18 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all God asks of us is obedience, all should come to repentance, beelivers must now do their part, birds singing, buds on the trees, carry them in his bosom, Christ has already done his part, christianity, Christians, climate change, deepen my breath, do the work we pledged to do for Christ, Easter celebration, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, feed his flock like a shepherd, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, get up off our fat and lazy fannies, God commendeth his own love toward us, God is longsuffering towards us, God is not willing that any should perish, God reconciled us back to Himself, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, God so loved the world, God will bring us closer to His heart, God will come in strength, God's great love for mankind, have everlasting life, have greater intimacy with mankind, he gave his only begotten son, his arm shall rule for him, his reward is with him, his work before him, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, keeping Christ's victory alive, keeping God first place in our lives, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, like a shepherd treats his sheep, LOVE, majesty of this time, mercy, motivated by love, number one priority, our sins could be paid for, our turn to reciprocate God's love, prayer and supplication, proclaiming victory over sin and death, promises of spring, quiet my soul, rebirth of nature, relax my muscles, rose from the grave on the third day, salvation, sending Jesus to die on the cross, sinking into the mire of evil and ungodliness, slow my thoughts, souls lost forever, spend eternity in God's presence, spring has sprung, thank you for this tenderness, thanskgiving rises to the heavens, the BIBLE, the blazing new colour, the first blossoms of spring, the Lord God will come with strong hand, the world through him might be saved, treat us in a loving manner, truth, warmer days, we all have room for improvement, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Romans 5:8. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’
Oh friends, it’s our lazy-day Saturday, and I’ve seen the first blossoms, the first true blooming of the marvellous season of spring! Yes, in the beautiful yellow flowers of a tree in my backyard! And please don’t ask me what kind of tree it is, because I don’t have a clue. (smile) But after all the promises of spring that’s been recently taunting us; with buds on the trees, birds singing and the days getting warmer, we can now definitely say that spring’s been sprung! Yes my fellow believers, that marvelous and miraculous rebirth of nature is truly on it’s way after a somewhat tough winter.
And truthfully, the winter was not as tough as some we use to have before climate change disrupted everything, and made us soft, after experiencing a period of easy winters. But that’s all behind us now, for spring is here and thanksgiving rises to the heavens for all the blazing new colour and majesty of this time. And in honour of all that, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth!
As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Yes mih bredrin, if our prayer was sincere, then we know that the wonderful God we serve will soon bring us closer to His heart, and bestow His wonderful peace and calm in our spirits, because His Number One priority is to have greater intimacy with His most wonderful creation, mankind! And He’s shown that in so many ways, in so many promises that if we don’t know and understand that by now, we’ll never do so.
Listen to this promise from the prophet Isaiah: ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11)
Now why would God make such a promise if He didn’t desire to be in close intimacy with His creation eh? His desire is to treat us in a LOVING manner like a shepherd treats his sheep. And what can be more convincing of the Lord’s great LOVE for us than His sending His son Jesus to earth to die on the cross of calvary so that our sins could be paid for, then raising Him up from the grave on the third day, at Easter, which we’re still celebrating, so that we can have the wonderful options of salvation and eternal life? That’s reconciling us back to Himself; bringing us back to his fold, and causing us to spend eternity in His awesome presence.
Yes friends, all of that was motivated by that one majestic word: LOVE! And I can’t help quoting one of my favourite scripture verses here. (smile) This one from Bruh Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, where he exposes the true and wonderful heart of God to us, when he writes: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Why would He do such a thing unless His LOVE and compassion were overwhelming for us eh?
Because, as Peter says, He ‘is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9b) Of course, the Lord doesn’t want to lose any of His magnificent creation to hellfire and damnation. Just like we don’t want to lose any of our children or descendants to it. And we do that because we have much LOVE and compassion for them, and don’t want their souls to be lost forever in eternal separation from their Creator.
And Jesus Himself explained it better than anyone else, when He said to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who secretly came to Him under cover of night seeking answers. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world though him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
There again we see it my people, it’s all about God’s great LOVE for mankind. And you can’t have real and true LOVE unless you have a fair amount of intimacy. That’s why it’s ever so important for us to get close to our heavenly Father so that we can experience all the LOVE and compassion He has for us. He has already played and shown His hand by sending Jesus to die for us, it’s now our turn to reciprocate that LOVE by keeping Him first place in our lives and sincerely living this earthly life the way He desires. That’s all He asks of us; obedience to Him and His Word!
And though that’s sometimes difficult to do in this ungodly world with Satan and all his evil cronies on our case, the Lord has already given us all we need to fight the good fight: His Word with His many promises, the Holy Spirit that indwells us to lead, guide and comfort us, and easy access to Him though prayer and supplication. What else do we need eh? Nothing, but to get up off our fat and lazy fannies and do the work we’ve pledged to do for Christ!
And this lazy-day Saturday in the spring of 2026, is as good a day as any for us to truly contemplate how we’re living for Christ, and how we can and need to improve it, for we all have room for improvement. And my fellow believers, we all also know that our world desperately needs to see plenty improvement right now, if we’re to prevent it from further sinking into the mire of evil and ungodliness that it’s currently doing! Much LOVE!
…Christ has already done His part…proclaiming victory over sin and death…now we must do our part…keeping His victory alive…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a flaw in our prayer, a new flock of believers, acclamation of our faith, all things work together for good, be content with such things as ye have, be of good cheer, be reminded of our previous struggles, be responsible, be strong and of a good courage, by the example we faithful believers set, can wake up and smell the coffee, carry them in his bosom, comfort ye my people, crying out for your help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine help, drag us back into medieval times, embrace your love and compassion, faith, fear not, feed his flock like a shepherd, fellowship, Friday chant, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, God will continue empowering us, God's omnipotent help, Halloween Day, his arm shall rule for him, his reward is with him, his work before him, holy spirit, I am the good shepherd, I am with you, i have overcome the world, I know my sheep and are known of mine, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, I will not fear what man can do to me, improve our witness, in me you might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, keep you in all places you go, let your conduct be without covetousness, life is not a bed of roses, LOVE, mercy, no rights or privileges, nor be afraid of them, on the late bus, our Christian witness is not good enough, our sinful world, our walk with christ is a two way street, prayer time with the Father, problems escalating, restoring faith in God, return backsliders to your fold, revert to such an inhumane situation, salvation, shining our bright lights in the darkness, smell it sweet and strong, spreading our salty flavour, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the daily grind and common task, the enemy comes against us in christ's name, the error of their ways, the evil spirits come out to play, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the gospel truth, The Lord is my helper, the Lord tests us, the Lord will come with strong hand, the shedding of innocent blood, the throne of grace, the trick or treat game, the unexpected storms, the way of life, these things I have spoken unto you, to shower down blessings on us, to stand up and fight the evil enemy, to them that love God, tribulation, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, waiting with bated breath, walking with the Lord, we may boldly say, who are called according to His purpose, wisdom, wise guidance
Isaiah 40:1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Ah friends, the ole fella had a rather late night, thus he also had a rather late morning. (smile) Consequently, we are on the late bus this Friday October 31, or Halloween Day, when all the evil spirits and people come out to play the trick or treat game. But that’s a topic for another day, not this wet, cloudy, windy Friday, where we’ve offered up our acclamation of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ which means the weekend is upon us, those two short days we have for ourselves; to rest, recuperate and have some fun, before getting back to the daily grind and common task.
Ah well, that’s just the way life is, for once up a time, and it’s not so long ago that many people worked seven days a week, with a day off once in a while. Thankfully our situation has improved some, although the greedy employers would like nothing better, and indeed are trying their best to drag us back into the medieval times where we had absolutely no rights nor privileges. But we won’t ever allow that to happen, for too much innocent blood has ben shed to get us to where we are today, to ever revert to such an inhumane and ungodly situation. And all God’s children said a loud and proud, ‘Amen!’
And I’m chuckling here, because I don’t know where that all came from because it’s not Labour Day or anything of the sort, but I guess the Good Lord just wanted us to be reminded of our previous struggles and have us understand that He will continue empowering us to stand up and fight the aggressive and evil enemy. It’s like Isaiah promised on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God…Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:1;10-11)
Yes friends, that’s one of the many promises of our God to be with us at all times and look after us. And Jesus embodied that promise in Himself when He subsequently declared: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:11;14) It’s like the author of Hebrews also reminds us: ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall (can) do unto me.’ (Heb. 13:5)
Now that’s a most powerful acclamation of our faith, and hopefully we all will stand strong in it, because our God is ever-faithful to keep His promises. As he said to Jacob, when he dreamed that famous, mind-boggling, but life changing dream (Gen. 28:10-14) ‘And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.’ (Gen. 28:15) And we all know that the Lord kept His promise to Jacob.
It’s also like Moses said to the Israelites on God’s behalf: ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) And that promise was also kept, except for the times when Israel rebelled against the Lord and suffered the dire consequences of such rebellion and disobedience. But all in all, Israel had it pretty good. For as Bruh Paul warns us in his letter to the Romans: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
And that’s one of the most important scriptures for Christians to know and understand. The Lord will keep His promises and look after us, and eventually all things will work out for our good. But we need to thoroughly understand that life, especially the Christian life is not a bed of roses, but can often be a tough slog, especially when the enemy comes against us in Christ’s name, or when the Lord Himself tests us. So it’s ever so necessary to keep in mind these most reassuring and encouraging words of Jesus. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
And all that’s the gospel truth, my fellow believers, but it’s not easy to put into practice. That’s why we need to keep on growing in our faith, through reading and meditating on the Word, through fellowship with other believers and sincere prayer time with the Father. And our God is so wonderful, that through Jesus’ sacrifice, we can now go directly to the throne of grace seeking divine help. So let’s do that right now nuh, through our Friday Chant.
All together: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh 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. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the 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’ve prayed a good prayer, but there’s one flaw in it; if the new flock of believers are like us, then they won’t be of much use, because our current Christian witness is not up to scratch. That means we have to improve, if we truly desire divine aid! So let’s get to it nuh. The Lord is waiting with bated breath to shower down blessings on us…when we improve our witness, by spreading our highly flavoured salt far and wide, and shining our lights much brighter in the many dark places of the earth. Much LOVE!
…walking with the Lord is a two way street…He’s kept all His promises…now we need to do our part…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, as sheep going astray, bare our sins in his own body, be responsible, being dead to sins, bring us back to his fold, by the example we faithful believers set, by whose stripes ye were healed, carry them in his bosom, cast into hell fire, discontent, dissatisfaction, distorted concept, divine aid, even my servant David, faith, feed his flock like a shepherd, find pasture, for His name's sake, Friday chant, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, go in and out, God is good all the time, God's loving kindness, have it more abundantly, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul, his arm shall rule for him, his reward is with him, his work before him, holy spirit, how foolish it is, I am come that they might have life, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, I the Lord will be their God, I will fear no evil, I would not be searching for you, if any man enter in he shall be saved, if you were not first wanting me, improved Christian witness, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, Jesus walked his talk, keep us safe from harm, leadeth me beside the still waters, leads me in the paths of righteousness, let me remember always, live unto righteousness, lost sheep, Lost Shepherd, lost souls, LOVE, major deterrent, marvellous reassurance, mercy, my servant David a prince among them, now returned unto the shepherd, on the late bus, One Year Book of Bible promises, our sinful world can wake up, problems escalating, prone to forget, rebellion against God, rebellious and disobedient sheep, return backsliders to your fold, reversed the parable of the Shepherd and the sheep, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, searching for you, set up one shepherd over them, show them the error of their ways, smell the coffee, stay safe, surrender to your search for me, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the bishop of your souls, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the Lord God will come with strong hand, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the shepherd has been lost, the thief cometh not but to steal, the weekend, these ungodly times, thieves and robbers, thou art with me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to stumble through darkness, trudged down dangerous mountain cliffs, truth, unexpected storms, who his own self, wisdom, wise guidance
John 10::11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Oh my people, it’s Friday, a damp and cloudy one, with showers promised for the weekend. But I know that we’ve all offered up our ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ jubilation, because the weekend is here. And unfortunately, today we’re on the late, late bus because I had to go out early this morning and do some stuff, and by the time I returned, a li’l rest was needed, but unfortunately that li’l rest turned into a much longer one than expected. (smile) And thus we’ll get right into it, with an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Most likely I’ve shared it before, but in these lost and scary times, it’s certainly worth sharing again.
The title is simply ‘Lost Shepherd.’ Please read with me. ‘Sometimes, Lord In my groping effort to find You I have reversed the parable Of the Shepherd and the sheep. In my distorted concept The Shepherd has been lost And the sheep have trudged down Dangerous mountain cliffs to find him. How sadly prone I am to forget That I would not be searching for You If You were not first wanting me. Let me remember always, Lord How foolish it is To stumble through darkness Searching for You When I need only to surrender To Your search for me.’
And all God’s children said a loud and grateful shout of ‘Amen! God is good all of the time!’ And that He is my fellow believers! There’s absolutely no doubt about it, otherwise we would have all been cast in to hell fire long ago for our disobedience and proud, arrogant rebellion against His Sovereign Majesty! But in His awesome LOVING-KINDNESS, He set out to find us, like lost sheep, so that He could bring us back to his fold and keep us safe from harm. Now the Bible tells us that we should seek Him with all that we have, but it’s also worthy to note, as our poem above says, we would not be seeking Him, unless He was first wanting us.
And isn’t it so good, so encouraging and reassuring that our Creator LOVES us so much that He would send out someone special to look for us and bring us back home. It’s like Isaiah said so long ago: ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11)
Yes friends, that’s the picture of a God that’s been painted throughout the Bible; that of a Good Shepherd. Ezekiel also said it of the Lord. ‘And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.’ (Ezek. 34:23-24)
Therefore, it’s no surprise that Bruh David could write in that most popular Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters, he restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:1-4) Oh yes my brethren! For that’s what a good shepherd does; provides food, safety, warmth and comfort for his sheep!
And no one has done that more for us lost souls than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He said it Himself, then went and proved it on the cross of Calvary. Listen to this last part of his discourse on the sheep and shepherd. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:7-11)
Wow! What marvellous reassurance! And that last verse is the Bible Promise for our poem today. And as we said earlier, Jesus did walk His talk; He went out and died for us lost, unworthy, sinful, disobedient sheep! He certainly did all he could to salvage the situation for us. Now the onus lies in our hands, on our shoulders. There’s no Lost Shepherd, but plenty lost sheep! And hopefully, we can end up as Peter says: ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but now are returned unto the Shepherd and the Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2:24-25)
Yes my people, that’s where we belong, and hopefully that’s where we’re all headed, but it’s not an easy row to hoe, therefore, we need to go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to get divine help. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh 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. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the 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 having said all of that my fellow believers, we need to follow it up with improved Christian witness, for it’s the major deterrent to us not receiving more divine aid! Much LOVE!
…Jesus first came looking for us…we now need to go looking for Him…and if we are sincere…He isn’t hard to find…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a free day to look forward to, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, according to his work, as a thief in the night, be merciful as your Father is merciful, Bible, carry them in his bosom, christianity, diligence, divine aid, do good, faith, faithful believers, faithfulness, feed his flock like a shepherd, Friday chant, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, god, he that cometh to God must believe that He is, his reward is with him, his work is before him, hoping for nothing again, I come quickly, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lend, living fully for Christ, LOVE, Love your enemies, mercy, my reward is with me, our sinful world, restoring faith in God, return backsliders to your fold, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the benefits of living for Christ, the children of the Highest, the crown of life, the error of their ways, the Lord God will come with strong hand, the Lord promised to the that love him, the rewards, the throne of grace, the weekend, tired as a dog, to give to every man, traffic jams, true disciples of Christ, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, when he is tried, wisdom, wise guidance, without faith it is impossible to please God, your reward shall be great
Revelation 22:12. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.
And that distinctive weekly shout has gone out all around the world: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Just let me at that weekend!’ Ah mih people, we do LOVE our weekends, because they belong to us, not to any employer, and we don’t have to get up early to go to work, nor face frustrating traffics jams to get there, then spend the whole day with people we don’t like, or who don’t like us, then face more irritating traffic jams to get back home, tired as a dog. No, the weekend is ours; sanctified as such. (smile) But we still have to get through Friday. No problem! Apparently since we have a free day to look forward to tomorrow.
How wonderful it would be if we could look forward to Christ and His salvation the same way, meaning, we’d have no problem living fully for Him today! That’s a major problem though with believers; for with Christ we can only look to today, that makes it difficult to live sincerely and fully for Him. But just imagine the rewards and benefits we’ll be having in heaven with Jesus nuh. Remember what He says in Revelation: ‘And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.’ (Rev. 22:12)
That means Jesus can come at any time, like the proverbial thief in the night, and when He comes He will be rewarding people for their work on His behalf. So, if we want to get good rewards, then our work must be good. It’s as simple as that! And there is talk of rewards for working on Jesus’ behalf all though God’s Word. Let’s check out a few, like this one from Isaiah, where centuries before he spoke about the Lord’s coming with rewards.
‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11) What a beautiful picture my brethren of Jesus’ coming and the work He will do. Doesn’t that just lift your spirits and increase your faith? It ought to, since it was prophesied long before the actual coming of Jesus.
Now, here’s this scripture from Hebrews that speaks directly to our point.. ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6) Yes friends, it’s ever so necessary to believe that God exists and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. That’s from the famous chapter on faith, with people like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph not knowing or seeing what lay ahead of them, but nonetheless placing their total trust and faith in the Lord God Almighty when He directed them to do things they knew not how to do, or to go places, not knowing exactly where they were going.
And they were all greatly rewarded by Him for their diligence and faithfulness. The same thing applies to us today, as Jesus says in the gospel of Luke. ‘But LOVE your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again (in return); and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father is merciful.’ (Luke 6:35-36)
However, at this current time in the world’s existence, rather unfortunately, the words ‘mercy and merciful’ are not well known, nor are their fruit much extended like our heavenly Father desires. What a pity! For if they and their fruit were better known and extended, then there would not be as much strife, greed, hatred and selfishness as there currently is on God’s great earth!
And James, Jesus’ brother, adds his two cents worth to the mix, when he writes in his epistle: ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE him.’ (James 1:12) Ah my fellow saints, all throughout the Good Library, the Bible, the indisputable truth of God’s Word, are deeply embedded promises of rewards, righteousness and all kinds of other goodies for expending one’s time and talents on the Lord’s behalf. Let’s hope that with today’s revisiting of some of those scriptures that our hope and faith will be renewed and lead us to better fulfill God’s plan for our lives.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help in these desperate times of need. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh 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. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the 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!’
Lastly, let’s remember these very significant words from our prayer: ‘the example, we, your faithful believers set.’ And then go out and be very good examples, so others can see the benefits of believing in Jesus and follow our example. That’s the first step in receiving divine aid! Much LOVE!
…many more salty…light filled…true disciples of Christ…is what our world badly needs…RIGHT NOW…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a feeling of freedom, be responsible and stay safe, carry them in his bosom, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, depart from iniquity, Friday chant, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, give thanks to Almighty God, glorious resurrection, his reward is with him, I also suffer these things, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and are known of mine, in every good work, introduce a new flock of believers, lack-of-work-ethic society, LOVE, make you perfect, omnipotent help, raises our adrenaline level, receive His blessings, redeeming death, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, shed his sinless blood, spiritual renewal, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that great shepherd of the sheep, the error of their ways, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the Lord knoweth them that are his, the Lord will come with strong hand, to be happy in Jesus, to do His will, trust and obey, wellpleasing in his sight, wise guidance
John 10:11 & 14. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
And finally it’s Friday…and that enormous worldwide shout has gone out: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And at long last the weekend is here! Glory Be!’ Yes friends, that last day of the work week which we all so look forward to is finally here. And what difference does it make eh? Why are we so glad, so overjoyed to see it eh? Because it reminds us of the two days off work that we have coming up. And since work is not a favourite action of this lazy, entitled, lack-of-work-ethic society, just knowing that for the next two days, without a boss constantly looking over our shoulders, we can do whatever we want, that feeling of freedom just raises our adrenaline level.
But please friends, let’s not forget that if you’re a serious believer in Jesus Christ, that one of those two days is set aside for gathering in worship, praise and fellowship, to give thanks to Almighty God and receive His blessings and spiritual renewal, and to generally rest and recuperate, which means you only have one real day to do as you please. (smile) But true believers in Christ don’t mind that, because they know that their Lord and Saviour is always with them, helping them, LOVING them, keeping them safe, comforting them and all the other things a good caretaker or shepherd would do for His flock.
And that’s why Jesus could adamantly declare (yesss!!!): ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:11 & 14) Ah mih people, with those two statements Jesus tells us all that we really need to know about Him. He is intimately acquainted with His sheep, knows them by name, and He will give His life, allow His sinless blood to be shed for His sheep. Those are possibly the two most important aspects of a shepherd’s duties; to know His sheep and to go to the ends of the earth for them, which is exactly what Jesus did for us.
And yuh know what my faithful brethren, Jesus doings were not last minute, hurriedly put together actions, but actions which had been pre-ordained from the beginning of time, and shared with man through the prophet Isaiah, who let it be known, loud and clear, far and wide: ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He will feed his flocks like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11)
Yes friends, all this stuff about Jesus was planned a long time ago, and finally manifested, or put in place, when the Lord judged the time right for it. And since He is the Creator and Controller of the universe, with thoughts and ways much higher than ours, He knows what is best for us all. That’s why it makes no sense whatsoever to reject Jesus and His wonderful free grace that’s embodied in salvation, through His redeeming death and glorious resurrection.
And Peter tells it very well, when he writes. ‘For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in his mouth: Who, when reviled, reviled not again (in return): when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2:21-25)
Oh my people, it could not have been put any better! Jesus took the bit in His mouth and did exactly what a shepherd is supposed to do: die protecting his flock! And if you don’t think that Jesus knows the sheep in His flock, then listen to Bruh Paul in his second letter to Timothy. First, he admits his total trust in Christ. ‘Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until ) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:11-12)
Ah friends, do we have such a monumental trust in Christ Jesus? We ought to, if we intend to live seriously for Him and do His earthly work. Then Bruh Paul acknowledges Jesus’ comment in our Bit. ‘Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having his seal. The Lord knoweth them that are his. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ (2 Tim. 2:19)
Then, here is this perfect closing scripture from Hebrews. ‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect (complete) in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Heb. 13:20-21) That’s such a beautiful scripture passage my fellow saints, one that truly encapsulates all that we’ve spoken of today.
So now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, pay our respects and ask for divine intervention in our earthly affairs. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. Oh 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 Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, 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 if we truly desire the Lord’s help, then we now have to clean up our act, keep our promises, and do as He desires. Much LOVE!
…trust and obey…there is no other way…to be happy in Jesus…than to trust and obey…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
25 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, and even to hoar hairs will I carry you, blessed be the Lord, borne by me from the belly, Covid 19 virus, faithful believers, feed his flock like a shepherd, Friday chant, give his angels charge over thee, his arm shall rule for him, his reward is with him, LOVE, omnipotent, omnipotent help, omnipresent, omniscient, praise the Lord for His goodness, right motives in our hearts, stand strong and steadfast, the God of our salvation, the storms of life, to them who are called according to his purpose, to those that love God, tries our faith to the very limit, unrest in the streets, wake up and smell the coffee, we know that all things work together for good, when we are faithful God is faithful, who daily loadeth us with benefits, wise guidance, with Christ you can overcome everything, with God all things are possible, with long life will I satisfy him
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Another brand new day friends, a Friday to boot, when our names don’t show up in the obits! Praise the Lord for His goodness! And though the day may begin damp and cloudy, what really matters is that we have Jesus, the awesome Son of God dwelling in our hearts and souls through His Holy Spirit! Nothing can beat that my faithful brethren, because with Christ Jesus in our lives we can undergo and withstand anything that comes against us!
Yes, sometimes, like in the last couple of years, life can get real rough, but if we truly believe, we know that Christ makes everything all right in His own time. We just have to keep this great and everlasting promise in the forefront of our lives, as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Oh friends, that’s one of the greatest promises in the Good Book, but it’s definitely the hardest to hold on to! Because it often tries our faith, trust and surrender to God right to the very limit. In so many situations we have to conjure up thoughts of peace, LOVE and joy even when it seems impossible. But please remember that when talking about a camel going through the eyes of a needle, Jesus gave us this divine assurance. ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26)
And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers! The Lord God Jehovah who made the earth, heavens and all therein has the ability and power to do anything He desires! He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent! Meaning He is ALL powerful, sees everything and is present everywhere at the same time! Now that’s what you call a mighty God! And if it’s one thing I’m sure about is that our God is indeed mighty… and mighty in all aspects of life, because I’ve seen Him in action, both personally and in the lives of others!
So there is really no need to fear although the storms of life come against us, for He will always bear us up with His righteous right hand. And I think in these perilous and uncertain times we need to hear some scripture that reassures us of God’s awesome care and concern for us, His most valuable creation. So listen up, pay careful attention, and let these scriptures seep into our hearts and souls and keep us faithful and strong.
And we’ll begin with this marvellous verse of solid, everyday promise from Psalm 68 – God has gone before his people. Bruh David proclaims without any hesitation whatsoever: ‘Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.’ (Ps. 68:19) Now, how reassuring is it to know that every day the great God of our salvation gives us benefits untold to help in our earthly journey!
And if you don’t believe that, then hear the prophet Isaiah corroborate it. ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11) Oh my brethren, if you are a faithful believer in Jesus that should be all you need to reassure your faith in the mighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
But if that isn’t enough, then listen to this other scripture from Isaiah. ‘Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne (upheld) by me from the belly (birth), which are carried from the womb: And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs (gray hairs) will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.’ (Is. 46:3-4) Yes my people, the Lord conceived us in the womb and will take us right through life from conception to birth, to death and then to eternal life!
And just to reinforce those promises, (smile) let’s listen to the psalmist as he expounds on the subject from Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and fortress. He says: ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (cobra): the young lion and the dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample underfoot. Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. he shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life (length of days) will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:9-16)
Oh saints of Christ, what more can we ask or expect from our wonderful God eh? He’s promised us everything there, and we know he keeps His promises because He LOVES us unconditionally! So much so that He sent His only Son Jesus to die for the atonement of our sins! And if He could go to such awesome lengths to save us, why would He refuse us any lesser thing eh? No reason whatsoever! So, on this Friday morning filled with worldwide problems, let’s take the opportunity to do what He says in that scripture above there nuh, call on Him in time of trouble, so He can answer and deliver us.
As one confident but humble voice, let’s declare our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
But please note, my fellow saints, that God will only answer us positively if we behave like true faithful believers and our hearts are led by the right motives. Much LOVE!
…when we are faithful…God is faithful…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
04 Feb 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: another beautiful day in Paradise, attitudes, believe before you see things happen, best behaviour, Bible promise, bright and beautiful, caring, compassionate, dog paddling, evil world, find my way home, friends, full moon, golden sandy beach, have a blessed day, he began to teach them many things, He is worthy to be praised, Heartstrings, his arm shall rule, his reward is with him, in God's kingdom, in the darkness, in the service of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer, Jesus is the way, Jesus was moved with compassion, King of Kings, left overs, like lost sheep, living aimlessly, Lord of Lords, losing my way, LOVE, Mama Mia, multitudes, no sense of direction, novel, One Year Book of Bible promises, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our sinful nature, Praise the Lord, problems, reading, Roti Shop, see things happen before we believe, selfish ways, shepherd, Store Bay, the Lord God, the most important person in the universe, the real McCoy, the skylight, the tug of your heart, they were as sheep not having a shepherd, tie a string from your heart to mine, touched my heart, trials, tribulations, trust in jesus, truth, we all must serve sombody, will come with strong arm, wisdom, write it indelibly in our hearts
Mark 6:34. And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people (a great multitude), and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
Ah Friends, I don’t want to say it again, because I know the bad state some of you are in up in the north country, but it’s true: It’s another beautiful day in Paradise! And I am feeling a little better, a little stronger. Praise the Lord!
Yes, most things are all right in the ole fella’s world. And what isn’t, I’m just leaving them to the Lord to deal with, because I obviously can’t. So if nothing else, there’s peace in the ole fella’s soul. Thank You Lord!
Oh, and I finally got to the real McCoy yesterday; Store Bay! Imagine that nuh! it took me a whole week to get to my favourite beach, which is only a ten to fifteen minutes drive away from me.
But Friends, after that significant episode in California some years ago, where I hustled to the beach, lost my wedding ring and my way home, I’ve learned my lesson, and just try my best to leave everything in God’s hands and times.
And believe me, Store Bay was not on its best behavior. Though the water was a beautiful aquamarine blue, it was rough, and getting rougher as the tide came in, with the water coming right up to the deck chairs on the beach.
It prevented the duchess from bathing, but not me. I had a couple nice dips, though I couldn’t do much swimming, more like dog paddling, because of my aching right shoulder and arm. But nonetheless I enjoyed myself. How could I come to Store Bay and not do that eh? I walked up and down the golden sandy beach a couple of times and felt energized.
Unfortunately, I rushed from Store Bay to get a roti, but when I got to the Roti Shop at four o’clock, it was closed, although the lady that runs it had earlier on told me she closed at five. Ah Lord eh!
I was disappointed, but I came home, relaxed, ate some left overs, then picked up a novel I had begun reading about two weeks ago, but hadn’t gotten very far. And would you know it, I got so into the book that I just sat down outside on the on the verandah, with some music playing on my computer, and read till I finished it sometime after midnight, then went to bed.
So now you know all… Oh I forgot to tell you about the beautiful full moon that’s been out every night, throwing it’s bright God-sent light down to earth. The first couple nights it seemed like two new moons grafted together; the one on top, showing its upper half, then the other attached to it in the middle showing the whole moon below.
I remember seeing that back home in the north country and mentioning it. But to make sure that I wasn’t seeing things, I called the duchess outside and she verified my assertion.
But even better than that, the past couple nights when there was only one moon, around midnight, I looked up through the skylight in the kitchen and just saw it staring back at me, strangely not as big as the ones back up north, about two thirds the size, but still bright and beautiful! Mama Mia!
Enough about me though, let’s turn now to the most important person in the universe – our most wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! And all God’s children declared a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise Him, for He is indeed worthy to be praised!’
And that He is indeed my brethren. And part of that is because of His actions in our Bit. ‘And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people (a great multitude), and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.’
Oh Friends, when I read that verse yesterday, it just touched my heart something special! I do hope it touched yours too, enough to make us improve our selfish ways and attitudes, and show more compassion to our fellow man.
Now here is a very appropriate poem for our Bit, from the One Year Book of Bible Promise’s with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s simply titled ‘HEARTSTRINGS.’
‘Lord, with no sense of direction I’m forever losing my way. Please tie a string From Your heart to mine So that even in the darkness I’ll feel the tug of Your heart And find my way home.’
Oh my people, doesn’t that sound just like the multitudes that Jesus saw that day, and the multitudes today, who also have no sense of direction, living aimlessly like lost sheep with no caring and compassionate shepherd to guide and care for them.
And the Bible Promise that supports that poem is rather appropriate too, and is none other than these comforting and encouraging words from Isaiah. ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom (close to his heart), and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is.40:10-11)
Oh Friends, Isaiah promised that hundreds of years before Jesus was born, but He faithfully fulfilled that promise along with so many others. So why is it so difficult for mankind to put their trust in Him eh?
I really can’t say for sure. But I suppose it’s a combination of our sinful nature, plus the fact that in the evil world, we like to see things happen before we believe, but in God’s kingdom, you have to believe before you see things happen.
And we’ll end with the chorus of a song I heard on the radio this morning. It says: ‘Jesus is the answer, For all the world today. Above Him is no other, Jesus is the way! And that’s indisputable, unequivocal gospel truth my people!
So please, let’s write that indelibly in our hearts minds and souls today, as we go out to serve Jesus in the ungodly world that surrounds us, and let it help us work though all the problems, the trials and tribulations that we will undoubtedly encounter. For that my people is the wisdom of Jesus. Have a blessed day in the service of Jesus! Much LOVE!
…we must all serve somebody…and Jesus is the best person to serve…because His is name higher than any other… He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords…