04 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a daunting battle, a modicum of circumspection, a right to fight to protect what is yours, a scourge of small cords, a whip of small cords, an house of prayer for all people, atmosphere like a public bazaar, be repudiated on our watch, become a den of robbers in your eyes, believers must also wake up and smell the coffee, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord, burn incense unto Baal, burnt offerings and sacrifices, by the good example we your faithful believers set, christianity, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, employers stranglehold on workers, end of summer vacation, faith, fighting for our rights, fraught with bloodshed and suffering, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, generous help, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, greedy clutches, gross perversion of the temple, hard fought for rights, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna to the son of David, inconsiderate, influence, it is written, Jesus Christ, Jesus drove out all that bought and sold in the temple, Jesus drove them out of the temple, Jesus healed the blind and lame ce, Jesus turned water into wine, Jesus went up to Jerusalem, Jesus' disdain for the corruption of organized religion, Jesus' first miracle, labour day weekend, lack of the purity of life and power of God, leverage, LOVE, made it into a den of thieves, make not my Father's house an house of merchandise, make them joyful in my house of prayer, mercy, my house shall be called the house of prayer, omnipotent help, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our witness for Christ is not good enough, overthrew the tables, overthrew the tables of the money changers, passover was at hand, poured out the changer's money, problems are escalating, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, selling animals in the temple, smell it sweet and strong, stand before me in this house which is called by name, stand strong and steadfast, take these things hence, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the temple of God, the weekend is here at last, throne of grace, trusting faith, truth, uncompassionate, unexpected storms, we are delivered to do all these abominations, wisdom, wise guidance
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 September 2026 Matthew 21:13.
Matthew 21:13. It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
And then it was Friday, and our Friday Mantra rose up to high heaven with a glorious shout: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ And though the day is not as beautiful as yesterday, with only a sprinkling of sunshine and some cloud cover, no one really cares because this is the start of the long, Labour Day weekend. Unfortunately it means the end of the summer vacation for the school children and some adults, but the cottage country will be busy with end of summer festivities this weekend, while the Canadian National Exhibition, the CNE, our grand summer fair, down at the shores of Lake Ontario, (not Lake America) (smile) will be doing a brisk business before it closes on Monday for another year.
And all around the world, there will be marches and parties to celebrate the lessening of the employers’ stranglehold on workers down through the last few generations. Oh, it’s been a daunting battle, fraught with much bloodshed and suffering, and the employers’ would be only too glad to get us back under their greedy, inconsiderate, uncompassionate clutches, and they are constantly trying to do so, willing to grab whatever bit of influence and leverage they can. But please, let’s not relax and allow our hard earned, hard fought for rights to be repudiated on our watch. End of the Sermon! (smile)
And I guess the Lord desires to reinforce our fighting for our rights with the scriptures because the Good Book just opened to that interesting situation where Jesus was fighting for His and His Father’s rights. That’s on Palm Sunday, the day of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the multitudes hailed Him with cries of ‘Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.’ (Matt. 21:9)
Soon thereafter, the Bible tells us: ‘And 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 moneychangers, 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 lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.’ (Matt. 21:12-14) Now that’s fighting for you and your Father’s rights!
Yes friends, as the scholars explain, in reality, the atmosphere around the temple amounted to a public bazaar. And apparently this was not the first or only time Jesus cleansed the temple of the wrongdoers. But only John tells us this story. According to John, after Jesus performed His first miracle, turning water into wine at the marriage festival in Cana, ‘He went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
And the Jews Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen, and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge (whip) of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew (overturned) the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.’ (John 2:12-16)
Yuh see friends, Jesus was not afraid to fight for what was rightfully His, and so should we. And the scholars explain that Jesus’ display of anger indicated ‘His disdain for the corruption of organized religion which lacked purity of life and the power of God. In light of the seriousness of what He had come to do, Jesus could not tolerate such gross perversion of the temple, meaning the whole temple area on Mount Moriah including all the precincts and courts.’ And we could expect no less from Him.
And I like how Jesus just LOVES to quote scripture to bolster His actions. In the Palm Sunday instance, where He claims, ‘It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.’ He’s most likely quoting from Isaiah and Jeremiah. Isaiah, in talking about God’s salvation and righteousness, says of the Lord: ‘Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.’ (Is. 56:7)
Then as per Jeremiah, where the Lord is telling the people to amend their ways. ‘Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it saith the Lord.’ (Jer. 7:9-11)
Unfortunately today also, many churches are run like business places more than houses of prayer and worship. But be that as it may, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us handle all the stuff that’s coming against us. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land.
So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now two words of warning: remember to have a modicum of circumspection in your partying this weekend, and we believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our witness for Christ is certainly not good enough! Much LOVE!
…you have a right to fight…to protect what is yours…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name written that no man knew except himself, a seven day work week, a twoedged sword in their hand, addicted to the weekend, be renewed and refreshed, beautify the meek with salvation, become too self-righteous, believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, by the good example we your faithful believers set, christianity, clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine help, efforts for Christ are inadequate, faith, faithful and true, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, glorification of the righteous, God is indeed worthy of our praise, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, help us to be responsible, his eyes were as a flame of fire, his name is called the word of God, his praise in the congregation of saints, holy spirit, in righteousness he doth judge and make war, Jesus Christ, judgement of the wicked, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, let Israel rejoice in him that made him, let Israel rejoice in his maker, let the children of Zion be joyful in their king, let the high praises of God be in their mouth, let the saints be joyful in glory, LOVE, mercy, numbered amongst the righteous, on his head were many crowns, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, praise his name in the dance, praise is related to the kingdom of God, Praise ye the Lord, punishments upon the people, Rejoice in the King, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, righteousness will triumph over wickedness, rule the nations with a rod of iron, salvation, serious problems are escalating, shout Hallelujah, sing aloud upon their beds, sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp, sing unto the Lord a new song, sitting on a white horse, stand strong and steadfast, taken in a prophetic sense, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the Lord intends to establish His kingdom on the earth, the Lord taketh pleasure in his people, the righteous judge, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, the wrath of Almighty God, their nobles with fetters of iron, this age of grace, this honour have all the saints, thy kinkdom come, to bind their kings with chains, to execute upon them the judgement written, to execute vengeance upon the heathen, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, wisdom, wise guidance, your livelihood
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 August 2026 Psalm 149:1.
Psalm 149:1. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
And this last Friday in August has opened bright and sunshiny, although the computer is promising rain for later in the day. Let’s hope that they are wrong though. In any case it did not stop our Friday Mantra from joyfully rising to the heavens earlier this morning: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ We’re so addicted to the weekend that I don’t know what we’d do without it. We’d be totally lost. What would have happened to some of us in the time when a seven day work week was the norm?
I can remember doing that with a mere two days off after the seven long night shifts. But you got accustomed to it, and didn’t complain, because it was your livelihood. Now we’re so pampered that just the very thought of working five consecutive days, much less seven, drives many of us crazy. But as one friend would say; that’s progress! And in some respects it is, though the entitlement aspects we’re now becoming accustomed to is not helping anyone, and is in fact a step backward. But who am I to question it eh? (smile) End of Sermon!
Now, let’s do our duty as Psalm 149 – Rejoice in the King – advises us. Please read with me: ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him (their maker): let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek (humble) with salvation.
Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgement written: this honour have all the saints. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).’ (Ps. 149:1-9)
Yes friends, praise should always be forthcoming from our mouths to our great God Jehovah, both in song and dance, privately and publicly, for He is indeed worthy of our praise, as so many scriptures declare. However, as the scholars explain, this psalm is not a straightforward one. They say: ‘The unique aspect of praise highlighted in this psalm is that praise is related to the kingdom of the Lord. Though the psalm begins with the normal call to praise (vs. 1-3), the cause for the praise (vs. 4-9) is quite unexpected; it is because the Lord intends to establish His kingdom on the earth. This kingdom includes both glorification of the righteous (vs. 4-6) and the judgement of the wicked (vs. 7-9).
This aspect of judgement is apparently to be carried out by the righteous (vs. 6-9). This passage should be taken in a prophetic sense to refer to the time when God will in fact establish His kingdom on the earth with His glorified saints right behind Him (Rev. 19:11-21). Even in this age of grace, believers are instructed to pray “Thy Kingdom come” (Matt. 6:10), a petition that includes not only the glorification of the righteous but the destruction of the wicked.’
Oh my people, the Lord has indeed promised to set up His kingdom on earth with His saints around Him, while He destroys the wicked. And you can read more about that situation in Rev. 19:11-21, when Jesus comes, sitting on a white horse, as the Righteous Judge. He’s ‘called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture (robe) dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite (strike) the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture (robe) and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’ (Rev. 19:11-16)
Yes my brethren, that’s how Jesus is coming back to judge and do battle against the wicked, with the armies of the righteous zealously behind Him. Let’s sincerely hope, pray and do whatever we need to do, to be numbered amongst the last group and not the first. And for divine help to do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And before we get too self-righteous, let’s acknowledge that we believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our efforts for Christ are totally inadequate! Much LOVE!
…in the end…righteousness will triumph over wickedness…through the person of Jesus Christ…that’s the Lord’s promise…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a personal relationship with jesus, all was futility, all was vanity, be renewed and refreshed, christianity, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, don't get too carried away, earthly pleasures leave us unfulfilled, eternal life, eternal sustenance and provision, faith, fame, fear God and keep his commandments, finding no real satisfaction, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, generous help, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give our leaders the wise guidance, give unto him that is thirsty, God is the goal or aim of all things, God is the the origin and source of all things, God shall bring every work into judgement, God's eternal purpose has now been accomplished, grasping for the wind, great disappointment, he shall be my son, he that overcometh shall inherit all things, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, I am the Alpha and Omega, I was great, I will be his God, in these two short days off, increased more than all that were before me, inherit all that belongs to him as a son of God, it is done, Jesus Christ, looked on all the works my hands had wrought, Lord we desperately need your help, LOVE, mercy, my heart rejoiced in all my labour, my reward from all my labour, my wisdom remained with me, no earthly pleasure satisfies forever, no profit under the sun, of the fountain of the water of life freely, omnipotent help, only heavenly pleasures endure forever, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our supposed holiness and righteousness, our witness for Christ is not good enough, poignant testimony, problems escalating, pursued fulfillment through pleasure, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, seeking enduring fulfillment from earthly pleasures, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the beginning and the end, the BIBLE, the complete package, the entirety of something, the eternal purpose of God, the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet, the good example that we your faithful believers set, the labour that I had laboured to do, the Lord is the beginning and end of everything, the one who has genuine saving persevering faith, the only lasting satisfaction is, the Preacher, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, the whole duty of man, the whole of something, the wisest man of all time, things to look forward to, to gather a holy devoted people for Himself, to handle these unexpected storms properly, trustung faith, truth, vexation of spirit, what profit hath a man from all his labour, whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, whether it be evil, whether it be good, which he taketh under the sun, wisdom, with every secret thing, withheld not my heart from any joy
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 August 2026 Ecclesiastes 12:13.
Ecclesiastes 12:13. Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
And I can just imagine the joyful shouts of our Friday Mantra that went up to heaven this beautiful Friday morning: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ Yes, the weekend is one of the few promising things we have to look forward to throughout our long years of labouring under the sun. As Cousin Sol, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes puts it: ‘What profit hath a man of (from) all his labour which he taketh (toils or labours) under the sun?’ (Eccl. 1:3) And that’s a very good question, which he proceeded to find an answer to by using his wealth and wisdom to build and plant and have all the nicest things possible.
As he says later on: ‘So I was great, and increased (excelled) more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy (pleasure); for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of (reward from) all my labour.’ (Eccl. 2:9-10) Wow! Can you imagine the things Cousin Sol did in search of enjoyment and pleasure and finding out the destiny of man!
And what did all of that seeking prove? Cousin Sol says in great disappointment: ‘Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured (toiled) to do: and behold all was vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind), and there was no profit under the sun.’ (Eccl. 2:11) Ah friends how sorrowful that must be, doing all those things and in the end finding no real satisfaction. It’s as the scholars say: ‘Solomon pursued fulfillment through pleasure, wine, great works, wealth, aesthetic and artistic pleasures and fame. (Eccl. 2:1-9) All of these failed to bring lasting satisfaction to the wisest man of all time, yet people three thousand years later are still trying them in search of enduring fulfillment.’
And so we foolishly are! But the important word in it all my brethren is ‘enduring.’ No pleasure of this world can satisfy us forever. The only thing that can bring true and lasting satisfaction is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ because that lasts forever and provides salvation and eternal life! Now those are the two most important things our human soul requires, because when our bodies die, we leave everything of the world behind, except Jesus Christ. And that’s guaranteed in this promise Jesus made to John in Revelation.
‘And he (Jesus) said unto me, It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst (thirsty) of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.’ (Rev. 21:6-7) And what does all of the mean? Per the scholars: ‘It is done: The eternal purpose of God to gather a holy, devoted people for Himself has now been accomplished.’
And as per Alpha and Omega, this overview explains it thus: ‘The phrase “alpha and omega” means the beginning and the end. Alpha is the first letter and omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. Used together, they describe the whole of something, meaning the complete package, the entirety, or “from A to Z”. Therefore the Lord is the Beginning and End of everything.
As the scholars declare: ‘Beginning means God is the origin and source of all things (cf. Is. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12). End means He is also the goal or aim of all things (cf. Rom. 10:4) The water of life represents eternal sustenance and provision (cf. Rev. 22:1; Ps. 36:9; Is. 55:1; Jer. 2:13; John 4:14) available freely by faith (Rev. 22:17). He that overcometh is the one who has genuine, saving, persevering faith (cf. Rev. 2:11; 3:5; 1 John 5:4-5) He will inherit all that belongs to the him as a son of God (cf. John 1:12; Rom. 8:16-17; Gal. 3:29; 4:7).’
Now that’s certainly a lot of scriptures to look up, but if you truly want to understand what we’ve read, then I strongly advise you take the time and look them up. I just did, making the Bit even later than it already was, (smile) and I was surprised at how they dovetailed nicely with what is said in Revelation. But getting back to Cousin Sol and his search for fulfillment in earthly pleasures, we find him showing why he was considered the wisest man ever, that is before he turned away from the God of his forefathers, married numerous foreign wives and began worshipping their foreign gods.
His wise and poignant testimony still stands, as he says; ‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ (Eccl. 12:13-14) No wiser words can be spoken than those my people! And for our information, Deuteronomy 6:2; 10:12, and Micah 6:8, also detail that our bounden duty is to serve the Lord. So in our somewhat unsuccessful efforts to do our duty, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us do better..
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now my fellow believers, let’s not get too carried away with our supposed holiness and righteousness, because we also need to wake up and smell the coffee, since our witness for Christ is not as good as it ought to be! Much LOVE!
…life’s earthly pleasures leave us unfulfilled…but those of heaven endure forever…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a common denominator, a fine summer's day, a real late bus, appear beautiful outward, at the least convenient time, being honest, beleivers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christ demands integrity from His followers, christianity, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, derogatory remarks, diligence, divine help, do our best to make our actions match our words, doing the right thing, doing the right thing even when no one's watching, don't get too self-righteous, enjoying the weekend, faith, for Christ's sake, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, full of dead men's bones, full of hypocrisy and iniquity, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool, he that is perverse in his ways, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, hypocrites, iin soul body and mind, incorruptible, integrity, Jesus Christ, Jesus was a perfect example of integrity, like unto whited sepulchres, LOVE, mercy, never too late to share God's word, no internet connection, of all uncleanness, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, people who don't do what they say, perverse in his ways though he is rich, renewed and refreshed, salvation, serious problems are escalating, sincerity, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, strong mral prinicples, technology can nake and break you, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the weekend is here at last, to handle unexpected storms properly, trusting faith, truth, ungodly times, wisdom, wise guidance, woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, ye outwardly appear righteous unto men
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 August 2026 Proverbs 19:1.
Proverbs 19:1. ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’
Ah friends, we’re on a real late bus today. At one stage I wondered if it would even come. But it did come eventually, and it’s not too late to write a short sweet Friday Bit, because I hate missing any days, unless I’m too sick to do so. (smile) And this lateness stems from the fact that I have had no internet connection for the last 24 hours. Technology, technology, technology! It can make you, but it can also break you, and at a time when it’s least convenient.
I won’t even bother to explain what I’ve been going through for the last two days with my internet service provider. Trying to fix one problem caused a whole black out of internet and TV service, and it was only late this afternoon that a technician came and fixed it. The problem though is that all of them have problems, and getting them fixed in a timely and unstressed manner seems to be a common denominator, so moving from to another doesn’t make much sense, for you’ll be only faced with a different kind of problem and go through the same stress to have it fixed. End of my complaining! (smile)
Oh, by now, everybody will have already shouted up their Friday mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ gone to work on a fine summer’s day and be enjoying the weekend activities, after a long and tiring five days of consecutive work. But it’s never too late to share the Word of God. So let’s delve in and come up with a short, sweet Friday Bit! (smile)
And here is the perfect scripture to titillate us today. It comes from the Proverbs of Cousin Sol, and warns: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’ (Prov. 19:1) And isn’t that the gospel truth my faithful brethren, for if it’s one thing Christ desires from His followers is integrity. And what’s integrity eh?
Basically, it’s like this overview describes. ‘Integrity means being honest. It means having strong moral principles. A person with integrity does the right thing. They do this even when no one is watching. The word also means being whole, complete, or undivided, as well as incorruptible. Small examples are like returning extra change given to you by a cashier by mistake, or keeping a promise even when it is hard to do.’
And our Lord and Saviour Jesus was the perfect example of integrity! Now, following Him is not always easy for us, but we must always do the best we can, especially in respect of things like integrity, sincerity and diligence. That’s because those around us might not hear what we say about the gospel, but they will certainly see it from our lifestyle. And remember examples speak for forcibly than words. So although others may not remember what you say, they’ll certainly remember what you do, how you behave in certain situations.
Now that’s one of the big problems in Christ’s church today. Too many of us supposed Christians say one thing and then do something entirely different, something that does not jive with our words. It’s why Jesus made these derogatory remarks about the Jewish leaders of His day. ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres (whitewashed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)
And that my friends is one of the reasons why the unbeliever doesn’t pay much attention to supposed Christians; because many of us are simply a bunch of hypocrites! And why would you knowingly want to mix with a bunch of people who don’t do what they say, keep promises, or show true integrity eh? And integrity was so important that Cousin Sol wrote about it twice: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse in his ways, though he is rich.’ (Prov. 28:6) That just goes to show that neither wealth, power or any other earthly trapping ought to make us lose or lack integrity!
So, to get divine help in that most important aspect of our Christian lives, lets’ go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And remember, let’s not get too self-righteous, because we too need to wake up and smell the coffee, so that we can do a better job for Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
for Christ’s sake…let’s do our best…to make our actions match our words…and vice versa…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an expose of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, be content with your wages, be renewed and refreshed, bring forth therefore, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christians, Christians also need to wake up and smell the coffee, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desperately need your help, despite wayward lives, do violence to no man, every tree which brigeth fort not good fruit, evil machinations, exact no more than which is appointed you, faith, flee from the wrath to come, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, fruits worthy of repentance, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, go back out next week, go work in my vineyard, God demands both trust and obedience, God desires loyalty from His people, God is able of these stones, God will dispense judgement at the appropriate time, God's omnipotent help, he that hath meat let him do likewise, he that hath two coats, help us to be responsible, hewn down and cast into the fire, holy spirit, I go sir and went not, I will not, immoral disobedience, improve our witness for Christ, in soul body and mind, in the way of righteousness, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Second Coming, John came unto you, John's influence on the people, let him impart to him that hath none, LOVE, mercy, neither accuse any falsely, O generation of vipers, one without the other is incomplete, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our trusting faith, problems are escalating, salvation, saved due to being ethnic Jews, stand strong and steadfast, strong winds, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the ax is laid unto the root of the trees, the BIBLE, the first did the father's will, the parable of the two sons, the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you, the publicans and harlotsbelieved him, the soldiers also demanded of him, then came also the publicans to be baptized, then he repented and went, to raise up children unto abraham, truth, vindication of John's ministry, we have Abraham as our father, what shall we do, what think ye, whether of them twain did the will of his father, who hath warned you, wisdom, wise guidance, with God's generous help, ye believed him not
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 June 2026 Matthew 21:31a.
Matthew 21:31a. Whether of them twain did the will of his father?
And as we awakened this morning, the words of our Friday Mantra automatically went up to heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ And it’s indeed another bright and sunshiny day, with the strong winds still blowing from yesterday. Brother! They went on all day, all night and are in full swing today again. Let’s hope they don’t too much damage. Anyway, since we can’t do anything about the constantly blowing winds, let’s turn to something we can control, and that’s this parable of the two sons, as spoken by Jesus to the Pharisees.
He says to them, ‘But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first , and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented (regretted it), and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father?’ (Matt. 21:28-31a) Now that’s a very good question my brethren. The first one said he wouldn’t go, but then went, while the second said he would go, but did not. So who did the father’s will?
The Pharisees answered Jesus: ‘They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you. That the publicans (tax collectors) and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.’ (Matt. 21:31b) Now that’s a very big statement for Jesus to make, so obviously He had some grounds for telling them that. Then He explains to the Pharisees. ‘For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans (tax collectors) and harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented (relented, regretted) not afterward, that ye might believe him.’ (Matt. 21:32)
So what’s the parable all about eh? The scholars explain it thus: ‘The parable of the two sons follows as an expose of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, as a vindication of John’s ministry, and as a vindication of the true work of God in general. The first son initially said I will not, representing the immoral disobedience of the publicans and harlots who later repented under John’s and Jesus’ preaching. The second son promised to go, but did not follow through with obedience. Jesus asked, “Which did the will of his father?” By answering the first, the religious leaders condemned themselves. This very effective teaching method is commonly used in the Bible as the judicial parable, whereby the answerer condemns himself by the obviously implied response.’
In other words, the publicans and harlots who first refused the teachings of John and Jesus, eventually repented and accepted them. However, the hypocritical Pharisees, who were supposed to be true religious leaders, and ought to have accepted John and Jesus’ teaching without any misgivings, did not, and even debased and dismissed them as heretical, Satanic works, and eventually, through their evil machinations, had both teachers killed. And we have the evidence of what Jesus was saying in Luke’s gospel as to the teachings of John the Baptist.
Luke writes: ‘Then said he (John) to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation (offspring, brood) of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to (as) our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.’ (Luke 3:7-9)
And the scholars offer a couple of explanations re those verses. As per verse 7, they say; ‘It was believed with good Old Testament support, that the messianic reign would be accompanied by God’s judgement against all evil. In the Cross this did indeed occur. The wrath spoken of here, while it may have some relation to Jerusalem’s fate (A.D 70), relates more directly to Jesus’ second coming. See 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.’ And as per verse 8. ‘Some apparently believed that, despite wayward lives, they would be saved due to being ethnic Jews. John reminds them that God demands both trust and obedience – each is incomplete without the other.’
Then Luke continues: ‘And the people asked him (John), saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats (tunics), let him impart (give) to him that hath none; and he that hath meat (food), let him do likewise. Then came also the publicans (tax collectors) to be baptized, and said unto him, Master (teacher) what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact (collect) no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.’ (Luke 3:10-14)
Yes friends, you see all the other people except the religious leaders coming to John the Baptist to be baptized and know what to do with their lives after that. Instead of cleaning up their hypocritical lives, the religious leaders were intent on planning how to get rid of John and his influence on the people. Just like they did with Jesus. It just goes to show that not all religious leaders are in fact working for God, but many for themselves and their own aggrandizement. And we see that happening a whole lot in today’s society. But thankfully the Lord knows who is who, and will dispense judgement in the appropriate time.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, confidently, but humbly, seeking divine aid in these uncertain and difficult times. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And the truth is, that we Christians also need to wake up and smell the coffee, and improve our witness for Christ, because right now it’s certainly not good enough1 Much LOVE!
…above all else…God desires obedience and trust…that’s loyalty from His people…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brutish man knoweth not, a good night's sleep, a melodious sound, a sea of glass mingled with fire, a sigh of relief, all nations shall come and worship before thee, allowing us to see another day, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, be recompensed unto him again, be renewed and refreshed, by the good example we your faithful believers set, christianity, Christians, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, enabling us to get through the day, errands to run, faith, foolish to try and hide from God, for thou Lord, Friday chant, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give thanks morning and evening, give thanks to the Lord, glorify thy name, God is the most powerful being in the universe, God's omnipotent help, God's intricate and intimate knowledge of man, gotten the victory over the beast, great and marvellous are thy works, help to endure, help us to be responsible, his ways past finding out, holy spirit, how great are thy works, how great is the sum of them, how precious are thy thoughts unto me, how unsearchable are his judgements, I will triumph in the works of thy hands, if I should count them, in soul body and mind, it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, Jesus Christ, just and true are thy ways, king of saints, lord god almighty, LOVE, many are thy wonderful works, mercy, more in number than the sand, more than can be numbered, neither doth a fool understand this, O Lord, O Lord how great are thy works, of him and through him and to him are all things, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, our sinful world can wake up, over his image. over his mark, over the number of his name, personal experiences, rise up and do the work of Christ, salvation, sing the song of Moses, smell it sweet and strong, stand on the sea of glass, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the depth of the riches, the Good Library, the greatness of God, the harps of God, the late bus has been my lot, the Millennial kingdom, the servant of God, the Seven Last Plagues, the song of the Lamb, the throne of grace, the ultimate in praise, the weekend is here at last, the wisdom and knowledge of god, they cannot be reckoned up, thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works, thou only art holy, thy faithfulness every night, thy judgements are made manifest, thy thoughts are very deep, thy thoughts which are to us-ward, to shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning, to sing praises unto thy name O Most High, to whom be glory for ever, trusting faith, truth, two short days off, unexpected storms, upon an instrument of ten strings, upon the harp, upon the psaltery, wake up and smell the coffee, when I awake I am still with thee, when it's not one thing it's another, who hath been God's counsellor, who hath first given to hm, who hath known the mind of the Lord, who shall not fear thee, wisdom, wise guidance, with a solemn sound, with God's generous help I made it through, your thoughts are very deep
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 June 2026 Psalm 92:5.
Psalm 92:5. O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
Oh friends, all I can says is ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ And most importantly, I don’t have any more errands to run, or other issues to stop me from getting to the Bit sooner than I’ve been able to for this week. Brother! Everyday it’s been something or other that needs my attention, and all I want to do is sit and write the Bit as early as possible. But sadly, the late bus has been my lot. (smile) And would you believe, I just came from out the street, the hot and windy street, breathing a sigh of relief, but what yuh think happens right after that.
I took out my glasses from the case, and bingo! One of the lenses fell out, the same one I had fixed a couple of weeks ago. I tried unsuccessfully to put it back in. But no way was I going back out there right now, so I went and found an old pair in my car and I’m using that for today. Later on, or tomorrow, I’ll go out and look after that matter. Ah Lord eh! When it’s not one thing it’s another! Between, life, the Lord and Satan, we’re constantly kept busy. But enough of my sad stories, let’s see what the Lord desires us to talk about today.
And the Good Library opened at that wonderful Psalm 92, titled ‘Give Thanks to the Lord.’ And it begins thus: ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:’ (Ps. 92:1) And why is that such a good thing to do eh? ‘To shew forth (declare) thy LOVING-KINDNESS in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lute or lyre); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonious or melodic) sound.’ (Ps. 92:2-3)
Yes my brethren, it is indeed a good thing to give thanks and praise to our God every morning for allowing us to see another day, and at night for enabling us to get through the day and refresh us with a good night’s sleep. Regardless of what we do during the day, morning and evening our thanks and praise ought to always rise up to heaven. Why? As the psalmist continues: ‘For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps. 92:4)
And how wonderful is that eh my brethren! That’s why our God is such a great and generous God. He only does good things for us. And the psalmist then explains why that’s possible: ‘O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish (senseless) man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.’ (Ps. 92:5-6) And that’s very true; neither a senseless man nor a fool can understand the greatness of our God and His great works. But we do, for scripture has ingrained it in our consciousness, and we also have had personal experiences of it.
Now listen to some scripture that talks of the Lord’s greatness and His great works. Bruh David says it thus in Psalm 40: ‘Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up (recounted) in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.’ (Ps. 40:5)
And in that magnificent Psalm 139, where Bruh David describes God’s intimate and intricate knowledge about us, His human creation, he also declares: ‘How precious also are thy thoughts unto me! O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are in more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.’ (Ps. 139:17-18) Oh my people, when you read that Psalm it ought to make you understand how great our God is, and how intimately He knows us, therefore it’s foolish to try to hide anything from Him!
Then hear Bruh Paul sing the praises of our great God, to the church at Rome. ‘O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed (repaid) unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.’ (Rom. 11:33-36)
Wow! What wonderful praise! And for your information, Bruh Paul, as is his wont, has paraphrased or summarized several scriptures in that passage like ‘Is. 40:13; Jer. 23:18; 1 Cor. 2:16, Job 36:22) But it’s all true and very praiseworthy! But listen to the ultimate time of praise. It comes from Revelation 15, when John talks about the Seven Last Plagues.
He declares: ‘And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear (reverence) thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgements are made manifest.’ (Rev. 15:2-4)
Now that’s the kind of powerful worship we’ll offering up in time to come, as all nations will come together to worship God in the Millennial Kingdom. But for help to endure, to be a part of that future, let’s confidently, but humbly, approach the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now my fellow believers, please, let’s also wake up and smell the coffee nuh, so that we can rise up and do the work of Christ, that badly needs to be done! Much LOVE!
…God is exceedingly great…because He’s the only omnipotent (all-powerful)…omniscient (all-knowing)…and omnipresent (all-pervading)…being in the universe…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: an incorruptible crown, anger, anxiety, be disqualified, be renewed and refreshed, blasphemy, bring it into subjection, but one receiveth the prize, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christian faith, christianity, competes for the prize, confusion, covetousness, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desire, discipline my body, divine aid, encompassed about with, every man that striveth for mastery, faith, filthy communication, fornication, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, help us to be responsible, heroes of faith, holy spirit, I have preached to others, I keep under my body, I myself should be a castaway, idolatry, if God spares life, if you want to eat you must work, imperishable, is temperate in all things, Jesus Christ, lack of a strong work ethic, lackadaisical attitude, lay aside every weight, lay aside whatever impediment that weighs us down, lie not one to another, lighten our load, LOVE, malice, mercy, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, not as one that beats the air, our faith keeps us rooted and grounded in God, out faith is being seriously challenged, passion, persihable, poor witness for Christ, problems are escalating, put off the old man with his deeds, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, run our faith race with endurance, run that ye may obtain, run with patience, salvation, self-control, stand strong and steadfast, successful in our race of faith, surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the children of disobedience, the end of the work week, the endurance of a long distance runner, the race set before us, the race that is set before us, the sin which doth so easily beset us, the sin which so easily beset us, the sinful world, the weekend is here at last, the wrath of God, they which run in a race run all, to obtain a corruptible crown, trusting faith, truth, undisciplined, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand the constant temptation, witnesses, wrath, you can't win if you're not prepared
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2026 Hebrews 12:1b.
Hebrews 12:1b. let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.
And then it was that blessed day of Friday, another hot and sunny one, and all the shouts of the Friday Mantra gloriously rose up to heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Our society has become so obsessed with Friday that we don’t give much thanks for any other day. I guess it’s because Friday has become associated with the end of the work week, and our society does not have a great work ethic, so working is not something we like to do.
But as the saying goes; if you want to eat, and have a roof over your head, you have to work. Bruh Paul even went so far as to tell the Thessalonians, that the busybodies and gossipmongers among them, who refused to work, should not be given food. (2 Thess. 3:10-11) Now, that seems a fair reckoning, but doing it is an entirely different story. (smile)
And today we’re going to talk about one of the most precious things we have, but also one of the hardest to keep on the right trail. That’s our Christian faith, which in this evil and godly world of today is being seriously challenged at every turn, but needs to be strong enough to endure and withstand the constant temptation and bombardment that’s thrown at it. For it’s our faith that keeps us rooted and grounded in the goodness, mercy and LOVE of our ever-faithful God.
And this passage in Hebrews 12, gives us an interesting explanation and path to follow. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are encompassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.’ (Heb. 12 :1) Ah friends, that’s a tough requirement, but it needs to be done, if we are to be successful in our race of faith.
There are a lot of heroes of the faith, witnesses, who have gone before us and who are looking on at our progress. We also need to stand strong like they did, but there’s only one way to do that. As the author of Hebrews says; we need to lay aside every weight, or whatever impediment that keeps us weighed down, the scholars suggest stuff like clothing and body weight. But for the diligent runner or the faithful Christian, those things must be removed, so it can lighten our load.
We also need to put aside every sin which so easily ensnares us. And what sins ensnares us eh? The scholars seem to think that refers to the one sin that is uppermost in our lives; the one sin that defeats us above all others. And there are numerous sins that ensnare us. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote the Colossians: ‘Mortify therefore (put to death) your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection (passion), evil concupiscence (desire), and covetousness, which is idolatry:
For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds:’ (Col. 3:5-9) Now that gives us some idea of the kinds of sins we ought to put aside as we run our faith race.
Then the author of Hebrews states that we should run our faith race with patience, that’s perseverance, or better yet endurance. We need to have the endurance of a long distance runner because our faith race is indeed a long one, and those short of breath will never win it. And we have another good example of how we should run that race from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He writes: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.
And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown, but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run , not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Yes mih bredrin, this race of faith that we’re running is one for our very life, therefore we need to be serious about it, have discipline and self-control, while working hard to keep our endurance going strong, for endurance and self-discipline are two important aspects of our race, that we badly need if we hope to win that imperishable crown promised to us by the Lord.
But sadly, endurance and self-discipline are two of the least recognized and practiced attributes in today’s society. Not many of us can stick with anything or project for a long time, or have the discipline to do the tough things needed to accomplish success. No wonder our society has become lackadaisical and undisciplined, wild and unruly. Unfortunately though, time and space have run out on us, so if God spares life tomorrow, we’ll continue looking at this race of faith that we are required to run.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us run our race. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And we Christians also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our work and witness for Christ is definitely not good or strong enough, otherwise our world would not be in the terrible state it’s currently in! Much LOVE!
…everyone who runs a race…runs to win…but you can’t win if you’re not prepared…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a prayer we can all testify to, accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, appreciating the good times, at the end it shall speak and not lie, be of good courage, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Chrisitans, christianity, confused, contentment is a learned behaviour, contentment is learned through the ups and downs of life, contentment is not learned in the classroom nor overnight, count myself not to have apprehended, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, ended up somewhere unexpected, escalating problems, forgetting those things which are behind, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, fully knowing God, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God doesn't waste detours, God gently and slowly guided me along the way, God will change us when we come to Him, God will never lead us astray, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, God's mysterious and intriguing aspects, God's teaching mesomething I might never have learned, he may run that readeth it, he shall strengthen thine heart, help me, help us to be responsible, I have learned, in this place, in this season of my life, IN Touch Devotional Prayer, in whatsoever state I am, it will surely come, Jesus Christ, keep looking back, lack of sufficient Biblical knowledge, learn to be contented, LOVE, make it plain upon tables, meeting me where I am, mercy, motivated to do God's will, move forward with the Lord, my life took a strange turn, need to navigate Friday's challenges, Not that I speak in respect of want, on another path, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, Praise the Lord, press toward the mark, reaching forth unto those things that are before, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, see the good things happening here, stand strong and steadfast, stop trying to get back to my plan, surrender our all to God, teach me to be content, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the goal, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, the Lord infused the leaves with new life, the Lord tries to teach us on whatever path we're on, the Lord will always meet us where we are, The Lord's promises wll all eventually come to pass, the throne of grace, the vision is yet for an appointed time, the weekend is here at last, therewith to be content, this one thing I do, though it tarry wait for it, to trust you're at work, trusting faith, truth, undeserved blessings, unexpected closures of doors, unexpected storms, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, wisdom, wise guidance, wondering what happened, write the vision
Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 May 2026 Ephesians 3:13b.
Ephesians 3:13b. but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead),
Wow! It’s Friday! And many sing ‘Praise the Lord!’ Yes, we ought to give him much thanks and praise for allowing us to see another day, a bright and sunshiny fairly hot one. And you can be sure that our Friday Mantra went up with much gladness. ‘TGIF! Thank the Lord it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last.’ Yes, the weekend is come, but let’s not forget we still need to navigate the many challenges that Friday will undoubtedly throw at us.
And by the way, that tree in my neighbour’s backyard that had the light brown leaves that survived during the winter, I recently looked for them and could not find them, for all the leaves are now green. They must have either finally dropped off, or by some miracle the Lord infused them with new life and turned them green again. And I like to think the latter idea is what happened, because it shows the miraculous, mysterious and intriguing aspects of our great God.
And that mysterious, intriguing aspect of God also applies to the prayer we’re going to read today. Why, you ask? Because this is the third day that I’m bringing the May In Touch Devotional downstairs to write about the prayer, but surprisingly, the first two days the Lord guided me elsewhere. But today seems to be the day for the prayer.
So let’s pray: ‘Lord, my life took a strange turn, and I ended up somewhere unexpected. I keep looking back – confused and wondering what happened. But You don’t waste detours. You’re teaching me something I might never have learned on another path. Help me to stop trying to get back to what I had planned and instead to see the good things happening here – how You’re meeting me where I am. Teach me to be content, to trust You’re at work in this place and season of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh friends, that’s certainly an interesting prayer, one that all of us can testify to at some time or other in our lives. I know I can. And writing this Bit is certainly one of those times. When the Lord came calling with the idea, I laughed and told Him my lack of sufficient Biblical knowledge made it impossible. But as is His custom, He persevered, and finally I agreed and began with small steps, as He gently and slowly guided me along the way. That’s what happens when you accept Christ as Lord and Saviour; you are motivated to do His will, sometimes by gentle leading, or by sudden, unexpected closure of doors in your face.
However, let’s remember that when the Lord closes one door He is planning to open another, but in His own good time. That means we have to be patient and trust Him completely. And in Psalm 27, Bruh David wisely advises us to; ‘Wait (in faith, patiently) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith, patiently), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14)
Then there’s this promise of God through the prophet Habakkuk, when He directs him to; ‘Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables (tablets), that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ (Hab. 2:2-3) Yes my people, whatever the Lord promises, will come eventually, but we need to have enough faith to wait patiently for it.
And when the Lord’s leading is different to our plan, we always try to go back to our original plan, instead of looking forward to what God has in store. But I guess that’s human nature, which points to an important aspect of our faith; the fact that the Lord will always meet us exactly where we are. We don’t have to change before He comes to us . No. He will change us when we come to Him. And the Lord certainly doesn’t waste detours, for He teaches, or tries to teach us something on whatever path we’re on. That means we have to learn to be contented and move forward with the Lord on any path He chooses to lead us.
It’s as Bruh Paul says to the Ephesians: ‘Not that I speak in respect (in regard) of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.’ (Phil. 4:11) Now contentment is no easy ability to develop. Certainly not! For as the scholars tell us: ‘Contentment is a lesson learned neither in a classroom, nor overnight, but through many practical experiences in life.’ In other words, contentment is only learned through the many ups and down of life, through trusting the Lord’s goodness and mercy during our many difficulties, as well as appreciating the good times.
And Bruh Paul’s earlier words to the Philippians, is a most worthwhile example of how we ought to conduct our own lives. He writes: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (fully knowing God): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead), I press toward the mark (goal) of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14) That’s the attitude we must adopt my people, especially in these dark, gloomy and chaotic times. Let’s forget what’s behind us, forget out past mistakes and /or accolades, while looking and moving forward to the future God has planned for us.
Now, none of that is easy to do, but our God is so wonderful that He never asks to do anything without giving us the tools to do it. And in times of trouble, He invites us to come to the throne of grace for divine help to do His will. So let’s do that right now through our Friday Chant.
Altogether: Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, it pays to remember that we supposed Christians also need to wake up from our slumber and smell the coffee, so that we can do a better job for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…God will never lead us astray…but we must surrender our all to Him…for it to work…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a desperate half crazed man, all Israel and Judah loved David, allow jealousy to eat away at our souls, an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, become the king's son in law, by the good example we your faithful believers set, christianity, Christians, Christians also need to wake up and smell the coffee, consummate trickster, David avoided out of his presence twice, David behaved wisely in all his ways, David did not repay evil for evil, David escaped twice from Saul's javelin, David played with his hand, David's killed his ten thousands, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, even to the wall, faith, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give our leaders wise guidance, God's omnipotent help, God's aweseom grace and mercy, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, how does jealousy affect us, I will smite David, if God spares our lives, in soul body and mind, intriguing and explosive realtionship, it came to pass, jealousy, jealousy destroys one's soul and mind, jealousy flared in Saul's soul, jealousy is running rampant, jealousy over petty stuff, Jesus Christ, life passing by like a blur, live each day as it was our last, live to see the weekend, LOVE, mercy, no man can touch you, not a healthy situation, on the morrow, one day we'll breathe our last, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, problems are escalating, renewed and refeshed, salvation, Saul became David's enemy continually, Saul cast the javelin at David, Saul disobeyed the Lord's command at Gilgal, Saul prophesied in the midst of the house, Saul removed David from his presence, Saul schemed to have Daid marry his daughter Michal, Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines, Saul was afraid of david, Saul was yet more afraid of David, Saul's daughter Michal loved David, Saul's killed his thousands, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, Sual made David a captain over his men, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, the green eyed monster, the Lord had departed from Saul, the Lord was with David, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, today's greedy and selfish world, top dog in the pound, trusting faith, truth, two short days off, two thousand Philistine foreskins, unique relationship, when the hand of the Lord is upon you, wisdom, with God's generous help
Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 May 2026 1 Samuel 18:29.
1 Samuel 18:29. And Saul was yet more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually.
It’s Friday friends, the long awaited day. And though it’s somewhat cloudy and windy, our Friday Mantra nonetheless was sent up to high heaven with much zest: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ And unfortunately, some of us just live to see the weekend, the rest of the week just passes by like a blur. But that is not a healthy situation, as it means most of your life is also passing by like blur. And if you’re a believer in Christ Jesus, then that’s the worst thing that can happen, for it will mean not doing a good job for Jesus, as well as missing out on a lot of the good stuff He has in store for you.
So please, let’s smarten up and live each day as though it was our last, for one unknown day, we’ll certainly breathe our last. And seeing that in God’s awesome grace and mercy, it’s not today, (smile) let’s keep yesterday’s promise to continue looking at the unique relationship between king Saul, Bruh David and Saul’s son, Johnathan. Now yesterday we stopped at where the women came out dancing and singing about Saul killing his thousands in battle, but Bruh David his ten thousands. And that really had the green eyed monster, jealousy, flaring in Saul’s soul, because he interpreted that to mean the people viewed Bruh David with greater affection, and as a superior warrior to him.
Now that’s not anything new, for all of us are besieged or overwhelmed by jealousy at some time in our lives. The important thing though is how we allow it to affect us. That leads us to question the effect this jealousy had on Saul? Remember Bruh David was also Saul’s harp player, so they interacted closely not only on the battlefield but also in the palace. Consequently, the Bible tells us: ‘And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it.
And David avoided out of his presence (escaped) twice. And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from him (from his presence), and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways (not repaying evil for evil); and the Lord was with him. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely (not repaying evil for evil), he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah LOVED David, because he went out and came in before them.’ (1 Sam. 18:10-16)
Ah mih people, Saul knew that he was on the way out, because Samuel had told him that after he disobeyed the Lord’s command at Gilgal. (1 Sam. 15) So now, he was a desperate, half crazed man, as we usually become when we learn that we’re no longer needed, or no longer the top dog in the pound, and he spent the rest of his life unsuccessfully trying to kill Bruh David. But as we know, when the hand of the Lord is upon you, no man can touch you. And Saul tried all manner of trickery to get his evil desire. He inveigled Bruh David to marry first his daughter Merab, then his other daughter Michal, on discovering that she LOVED Bruh David.
Apparently Bruh David like the idea, but told the servants Saul sent to convey it, that he was too poor and lightly esteemed to marry the king’s daughter. And consummate trickster that he was, Saul devised this evil and immoral scheme. The Bible relates it this way: ‘And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son in law: and the days were not expired.
Wherefore David arose, and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale (count) to the king, that he might become the king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter LOVED him. And Saul was yet more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually.’ (1 Sam. 18:25-29)
Ah mih people, how sad and sick we become when we allow jealousy to eat away at our souls! And unfortunately, many of us in today’s greedy and selfish world are allowing jealousy to run and thus ruin our lives, and oftentimes, not even over important but petty, trifling stuff. And all of that just brings our world closer to death and destruction, for a society like ours, where jealousy is running rampant, cannot survive the destruction it causes. And if God spares our lives again tomorrow, then we’ll continue looking at this intriguing and explosive relationship between King Saul, Bruh David and Jonathan.
Now let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, seeking help to cauterize and cut out all the evil stuff in our world. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And let’s remember that it’s not only the unbelievers who need to wake up and smell the coffee, but also we supposedly faithful believers. So let’s do just that nuh, so we can keep up the good work for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…jealousy…does nothing else but destroy one’s soul and mind…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big life cahnge, according to His abundant mercy, acknowledgement of God's faithfulness, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, an opportunity for gratitude, an optimistic frame of mind, at the appearing of Jesus Christ, be found unto praise and honour and glory, be renewed and refreshed, be sincere about trying, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the example that we faithful believers set, christianity, Christians, David lived out his faith, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, difficult to look beyond what's currently happening, divine aid, faith, fill you with all joy and peace in believing, find the silver linings in hardships, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, Friday chant, full of glory, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's faithfulness, God's unconditional LOVE, great is thy faithfulness, hard family times, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, have hope faith trust and love in Jesus' goodness and mercy, he is my defence, He only is my rock and my salvation, help in these evil times, help us to be responsible, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, I shall not be moved, in heaviness through manifold temptations, in tough and uncertain times, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, kept by the power of God, LOVE, loving-kindness, mercy, more precious than gold that perishes, my expectation is from him, my hope is from God, my soul wait thou only upon God, our responsibility to get the ball rolling, personal health concerns, problems are escalating, ready to be revealed in the last time, receiving the end of your faith, reconciliation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, reserved in heaven for you, salvation, see a difficult challenge, sighs and groans, stand strong and steadfast, tell a story of tiredness and uncertainty, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that fadeth not away, the BIBLE, the God of hope, the light at the end of the tunnel, the Lord takes pleasure in those who reverence him, the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the salvation of your souls, the scriptures were written to give us hope, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the throne of grace, the trial of your faith, the undisputed truth, the weekend is here at last, therefore have I hope, they are new every morning, this I recall to mind, those that hope in his mercy, though it be tested with fire, though now for a season, though now ye see him not, through faith unto salvation, through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might have hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost, to handle the unexpected storms properly, trials and tribulations, trusting faith, truth, turning to scriptures of hope, whatever was written beforehand, whatsoever things were written aforetime, wherein ye greatly rejoice, whom having not seen you love, wisdom, wise guidance, with God's generous help, with hope there's always life, written for our learning, ye may abound in hope, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, yet believing
Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 May 2026 Romans 15:13.
Romans 15:13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Oh my people, we could not ask for a better Friday; a sunny one with temps in the high teens. No wonder our Friday Mantra was so bubbly when it was sent up. (smile) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ Yes, the work week has wound down to this last day and the many sighs and groans being emitted do tell a story of tiredness and uncertainty in managing these never before experienced ungodly and evil times. But let’s remember that we are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ; that means we have hope, faith, trust and LOVE in His goodness and mercy.
And I like how this commentary from the website countryliving.com talks about our behaviour and activity in those times. ‘In tough and uncertain times, it can be difficult to look beyond what’s currently happening in your life and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether you’re going through a big life change, a hard time for your family, or personal health concerns, an optimistic frame of mind can help you see a difficult challenge as an opportunity for gratitude. When you’re feeling low, try to find the silver linings in your hardships.’
And that silver lining begins with turning to scriptures of hope. And since we’ve been granted life for today, let’s keep our promise of yesterday to continue looking at scriptures on hope. Now there are so many, that it’s difficult to choose which ones to share. But we’ll begin with this one we all know from the pen of Jeremiah in His Lamentations. ‘This I recall to my mind (God’s faithfulness), therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:21-23) And that’s the undisputed truth friends! For it’s only because of God’s mercy and compassion that we’re alive to tell the tale today.
Now what about these interesting verses from Psalm 62, where Bruh David confidently declares: ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 62:5-6) What strong faith my people! And we know Bruh David lived it out in his own lifetime, despite the many trials and tribulations he suffered. And that’s the same way we need to come up hopeful, strong and faithful when we go through adversity. It’s not easy, but we have the tools to do it, if we’re sincere about trying.
And we have this other reassuring verse from Psalm 147: ‘The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear (reverence) him, in those that hope in his mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS).’ (Ps. 147:5) More comfort, support and acknowledgement of God’s faithfulness! Meanwhile, Bruh Paul in talking about being likeminded, wrote thus to the Romans: ‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime (beforehand) were written for our learning, that we through patience (perseverance) and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.’ (Rom. 15:4) Oh my people! The scriptures were written so that we could have hope! Glory be to God!
Then there’s this marvelous scripture from Peter that raises hope to a higher level. He writes: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness (distressed) through manifold temptations: That the trial (genuineness) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that persisheth, though it be tried (tested) with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing (revelation) of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye LOVE; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-9)
Yes mih bredrin, our hope in Jesus is not a dead one, but alive and kicking because of His resurrection. And our hope and faith and belief in Him is so great that although we’ve never seen Jesus in person, we LOVE Him nonetheless with a mighty LOVE, that exceeds our LOVE for anything or anyone else, because He’s provided the salvation for our souls so that we won’t be eternally separated from God, but instead spend eternity with Him. Now that’s the level of hope to which we all need to attain, so that we can rejoice with unspeakable, indescribable joy.
And we’ll end with this heartfelt prayer from Bruh Paul to the Romans: ‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.’ (Rom. 15:13) Ah my fellow believers, once our forefathers Adam and Eve disobeyed God and brought sin into the world, life has never been easy, but through God’s insurmountable, unconditional LOVE, we’ve always had hope, and in the coming of Jesus Christ; His death and resurrection, we’ve finally received the reconciliation that God planned from the very beginning. So please, let’s not lose hope now, when the rewards are oh so near.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid and reassurance to help us in these evil times. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Yes friends, our whole world needs to wake up and smell the coffee, and it’s our responsibility to get the ball rolling, and thereby set a good example for the rest of the world! So let’s get to it right away nuh, for remember God doesn’t want to lose even one human soul to Satan, that means we’d better hurry up and get working, for time is quickly slipping away! Much LOVE!
…once there’s hope…there’s always life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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