantly bombarded by, devises wicked plans, distressing times, divine aid, draw near to God and he will draw near to you, enjoy glory with humility, every little bit helps, faith, feet that be swift in running to mischief, fill us with steadfast faith, for men to search their own glory is not glory, furthering God's glorious kingdom, glory is bestowed, glory is earned, go out to meet the enemy in battle, God gives grace to the humble, God resisteth the proud, hands that shed innocent blood, haughty eyes, he may exalt you in due time, he that humbleth himself shall be exalted, he that soweth discord among brethren, hear those words over a loud speker, help us wake up from our slumber, holy spirit, humble servants, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, humbly ask, into the evil and ungodly world, it is not good to eat much honey, Jesus Christ, Jesus looks for humility in christians, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, let another man praise thee, LOVE, lovely weather, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, not thine own mouth, nothing to match God's exaltation, over the weekend, reached the peak of your existence, resist the devil and he will flee from you, sally forth with confidence, salvation, self aggrandization, self- gratification, seven are an abomination unto him, social media, submit yourselves therefore to God, sure conquerors, thank you for our jobs, the BIBLE, the far reaching tentacles of social media, the living truth, The Lord dislikes what the world likes, the rejuvenation of Spirit, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the wise words of Solomon, the world seeks pride and haughtiness, these six things doth the Lord hate, to begin a new week of work, truth, we know we're invincible, we surrender our all to you, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, wisdom, you've wrought in our weary souls
Proverbs 27:2. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
And then it was Monday … a beautiful, sunshiny though somewhat windy Monday, with temps around 20 Celsius! So, there ought to be no problem in getting up and going out to work today, with such lovely weather. Just think about the many Mondays in the past few months when every Monday was a cold snowy one, and you’ll just breeze through today! (smile) Seriously though friends, sometimes the comparisons between things and times do make them easier to handle. And yes, it might be just in our minds, but every little bit helps.
Well since I had nothing specific in mind to talk about today, I opened the Word to find something worthwhile to discuss. And, lo, and behold, it opened unto the Book of Proverbs, which houses those wise words of Cousin Sol; the wisest man ever. And my eyes caught upon this most provocative second verse of Chapter 27. ‘Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.’ (Prov. 27:2)
Oh my people, how I wish our world could hear those wise words continually over a loud speaker, so that they could change their unwise philosophy of being the ones to blow their own trumpets and let their associates know of their great deeds. For that’s the current philosophy of today’s world. No one waits for others to say wonderful things about them, they broadcast it themselves. No wonder our world is such a hodge podge of wannabes, who will never be, especially with the far reaching tentacles of social media. It’s all a matter of self-gratification and self-aggrandization.
But the Lord’s Word totally rejects that situation. Listen to Cousin Sol again, earlier on in Proverbs. ‘It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search (seek) their own glory is not glory.’ (Prov. 25:27) And that is indeed the living truth my brethren! When we seek our own glory, how can that be glory eh? For as a general definition of glory states: ‘Glory generally means high renown, honor, praise, or magnificent splendor, often earned through achievement or bestowed upon something.’
And I like those last two statements, meaning that glory must first be earned and then bestowed upon you. People notice your achievements then bestow glory on you. You don’t bestow glory on yourself. And Jesus said it quite explicitly, when speaking on humility. ‘For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.’ (Luke 14:11) But our world doesn’t pay attention to that philosophy; we allow people to exalt themselves and we admire them for middling achievements.
But the Bible staunchly demands humility from God’s people. Listen to Peter: ‘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. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.’ (1 Pet. 5:5-6) Oh friends, sometimes it’s good to know that you are appreciated by your fellow man, and looked upon with fondness, but there’s nothing to match God’s exaltation! When the Lord exalts you, that’s when you know you’ve done really worthy stuff in His name, and thus you’ve reached the peak of your existence!
That’s why James also encourages us to seek humility. ‘God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. … Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:6b-7; 8a;10) It’s obvious that Christians are not expected to be glory seekers, but should enjoy it with some humility if it comes.
Oh, and I just remembered a good scripture passage for us to close with; one that wraps it up all very nicely and also reminds us of what not to do as believers. (smile) Please read with me from Cousin Sol’s proverbs. ‘These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look (haughty eyes), a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations (devises wicked plans), feet that be swift in running to mischief (evil), A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.’ (Prov. 6:16-19)
And isn’t it interesting to note that all things the Lord dislikes are what the world likes and is very focused upon today. Just thought I’d throw that scripture in there to help us wake up from our slumber, from our comfortable world driven lifestyle. (smile) Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help in these distressing times.
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 with all the reminders we’ve had today, we ought be able to go out and do good work for God! Much LOVE!
…Jesus looks for humility in Christians…the world seeks pride and haughtiness in its people…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: admonish him as a brother, allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, allow your incredible aura of love, always doing our best, artificial intelligence, as best we can, be not deceived, be not weary in well doing, be taken advantage of, begin a new week of work, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, busybodies, command that with quietness they work, complaining about the good things we have, consider yourself without a job, constantly buffeted, count him not as an enemy, count yourself blessed, despite the many obstacles we face, divine aid, do good unto all men, do not lose heart, dog eat dog, echoes of love, experience life, faith, faithfulness, fill us with steadfast faith, food banks, further your glorious kingdom, gentleness, give their right arm, God is not mocked, have no company with him, he that soweth to his flesh, he that soweth to the spirit, holy spirit, homeless, humble servants, if any obey not our word, if any would not work neither should he eat, in due season we shall reap if we faint not, inroads into the enemy's ranks, into the evil and ungodly world, Jesus Christ, jobless, jobs that are unfair, joy, keep trying to live the christian life, keeping lives and families together, kindness, living for Jesus, living off the government, LOVE, make Jesus proud of us, make money, make worthwhile inroads, many living in dire poverty, may be ashamed, meekness, mercy, moaning and groaning, note that man, of the flesh reap corruption, of the household of faith, on the outside looking in, once the exception now the norm, our Father who art in heaven, our God-forsaken strife-filled world, over the weekend, patience, peace, people being laid of because of AI, personal experience, Praise the Lord, prices on the rise, rat race, salaries not running in tandem with prices, sally forth with confidence, salvation, self-control, serve a useful purpose, shall of the Spirit reap everlasting life, some have no shame whatsoever, some refuse to work, thank you for our jobs, the fruit of the spirit, the lack of a work ethic, the many homeless that exist in our wealthy society, the opportunity to go to work, the prevalence of food banks, the rejuvenation of Spirit, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the throne of grace, to meet the enemy in battle, truth, trying to right the wrong, walk among you disorderely, we know we're invincible, we surrender our all to you, we're not afraid, wearing God's powerful protective spiritual armour, whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap, wisdom, work and eat their own bread, working two jobs, wrought in our weary souls
2 Thessalonians 3:13. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
And another Monday has rolled around again, a warm, sunshiny one to boot…Praise the Lord! Now why would you do that? Because it gives us the opportunity to go out to work, make some money and experience life at the same time. Yuh know the millions of people around our God-forsaken and strife-filled work who cannot do that, and would gladly give their right arm to be able to do so. Meanwhile, we are here moaning and groaning, complaining about the good things we have going for us.
And no, it’s not always easy or likeable, but just sit and consider for a moment, what would happen to you and your family if you didn’t have a job in this dog eat dog, rat race of a world we currently live in. And you don’t have to go to any far-off, poor countries to see what happens when you don’t have a job and are living in dire poverty. You can see that in the many jobless and subsequently homeless people that exist right here in our prosperous and wealthy society.
And it’s not because they all don’t want to work, but ofttimes, for whatever reason, they cannot get a job. And with the new rage of AI, Artificial Intelligence, lots of people are being laid off, making it even harder to acquire a decent job. So, if you have one to go this Monday morning, then please count yourself blessed and stop complaining about the inequities and injustice that might come with it.
That’s not to say you ought to allow yourself to be taken advantage of by your employer, but be careful how you go about trying to right the wrong, for it’s very easy to find yourself on the outside looking in. And I know, from personal experience, that’s not a very nice place to be.
Now you just need to look at all the food banks that have recently opened, and you’ll see how desperate the situation is. When I first came here some fifty odd years ago, a food bank was the exception rather than the rule, but now it’s the norm, for even those who are working, sometimes two jobs at once, still cannot maintain a family on their wages, especially with prices always on the rise, but salaries not running in tandem.
And talking about working, remember what Bruh Paul wrote to the Thessalonians? ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but they are busybodies.
Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish (warn) him as a brother.’ (2 Thess. 3:10-15)
Yes friends, with the lack of work ethic that’s currently in vogue, (smile) it’s not surprising to note that there are many in our society, who refuse to work, instead living off of the Government and any others who will help them. And it would be good if we could shame them into working, but some of them have no shame whatsoever, and will keep on in their disorderly conduct regardless of what we do.
But the important thing to note in all this is that we must not be weary in well doing. In other words, despite the many obstacles we might, or will face, we ought to keep on trying to live the Christian life as best we can. That’s allowing the fruit of the Spirit to flourish in us; echoes of LOVE, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, patience, meekness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)
Which reminds us of these wonderful, encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the Galatians. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal. 6:7-10)
We could not get any better advice than that on this first day of our work week my people. And to help us accomplish it, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid. And it’s a somewhat different prayer today, because I brought back most of the old one, which I think resonates better with our current times.
So, 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!
Now, let’s go out there and make Jesus proud of us! Much LOVE!
…living for Jesus…always means doing our best…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strange sight, a surrendered heart, always say thank you to god, an angry and discourteous manner, an underhanded approach, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, appropriate for these times, be renewed and refreshed, be responsible, be the children of your Father in heaven, bless them that curse you, by the good example we your faithful believers set, called according to His purpose, Christian behaviour need improving, christianity, Christians, climate change, courtesy, curse God and die, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine aid, do good to them that hate you, don't waste the weekend in fun and frolic, dost thou still retain thine integrity, faith, for those who love God, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship, God will work everything out for good, God's omnipotent help, he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, holy spirit, I made it through, in a courteous manner, in all this, in our opinion, in soul body and mind, innate trust in God, Jesus Christ, Job did not sin with his lips, living just like the rest of the world, LOVE, Love your enemies, many reject the Lord's offerings, mercy, more delighted with your trust, no matter how good you are there's going to be some rain in your life, no thank you Lord, omit the first word. delighted with your courtesy, One Year Book of Bible promises, our sinful world, our trusting faith, pray for them which spitefully use you, problems are escalating, regardless of your good Christian behaviour, rest and relaxation, right motives, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, seems difficult or unfair, sendeth rain on the just and the unjust, separates the sheep from the goats, shall we not receive calamity, shall we receive good at the hand of God, smiled and said, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, Thank You Lord, the BIBLE, the Lord never reneges on His promises, the remarkable promise of God, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, total surrender to God, tough to accept calamity, tried to be very courteous, truth, unexpected storms, use the weekend for rest and rejuvenation, wake up and smell the coffee, when you honour God you'll still be standing after the storms, wisdom, wise guidance, with your generous help
Job 2:10a. What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) calamity?
And then it was the day we all long for, Friday, which causes our Friday Mantra to rise to high heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ And that’s all well and good, but let’s hope we use the weekend to its best advantage, for rest and rejuvenation, and don’t simply waste it away in fun and frolic, as so many of us tend to do.
Oh, by the way, remember that tall tree in my neighbour’s backyard that I recently told you had leaves that made it through both the fall and winter? Well, yesterday I looked out my bedroom window and saw it budding with new leaves, but lo and behold, the old leaves were still there! I can’t wait to see what happens when all the new leaves come out, if the old ones will finally fall off, or remain for the rest of the summer. They will certainly be a strange sight, for the new leaves will be green while the old ones are a light brown. Anyhow, that’s between the Lord and climate change! (smile)
And, today, I have a rather interesting poem to share from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s simply titled ‘Courtesy.’ And I don’t believe I’ve ever shared this one because it even seems new to me, but as always, they are very appropriate and informative for the times we live in. So please read with me: ‘I tried to be Very courteous. I smiled and said “No thank You, Lord.” You smiled back and said “Omit the first word And I’ll be delighted With your courtesy – And more delighted with your trust.” “Thank You Lord.”
I got a chuckle from that when I first read it, because it does sound like how the Lord might behave, with that sort of underhanded approach. But the truth is that many of us do reject the Lord’s offerings, sometimes in a courteous manner, and sometimes in an angry, discourteous one, especially if He’s offering some thing we don’t like or in our opinion, seems rather difficult or unfair. However, at all times, we do need to remember that remarkable promise of scripture where the Lord assures us that He will work everything out for good in the end, for those who LOVE Him and are called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28)
That means we need to accept both the good and bad which comes into our lives with that promise at the back of our minds. Or, as the Bible verse for the poem which comes from Job’s discourse with his wife, when complete disaster befell him, and he was sitting in the ashes after scraping away the many boils that Satan had inflicted on his body. She said to him: ‘Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God and die. But he said unto her, thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) calamity? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.’ (Job 2: 9-10)
Yes friends, it’s sometimes tough to accept calamity as though it comes from God, but that’s the best way to handle it, because then we will know that He will make it right in the end. It’s like Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, when teaching about LOVING one’s enemies. ‘But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.’ (Matt. 5:44-45)
In other words, the Lord causes the sun and rain to fall on everyone, however, as this commentary says; “Rain falls on the just and the unjust.” Means no matter how good of a person you are, no matter how much you honor God, there’s going to be some rain in your life. The difference is that when you honour God, the storms may come, but when it’s all said and done, you’ll still be standing.’
Glory to God my brethren! Again, we fall back on that marvellous promise from Romans, that in the end, all will be right with us, because our faithful God promised it, and He never reneges on any of His promises. That’s why saying ‘no thanks’ to God is not a good idea, and why He’s always more interested and delighted by our courtesy and more so by our trust. For that’s what separates the proverbial goats from the sheep, or sheep from the goats; (smile) that innate trust, the total surrender to His Word and ways.
And God knows it’s not always easy for us to do what’s right, but He does expect us to make the attempt, even if we fail in so doing. Because then he will see and know that our heart’s in the right place. And that’s all He really expects from us in our frail and finite selves; right motives in a surrendered heart! Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to stand strong when the storms of life batter us.
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 unfortunately, it’s not the sinful world alone that needs to wake up and smell the coffee, but also a large portion of we supposed believers, because we’re living just like the rest of the world, and our Christian behaviour needs improving in the worst way! Much LOVE!
…whatever comes against…we should always say…Thank You God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dislike of Monday, a job I dislike, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a quandary, a rat race, a sensible option, a warm comfortable bed, all sinned and disobeyed your word, always be the best we can be, become more miserable and disgruntled, Christian behaviour, christianity, Christians, divine aid, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, do it as of the ability which God gives, do it with thy might, done with diligence and excellence, ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, employees becoming less interested and efficient, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, find ourselves in a quanday, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, good jobs are few and far between, good stewards of the manifold grace of God, grin and bear it, have your cake and eat it, he that does wrong, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, if any man minister, if any man speak, in sincerity of heart, in singleness of heart, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, jobs are much hared to come by these days, keep your promise to prosper us, knowing that of the Lord, lessen the irritation and pain, little loyalty on either side, looking out for their own benefit, LOVE, mercy, monetary compensation, nasty weather, no respect of persons, not as easy as it sounds, not unto men, not with eyeservice as men pleasers, obey in all things your masters, our attitude is always right when we work for God, practical advice, pray, putting on the new man, receive for the wrong he has done, receive the reward of the inheritance, rush hour traffic, salvation, see very little future in my job, servants, show them your awesome grace and mercy, shut up, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek God's face, speak as the oracles of God, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the BIBLE, the God who heals, the mass confusion in our world, the only way to handle uncomfortable situations, the power to solve our many problems, there's no work device knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, to live for Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever, truth, trying to squeeze every last penny, turn from our evil ways, up the ante, whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God, whatsoever ye do do it heartily as unto the Lord, whatsoever ye do in word or deed, whether therefore ye eat or drink, wisdom, wise guidance, working directly for God and not men, ye serve the Lord Christ
1 Corinthians 10:31. ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’
Monday, Monday, how I dislike that day! Why? Because it causes me to get up in the early hours of the morning from a warm, comfortable bed and make my way through the rush hour traffic in all kinds of nasty weather, to a job I dislike, and in which I see very little future. Well then, find another job that you like, one you can see a future in.
Yes, that’s a sensible option, but it’s not as easy as it sounds, with jobs much harder to come by these days, even with a decent education and experience. Then there’s the problem of the salary, the monetary compensation for doing the job. Not all of them pay well, and this one pays better than most. So then just shut up and grin and bear it! (smile)
You want to have your cake and eat it, but very few of us are able to do that in this life. And, unfortunately, that’s a quandary that many of us find ourselves in these days; we don’t like our jobs, but it’s hard to get up and look for one we like, and good ones are few and far between, then that might not pay as well as our current job. So we just stick with what we have, and become more miserable and disgruntled every day. And that’s the story of many people in our work force today. Not only unbelievers, but believers too.
And sadly, the work scene is becoming more and more of a rat race every day. There’s little loyalty on either side of the divide, because everyone’s simply looking out for their own benefit, and seeking where they can improve it. Employers are trying to squeeze every last penny out of their employees, while the employees are becoming less interested and efficient every day.
Now, for us believers, it seems we have forgotten the practical advice that Bruh Paul offered, first to the Corinthians, then to the Colossians. To the Corinthians re food, he says it thus: ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ (1 Cor. 10:31) Then to the church at Colossae, re putting on the new man, he directs them: ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Col. 3:17)
Then in the next passage he advises: ‘Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as men pleasers; but in singleness (sincerity) of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:22-25)
And sometime recently, possibly last week, we considered that same passage of scripture, pointing out that regardless of who we are, whatsoever we do, should be done with diligence and excellence, as though we were working directly for God, and not men. And that’s the only way to handle uncomfortable or unlikeable situations in which we find ourselves. Consider we’re doing it for Almighty God, and that ought to lessen the irritation, pain or dislike, because when we work for Him, our attitude is always right. (smile)
And the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, when talking about living joyfully, says: ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.’ (Eccl. 9:10) And we know that’s true, so we might as well do whatever we do here well and also enjoy it.
Then Peter adds his two cents worth as he talks about how believers ought to behave, ‘as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen.’ (1Pet. 4:10b-11)
Yes mih bredrin, it’s not always easy to do, but in whatever aspect of life we are involved, the glory of God must always be our number one priority. We need to behave as though it’s God we’re directly doing it for, so that no bad stain can be attached to His name through our actions, or inaction. That’s just the way the believer’s life ought to be lived. And to help us do it like we ought to, (smile) let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And if we truly desire divine aid, then we must up the ante on our Christian behaviour, because right now it’s definitely not good enough! Much LOVE!
…to truly live for Christ…is to always be the best we can be…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a directive to perform every task wholeheartedly, a mindset designed to replace stress and people pleasing, a sense of purpose and integrity, all things that are reproved, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, approach the throne of grace, arise from the dead, as if Christ himself were the direct employer, awake thou that sleepest, blasphemers, boasters, brutal, but rather reprove them, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christ shall give thee light, Christ the light of the world, christianity, Christians, coasting through the work week, covetous vultures, currying favour, deeds are wrought in God, deeds made manifest, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, denying the power thereof, despisers of those that are good, disobedient to parents, divine aid, do a decent day's work, do as little as possible for as much as possible, do it heartily as unto the Lord, doesn't come to the light, doing just enough to get by, doing their best to muddy the waters, elevates daily tasks into acts of worship, encourages action motivated by love and service to christ, every one that does evil hates the light, exposed sin becomes light, faith, false accusers, fearing God, fellowship, fraud artists, Friday chant, from such stay away, further your glorious kingdom, God's omnipotent help, gossips, greedy saps, haughty, have no fellowship, having a form of godliness, he that doeth truth cometh to the light, he that doeth wrong, he that hath ears to hear let him hear, help us to be responsible, highminded, holy spirit, in accordance with Jesus' desire, in singleness of heart, in the last days perilous times shall come, irreconcilable, it is a shame, Jesus Christ, keep our world sinking into the mire of ungodliness and evil doing, lest his deeds be reproved, light is come into the world, LOVE, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, made manifest by the light, make their deeds manifest, men loved darkness rather than light, men shall be lovers of their own selves, mercy, money lovers, mundane or significant, no respect of persons, not with eyeservice as men pleasers, obey in all things your masters, offering your best in everything, problems are escalating, proud, receive for the wrong he has done, receive the reward of the inheritance, reckless, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, resist the pull of evil, rest and relaxation, ridiculed by co-workers, salvation, scandal mongers, shine our light on thier darkness, slanderers, spiritually enlightened, stand strong and steadfast, stoop to such low levels of decency, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the focus being on God's will, the lowest of the low, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the way of today's world, the weekend is here at last, their deeds are evil, this is the condemnation, this perspective brings a spiritual reward, to speak of those things done in secret, traitors, true repentance, trusting faith, truth, turn from our sin, turning away from our sin, unexpected storms, unholy, whatsoever ye do do it heartily as unto the Lord, wisdom, wise guidance, with diligence and excellence, with the unfruitful works of darkness, work as though we're working for jesus
Ephesians 5:11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them.
So we’ve come to Friday; another rainy night and cloudy morning, but that doesn’t stop us from somewhat tiredly declaring our Friday Mantra: ‘Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last! Some rest and relaxation are long overdue!’ And some of us do deserve the rest and relaxation because we do a decent days work, in accordance with Jesus’ desire that we work for our bosses as though we’re working for Him, that is with diligence and excellence. However, far too many of us are just coasting through the work week, doing just enough to get by, which is definitely not what Jesus expects from His followers.
It’s as Bruh Paul puts it to the Colossians: ‘Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart (with sincerity), fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as unto the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:22-25) Yes friends, even slaves are to obey their masters with all diligence and sincerity, just as though they are obeying God, and we free believers are expected to do even better than that.
And this overview explains it very nicely: “Do all things as though unto God” is a directive to perform every task—whether mundane or significant—wholeheartedly, as if working for God directly rather than people. It advises against working only for human approval or “eye-service,” encouraging action motivated by LOVE and service to Christ. We are to work heartily and enthusiastically, putting our full effort and soul into every task. With the focus being on doing God’s will, which elevates daily tasks into acts of worship. And while not seeking human praise, this perspective brings a spiritual reward, described as an inheritance from the Lord. It means offering your best in everything—even daily chores or work—as if Christ Himself were the direct employer. This mindset is designed to replace stress and people-pleasing with a sense of purpose and integrity.’
I could not put it any better than that my brethren. But unfortunately too many of us supposed believers don’t follow that directive, we go along with the sinful and fraudulent method of seeing how little we can do for the most we can get. Sadly, that’s the way of today’s world, and it’s so bad, that those who try to do a good job are even derided, ridiculed by their co-workers for …. Sorry, that’s a term I can’t use here, (smile) but let’s put it nicely and say for currying favour with the boss, for seeking promotion, or whatever extra perks, their diligence might bring.
Oh my people, when we did stoop to such low levels of decency eh? Many of us have never been diligent workers, but to ridicule a co-worker who wants to do a good job, is the lowest of the low. The problem there is that we are afraid the diligent co-worker will show us up, show us up for the lazy, greedy saps we truly are. But doesn’t it make sense that if we all work diligently together, the organization will be better for it. In theory it will be. But unfortunately our world has become so littered with scandal mongers, gossips, fraud artists, heifer dust disturbers (smile) and various other types of evildoers that doing good work to day is often frowned upon.
It reminds us of Bruh Paul’s warning to Timothy. ‘This know also, that in the last day perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors,, heady (reckless), highminded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more than (rather than) lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such stay away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-6)
And that’s some of the best advice we can get these days my fellow believers, because whether or not these are the last days, all those types of people that Bruh Paul mentioned back then are not only on the scene right now, but are very prevalent and doing their best to muddy the waters as much as possible, so that our world will keep sinking into the mire of ungodliness and evil doing. And Christ is depending on us, His faithful followers to resist their evil pull, and instead shine our light on their darkness and so make their deeds manifest.
It’s like Jesus says: ‘And this is the condemnation, that light (the light) is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds be reproved (exposed). But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.’ (John 3:19-21)
It’s also like Bruh Paul says when he warns the Ephesians and consequently us, to walk as children of light. ‘And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.’ (Eph. 5:11-14)
Yes friends, whenever sin is exposed, it becomes light, and many are still caught up in their sin and unbelief, that’s why’ve been invited to turn from our sin, with the promise that we’ll be spiritually enlightened and helped through the auspices of Christ Jesus; the light of the world. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, let’s remember that though we repent and pray for forgiveness, divine aid will not be forthcoming until there is true repentance, which means actually turning away from our sin! Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a new commandment I give unto you, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, as I have loved you that ye also love one another, as it pleased God, as the body is one and hath many members, be disciples both in word and deed, be renewed and refreshed, been all made to drink into one Spirit, believers though diverse in gifts and roles are united in Christ, brought to desolation, by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, by the good example we your faithful believers set, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, championing goodness and godliness, Christ's Church, christianity, Christians, Christians are united in Christ, Christians divide themselves, clouding its spirit, correct the disunity in the church, daunting week of work, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desire for comfort and earthly pleasure, different parts with different duties, different responsibilities, divine aid, divisions and dissensions within Christ's church, every city or house divided against itself shall not stand, every kingdom divided against itself, every one members one of another, evil and ungodliness is running rampant all over our world, faith, follow Christ's example, Friday chant, further your glorious kingdom, get much needed rest after the Easter celebrations, get our act together right now, get sufficient fun fellowship, God set the members everyone of them in the body, God's omnipotent help, have the same care one for another, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, if the whole body were an eye where were the hearing, improved Christian witness, Jesus Christ, LOVE, LOVE FOR EACH OTHER, loving each other the way Christ loves us, make a positive difference, many members yet one body, mercy, only unity moves an organization forward, our sinful world can wake up, problems are escalating, rest and relaxation, salvation, seeking excess in everything, smell the coffee strong and sweet, so we being many are one body in Christ, stand strong and steadfast, tenet of our faith, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that ye love one another, the BIBLE, the body is not one member but many, the church is one body, the church is rife with strife jealousy and backbiting, the church requires cooperation, the crowning glory of discipleship, the road to certain destruction, the shed blood of Christ, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, there should be no schism in the body, to avoid dysfunction and ensure growth, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, vim and vigour, welcome the weekend, whether we be bond or free, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, wisdom, wise guidance
Matthew 12:25. ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.’
And then it was Friday; a cloudy and rainy day, but that didn’t stop us from shouting out our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ And many of us are indeed overjoyed to welcome the weekend, be it rain, sleet or snow, so that we can get some much needed rest after the exhausting Easter celebrations and this daunting week of work. (smile)
But as usual, we don’t listen, we never introduced a modicum of circumspection in our celebrations, so when the work week hit us, shortened though it might have been, we still were not prepared to meet it with the necessary vim and vigour. Thus, we had to labour, drag ourselves through it, desperately hoping that we could make it until that day of release called Friday. Hopefully, one day we will learn though, not to behave like the world, seeking excess in everything, for that’s the road to certain destruction. End of Sermon. (smile)
Now, since I had nothing to say in particular, I opened the Good Library for some inspiration, and lo, and behold, it opened at a rather interesting scripture in the gospel of John. It’s where Jesus declares to the disciples: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35)
Yes friends, the crowning glory of discipleship in Christ is our LOVE for each other. At least it ought to be. But unfortunately, too many Christians today don’t share that attribute with each other. Just look at the numerous divisions, disputations and dissensions in Christ’s church nuh, even within the same religion. How can true LOVE flow from a group of supposed similar faith, when there is so much strife, envy, jealousy and backbiting clouding it’s spirit eh?
Let’s remember that the church of Christ is supposed to be one body, as specified by Bruh Paul in Romans: ‘For as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office (function): So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one (individually) members one of another.’ (Rom. 12:4-5) And this commentary explains it thus: ‘The church as “one body” is a central biblical metaphor (1 Cor 12:12-27, Romans 12:4–5) indicating that believers, though diverse in gifts and roles, are united in Christ. Christ is the head, leading the organism, while individual members function as interdependent parts, requiring cooperation to avoid dysfunction and ensure growth.’
Yes my fellow believers, we are indeed supposed to be one body under the marvellous umbrella of the shed blood of Christ and His amazing resurrection. That tenet of our faith is so important that Bruh Paul again explained it to the church at Corinth. ‘For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond (slaves) or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.’ (1 Cor. 12:12-14)
Oh my people, Christ’s church can never be victorious if it’s filled with as much dissension and disunity as it now contains, for the ONLY thing that moves any body or organization truly forward is unity. That’s why in any war, the enemy always tries to disunite its foe, so they can be more easily routed. But sadly, the devil, our arch enemy, doesn’t even have to do that with us, because we do it ourselves. Why do you think there’s so much evil and ungodliness running rampant all over our world eh?
Because the body, Christ’s church, that is supposed to be championing goodness and godliness has apparently lost the will to fight the enemy, through fear or the desire for comfort and enjoyment of earthly pleasures, but it doesn’t stop them from fighting amongst themselves. Just look at the state of our world and of Christ’s church, and tell me if any visitor to earth would be able to differentiate the godly from the ungodly by their LOVE for each other, as Christ desires? Certainly not! They would most likely think that we’re all one ungodly, unrighteous bunch, because that’s the way we behave.
That’s why Bruh Paul, after saying: ‘For the body is not one member, but many,’ broke it down finely for the church in Corinth. ‘If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body (where would the body be)? But now are they many members, yet one body.’ (1 Cor. 12:15-20)
Yes my brethren, just as the Lord made man with one body, but many different parts with various duties, so has Christ has set many members in His body, the church, each with different responsibilities. ‘That there should be no schism (division) in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.’ (1 Cor. 12:25) Sadly though, Christ’s body is terribly divided, and until that division is mended, the church will not be able to perform the way it ought to.
For as Jesus Himself said: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.’ (Matt. 12:25)So let’s take serious heed of those words nuh, and do our best to correct the disunity in the church, so that we can follow Christ’s example and be His disciples both in word and deed, by LOVING each other, the way that He LOVES us. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking help to do just that!
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And though the Lord might acknowledge our prayer, He’s definitely looking for improvement in our Christian witness, before dispensing divine aid. Much LOVE!
…Christians badly need to get their act together…if they truly desire to make a positive difference in our world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a house of prayer for all people, a public bazaar, a source of extortion, accepted on my altar, all praise to Jesus, an ungodly operation in the temple, become a den of robbers in your eyes, burnt offerings and sacrfices, cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, Christian witness, christianity, divine aid, do damage to the evil doers, ease the pain of the many, even I have seen it saith the Lord, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, get with the programme, gross perversion, have ye never read, holy spirit, Hosanna to the son of David, humble ourselves, humble servants, it is written, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus healed the blind and the lame in the temple, Jesus is all we have need of, Jesus went into the temple of God, Jesus' cleansing of the temple, Jesus' disdain for the corruption of organized religion, Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, keep your promise to prosper us, leaving them with their mouths hanging open, life and strong faith in Christ, LOVE, made it into a den of thieves, make them joyful in my house of prayer, mercy, my house shall be called the house of prayer, not up to scratch, ordained strength because of thine enemies, our Father who art in heaven, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, overthrew the tables of the money changers, Palm Sunday, praise Your Holy Name, pray, priests out for personal gain, publicly acknowledged as the Messiah, put the Jewish leaders in their place, salvation, set godly standards, silence the enemy, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek God's face, sinned and seriously disobeyed your word, sore displeased, suffering from negative situations, temple doves sold for sacrifices, thank you this Monday morning, the BIBLE, the chief priests and pharisees, the children crying in the temple, the God who heals, the mass confusion in our world, the only one to solve our problems, the power of God, the power to solve our problems, the purity of life, the seats of them that sold doves, the throne of grace, this house which is called by my name, thou hast perfected praise, to alleviate our problems, tolerated such gross perversion of the temple, truth, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance and direction
Matthew 21:13. And he said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it into a den of thieves.
And so, after celebrating Psalm Sunday, Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem like the King He is, on a never ridden donkey, with all the celebration that engendered, we come right back to Monday, another opening day in a new week of work! What can be more disheartening eh? (smile) But remember as Bruh Paul admonishes, if you want to eat, you ought to work, (2 Thess. 3:10) so we must get with the programme if we want to be successful in this life.
Anyway, here’s another interesting and glorious achievement that Jesus apparently accomplished on that first Palm Sunday. Matthew writes: ‘And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast (drove) out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew (overturned) the tables of the money changers, and the seats of then that sold doves. And he said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it into a den of thieves.’ (Matt. 21:12-13)
Yes friends, Jesus could get angry enough to do damage to the evil doers in the temple. And the scholars explain that ‘A similar cleansing is recorded at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, (cf. John 2:13-22) indicating His disdain for the corruption of organized religion which lacked purity of life and the power of God. In light of the seriousness of what He had come to do, Jesus could not tolerate such gross perversion of the temple, meaning the whole temple area on Mount Moriah including all the precincts and courts.’
Brother! To get Jesus so angry, it must have been a big, ungodly operation throughout the temple. Now, here is another explanation from the scholars, per the Moneychangers, that tells us of the scale of the wrongdoing going on back then in the Lord’s house. They say: ‘Temple dues could be paid only in sacred coinage, and it was necessary to change one’s money. The selling of doves was for purposes of sacrifice. This exchange became a source of extortion for the family of the high priest, who personally controlled it. In reality the atmosphere amounted to a public bazaar.’
Ah Lord eh! And the priests were the ones who were supposed to set godly standards. But come to think of it, that’s not so different from nowadays, where many priests are gouging their own congregations and those they deal with for personal gain. And per It is written, the scholars write: ‘In His condemnation, the Lord quotes from the Greek Septuagint version of Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.’ And we shall squeeze in those two verses for our elucidation. (smile)
The first one says: ‘Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.’ (Is. 56:7) Then the passage from Jeremiah states: ‘Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord.’ (Jer. 7:11)
However, Jesus’ cleansing of the temple was not the last action in the temple for that day, for Matthew graciously informs us: ‘And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David, they were sore displeased (indignant), And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings (nursing infants) thou hast perfected praise.? And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.’ (Matt. 21:14-17)
Wow! Jesus Himself seemed to like the drama that went on between the Jewish religious leaders and Himself. He must have taken great joy in putting them in their place when they brought their nonsense to Him. And by the way, that quote about praise from the mouths of babes and sucklings seems to be another concoction of Jesus from Ps. 8:2, where Bruh David writes: ‘Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings (nursing infants) hast thou ordained (established) strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still (silence) the enemy and the avenger.’
Then there’s this verse where Jesus prays: ‘I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.’ (Matt. 11:25) So friends, Palm Sunday was indeed a good day for Jesus: He accomplished three…no four things that day. First, He was publicly acknowledged as the Messiah; secondly, He cleansed the temple of the ole crooks and them, then He healed those that needed healing, and finally, He put the Jewish leaders in their place, before walking out and leaving them with their mouths hanging open!
All praise to Jesus our wonderful Lord and Saviour. And having said all of that, let’s now go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid, to help in these turbulent times. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world.
Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, if we want to truly receive divine aid, we need to increase our Christian witness, because it is definitely not up to scratch, otherwise our world would not be is such a terrible evil and ungodly state! Much LOVE!
… Jesus is the One and Only necessity we have need of…our lives are completely fulfilled with His wonderful presence in them…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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