12 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend of the world is the enemy of God, be fulfilled in us, belly and backbone, carnally minded, Christ carried out His divine mission, come to know and love christ like we do, do mind the things of the flesh, doing God's will with a sense of joy and inner peace, Dr. Robert H Schuller, duty bound, eternal life, every man's life is a plan of God, faith, fellowship, fight us tooth and nail, free from the law of sin and death, friendship with the world is enmity with God, fulfilling God's plan and purpose for our life, God condemned sin in the flesh, gumption, holy spirit, Hours of Power Devotional, hurry, I am come that they might have life, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his, if any man love the world, if the Spirit of God dwell in you, in god's eyes, It is finished, Jesus Christ, Jesus' purpose for coming to earth, know ye not, let not your heart be troubled, live the good and abundant life, living by the spirit of christ, lock stock and barrel, lots of perseverance study prayer and fellowship, LOVE, love not the things in the world, love not the world, mercy, my joy might be in you, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, no condemnation to them which are in Christ, not as the world giveth give I unto you, not subject to the law of God, Peace i leave with you, perseverance, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, succumb to the devil's evil and ungodly will, taken from darkness into light, the basics of the good life, the beloved of God, the carnal mind is enmity against God, the good life, the good life begins and ends with living for christ, the good life has a deep undercurrent of profound peace, the good life is one with inner joy, the good life is the awareness of fulfilment, the good life is the deep feeling of fulfilling God's plan and purpose for our life, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, the law was weak through the flesh, the love of the Father is not in him, the righteousness of the law, the secret of Jesus' satisfying life, the thief cometh not but to steal, the things of the Spirit, they might have it more abundantly, they that are after the flesh, they that are after the Spirit, they that are in the flesh cannot please God, to be carnally minded is death, to be spiritually minded is life and peace, to kill and destroy, trials and tribluations, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk not after the flesh but after the spirit, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit, wisdom, with flying colours, worry, you are not in the flesh but in the spirit, your joy might be complete
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 May 2026 John 10:10b.
John 10:10b. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
So, we’ve gotten through Monday with flying colours, and now come to this sunshiny day called Tuesday. Well what’s in for us we wander? Is it more heartache, more trials and tribulations or the Good Life? Now all of us pant for the Good Life, but what exactly is it? Today, we’ll look at what Dr. Robert H Schuller wrote about it in his Hours of Power, Daily Book of Motivation and Inspiration. He wrote thus about the Good Life.
‘If you want to know what is meant by the good life, direct your attention to Jesus Christ. This was the good life incarnate.’ Oh, for sure! None of us would ever doubt that Jesus’ life was indeed the good life, but what was it all about eh? Dr. Schuller continues: ‘What was life like for Him? Take a look at His last days on earth and you will see the secret of His satisfying life. Shortly before He died he said to his apostles, “I would that my joy might be in you and that your joy might be complete” (John 15:11). The good life, then, is a life that has an inner joy.
Then hear this: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). The good life is a life that has a deep undercurrent of profound peace. The last words to fall from Christ’s lips, as he hung and died under the Jerusalem sky, were short and simple, but triumphant: It is finished” (John 19:30). He had carried out His divine mission. The good life is the awareness of fulfilment. For “every man’s life is a plan of God.” God has a plan for you. And the good life is the deep feeling that we are fulfilling God’s plan and purpose in our life.’
Yes friends, that’s the basics of the good life! Doing what God desires us to do, while doing it with a sense of joy and inner peace. And to help us find those things, we need to remember these reassuring words of Jesus, as he talks about the good shepherd in the gospel of John. ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) That was certainly Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth, so that we could have the abundant life of being saved, taken from darkness into the light, not be overwhelmed by our trials and tribulations, have joy and peace, with the eventual action of eternal life in His wonderful presence!
Wow! Who would not want that sort of life eh? But it doesn’t just fall in our laps, no, we have to get up and live it; live it sincerely and seriously by the rules set out by Christ for His church; the people who truly believe in Him and follow Him. On the other hand though, the devil will fight us tooth and nail to not do what Jesus desires, but to succumb to his evil and ungodly will. That’s why it takes a lot of belly and backbone, a lot of gumption and perseverance to live the good and abundant life.
And one of the first steps in living that life, is found in these words of Paul. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) And you might ask, why do we need to do that? James answers that question thus: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will (wants to) be a friend of the world is (makes himself) the enemy of God?’ (James 4:4)
And you might want to delve further in the reason for that. John explains it this way in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.’ (1 John 2:15) Basically, it means that living as the world dictates is living by the flesh, by our feelings, carnally minded, while living for Christ is done through the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, found in the Bible, and these two ways of living are totally different and thus cannot exist together in the same body. It’s either one or the other.
But listen to this more in depth explanation from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for (on account of) sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness (righteous requirements) of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For they that are after flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’ (Rom. 8:1-9)
That’s the technical reasoning for the differences in the two ways of earthly living; one by what the world desires, or fleshly living, and living by the Spirit of Christ which dwells within believers. So you have to be a believer if you want to live by the Spirit, because that’s the only way to receive the Holy Spirit. So yes, it is possible to live the good life, the abundantly life that Christ died for us to have, but it must begin with an individual decision, and then lots of perseverance, study, prayer and fellowship.
Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That now makes us duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…living the good life…begins and ends with living for Christ…
Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.com
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Prayer for Hope, a strong serene feeling, a wind that passes away, all sin is punishable by death, believers must be on the alert, catch our second wind, celebrate life every day, Christ can come like a thief in the night, christianity, Christians, Christians must be ready, cosmic disasters, destroyed them not, did not stir up all his wrath, divine judgement, Dr. Robert H Schuller, endure to the end with Christ, every imagination of the thoughts of his heart, expecting God to surprise me with His tender mercy, expecting God's goodness and mercy, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, forgave their iniquity, God being full of compassion, God is planning something good for me today, God saw that the wickedness of man was great, God's goodness and mercy, great is thy faithfulness, grieve him in the desert, grieved him at his heart, guiding my life, halfway home, hands on the plough, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, I am the Lord I change not, I cannot explain it, I will destroy man from the face of the earth, intense persecution of believers, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, looking forward to spring, LOVE, mercy, new life bursts forth, Noah and the flood, not looking back, only evil continually, positive thinking, prove to be a beautiful blessing, pushing the Lord's anger and patience with our rebellion, rampant ungodliness, rebel against him in the wilderness, remembered that they were flesh, salvation, so glad to be alive, thank God, Thank You Lord, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the earth is filled with violence and corruption again, the Great tribulation, the only reprieve from sin is Christ, the rapture of the church, the rise of the Antichrist, the second coming of Christ, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed, they are new every morning, this is the day the Lord has made, time longer than twine, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turn my hurts into halos, unprecedented global suffering, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, what ever happens to me, wisdom, wonderful things are in store for me, work diligently on Christ's behalf
Lamentations 3:22. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
It’s Wednesday friends, the day we catch our second wind, so that we can continue to work diligently on Christ’s behalf! And it’s not a bad day at all; fairly warm and sunshiny. So we’re alive, and enjoying enough good health to keep us moving, and looking forward to a wonderful spring season as new life bursts forth and a warm sun moves back up to the northern climes. And with all of that, we need to acclaim: ‘This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
Yes my people, every day we’re alive ought to be a day of celebration, regardless of the many problems we might have, for there are many who wanted to wake up this morning but unfortunately did not, so let’s consider ourselves blessed! That brings us to this interesting and very appropriate ‘Prayer for Hope,’ that I discovered while going through some old papers last night. It was written by Dr. Robert H. Schuler of the Hour of Power Religious Programme, one of the many who championed positive thinking. And I believe I’ve shared it way back when, but like so many prayers that never lose their usefulness, this one is still apropos.
So please pray with me. ‘I have a strong, serene feeling that God is planning something good for me today. I cannot explain it, but I have a deep feeling that wonderful things are in store for me. I am expecting God to surprise me with His tender mercy. He will turn my hurts into halos. He is guiding my life in such a way that whatever happens to me will prove to be a beautiful blessing. Thank You Lord. Amen.’
Now that’s a good, positive, expectant prayer, looking out for God’s goodness and mercy to show up in our lives, like we ought to. Remember how Jeremiah puts is in His lamentations. ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) Yes friends, God’s goodness, mercy and faithfulness are overwhelming, and we ought to look forward to them. As Jeremiah says, they are new every morning. That means, every morning we open our eyes to a new day, we ought to be thankful and expect God’s goodness and mercy to faithfully flood our lives, as He has promised.
And the psalmist Asaph expounded it in Psalm 78, when he talks about The Compassionate God. He writes: ‘But he (God), being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. How oft did they provoke (rebel against) him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!’ (Ps. 78:38-40)
Yes my brethren, the Israelites sorely tempted the Lord’s patience and anger in the wilderness, but He did not destroy them. Likewise, today we are pushing the Lord’s anger and patience with our serious rebellion, the rampant ungodliness and evil-doing that’s currently in our world. And although the prophet Malachi declared on the Lord’s behalf: ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) We are pushing the boundaries so far and wide, that it ought to be no surprise if God loses His longsuffering patience and destroys all within the earth, like He did way back in Noah’s time with the flood.
It’s like the Bible says of that time. ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (intent) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (all the day). And it repented the Lord (He was sorry) that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me (I’m sorry) that I have made them.’ (Gen. 6:5-7)
Oh my people, what do you think is happening with our great God right now eh, since the same abominable rebellious behaviour is recurring again, the earth is once more filled with violence and corruption, even though He went out of His way to give us Jesus? Don’t you think it grieves His heart? How much pain can one heart stand, even if it’s God’s eh? Don’t you think He’s considering destroying the earth again, although not by water as He promised. And not because they say ‘time longer than twine’ means that the Lord will put up with our disgraceful behaviour forever.
Even He has a breaking point, and I believe He’s very quickly reaching it, for the sinfulness of the world has never reached this disgusting and disgraceful stage, and it seems to be getting worse every day. That could also mean that Christ’s coming for the church is not far away, for even a godly Spirit can only handle or take so much abuse and blasphemy against their sovereignty. Consequently, it behooves believers to be on the alert, to be ready for Christ’s coming at any time, like a thief in the night, unexpectedly.
And if we’re not ready, when He comes to take us home, then crapaud smoke we pipe, for if you think things are bad now, then think again, for after Christ comes and raptures the church, a time of sorrows and the Great Tribulation will take place, some seven years of total misery. This commentary describes it thus: ‘The Great Tribulation is a prophesied future period of unprecedented global suffering, divine judgment, and intense persecution of believers, lasting 3½ years. Often identified as the latter half of a seven-year period, it is marked by the rise of the Antichrist, cosmic disasters, and the culminating in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.’
Ah friends, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to undergo any of those seven years, so I’m doing my best to get ready, and strongly advise that you do the same. Now let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if you desire to enjoy an even more glorious future, then stick around to the very end with Jesus, because that’s what’s been promised for those who endure to the end. Much LOVE!
…we’re all born into sin…and all sin is punishable by death…and the only reprieve is…sincerely accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a frightening request, a pivotal moment, an exposition of the greatness of God's character, as I was with Moses so will I be with thee, ascend up into heaven, Ash Wednesday, at times it feels uncomfortable and scary, be strong and of a good courage, bring glad tidings of good things, carnival celebrations, christianity, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, confidence, confronting sin is hard, Consider This Section of the In Touch Devotional, continually in the Lord's presence, don't be afraid of them, Dr. Robert H Schuller, duty bound, dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, encouragement, even in our darkest moments God remains beside us, even there shall thy hand lead me, faith, faith-filled walk with christ, fear not, formed in our mother's womb, God is with us even when we want to hide, God never leaves us to face anything alone, God's unceasing presence, God's unfailing love, he that speaks evil of his brother and judges his brother, he will not fail nor forsake thee, holy spirit, how beautiful are the feet, I will recompense saith the Lord, in god's eyes, inviting God to examine our thoughts and motives, it is high I cannot attain unto it, Jesus Christ, judging isn't our department, laid your hand upon me, lead me in the way everlasting, lonely, lonely but never alone, LOVE, make my bed in hell, mercy, no man shall be able to stand against thee, of them that preach the gospel of peace, our relationship with God, salvation, search me O god and know my heart, see if there be any wicked way in me, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, speak not evil of one another, speaks evil of the law and judges the law, strengthen our sense of purpose, such knowledge is too wonderful for me, take comfort in the Lord, take the wings of the morning, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the divine presence of God, the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our king, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord shall judge his people, the Lord thy God doth go with thee, the Lord's presence is alway with us, the reality of the human experience, there is one lawgiver, thou art there, thy right hand shall hold me, to uncover what lies beneath, trust my friend Jesus, truth, try me and know my anxious thoughts, Tuesday Mantra, Vengeance belongeth unto me, whither shall I flee from thy presence, whither shall I go from thy spirit, who art thou that thou judgest another, who is able to save and destroy, wisdom, worry, you have enclosed be behind and before
Psalm 139:23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my anxious thoughts;
Then it was Tuesday, and the Family Day partying finish! But it still continues in places like Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago and New Orleans, where the Carnival celebrations are now in full swing, with today being the last day of music, costumes and masqueraders on the streets, carrying on like leggo-beasts. Then tomorrow, we’ll all get pious and godly for Ash Wednesday. Hn! What a life we living!
But judging isn’t our department, it belongs to the Creator and Controller of the universe, and several scriptures speak to that situation like these. Isaiah says: ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.’ (Is. 33:22) Meanwhile Hebrews tells us: ‘For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense (repay), saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.’ (Heb. 10:30)
Meanwhile James, the brother of Jesus puts it a bit sterner, when he writes: ‘Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy: who art thou that judgest another?’ (James 4:11-12) And that’s a very good question, which we will all have to answer on an individual basis.
Now, here is an interesting article from the ‘Consider This’ Section of this month’s In Touch Devotional, which can pertain to many of us. Please read with me: ‘Confronting sin is hard, isn’t it? At times it feels uncomfortable and scary. Lonely, even. But it doesn’t have to. Think about the closing verses of David’s prayer in Psalm 139: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139:23-24).
Such a frightening request – inviting God to examine our thoughts and motives, to uncover what lies beneath. But He is with us, even in those moments when we’d rather hide. He does not leave us to face anything alone. How do we know this? Go back and read Psalm 139 from the beginning. There you’ll find 18 verses that explore God’s with-ness, His unceasing presence and unfailing LOVE toward us. Like David, we can say to our Father, “You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.’ (Ps. 39:5-6) We too, can take comfort in the Lord, knowing that even in our darkest moments, He remains beside us.’
Now how does all of that sit with us as individuals eh my fellow believers? Does it frighten us, or does it make us strong, in the knowledge that even when the Lord uncovers our darkest sins, He never leaves us, His presence is always with us? It should strengthen us, for remember what Moses said to the Israelites? ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6)
And it’s the same thing the Lord told Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5) And it’s the very same thing the Lord is saying to us today my fellow believers. Regardless of what happens, or what we do, the Lord’s presence is, and will always be with us!
There’s no need to be afraid of walking this very stressful and dangerous life alone. We might be lonely, but we’re NEVER alone, for the Lord our God is always with us! And just that fact, ought to strengthen our sense of purpose and allow us to go on in good fashion. And as the article says, I hope you all took a moment to read the first 18 verses of Psalm 139, for it is a magnificent Psalm.
And I like how the scholars describe it: ‘Psalm 139. Certainly one of the grandest psalms in all of the Psalter, it is also one of the richest theologically. It combines an exposition of the greatness of God’s character with the reality of the human experience. From verses 19-22 we find that David wrote the psalm during a time of opposition. It therefore contains truths that were meaningful to him during these troublesome times. They may be summarized under four key thoughts as David addresses the Lord.: You know me (vs. 1-6); You are with me (vs. 7-12); You created me (vs. 13-18); and Your cause is my cause (vs. 19-24)’
Ah friends, it is indeed a marvellous psalm, containing so much information about our relationship with God, and how we are continually in His presence from the moment we are formed in our mother’s womb…and even before. And I always remember my first introduction to the psalm. It was many years ago on the Hour of Power Programme from the Crystal Cathedral in California, when the greatest actor preacher, Dr. Robert Schuller, raised his hands and declared in such an amazing fashion:
‘Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.’ (Ps. 139:7-10) Yes, that was a pivotal moment in my life, and it reminds me of the words of Bruh Paul in Romans, where He’s talking about how the Word reaches listeners. ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!’ (Rom. 10:15b)
Oh my people, I hope and pray that what we’ve spoken of today will encourage and strengthen us in our faith-filled walk with Christ, because we can never get too much encouragement and confidence in these tremulous and uncertain times. Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…one thing we’re never lacking…that’s the divine presence of our God and Saviour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grain of mustard seed, a hard row to hoe, a true relationship with Jesus, afraid, always striving to conquer our mountains, an opportunity to grow, because of your unbelief, belief, Bible, build a stronger sense of self-awareness, christianity, Christians, come up to scratch, cultivate new beliefs, divine aid, Dr. Robert H Schuller, earnest desire, faith, faith in christ Jesus, faithless, fasting, find a pass through, fruitful in every good work, giving thanks, God's will for our lives, have faith, holy spirit, humble servants, I will not quit, impregnable, in a better space, increasing in the knowledge of God, inroads into the enemy's territory, it shall move, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, keep striving, lack of faith, living in joy and peace, look to heaven, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, nonsense, not quitting, nothing shall be impossible to you, O ye of little faith, pateince, peace, perseverance, Peter walking n water, pray, prosper us, pryaer, rebuked the winds and the sea, refreshed, remove hence, repentance in our hearts, rested, salvation, simply stay, sincerely seek your face, spiritual lives, spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, strong faith in Christ, take a toll on your resilience, tenacity, thank you for life, the God who heals, The Possibility Thinker's Creed, the power to solve our many problems, the throne of grace, to alleviate our problems, trials, tribulations, truth, tunnel underneath, turn from our evil ways, turn the mountain into a goldmine, underlying foundation of faith, until I climb over, walk worthy of God, when faced with a mountain, wherefore didst thou doubt, why are ye fearful, wisdom, wise guidance, with God's help, work week
Matthew 8:26a. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
So we’ve come around to Monday once more, and the ole work week nonsense begins again. (smile) But let’s hope and pray that we’re all in a better space than when we left work last week. That means we’ve rested and been refreshed in soul, body, minds and hearts, and strengthened with all might in the Lord, knowing His will for our lives with all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that we might walk worthy of him, being fruitful in every good work, while continually increasing in the knowledge of God, exerting patience and perseverance in any trials and tribulations, nonetheless, giving thanks for all He’s done for us and thus living in joy and peace.
Wow! Now that’s a hard row to hoe, but it’s basically what Bruh Paul prayed for in the opening chapter of Colossians. (Col. 1:9-12) That was his earnest desire for them. He’s certainly asking a lot of and for them. And you’ll notice that in his prayers he doesn’t pray for the believers’ problems to go away or be easily solved, but for them to get the might and understanding to handle them.
Today though, we all want our problems to go away with no effort or suffering whatsoever, but the Lord in His awesome wisdom doesn’t do it very often, for He expects believers to come up to scratch, to get stronger and face each new problem with greater tenacity and faith. So, this Monday morning, let’s look to heaven and offer up that kind of prayer for ourselves and all our fellow saints, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s territory and cause the heathen to want to come to Christ for rescue, earnestly seeking salvation and eternal life.
That brings us to this little poem by Dr. Robert H Schuller called ‘The Possibility Thinker’s Creed.’ It’s short and simple, but bold and strong. So please read with me. ‘When faced with a mountain, I will not quit! I will keep striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or simply stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine – with God’s help.’
Yes friends, when our mountains rear up before us, we are not supposed to give up or run from them in fear, because they seem so large and impregnable. One way or another we’re expected to make good use of those mountains…obviously with God’s help. The important thing is not quitting but always striving to conquer our mountains.
Remember what Jesus said to the disciples on the subject of mountains, when they could not cast out a demon spirit from a young child? ‘Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.’ (Matt. 17:20-21)
Oh my fellow believers, nothing happens in God’s kingdom without faith! Some things need little faith, while others need big faith, some even need prayer and fasting, but nothing happens in our spiritual lives without the underlying foundation of faith in Christ Jesus. And until we fully understand that, our lives will feel empty and lost, without a true relationship with Jesus. As one commentary says, losing or lack of faith can ‘take a toll on your resilience and undermine your sense of belongingness. But it can also be an opportunity to grow, build a stronger sense of self-awareness, and cultivate new beliefs that are more closely aligned with your current values, goals, and needs.’
And Jesus also admonished the disciples for their lack of faith while they were crossing the Sea of Galilee and a storm arose that looked like it would bring about their demise, but Jesus was unconcerned asleep in the back of the boat. And they awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.’ (Matt. 8:25-26)
Then there was also the incident with Peter walking on the water with Jesus, but when he saw the strong winds, he became afraid, although he was in Jesus’ presence, and cried out for Jesus to save him. ‘And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ (Matt. 14:31) Oh friends, it was Peter’s faith that allowed him to walk on the water in the first place, and when he became afraid and faithless, then he was obviously going to lose that power.
Likewise, with us, when our faith is weak, we can’t do a whole lot, but when we keep our faith strong, we can do ever so many more things in the name of Jesus. We’re much more powerful and productive! So, for help to raise our faith, to get strong in Christ, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise 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, let’s remember God’s requirement for giving divine aid; praying, humbling ourselves, sincerely seeking His face, and turning from our evil ways! So let’s get to doing them nuh! Much LOVE!
…it’s all about belief and faith…belief and faith in Christ Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bad influence, a bed of pain, a broken world, a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, a valuable experience, all things are possible, an open door, an unworthy friend, bad attitudes, beside still waters, Bible, build a new life, bury the hatchet, calamity, chaotic world, christianity, Christians, cleans up collected clutter, comforting us, concentrate on today's troubles, courage to discard, desires trouble, discover new skills, do all things, Dr. Robert H Schuller, drying our tears, duty bound, embrace Jesus as Lord and Saviour, faith, friendship of Christ, frustrates you, future troubles, gospel truth, green pastures, hardships, hidden talents, hiding your real talents, holy spirit, Hour of Power Devotional, hurry, in god's eyes, interesting possibilities, Jesus Christ, leads you down a new road, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, lurks furtively in your path, lying undetected, makes a cold heart warm, makes a greedy man generous, makes a hard man compassionate, makes a person forget himself, makes you furious enough, mercy, no courage to leave, opportunities in disguise, paths of righteousness, problems, protects you from an unknown hazard, quit a job, renew, renewing our joy, restoring our souls, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, shelters you from a sin, slams a door in your face, start thinking of others, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, tears out of your life, the amazing love of Christ, the beloved of God, the dustbin of history, the good shepherd, the throes of trouble, through Christ who strengthens me, to fight for a good cause, to our advantage, too arrogant to believe, too blind to see, too busy to serve, too highly valued, too stubborn to accept, trouble, trouble teaches you valuable lessons, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unable to help, under cabbage fields, uplift, veins of gold, waiting to tempt you, When trouble is not trouble, wisdom, work week frustrations, worry
Matthew 6:33b. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble, calamity) thereof.
And then it was Tuesday! Yes friends, I know it’s somewhat surprising the speed with which Monday disappeared. No sooner had it shown up with its new work week frustrations, then it was gone! That’s the way the days seem to work nowadays. Remember what Jesus said: ‘Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble, calamity) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:33b). That means we have to concentrate on the troubles of the reigning day. However, by the time you can get a handle on the problems of a sunny and very cold Tuesday, that too will be thrown into the dustbin of History, never to be remembered, and you’ll be dealing with the calamities of Wednesday!
Ah Lord eh! It just seems to be another set of troubles day after day, especially in this currently chaotic and disastrous world Before you can finish with one, another one pops up. That’s why it’s so wonderful to have Jesus in our lives, because with His Holy Spirit indwelling us, and the tools and promises to be found in His Word, we are guaranteed a way to handle even the most worrying and troubling of troubles! (smile)
And talking about trouble, I want to share an interesting expose on the subject from Dr. Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power Book of Daily Meditation and Inspiration. This meditation is titled: ‘When is Trouble not Trouble?’ So please read with me. ‘When is trouble not trouble, you ask? When it protects you from an unknown hazard on the road ahead, or shelters you from a sin that, unknown to you, lurks furtively in your path waiting to tempt and trip you, then trouble is not trouble!
When trouble cleans up collected clutter that you valued too highly and did not have the courage to discard or destroy, or when it tears out of your life an unworthy friend whom you were unable to help and who was not a good influence on your life, then trouble is not trouble! When trouble makes you furious enough to fight for a good cause you were too busy to serve, or frustrates you so that you quit a job that was too long hiding your real talents and forces you to discover new skills and hidden talents that were lying undetected like veins of gold under cabbage fields, then trouble is not trouble!
When trouble cause two parties, long unspeaking, to bury the hatchet; when it makes a person forget himself and start thinking of others; when it makes a greedy man generous, a hard man compassionate, a cold heart warm, a thoughtless man considerate – then trouble is not without its reward! When trouble teaches you valuable lessons that you would have been too blind to see, too arrogant to believe, or too stubborn to accept any other way than by this bed of pain; when it slams a door in your face to force you out of a rut that you would never have had the courage to leave and leads you down a new road through an open door, then trouble may be a most valuable experience!’
And isn’t that gospel truth my people! What we consider trouble often unexpectedly opens up our hearts, minds, souls and bodies to better things, more interesting possibilities and exposes bad attitudes that we might be holding on to too tightly. Granted, none of us desires to have troubles, but since we’re living in a broken, troubled world, we’re all going to experience trouble at some time or the other. And when we do, it will be to our great advantage to try and learn something from it, for as they say, problems are merely opportunities in disguise, meaning that though they may show up as hardships, they are actually means to help us live a fuller and better life.
However, we have to look at those problems in a more thoughtful way to divine the hidden opportunities they may present. And I know that all of us have had experiences with several, or even all of those trouble not being trouble scenarios that Dr. Schuller has pointed out. Hopefully, we have been wise enough to have seen the hidden opportunities that they presented. And if not, knowing what we now know, then in the future, we will endeavour to seek out those hidden opportunities, so that we can uplift, renew or even build a new life around.
And please don’t open your eyes in surprise about future troubles,, because it’s certain that while we’re living in this troubled world, we will always have troubles, be they piddling or mind-boggling. (smile) The important thing to understand is that with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, all things are possible, and therefore we can do all things through the strength He provides us. (Phil. 4:13)
And if He is our Guiding Light, then we will understand that His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths. (Ps. 119:105) That means He will be our Good Shepherd, leading us down the paths of righteousness to green pastures, beside still waters, restoring our souls, renewing our joy, and drying our tears; in other words, comforting us whenever we are engulfed in the throes of trouble. (Ps. 23)
And now, with all of this trouble stuff fully understood, (smile) let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said all of that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…trouble is only trouble…when you think it’s trouble…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day in thy courts is better than a thousand, a razor blade in a chocolate, as good as it gets, at thy right hand, be a doorkeeper, Bible, blessed is the man that trusts in God, christianity, cleanse your hands ye sinners, darkness and light are both alike to God, Dr. Robert H Schuller, dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, enjoy being in god's presence, even night shall be light about me, even there shall thy hand lead me, flee from thy presnece, from them that walk uprightly, go from thy spirit, God's awesome presence, Halloween, he shall lift you up, holy spirit, Hour of Power Sermon, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I will never leave nor forsake you, if I take the wings of the morning, in the house of my God, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, joy, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let your conduct be without covetousness, lo I am with you always, Lord I praise you, LOVE, negative incidents, negative repercussions, no good thing will he withhold, pagan celebration, pleasures for evermore, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, slow my thoughts, submit yourselves to God, that I may know you all the more, the darkness hideth not from thee, the darkness shall cover me, The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, the night shineth as the day, the wings of the morning, thy right hand shall hold me, to dwell in the tents of wickedness, whither shall I flee from thy presence, whither shall I go from thy spirit, wisdom, you can't be contained, your peace and love are present, your unceasing nearness
Psalm 16:11b. in thy presence is fullness of joy;
So we’ve finally come to our lazy-day Saturday, where we can loll around as much as we want with no activities to accomplish within a certain time period. And isn’t that a good feeling? It certainly is. But before we get started, I want to point out a couple of incidents that happened in the recent Halloween celebrations. First of all, two people were killed and six injured in a celebration in Orlando, Florida, while a razor blade was found in a chocolate bar in Cochrane, Ontario.
And I’m sure those are not all the negative incidents that occurred because of the foolish celebration, but just those that reached the news media. What’s it going to take for us to cut out the pagan nonsense eh? What kind of evil society are we living in, if we can consciously put a razor blade in a chocolate bar that a child is going to eat. And I guess it won’t be banished until someone from the family of a high government official or one of the money men that profit from it suffers some negative repercussions from the unwise celebration.
And now that I’ve had my say, (smile) let’s move on to the more pleasant aspects of the day, like offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And that’s a perfect prayer for a lazy-day Saturday, where we have the time to foment greater intimacy with our wonderful God. To simply bask in His awesome presence and listen to whatever He has to share with us. It’s a time to just run amok, as it were, in the awesome glory and presence of Almighty God! (smile) Yes friends, being in God’s presence is as good as it gets! And we ought to enjoy it while we have the opportunity.
And I don’t mean we should use it as a time to complain and ask for stuff, but simply to enjoy being in God’s presence, like when you’re with a friend, whose company you enjoy, and you can just sit quietly and be happy, or do simple, joyful things together. The important aspect of it being the togetherness. That’s how we ought to spend this lazy time with our God…just being together with Him, and enjoying the joy that His presence brings.
And there are numerous scriptures that talk about being in the Lord‘s presence and how good and joyful it can be. Like this verse from Psalm 16 – God Preserves His People. Bruh David ends it thus: ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps. 16:11)
Meanwhile the Sons of Korah put it like this in Psalm 84 – Rejoicing in God’s Tabernacle: ‘For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps. 84:10-12)
Then there’s Psalm 139, one of the grandest psalms in the psalter, where Bruh David recounts the omnipresence of our magnificent God. Now listen to these verses that speak of that presence. ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell. Behold thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. yea, the darkness hideth not from thee (is not dark to thee); but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.’ (Ps. 139:7-12)
Wow! Our God is everywhere; be it day or night, be it in heaven or in hell; in the sea or on the earth! We simply cannot hide from His presence, although many of us still foolishly try to do it. And every time I read those verses or hear them read, I always remember the first time I heard them being acted out many years ago by Dr. Robert H Schuller in an ‘Hour of Power Sermon’ in the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. His actions and the words have stuck with me down through the years.
And we have this faithful promise from God found in Hebrews: ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake tee.’ (Heb. 13:5) Then James exhorts us: ‘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. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10)
Yes my fellow believers, God’s greatest desire is for His human creation to draw near to Him, not be far away, but the truth is that in these trying times we need to avidly seek His presence, not wait for Him to come to us. Anyway, He’s already done that through the earthly work of Jesus; now it’s our turn to sincerely seek Him. And we’ll close with this marvellous promise from Jesus: ‘…and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
Now we couldn’t want for a more faithful promise than that, especially since it’s been kept by the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, to remind us of all that Jesus is, and to guide us to where He desires us to go. So let’s spend some time today and just consider the awesome presence of God in our lives nuh. We can never go wrong doing that! Much LOVE!
…in God’s presence…there’s always joy…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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