07 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lack of responsible behaviour, a new week of work, a universal proclamation of the gospel, also to the Greek, as it is written, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, bring glad tidings of good things, cast our care to the wind, cause havoc in the enemy's ranks, Christians, constantly buffeted, divine assurance, divine help, Esaias saith, eternal life, exercise a modicum of circumspection, faith, faith cometh by hearing, faith is built by what one hears, faith must be preceded by hearing, faith must have a valid content, fiath that comes about by what is heard, fill us with steadfast faith, furthering your glorious kingdom, go out to meet the enemy in battle, hearing by the word of God, hearing requires a preacher, heavenly Father, holy spirit, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, how shall they believe in him, how shall they hear without a preacher, how then shall they call on him, humble servants, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, in whom they have not believed, inebriation, into the evil and ungodly world, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, knowledge is essential to belief, Labour Day, let our hair down, Lord who hath believed our report, LOVE, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, monergism, no better tidings than the gospel, no other way to be saved but by the explicit gospel of Christ, of whom they have not heard, overindulgence, partake of the day's festivities, preachers are necessary to spread the gospel, preachers bring the good news of the gospel of peace, preaching requires being sent, preaching to a disobedient people, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, sally forth with confidence, salvation, salvation is completely from God, Salvation is God's work alone, Saving faith can come about only through the gospel, saving faith is not man doing his part in response to god having done His part, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, synergism, terrible misfortunes happen, the BIBLE, the call must be preceded by faith, the good news gospel of Christ, the just shall live by faith, the One who sends is God, the only thing that wake up and shake up this evil and ungodly world, the oral communication of Christ's gospel, the power of God unto salvation, the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, the throne of grace, they have not obeyed the gospel, to every one that believeth, to lead and guide all your servants, to the Jew first, truth, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, wisdom, you've wrought in our weary souls, your incredible aura of love
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 September 2026 Romans 10:15.
Romans 10:15. ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.’
So it’s Monday, the first one in September, which means it is Labour Day! Glory be! That means many of us don’t have to get up and fight the chaotic situation that involves getting to work on time, but can lay abed and enjoy the benefit of the Labour Day Holiday, then get up leisurely and partake of the day’s festivities, and it’s certainly a beautiful summer’s day for doing so.
Remember though, there’s one proviso: please exercise a modicum of circumspection in all activities, so that no accidents occur, either from inebriation or overindulgence and lack of responsible behaviour, for it’s at times like these when we let our hair down, cast care to the wind, that the most terrible misfortunes happen. And remember tomorrow is a working day. But enough sermonizing! (smile)
And I just LOVE it when I don’t have anything particular to write about, and I simply open the Good Book, and it opens to one of my favourite scriptures. And that’s what just happened. It opened to Bruh Paul’s treatise in Romans about Preaching to a Disobedient People. He opens by declaring: ‘How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not obeyed the gospel. For Esaias (Isaiah) saith, Lord who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ (Rom. 10:14-17)
What a poignant, emotional picture Bruh Paul paints about the spreading of the gospel. The scholars say that ‘he is presenting a universal proclamation of the gospel, and in this passage, he gives reasons why a universal proclamation is necessary. First, because the call must be preceded by faith; second, because faith must be preceded by hearing. This shows that knowledge is essential to belief. Faith must have a valid content; third, because hearing requires a preacher; fourth because preaching requires being sent. The One who sends is God. Salvation is completely from God.’
Yes, it can be somewhat ‘confuffling’, but let’s see if we can’t make it a little simpler. In other words, the oral communication of Christ’s gospel is necessary to begin the proceedings. When one hears it preached, then faith is built by what one hears. However, for one to hear the word preached, there must be a preacher, or someone to preach and explain it. But how does a preacher come about? That preacher must be sent to those who have not heard the gospel. Therefore, preachers or teachers of the word are absolutely necessary for the gospel to be spread.
And I just I LOVE the scripture that points it out by saying: ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.’ (Rom. 10:15) Because it’s oh so true! Preachers bring the good news of the gospel that include belief and faith in Jesus, as well as salvation and eternal life, and there are certainly no better tidings to hear and accept in this whole wide world! And that quote originally comes from Isaiah 53:1. Bruh Paul is so adept at using the scriptures to form His own pronouncements.
Now here is an interesting note from the scholars re faith and hearing. They say: ‘It is not faith in what is heard, but faith that comes about by what is heard. This is what Paul meant in Rom. 1:16, when he said the gospel “is the power of God unto salvation.” Saving faith is not man doing his part in response to God’s having done His part (synergism). Saving faith can come about only through the gospel. Salvation is God’s work alone (monergism). This also shows there is no other way to be saved but by the explicit gospel of Christ.’
And here is what Bruh Paul actually says in that passage: ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.’ (Rom. 1:16-17) And the as it is written comes from Habakkuk 2:4. (smile)
Now, although many of us are off work today, some of us still have to keep the 24-hour modern day machine a rolling, so you need some help to do that. Therefore, let’s go to the best place to get divine help, to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour!
We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!
And now that we have that awesome divine assurance, let’s get out there and cause havoc in the enemy’s ranks! Much LOVE!
…the good news gospel of Christ…is the only thing…that wake up and shake up this ungodly and evil world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a personal relationship with jesus, all was futility, all was vanity, be renewed and refreshed, christianity, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, don't get too carried away, earthly pleasures leave us unfulfilled, eternal life, eternal sustenance and provision, faith, fame, fear God and keep his commandments, finding no real satisfaction, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, generous help, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give our leaders the wise guidance, give unto him that is thirsty, God is the goal or aim of all things, God is the the origin and source of all things, God shall bring every work into judgement, God's eternal purpose has now been accomplished, grasping for the wind, great disappointment, he shall be my son, he that overcometh shall inherit all things, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, I am the Alpha and Omega, I was great, I will be his God, in these two short days off, increased more than all that were before me, inherit all that belongs to him as a son of God, it is done, Jesus Christ, looked on all the works my hands had wrought, Lord we desperately need your help, LOVE, mercy, my heart rejoiced in all my labour, my reward from all my labour, my wisdom remained with me, no earthly pleasure satisfies forever, no profit under the sun, of the fountain of the water of life freely, omnipotent help, only heavenly pleasures endure forever, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our supposed holiness and righteousness, our witness for Christ is not good enough, poignant testimony, problems escalating, pursued fulfillment through pleasure, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, seeking enduring fulfillment from earthly pleasures, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the beginning and the end, the BIBLE, the complete package, the entirety of something, the eternal purpose of God, the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet, the good example that we your faithful believers set, the labour that I had laboured to do, the Lord is the beginning and end of everything, the one who has genuine saving persevering faith, the only lasting satisfaction is, the Preacher, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, the whole duty of man, the whole of something, the wisest man of all time, things to look forward to, to gather a holy devoted people for Himself, to handle these unexpected storms properly, trustung faith, truth, vexation of spirit, what profit hath a man from all his labour, whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, whether it be evil, whether it be good, which he taketh under the sun, wisdom, with every secret thing, withheld not my heart from any joy
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 August 2026 Ecclesiastes 12:13.
Ecclesiastes 12:13. Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
And I can just imagine the joyful shouts of our Friday Mantra that went up to heaven this beautiful Friday morning: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ Yes, the weekend is one of the few promising things we have to look forward to throughout our long years of labouring under the sun. As Cousin Sol, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes puts it: ‘What profit hath a man of (from) all his labour which he taketh (toils or labours) under the sun?’ (Eccl. 1:3) And that’s a very good question, which he proceeded to find an answer to by using his wealth and wisdom to build and plant and have all the nicest things possible.
As he says later on: ‘So I was great, and increased (excelled) more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy (pleasure); for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of (reward from) all my labour.’ (Eccl. 2:9-10) Wow! Can you imagine the things Cousin Sol did in search of enjoyment and pleasure and finding out the destiny of man!
And what did all of that seeking prove? Cousin Sol says in great disappointment: ‘Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured (toiled) to do: and behold all was vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind), and there was no profit under the sun.’ (Eccl. 2:11) Ah friends how sorrowful that must be, doing all those things and in the end finding no real satisfaction. It’s as the scholars say: ‘Solomon pursued fulfillment through pleasure, wine, great works, wealth, aesthetic and artistic pleasures and fame. (Eccl. 2:1-9) All of these failed to bring lasting satisfaction to the wisest man of all time, yet people three thousand years later are still trying them in search of enduring fulfillment.’
And so we foolishly are! But the important word in it all my brethren is ‘enduring.’ No pleasure of this world can satisfy us forever. The only thing that can bring true and lasting satisfaction is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ because that lasts forever and provides salvation and eternal life! Now those are the two most important things our human soul requires, because when our bodies die, we leave everything of the world behind, except Jesus Christ. And that’s guaranteed in this promise Jesus made to John in Revelation.
‘And he (Jesus) said unto me, It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst (thirsty) of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.’ (Rev. 21:6-7) And what does all of the mean? Per the scholars: ‘It is done: The eternal purpose of God to gather a holy, devoted people for Himself has now been accomplished.’
And as per Alpha and Omega, this overview explains it thus: ‘The phrase “alpha and omega” means the beginning and the end. Alpha is the first letter and omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. Used together, they describe the whole of something, meaning the complete package, the entirety, or “from A to Z”. Therefore the Lord is the Beginning and End of everything.
As the scholars declare: ‘Beginning means God is the origin and source of all things (cf. Is. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12). End means He is also the goal or aim of all things (cf. Rom. 10:4) The water of life represents eternal sustenance and provision (cf. Rev. 22:1; Ps. 36:9; Is. 55:1; Jer. 2:13; John 4:14) available freely by faith (Rev. 22:17). He that overcometh is the one who has genuine, saving, persevering faith (cf. Rev. 2:11; 3:5; 1 John 5:4-5) He will inherit all that belongs to the him as a son of God (cf. John 1:12; Rom. 8:16-17; Gal. 3:29; 4:7).’
Now that’s certainly a lot of scriptures to look up, but if you truly want to understand what we’ve read, then I strongly advise you take the time and look them up. I just did, making the Bit even later than it already was, (smile) and I was surprised at how they dovetailed nicely with what is said in Revelation. But getting back to Cousin Sol and his search for fulfillment in earthly pleasures, we find him showing why he was considered the wisest man ever, that is before he turned away from the God of his forefathers, married numerous foreign wives and began worshipping their foreign gods.
His wise and poignant testimony still stands, as he says; ‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ (Eccl. 12:13-14) No wiser words can be spoken than those my people! And for our information, Deuteronomy 6:2; 10:12, and Micah 6:8, also detail that our bounden duty is to serve the Lord. So in our somewhat unsuccessful efforts to do our duty, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us do better..
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now my fellow believers, let’s not get too carried away with our supposed holiness and righteousness, because we also need to wake up and smell the coffee, since our witness for Christ is not as good as it ought to be! Much LOVE!
…life’s earthly pleasures leave us unfulfilled…but those of heaven endure forever…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cry for help, a symbol of sorrow, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, an alien unto my mother's children, be ashamed for my sake, became a proverb to them, become a stranger unto my brethren, becoming more dependent on technology, blessed are ye when men shall revile and persecute you, chastened my soul with fasting, come into deep waters, deliver me because of mine enemies, deliver me out of the mire, draw nigh unto my soul, eternal life, faith, faithfulness, falsely accused, find the faith to bear it, for thy sake I have borne reproach, full of heaviness, gave me gall for my meat, gave me vinegar to drink, God's ever faithful promise, great is your reward in heaven, hate me without a cause, he that endureth to the end shall be saved, hear me, hear me speedily, hide not thy face from thy servant, holy spirit, hurry, I am in trouble, I made sackcloth also to my garment, I restored that which I took not away, I sink deep in the mire, I wept, in an acceptable time, in god's eyes, in my thirst, in the multitude of thy mercy, in the truth of thy salvation, Jesus Christ, let me delivered from them that hate me, let me not sink, let not the pit shut her mouth upon me, let not the waterflood overflow me, let not them that wait in faith on thee, let not those that seek thee be confounded, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock stock and barrel, looked for comforters but found none, looked for some to take pity, LOVE, mercy, mine eyes fail while I wait for my God, more than the hairs of mine head, my prayer is unto thee O Lord, my sins are not hid from thee, my throat is dried, my wrongful enemies, negative situations, negatively treated, neither let the deep swallow me up, O God thou knowest my foolishness, out of the deep waters, redeem my soul, rejoice and be exceeding glad, reproach hath broken my heart, restored that which I did not steal, salvation, same khaki pants, save me O God, say all manner of evil against you falsely, shame hath covered my face, share His love with my neighbours, so persecuted they the prophets which were before you, steadfastness, technology, technology breaks down at the most inopportune times, the beloved of God, the floods overflow me, the reproaches of then that reproached thee are fallen on me, the song of the drunkards, the waters are come in unto my soul, the zeal for thine house hath eaten me up, there was none to take pity, they that sit in the gate speak against me, they that would destroy me, they too can come to know and love Christ like do, thy lovingkindness is good, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn unto me, undeserved suffering, weary of my crying, where there is no standing, wisdom, worry, ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 July 2026 Psalm 69:1.
Psalm 69:1. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul (neck).
Oh Lord… technology, technology, technology! It’s useful, but it also seems to break down or fail at the most inopportune times. I was already late getting down here, then I spent over half an hour fighting with this so and so computer to begin writing the Bit! It opened quite well and I checked some messages. But when I tried opening Word to begin writing…Hn! No reaction whatsoever. It wouldn’t open anything at all. So, in frustration, I decided to change the batteries in the mouse…Same khaki pants. Then I changed the batteries in the keyboard…Nothing doing. I couldn’t even turn it off with the mouse.
So I eventually turned it off manually…at least tried doing so, but it wouldn’t close because the Google App was open, so I hit cancel to stop the turn off and voilà …the whole screen lit up and the computer began working normally again! And I still don’t know what was wrong. But sadly, every day we’re becoming more and more dependent on the deleted expletive technology, which can break down or fail so completely when you most need it. But as one of my friends likes to say; that’s progress! Ah Lord eh! Hopefully, that is my only frustration for today. (smile)
Anyway, let’s see what the Lord wants us to talk about today, after allowing that most frustrating episode right at the very beginning. And wouldn’t you know, in the Lord’s most intriguing and mysterious way, the Good Library opened just now at Psalm 69 – A Cry for Help, where Bruh David cries out: ‘Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul (neck). I sink deep in the mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away (which I did not steal). O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee. Let not them that wait (in faith) on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake (because of me): let not those that seek thee be confounded (disgraced) for my sake, O God of Israel.
Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children. For the zeal of (for) thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to (became) my reproach. I made sackcloth also my garment (a symbol of sorrow); and I became a proverb (byword) to them. They that sit in the gate (sit as judges) speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.’ (Ps. 69:1-12)
Ah friends, I’m sure many of us are in the same boat that Bruh David was in back then; embroiled in a case of undeserved suffering, and mainly from his steadfastness in his commitment to the Lord. But unfortunately that is one of the negative things that can happen to us when we stand up strong for Christ. As He warned in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12)
Then later on, Jesus again declared to the disciples: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ (Matt. 10:22) Oh my fellow believers, we all know that rejoicing when we’re being falsely accused and negatively treated is not easy to do, but we have to dig down deep and find the faith to bear it, with the Lord’s help obviously. We need to cry out to the Lord, petition Him like Bruh David did:
‘But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me. Hear me, O Lord; for thy LOVING-KINDNESS is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily (quickly). Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies. Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee. Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me gall for my meat (food); and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.’ (Ps. 69:13-21)
Yes my brethren, it can be a difficult life if we insist on standing up strong and steadfast for Christ, but we need to also remember the rewards that come from our faithfulness and steadfastness; salvation and eternal life with Christ, and understand that those rewards greatly outweigh the ‘sufferation’ we might undergo here on earth. And again, it’s not easy, but we need to also cry out to God and ask for help in our negative situations, and even if He doesn’t rescue us from the situation, for sure He’ll give us the peace and strength to withstand it, for that’s His ever faithful promise.
Now let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
So let’s do just that nuh; 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!
…Jesus desires a lot from us…but look at what He’s already given…a whole lot more…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a Messiah, a Saviour, a solid foundation of hope, and now abideth faith hope love, anxiety, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, basic kind of enthusiasm, be renewed and refreshed, be responsible, by the good example we your faithful believers set, calamity, Christians, cleanse and wash away our sins, Comforter, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, do some serious work for Christ, eagerly waiting with patience, eternal life, faith, faith is strong hope in Christ, fill you with all joy and peace in believing, for what a man sees why does he yet hope for ir, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, generous help, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, get up off our derrieres, God does not lie, God is a god of hope, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on our behalf, God's omnipotent help, Guide, heard of your faith in Jesus Christ, holy spirit, hope, hope for that we see not, hope is an essential ingredient in our Christian journey, hope is something in the future, hope that is seen is not hope, hope that leads to faith, I know the thoughts I think toward you, Jesus Christ, life will improve, LOVE, man Friday, mercy, need your help to fix our problems, our bounden duty, our sinful world, positive exuberance, problems are escalating, rally round the cross of Christ, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, show our hope faith and love, society won't degenerate any further, stand strong and steadfast, Thank God it's Friday, the BIBLE, the expectation of good things to come, the God of hope, the greatest of these is love, the hope laid up for you in heaven, the love you have to all saints, the scriptures encourage us to have hope and patience in God's Word, the throne of grace, the truth of Christ's gospel, the weekend is here at last, the word of the truth of the gospel, things will get better, thoughts of peace and not of evil, through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might have hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost, to give you an expected end, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, unity of Jews and Gentiles, wake up and smell the coffee, we are saved by hope, whatsoever things were written aforetime, wisdom, wise guidance, with patience wait for it, written for our learning, ye may abound in hope, you cannot have faith without hope
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 July 2026 Romans 8:24.
Romans 8:24. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
‘It’s Friday, it’s Friday, it’s Friday! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ It was indeed an ecstatic Friday Mantra that we declared this morning, what with a beautiful, cool, sunshiny summer’s day in the offing, and knowing that the work week will soon end. It’s certainly interesting and amusing the change that the upcoming weekend can produce in us. Only wish Monday could produce the same positive exuberance. (smile) But I don’t think we’ll ever see that the way our society and its working conditions are now set up.
However, there’s one thing we always have as believers in Christ Jesus, that’s HOPE! Hope, which in general is a basic kind of optimism that things will get better, life will improve and our society won’t degenerate any further. But the Christian hope goes deeper than that; for we are assured that things will indeed get better through the Word of God. So let’s check out a few scriptures that give us that solid foundation of hope, of expectation, of optimism.
And the first one comes right from the Lord Himself, when He declares through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity) to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) And if the Lord God Almighty, the Creator and Controller of the universe says that, then we know we can believe it, because He does not lie and His promises are true and faithful.
Then, as Bruh Paul writes in Romans: ‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime (beforehand) were written for our learning, that we through patience (perseverance) and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.’ (Rom. 15:4) There we have more confirmation, more of a solid base for our hope, because the scriptures were written to encourage us to have patience and hope in God’s Word.
And way back in the Old Testament the Lord also promised that He would send us a Messiah, a Saviour, who would cleanse and wash away our sins, and when the time was right, He sent His Son Jesus Christ, to die on the cross at Calvary to pay for our sins, and give us the options of salvation and eternal life, with the Holy Ghost dwelling in us, as our comforter, guide and all around man Friday. And we get that salvation through a hope that leads to faith.
Bruh Paul puts it thus in Romans: ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom. 8:24-25) Yes, hope is something in the future, not something you can see or already have, and as Christians we are expected to be filled with hope of all the good things that the future will bring, and are expected to wait eagerly for them.
Therefore, Bruh Paul, when talking about the unity of Christian Jews and Gentiles could say: ‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.’ (Rom. 15:13) Yes friends, our God is a God of hope! He promises and He comes through when we put our hope and faith in Him.
And if you’re wondering what’s faith; faith for our purposes is basically strong hope in Jesus Christ. We believe that He is who He says He is, and will do what He says He will do; receiving His promises as truth and living the way He desires. And you cannot have faith without hope, for hope is the very basis of faith. As it’s broken down in the LOVE chapter of 1 Corinthians: ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor. 13:13)
So hope is indeed an essential ingredient in our Christian journey, for without it, we’re lost, we have no starting point, and belief in Jesus begins with hope. And that hope is certain, as Bruh Paul says in his letter to the Colossians: ‘We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the LOVE which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.’ (Col. 1:3-5) There we have it my people, hope is laid up in heaven for us, we’re sure of that from the truth of Christ’s gospel.
Consequently, we can now go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these turbulent and uncertain times. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
But you know what friends, we too also need to wake up and smell the coffee, for all the talk and prayer in the world won’t help until we actually get up off of our derrieres and get out into the evil world and do some serious work for Christ! It’s our bounden duty! We need to at least try and stop our world from degenerating any further. So let’s rally round the cross and show our hope, faith and LOVE! Much LOVE!
…HOPE…the expectation of good things to come…and eagerly waiting with patience for them…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a forlorn and shipwrecked brother, a great family, a passing moment in our journey, A Psalm of Life, a state of preparedness, a state of readiness, a strong will, abundance, act in the living present, art is long, be a hero in the strife, be heroes for Jesus, be not like dumb driven cattle, be ye also ready, beating funeral marches to the grave, christianity, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, curse, departing, don't worry about death, dumb driven cattle for Satan, dust thou art, each tomorrow find us further than today, eternal death, eternal life, eternal life depends on the glorification of the Son, faith, favour, footprints on the sands of time, for in such an hour as ye think not, for those who come after us, for ye know neither the day nor the hour, generously bestowed on us, get up and get a move on, get up and get going, good friends., good health, heart within and God overhead, henry wadsworth longfellow, holy spirit, in the world's broad field of battle, Jesus can return at any time, Jesus Christ, learn to labour and to wait, leave behind a valuable legacy, leave behind us, let the dead past bury its dead, let us then be up and doing, life is but an empty dream, life is earnest, life is made for living, life is real, like a thief in the night, like muffled drums, live in the present not the past, lives of great men remind us, living for Jesus, LOVE, make our lives sublime, mercy, negative word, not enjoyment, not sorrow, not spoken of the soul, on the verge of saying goodby, our destined end or way, our hearts though stout and brave, prosper, sailing o'er life's solemn main, salvation, seeing, self-control, stil achieving, still pursuing, succeed, talent, thake heart again, that perhaps another, the best way to live this life, the BIBLE, the bivouac of life, the grave is not our goal, the last summer month of August, the living truth, the parable of the ten virgins, the second to last day of our work week, the Son of man cometh, the soul is dead that slumbers, the time to consider your eternal destiny is right now, things are not what they seem, time is fleeting, to act, to dust returnest, to eternal life with Christ, trust no future however pleasant, truth, undeserved blessings, watch therefore, wherein the Son of man cometh, wisdom, with a heart for any fate, working for and waiting on Jesus, worry where our souls will be spending eternity, ye know not what hour your Lord doth come
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 July 2026 Matthew 24:44.
Matthew 24:44. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
And then it was Thursday, a somewhat cool but bright and sunshiny second to last day of our work week. And would you believe it, we only have one more week left in this fast receding, controversial month of July. We just said hello to July, celebrating Canada Day and the 4th of July, now we’re on the verge of saying goodbye and welcoming the last summer month of August. Where has it all gone eh? Only the Lord alone knows, that’s why it’s ever so important to get up and get a move on with our own lives and business and don’t wait for a supposed better time, because a better one might never come.
And remember also, that Jesus can return at any time, like a thief in the night, as He says, and if you’re not ready, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe! So, let’s be up and doing as this interesting poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow advises. It’s titled ‘A Psalm of Life,’ and does offer wise insights. So please read with me. ‘Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream! For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem. Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul. Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way; But to act, that each to-morrow Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting, And our hearts, though stout and brave, Still, like muffled drums, are beating Funeral marches to the grave. In the world’s broad field of battle, In the bivouac of Life, Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife! Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant! Let the dead Past bury its dead! Act,— act in the living Present! Heart within, and God o’erhead! Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time; Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o’er life’s solemn main, A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again. Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.’
Ah friends what wonderful advice! Let’s remember that ‘the soul is dead that slumbers,’ but ‘Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not it’s goal.’ No my brethren, the grave is not our goal, it is only a passing moment in our journey to eternal life with Jesus. As the poem says: ‘Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul.’ Yes my people, Dust to dust was spoken for our bodies, but not our souls, so let’s not worry about death, because it comes to all of us at some time or another. Let’s worry instead about where our souls will be spending eternity; in eternal death, or in eternal life.
And the time to consider that situation is right now! For ‘Time is fleeting,’ and Jesus can come back at any time, or we can be taken home without any notice, and if we’re not prepared, then ‘So long sonny!’ And Jesus, in talking about that specific situation, said only the Father knew when the Son would return, then warned: ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman (master) of the house had known in what watch (hour) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up (into). Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:42-44)
Then in the next chapter, in the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins, Jesus again warns: ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 25:13) That means we always have to be a in a state of readiness, of preparedness for whenever Jesus comes back; be it today or years from now! And I like how the poem describes the life we should lead: ‘In the world’s broad field of battle, In the bivouac of Life, Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife! Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant! Let the dead Past bury its dead! Act,— act in the living Present! Heart within, and God o’erhead!’
And isn’t that the living truth! We’ve got to get up and get going, live in the present not the past, and be heroes for Jesus, rather than dumb driven cattle for Satan. And when we live that life, our godly efforts will leave behind a valuable legacy for those who come after us. As the poem says: ‘And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time; Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o’er life’s solemn main, A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again.’
Yes friends, that’s the kind of life and legacy we need to live and leave behind, and we can only do that through living consistently and faithfully for Jesus. So as we said earlier on: ‘Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.’ Oh my brethren, all the scriptures tell us about working for and waiting on Jesus as being the best way to live this life. So let’s do just that nuh! Especially when the Lord has granted us these undeserved blessings we call our Thursday Blessings, generously bestowed on us to help us do His earthly work.
So let’s declare and thus activate them now nuh, since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…life is made for living…living for Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful sunshiny summer's day, a faithful minister of Christ, a heartfelt prayer, according to his glorious power, affection for others, an accurate perception, an assurance of salvation leads to confidence in petition, be filled with knowledge of God's will, bearing with the offences of others, becoming spiritually stronger, being fruitful in every good work, being strong and steadfast, believe on the name of the Son of God, bringeth fort fruit, bringing forth worthwhile fruit on Christ's behalf, by the will of God, christianity, Christians, Christians are plagued by, Colosse, confidence in the promises of God, deepen my breath, delivered us from the power of darkness, effectual prayer is according to God's will, eternal life, ever coming to know the Lord better, faith, faithful brethren in Christ, faithful to the truth of the gospel, for this cause, give thanks to god, giving thanks and praise to God despite our troubles, giving thanks unto the Father, God loves to answer prayers that deal with intimacy with him, grace be unto you, he heareth us, heard of your faith in Jesus Christ, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if we ask anything according to His will, if we know that he hear us, in all sincerity and truth, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, in whom we have redemption through his blood, increase my awareness of you today, increasing in the knowledge of God, into the true nature of all things, Jesus Christ, joyfulness, knew the grace of God in truth, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, learned of Epaphras, longsuffering, LOVE, made us meet, marvel to think, mercy, on an early bus, on your behalf, peace and calm we did not know, peace from God the Father, persevering in tribulation, prayers based on the basics of our christian lives, praying always for you, productive in Christian service, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, review our faith walk in Christ, salvation, slow my thoughts, strengthened with all might, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the Colossians, the forgiveness of sins, the gospel produces godly character and noble conduct, the hope laid up for you in heaven, the love you have to all saints, the petitions we desired of him, the skillful application of wisdom in practical situations, the vast difference between their talk and their walk, the word of the truth of the gospel, this is the confidence that we have in Him, to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, translated us into the kingdom of his Son, trials and tribulations, truth, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness, unto all pleasing, walk with Christ, walk worthy of the Lord, we do not cease to pray for you, we know that we have, whatsoever we ask, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your love in the spirit, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 June 2026 1 John 5:14.
1 John 5:14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
Oh friends, what a beautiful sunshiny summer’s day this lazy-day Saturday is turning out to be! And although the ole fella did laze around some in the bed earlier on, he’s still up relatively early, and is catching a much earlier bus than usual. (smile) So before we enshrine the laziness in the day, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth!
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And I can’t help reiterating that if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, that soon, we’d be experiencing a level of peace and calm that we did not previously have, because our wonderful God just LOVES to answers our prayers that deal with intimacy towards Him. For as John so wisely says in his first epistle:
‘These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of him.’ (1 John 5:13-15)
Yes mih people, we have so much confidence in the promises of our God, that if we ask anything that’s in His will, then we know that He hears our plea and grants our petition, because that’s His promise. As the scholars add: ‘Assurance of salvation (vs. 13) leads to confidence in petition. Effectual prayer is according to his will.’
And talking about effective prayer, here is possibly one of the most effective in all the Bible, and is most assuredly one that we can base prayer for ourselves and others on. It come from Bruh Paul’s opening remarks to the church at Colossae. Let’s read together: ‘Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith In Jesus Christ, and of the LOVE which ye have to all saints,
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you (on your behalf) a faithful minister of Christ; who also declared unto us your LOVE in the spirit (an affection for others). For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father which made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.’ (Col. 1:1-14)
Wow! That was a whole sermon there from Bruh Paul, interspersed with words of fitting prayer for all and sundry. (smile) So let’s see what we can gain from it nuh. To begin with, Bruh Paul apparently did not know the Colossians personally, and it was his fellow servant in Christ, Epaphras, who began the church in the small town of Colossae, while Bruh Paul was in Ephesus attending to the larger church there. However, he was very pleased to hear that they had found Christ and were being faithful to the truth of the gospel preached to them, which gospel was also bringing forth fruit in them, which it ought to, if anyone faithfully believes.
As the scholars say, ‘the gospel produces godly character and noble conduct in its converts.’ Now that’s something many of us ought to look at in our own lives. Do we show forth a sincere godly character and noble conduct, thus bringing forth worthwhile fruit on behalf of Christ? Many of us Christians don’t. And we need to know how very important those aspects of our lives are, for though we might preach the word, it’s our personal behaviour by which we’re mostly judged; to see if it aligns with what we preach. And unfortunately, many of us are like the hypocrite Pharisees; we talk the word but don’t practice it.
Anyway, Bruh Paul was glad to hear that they were progressing faithfully in their walk with Christ, and continually prayed that they might know God’s will for their lives ‘in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.’ And that, according to the scholars, is ‘an accurate perception into the true nature of all things, and the skillful application of this wisdom in practical situations.’
Again, Bruh Paul desires that they walk worthy of the Lord, bringing forth good fruit in all their endeavours, being productive in Christian service, continually coming to know the Lord better, while becoming spiritually stronger and stronger, and being strong and steadfast, persevering in their trials and tribulations, as well as longsuffering; bearing with the offences of others, but nonetheless still giving thanks and praise to God despite their troubles.
Now, that’s a simple rendition of what our Christian lives ought to be about, and therefore our prayers should be based on those basics, both for ourselves and others, so that we can walk worthy of our wonderful God and Saviour Jesus Christ. And I pray that we’d all review our faith walk in Christ and pray that it will become better. This lazy-day Saturday, the last in June, is ideal for doing that! (smile) Much LOVE!
…too many Christians are plagued by…the vast difference between their talk and their walk…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a personal testimony, a rushing mighty wind, a touching song, Abraham believed and God made a way, abraham believed God, by a roadway in the wilderness, by day in a pillar of cloud, by night in a pillar of fire, Christians, cloven tongues as of fire, deep in sorrow, disastrous circumstances, Don Moen, don't lose hope, eternal life, faith, faith as small as a mustard seed, Father Son and Holy Ghost, fellowship, fellowship with other believers, give thanks and praise to God, God can find a way when all seems lost, God drowned the Egyptian army, God led the people through the wilderness, God made a way where there was no way, God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, God saved Noah and his family from the flood, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God sent quails to give them meat, God so loved the world, God will be my guide, God will do something new today, God will lead me, God will make a way, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering, God works in ways we cannot see, God's promises to Abraham all came true, God's word will still remain, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, heartfelt, heaven and earth will fade, hold me closely to his side, holy spirit, I will even make a way in the wilderness, Jesus Christ, LOVE, manna, mercy, Noah and the ark, Noah believed, our faith is actually tested, rivers in the desert, rivers in the desert will I see, salvation, soulful, strong faith, sweet sacrifices of praise, the BIBLE, the bitter water turned sweet, the dramatic way God baptized believers at Pentecost, the Exodus of Israel from Egypt, the Holy spirit began indwelling each new believer, the Lord rained manna down from heaven, the Lord went before them, the Lord's sanctuary, the song reaches down into our souls, the world through him might be saved, three in one and one in three, three in one Godhead, to see if our faith is strong and true, Tri-Part Being, Trinity Sunday, truth, we can only know when we truly believe, when something serious happens, where there seems to be no way, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, with love and strength for each new day
Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 May 2026 Isaiah 43:19b.
Isaiah 43:19b. I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
And after Saturday comes Sunday, when we fellowship with other believers in the Lord’s sanctuary, to praise, worship and give thanks to our wonderful God, for all that He’s done, is doing and has faithfully promised to do on our behalf. And on this Trinity Sunday, a bright, warm, sunshiny day, when we celebrate the Tri-part Being that’s out Godhead; Father, Son and Holy Ghost; Three in One, and One in Three, our song of worship is a fairly new one, written in this century by famous conductor and musician Don Moen.
The song comes from a personal testimony of Mr. Moen, but it also highlights one of the great promises of God that we all want to hold on to, but sometimes, because of disastrous circumstances, it’s ever so difficult to do. And the title of the song is simply ‘God Will Make A Way.’ And we know all that promise from the prophet Isaiah, where God declares: ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:19) And so He has done, as the Bible shows, right down through the ages.
According to Mr. Moen, the song was born out of a tragic situation. Some of His family members had a serious and fatal vehicle accident some years ago, and on his way to the accident scene, deep in sorrow, while contemplating what to do, the Lord placed these words in his heart. So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt mid-tempo version of this most beautiful and touching song.
Singing: ‘God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me. He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way. By a roadway in the wilderness, He’ll lead me And rivers in the desert will I see Heaven and Earth will fade but His word will still remain And He will do something new today. Oh, God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way
By a roadway in the wilderness, He’ll lead me And rivers in the desert will I see Heaven and Earth will fade but His word will still remain And He will do something new today. Oh, God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way With LOVE and strength for each new day He will make a way, He will make a way.’
That was beautiful friends. And the song reaches right down into our very souls, reaching down to see if our faith is strong and true, and if we sincerely believe that God will find a way for us in times of trouble. And though many of us will say that we believe, the truth is, we can only know for sure when something serious happens, and our faith is actually tested. So, the first necessity for God to make a way is strong faith. And there are so many good examples in the Bible of God making a way, when there seemed to be no way, that we can only mention a few.
Look at Noah and the ark. God told him something and he believed and God made a way for him and his family to be saved from the flood. (Gen. 6-9) Then we have Abraham, first leaving his home and family to go out not knowing where the Lord would lead him, but the Lord looked after him throughout all his travels and travails. What about the promise of a son that took twenty-five years to come true, when Abraham was one hundred and Sarah ninety. But He believed, and God made a way.
The same thing goes for the Lord telling him to take his only son Isaac and sacrifice him on Mt. Moriah. Abraham was somewhat puzzled by God’s request, but he persevered in faith, and when Isaac asked about the sacrifice for the burnt offering, Abraham replied, ‘My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.’ (Gen. 27:8) And the Lord did provide a lamb for the burnt offering.
Then look at the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. To begin with, the Bible says: ‘But God led the people about through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed (in orderly ranks) out of the land of Egypt.’ (Ex. 13:18) And while they were camped in the wilderness: ‘The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.’ (Ex. 13:21) . And when they reached the Red Sea with the Egyptian army hot on their heels, He parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to walk across on dry land, then drowned the Egyptian army when the waters closed back. (Ex. 14:21-31)
When the Israelites complained about lack of good drinking water, God had Moses cast a tree into the bitter waters of Marah, and the bitter water turned sweet. (Ex. 15:23-26) The same thing happened when they complained about bread and meat; the Lord had manna rain down from heaven as bread, as well as quails to give them meat. (Ex. 16:22-36) So we see God faithfully providing a way for them when there seems to be no way. And that happened all through the Old and New Testament, both to nations, and individuals, like Jacob, Bruh Joseph, Bruh David and Bruh Paul.
And what about the dramatic way in which the Lord baptized the believers with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Day eh? Jesus had told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Ghost came upon them, (Acts 1:8) but I’m sure none of them expected a rushing mighty wind and cloven (divided ) tongues as of fire to ambush them in the upper room that Pentecost day. That began the trend where each new believer would from henceforth be indwelt by the Spirit of Christ.
But I believe the biggest and most important way the Lord has ever made is that of salvation and eternal life for us poor sinners. As Jesus said to Nicodemus: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Yes my fellow believers, who ever dreamed that our God would devise such a unique but heart-rending and sacrificial plan to save us eh? But remember He is God Almighty, Three in One, and One in Three, and that’s why He is able to make a way when there seems to be no way! Much LOVE!
…even if your faith is only as small as a mustard seed…don’t lose hope…God can find a way for you…when all seems lost…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 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, all that is in the world, and the lust thereof, apologize for my mistake, before it's too late, being reconciled to God, carnal lusts and pleasures of the enemy, cavorting with Satan, Christ the hope of glory, christianity, Christians, deepen my breath, do exactly as our hearts desire, do what needs to be done, drowsy and lethargic, enemies in your mind, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, flow into our hearts and souls, God suffered from unrequited love, God's enemy, he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, hob nob wih the world, holy spirit, I marvel to think, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will do a new thing, I will even make a way in the wilderness, I'm only human, if any man love the world, if wishes were horses all beggars would ride, in all sincerity and truth, in his sight, in the body of his flesh, increase my awareness of you today, is not of the Father but of the world, Jesus Christ, Jesus death, know ye not, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, live for God and not Satan, logical reason, looking over your shoulder, LOVE, love not the world, lust of the eyes, make a way to turn from enemies to friends, mercy, neither the things that are in the world, no bosses telling you what to do, not subject to the law of God, now hath he reconciled, now it shall spring forth, our omnipotent God, personal desires, physical desires, please forgive me, present you holy and unblameable, quiet my soul, reconciliation stems from God's great love for man, relax my muscles, rivers in the desert, salvation, Satan's ultimate end is total destruction, self-interests, shall ye not know it, sincere and heartfelt prayer, sinuses acting up, slow my thoughts, sometime alienated, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the carnal mind is enmity against God, the divine means of achieving reconciliation with God, the evil and ungodliness of the world, the friendship of the world is enmity with God, the last day of May, the Lord never refuses a call for intimacy, the love of the Father is not in him, the lust of the flesh, the option of forgiveness and salvation, the pangs of unrequited love, the peace of God, the pride of life, the world is going nuts, the world passeth away, they that are in the flesh cannot please God, through death, to be carnally minded is death, to be spiritually minded is life and peace, true wisdom, truth, wasting time, wicked works, wisdom, ye adulterers and adulteresses, you can't be contained, you can't ride the fence, you're either in God's or Satan's camp, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 May 2026 James 4:4a.
James 4:4a. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God?
And then it was Saturday, sunny and warm; our lazy-day Saturday, where we can do exactly as our li’l ole hearts desire, with no one to say us nay! (smile) And doesn’t it feel good! No bosses telling you what to do, as well as constantly looking over your shoulder to see if you’re actually working or simply wasting time. I wish every day could be like this one. That’s why they say that if wishes were horses, all beggars would ride. (smile) And would you believe that it’s already the last day of May, a month that just recently began? (smile) The year is surely slipping by quickly, so we had better perk up and do what needs to be done, before it’s too late.
And before I forget, let me apologize for my mistake in yesterday’s Bit, where I talked about declaring our Thursday Blessings, when it was Friday, and then rightly declared our Friday Chant instead. And was I ever annoyed when I discovered it, and though I fixed it in the Blog and the Podcast, it was too late to fix it in the original Bit I sent out.
And the only logical reason I can find for that contradiction is my having taken a tablet for my sinuses, which were acting up, and it making me feel somewhat drowsy and lethargic, and thus the ole mind not functioning properly. And what amazes me is that I read it over at least three times before I sent it out, and still never saw the mistake. Anyhow, please forgive me for that error, and I hope it never happens again. But since I’m only human, who knows? (smile)
Now, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, then the warmth and peace of God will soon flow into our hearts and souls and calm them so that we can handle the evil and ungodly world that surrounds us. Yes! The Lord God, never refuses a call for intimacy from His human creations. In fact, that’s one of the reasons He created us in the first place. Why do you think He sent His only Son Jesus to earth to die and thus give us the option of forgiveness and salvation, of being reconciled to Him, and thus returning to His wonderful fold?
Because He desired greater intimacy with us, and His heart ached badly, when He saw so many of us had turned away from Him, and embraced Satan and his foolish worldly pleasures. Yes friends, our God was suffering from the heartfelt pangs of unrequited LOVE! And many of us know, either from personal experience or the experience of someone close to us, how devastating unrequited LOVE can be to the human psyche. Ofttimes making one desire death instead of life. And so, we have some idea of how God felt when so many of His wonderful human creation had moved into the enemy’s camp, intent on enjoying the carnal lusts and pleasures that he advertised and revelled in.
But remember what Bruh Paul wrote to the Romans: ‘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.’ (Rom. 8:6-8) That means if you’re cavorting with Satan, then you’re God’s enemy. And James tells it like it is, when he declares: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be (wants to be) a friend of the world is the enemy of God.’ (James 4:4)
It could not get any clearer than that my brethren! If we desire to hob nob with the world, then we become God’s enemy, and is set down for eternal separation from Him. And He could not take the heartache of so many of us being eternally separated from Him, so he made a way for us to turn around and come back to Him. Remember, He is the one who can make a way where there seems to be no way. As He promises in Isaiah. ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:19)
Ah mih people, only our omnipotent God could have designed a way for us to turn from enemies to friends, to sons and daughters. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Colossians, when talking about Christ, the Hope of Glory. ‘And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled; In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight:’ (Col. 1:21-22) And the scholars explain: ‘Reconciliation is the act whereby God through Christ’s atonement, brings men who are at odds with Him back into a peaceful, proper relationship with Himself. Jesus’ death is the divine means of achieving reconciliation to God.’
So you see friends, this whole reconciliation business stems from God’s great LOVE for us, and His desire not to lose any of us to the evil enemy. And it only makes sense, that true wisdom dictates living for God rather than for Satan, for Satan’s ultimate end is total destruction or eternal death, while God’s is eternal life.
And as John so rightly warns us 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. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interests), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)
Oh my people, what a most appropriate scripture for us to ponder on this lazy-day Saturday, the last day of May, where our world is going nuts with all the evil and ungodliness that it’s currently filled with. Much LOVE!
make up your mind…you’re either in God’s camp or Satan’s…you can’t ride the fence…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man lay down his life for his friends, a test of your faith, all should come to repentance, be reconciled to God, be wise and go to God, Christ died for us, christianity, come back to God's fold, comfort, compassion, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, deepen my breath, die for a bunch of sinners, don't turn away from God, doubting God's love, dying for someone else, eternal life, everything will work out for our good, faith, follow Christ's example, God commendeth his own love toward us, God is omnipotent omniscient and omni-present, God so loved the world, God's great love for mankind, greater love hath no man than this, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he laid down his life for us, hereby perceive we the Love of God, holy spirit, I am the good shepherd, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his, if ye do whatsoever I command you, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, keep failing the tests, lay down our lives for the brethren, laze around, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, Lucifer, man's greatest folly, mercy, Nicodemus, quiet my soul, reciprocal love, relax my muscles, salvation, seeking intimacy with God, sin and satan got in the way, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, that's the way life is, the archangel of light, the BIBLE, the death and resurrection of Christ, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, truth, ups and downs, walk the path, whatever catches our fancy, while we were yet sinners, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, ye are my friends, you can't be contained, you cannot blame God for everything, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 May 2026 Romans 5:8.
Romans 5:8. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’
And our lazy-day Saturday is here friends, warm but somewhat cloudy with the possibility of rain. But who cares? That’s the exact kind of weather we need to stay inside, to loiter and laze around, doing whatever catches our fancy, or perhaps doesn’t catch it! (smile) But before we allow that attitude to take hold, let’s offer up our ‘Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer’ in all sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And there’s nothing better in this life than seeking greater intimacy with our heavenly Father, for that’s the main reason He created us; to pass LOVE back and forth between us, so that life would be peaceful, calm and wonderful. Unfortunately though, sin and Satan got in the way, thus making things much more difficult than they ought to be. But nonetheless, we can still be wise and choose to go to God for all the LOVE, comfort, compassion and help that He has waiting, has stored up for each of His human creations.
And it’s sad to see that so many of God’s greatest creation doubts His LOVE and compassion for them, and consequently turn away from Him, much to their own chagrin and demise. And if there’s one verse in the Bible that clearly demonstrates God’s total and undying LOVE for us is this one from Bruh Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, where he unequivocally declares: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Wow! Now why would omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present God send His only Son to die for a bunch of sinners eh, without even having them first turn from their sin? Obviously because of His great LOVE for mankind. Yes friends, while we were still enemies of God, He decided to set in motion the actions that would allow us to come back to His fold, to be reconciled to Him, through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ, which would make salvation and eternal life possible to all.
So I really can’t see how we can ever doubt God’s great LOVE for us. We might not make use of the benefits He provided, but doubting His LOVE is certainly irreconcilable with the facts. Even Satan, being once the archangel of Light, Lucifer, knows that fact, although he would never admit to is, because it would spoil or break his treasured hold on those sinners committed to him. And Jesus Himself made several clear and unambiguous statements that pertain to God’s LOVE for us; including this most prominent one to Nicodemus a Jewish church leader, who through fearing the ire of his fellow leaders, came to Jesus under cover of night to ask questions and hopefully get good answers.
And he surely did, when Jesus declared: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) What could be more assertive and reassuring than that eh? It’s only God’s LOVE that saved all mankind from hellfire and damnation. As the Bible says, it hurts God’s heart to lose even one of His human souls to sin and eternal death, showing that He clearly desires that all of them should come to repentance. (2 Pet. 3:9)
Now, listen to this other statement from Jesus that proves God’s unconditional and undying LOVE for humanity. He says to the disciples: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) And there’s no disputing that statement, for the greatest show of LOVE is dying for someone else, and we will only die for someone we seriously LOVE. And then, Jesus went out and died for us. But there was a corollary to Jesus’ statement: ‘Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:14)
Yes mih bredrin, friends usually do as their friends desire. And if we don’t do as Jesus desires, then we’re not His friend. But to be His friend, also means to have His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, leading and guiding our lives. For as Bruh Paul says in Romans: ‘Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’ (Rom. 8:9b) Direct and to the point. And to further solidify the point that Jesus died for us because He LOVED us, listen to this statement, where He declares: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that’s exactly what a good shepherd does; fight for his sheep, and if necessary die for them.
Then there’s this verse from John’s first epistle that again confirms God’s and Jesus’ LOVE for mankind. ‘Hereby perceive we the LOVE of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down ours for the brethren.’ (1 John 3:16) Now that’s a powerful scripture my people, not only reiterating that Christ died for us because He LOVED us, but also that we should follow His example, and if necessary, die for the brethren. And yes, it is indeed a tough scripture to contemplate, but thankfully, few of us will ever be called to walk that path of dying for someone else.
So please, on this lazy-day Saturday, let’s not even contemplate the question of whether God LOVES us or not, because there’s lots of proof to show that He does. You might not think so because your life is somewhat topsy turvy and not going the way you desire, but you can’t blame God for everything. He’s promised that if you live sincerely for Him, then everything will work out for good in the end, but in the middle, there will certainly be ups and downs that we don’t appreciate. However, that’s just the way life is, and please, don’t foolishly turn away from God because you don’t like what’s happening in your life right now, for sometimes it’s just a test of your faith, and if you keep failing the tests, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe! Much LOVE!
…doubting God’s LOVE…is mankind’s greatest folly…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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
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