18 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heartfelt version, abide in me and I in you, abiding with God, an answer to all of life's cares, an outward indication of an inner condition, as the world turns, as ye see the day approaching, be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, be strong and of a good courage, being diligent in prayer, believe your life is in God's hands, believers must get together on a regular basis, cast all your cares on God, casting all your care upon him, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, constant prayer, diligent Bible study, don't give in, don't give up now, draw near to God and he will draw near to you, essential for spiritual life peace and fruitfulness, except it abide in the vine, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, gather in God's sanctuary, giving thanks and praise to God, go and pray unto me, God does not lie, God eternal immortal invisible, God is always there, God why, have I not commanded thee, he careth for you, he that abideth in me and I in him, he'll never forsake you, He'll never leave you, holding on to faith, holy spirit, humble service to others, I am the vine ye are the branches, I will give you rest, I will hearken unto you, I will listen to you, in spite of how things may appear, in spite of what you see or feel, it doesn't matter what may come our way, Jesus Christ, Judith Gayle, keep God first place in our lives, keep on believeing, like life will never change its tide, LOVE, mercy, no better advice than that, no more can ye except ye abide in me, not a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, only one place we are safe, regular fellowship with other believers, remembering we're not alone, rooted and grounded in the scriptures, salvation, says give up now, search for me with all your heart, seek me and find me, stand strong n faith and perseverance, Stay with God, stay with Jesus, staying connected to God, staying with God, sweet sacrifices of praise, tell everyone you meet, the branch caanot bear fruit of itself, the church is a body interacting, the glorious truth, the Great Invitation of Jesus, the heartaches are severe, the importance of Christian fellowship, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the mountains get so high sometimes, the only wise God, the onus is on us to search for God, the perfect message for these evil and ungodly times, the road it gets so rocky at times, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the valley seems so wide, the way you feel, then shall ye call upon me, there's hope in God, this journey will never end, trusting God to do what is right, truth, walking with God, whatever may come your way, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing, you cry, you feel that will ease the pain, you feel you can't hold on, you got life in him, you keep asking the question, your mountains have to disappear
Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 October 2026 John 15:4a.
John 15:4a. Abide in me, and I in you.
As the world turns, it’s Sunday once again my people, another beautiful, sunshiny fall day! That means it’s time to gather in God’s sanctuary to fellowship with other believers, while giving thanks and praise to our great and wonderful God! And it’s also of the utmost importance that Christians fellowship with one another so that we can encourage and lift up each other. The author of Hebrews rightly reminds us of that fact when he writes: ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:25)
Yes friends, believers ought to get together on a regular basis and worship Almighty God. As the scholars say: It involves the entire worship of Christ, and is an outward indication of an inward condition. The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (cf. Col. 3:12-16). It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor. 12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine.’
And now that we’ve heard the argument for gathering in fellowship, let’s turn to our song of worship for today. It’s a popular gospel song encouraging believers to stand strong in faith and perseverance and is simply titled ‘Stay with God.’ It’s sung by the well-known Jamaican gospel artiste Judith Gayle, from her 2016 album ‘The Winner In Me.’ And we’re going to offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, mid-tempo, heartfelt version, showing that we truly believe what we’re singing.
So, singing: ‘I know the mountains get so high sometimes I know the valley seems so wide It seems this journey, it will never end And you keep asking the question: God why? I know the road it gets so rocky at times, Ah, I know the heartaches are severe Oh, It seems like life will never change its tide But there’s an answer to all of life’s cares. (Chorus: Stay with God In spite of what you see or feel Stay with God In spite of how things may appear Come on, Stay with God It doesn’t matter what may come our way There is only one place we are safe Stay with God.)
I know the way you feel says give up now I know you feel you can’t hold on You’re not the only one who is carrying your load Remember He said to cast all your cares on Him. I know you cry and tell everyone you meet Because you feel that will ease the pain But if you just believe your life is in God’s hands Then today I tell you your mountains have to disappear. (Chorus 2) Ooh yeah You got life in Him There is hope in Him There’s a bright future Just stay with him yeah just stay with him yeah Oh he’ll never leave you He’ll never he’ll never never forsake you no Just cast all your cares upon Him
Don’t give up now Don’t give in no Whatever may come your way God is always there, Stay with God In spite of what you see or feel Stay with God In spite of how things may appear Stay with God It doesn’t matter what may come our way There is only one place we are safe Come on, Stay with God Stay with Jesus Stay with Jesus Stay with God Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God yeah Stay with God…Stay with Jesus…Stay with God…right until the end…Stay with God…’
Oh my people there could be no better advice than that: Stay with God, because He’s the eternal, immortal, invisible, only wise God that there is! And as this Overview tells us: The message of the song, is that ‘It encourages listeners to hold on to faith, stay in prayer, and trust God even when walking through difficult valleys, high mountains, or severe heartaches. It reminds believers that they are not carrying their burdens alone and the God never forsakes them.’ And that is a perfect message for these evil and ungodly times.
The question then becomes; how do we stay with God? Simply put, it’s as the message of the song says, by holding on to our faith, while staying diligent in prayer and remembering we’re not alone, neither will our God ever forsake us. So, we keep on believing, trusting God to do what’s right, when the time is right, being rooted and grounded in the scriptures so we can learn God’s promises, and place all our heavy load on Him, as He desires us to do in His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28) And as Peter wisely says: ‘Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:7)
Then, as this other Overview tell us: ‘The Bible teaches that staying connected to God – often described as abiding, walking with God, or drawing near – is essential for spiritual life, peace, and fruitfulness.’ And there are numerous scriptures that deal with those subjects, so let’s look at a few. In the gospel of John, Jesus says it quite clearly: ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5)
Now, that’s Jesus telling it exactly like it is! Without Him playing a major role in our lives we cannot do much of anything, especially bear worthwhile fruit. Then James is also very explicit, when he says: ‘Draw near to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you.’ (James 4:8a) And through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord clearly states: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) There you have it friends, the onus is on us to seek God with all of our hearts, if we desire to stay close to Him.
And we’ll end with this beautiful and very reassuring promise from God to Joshua, and consequently to us: ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) And that’s from the Lord God Almighty Himself, so it must be the glorious truth, for our God does not lie. So, this Sunday, as we meet and greet and fellowship with our fellow believers, let’s keep all the sentiments we’ve expressed first place in our hearts, for then we will live a blessed, peaceful, spiritual and fruitful life as our God desires! Much LOVE!
…the best way to stay with God is…through constant prayer…diligent Bible study…regular fellowship with other believers…and humble service to others
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all I want to do is thank you, all that you mean to me, all the days of my life, always give thanks to you, auspicious occasion, be careful for nothing, Bebe Winans, become the chief cornerstone, been better to me than I've been to myself, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, can't live without your love, can't live without your touch, cast into the lake of fire, Christ is our emotional stalwart, Christ is the anchor and transformer of human emotions, Christ is the answer to it all, Christ keeps us strong, comforts us when we're in trouble, crushed by grief, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, even the youths shall faint and be weary, faith, fellowship, from the bottom of my heart, gathering in the Lord's sanctuary, get serious about living for Christ, give our heavy burdens to Christ, given among men, giving thanks from a thankful heart, grateful for our many blessings, He giveth power to the faint, heartfelt sincerity, holy spirit, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I could never repay, I will fear no evil, in everything, in the presence of mine enemies, Jesus Christ, Jesus' great invitation, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let your requests be made known unto God, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings like eagles, my cup runneth over, my heart's proclamation, my salvation, neither is there salvation in any other, no doubt about it, no lack of comfort in God's domain, no place I'd rather be, none other name under heaven', offer up our sacrifices of praise, over and over again, overcome through the awesome strength of Jesus, providing inner peace, run and not be weary, salvation, saveth such as be of a contrite spirit, set my feet to dancing, standing here beside you, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, taking good care of me, thank you, thank you for being a friend, thanks for being a friend, Thanksgiving celebrations, Thanksgiving Sunday, the best act of thanksgiving, the Father of mercies, the forgiveness of sins, the God of All Comfort, the key to my emotions, the Lord is nigh unto them of a broken heart, the love you're sending my way, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the source of my solution, the stone which was set at nought by your builders, the young men shall utterly fall, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, think of all you've done for me, this good land of Canada, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to them that have no might he increaseth strength, truth, walk and not faint, when my life's uncertain, when things are going wrong, whereby we must be saved, wisdom, you are awesome and true, you keep me going strong, you're everything
Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 October 2026 Philippians 4:19.
Philippians 4:19. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
It’s Thanksgiving Sunday in this good land of Canada my fellow believers! And that calls for gathering in the Lord’s sanctuary to celebrate it with lots of thanks and praise for the wonderful life we live here through His goodness and mercy. Unfortunately though, the weather isn’t cooperating for this auspicious occasion. The day opened decently enough, but when we need the sun shining ever so brightly, the rain has chosen to fall instead, and give us a wet and cloudy Thanksgiving afternoon. But don’t worry, we’ll overcome it, just like we overcome everything else through the awesome strength of Jesus. (smile)
And for our song of worship, we have one aptly titled ‘Thank You’ written by the team of Bebe Winans, Rhett Lawrence, and Travon M. Potts, taken from the 1997 Bebe Winans album ‘In Harm’s Way.’ It says it all in a rocking up-tempo, rhythm and blues song, so let’s offer up our sacrifices of praise in the same up-tempo rocking riddim, with heartfelt sincerity as we open our Thanksgiving celebration. And please remember the background voices. (smile) So, let’s sing it like we truly mean it.
Singing: ‘Yeh, Yeh, Yeh! Say it again, say – Thank You, thank You! All I want to do is, Thank You, thank You! What I need to say is, Thank You, thank You! Thank You Thank You, thank You! The key to my emotions You keep me going strong The source of my solution When things are going wrong When my life’s uncertain There’s no place I’d rather be Than standing here beside You ‘Cause Your LOVE always comforts me.
(Chorus: So, thank You, thank You! Thanks for being a friend, yeah Thank You, thank You! Over and over again. Thank You, thank You. I could never repay The LOVE you’re sending my way. My way, yeah Thank You, thank You.) Something else I want to tell You, You are my salvation, yes, You are! Don’t you know You’re everything? Set my feet to dancing When I think of all You’ve done for me, yeah. (Chorus:) Here and now My heart’s proclamation… You are awesome and true! You’ve been better to me, Than I’ve been to myself. I’ll Always give thanks to You, to You. Yeah, yeah Yes, I will, yes, I will.
Heavenly Father Say, sing Right now I want to thank You For all that You’ve done for me. Right now, I want to thank You For taking good care of me. Right now, I want to thank You For all that You mean to me Right now, right now, I can’t live without Your LOVE! Yeah, said right now, say No d-d-doubt about it. I can’t live without Your LOVE No d-d-doubt about it! Hey, said, I can’t live without Your LOVE… Said, I can’t live without Your touch… Thank You, Thank You from the bottom of my heart… Thank You Thank You, for being a friend…over and over again… Thank You…Thank You…Lord, Thank You…’
Oh friends, that was a rocking good rendition of the song, and all who heard it had no doubt that we were grateful for the Lord’s many blessings upon us and upon our land. And for all the Lord’s done for us we can never give Him enough thanks and praise, but we ought to do the best we can. (smile)
And I do like the sentiments of the song, like ‘The key to my emotions.’ Yes, the Lord is the key to our emotions. As one overview puts it: ‘Christ is the anchor and transformer of human emotions, providing inner peace, renewal, and a model for processing feelings with grace.’ And we see that in scriptures like Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
That shows we can overcome worry with God’s surpassing peace through prayer. And we have this other verse from Psalm 34, where Bruh David writes: ‘The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite (crushed) spirit.’ (Ps. 34:18) That reassures us of God’s closeness when we are crushed by grief. And there are many other scriptures that portray Christ’s as our emotional stalwart.
And what about the rest of that first verse eh? ‘You keep me going strong The source of my solution When things are going wrong When my life’s uncertain There’s no place I’d rather be Than standing here beside You ‘Cause Your LOVE always comforts me.’ And there’s no doubt about all of that, for Christ does keep us strong, as we know through this most pivotal verse from Philippians: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil 4:19)
And how about this other well-known scripture from the prophet Isaiah? ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:29-31)
And Jesus is indeed the source of our solution. For only through Him can our major problem, the forgiveness of sins, be attained. As Peter so rightly and confidently pointed out to the Jewish Council after they arrested John and himself for preaching Christ crucified. ‘This is the stone which was set at nought of (rejected by) you builders, which is become the head of the corner (chief cornerstone). Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:11-12) And that’s as it surely is!
Now, as per when things are going wrong in our lives and we’re uncertain, beside Jesus is indeed the best place to stand because He’s the most wonderful source of comfort. Firstly, Jesus offers us His Great Invitation to come to Him and drop our heavy burdens and get comfort rest and relaxation from bearing His easy yoke. (Matt. 11:28-30) Then Bruh Paul describes God as the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us when we’re in trouble, so that we can comfort others with that same comfort we received from Him. (1 Cor. 1:3-4)
So there’s no lack of comfort in God’s domain. But I believe, in Psalm 23, Bruh David gives the best description of the overall scenario. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:4-6)
So what else are we waiting for to turn to Almighty God eh? Satan certainly cannot offer those things, and even if he does, we know it’s all a lie, because he will eventually be cast into the lake of fire with all of his other evil cronies. So, let’s wake up this Thanksgiving Sunday and get really serious about Christ and living sincerely for Him nuh! For He is the answer to it all! Much LOVE!
…giving thanks from a thankful heart…is the best act of thanksgiving…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, a new week of work, a path forward, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, a strong breeze cavorting through the neighbourhood, actioning God's word in our lives, adopt a good attitude, allow your incredible aura of love, an heavenly country, as the manner of some is, as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, as ye see the day approaching, assured of the promises, back on the work trail, be able to endure it, be of good cheer, buffeted and bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, build our faith, bundle up for the big chill, Christ walking beside us all the time, Christianity rests solely on faith, common to man, confessed that they were strangers and pilgirms on the earth, consider one another, desire a better country, develop our faith and trust in God, divine aid, divine fortification, divine grace, embraced the promises, exhorting one another, faith, fearlessly engage the enemy in spiritual battle, fellowship, fill us with steadfast faith, from a human point of view, from henceforth even for ever, furthering your glorious kingdom, go out to meet the enemy in battle, God is faithful, God is not ashamed to be called their God, God will create a solution, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, going through hardships, having seen them afar off, He is faithful that promised, he that comes to god must beleive that he is, help other believers to live sincerely for Christ, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, humble servants, I have overcome the word, I will do a new thing, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, into the evil and ungodly world, Jesus Christ, Jesus conquered hell death and the grave, jobs, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, knowing God's word, LOVE, make a way in the wilderness, make a way to escape, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, no temptation taken you, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, not having received the promises, persuaded of them, prepared a city for them, promised to make a way for us, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, rivers in the desert, sally forth with confidence, salvation, shall ye not know it, spring forth, stand strong in our faith, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, tender mercy, the heroes of faith, the last days, the Lord is round about His people, the Lord surrounds his people, the Monday morning blues, the Omnipotent One, the throne of grace, these all died in faith, these things I have spoken unto you, they seek a homeland, through his death and amazing resurrection, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to lead and guide all your servants, to provoke unto love and to good works, tough circumstances, truth, unpalatable situations, we know we're invincible, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, wisdom, with the temptation, without faith it is impossible to please God, wrought in our weary souls
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 October 2026 Hebrews 10:23.
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
We’re back on the work trail again friends, flushed with the Monday morning blues! And although it’s sunny, it’s somewhat cool, with a strong breeze cavorting through the neighbourhood, and it’s only going to get worse as the days get colder, calling for us to bundle up for the big chill. (smile) But that’s no problem, since we have the Omnipotent One, Jesus Christ, who created it all walking beside us all the time. Psalm 125 tells us like it is: ‘As the mountains are round about (surround) Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about (surrounds) his people from henceforth even for ever.’ (Ps. 125:3)
Oh my brethren, it might, or rather it will get rough, as Jesus says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And He’s certainly done that by conquering hell, death and the grave through His death and amazing resurrection, but He’s also promised to make a way for us to get through whatever dilemma we find ourselves in. As this overview explains: ‘God will create a solution or a path forward, even when a situation seems completely impossible or hopeless from a human point of view.’
And He most definitely will! Remember His promise to the Israelites through the prophet 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) And He did it for them; forty long years they spent wandering in the desert, but they always had food and water, and their clothes or shoes never deteriorated. And in Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he assures us of God’s grace and mercy when we find ourselves in unpalatable situations.
‘There hath 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 to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Yes my fellow believers our God will never see us in tough circumstances and leave us unaided. Now what we’ve got to understand here is that God will not always take us completely out of whatever undesirable situation we might be in, because He might be using it to test us or build our faith, or whatever His higher mind desires, but He will certainly give us a way to endure it through His divine grace and tender mercy.
But we do have to develop our faith and trust in Him and adopt a good attitude when we’re going through the hardships and difficulties He’s allowed in our paths. Remember what the Good Book tells us: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) So we can only do those things we just talked about with a good and faithful attitude by knowing God’s word and actioning it in our everyday lives.
That’s why the author of Hebrews strongly advises us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb.10:23-25) So we must believe that God is faithful and stand strong in our faith, as well as gather with other believers and help them to live sincerely for Christ, especially as the last days are approaching.
And there is also this scripture from the Hebrews Heroes of Faith chapter that encourages us to acknowledge God’s faithfulness and be also faithful. ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) And he goes on to relate about all the great men of God who lived by faith, like Noah, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, etc.
‘These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded (assured) of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country (homeland). And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from when they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.’ (Heb. 11:13-16)
Now that’s the kind of faith we need to develop my people. And it’s certainly not easy to do, but for divine aid to do it, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour!
We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!
And with that divine fortification, let’s get out there and fearlessly engage the enemy in spiritual battle! Much LOVE!
…Christianity rests solely on faith…on believing…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a den of thieves, a great storm of wind, a sad ending, a strong legacy of Canadian penned and recorded songs, Anne Murray, as the heavens are higher than the earth, asleep on a pillow, before I reached the age of seven, boggle our finite imagination, carest thou not that we perish, cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christians, drive the evil traders from the temple, even the sea and the wind obey him, every time I look into the holy book, faith, fellowship, forever grateful, Gene Mac Clellan, Give God the thanks and praise He deserves, good advice, got to do what you got to do, he arose and rebuked the wind, his anger rises against you, his throne in heaven, holy spirit, how is it that ye have no faith, how securely are our hands clasped in Jesus', I want to tremble, I'm close to heaven, in the hinder part of the ship, in the stern of the ship, it causes me shame, it is written, Jesus Christ, Jesus hand is the only one worth holding, Jesus healed the blind and the lame in the temple, Jesus went into the temple of God, Jesus' atonement for our sins, Jesus' disdain for the corruption of organized religion, look at others differently, LOVE, mercy, mighty acts and words of wisdom in the Bible, my daddy lived his life, my house shall be called the house of prayer, my mama taught me how to pray, my thoughts than your thoughts, no different fellas, no guilt and shame, no wiser advice, overthrew the tables of the money changers, peace be still, Put your hand in the hand, raise our voices in sweet sacrifices of praise, read about the part, said unto the sea, salvation, see those buyers and sellers, sent the multitude away, Snowbird, so are my ways higher than your ways, start looking at yourself differently, take a look at yourself, take God's goodness and faithfulness for granted, teach our children to pray from a young age, temerity or fear, the BIBLE, the carpenter cleared the temple, the creator of the world, the Great Avenger, the Lord's Day, the lowly carpenter from Galilee, the man from Galilee, the man who calmed the sea, the man who stilled the water, the Prince of Peace, the seats of them that sold doves, the waves beat into the ship, the wind ceased and there was a great calm, they awoke Jesus and said to him, they feared exceedingly, to know that man is not what he should be, truth, what manner of man is this, what you and I profess to be, when I'm down on my knees, who can this be, why are ye so fearful, wisdom, with two kids and a wife, ye have made it, you got to take a good look at yourself
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 September 2026 Mark 6:39.
Mark 6:39. And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Here it is again my fellow believers; a warm, sunshiny and beautiful Sunday, the Lord’s Day. That means gathering for fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary to worship and give Him the thanks and praise He so obviously deserves, while gaining confidence and encouragement to get back out into the working world and continue doing good work in His name. And today’s opening song of worship is one that gives us very good advice for these unholy and troubled times, and is most appropriately titled ‘Put Your Hand In The Hand,’
The song was written by prolific Quebec born, Canadian singer, songwriter Gene Mac Clellan (1938-1995), who after teaming up with fellow Canadian Anne Murray on her first hit single, ‘Snowbird,’ in the late sixties, got together again with the 1970 tune, ‘Put Your Hand In The Hand, from her third studio album, Honey, Wheat and Laughter. Unfortunately, it seems that MacClellan died by suicide in January 1995 on Prince Edward Island in Eastern Canada. Despite the sad ending though, he left us a strong legacy of Canadian penned and recorded songs, and for that we will be forever grateful.
Now, let’s raise our voices in sweet sacrifice, in a soulful, up-tempo version of the song, a la Anne Murray, beginning with the wonderful Chorus. Singing: ‘(Chorus: Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea Take a look at yourself, and you can look at others diff’rently. Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.)
Every time I look into the Holy Book, I wanna tremble When I read about the part where a carpenter cleared the temple, See those buyers and the sellers were no diff’rent fellas Than what you and I profess to be And it causes me shame to know that man is not what he should be (Chorus)
Hey, my mama taught me how to pray, before I reached the age of seven When I’m down on my knees, hey, I’m close to heaven. My daddy lived his life with 2 kids and a wife, and you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. But he showed me enough of what it takes to see you through This is what he used to tell me…
Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea Ya gotta take a good look at yourself, and you can look at others diff’rently Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee. Yes, Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea…and you’ll start looking at yourself differently. So Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea…’
Oh friends, there is no better or wiser advice in this evil and scary world than putting your hands in those of Jesus, that wonderful man, the lowly carpenter from Galilee, who stopped the wind and calmed the sea, and also had the parts to drive the evil traders from the temple, His Father’s house. And the good thing about the song is that it’s all scripture based. The chorus itself is based on the story we all know, where Jesus and the disciples are going over to the other side of the lake to get a much-needed break from the multitudes.
Mark puts it thus: ‘And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full (already filling). And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part (stern) of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him,
Master (Teacher) carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:36-41)
Now that’s a very good question, but the answer is very simple. The wind and the sea obeyed Jesus because He was the one who originally created them. And that’s exactly why we should all place our hands in the hand of that lowly carpenter from Galilee, who was in fact the Creator of the world, and is still controlling it from His throne in heaven! And yuh better believe every time you read the Bible, you ought to tremble, because there are so many mighty acts and awesome words of wisdom contained therein to boggle our finite imagination.
Remember what the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah? ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:9) Yes friends, the Lord created us with a much lower mind frame than His, so we cannot understand all His ways or His words, and sometimes we just have to take His goodness and faithfulness for granted. And who would have thought that that lowly carpenter from Galilee would have the parts to cleanse the temple eh?
The Bible tells us that on the day He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, (Palm Sunday) after all the excitement had died down, ‘Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast (drove) out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew (overturned) the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves. And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.’ (Matt. 21:12-14)
Yes mih people, though our Saviour is called the Prince of Peace, He is also known as the Great Avenger, so please don’t take His peaceful outlook for one of temerity or fear, for you will be very disappointed when His anger rises against you, as those who were using the temple as a marketplace for buying and selling, experienced His disdain for the corruption of organized religion.
Oh my people, there is such glorious truth in the song, like we ought to teach our children to pray from a very young age, for when we are down on our knees in prayer, we seem to be close to heaven, and when we put our hands in the hands of Jesus, then there’s no guilt and shame like those in the temple, because He’s removed it all by His atonement for our sins, and therefore we can look at ourselves in a very different manner than before. So, let’s take time today to ponder if our hands are in the hands of Jesus, and if they are, how securely are they clasped in them! Much LOVE!
…the only hand truly worth holding…is that of Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 99 percent owns one percent, a church divided can never win a war, a sad heartbreaking song, a trip to God's house, adults giving guns to minors to do their dirty work, asking for God's guidance grace and mercy, be the children of your Father in heaven, before I go to sleep, bless them that curse you, blessed are the merciful, Blessed are the peacemakers, bombs are falling all over our world, called the children of God, celebrate God's day with His saints, christianity, days of woe, division and disunity in the church, do good to them that hate you, everybody within the sound of my voice, faith, fall down on their knees and say a prayer, fellowship, forgive ys our debts as we forgive our debtors, forgiveness, Gladys Knight, gospel infused, he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, heartfelt, heaven help the black man if he struggles one more day, heaven help the boy who won't reach twenty one, heaven help the child who never had a home, heaven help the girl who walks the street alone, heaven help the man who gave that child a gun, heaven help the man who kicks the man who has to crawl, heaven help the people with their backs against the wall, heaven help the roses if the bombs begin to fall, heaven help the white man if he turns his back away, Heaven help us all, holy spirit, I pray the Lord to keep, if ye forgive men their trespasses, if ye forgive not men their trespasses, in a troubled world, in our own backyard, inequtiable times, Jesus Christ, keep hatred from the mighty, Lord have mercy, Lord hear our call, Lord won't you help us all, LOVE, Love your enemies, merciful peace lovers, mercy, minorities are oppressed, neither will your heavenly father forgive your trespasses, no time nor place for roses to grow, not a whole lot of forgiveness and loving of enemies in our world, now I lay me down, one percent owns 99 percent, oppression, our world will never improve, petty differences, pray for them which spitefully use you, priase and give thanks to God, racial hatred still been perpetrated, Ray Charles, right under the nose of the church, Ron Miller, salvation, Satan is laughing all the way to the top, sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust, sing and worship, Stevie Wonder, still pertinent to today's oppressive worldno other generation has ever been as rich and well educated, sufferation, sweet sacrifices of praise, the BIBLE, the church is a part of the oppression, the majority looks the other way, the majority of the world lives in poverty, the mighty from the small, they shall obtain mercy, tough and uncertain times, truth, unimagined levels of technology, unless christ's church get's together, unmerciful warmongers, we can't do without you, we need heaven's help to keep us going strong, we need you Jesus, wealthy and unmerciful warmongers, wisdom, won't you hear us when we call, your heavenly Father will also forgive you
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 September 2026 Matthew 5:7 & 9.
Matthew 5:7 & 9. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy … Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
One more Sunday friends, which means one more trip to God’s house to celebrate His day with our fellow saints! There’s nothing better than when the saints get together and begin to sing and worship and praise and give thanks to our most wonderful God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! So, let’s get right to our song of worship for today, a very appropriate song for today’s tough and uncertain times. It’s a song composed by Ron Miller in 1970 titled ‘Heaven Help Us All,’ and first performed by Stevie Wonder in an earthy, gospel infused manner.
And yuh better believe in these days of much woe and oppression, we certainly need heaven’s help to keep us going strong. Therefore, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo, version of the song as performed by Ray Charles and Gldys Knight. Singing: ‘Heaven help the child who never had a home Heaven help the girl who walks the street alone And Heaven help the roses if the bombs begin to fall Lord, won’t you help us all? Heaven help the black man if he struggles one more day Heaven help the white man if he turns his back away Heaven help the man who kicks the man who has to crawl Heaven help us all.
(Chorus: Heaven help us all, Heaven help us all, help us all Heaven help us, Lord, hear our call when we call) Oh, yeah Heaven help the boy who won’t reach twenty-one And Heaven help the man who gave that child a gun And Heaven help the people with their backs against the wall Lord, won’t you help us all? (Chorus: Heaven help us all…when we call) Gladys’ – monologue: ‘I want everybody within the sound of my voice this evening to fall down on their knees and say a prayer; asking for His guidance, His grace, His mercy.
You might want to say: Lord, Lord, Lord, have mercy! Now I lay me down before I go to sleep In a troubled world, I pray the Lord, the Lord to keep. Keep hatred from the mighty and the mighty from the small Heaven help us all, Heaven help us all, help us all Heaven help us, Lord, hear our call when we call. We need You Jesus so won’t you hear us when we call. We can’t do without You, so please hear us when we call. Heaven help us all, Heaven help us all, help us all Heaven help us, Lord, hear our call when we call. Heaven help us all…’
Ah friends that was wonderful, but it’s such a sad heartbreaking song, and although it was written some fifty-six years ago, it’s still ever pertinent to today’s confused, warlike, angry and oppressive world. Just listen to the opening sentiments about a child who never had a home, and a girl who walks the street alone, and unfortunately, there are still way too many of those who fall into those categories in this wealthy and highly informed society.
No other generation has ever been as rich and well educated, with unimagined levels of technology and education, yet the majority of the world’s population still lives in terrible poverty, while a small percentage holds most of the world’s wealth and live like kings, or even better than kings. It’s been said that one percent of the population owns 99 percent of the wealth, while the other 99 percent of the population, only own one percent of the wealth. And in these very inequitable times, it’s not hard to believe those figures.
Then the next cry from the song is one that’s being heard all around the world: ‘ Heaven help the roses if the bombs begin to fall.’ And yuh better believe that bombs are falling all over our world, for there’s more warfare today than peace. Bombs are falling in places like Russia, the Ukraine, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Sudan and places too numerous to mention. In some of these places the bombs have been falling for so long that there’s no time nor place for roses to grow.
And the racial hatred is still going on; in fact, it’s getting more blatant every day. The minorities are being sadly oppressed, often kicked and made to crawl, while the majority looks the other way. And yuh know what, a lot of this ‘sufferation’ is going on right under the noses of Christ’s church. In some cases, the church is also a part of the oppression, instead of being a part of the solution as it was meant to be. Tell me nuh, whatever happened to Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount eh? ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt. 5:7 & 9)
What’s happening in our world? Are there so many more powerful and wealthy, unmerciful warmongers than wealthy, merciful, peace LOVERS? I don’t know nuh. But I do know that Christ’s church is supposed to help the poor, sick and suffering, and the church as a whole is wealthy enough to do much more than we’re currently doing. However, that old problem of division and disunity will never allow Christ’s church to function the way it’s supposed to function. And Satan and his evil cronies are just laughing all the way to the top, because Christ’s people cannot get together and do what they ought to do.
And what about LOVING our enemies eh? Jesus was very explicit about it: ‘But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.’ (Matt. 5:44-45)
And what about forgiveness eh? We pray it every day: ‘Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt. 6:12) But Jesus added a most important footnote to that prayer. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15) That’s very clear my people! But sadly, if you look around our world today, you won’t see a whole lot of forgiveness and LOVING of enemies going on. No sir!
You’ll possibly see and hear more of this: ‘Heaven help the boy who won’t reach twenty-one And Heaven help the man who gave that child a gun.’ Yes friends, that’s happening right in our own backyard! It seems that there are adults who are giving guns to minors to do their dirty work for them, and minors who are ever so glad to do it for a small sum of money. What does that say about the children we’re raising today eh?
I don’t know all the answers nuh, but I know this one: until and unless Christ’s church gets together, throwing aside all the petty differences and the religious sentiments that separate us into denominations, cliques, etc. etc. the awful situation in our world will never improve, for Christ is depending on His church to turn things around. Much LOVE!
…a church divided…can never win a war…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lamb without blemish or spot, a pardon receives, a rejoicing spirit of gratitude, according to the riches of his grace, aimless conduct, alive and remain, all the gods of the nations are idols, an atonement for sin, as others which have no hope, as silver and gold, believe that Jesus died and rose again, bless His name, bruised for our iniquities, by the word of the Lord, by tradition from your fathers, caught up together with them in the clouds, christianity, come to the Father through Jesus the Son, comfort one another with these words, concerning them which are asleep, declare his glory among the heathen, descend from heaven with a shout, faith, Fanny Crosby, fellowship, foreordained before the the foundation of the world, from day to day, gave him glory, give him the glory, God so loved the world, God's love for humanity, great our rejoicing, great things he hath done, great things he hath taught us, greater will be our wonder, greatly to be praised, he gave his only begotten son, he gave us his son, he hath borne our griefs, higher, his wonders among all the people, holy spirit, honour and majesty are before him, I would not have you to be ignorant, in the spirit of gratitude, in whom we have redemption through his blood, Jesus Christ, joyful fellowship, let the earth hear his voice, let the people rejoice, LOVE, manifest in these last times for you, mercy, more great things to come, O sing unto the Lord a new song, opened the life-gate, our transport, perfect redemption, Praise the Lord, proclaim the good news of His salvation, purer, raised him up from the dead, remain unto the coming of the Lord, salvation, shall not precede them which are asleep, show forth his salvation, sincere worship, sing unto the Lord with all the earth, so loved he the world, so shall we ever be with the Lord, strength and beauty are in his sanctuary, sweet sacrifices of praise, that moment from Jesus, the BIBLE, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, the dead in Christ shall rise first, the finished work of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, the giving of thanks and praise, the Lord himselff, the Lord is great, the Lord made the heavens, the Lord's Day, the precious blood of Christ, the promise of God, the purchase of blood, the rapture of the church, the sacrificial gift of Jesus, the trump of God, the vilest offender, the voice of the archangel, them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him, through Jesus the son, to be feared above all gods, to every believer, To God be the glory, to meet the Lord in the air, truth, we which are alive, when Jesus we see, who by him do believe in God, who truly believes, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, William Howard Doane, wisdom, with his stripes we are healed, wounded for our transgressions, ye sorrow not, ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, yielded his life, your faith and hope might be in god
Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 September 2026 John 3:16.
John 3:16. 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.
And after Saturday comes Sunday, the Lord’s Day, when He rested from His creation of the universe, and when we, His faithful followers gather to celebrate His awesome LOVE and goodness through the giving of thanks and praise in joyful fellowship and sincere worship. And we’ll get the proceedings underway with a beautiful hymn dedicated to Almighty God, titled ‘To God be the Glory.’ It’s a hymn with lyrics by that wonderful, prolific though blind hymnist Fanny Crosby and music by William Howard Doane, apparently written around 1872 but first published in 1875.
The story goes that after it got included in Billy Graham’s crusades beginning in the 1950’s, it became famous worldwide, and is still being sung all around the world. According to the website Godtube: ‘To God Be the Glory’ celebrates the greatness of God and calls upon an appreciation for the wondrous things ‘He hath done.’ It is a glorious hymn to be sang rejoicefully in the spirit of gratitude.’ And I totally agree. So, with that in mind, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, scintillating mid-to-up-tempo version, (smile) sincerely expressing that rejoicing spirit of gratitude.
Singing: ‘To God be the glory, great things He hath done, so LOVED He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in. (Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.) O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
(Refrain) Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. (Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.)’
Oh friends, that was wonderful! And did we ever show forth that spirit of gratitude! As so we should, when God has done so much for us, especially the sacrificial gift of Jesus and all it encompasses. And we certainly acknowledge it when we sing that first verse praising God’s LOVE for humanity, and the enormous lengths He went to, to secure our salvation. As Jesus so nicely puts it to the Jewish leader 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.’ (John 3:16)
And Jesus did sacrifice His sinless life to atone for our sins. And it was by no means easy. Isaiah possibly best describes the terrible time Jesus had long before Jesus’ human incarnation. He writes: ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs (sickness), and wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes (blows that cut into his body) we are healed.’ (Is. 53-4-5) And that is exactly what Jesus suffered on our behalf my people. That’s how He ‘opened the gate that all may go in.’
Then the chorus also makes a most worthwhile statement by encouraging us to praise the Lord all over the earth, with grateful rejoicing for all the great things He’s done, and coming to Him through the finished work of His Son. It’s like Psalm 96 – The Greatness of God – tells us: ‘O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord with all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation (proclaim the good news of his salvation) from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all the people.
For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.’ (Ps. 96: 1-6) And every word in that scripture passage is the gospel truth my brethren! That’s why the Lord God Jehovah deserves our undying, everlasting, praise and LOVE!
Then we have the second verse that speaks of redemption and the purchase of blood, where even the vilest offender could be pardoned if he believes. Bruh Paul spells it out for us in Ephesains, when he says: ‘In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.’ (Eph. 1:7)
And Peter expounds on that some more. ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest (revealed) in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.’ (1 Pet. 1:18-21)
Yes friends, that’s what God did for us poor sinners through His wonderful Son, Jesus Christ! And yuh better believe that’s not the end of all the great things the Lord has in store for us. No way. There are more great things to come: ‘purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our rapture, when Jesus we see.’ Oh yes, great will be our wonder when Jesus returns to rapture His church! Here’s how Bruh Paul describes it to the Thessalonians. ‘But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (are dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess. 4:13-18)
And on this first Sunday in September, that is about the best comfort and encouragement we can have my fellow believers. So please spend some time pondering it. Much LOVE!
…Jehovah God is great…and greatly to be praised…there’s absolutely no doubt it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a standing invitation, abundance, abundant in goodness and truth, according to his divine power, all my days, all my life you have been faithful, always sing of your goodness Lord, an overflowing declaration of God's goodness, an uprightness of heart and life, assurance in knowing that God is always good, be fruitful in the knowledge of Christ, be partakers of the divine nature, before the sons of men, christianity, close like no other, connects us with God's nature, declare His works with rejoicing, ever faithful, faith, fellowship, for his wonderful works to the children of men, for the sake of being virtuous, from the moment that I wake up, getting our souls refreshed with god's word, give good things to them that ask him, given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, God is good, God's goodness can never be matched, God's goodness is present during challenges and harships, God's goodness to the children of men, God's promises are a pipeline, God's promises are exceedingly great and precious, goodness in action, grow in spiritual maturity, guidance, guidance., hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, having escaped the corruption in the world through lust, healing, held in your hands, his mercy endureth for ever, holy spirit, hope, how do we experience God's goodness, how great is thy goodness, how much more shall your father in heaven, I give you everything, I had fainted, I have lived in the goodness of God, I love you Lord, i love your voice, I surrender now, I will sing of the goodness of God, if ye then being evil, in my darkest night, in our best interests, Jenn Johnson, Jesus Christ, joyful singing, know how to give good gifts to your children, known you as a father, known you as a friend, laid up for them that fear thee, led me through the fire, let God's goodness reflect in our lives, longsuffering, LOVE, mercy, my anchor in the wind and waves, my joy every day, my provider, offer comfort, Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, peace, prociding us with strength, profound meaning for many people, protection, recognizing God's love, sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, salvation, shepherd of my soul, so wonderful in all your ways, songs born in unique circumstances, strive to be good, that is God, the BIBLE, the blessed day of Sunday, the blessings God provides every day, the goodness of God, the gospel truth, the joy of knowing you God, the joy that comes from giving God thanks and praise, the knowledge of him that called us to glory and virtue, the Lord God merciful and gracious, the promises of God's word, the Sermon on the Mount, the spiritual meaning of the goodness of God, the Ten Commandments, there is none good but one, through faith we can find peace, to join other believers in Christ's sanctuary, to praise and worship Christ, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, truth, understanding God's goodness, unless I had believed, until I lay my head down, victory, we partake of God's nature, what a joy to know you, why callest thou me good, wisdom, with every breath that I am able, with my life laid down, wrought for them that trust thee, you are my joy, you have been so so good, you lead me in glory, you lead me in glory by your Spirit, you're everything to me, your goodness is running after me, your mercy never fails me
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 August 2026 Mark 10:18.
Mark 10:18. ‘And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’
And that blessed day of Sunday is here once again, with the standing invitation to join other believers in Christ Jesus in His sanctuary, to praise and worship Him, while getting our souls refreshed with His word and the joy that comes from giving Him thanks and praise. And today’s song of worship is one that does just that; gives God much thanks and praise for His wonderful goodness to the undeserving children of men. And it’s appropriately titled, ‘The Goodness of God.’
This is one of those great songs that are born in unique, unexpected circumstances. The story goes that in 2018, the author Jenn Johnson, a member of the worship team of the Bethel church in Reading, was driving on a long country road in northern California, freshly home from adopting her fourth child, a son, when she felt the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, picked up her phone and began singing into it. What came out was ‘a raw, grateful, overflowing declaration of God’s faithfulness in her life’ which eventually became the foundation of “The Goodness of God.” And after being refined with the assistance of other members of the Bethel worship team, it was released in 2019 and immediately became a popular worship song.
So now, having some background on the song’s history, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a scintillating, heartfelt, up-tempo version, evoking the very sentiments that we sing. Singing: ‘I LOVE You, Lord, for Your mercy never fails me All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head down Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God. (Chorus: All my life You have been faithful. All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.)
I LOVE Your voice, You have led me through the fire In my darkest night, You are close like no other I’ve known You as a Father, I’ve known You as a Friend Oh I have lived in the goodness of God (Chorus: All my life…) Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me With my life laid down, I surrender now I give You everything, cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me Your goodness is running after, it keeps running after me.
(Chorus: And all my life You have been faithful All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able Oh, I will sing; yes, I will sing of the goodness of God. For all my life you have been faithful, all my life you have been so good. Oh you lead me in glory … ever faithful, you are my anchor in the wind and the waves…you are my provider…Oh yeah, and you lead me in glory by your Spirit…you are my joy…my joy…every day…Oh shepherd of my soul…what a joy to know you…Oh the joy of knowing you God…you’re everything to me…so wonderful…so wonderful in all your ways…in all your ways. That’s why I will always sing of your goodness Lord…always sing of your goodness Lord.’
Oh friends, that was wonderful! And if we sang it, then we should mean it and consequently let it reflect in our lives! Now, before we go further, let’s ascertain a couple of definitions. The first one is what’s the spiritual meaning of the goodness of God? One article defines it as: ‘Goodness in action; it’s not something we do only for the sake of being virtuous. When we strive to be “good” only for our own benefit, it is not truly goodness that we possess. In Greek, the word goodness, means “an uprightness of heart and life.’
And second question is how do we experience the goodness of God? And the same commentary as above, claims ‘It’s through the promises of God’s Word that we partake of His nature – a nature that is peace, abundance, healing, victory, guidance and protection. His promises are a pipeline that connects us with His nature. And His promises are exceedingly great and precious.’ And they reference these two verses from Peter’s second epistle, where he is urging his readers to be fruitful in the knowledge of Christ, to grow in spiritual maturity.
‘According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to (by) glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’ (2 Pet. 1:3-4)
Ah friends, there’s so much I’d like to say about this song, but time and space don’t allow it, so we’ll have to content ourselves with a few scripture verses on God’s goodness. Beginning with this one from Exodus: ‘And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’ (Ex. 34:6) That’s when Moses went back up Mt. Sinai the second time to get the Ten Commandments.
Then in Psalm 27, Bruh David made this very poignant but true statement: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13) And in Psalm 31, Bruh David again talks about the Lord’s goodness. ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust thee before the sons of men!’ (Ps. 31:19) Meanwhile in Psalm 107, the psalmist strongly advises: ‘Oh that men would praise (give thanks to) the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing (joyful singing).’ (Ps. 107:21-22)
And all through the Bible we hear this verse: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (1 Chr. 6:34) Then Jesus, when talking about asking and receiving in the Sermon on the Mount, says to the multitude: ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt. 7:11) And last but least, this verse from the story of the rich young man who is seeking direction for eternal life, and calls Jesus ‘Good Master.’ ‘And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’ (Mark 10:18) And friends, if Jesus says it’s so, then it’s so! No doubt about it. (smile)
Now, let’s go home with some interesting comments about God’s goodness, from an article on the website globaldisciples.ca, that declares: ‘God is good. This simple statement holds profound meaning for many people around the world. Understanding God’s goodness can offer comfort, guidance, and hope. It’s about recognizing His LOVE and the blessings He provides every day. God’s goodness isn’t just evident during happy times. It’s also present during challenges and hardships, providing us with strength. Even when things don’t go as planned, His LOVE and support can often be felt if we look closely. Through faith, we can find peace and assurance in knowing that God is always good.’
And that’s the gospel truth! So, it’s in our best interest to concentrate on God’s goodness today, and every day, as we step out to do His work! Much LOVE!
…God’s goodness…can never be matched by any other being…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a frightening sea storm, a mixture of reverential awe and real fright, a raging tempest, a wake up call, all my heart to him I give, an integral part of church going, an invitation to church, attend church regularly, be not afraid, be of good cheer it is I, be saved today, bid me come unto thee on the water, billows his will obey, carest thou not that we perish, chillingly eerie to witness, church bells are ringing, confidence, cried out for fear, cry out to Jesus for help, enjoy the company of other believers, even the wind and the sea obey him, ever his praises sing, ever to him i'll cling, faith, faithful loving service too, far from the peaceful shore, fellowship, five loaves of bread, focusing on our circumstances, from the waters lifted me, guilty of the same thing, he your saviour wants to be, heard my despairing cry, holy spirit, how is it that ye have no faith, imagines sinking in water to sinking in sin, Immediately, In his blessed presence live, in the fourth watch of the night, into the well being of his grace, it is a spirit, it's all for our benefit, James Rowe, Jesus asleep in the stern of the boat, Jesus Christ, Jesus completely saves, Jesus fed five thousand men, Jesus lifts us up, Jesus rebuked the wind, Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, Jesus went unto them, Jesus went up into a mountain to pray, lift you by his love, likely to go under, Lord if it be thou, lose all sense of courage and faith, LOVE, love lifted me, love so mighty and so true, master of the sea, mercy, merits my soul's best songs, negative situations, never take your eyes off Jesus, no shame to cry out to Jesus, nothing is impossible to Jesus, now safe am I, o thou of little faith, of a truth, out of the angry waves, peace be still, Peter answered him, Peter walked on the water, receiving God's grace and mercy, refocused his attention, required in the Lord's sanctuary, said unto the sea, salvation, sinking deep in sin, sinking to rise no more, sould in danger, souls in danger look above, straightway Jesus spake unto them, sweet sacrifices of praise, take courage, the BIBLE, the Crown Prince of heaven, the disciples were troubled, the disciples worshipped Jesus, the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm, the Master of the sea, the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes, the one who created the wind and the sea, the wind ceased and there was a great calm, they feared exceedingly, thou art the Son of God, to him belongs, to praise worship and fellowship, took his eyes off Jesus, trusting faith, truth, twelve baskets of leftovers, two small fishes, very deeply stained within, walking on the sea, what manner of man is this, when nothing else could help, wherefore didst thou doubt, why are ye so fearful, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 August 2026 Matthew 14:31.
Matthew 14:31. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Come on friends, the church bells are ringing, letting us know that it’s Sunday and we’re therefore required in the Lord’s sanctuary to praise, worship, fellowship, encourage and enjoy the company of other believers, while receiving God’s grace and mercy to enable us to go out into the new week of work with confidence and trusting faith. And this past week when I was in Toronto, I heard church bells ringing, and was I ever surprised and delighted because I hadn’t heard church bells ringing in a long while.
I remember church bells being such an integral part of church going. They would ring every Sunday morning, inviting you to come to church. Oftentimes too it was a wakeup call, after a late night out on Saturday. But for whatever reason, the practice was abandoned. I don’t even remember when that happened, possibly during a period when I stopped going to church. (smile) But with or without bells ringing an invitation or a wakeup call, we’re still required to attend church regularly and on this Sunday morning we’re going to open the celebrations with a wonderful hymn we all know, simply titled, ‘LOVE LIFTED ME.’
It was written in 1912 by Irish immigrant to the U.S James Rowe (1865-1933). He was a railroad worker for ten years in New York before becoming an inspector for the Hudson River Humane Society. The lyrics draw from the gospel stories of Jesus and His disciples at sea. Rowe imagines sinking in water to sinking in sin and that Jesus can lift us out of despair to salvation. And is that ever a wonderful notion to consider! So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo version that truly reflects our sentiments.
Singing: ‘I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more; But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, now safe am I. (Refrain: LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me. LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me.) All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling, In his blessed presence live, ever his praises sing. LOVE so mighty and so true merits my soul’s best songs; Faithful LOVING service, too, to Him belongs.
[Refrain] Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves; He will lift you by His LOVE out of the angry waves; He’s the master of the sea, billows His will obey; He your Savior wants to be, be saved today. [Refrain: LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me. LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me…. Yes, When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me….’ Oh, that was beautiful my brethren! And as so often happens, we had heaven singing along with us, because it’s such a sweet, truthful hymn about their Crown Prince! (smile)
Now, although most of us know the stories behind the song, it’s always helpful to review them for whatever information and inspiration they might provide. The first incident occurred after Jesus fed the five thousand men, beside women and children with five loaves of bread and two small fishes, and they collected twelve baskets of leftovers afterwards. Then right after the feeding, Jesus compelled the disciples to get into a boat and sail to the other side, while He sent the crowd away, then went up into a mountain by Himself to pray, where evening found Him up there alone. (Matt. 14:14-23)
However, the boat with the disciples was then in the middle of the sea in a frightening storm. The Bible recounts: ‘And in the fourth watch of the night (between 3 and 6 a.m.) Jesus went unto them walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit (ghost); and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer (take courage); it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come.
And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous (violent), he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ (Matt. 14:25-31)
Ah mih people, that’s the same question Jesus asks many of us today, when we allow fear to overcome our Christ-inspired faith and courage. Now Peter had the parts to at least come down and begin walking on the water, but in the midst of it, He unwisely refocused His attention from Jesus to the violent wind blowing around Him. But we are also guilty of the same thing; taking our eyes off of Jesus and focusing them on our circumstances, when we quickly lose all sense of courage and faith. It’s therefore essential to never take our eyes off Jesus when confronted with any disadvantageous situations, because then we’re likely to go under.
But, as with Peter, it’s necessary to cry out to Jesus for help in negative situations, so that His LOVE can lift us up. And when it was all over, the disciples worshipped Jesus saying, ‘Of a truth thou art the Son of God.’ (Matt. 14:33) And though it seems sort of late for them to be doing that, I’m sure Jesus understood their fragility, just like He understands ours today.
And the second story is another incident where Jesus and the disciples are crossing the sea and a raging tempest blows up, with the waves washing over the sides of the boat filling it with water. Meanwhile Jesus is asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat, and the disciples wake him, saying, ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he (Jesus) said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, what manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:38-41)
That man was only the One who created the wind and the sea, so they obviously obeyed Him. And I like how the scholars put it about the disciples’ fear, saying that ‘it must have been a mixture of reverential awe and real fright – it would be chillingly eerie to witness the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm.’ And so it would be, but we still need to remember that it’s Jesus we’re dealing with, to whom nothing is impossible. And as one commentary puts it: ‘Rowe’s hymn masterfully incorporates both stories, using sinking or being swamped into the sea as an illustration for “sinking deep in sin…sinking to rise no more.” Jesus, “Master of the sea,” hears our pleas for help, reaches out to us in LOVE, and lifts us up into the well-being of grace.’
And that is exactly what He does! But we must have the faith and the courage to call out to Him for help, when we find ourselves in negative situations. Remember, it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…it’s no shame…to cry out to Jesus for help…any time at all…under whatever circumstances…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deficiency causes a clear adverse outcome, a misguided heart, a need is something that's necessary to sustain life, a want is a desire wish or aspiration, all fall down, bowing here, cling to God, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, congregate in the Lord's sanctuary, consider all the blessings we have, dysfunction, eternal death, exciting, faith, fellowship, find grace to help in time of need, find rest unto your souls, find true rest and direction, gentle and humble in heart, God goodness and mercy, God's largesse, hard, headed straight for hell fire and damnation, Holiness is Christ in me, holy spirit, I confess, I find my rest, I need you every hour, I will call upon the Lord, I will give you rest, I will love thee O lord my strength, I'll fall on you Jesus, in whom I will trust, Jesus Christ, Jesus is more than sufficient for all our needs, Jesus is our be all and end all, joy filled, learn from me, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, Lord I come, Lord I need you, LOVE, makes me wan to worship, Matt Maher, meek and lowly in heart, my buckler, my burden is light, my deliverer, my god, my high tower, my one defense, my righteousness, my shield, my stronghold, my yoke is easy, O God how I need you, obtain mercy, on the right hand of God, painful, run to God, salvation, saved from mine enemies, song of worship, Sunday, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, teach my song to rise to you, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, the delicious truth, the first day of the week, the horn of my salvation, the Lord is my rock and my fortress, the throne of grace, the undeserving children of men, there is no other God like our God Jehovah, this evil and ungodly society, time of need, total reliance on God, trust God with everything we're going through, truth, we cannot make it on our own, we need God every minute, we need God in every situation in our lives, we need the Lord's saving grace, when I cannot stand, when temptation comes my way, where grace is found is where you are, where sin runs deep, where you are Lord I am free, wisdom, without you I fall apart, worthy to be praised, you're my hope and stay, you're the one that guides my heart, your grace is more
Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 July 2026 Matthew 11:28.
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
It’s the first day of the week my fellow believers! Sunday! The day we congregate in the Lord’s sanctuary to celebrate His sovereignty as one joyful body, to offer up praise and thanksgiving for His mercy and goodness to us undeserving children of men. For without His largesse, we’d have no chance whatsoever of escaping eternal death.
And today’s song of worship is one that shows our total reliance on our Creator. It’s a 2011 contemporary Christian song by Matt Maher, most appropriately titled `Lord I Need You. So, without further ado, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt, lively and uplifting version, as per the Brookly Tabernacle Choir.
Singing: ‘Lord I come, I confess Bowing here, I find my rest Without You, I fall apart You’re the one that guides my heart (Chorus: Lord, I need You, oh I need You Every hour, I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You) Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more Where grace is found is where You are And where You are, Lord I am free Holiness is Christ in me (Chorus)
So teach my song to rise to You When temptation comes my way And when I cannot stand, I’ll fall on You Jesus, You’re my hope and stay (Chorus. Lord, I need You, oh I need You Every hour, I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You You’re my one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You!’
And isn’t that the delicious truth! We desperately need the Lord’s saving grace, mercy, salvation, and all the other good things He has to offer, for we simply cannot make it on our own! But before we get into the specifics of the song, I think we should clarify what we mean by a need. And this commentary gives us a good basis on which to begin.
It says: ‘A need is something that is necessary for an organism to live a healthy life. Needs are distinguished from wants in that, in the case of a need, a deficiency causes a clear adverse outcome: a dysfunction or death. In other words, a need is something required for a safe, stable and healthy life (e.g. food, water, shelter), while a want is a desire, wish, or aspiration.’
From that explanation, we can deduce that needs are ever so necessary in a human’s life, and most, if not all of them can only be met by or obtained through God’s goodness, grace and mercy! Just look at the first verse: ‘‘Lord I come, I confess Bowing here, I find my rest Without You, I fall apart You’re the one that guides my heart.’ Now where else can you find true rest and direction for an unsure or misguided heart eh? Nowhere else but in and through Jesus!
As He says in His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11: 28-30) Now that’s Jesus satisfying a couple of our most basic needs; rest and relief from heavy burdens. No one else can do that like He does.
Then look at the chorus: ‘Lord, I need You, oh I need You Every hour, I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You).’ And if that isn’t the gospel truth, then I don’t know what is! And in this evil and ungodly society that seems to be getting worse with each passing day, do we ever need the Lord. Not only every hour but also every minute, because life is passing by so swiftly, if He isn’t with us all the time then all fall down.
And the chorus most rightly terms the Lord, ‘our one defense,’ which Bruh David clearly states in Psalm 18 – A Call for God’s Deliverance, when he confidently declares: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3)
It could not be said more clearly than that my people! And we know that Bruh David was talking there from personal experience and not simple hearsay. Then this verse tells us: ‘Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more Where grace is found is where You are And where You are, Lord I am free Holiness is Christ in me.’
And where do we find grace, but at the throne of grace! As the author of Hebrews so rightly informs us: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) And if we find grace where Jesus is, then Jesus must in heaven, as Peter says: ‘Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.’ (1 Pet. 3:22)
Yes my fellow believers, as I keep on saying, Jesus is our End All and Be All; without Him we’re completely lost, headed straight for hell fire and damnation, but with Him in our lives, we don’t need anything or anyone else, for He is more than sufficient for all our needs!
And we’ll close with a couple of testimonies on the song. The first one says: ‘God is ALL that we need. That’s what He wants from us. For us to run to Him, cling to Him and trust Him with everything we’re going through. Whether it’s painful and hard, or joy filled and exciting! We need Him!’ Don’t we know it!
And the second testimony declares: ‘This is a very beautiful song.it makes me look at God and see how much I need him in every situation in my life. It makes me want to worship every time I sing it. It surely is a blessing.’ What an awesome truth! And with that truth declared, I think we should spend some time today considering all the blessings we have, by having Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour! Much LOVE!
…what a great God we serve…there is no other like Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 10th century African Prayer, a light unto my path, abide with you for ever, air quality warnings, all for our benefit, and again I say rejoice, ask and it shall be given you, be careful for nothing, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, because I live ye shall live also, blessed be God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, calamity, call upon me, comforts us in all our tribulation, dissipation, dwell in the land of the shadow of death, everyone that asketh receiveth, faith, fellowship, giving thanks always for all things, God will come to you if you ask him to, going to God's house to worship Him, have the light of life, He came to me when I needed Him, He gave me eyes to behold, He gave me wealth untold, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, he that seeketh findeth, He's only a prayer away, hearken unto you, holy spirit, I am the light of the world, I asked the Lord to comfort me, I asked the Lord to walk with me, I count all my blessings each day, I didn't ask for riches, I know the thoughts that I have toward you, I only had to pray, I thank the Lord for everything, I will come to you, I will comfort you, I will not leave you comfortless, I will see you through, if ye love me keep my commandments, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in every thing give thanks, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, it shall be opened, Jesus Christ, Ji, Jimmy Duncan, Johnny Lange, knock and it shall be opened unto you, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, lift your cares away, listen to you, LOVE, making melody in your heart to the Lord, mercy, Mule Train, My Special Angel, never be afraid, pray the Father to give you another Comforter, pray without ceasing, rejoice evermore, Rejoice in the Lord always, renew our spirits, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek and ye shall find, seen a great light, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, speaking to yourselves in psalms hymns and spiritual songs, sweet sacrifices of praise, the best of everything is bestowed on you, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the firmament sheweth his handiwork, the God of All Comfort, the greatest privilege is prayer, the heavens declare the glory of god, the Lord is at hand, the moon and the stars, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the people that walked in darkness, the Spirit of truth, the sun in the sky, this is the will of God in Christ concerning you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to give you a future and a hope, to give you an expected end, to him that knocketh, truth, unto god the Father, upon them the light hath shined, we may comfort them which are in trouble, when darkness was all I knew, when things weren't going my way, will not leave you as orphans, wisdom, ye shall call upon me and pray unto me, ye shall seek me and find me
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2026 John 8:12.
John 8:12. ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’
Ah, Sunday, sweet Sunday! Going to God’s house to sing and praise and worship Him with other believers and renew our sprits for another week! What a glorious time it will be, as we meet and greet and encourage each other! And though some air quality warning is still in place, it’s otherwise a bright and sunshiny day with blue skies and a cool breeze, which makes it even more satisfying to journey to the Lord’s sanctuary. (smile)
And today’s song of worship is a beautiful 20th century hymn, written by Jimmy Duncan (1927-2011) and Johnny Lange (1905-2006) simply but very expressively titled ‘I asked the Lord.’ It’s strange that those two got together to write a hymn, when they were both known for more popular worldly music, like ‘My Special Angel,’ and ‘Mule Train.’ But a beautiful song was indeed created from the collaboration, so, without further ado, let’s raise our voices in sweet sacrifices of praise, in a rich, soulful, scintillating, mid-tempo version.
Singing: ‘I asked the Lord to comfort me When things weren’t going my way; And He said to me, “I will comfort you And I’ll lift your cares away.” I asked the Lord to walk with me, when darkness was all that I knew; And He said to me “Never be afraid, and I will see you through.” I didn’t ask for riches, but He gave me wealth untold, The moon and the stars, the sun in the sky, and He gave me eyes to behold. I thank the Lord for everything, and I count all my blessings each day; For He came to me when I needed Him, I only had to pray. And He will come to you, if you ask Him to, For He’s only a prayer away…. Yes, if you ask Him to, He will come to you, For He’s only a prayer away…’
Oh friends, that was a wonderful version! And what I truly like about the song is that it’s short and simple, but very much to the point. You ask the Lord for something within His will, and He’ll certainly do it for you. As Jesus says: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) And if Jesus says it’s so, then it is so!
And what did we ask for above there? Comfort, when things weren’t going our way. And what did Jesus promise when He told the disciples about His going back to heaven? ‘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 for ever. 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. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.’ (John 14:15-19)
Yuh see that mih people: Jesus promised the disciples, and consequently us, a Comforter in the form of the Holy Spirit, who will live within us and transmit His messages to us. And furthermore, on the topic of comfort, listen to these wonderful words of Bruh Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Now isn’t that simply awesome; the Lord comforts us so that we can comfort others. That’s the wonderful kind of God we serve my faithful brethren! And, as per asking the Lord to walk with us the darkness, listen as Isaiah pours it out: ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them the light hath shined.’ (Is. 9:2) And who was that light? None other than Jesus, for as He says in one of His many ‘I Am’ statements: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
What more can we ask for eh? And if that isn’t enough, then listen as the psalmist tells us about the Lord’s Word. ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) So however you take it, once you’re in the Lord’s space, you have light now and forevermore! And though we never asked for riches, the Lord gave us wealth untold in the beauty of His magnificent universe, and eyes wherewith to see, admire and enjoy it. As Bruh David says in Psalm 19: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament (expanse of heaven) sheweth his handiwork (the work of his hands).’ (Ps. 19:1)
Now here comes possibly the most important part of the song: ‘I thank the Lord for everything.’ Yes friends, thanks to Almighty God for all that He’s done for us, especially since we don’t deserve any of it, is of the utmost importance! And so is counting our many blessings, which is all wrapped up in these scriptures of Bruh Paul. To the Ephesians he says: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;’ (Eph. 5:18-20)
Then to the Philippians he wrote: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness, reasonableness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7) Meanwhile, to the Thessalonians, he simply says: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (Thess. 5:16-18)
And how do we connect it all? Through the greatest privilege in the world; PRAYER! As the Lord says through 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). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all of your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13) The message could not be any clearer than that my brethren, so please let’s take it to heart and put it into action nuh. For remember all that the Lord’s doing is for our benefit, not His. Much LOVE!
…when you embrace Jesus…the best of everything is bestowed on you like…light…life…LOVE…comfort…joy…and peace…amongst many other things…
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