29 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a father of the fatherless, a good family, a judge of the widows, a positive outlook on life., a strong will, abundance, all ye that are upright in heart, an object of scorn, as smoke is driven away, as wax melts before the fire, be glad in the Lord, Bible, by his name JAH, children of God, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, curse, David danced before the Lord, divine protection, drive them away, duty bound, everything will turn out right in the end, extol him that rideth upon the heavens, faith, favour, find great joy in God, generously bestowed, give thanks, God brings out those bound in chains into propserity, God in his holy habitation, God is a defender of widows, God sets the lonely in families, God's supernatural wisdom, great adoration, he that trusteth in the Lord, heartfelt gladness, holy spirit, in every thing give thanks, Jesus Christ, let God arise, let his enemies be scattered, let the righteous be glad, let the wicked perish as the presence of God, let them exceedingly rejoice, let them rejoice before God, let them that hate him flee before him, LOVE, many sorrows shall be to the wicked, mercy, mercy shall compass him about, negative word, pray without ceasing, promotion, prya, put in a nutshell, rejoice, rejoice before God, rejoice evermore, rejoice ye righteous, self-disicpline, share our undeserved blessings, shout for joy, sing praises to his name, sing unto God, talent, the ark of the Lord, the destruction of God's enemies, the penultimate day of our work week, the presence of God, The Triumphant God, these cold and uninspiring day, this is the will of God in Christ concerning you, true believers in Christ, truth, undeserved favour, weep and moan regulalrly, wisdom
Psalm 68:3. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
Then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week. And there’s some joy showing through as the week slowly peters out. (smile) And it’s amusing that since the snowstorm on Sunday, everyday has been mostly bright sunshine and not the dreary cloudiness we had hitherto been saddled with. I don’t know if regular sunshine in the winter months is worth the price of such a massive snowfall, but we’re surely glad to see the sun to brighten our spirits, especially in these cold and uninspiring days. (smile)
But on a more serious note, today, I want us to look at a few verses from Psalm 68, titled, ‘The Triumphant God.’ The scholars say that although there is no superscription explaining when this psalm was written, there is general agreement that it was written when the ark of the Lord was moved from the house of Obed-edom to the new location in the tabernacle specially built for it in Jerusalem, and Bruh David danced before the Lord. (smile) (2 Sam. 6:1-18 )
However, what I want us to consider in the first few verses is the magnificent manner in which Bruh David desires the destruction of God’s enemies, talks of His might and power, praises His Holy name, while encouraging us to also sing His praises with joy and great adoration. So please read with me. ‘Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol (praise) him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH (Lord), and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge (defender) of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary (lonely) in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains (into prosperity): but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.’ (Ps. 68: 1-6)
There again, like yesterday, we see friends God’s great interest in the widows, orphans and the downtrodden. But today I want us to focus on the third and fourth verses, that encourage us as the righteous of God to be glad before him, to rejoice exceedingly, to sing praises to his name, to extol Him. And that word ‘extol’ does not simply mean to praise but to laud, to magnify, to exalt, to glorify, to acclaim and greatly celebrate! Yes friends we ought to find such great joy in our wonderful God that we just let it all hang out with praises and worship, fellowship and heartfelt gladness.
It’s like when Bruh David brought the ark home to Jerusalem he felt such a joy and blessing that the Good Book tells us, he danced before the Lord. But to his wife Michal, it was a vile and disgusting behaviour, not fit for a king. However, Bruh David was of a different opinion, and because of her snotty snobbishness, he banned her from his presence, and she was thus childless all of her days. (2 Sam. 6:20-23) That obviously made her an object of scorn and inuendo, for remember the great importance placed on wives bearing their husbands children in those days.
Anyway, getting back to the praise and worship due our magnificent and generous God, listen to these words of Bruh David from Psalm 32, titled ‘Confession and Forgiveness.’ He ends it with these very purposeful verses. ‘Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about (surround him). Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.’ (Ps. 32:10-11) And I believe that’s something not enough of us do on a regular basis. But we do weep and moan very regularly. (smile)
Now, if our God is so good, why do we weep and moan more often than we rejoice and be glad eh? If we know and believe God’s promise that everything will turn out all right in the end (Rom. 8:28) then why are so many of us still so fearful? It means that we don’t truly believe. And what did Bruh Paul encourage the Thessalonians to do? ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (2 Thess. 5:16-18)
That puts it all in a very nice nutshell my people. (smile) Our basic duties are to pray, rejoice and give thanks! And even though it’s difficult to do in these crucial times, we desperately need to increase all three activities if we are to remain true believers in Christ Jesus and children of God. Now let’s do some giving of thanks by declaring our Thursday Blessings; underserved favour most generously bestowed on us by our marvellous God to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…God made mankind to LOVE…pray to…sing His praises and worship Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian not dressed in spiritual armour, a cold sunshiny day, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, a knowledge of the truth of God's Word, a tool for deep introspection and transformation, a weapon for spiritual offence, another beautiful day on Planet Earth, come to know and love christ like we do, driven with the wind and tossed, duty bound, eagerness to advance against the enemy, faith, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, fighting a spiritual battle, holy character, holy spirit, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, knowledge of the truth of scripture, like a wave of the sea, logos -the whole Word of God, LOVE, mercy, moral conduct, of the joints and marrow, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, prayer is indispensable, praying always, protection for our chest, protective clothing, protective shoes, put on the whole armour of God, quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, rhema, rhema - particular verses of scripture, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, sharper than any twoedged sword, stand against the wiles of the devil, stand therefore, take the fight to the enemy, the assurance of salvation, the best method of defence is attack, the breastplate of righteousness, the Christian's spiritual belt, the evil schemes of the enemy, the gospel of peace, the gospel of peace frees us from anxiety, the gospel of peace on your feet, the helmet of salvation, the hope of salvation, the shield of faith, the shield of faith enables us to believe God's promises, the spiritual armour of God, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of god, the Word of God is quick and powerful, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, watching thereunto, wisdom, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, without prayer God's armour is inadequate, worry, your loins girt about with truth
Ephesians 6:14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.
Aye friends, it’s a cold but sunshiny Tuesday morning! And can you believe that we’ve already reached the 20th day of the month, when we just celebrated New Year’s a few days ago? (smile) This year seems to be hustling along as quickly as the last few others, so we’ve got to get up and get moving before it passes us by. And since the Lord has spared our lives, allowing us to see another beautiful day on planet earth, let’s keep our promise and delve into the specifics of the spiritual armour of God that we were talking about yesterday.
We recognized that we are fighting a spiritual battle against the forces of evil and darkness, and thus we needed protective clothing from their wicked attacks, and the Lord has provided just such protection for us, but first we have to understand what it’s all about, then dress ourselves in it, and stay dressed in it, so it can afford us God’s protection against the powerful evil schemes of the enemy. Or as Bruh Paul told us yesterday: ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11)
Now what exactly does this protective armour consist of eh? Bruh Paul elucidates when he writes: ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:14-18)
And that’s certainly a mouthful, but what does it all mean? Let’s hear the scholars’ explanation. They say: ‘The whole armour of God consists of six pieces. The first one is Truth, which is a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word. The ancient soldier’s loins (waist) were girt about with a leather belt which held most of the other pieces of his armour in place. Similarly, the other pieces of the Christian’s armour depend on, and are held in place by his spiritual “belt” or his knowledge of the “truth” of Scripture.
The next piece of spiritual armour is the breastplate of righteousness, which relates to protection for our chest. That represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (“righteousness”). The third piece of our spiritual armour consists of the preparation of the gospel of peace or our protective shoes. That means the “eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.” That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called caligae on his feet, enabling him to advance against the enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of “eagerness” or “willingness” to advance against the Devil and take the fight to him.
(Remember that the best method of defence is attack.) Such “eagerness” to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful opponent. Then we have the shield of (which is) faith. It means taking God at His Word by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan. Next up is the helmet of salvation. Since the readers are already Christians (2:8), they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8 describes this helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is the certainty (assurance) of salvation.
Then comes the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: That’s what we fight with, what we slash and cut the enemy to bits with; the mighty Word of God! Remember how Hebrews describes it? ‘For the word of God is quick (alive, living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner (able to judge) of the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’ (Heb. 4:12)
As this commentary declares: ‘The Word of God is seen as both a weapon for spiritual offense (like Jesus used against temptation) and a tool for deep introspection and transformation, cutting to the core to reveal what’s truly inside.’ Now which enemy can stand against such a marvellous weapon eh? Neither Satan nor mankind! The scholars though, point out that the Greek term rendered “word” is not logos, referring to the whole Word of God, but rhema, referring to certain portions or selected verses of Scripture.
And there you have the six pieces of spiritual armour; the kind of stuff that a Christian soldier does not go into battle without. It’s the belt of truth, that holds up all our equipment; the breastplate of righteousness that protects our chest, the shoes of the gospel of peace that lends us eagerness to take the fight to the enemy, the shield of faith that helps to deflect the fiery darts of the enemy, the helmet of salvation which protects our head and gives us the assurance of salvation, and the marvellous sword of the Spirit, that deadly weapon which no foe can stand against when wielded by a true believer.
However, there is one more very important aspect to our spiritual armour, that’s prayer. Remember what Bruh Paul said above? ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…’ (Eph. 6:18) Well, as the scholars tell us, ‘Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable.’ And so it is my fellow believers. It has to be, since it is our method of communicating with God. So, in actual fact we have seven weapons of spiritual armour.
And I do hope that our discourse today helps us better understand what it’s all about, because if you don’t know it, and don’t have it at your disposal, then things will be even rougher than normal. Remember, the first thing we need to know is the truth; the truth of God’s Word, and that only comes by reading and studying it. So, if you don’t understand all we’ve said, then please delve into the Word and acquaint your self with it. (smile)
Now, let’s go home declaring 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!’
That means we’re now duty bound to go out and share the LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…a Christian not dressed in their spiritual armour…is like a wave of the sea…driven with the wind and tossed…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a consolation of joy, a joyful exalted song, a peace and calm that comes only from jesus, a spirit stealing winter's day, adhering to Jesus' teachings, alive and kicking, bondage to sin and condemnation, come to know and love christ like we do, consumed by the fires of hell, duty bound, even with my dying breath, every inscrutable mystery, faith, great is his faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, handle whatever comes against us, he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth my ear to hear as the learned, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, how delightful and how right, How good it is to sing God's praise, hurry, I shout a rousing welcome, I sing a new song, I will sing praises unto my God, in god's eyes, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, knowing and living by divine truth, living for Jesus, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, offering a deeper freedom, opens my understanding to his will, praise the Lord as long as I live, praise the Lord O my soul, Praise ye the Lord, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, shout Hallelujah, sing praises to my God, spiritual emancipation, spiritual liberation from sin, the beloved of God, the best is yet to come, the end will be fantastic, the future cannot daunt me, the glorious truth, the promise of new beginnings, the sun is nowhere in sight, the tempo accelerates, the truth shall set you free, the volume increases, the worst may happen, they are new every morning, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to the up-and-coming days, tough circumstances, trust my freind Jesus, truth, while I have any being, while I live I will praise the Lord, wisdom, with glorious anticipation, with you in control dear God, worry, ye shall know the truth
Psalm 146:2. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
And then it was Tuesday, the first one of the new year, but it’s turning out to be like so many of the recent others; a damp, cloudy, spirit and soul stealing winter’s day, with the sun nowhere in sight. Oh Lord, where is the sun? At least with the sun we can brighten up the winter atmosphere some. (smile) But the important thing is that we are alive and kicking and living for Jesus, and thus we can handle whatever comes against us with a peace and calm that comes only from Him! And I’m chuckling here, as I remember I got a zeppo to share the poem slated for the last day of the old year from our One Year Book of Bible Promises on December 31, but not one to share the first one on the first of January of this new year.
However, I finally got it today. Oh Yeahhh! And the first page of the Book very appropriately reminds us about ‘The Promise of New Beginnings,’ letting us know that ‘Great is his faithfulness!’ And the scripture passage for that comes from Isaiah 50:4b: ‘He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.’ Or, as the NLT (New Living Translation) used in the Book says: ‘Morning by morning He wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.’
And that’s the glorious truth my people! For every morning we open our eyes to a new day, the Lord grants us new mercies and understanding to handle the day. It’s like Jeremiah says 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) And that’s more glorious truth my brethren! Without the Lord’s mercies and faithfulness we would have long ago been consumed by the fires of hell, and that ought to encourage us to be also faithful to God in our own lives.
Now, all of that was just the preamble to the poem for the first day, (smile) which is titled, ‘Happy New Year.’ So please read with me: ‘This very first day Of the fresh new year I sing a new song – A joyful, exalted song! With Israel’s sweet singer I exclaim: “How good it is to sing God’s praise How delightful and how right.” The volume increases The tempo accelerates. With glorious anticipation I shout a rousing welcome To the up-and-coming days. The future cannot daunt me Every inscrutable mystery Becomes a consolation of joy For with You in control, dear God The worst may happen But the best is yet to come.’
And that’s yet more glorious truth my people! Oh brother are we ever on to the truth today! And so should we be, each and every day, for as Jesus says in the gospel of John: ‘And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.’ (John 8:32) And it certainly will! As this commentary explains; It means ‘adhering to Jesus’s teachings leads to spiritual liberation from sin, not necessarily political freedom, offering a deeper freedom through knowing and living by divine truth. While it’s used academically for knowledge, its core meaning is about spiritual emancipation from bondage to sin and condemnation, achieved by following Jesus and His word.’
And freedom from the bondage of sin is exactly what we’re after as we faithfully follow Jesus’ Word. But getting back to our poem. I certainly hope that as we rang in the new year that we sang joyful and exalting songs to God, our Giver of Life and Eternal Father, for that is the appropriate thing to do. It’s as the scripture passage for the poem exhorts: ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.’ (Ps. 146:1-2) Or, if you prefer the NLT Version: ‘Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, I tell myself. I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath.’
And that’s how it ought to be my fellow believers; praises to our great, wonderful and generous God should be continually coming from the depths of our hearts through our mouths, letting the whole world know what a marvellous God we serve! But my favourite part of the poem is the last section, which says; ‘The future cannot daunt me Every inscrutable mystery Becomes a consolation of joy For with You in control, dear God The worst may happen But the best is yet to come.’
And so it should be, if you are a true believer in Christ. The future ought not to daunt you, for you have God’s faithful promises concerning it, and with God in control, though some tough circumstances may occasionally envelope us, we’re not worried because we know that end will be fantastic. Jesus promised it, and He keeps ALL of His promises! And since there’s nothing to worry about, (smile) 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 friends, having made that definitive statement, 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!
…whatever our current circumstances…Christians ought always to believe…that the best is yet to come…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a piece of pottery, as the heavens are higher than the earth, be continually surprised by your vastness, be of good cheer, begun a good work in you, being confident of this very thing, but of power love and a sound mind, combat the forces of evil, come to know and love him like we do, December Prayer, do away with every limit, duty bound, dwell in your higher and better ways, enjoy the good life, every moment of my life, faith, fearful, forever find myself amazed, God has no limits, God has not given us a spirit of fear, greed, holy spirit, humbled in your presence, humbling ourselves before God, hurry, I fully understand you, i have overcome the world, I try to impose on you, improve our ways and thoughts, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the Master Potter's hands, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer to our every need, light of the world, LOVE, man-made disasters, mercy, my desire for certainty, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, natural disasters, neither are your ways my ways, new theatres of conflict, our job is to go about in faith, perform it until the day of jesus, plundering our world, poverty, promises, resolutions, resting and rejoicing in them, ring in the New year, salt of the earth, salvation, shaping us as closely as possible into the image of Jesus, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, so are my ways higher than your ways, stop putting God in a box, strife, tempted to think, the beloved of God, the gospel truth, the Prince of Peace, the Third World War, these things I have spoken unto you, trust my friend Jesus, trusting in god's faithful promises, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, with my whole heart, worry, your uneding wisdom kindness and grace
Isaiah 55:9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
And then it was Tuesday… the Eve of New Year’s Eve, and everyone’s trying to get ready for the big party, that will ring in the new year of 2026, with all sorts of new resolutions and promises etc. etc. But will the new year be any different from this one just past? Oh friends, I certainly hope and prayer that it is! Because 2025 has been one of unspeakable natural and manmade disasters, as well as enormous greed and poverty, where the powerful few have been busy grabbing more power and wealth, while leaving a large part of the population to suffer.
Not to mention the worldwide strife that’s been occurring, where instead of hearing of the end of conflicts, a new theater of conflict seems to be opening up almost every day. The world has become more ungodly and evil with Christians not doing much to help matters either, as we either enjoy the good life with no cares for what’s happening around us, or are too fearful to do anything to combat the forces of evil that are plundering our world.
We keep forgetting, or refuse to remember that we are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and most importantly that ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) So with all of that happening in 2025, it’s hard for it to get worse, unless there is all-out war; the third and last World War. Consequently, let’s hope more of us choose to remember and action those wise words of God above this coming year.
And to help us turn things around in the new year, this prayer from the December In Touch Devotional is a very good place to start. So please pray with me: ‘Lord, when I’m tempted to think I fully understand You, do away with every limit I try to impose on You in my desire for certainty. Let me be continually surprised by Your vastness and dwell in Your higher and better ways, resting and rejoicing in them with my whole heart. May I forever find myself amazed by your unending wisdom, kindness and grace – humbled in Your presence every moment of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my people that prayer contains so many of the things we ought to be doing in this coming new year to better our world and uplift our great God! For instance, let’s stop putting God in a box, trying to know what He plans for or doesn’t plan for. In other words, stop limiting Him, when He has no limits. If He had limits then He would not be God. Our duty is to go about this earthly life in faith, trusting in His faithful promises to look out for us in all circumstances.
And then, it would be so wonderful if we could dwell and rejoice in His higher ways, and not our mediocre or devilish ones. Remember the scriptures tell us very clearly of God’s position as opposed to ours. The prophet Isaiah spells it out in plain language. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) And that’s the gospel truth! That’s why He is God and we are His creation.
However, although we will never reach to the level of ways and thoughts of God, it doesn’t mean we cannot try to improve our ways and thoughts, and thus come up higher than we are right now. And that’s exactly what the Lord desires of us, that’s why He is in the process of making us more like His wonderful Son Jesus every day. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6)
Yes my fellow believers, until the day that Jesus returns, or the Lord takes us home, we will be like a piece of pottery in the Master Potter’s hands, being shaped as closely as possible to the image of Jesus Christ! And if we take God out of the finite box many of us have Him in, then as the prayer says, we will be amazed by His unending wisdom, kindness and grace, and thus wanting to do what we’re supposed to; that’s humbling ourselves before Him for the rest of our lives.
Oh my faithful brethren, living faithfully for God in this evil world is not easy, especially when Satan makes it his duty to tempt us to turn away from God, but if we’re sincere in our faith, God will help us to get through it, despite all the many setbacks we will face. Remember what Jesus said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And that my fellow believers is the ONLY way we can ever have true peace in this ungodly and strife-filled world. Yes, for Jesus is indeed the Prince of Peace!
Now, let’s go home declaring 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 declared that prayer, 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!
…how often must we say it before we truly believe it…Jesus IS the answer to our EVERY need…hopefully we will finally believe and action it in 2026…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all thy commandments are righteousness, all we like sheep have gone astray, as thy custom is, be merciful unto me, come to know and love him like we do, deliver me according to thy word, deliver me from the oppression of man, depend on Almighty God, duty bound, emphasizing our inherent vulnerability, everyone needs spiritual guidance and redemption, faith, find true direction, follow personal desires, give me understanding according to thy word, gone astray like a lost sheep, he shall direct thy paths, holy spirit, humanity's universal tendency, hurry, I do not forget thy commandments, I have chosen thy precepts, I have longed for thy salvation, I longed for thy commandments, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in god's eyes, it giveth understanding to the simple, Jesus came to bring light to those living in darkness, Jesus Christ, Jesus comes to rescue and lead people back to God, justice, let my cry come near before thee O Lord, let my soul live and it shall praise thee, let my supplication come before thee, let not any iniquity have dominion over me, let thine hand help me, let thy judgements help me, lock stock and barrel, look thou upon me, LOVE, make thy face to shine upon thy servant, mercy, my lips shall utter praise, my tongue shall speak of thy word, need plenty action, order my steps in thy word, redemption, regardless of their intentions, righteousness, rivers of waters run down my eyes, salvation, seek thy servant, share His love with my neighbours, so will I keep thy precepts, spiritual guidance, teach me thy statutes, the beloved of God, the entrance of thy words giveth light, the eve of Christmas Eve, the Good Shepherd - Jesus, the gospel truth, the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, the need for a Saviour, therefore doth my soul keep them, they keep not thy law, thy law is my delight, thy testimonies are wonderful, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to overcome sin, to those that love thy name, to wander from God's path, trust my freind Jesus, truth, trying times, Tuesday Mantra, turned every one to his own way, understanding only comes from God, wisdom, worry, you have taught me your statutes
Psalm 119:176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
And it’s Tuesday friends, Tuesday of Christmas week, the eve of Christmas Eve. (smile) That means there’s only today and tomorrow to get all your preparations in order before the big day falls upon us on Thursday. And I guess when I said yesterday that there were only two more days left for Christmas shopping, I must not have counted Monday, but in these modern times we shop right up to Christmas day. We can even by stuff on Christmas day, which shows how far we’ve moved past that long ago time when everything was closed on the day of Christ’s Birth. But it is what it is, and once Christ is truly celebrated, we cannot complain.
And yuh know what my brethren? I just opened the Good Library, and it opened unto Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, and as I perused it, I was taken by two interesting passages, scriptures that are very appropriate for this time and place. So that’s what we’ll deal with today. And, as you know, each passage of the psalm falls under a letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, thus, our first passage comes from that translated ‘PE.’
So please read with me. ‘Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments. Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do (as thy custom is) unto those that LOVE thy name. Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver (redeem) me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.’ (Ps. 119:129-136)
And I truly wish that rivers of waters would run down our eyes because so much of the world is not keeping the Lord’s law. But unfortunately it doesn’t seem to matter to a great many of us believers, since we too are not keeping the Lord’s law as we ought to. And a couple of those verses really caught my attention. Like this one: ‘The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.’
And that’s the gospel truth my people. As Jesus said He came to bring light to those living in darkness, and that’s exactly what His word does to anyone who hears it and takes it to heart. And to the simple, it gives understanding. Now, judging by the non-understanding state of our world, many of us need to become simple (smile) and allow God’s word to give us that marvellous attribute called understanding, that ONLY comes from Him.
This verse is also one we should take seriously: ‘Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.’ It reminds me of the famous words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs chapter 3. ‘In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:6) Yes my fellow believers, if we need our earthly paths to be fairly smooth, we need to depend on Almighty God to help us. It’s as simple as that.
And the next passage comes from the Hebrew letter translated ‘TAU.’ Please read with me. ‘Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word. let my (prayer of) supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word. My lips shall utter praise, when thou has taught me thy statutes. My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.
Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts. I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgements help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.’ (Ps. 119: 169-176)
And sadly, that last verse is oh so true my people. So many of us have gone astray, like lost sheep that the Lord’s word is of little or no account in today’s ungodly world. We might claim not to forget His commandments, but remembering them is of no importance unless we put them into action, and that’s where we’re continually falling down. But thankfully, if we sincerely cry out to the Lord for help, like the first verse of the passage declares, then the Lord will surely do as we ask, and bring us back to His fold.
It’s like Isaiah says of Christ, as the lamb being led to the slaughter. ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:6) And that’s exactly what the Lord did; lay all of our sins on the shoulders of Jesus, making Him pay for them, so He could forgive us with justice and righteousness.
And per that verse from Isaiah, I like how this commentary explains it. ‘Highlighting humanity’s universal tendency to wander from God’s path and follow personal desires (sin), a state from which Jesus, the Good Shepherd, comes to rescue and lead people back to God. It signifies that everyone, regardless of their intentions, needs spiritual guidance and redemption, emphasizing our inherent vulnerability and need for a Savior to overcome sin and find true direction.’ And with so much truth flooding our hearts and minds today, let’s hope a lot of it will become deeply rooted in those reservoirs (smile) and lead us to sincere and serious action.
Now, it’s time to 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 are 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!
…in these trying times…we don’t need much talk…just plenty action…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fulfillment of those things, a performance of those things told her from the Lord, according to the custom of the priest's officet, all nations shall call me blessed, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him, be filled with the Holy Ghost, blameless, blessed art thou among women, blessed is she that believed, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, both righteous before God, both were now well stricken in age, Christ is the reason for the Christmas season, drink neither wine nor strong drink, duty bound, Elisabeth was barren, Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, entered into the house of Zacharias, even from his mother's womb, exalted them of low degree, faith, faith is God's handiwork, fear fell upon him, fear is the devil's handiwork, fear not Zacharias, filled the hungry with good things, from generation to generation, from henceforth, go before him in the spirit and power of Eliajh, great in the sight of the Lord, Hannah's promise to God, he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden, he that is mighty hath done to me great things, helped his servant Israel, his lot was to burn incense, his mercy is on them that fear him, holy is his name, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, in remembrance of his mercy, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist jumping for joy in his mother's womb, John the Baptist's father, LOVE, many of the children of Israel, many shall rejoice at his birth, Mary greeted Elisabeth, mercy, my soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, others can come to know and love Christ like we do, put down the mighty from their seats, salvation, scattered the proud, share His love with my neighbours, showed strength with his arm, spake to our fathers, standing on the right side of the altar of incense, the babe leaped in her womb, the babe leaped in my womb for joy, the beloved of God, the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, the imagination of their hearts, the Magnificat, the rich he sent empty away, the voice of thy salutation, there appeared unto him, thou shalt call his name John, thou shalt have joy and gladness, thy prayer is heard, thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son, to Abraham, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to his seed for ever, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, turn to the Lord their God, walking in all the commandments of the Lord, well advanced in age, went into the hill country with haste, when Elisabeth heard the greeting, when Zacharias saw him he was troubled, why should the mother of the Lord come to me, wisdom, worry, Zacharias, Zacharias did his priestly duties
Luke 1:46-47. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
And then it was nine… Yes friends, nine more days to Christmas Day from this cold and somewhat cloudy Tuesday. Hope you are getting all your stuff done, while keeping uppermost in your minds that the amazing incarnate birth of Jesus Christ is the reason for this glorious season, and make it known to all with whom you come into contact. Today, I want to continue with the story of Mary, Jesus’ Mother, after she courageously and faithfully accepted the offer from God to bear His Son, despite knowing the serious consequences such an undertaking would cause in her young life.
Now, after Mary had agreed to bear Jesus, the Bible tells us: ‘And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted (greeted) Elisabeth. And it came to pass that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation (greeting) of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
An whence is this to me (why is it) that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon the voice of thy salutation (greeting) sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. and blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance (fulfillment) of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:39-45)
Ah mih people, our God does move in mysterious and interesting ways. Here, through the Holy Ghost, He allows Elisabeth to understand that Mary would be the mother of the Messiah, the long awaited Saviour of Israel. And I like how He adds the little part of John the Baptist jumping for joy in His mother’s womb when she hears Mary’s voice.
Oh friends, there’s no better playwright than our God! He knows when to add all the little nuances, subtleties, and variations with different shades of tone, light etc., to grab our attention. And the Lord wrote one of His best works on that day, for after Mary heard Elisabeth’s moving and godly greeting, she broke out in joyful song, what we know today as the Magnificat, which the scholars tell us is based on the first word of the Latin translation (the Vulgate.)
The Bible continues: ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maidservant): for, behold, from henceforth all nations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degrees (the lowly). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever.’ (Luke 1:46-55)
Wow mih bredrin! Mary must really have known her scripture for she has interwoven stuff from all different places in the Old Testament. And her soliloquy sounds like that of Hannah, the prophet Samuel’s mother when she thanked the Lord for breaking her barrenness and giving her a son, (1 Sam. 2:1-11) whom, as she had promised (1 Sam. 1:11) she gave back to Him to do His work with Eli, the priest. (1 Sam. 1:24-28)
And if you don’t think that Mary possessed great faith as a young girl, then compare her scenario to this one with Zacharias, the priest, who eventually became John the Baptist’s father. The Bible tells the story thus: ‘There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia (one of the divisions of Jewish priests): and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken (advanced) in years.
And it came to pass that while he (Zacharias) executed the priests office (did his priestly duties) before God in the order of his course (division), According to the custom of priest’s office, his lot (he was chosen by lot) to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without (outside) at the time of the incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness: and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias (Elijah), to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ (Luke 1:5-17)
Oh friends, right there we see the difference between Mary and Zacharias; she was troubled by Gabriel’s greeting, but apparently not afraid, while Zacharias was both troubled and afraid. And we’ll see what happens to Zacharias because of his fear tomorrow, when we continue with the story, obviously if God spares life. (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that we are 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!
…fear is the devil’s handiwork…while faith is God’s…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a light unto my path, a positive outlook on life, a reverential fear of God, abundance, as a father the son in whom he delighteth, be not wise in thine own eyes, bind them about thy neck, challenges to be responsibly handled, come to know and love him like we do, courage, creativity, curse, depart from evil, despise not the chastening of the Lord, divine protection, don't worry about tomorrow, duty bound, everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed, evildoing, faith, favour, fear the Lord, find favour and good understanding, fulfillment, get it deep in our hearts, God causes us to get wealth, God will make the paths straight before you, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, have fellowship and intimacy with God, he shall direct thy paths, health to thy navel, high esteem, holy spirit, honour the Lord with thy substance, hypothetical problems of tomorrow, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in the sight of God and man, Jesus Christ, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, keep the Lord's commandments, lean not unto thine own understanding, length of days long life and peace, let not mercy and truth forsake thee, let thine heart keep my commandments, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, mercy, my son forget not my law, negative word, neither be thou weary of his correction, promotion, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, success, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, talent, the gospel truth, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the result of such devotion, the wise council of Solomon, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses burst out with new wine, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to put it into proper practice, trust in the Lord with all thy heart, truth, use those blessings to help others, whom the Lord Loves He corrects, wisdom, with God and man, with the first fruits of all thine increase, worry gets you nowhere, worry is the devil's handiwork, write them upon the table of thine heart
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Ah friends, Thursday has rolled around somewhat quickly, and we’re all looking forward to Friday and the weekend, but remember we have to get through Thursday first, (smile) so let’s concentrate on today as Jesus so wisely warned us: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore don’t worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) Yes friends, the Lord knows what we need, and if we keep Him first place in our lives He will provide it. It’s like Bruh David says in that favourite psalm: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1)
And we don’t need to worry about what will happen tomorrow, for like the scholars tell us; ‘each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ That is not to say we should not make some cursory plans, or consider what consequences can follow from today’s problems, but not to fret and worry over them, so that we cannot handle today’s problems properly. Remember, worry, is the devil’s handiwork, and it get’s you nowhere, but heartache and sickness.
And that’s why Cousin Sol gives us this wonderful advice from Proverbs, which we all can quote, but do not properly put into practice, otherwise our lives would not be as difficult as they are. So let’s listen once again to the wise and wonderful council of Cousin Sol, the wisest man ever, and see if we can get it deep enough in our hearts and souls to put it into more serious practice than we’re currently doing. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:1-2) Now that’s the first lesson. Keep the Lord’s commandments for they shall bring us long life, and peace.
Then he continues: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck ; write them upon the table of thine heart (thy mind): so shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) There’s another lesson; to let mercy and truth be thoroughly bound within your heart, wear them like a necklace around your neck, for when those things are foremost in your behaviour, you will find favour with God and man.
Next comes the verses we all know and are quick to quote with our lips, but are not well written in our hearts. Cousin Sol lays it right on the line when he wisely declares: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
There it is my faithful brethren, the two verses that you can break the whole Bible down to. Place your complete trust in the Lord, lean on, depend on, and rely on Him, don’t go your own way, and faithfully acknowledge the Lord, or as the scholars tell us; ‘ have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’
Oh my brethren, that’s the gospel truth, for it’s all about trust and faithfulness. The Lord is indeed trustworthy and faithful, and if we sincerely turn to Him for guidance, He will lead us along right paths, lead and direct our footsteps in this crazy world. Remember that memorable verse in Psalm 119: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) That’s what Cousin Sol is referring to there.
And having given us those two majestic verses, he continues: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:7-8) More precious wisdom friends! If we don’t consider ourselves as overly wise and have a strong and reverential fear of the Lord, as well as not give evil any place in our hearts, our bodies will stay strong, for evildoing and boasting wreaks havoc on our bodies in due course.
Then Cousin Sol reminds us to ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:9-10) Wow! And that’s certainly the undeniable truth! For when we give back to God as generously as He gives to us, our wealth grows. However, it must be the first fruits of our increase, not the last. Remember it is God who causes us to get wealth, (Deut. 8:18) and He desires His share first.
Then we come to the final words of wisdom in this awesome passage of scripture, where Cousin Sol so wisely advises: ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be thou weary of his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12) More gospel truth my people! For just like our earthly fathers punish or correct us when we do wrong, so does the Lord admonish those whom He LOVES. And yes, none of us like to be punished or corrected, but what kind of Father would He be, if He didn’t correct us when we did wrong eh? Certainly not a LOVING One!
And having heard the marvellous wisdom of Cousin Sol one more time, let’s hope that this time it will sink even deeper into our hears and souls so that we can practice it, because it’s all for our benefit. Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings which God has so generously bestowed on us to help us do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
That means we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessing to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…if we truly believe that God is our Creator and controller…then why do we refuse to put our complete trust in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a trajectory of peace, acceptable to God, ane times, approved of men, Armistice Day, as much as it depends on your, as much as lieth in you, behold the upright, between the crosses, Blessed are the peacemakers, called the children of God, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, commemorate the end of the first world war, depart from evil and do good, duty bound, faith, felt dawn, follow after things which make for peace, forget no my law, Happy Remembrance Day, holy spirit, how beautiful upon the mountains, hurry, I will give peace in the land, if it be possible, In Flanders Fields, in god's eyes, in the name of peace, in the sky, inhu, Jesus Christ, John McCrae, joy in the Holy Ghost, keep him in perfect peace, keep the fires of freedom burning, length of days, let not your heart be troubled, let thine heart keep my commandments, live peaceably with all men, lock stock and barrel, long life and peace, LOVE, loved and were loved, mankind's warmongering ways, mark our place, mark the perfect man, mercy, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, none shall make you afraid, not as the world giveth give I unto you, now we lie, Peace i leave with you, people of peace and unity, proclaims peace, proclaims salvation, reflect of the cost of war, righteousness, row on row, salvation, saw sunset glow, scarce heard amid the guns below, seek peace and pursue it, share His love with my neighbours, short days ago we lived, still bravely singing, the beloved of God, the dark ages, the end of that man is peace, the feet of him that bring good tidings, the larks, the poppies blow, the Prince of Peace, they shall add unto thee, things wherewith one may edify, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to honour those who sacrificed their lives, to promote peace, to redeem people from sin, trust my friend Jesús, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we are the dead, whose mind is stayed on thee, winter came in like a lion, wisdom, worry
Romans 14:19. Let us therefore follow after things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.
HAPPY REMEMBRANCE DAY!
And as is expected, after Monday comes Tuesday, and thankfully the snow has stopped falling, there’s more sunshine than cloud and it’s warm enough for the snow to begin melting. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ Yes, winter came in like a lion over the weekend and most of us were not prepared for it, but I’m sure we will be prepared for the next snowfall. (smile) Anyway, today is also a special day in the annals of Western History, it’s the day we celebrate Remembrance Day. And what’s that about?
This commentary explains: ‘Remembrance Day is a day of remembrance in the Western Hemisphere, celebrated on November 11 to commemorate the end of World War I and to honor all those who have served and sacrificed in the armed forces. At 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918, the armistice was signed. It is a day for us to pause in a moment of silence, wear a poppy, and remember those who have fought in times of war, conflict, and peace. The day is also a time to reflect on the cost of war and to promote peace.
It was originally called Armistice Day to mark the armistice agreement that ended World War I on November 11, 1918. However, in 1931, the Canadian Parliament officially designated the day as Remembrance Day, to be observed on November 11, and separated it from the Thanksgiving holiday.’ And so it is friends, that today we are able to live in relative peace and freedom, although many are trying to push us back into the dark ages, but we will not allow it to happen, even if it’s only on behalf of those who gave their lives and services to stop it a century ago.
And on this day, we also stand strong in the words of a special poem written by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I. The poem’s titled ‘In Flanders Fields.’ So please read it with me: ‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, LOVED and were LOVED, and now we lie, In Flanders fields.’
How can we ever go back to those barbaric and inhumane times, especially when so many of our young people sacrificed their lives for us to be free? No! It would be a huge blemish on our honour and character, especially after we also fought World War II to keep the fires of freedom and humanity brightly burning. But as always, mankind is never satisfied with the status quo, and there are always some who want to rule the roost so badly that they will stop at nothing, stoop to any means to do it.
That’s why, right now there are numerous areas of serious strife in our world, as if within the last hundred years we’ve not fought two major wars, and several smaller ones, killing millions of innocent people, all in the supposed name of peace and freedom. But mankind’s warmongering ways and blatant inhumanity to his fellow man continues undiminished. It’s obvious that mankind does not hold these words of Bruh David from Psalm 34 sacred. ‘Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it.’ (Ps. 34:14) But that’s what we followers of Christ ought to be doing, because one of the many awesome names of our Leader is the Prince of Peace!
And I like how this commentary from the website bibletolife.com/resources explains it. ‘God wants peace for His people and His creation. It’s at the core of why Christ came to the world—to redeem people from their sin and set creation on a trajectory of peace. As a result, Christians are called to be people of peace and unity, so that many may come to know the peace and LOVE we find in Jesus. What does the Bible say about peace?’ And there are ever so many scriptures pleading with us to do just that. Let’s take a look at a few of them nuh, to sort of awaken our peace motivation and kill our warlike desires.
It begins as early as Leviticus, where the Lord promises the Israelites: ‘And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid (eliminate) evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.’ (Lev. 6:26) Now tell me how many lands are there like that to day? Not many! And only a few psalms later, Psalm 37, Bruh David again advises us: ‘Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. (Ps. 37:37) Meanwhile, Cousin Sol reminds us: ‘My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:1-2)
And what sweeter words of peace can we get than these from the prophet Isaiah: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee.’ (Is. 26:3) Now listen to this other gem on peace from Isaiah. ‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings (good news), that publisheth (proclaims) peace; that bringeth good tidings (good news) of good (things), that publisheth (proclaims) salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth.’ (Is. 52:7)
Then there’s Jesus own proclamation in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt. 5:9) Followed by this exhortation from Bruh Paul in Romans: ‘If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men.’ (Rom. 12:18) And since time and space have run out on us, we’ll end with this other inducement from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat (food) and drink; but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.’ (Rom. 14:16-19)
Oh my people, we could not get any better advice than that on this Remembrance Day where we remember all those who fought on our behalf. So lets’ go home now declaring (chuh man!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we are 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!
…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)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a continuous drizzle, a genuine and unfeigned love, a sense of shame or remorse, a shared commitment to christ, a short downpour, a volitional caring for others, abhor that which is evil, abundance, as much as it depends on you, as much as lieth in you, as your Father in heaven is perfect, associate with the lowly, avenge not yourselves, be kindly affectioned one to another, be not wise in your own conceits, be not wise in your own estimation, be of the same mind one toward another, be ye therefore perfect, bless and curse not, bless them that curse you, bless them which persecute you, brotherly LOVE, cleave to that which is good, come to know and love christ like we do, compassion, condescend to men of low estate, creating havoc, curse, disharmony, distributing to the necessity of the saints, disunity in Christ's church, don't set your mind on high things, duty bound, even the publicans the same, faith, favour, fervent in spirit, give place unto wrath, given to hospitality, giving preference to one another, God spared our lives, God's supernatural wisdom, goes agins the grain of our culture, good friends, good health, great family, greet your brethren only, grounded in humility, harmony, have regard for good things, heap coals of fire on his head, holy spirit, Hurricane Melissa, hypocrisy, hypocritical posture, if he thirst give him drink, if it be possible, if thine enemy hunger feed him, in honour preferring one another, in the sight of all men, infighting in the church, Jesus Christ, Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, kindness, lagging in diligence, let love be without dissimulation, like-minded purpose, live peaceably with all men, LOVE, love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy, Love your enemies, mercy, mind not high things, negative word, no questioning of Christ's directives, not slothful in business, patient in tribulation, persevering in tribulation, petty differences, positive outlook on life, promotion, prosper, provide things honest to all men, recompense to no man evil for evil, rejoice with them that rejoice, rejoicing in hope, salvation, self-discipline, serving the Lord, sincere love, slef-control, steadfast in prayer, succeed, talent, the originator and perfecter of our faith, truth, unity, use those blessings to help others, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, weep with them that weep, what reward have you, wisdom
Romans 12:18. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you (depends on you), live peaceably with all men.
It’s raining, it’s raining, on this Thursday morning! But it’s merely drizzling, as it’s done the last couple of times. And although a continuous drizzle can be just as bad as a short downpour, when I think of rain it evokes a sense of more than a drizzle. (smile) But unfortunately all the rain might now be centred in the Caribbean in Hurricane Melissa where she’s created untold havoc in places like Jamaica and Cuba…and might not be done just yet as she flies northward in search of more prey.
And unfortunately too, in those circumstances, all we can do is pray and offer whatever physical help we can afterwards. So please, let’s keep those unfortunate people in our prayers, and help however we can, for we never know when our circumstances might turn bad, and we’ll also need help. And since God seems to have spared our lives today, let’s turn to His Word as promised and check out some more scriptures that deal with unity, harmony and likeminded purpose. Or, as that commentary yesterday so nicely put it: ‘passages that emphasize unity in purpose, LOVE, and harmony, grounded in humility and a shared commitment to Christ.’
Now reading that just makes me feel so sad about the state of Christ’s church with all the disunity and infighting. And we’ll begin today with more words on Christian unity and compassion from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the church at Rome. He writes: ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned (affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE; in honour preferring one another (giving preference to another). Not slothful in business (lagging in diligence); fervent (boiling over) in spirit; serving the Lord;
Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer; Distributing to the necessity (needs) of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not (do not set your mind on) high things, but condescend to men of low estate (associate with the lowly). Be not wise in your own conceits (estimation). Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil.
Provide things honest in the sight of all men (have regard for good things). If it be possible, as much as lieth in you (depends on you), live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head (a sense of shame or remorse). Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:9-21)
Ah mih people, Bruh Paul just laid out the basics of our Christian faith. To LOVE each other with a sincere LOVE, not a hypocritical posture, treat others with kindness and compassion, don’t resort to evil, but to replace it with good, and even when wronged, don’t resort to your own vengeance for the Lord says that is His prerogative. Also to feed your enemies, which might cause them to be ashamed and turn to Christ through your kindness. And as per the scholars: ‘The Christian’s conduct in the local church toward fellow believers is to be a volitional caring for others (done of one’s own free will), LOVING faithfully in spite of the response received. The LOVE is to be genuine and unfeigned.’
Now, if we could only have more of that in the church than the hypocrisy and strife that’s currently deep seated in it, our lives and that of the world would be so much better. I don’t think we fully realize that it’s we Christians who are expected to make the world a better place, for the evil doers will not. It’s not on their agenda, but it’s on ours. And it’s like Jesus said: ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 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 use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) do so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5:43-48)
And if Christ, the originator and perfector of our faith says that’s how it should be, then that’s what we ought to do. So, if you consider yourself His true disciple and follower, then there’s to be no questioning of His directives. But because some of the things Jesus desires us to do seem difficult and run against the grain of our culture and religious denomination, we tend to question and shy away from doing His bidding. And that’s why His church is in such a mess; awfully divided, in disharmony, with many petty differences keeping it from being united.
Ah friends, it’s a sad day when you look at our world and see the turmoil it’s in, and know that with a little effort on our part we could help to make it better. But for whatever reason(s) we refuse to make that effort. Even with the amazing, undeserved blessings that we call our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. But nonetheless, with great hope and faith in our hearts, let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they can also come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…unless there’s first sincere LOVE and unity in Christ’s church…our world will never see peace…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful masterpiece, a deceitful tongue, a positive outlook on life, a world of iniquity, abundance, achieving deeper intimacy with God, an everyday occurrence, an ungodly man diggeth up evil, an unruly evil, be able to bridle the whole body, boasteth great things, by thy words thou shalt be condemned, by thy words thou shalt be justified, can a vine bear figs, clear direction for my life, cna the fig tree bear olives, come to know and love christ like we do, creativity, curse, curse and bless with the same tongue, deliver my soul from lying lips, doth a fountain send forth at the same place, driven of fierce winds, duty bound, every idle word that men speak, eye candy, faith, favour, from the hand of God, full of deadly poison, get ready for the deep chill, growing in spiritual maturity, guided by the Holy Spirit, holy spirit, how big a fire a small flame sets, how great a matter a little fire kindleth, if any man stumble not in word, in his lips there is a burning fire, in many things we all stumble, indisputable truth, inner mechanism, it defileth the whole body, Jesus Christ, leaves changing colours, less unholy words to answer for, LOVE, made after the likeness of God, mercy, negative word, no fountin can yield both fresh and salt water, our tongues cause much anguish and heartache, out of the same mouth, proceedeth blessing and cursing, programmed by God, prosper, put bits in horses mouths, salvation, set on fire by Satan, set on fire of hell, sets on fire the whole course of life, setteth on fire the course of nature, ships are turned around with a small rudder, so is the tongue among our members, succeed, sweet and bitter water, talent, the big day of reckoning, the gospel truth, the impulsiveness of our tongues, the lusts of the world, the same is the perfect man, the similitude of God, the tongue can no man tame, the tongue is a fire, the tongue is a little member, the tongue is a system of iniquity, the tongue is small but powerful, the tongue needs to be used wisely, therewith bless we God, therewith curse we men, they shall give account of on judgment day, those things ought not to be so, truth, unruly tongues, wisdom
James 3:6a. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, so is the tongue among our members,
And this new day of life brings us to Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week! The week is surely moving along very quickly, like the leaves on the trees, which are now swiftly changing colour and falling off as the weather gets colder and their inner mechanism programmed by God their creator, tells them it’s time to get ready for the deep chill. (smile) I hope our inner God-given sense also tell us the same thing and we follow it obediently, like the trees follow theirs. And by the way, that fiery red tree in my neighbour’s backyard, is now also filled with luminous yellow leaves, so it’s a startlingly beautiful masterpiece of red and yellow from the hand of our wonderful God.
Now, He’s doing His work to provide us with great eye candy, but are we doing ours, to help bring unbelievers to Him, as well as growing in spiritual maturity and thus achieving deeper friendship and intimacy with the One we claim to LOVE and worship? And sadly that answer is a big NO; for we are not being guided by the Holy Spirit as we ought to be, but instead we are allowing the world and it’s lusts to guide us, with our unruly tongues in the forefront. Remember yesterday we spoke of the impulsiveness of our tongues and the problems they consequently cause?
Today we’ll continue talking about that power of the tongue, for both good and evil. And James has a wonderful treatise on the tongue. He explains: ‘For in many things we offend all (all stumble). If any man offend not (stumble not) in word, the same is a perfect man, and be able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold, also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet they are turned about with a very small helm (rudder), withersoserver the governor listeth (the pilot wants). Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire). (James 3:2-5)
Ah friends, we see the power of small things to move great matters; like the bit in the horses mouth, the rudder on the ships and the ability of a small flame to cause a huge fire. And James continues delving into the matter of the tongue. ‘And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (our existence); and it is set on fire of hell.’ (James 3:6) Wow! What an expose on our tongues!
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘The tongue is a system (world) of iniquity that sets on fire the whole course of life, and is even set on fire by Satan.’ And we see that awesome power of our tongues in our everyday life, where it causes arguments and strife, even wars, because of a few insensitive, demeaning or boastful words. James then further enlightens us: ‘For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.’ (James 3:7-8)
And is that ever the indisputable truth, as everywhere these days you can hear tongues spewing more vitriol than anything else. For as James points out: ‘Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude (likeness) of God.’ (James 3:9) That’s more indisputable truth! How can we curse and bless with the same tongue eh? As James states: ‘Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.’ (James 3:10) And that’s the gospel truth! We should not be blessing and cursing with the same tongue, but it’s an everyday occurrence in this evil and ungodly world!
Then James puts forward these questions to prove his point. ‘Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.’ (James 3:11-12) Oh my people, the unholy use of our tongues causes so much anguish and heartache in our world that we should pray for the Lord to dumb us all.
However, there’s one thing we forget about the use of our tongues, and Jesus said it quite plainly. ‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt. 12:36-37) Yes my people, we shall all give account for our words come the judgement day, so we had better start shaping up from right now, so that we will have less unholy words to answer for, come that big day of reckoning. (smile)
For as that wise man, Cousin Sol once said: ‘An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.’ (Prov. 16:27) There again we have the provoking and anger stirring problems of our tongues! And all we can do is mirror the worlds of psalm 120: ‘Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false (deceitful) tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty (a warrior), with coals of juniper (the broom tree).’ (Ps. 120:2-4)
Yes friends, that’s what some of our tongues deserve. But we’ll go out on a positive note by declaring our Thursday Blessings. That’s the many undeserved blessings the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. So as one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now friends, we’re duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the tongue is small…but ever so powerful…and needs to be used wisely…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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