10 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a built-in barrier, after ye have suffered a while, all will face temptation, allow your incredible aura of love, ambassadors of Christ, as a roaring lion, be able to bear it, be sober be vigilant, be tempted above that ye are able, begin a new week of work, buffeted by the enemy's wicked taunts, called us unto his eternal glory, cast into the lake of fire, casting all your care upon him, christianity, destructive schemes, disobedient to God's will, embrace Jesus and His salvation, eternal separation from God, exalt you in due time, experienced by your brethren, faith, fill us with steadfast faith, furthering your glorious kingdom, go out to meet the enemy in battle, God is faithful, god the father, God the Holy Ghost, God the son, God will make a way of escape, greater is he that is in you than he that's in the world, have it more abundantly, have overcome them, he careth for you, hell fire and damnation, holy spirit, humble servants, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I am come that they might have life, if god be for us who can be against us, in bondage to sin, Jesus Christ, Jesus has the keys to hell death and the grave, jobs, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, live under the heavy yoke of Satan, LOVE, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, make you perfect, mercy, negative consequences, no temptation has overtaken you, our weary souls, out and about on Monday, penchant for the lustful things of the world, rejuvenation of spirit, resist Satan, resuscitation of spirit, sally forth with confidence, salvation, Satan's looking for company, scriptures to strengthen us in temptation, sealed until the day of redemption, secured by God through the Holy Spirit, spread our salt and light, stablish strengthen settle you, such as is common to man, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, the BIBLE, the crucifixion death and resurrection of Christ, the evil one, the God of all grace, the lake of fire, the options of salvation and eternal life, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the same afflictions are accomplished by your brethren, the strongest trio in our corner, the thief cometh not but to steal, the throne of grace, the way to spend eternity, the worst thing that can happen to a human soul, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, to kill and destroy, to lead and guide all your servants, tormented day and night for ever, truth, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, we know we're invincible, we're not afraid, wearing your protective spiritual armour, whom resist steadfast in the faith, wisdom, with the temptation, work diligently for Christ, ye are of God little children, your adversary the devil
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 August 2026 1 John 4:4b.
1 John 4:4b. greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
And we’re out and about again on a sunshiny but somewhat cloud-covered Monday, as ambassadors of Jesus Christ, anxious to spread our salt and light before the unbelievers of this evil and ungodly world, so that they can come to know and understand the valuable options of salvation and eternal life that the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus made available to all mankind.
That they would no longer have to live under the heavy yoke of Satan, the evil one, whose only desire is to turn us away from Jehovah God, to keep us in bondage to sin and darkness, to be rebellious and disobedient to God’s holy will, thus destroying our souls and ending up in eternal separation from our Creator, the worst thing that can happen to a human soul.
That’s why Jesus in His talk about being the good shepherd warns us: ‘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) The long and short of the story friends is that Satan is looking for company to face all the negative consequences that He will eventually face, like hell fire and damnation for a thousand years, then after being released for a short while to continue his destructive behaviour, finally being tossed into the great lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented day and night for ever. (Rev. 20: 1-10)
Oh my people, is that the way we desire to spend eternity? Obviously not, that’s why we must embrace Jesus and His salvation while resisting Satan and all his destructive schemes, or as Peter puts it: ‘Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. (1 Pet. 5:6-9)
Yes mih bredrin, all of us will face temptation, but when we trust Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we receive a built-in barrier, the Holy Spirit, that helps us to resist said temptation. But it doesn’t occur automatically; we also need to talk to and listen to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide us. Please note that the devil has no real power against us unless we give it to him, for the Holy Spirit has sealed us until the day of redemption, (Eph. 4:30) which means that believers are marked, owned, and secured by God through the Holy Spirit until their final salvation. (Eph. 1:13-14)
And the wonderful thing about all of that is as John says in his first epistle: ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them (false prophets): because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4) And that’s one thing we must never forget; Jesus, in the form of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, is greater than Satan or any of his evil cohorts in this dark world. And Satan knows that too, since He’s been defeated by Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection, and now possesses the keys to hell death and the grave.
But the evil one is optimistic if nothing else, plus he knows our penchant for the lustful things of the world and thus keeps coming back to us every so often to try to inveigle us to fall for his temptations. But here are a couple of scriptures that ought to strengthen us in the face of Satan’s attacks. Bruh Paul writes thus in his first letter to the Corinthians: ‘There has no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13)
In other words, the Lord might not allow us to escape the temptation, for whatever reason(s) He has, like testing our faith, but He will certainly give us the strength to endure said temptation. And Peter ends his talk about resisting the devil thus: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:10-11)
So you see once we’ve accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, we are never alone, so there’s no reason to fear the evil doers and evil schemes of this evil world, because we have the strongest trio in the universe in our corner; that’s God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. And they are so wonderful that they have invited us to come to the throne of grace at any time to find help. So, let’s do that right now through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn nuh.
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 having had that resuscitation of spirit and confidence, (smile) let’s go out and work diligently for Christ, like we ought to! Much LOVE!
…if God be for us…who can be against us eh… (Rom. 8:31)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a chance to see God's face, a guilty conscience, a life-giving spirit, a living soul, a newborn spiritual child, a startling realization, a tough nut to crack, a turning of one's whole life to God, also bear the image of the heavenly, become as little children, born from above, born of the life-giving Spirit of christ, born of water and of the spirit, borne the image of the earthy, characterized by faith and humility, Christians, deepen my breath, doing nothing, enjoy a lazy-day Saturday, eternal death, eternal separation from God, except a man be born again, except ye be converted, exercise dominion over them, faith, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, get right with God, give his life for a ransom for many, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, heartfelt plea, holy spirit, humble himself as a child, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, increasing intimacy with God, Jesus Christ, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him be your minister, let him be your servant, lolled around in the bed, LOVE, made a quickening spirit, make the right decision, man of dust, mercy, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption, our body returns to dust, our spirit will soar to heaven and eternal life, prayers that fall under God's will, quiet my soul, raised a spiritual body, relax my muscles, salvation, slow my thoughts, so is everyone born of the Spirit, sown a natural body, thank you for this tenderness, that which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born of the Spirit is spirit, the first man Adam was made a living soul, the first man is of the earth, the Good Library, the great exercise authority upon them, the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, the last man Adam, the Lord answers our prayer, the one willing to forgive the most, the princes of the Gentiles, the second man is the Lord from heaven, the Son of man came not to be served, the true biblical picture of conversion, the wind bloweth where it listeth, there is a natural body and a spiritual body, to be born again, to be converted, truth, who will be chief among you, who will be great among you, wisdom, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven, you can't be contained, you hear the sound of the wind, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 July 2026 Matthew 18:4.
Matthew 18:4. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And it’s our lazy-day Saturday! Oh what joy! Doing whatever we want, even up to doing nothing on this hot, sunny July day without a guilty conscience! It could not get any better than that! And I must admit that I enjoyed a bit of the lazy-day Saturday morning. I got up fairly early, did a few things, then went back and lolled around in the bed, and it felt so good, I had to force myself to get up and come down to write the Bit. (smile) But before we carry this lazy-day Saturday thing too far, 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 as always, if the Lord heard our heartfelt plea, and on checking our hearts, found it to be true and sincere, then in a short time our soul and spirit will be enjoying a big slice of peace and calm, as the Lord answers our prayer, for He simply delights in answering our heartfelt pleas that fall under His will, and increasing intimacy with, and knowledge of Him, is certainly a big part of His will. And what more do we need to enjoy a lazy-day Saturday than a big slice of God’s peace and calm. There’s nothing better for that job. (smile)
And, as per today’s discussion, the Good Library opened at Matthew’s gospel where Jesus is teaching the disciples about the least being the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The Bible recalls it thus: ‘At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 18:1-4)
Now, that must have been a startling realization to the disciples, for they must have figured that one who did the most wonderful works here on earth would be the greatest in heaven. However, as the scholars explain: ‘The dispute over who is the greatest was settled by Jesus’ emphasis that it was the one who was willing to forgive the most! Be converted means a “turning” of one’s whole life and person toward God. This is the true biblical picture of conversion. It is far more than mental acknowledgement of the truth or intellectual assent to certain ideas. To become as little children means to be born again (converted) as a newborn spiritual child, characterized by faith and humility.’
But that’s somewhat of a tough nut to crack, because to enter the kingdom of heaven we have to change our behaviour towards God and become humble and faithful like little children. However, that should not surprise us for it’s exactly what Jesus told the disciples when James and John’s mother came asking if they could sit on His right and left hand in heaven and it caused an uproar amongst the others.
‘Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion (lord it) over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosever will be great among you, let him be your minister (servant). And whosoever will be chief (first) among you, let him be your servant (slave). Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (served), but to minister (serve) and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Matt. 20:25-28) That let’s us know that servanthood in Jesus’ kingdom is of the utmost importance.
Then in Jesus ‘exchange with Nicodemus, the Jewish leader, He explains the process of attaining heaven. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) And when Nicodemus didn’t understand Him, Jesus clarified it thus: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:5-8)
Yes friends, it is imperative that after we’re born of the flesh, we’re also born of the Spirit, if we desire to enter into God’s kingdom. So it’s necessary to be born twice to even get the chance to see God’s face, and then to achieve any greatness in heaven, we must also be faithful and humble like little children. And in Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians he addresses that conundrum when he explains about the resurrection of the body. He writes: ‘It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (Jesus) was made a quickening (life-giving) spirit.
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy (man of dust): the second man is the Lord from heaven. … And as we have borne the image of the earthy (man of dust), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.’ (1 Cor. 15:44-47; 49-50)
Yes my people, we’re all born a natural birth from our mother’s womb, or men of dust, but to attain heaven, we must also be born of the life-giving Spirit of Christ, for when our fleshly bodies die, all that remains is the spirit, and if our spirit isn’t aligned with God, or we’re not born again of the Spirit, then we’re in for a rough time undergoing eternal separation from God, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul. Therefore, it behooves us, right now, to get right with God, be born again of the Spirit, so that when our body returns to dust, as it will, then our spirit will soar to heaven and eternal life, rather than to hell and eternal death.
And hopefully, as we laze about today, we’ll ponder on those things, and make the right decision. Much LOVE!
…greatness in Christ’s kingdom…does not depend on might and power…but on faithfulness and humility…
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
05 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a kind of firstfruits, a state of strife, after that ye have suffered a while, announce Christ's good news gospel, as worthy vessels, be a lighted candle showing others the way, be perfect and entire, be slow to wrath, begat us with the word of truth, believers in Christ Jesus, bring light to our dark and cloudy path, called us unto his eternal glory, christianity, Christians, clinging to you hopefully, come to know and love christ like we do, cometh down from the Father of lights, count it all joy, despite the drain and strain, determined to wait, do not err my beloved brethren, duty bound, encourages God to do even more for us, equipped with all the tools to handle life, eternal separation from God, even confidently, every good and perfect gift is from above, faith, fall into divers temptations, fall into various trials, filled with flavoured salt, firstfruits of his creatures, fresh depths of insight, go out and share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, God will do all He promises, God will himself restore you, good reason for faith hope and trust in God, grace grows best in winter, holy spirit, hurry, I anticipate new perspectives, in god's eyes, in ways unanticipated, into all that is now so mysterious, Jesus Christ, let every man be swift to hear, let patience have her perfect work, like beacons that draw others to us, live our lives like shining lights, LOVE, make all you are now permitting blessedly clear, make the effort to spread God's word, make you perfect, make you strong firm and steadfast, mental unrest, mercy, neither shadow of turning, not easy to put into action, O God ... My God, of his own will, receive the amazing gifts of salvation and eternal life, regardless of the consequences, rise above the noise and hate of the world, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, Samuel Rutherford's words, share His love with my neighbours, slow to speak, someday, someway, sounds very godly and righteous, stablish strengthen settle you, teaching me the great truth, thank you dear God, thank you for that, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the God of all grace, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the trying of your faith worketh patience, the wrath of man, throw a spanner in the works, tickles the Lord's fancy, to an unbelieving multitude, to rely upon your faithfulness, to trust, transform a saltless world, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wait with patience and perseverance, wanting nothing, warms the cockles of God's heart, we consider ourselves teachable, what a show of faith, when the going's good, wisdom, with fixed purpose, with whom is no variableness, worketh not the righteousness of God, worry, you seem totally hidden
1 Peter 5:10. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you.
Yay friends! It’s Tuesday! That means we’ve successfully navigated Monday, and the rest of the week will be a breeze! Wow! Isn’t that nice to know. Yes it is, but please let’s not get too sure of ourselves, because it’s very possible for any other day to throw a spanner in the works. Let’s ensure that we’re appropriately dressed up and prayed up, (smile) so that if anything untoward happens we are in a good position to handle it.
And on this fifth day of the fifth month, we have an interesting poem to share from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, one that’s aptly titled ‘O God … My God.’ That’s a wonderful title eh? Wonder what it says? Hope it’s as good as the anticipation. (smile) Please read with me, so we can find out.
‘O God … My God Though You now seem totally hidden I am clinging to You hopefully Even confidently. Someday, some way, you will make All You are now permitting Blessedly clear. With fixed purpose, dear God I am determined to wait, to trust To rely upon Your faithfulness. Despite the drain and strain I anticipate new perspectives And fresh depths of insight Into all that is now so mysterious. O God, in ways unanticipated You are teaching me the great truth Of Samuel Rutherford’s words: “I see that grace grows best in winter.” Thank You, dear God Thak You for that!’
Yes mih bredrin, grace does grow best in winter. For it’s in the hard, cold days of troubled times when we need it the most, and when the Lord showers it down on us the most. When the going’s good, we don’t need grace half as much as when it’s not. And I like how the poem says that although God seems to be hidden from us, we’re still clinging to Him hopefully, even confidently! Wow! What a show of faith!
And furthermore, With fixed purpose, we’re determined to wait, to trust and to rely upon God’s faithfulness, despite the strain and drain on our nerves, our faith and our other resources. Mama Mia! That’s the way I like to hear us talk … and so does our heavenly Father! When we talk like that, with faith and trust regardless of the consequences, it warms the cockles of His heart and encourages Him to do even more for us, because then He knows that we truly LOVE and appreciate Him! It also tickles the Lord’s fancy that we consider ourselves teachable, and wait with patience and perseverance. (smile)
And what’s the Bible verse for today’s poem, you ask? Well … it’s one that we all know, but don’t always take kindly to. However if what we said about the poem is true, then we need to accept it with graciousness. (smile) And it comes from the first epistle of Peter. ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you.’ (1 Pet. 5:10) Or as the NIV (New International Version) says: ‘after you have suffered a little while, God will Himself restore you, and make you strong, firm and steadfast.’
So there is good reason for the hope, faith and trust we put in Almighty God, despite the tough times we go through. No one likes tough times but in this evil and ungodly world they have become a part of life, and only with the help of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ can we handle them with some amount of fortitude. Again, it’s like James tries to tell us: ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials); Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:2-4)
Now that sounds very godly and righteous, but it’s not very easy to put into action, especially when our whole world is in a state of strife and mental unrest. But as believers in Christ Jesus, we have been equipped with the tools to do so, and are expected to use them to calm our fears and worries, and even rise above the noise and hate of the world and announce Christ’s good news gospel to an unbelieving multitude, as we live our lives like shining lights, like beacons that draw others to us, as worthy vessels filled with flavoured salt to transform a saltless world.
Yes friends, much is expected of us, but Jesus also did much for us, and the least we can do is to make the effort to spread His word and be a lighted candle showing others the way He desires them to live, so that they can receive the amazing gifts of salvation and eternal life. Remember, that’s why He came to earth and died; to save us from a life of eternal separation from the Father, from perishing in hellfire with Satan and his other evil cronies. So, if we can’t do those two simple things, be a light and flavoured salt, of what use are we to Christ eh? None whatsoever!
And to help us understand the problem, we’ll close with an interesting warning from James. ‘Do not err (be deceived), my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation) neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:16-20)
Let’s hope those words bring some light to our dark and cloudy path. And now it’s time to declare our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, we’re duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…God will do ALL He promises…if we would only have sufficient faith, trust and patience in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all God asks of us is obedience, all should come to repentance, beelivers must now do their part, birds singing, buds on the trees, carry them in his bosom, Christ has already done his part, christianity, Christians, climate change, deepen my breath, do the work we pledged to do for Christ, Easter celebration, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, feed his flock like a shepherd, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, get up off our fat and lazy fannies, God commendeth his own love toward us, God is longsuffering towards us, God is not willing that any should perish, God reconciled us back to Himself, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, God so loved the world, God will bring us closer to His heart, God will come in strength, God's great love for mankind, have everlasting life, have greater intimacy with mankind, he gave his only begotten son, his arm shall rule for him, his reward is with him, his work before him, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, keeping Christ's victory alive, keeping God first place in our lives, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, like a shepherd treats his sheep, LOVE, majesty of this time, mercy, motivated by love, number one priority, our sins could be paid for, our turn to reciprocate God's love, prayer and supplication, proclaiming victory over sin and death, promises of spring, quiet my soul, rebirth of nature, relax my muscles, rose from the grave on the third day, salvation, sending Jesus to die on the cross, sinking into the mire of evil and ungodliness, slow my thoughts, souls lost forever, spend eternity in God's presence, spring has sprung, thank you for this tenderness, thanskgiving rises to the heavens, the BIBLE, the blazing new colour, the first blossoms of spring, the Lord God will come with strong hand, the world through him might be saved, treat us in a loving manner, truth, warmer days, we all have room for improvement, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Romans 5:8. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’
Oh friends, it’s our lazy-day Saturday, and I’ve seen the first blossoms, the first true blooming of the marvellous season of spring! Yes, in the beautiful yellow flowers of a tree in my backyard! And please don’t ask me what kind of tree it is, because I don’t have a clue. (smile) But after all the promises of spring that’s been recently taunting us; with buds on the trees, birds singing and the days getting warmer, we can now definitely say that spring’s been sprung! Yes my fellow believers, that marvelous and miraculous rebirth of nature is truly on it’s way after a somewhat tough winter.
And truthfully, the winter was not as tough as some we use to have before climate change disrupted everything, and made us soft, after experiencing a period of easy winters. But that’s all behind us now, for spring is here and thanksgiving rises to the heavens for all the blazing new colour and majesty of this time. And in honour of all that, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth!
As one 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!’
Yes mih bredrin, if our prayer was sincere, then we know that the wonderful God we serve will soon bring us closer to His heart, and bestow His wonderful peace and calm in our spirits, because His Number One priority is to have greater intimacy with His most wonderful creation, mankind! And He’s shown that in so many ways, in so many promises that if we don’t know and understand that by now, we’ll never do so.
Listen to this promise from the prophet Isaiah: ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11)
Now why would God make such a promise if He didn’t desire to be in close intimacy with His creation eh? His desire is to treat us in a LOVING manner like a shepherd treats his sheep. And what can be more convincing of the Lord’s great LOVE for us than His sending His son Jesus to earth to die on the cross of calvary so that our sins could be paid for, then raising Him up from the grave on the third day, at Easter, which we’re still celebrating, so that we can have the wonderful options of salvation and eternal life? That’s reconciling us back to Himself; bringing us back to his fold, and causing us to spend eternity in His awesome presence.
Yes friends, all of that was motivated by that one majestic word: LOVE! And I can’t help quoting one of my favourite scripture verses here. (smile) This one from Bruh Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, where he exposes the true and wonderful heart of God to us, when he writes: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Why would He do such a thing unless His LOVE and compassion were overwhelming for us eh?
Because, as Peter says, He ‘is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9b) Of course, the Lord doesn’t want to lose any of His magnificent creation to hellfire and damnation. Just like we don’t want to lose any of our children or descendants to it. And we do that because we have much LOVE and compassion for them, and don’t want their souls to be lost forever in eternal separation from their Creator.
And Jesus Himself explained it better than anyone else, when He said to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who secretly came to Him under cover of night seeking answers. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world though him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
There again we see it my people, it’s all about God’s great LOVE for mankind. And you can’t have real and true LOVE unless you have a fair amount of intimacy. That’s why it’s ever so important for us to get close to our heavenly Father so that we can experience all the LOVE and compassion He has for us. He has already played and shown His hand by sending Jesus to die for us, it’s now our turn to reciprocate that LOVE by keeping Him first place in our lives and sincerely living this earthly life the way He desires. That’s all He asks of us; obedience to Him and His Word!
And though that’s sometimes difficult to do in this ungodly world with Satan and all his evil cronies on our case, the Lord has already given us all we need to fight the good fight: His Word with His many promises, the Holy Spirit that indwells us to lead, guide and comfort us, and easy access to Him though prayer and supplication. What else do we need eh? Nothing, but to get up off our fat and lazy fannies and do the work we’ve pledged to do for Christ!
And this lazy-day Saturday in the spring of 2026, is as good a day as any for us to truly contemplate how we’re living for Christ, and how we can and need to improve it, for we all have room for improvement. And my fellow believers, we all also know that our world desperately needs to see plenty improvement right now, if we’re to prevent it from further sinking into the mire of evil and ungodliness that it’s currently doing! Much LOVE!
…Christ has already done His part…proclaiming victory over sin and death…now we must do our part…keeping His victory alive…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of thorns, a misnomer, abused, art thou then the Son of God, Barabbas, cast lots for his garments, Christ sacrificed His sinless life for us, christianity, come up higher in our appreciation for Jesus, cruel and inhumane treatment, did spit on Jesus, distresses the soul, eternal separation from God, Father forgive them, foregoing the glory of salvation and eternal life, free from the bondage of sin, give his life as a ransom for many, Golgotha, Good Friday, Hail King of the Jews, heartbreaking, Herod, holy spirit, humiliated, in the right context, insurrection, Jesus accused of blasphemy and sedition, Jesus Christ, Jesus death on the cross serves as a ransom for many, Jesus paid the price for our sins on Good Friday, Jesus scourged, Jesus was the only sinless person, Judas Iscariot, left to dehydrate in the hot sun, LOVE, mercy, mocked, obedient to the will of God, obedient unto death on the cross, Passover, Pilate, reconcile humanity with God, salvation, Simon the Cyrene, sinless life, smote him on the head with a reed, sufferation, the BIBLE, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord's a righteous and just judge, the son of man came not be ministered unto, the ultimate in forgiveness, they know not what they do, thrity pieces of silver, to satisfy divine justice, truth, wisdom, ye say I am
Luke 23:34a. ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’
And then it was Friday, a warm but cloudy day, that we call Good Friday. But anyone in their right frame of mind would certainly consider that a misnomer or an inaccurate name for that first Good Friday, a day on which many terrible things happened in the annals of our faith. But then, if we consider the name in the right context of the situation, we can see why it’s a good and fitting name. Why? Because on that First Good Friday Jesus Christ paid the enormous price for our sins with His selfless, sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary.
And as this commentary tells us: ‘Jesus’ death on the cross serves as a “ransom for many,” acting as the required price to liberate humanity from the bondage of sin and death. He served as a substitute, offering his life to satisfy divine justice and reconcile humanity with God.’ As He Himself says: ‘For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (be served), but to minister (serve), and give his life a ransom for many.’ (Mark. 10:45)
And we arrived at that situation because God the Father desired to give His sinful creation a chance to come back to His fold, but as a righteous and just judge, that could only happen if our sins were paid for. And since only a sinless person could pay for sins, and since Jesus was the only sinless person in the universe, then He was obviously the only choice as the payee.
Now, having our sins paid for, is a wonderful thing, but the injustice and ‘sufferation,’ the cruel and inhumane treatment that Jesus went through to make that outcome possible, is heartbreaking and distresses the soul. We read about how He was betrayed by one of His trusted disciples, Judas Iscariot for thirty pieces of silver and arrested on the night before the Passover in the Garden of Gethsemane, taken before the chief priests and elders, where He was mocked, humiliated and sorely abused.
The scriptures say: ‘And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote (struck) him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who it is that smote (struck) thee? And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.’ (Luke 22:63-65) And when the council of Jewish leaders could not find good false witnesses against Jesus, they questioned Him about who He was, asking, ‘Art thou then the Son of God? and he said unto them, Ye say I am (You say rightly). And they said, what need we any further witness (testimony)? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.’ (Luke 22:70-71)
Then they took him to Pilate, the governor, accusing Him of blasphemy and sedition, or stirring up the Jewish people against the Roman government, for apparently only the Roman Governor could pronounce a death sentence, and that is exactly what the Jewish leaders wanted. But Pilate, on hearing that Jesus was from Galilee, sent Him to Herod, who had jurisdiction over that area. And though Herod questioned Jesus extensively, Jesus answered him nothing. ‘And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. and Herod with his men of war, set him at nought (treated him with contempt), and mocked him, and arrayed (dressed) him in gorgeous robe, and sent him back to Pilate.’ (Luke 23:10-11)
But Pilate found no fault with Jesus, no truth in what He was accused of, and told the people He would chastise and then release Him, as their tradition called for one Jewish prisoner to be released at the Passover. ‘And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (Who for a certain sedition (insurrection) made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.’ (Luke 23:18-19) And though Pilate tried to reason with the crowd, they kept on calling loudly for Christ’s crucifixion.
‘And so, Pilate willing to content the people (wanting to gratify the crowd), released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him (flogged with a Roman scourge), to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away into the hall , called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band (a group of Roman soldiers). And they clothed him (Jesus) with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head. And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote (struck) him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.’ (Mark 15:15-20)
Oh friends, you see the unfair and unjust abuse and mockery that Jesus took on our behalf. So how can we ever be ungrateful and treat Him without the respect and devotion He deserves eh? No way! But unfortunately many of us don’t consider Him as highly as we ought, and foolishly refuse to accept His payment for our sins, foregoing the glory of salvation and eternal life for one of eternal separation from Almighty God, thus making Jesus’ sacrificial death of no use to them.
Blessedly for Jesus though, as he was bearing His cross through the streets of Jerusalem, falling down from the weight and human tiredness, the soldiers compelled a man, Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross to a place called Golgotha, where they crucified Him, along with two thieves, one on either side of Him. Can you imagine lying on the ground on a wooden cross and have people driving nails into your hands and feet, without anything to ease the pain, although they apparently gave Jesus wine mixed with myrrh which would have dulled the pain, but Jesus refused it. Then having the cross being lifted up and placed securely in a hole, and you left to dehydrate, or if you were wounded, to bleed and eventually die in the hot sun.
That’s what Jesus endured for us my fellow believers. But you know He was ever so obedient to the will of the Father, obedient even unto death on the cross. And even in the throes of death, stabbed in the side with a javelin, given sour wine to quench His thirst, while the soldiers cast lots for His garments, as prophesied by Bruh David in Psalm 22:18, and the Jewish leaders continually mocking Him, Jesus still found the goodness and mercy to declare: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34a)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s the ultimate in forgiveness! And it will do us well to take a few moments of this Good Friday and contemplate what Jesus suffered for us ungrateful sinners, and see if we cannot come up higher in our appreciation for Him! Much LOVE!
…Jesus…the Son of God…sacrificed His sinless life…so that we sinners could live and be free from the bondage of sin…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a garden of thistles and thorns, a snowy winter, abide with you for ever, all our lives through, be of good cheer, be perfect and entire, bear many a burden, bear many a care, being confident of this very thing, between a rock and a hard place, clay in the hands of a potter, count it all joy, divne help, endure to the end with Christ, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, fall into various trials, flower-strewn pathways, get through life scot free, give you another Comforter, God hath not promised skies ever blue, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, God's desire is to have us all as replicas of Jesus, God's Word, grace, grace for trials, grin and bear it, guide you into all truth, halfway home, hands on the plough, he dwelleth in you, he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, he which hath begun a good work in you, hellfire and damnation, help from above, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, I will not leave you comfortless, I will pray the Father, if ye love me keep my commandments, in my ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, joy without sorrow, lazy, leave you as orphans, let pateince have her perfect work, life is not a bed of roses, light for the way, living for Jesus offers unsurpassable rewards, LOVE, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, needing no guide, negative experiences, not looking back at the past, not turning back, omnipotent power, our second wind day, peace without pain, perform it until the day of jesus, rest amid labour, salvation, selfish, shew you things to come, smooth roads, stay on the straight and narrow path, strength for the day, sun without rain, swift easy travel, tha k god, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the living truth, the Lord's Number One Plan, the lust thereof, the positive work God accomplishes through testing, The Promises and Non-Promises of God, the Spirit of truth, the testing of your faith produces patience, the trying of your faith worketh patience, the world passeth away, the world through him might be saved, to a glorious future with Jesus, tough times in this sinful world, truth, turbulent times, undying LOVE, unfailing sympathy, unsurpassable rewards, waltz through this life with no cares, wanting nothing, when the Spirit of truth is come, when ye fall into divers temptations, whom the world cannot receive
1 John 2:17. And the world paseth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
And then it was Wednesday, our second wind day. And do we ever need to catch that second wind so we can make it safely through, because it’s a cloudy, snowy, miserable day. Chuh! This looks like it’s going to be a snowy winter, for every time you turn around it’s snowing. But there’s nothing much to do but grin and bear it, for that’s the nature of the northern climes, and we’ve been spoiled in recent years with comparatively little snow during the winter months. But here’s an interesting poem I recently discovered amongst my piles of papers. I’m not sure where it comes from or when (smile) but I’m fairly sure I’ve shared it sometime in the past.
But like so many of those prayers and poems, they are still very appropriate for these turbulent times. And I believe the poem is called ‘The Promises and Non-Promises of God.’ So please read with me. ‘God hath not promised skies ever blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through; God hath not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain. God hath not promised smooth roads and wide, swift, easy travel needing no guide; God hath not promised we shall not bear many a burden and many a care. But God hath promised strength for the day, rest amid labour, light for the way; grace for trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying LOVE!’
And that’s the living truth my people! God never promised that we will just waltz through this life with no cares, worries, burdens or trials. He simply promised that He will help us each and every day to bear what burdens or trials we might experience. It’s just that we know His omnipotent power and are lazy and selfish and expect to get through life Scot free, that we take these liberties about what God promised and what He didn’t. Why do you think He gave us first Jesus, then the Holy Spirit eh?
Jeus came to save us from our abominable sinful behaviour that was leading us down the path of eternal separation from God. As He very plainly says in the gospel of John: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world though him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) Yes friends, we needed divine help if we were to avoid hellfire and damnation. And having given us an option to avoid that most fearful outcome, the Lord then gave us the Holy Spirit to help us live the kind of life we needed to live so we could stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to Him and eternal life.
The Holy Spirit is our guide and comforter and helper. If God didn’t think we’d need those things to live this earthly life, why give us the Holy Spirit? Listen to Jesus again, this time on the work of the Holy Spirit. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18)
And so it was done! The Holy Spirit came to dwell within each believer on the first day of Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension back to heaven. (Acts 2:1-4) Then later on, Jesus again spoke to the disciples about the importance of the Holy Spirit. ‘Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall ye speak: and he will shew you things to come.’ (John 16:13) And Jesus finally told them: ‘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).
Oh my people, the Lord knew that we would have tough times in this sinful world, that’s why he equipped us with all that we needed to handle it. The Holy Spirit, prayer, grace, mercy, and His Word. For living in an evil and ungodly world trying to be righteous and godly is a major task. That’s why we have scriptures like James’ exhortation: ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials); Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:2-4)
Yes those are tough words to handle, but as the scholars explain: These “negative” experiences are to be accepted with great joy, not for the sake of the trial itself but because of the positive work God can accomplish through the testing.’ We do need to remember that God tests our faith all through this earthly life and that is done usually through trials and temptations because it’s only when we are between a rock and a hard place that our faith grows. When life’s good, our faith either stagnates or gets soft and weak.(smile)
And remember too that the Lord’s Number One Plan is to have all His children as replicas of His first born Jesus, therefore, as along as we are alive, we will be like putty or clay in the hands of a potter, with Him trying to make us into the image of Jesus. It’s like Bruh Paul says 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) That means everyday we’re alive the Master Potter will be working on us. So it’s not an easy life to live for Christ, but as I keep saying, it’s very interesting and the rewards are unsurpassable.
Nothing this world has to offer can ever surpass salvation and eternal life with Christ. Remember too as John says in his first epistle: ‘And the world paseth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:17) Yes, my fellow believers, this world will eventually pass away, but if we do God’s will, we will live forever with Him. Let’s remember that and set our minds to it, despite all the many tests and temptations we might face, for our God is just faithful and true !
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we’re serious, then we’ll endure with Christ right to the very end, and thus enjoy the promise of a more than glorious future for those who see it through to the end. Much LOVE!
…life is not a bed of roses…but a garden of thistles and thorns…that we need to work on…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a demanding kind of love, a gossip, a hell hole, a hellbound world, a serious warning, anger, arrogance, bear any grudge against the children of thy people, bearing life long grudges, dedicate your life to God, disobedience to God's word, do not rebuke your neighbour, do not suffer sin upon your neighbour, eternal separation from God, everlasting truth, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, flowing through me, for thy good, free will, glad to be alive, God will circumcise thine heart, halfway home, hands on the plough, hang all the law and the prophets, hating our brothers, hatred, holy spirit, I am the Lord, Jesus Christ, keep the commandments of the Lord, LOVE, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, narcissistic love, not looking back, obeying God's commandments gives life, on these two commandments, resentment, right to the very end, robots, salvation, Satan is of no help, selfishness, stand against the blood of thy neighbour, step up to the plate, stick with Jesus, strife, thank God, that thou mayest live, the basic foundation of God's law, the basis for a fulfilling life, the breath of life, the essence of God's law, the first and great commandment, the heart of thy seed, The Lord our God is one Lord, thou, Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer, thou shalt not hate thy brother, thou shalt not take vengeance, to a glorious future with Jesus, to celan up our act, to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, treat others with care and compassion, truth, two fundamental principles, Wednesday Wail, what doth the Lord require of thee, when the chips fall, wisdom, wish to see the pearly gates, with all thy heart soul and mind
Matthew 22:37. Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And it’s going to be another beautiful summer’s day, with high temps and a cool breeze to nullify the heat. So what more can we ask eh? Nothing really, except that we step up to the plate and truly do as Jesus tells us in reply to the uppity, arrogant lawyer’s question. ‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)
Yes mih friends, those two commandments are the basic foundation of God’s law…LOVE God – dedicate your life to Him, and LOVE your neighbour as you LOVE yourself – treat others with the same care and compassion that we give ourselves. It’s all about LOVE! The greatest emotion and attribute of God and mankind! Hopefully we’ll LOVE ourselves with a good LOVE, not a narcissistic, arrogant, selfish and demanding kind, and we can then transfer that wholesome LOVE to our neighbours. Wow! What a wonderful world this would be if we could only live that way!
And this commentary explains the purpose of the Great Commandment thus. ‘The “Great Commandment,” as cited by Jesus in the New Testament, refers to two fundamental principles: LOVING God with all your being and LOVING your neighbor as yourself. It’s not a single commandment but two intertwined ones, representing the essence of God’s law and the basis for a fulfilling life. These two commandments are presented as the foundation upon which the entire law and the prophets rest. They are not a replacement for the Ten Commandments but a distillation of their meaning, emphasizing the importance of a heart-felt LOVE for God and for others.’
And that’s nothing new, for Moses reiterated the Great Commandment at least three times for the children of Israel in the book of Deuteronomy. So, let’s check them out nuh. In chapter 6, Moses declares: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.’ (Deut. 6:4-5)
Then in chapter 10, he says: ‘And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to LOVE him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good (benefit or welfare).’ (Deut. 10:12-13) And please note that last verse specifies that keeping the Lord’s commandments are not for His good but for ours!
When are we going to wake up and realize that everlasting truth eh my people? So that our world can become a much better place for our children’s children, because what we’re currently bequeathing to them is nothing less that a hell hole, a tragically hell bound world!
Then in chapter 30, Moses again tells the Israelites about their basic duty to God. ‘And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.’ (Deut. 30:6) Please note that last phrase ‘that thou mayest live.’ Again, LOVING God and obeying His commandments will give us life, and by inference, doing the opposite will surely cut it short. How long is it going to take us to learn eh friends, that all the Lord says and does and expects of us is for our good?
And as per LOVING and respecting our neighbour, hear these instructions from the Book of Leviticus. Moses writes: ‘Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer (gossip) among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood (life) of thy neighbour: I am the Lord. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise (surely reprove, criticize, rebuke) thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him (bear sin because of him). Thou shalt not avenge (take vengeance), nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.’ (Lev. 19:16-18)
Unfortunately though, all those things that the Lord said we should not do, are exactly what we’re doing today. For, gossip, taking our neighbour’s lives, or putting them in jeopardy, rebuking, criticizing, bearing sin against our neighbours, hating our brothers, both biological and figurative, taking vengeance on others, and bearing unnecessary, even life-long grudges are the things that are most prominent in our current society. What it does it say about out LOVE for God eh, about the reverence and obedience we have for Him! Nada! We don’t consider Him important, else our behaviour would be entirely different.
And then we wonder why our world is in such chaos and disaster, with strife, anger, hatred, resentment amongst the major ingredients of our lives. It’s simple friends: disobedience to God’s Word, and a strong desire to live the carnal and evil way that Satan promotes. But let’s remember that when the chips fall, Satan can’t help us, not even one iota, for all those who live like him will be headed straight to hellfire and damnation, with eternal separation from God. Therefore, this is a serious warning for us to clean up our act if we ever wish to see the pearly gates of heaven.
Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail (chuh!!!) and let me apologize for a mindless blunder yesterday, calling our Tuesday Mantra, the Tuesday Wail. Don’t know where my head was. (smile)
So with strong and sincere voice, let’s offer up our Wednesday Wail. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And our puny, finite minds cannot picture the glorious future that awaits those who stick with Jesus right to the very end. Hope and pray to see you there! Much LOVE!
…God did not want His most marvellous creation to be robots…so He gave us free will…hoping that we would use it to live for Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a scapegoat, acknowledge God's sovereignty, be still, called to be saints, chaos, Christians, climate change, commune with your own heart, decitfulness, disaster, doubt God's existence, downfall of our world, endure to the end, enlarged me, eternal separation from God, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, follow Satan and his lies, for his holy work, glad to be alive, halfway home, hands on the plough, have mercy upon me, he shall direct your paths, hear me when I call, hear my prayer, him that is godly for himself, holy spirit, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, in all thy ways acknowledge him, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, LOVE, love vanity, many naysayers, mercy, not turning back, O God of my righteousness, offer the sacrifices of righteousness, petition for God's benevolence to be demonstrated, promise of summer, put your trust in the Lord, Safety in the Lord, salvation, sanctified by God's grace, Satan has nothing to lose, seek after falsehood, sin not, spring-like behaviour, stand in awe, strife, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lord hath set apart, the pious, thou hast put gladness in my heart, thou Lord only makes me dwell in safety, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them that are sanctified in Christ, total surrender to Christ, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, turn my glory into shame, un godly deeds, unusual happenings, Wednesday late bus, Wednesday Wail, who will shew us any good, wisdom, wise guidance, you relieved me when I was in distress
Psalm 4:8. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Aye mih people, today we’re on the usual Wednesday late bus, (smile) not the late late one like last week, for although I did stop off to do an errand after church, today I did not need a nap before writing the Bit! Glory to God! But I’m surely disappointed in the weather because last week it showed such promise of summer, while this week it’s reverted to spring-like behaviour; temps around the low double figures, and damp, windy, drizzly conditions. But I suppose that’s the crazy effects of climate change. Yes, climate change has become a very convenient excuse or scapegoat for any unusual happenings.
Anyway, today I’ve been led to look at Psalm 4, espousing Bruh David’s great confidence of ‘Safety in the Lord.’ He begins with this soulful, heartfelt call: ‘Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged (relieved) me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me (be gracious to me) and hear my prayer.’ (Ps. 4:1) Now that’s a cry many of us have uttered down through the years, and will most surely utter again if we live to a ripe old age. (smile) But it’s a very potent and necessary prayer. As the scholars put it: ‘the pious always petition for God’s benevolent attributes to be demonstrated.’
And why not eh? Our God clearly desires us to call out to Him for help when we’re in trouble and He takes great pride in helping us. But we do have to sincerely acknowledge Him in the affairs of our lives, if we expect His help. As Cousin Sol says in that wise and famous scripture: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) Now that’s the basis and reason we have for expecting God to hear our cry for help! We acknowledge His sovereignty and wise guidance.
And it’s interesting how Bruh David continues the psalm. ‘O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye LOVE vanity (worthlessness), and seek after leasing (falsehood)? Selah.’ (Ps. 4:2) Now that’s a very good question, and one that’s rather appropriate to many of us in these trying and ungodly times! Yes friends, how long are we going to foolishly and unwisely continue to follow Satan and his lies, deceitfulness and ungodly deeds eh? We can all see that it’s only causing chaos, strife and disaster, which will lead to the eventual downfall of our world.
Let’s remember that Satan has nothing to lose, because he’s already been condemned to hell fire and damnation, with eternal separation from God. But we have so much to lose if we follow his sinful schemes, wiles and lies; our salvation and also eternal separation from God. And there’s nothing more important in this universe than salvation, and eternal life with God! So what’s it going to take to wake up our unwise brethren to the falsehood and dishonesty of Satan eh? And to help us understand the situation, Bruh David continues: ‘But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.’ (Ps. 4:3)
And that is exactly what the Lord has done through Christ Jesus, as Bruh Paul writes to the Corinthians: ‘Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.’ (1 Cor. 1:2) Yes friends, all who believe in Christ Jesus are set apart, sanctified by His grace and mercy for His holy work.
And this commentary offers an interesting explanation. ‘In Christianity, sanctification refers to the process of being set apart for God’s use, becoming holy or sacred. It’s not just an initial act of being declared holy (justification), but an ongoing process of growth in holiness and likeness to Christ. This growth involves actively participating with the Holy Spirit in spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible study, as well as obeying God’s commands.’
So you see, we’re not to be doing the things Satan tries to tempt us into doing. Instead, we’re supposed to be doing like Bruh David says in the psalm. ‘Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.’ (Ps. 4:4-5)
Wow! What wise and wonderful advice! Are we going to take it? Let’s hope so! For as Bruh David continues: ‘There are many that say. Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. This hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased.’ (Ps. 4:6-7) Oh my people, there are indeed many naysayers, many who doubt God’s goodness and even His very existence, but we know better, we know the truth; He does exist, is all powerful, all knowing and ever-present in the lives of those who sincerely LOVE and live for Him.
That’s why Bruh David could make this glorious and confident statement to end the psalm. ‘I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’ (Ps. 4:8) And all God’s children said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord!’ Yes mih bredrin, only those who sincerely belief in Christ Jesus can lay down and sleep in peace and safety, because our Lord and Saviour has promised to keep us in perfect peace, and He NEVER reneges on a promise!
That means we can joyfully go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And, if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then we will enjoy an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine. So, I implore us to use godly wisdom and stay with Jesus right to the very end, so that we can enjoy that wonderful future together! Much LOVE!
…true safety in this world….can only be achieved through…belief…trust in…and total surrender to Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fallen angel, a personal relationship with God, all should come to repentance, Bible, choose life, Christ died for us, Christ sacrificed His sinless life for us, christianity, Christians, closer intimacy with God, communion with god, deepen my breath, disgrace, disobedience, eternal life, eternal separation from God, falling into Satan's trap, flowing in our souls and spirits, fraternize with Satan, free will, get the ball rolling, God commendeth his love for us, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God is not willing that any should perish, have it more abundantly, heartfelt prayers, holy spirit, I am come that they might have life, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep, I may know you all the more, I place before you life and death, I praise you Lord, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus cares deeply for us, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, leaves us in the lurch, LOVE, made righteous in God's eyes, meditate on God's Word, mercy, nothing of substance to offer us, one fold one shepherd, other sheep I have, peace, putter around the house, quiet my soul, quietly interact with God, relax my muscles, repentance, rest, rolls of thunder, salvation, shame, sin, sincerity and truth, slow my thoughts, steal us away from Jesus, straight and narrow path, thank you for your tenderness, that you and yours might live, the ball's in our court, the father of lies, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the greatest show of love, the Lord never leaves us in the lurch, the right perspective, the thief, the thief only comes to steal and to kill, truth, while we were yet sinners, wisdom, wrongdoing, you can't be contained, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present, your unceasing nearness
John 10:11. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’
Well, I guess in the Lord’s wisdom, He figured that everyday could not be bright, sunshiny and dry, but there must be an opposite to keep everything well balanced and in the right perspective, that’s why today is cloudy, rainy and wet. (smile) I believe I also heard a couple rolls of thunder earlier on, so it looks like a serious day. But yuh know what, it’s also a perfect lazy-day Saturday, where you simply putter around the house, rest and meditate on the Lord’s Word and quietly interact with Him. Nothing can be more refreshing and uplifting that that!
So let’s get the ball rolling by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth. As one positive 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 the peace and calm just begin flowing in our spirits and souls, as the Lord answers our heartfelt prayers that only serve to bring us closer to Him. Yes friends, there’s nothing the Lord desires and likes more than His children seeking to have closer intimacy and communion with Him, because that’s the main purpose for which He created us. And it breaks His heart when we turn away and instead fraternize with the foolish, fallen angel Satan, who has nothing of substance to offer us, nothing but sin, shame and disgrace that will eventually lead to eternal separation from our Creator and heavenly Father.
That’s why it’s oh so important to create a personal relationship with Jehovah God, through His Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit that indwells us to try and keep us out of the clutches of the enemy and guide us on the straight and narrow path that leads to salvation and eternal life with Him. But because we have fair amount of free will, and are naturally imbued with a sinful nature, we tend to drift and stray away from the straight and narrow path, anxious to sample some of the seemingly awesome delights of the world held out and up to us by the deceitful and devious Satan, who’s so full of wiles and lies that he’s called the father of lies.
And Jesus spells it all out in His analogy to the thief and the shepherd, in this scripture passage from John’s gospel. ‘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) Right there we see the answer friends, Satan is a thief and only in intent on death and destruction. However, Jesus came that we could have life, and have it in abundance! So, whom will you accept as your leader and guide under those circumstances eh? Jesus of course!
Unfortunately though, for whatever reason, too many of us are choosing Satan, or somehow or the other are falling in his devious trap, that’s why our world is so sinful, angry, strife-filled and ungodly! But it’s time many more of us wake up and listen to Jesus, when He says: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that is exactly what He did when He sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary so that our abominable sins could be forgiven and we be made righteous in God’s eyes.
So why this great movement, this sudden trend to turn to Satan eh, whom Jesus candidly describes in the next couple of verses? ‘But he that is an hireling (a hired man), and not the shepherd whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.’ (John 10:12) And Satan is both the thief and the hireling, for he tries to steal us away from Jesus, and when we find ourselves in trouble, he runs off and leaves us in the lurch, because he’s not really interested in our wellbeing, neither has he anything good or worthwhile to offer us.
Jesus explains it thus: ‘The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have (Gentiles), which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.’ (John 10:13-16)
There you have it my fellow believers: Jesus states it in black and white. Unlike Beelzebub, He won’t run away from us when we find ourselves in trouble, but will always runs to us, because He cares deeply for us, that’s why He came to earth and died on Calvary’s cross. And if you can’t see the awesome truth in that, then you’d better get your mind examined right away.
And please note how much Jesus cares for His creation, when He declares that He has other sheep to add to His fold, meaning us, the non-Jews or Gentiles. He came first to bring salvation to the Jews, through whom God worked and distilled His message down through the ages. But God didn’t forget the rest of His creation, because He LOVES us all, so badly, that it’s as Bruh Paul writes in Romans: ‘But God commendeth his LOVE toward us (demonstrated His own LOVE for us), in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Now, isn’t that the greatest show of LOVE? Of course it is! Moreover, He couldn’t stand to lose even one of us to Beelzebub, as Peter says; ‘He’s not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9:b) Yes friends, God LOVES all of His creation and has done His best to ensure that we all have the privilege of gaining salvation and eternal life through the sacrificial death of His sinless Son, which paid for all of our disobedience and wrongdoing. The ball is now in our court; it’s up to us to either accept or reject His most gracious offering of life with Him for ever and ever. Please be wise and accept it! Much LOVE!
… I place before you life and death…please choose life…that you and yours may live… (Deut. 30:19)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
Previous Older Entries
SCRIP-BITS 