30 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a month of good weather, a pelican in the wilderness, a sparrow alone on a house top, adorationworship, all the kings of the earth thy glory, an owl of the desert, as we forgive our debtors, blurt out our needy requests, but thou O Lord shall endure forever, come to know and love him like we do, comes sincerely from the heart, Consider This, daily bread, deliver us from evil, desires to hear our problems, divine intervention, don't make it a habit, don't take it for granted, duty bound, eaten ashes like bread, faith, for thine is the kingdom, forgive us our debts, give us this day our daily bread, hallowed be thy name, hear my prayer O Lord, help us in the best way possible, holy spirit, hurry, if God spares life, in earth as it is in heaven, in god's eyes, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our personal friend, Jesus taught his followers to pray, lead us not into temptation, let my cry come unto thee, LOVE, loves us closer than a brother, mercy, mingled my drink with weeping, my bones burn like glowing embers, my bones cleave to my skin, my days are like a shadow, my days vanish like smoke, my enemies reproach me all the day, my heart is blighted, Our Father which art in heaven, prayer is welcome in heaven, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, soothes his troubled mind, the beloved of God, the heathen shall fear thy name, the last day of September, The Lonely Soul, the power and the glory for ever, the prayer of the destitute, the unchanging nature of God, the voice of my groaning, thine indignation, thou hast lifted me up and cast me down, thy kingdom come, thy remembrance unto all generations, thy will be done, thy wrath, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, withered like grass, worry
Psalm 102:1. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee.
Oh friends, it’s Tuesday, another beautiful summer’s day! It’s also the last day of September; a month that’s been awfully good to us in terms of weather conditions. It’s provided so many nice, bright, sunshiny and warm days that we’re not accustomed to at this time of year, that I’m anxiously wondering what the month of October will offer us. But we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find that out, if God spares life. (smile)
Anyway, today we’re going to look at an article in the September In Touch Devotional under the title of Consider This. So please read with me. ‘When Jesus taught His followers how to pray, He began with adoration and worship and ended with a request – a model many of us follow today. In Psalm 102, we find an honest cry from the writer’s heart: ‘For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food (Ps. 102:3-4 -New International Version).
It’s only after this revelation, this transparency before him, that the writer praises God for who he is and the ways He is faithful. Sometimes, before we can offer praise and adoration, we need to talk to God about how we’re feeling. And that’s okay. Jesus is Lord, but He is also our friend – one who wants to hear how we’re doing and listen to our honest, unfiltered selves.’
Ah mih people, that’s all oh so true! Jesus gave us a model pray in what we call The Lord’s Prayer, where He offers up praise and adoration before asking for a personal request. He taught us thus: ‘Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’ (Matt. 6:9-13)
Yes friends, we see Jesus giving the Father glory and adoration before asking for His daily bread. And that’s a good model to follow, if we do it sincerely, so that God knows we’re not just coming to Him for selfish and greedy reasons, but we also value His Lordship and sovereignty. However, sometimes we’re so befuddled, anxious, afraid or whatever, that we don’t have time, or cannot even form words of adoration, and all we can do is blurt out our needy requests to God. And as the article says, that’s also okay with the Lord, for Jesus is our personal friend, the One who LOVES us closer than a brother, and He’s only to glad to hear our problems and then help us in the best way possible.
But we ought not to make it a habit and/or simply take it for granted. No. For just like we don’t like others to come to us just bleating out their wants and needs, but to at least make some pleasant conversation first, (smile) so does the Lord in general like to hear our appreciation and admiration for His heavenly grandeur. And having said all of that, let’s see what Psalm 102 has to say. And the very title, ‘The Lonely Soul,’ as well as the preamble before the psalm, tell us a whole lot about it. ‘A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord.’ Now that’s something many of us know about. (smile)
So, please read with me. ‘Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble: incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. For my days are consumed (vanish) like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth (a fire in a fireplace). My heart is smitten (stricken), and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave (cling) to my skin (flesh).
I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me (deride me) are sworn against me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up (exalted me), and cast me down. My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.’ (Ps. 102:1-11)
Now that’s certainly telling the Lord what’s wrong. However, right after pouring out the troubles of his heart, the psalmist turns to praise and adoration, and confidently declares: ‘But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.
So the heathen (Gentiles) shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.’ (Ps. 102:12-18)
Then the psalmist continues for another ten verses pouring out his admiration and gratitude to Almighty God. And as the scholars so interestingly point out: ‘The answer to the psalmist’s grief is not, in this case, direct divine intervention to alter his situation, rather the psalmist’s own reflection on the unchanging nature of God in His dealings with men soothes his troubled mind.’
Wow! So, you see, once we truly know and LOVE the Lord, we don’t always need divine intervention to solve our problems, but it can also come from our very own reflections. And once we sincerely praise and adore our great God, it doesn’t matter when we do it, for heaven is not a place that stands only on rigid ceremony.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…any prayer is welcome in heaven…once it comes sincerely from the heart…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a confident and dependent trust in God, a warm welcome, Abraham's faith, abundant redemption, accepted in God's sight, be gracious unto you, be of good courage, being not weak in faith, blessed are all they that wait for him, challenges, considered not his own body dead, convinced that God could keep His promises, delivered for our offences, faith, faith has a purpose, faith must have a valid content, faith must have a valid object, faith produces works, giving God the glory, have mercy upon you, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, hurry, I wait for the Lord, if God spares life, if we beleive on him that raised Jesus from the dead, imputed to him for righteousness, in god's eyes, in his word I do hope, it is good that a man, Jesus Christ, Jesus' righteousness is available to all, let Israel hope in the Lord, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, more than they that watch for the morning, my soul doth wait, my soul waiteth for the Lord, no element of uncertainty, not written for his sake alone, plenteous redemption, proble, raised again for our justification, recued us from the throes of sin and death, redeem Israel from all his iniquities, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, strong in faith, the beloved of God, the deadness of Sarah's womb, the difficulty of waiting on God, the father of many nations, the Lord is a God of justice, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, therefore will the Lord wait, to the soul that seeketh him, to whom it shall be imputed, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wait in faith on the Lord, waiting, waiting on God is not easy but it's wise, wavered not at God's promise through unbelief, who against hope believed in hope, with the Lord there is mercy, worry
Lamentations 3:25. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
A warm welcome to Tuesday, a sunny and fairly warm day, when all the stress and frustrations of Monday have been washed clean from the slate of life, and we’re only dealing with Tuesday and its problems and challenges! Wow! What a nice Bruh Paulean sentence! (smile) At least I am like Bruh Paul in one respect, I can write long and convoluted sentences.
Anyway, it’s another great day on God’s Planet Earth, so let’s enjoy it the best we can, which includes contemplating a couple of interesting verses from the Lamentations of Jeremiah. They come from that famous chapter 23, and say: ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:25-26) And those verses are ever so true and resonate with a sense of the difficulty we all have of waiting patiently and earnestly on God.
It’s like the prophet Isaiah wrote re God’s graciousness and mercy in spite of Israel’s rebelliousness. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18) And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘Because God is gracious and has been willing to wait for His people to return to Him, He will certainly bless those who wait for him. “Waiting” is a confident and dependent trust in God.’
And there are many verses in scripture that talk about waiting on God, though it’s not always easy to do. So let’s examine a couple more nuh, like this passage from Psalm 130 which says: ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more that they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps. 130:5-8)
Oh friends, that’s how we ought to hope, trust, have faith and wait in the Lord, for He’s promised us oodles of blessings if we wait on Him. And there’s no better example of patiently waiting, especially when there seemed to be no hope, than Abraham and God’s promise of a son from his own loins and thus becoming the father of many nations. It’s as Bruh Paul writes to the Romans re Abraham’s faith.
‘Who against (contrary to) hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: he staggered (wavered) not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong (strengthened) in faith, giving God the glory. And being fully persuaded (convinced) that, what he had promised, he was also able to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.’ (Rom. 4:18-22)
Ah mih people, how many of us would have waited 25 years for God’s promise of a son eh, especially when the man was a hundred years old and the woman ninety? Not many of us. But Abraham believed that God was able to do what He promised, and thus waited patiently for it. And because of that strong faith and waiting ability, he was considered righteous. And you surely need a lot of faith to wait so long for something that went against the laws of nature.
And the scholars offer some interesting insights into those verses. ‘There are five essential characteristics of faith. (1) Faith must have a valid content. Paul quotes Gen. 17:5 (the promise to be the father of many nations); the content of Abraham’s faith was valid because that content was the revelation of God. (2) Faith must have a valid object. The object of Abraham’s faith was God, the giver of the revelation.
(3) Faith is contrary to hope and yet rests upon hope. This is a hope in which there is no element of uncertainty (vs. 18a). (4) Faith has a purpose. The purpose of Abraham’s faith was that he might become the father of many nations, realizing the promises given him in the Abrahamic covenant (cf. Gen. 12:1-3; vs. 18b). (5) Faith produces works. Abraham’s faith conditioned the way he lived. He staggered not (did not doubt) God’s promises.’
And these next verses are also very important. Bruh Paul writes: ‘Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for (because of) our offences, and was raised again for (because of) our justification.’ (Rom. 4:23-25) Yes friends, Abraham’s testimony was also an example for us, to encourage us to believe in God, the Father who rescued us from the throes of sin and death by the sacrificing His Son Jesus Christ.
And here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘But for us also: The principle of justification valid for Abraham is valid for all believers. Raised again for our justification: Because Jesus was raised from the dead we know that His sacrifice on Calvary was accepted in God’s sight and Jesus’ righteousness is available to all.’
Now, there’s much more to say on the subject of waiting on and hoping in God, but it’s too much for this one session, so, as always, if God spares life, we’ll continue on this topic tomorrow. But here’s this classic scripture to end on: In the words of Bruh David: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) That’s wise advice my brethren, and with it under our belts, let’s go home now declaring (chuhhh!!!) our Tuesday mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And now it behooves us to go out and share the amazing friendship and LOVE of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him the way we do! Much LOVE!
…waiting on God is not easy…but it’s ever so wise…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a core tenet of christian belief, be discouraged, better late than never, change us into the image of christ, christian belief, come to know and love him like we do, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, duty bound, endured the cross, faith, for the joy that was set before him, God's Master Plan, holy spirit, hurry, I am the way the truth and the life, if God spares life, in god's eyes, Jesus blazed the trail, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ as our Intercessor, Jesus finished the course, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mercy, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, only one way to zion gate, proves the genuineness of our faith our faith, salvation, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, temptation tough times, the author and finisher of our faith, the beloved of God, the definitive source of truth, the exclusive path to God and eternal life, the joys of summer vacation, the Lord tests us, the quintessence of life, the sole source of all truth, the straight and narrow path, the way the cookie crumbles, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, worry
ohn 14:6. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
So friends, it’s back to work, back to school, and away from all the joys of summer vacation. But it’s a beautiful Tuesday in my neighbourhood for doing that. And I guess the traffic jams might have been somewhat worse than usual this morning as so many people come back to a normal, humdrum, same old, same old way of life. (smile)
But unfortunately, that’s the way the cookie crumbles, and we just have to roll with the punches, which we can certainly do when we have Jesus Christ as our Intercessor, Pilot, Guide and Leader. Praise the Lord! For He’s the quintessence, the embodiment, the epitome of what we’re all about.
As the author of Hebrews so wisely advises: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes my faithful brethren, Jesus is the One who has originated our faith and saw it through to the very end. As the scholars say, He has already blazed the trail and finished the course. Now it’s our turn to follow Him down that straight and narrow path that He’s established. And per the scholars, it’s time for us believers to emulate the supreme example of endurance that Jesus provides in His earthly journey. For as Jesus Himself reminded the disciples and subsequently us: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
And what does that mean? I like the way this commentary explains it. ‘It signifies that Jesus Christ is the exclusive path to God and eternal life, the sole ultimate source of all truth, and the giver of true, spiritual life, which is found by believing in and following him. This statement is a core tenet of Christian belief, emphasizing Jesus’ central role as the mediator between God and humanity. To accept Jesus as the “way, the truth, and the life” means to believe in him, trust his teachings, and follow his example to find salvation and true, eternal life.’
Yes friends, Jesus is the ONE and ONLY path to God the Father. It’s not one of many paths. There is absolutely NO OTHER way but through Him! Likewise, as the commentary further breaks it down: ‘He is the definitive source of truth, not just one truth among many. He is the ultimate authority and revealer of what is true.’ And as per Life: ‘Jesus offers life—not just physical existence, but a rich, meaningful, and eternal spiritual life. He has the power to give life, and those who believe in him receive this gift of eternal life.’
Wow! What more can one ask for eh? Absolutely nothing! The trouble though is that we believers expect life to get easy when we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. However, the opposite is often true, for then the Lord needs to prove us and our faith as well as turn us into the image of Jesus, which is His Master Plan. However, unfortunately, the only things that test our faith and turn us around are temptations, tough times and circumstances, bringing patience and perseverance to bear in our lives.
Oh mih bredrin, I can’t take it any longer nuh, I have to stop the Bit here today because I am having some serious problems with my keyboard, it’s typing all sorts of nonsense, or not typing at all, and as luck would have it, I don’t have any new batteries of the required size. As always, the devil finds pleasure in interrupting God’s work. And also in tempting me to use some fine language. But surprisingly, and thankfully, I have not succumbed to that temptation…yet. Praise the Lord! (smile)
Chuh! I just succumbed! Anyway, we will continue with that topic of testing our faith and giving us an image or likeness of Christ tomorrow, if God spares life. Now, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And with those words, we’ve now become duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
..as the old reggae song says…there’s only ONE WAY to Zion Gate…that’s through Jesus…
P.S. Sorry the Bit’s so late, but I began late, and then the foolish keyboard problems only made matters worse. But it’s always better late than never. (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a stiffnecked people, a zeal for God, be renewed and revitalized, children of the Most High God Jehovah, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, christianity, come to know and love christ like we do, establish their own righteousness, faith, generous grace and mercy, god moves in mysterious ways, God's greatest creation, God's initiative in grace, God's omnipotent power, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God, hearken unto the word of the Lord, heat advisory, holy spirit, hurry, if God spares life, ignorant of God's righteousness, in god's eyes, in thy mouth and in thy heart, Israel mistook the purpose of the law, Israel's foolish rejection of Christ, Jesus Christ, lift our heads and hearts to heaven, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, man's humble obedience to God's grace, mercy, mistook the scope of the law, not according to knowledge, others can come to know and love Christ like we do, pinned their hopes on their own religious achievement, promises of rain, righteousness is universally available, righteousness only attainable by belief in Christ, salvation, say not in thine heart, seeking redemption in God's mercy, share His love with my neighbours, substituted works for faith, Thank You Lord, thanks to God's goodness and mercy, the awesome truth, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the law points to, the purpose of the law, the word is nigh thee, the word of faith, to all who respond to God's revelation of Himself, to every one that believes, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn from their rebellious ways, we can do anything within God's will, we praise and glorify your holy name, who shall ascend into heaven, who shall descend into the deep, wisdom, worry, your undying love
Romans 10:8. The word is nigh (near) thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith, which we preach;
And then it was Tuesday, with Monday being consigned to the confines of history. But unfortunately only the name has changed, for it’s still a very hot and humid summer’s day, with an ongoing heat advisory, although there are some vague promises of rain in the offing…but I wouldn’t count on that, because I’ve heard that story before. (smile) Anyway, however it turns out, let’s remember that we are children of the Most High God Jehovah, and can do anything we need to, within His will, and with His omnipotent power.
And all God’s children cried out in thanksgiving: ‘Thank You Lord for your undying LOVE, and generous grace and mercy, without which we would certainly be in an even bigger muddle than we currently are in! We praise and glorify Your Holy Name! Amen!’ And isn’t that the awesome truth! For without our hope, faith and trust in Almighty God, we’d be in really bad shape. But thanks to His goodness and mercy, we can lift up our heads and hearts, hands and eyes to heaven and be renewed and revitalized.
Now, I’m chuckling here, because our God is indeed a great God, and does move in mysterious ways, for a few minutes ago, I opened the Good Library in front of me, but never paid attention to where it opened. But just now I looked at it and saw it opened unto the epistle of Bruh Paul to the Romans, and right there was the stuff that we were just talking about. Bruh Paul, in writing to Israel about their foolish rejection of Christ, tells them:
‘Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record (witness) that they have a zeal of (for) God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth (writes about) the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.’ (Rom. 10:1-5)
And what does all of that mean? The scholars explain it thus: ‘Christ is the end of the law: Israel mistook the purpose of the law. The law pointed to the righteousness that is attainable only by belief in Christ. Israel also mistook the scope of the law. The righteousness to which it pointed was universally available to all who responded to God’s revelation of Himself through the law. But by Paul’s time many had substituted works for faith. Rather than seeking redemption in God’s mercy, they pinned their hopes on their own religious achievement.’
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, who shall descend into the deep (abyss)? (that is, to bring Christ up again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh (near) thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith, which we preach;’ (Rom. 10:5-8)
Now that certainly sounds like a mouthful, but as the scholars explain: ‘Paul skillfully weaves together quotations from Deuteronomy 9:4, and 30:10-14, which speak of God’s initiative in grace and man’s humble obedience to it. He then applies this truth to the gospel of Christ.’ And briefly, in the passage from Deuteronomy 9, Moses is castigating the people, letting them know that the Lord is not offering them the Promised Land because of their righteousness or uprightness of their heart, but because of the wickedness of the nations who then inhabited it. For Israel were a stiffnecked, or rebellious and stubborn people.
Meanwhile in Deuteronomy 30, Moses is telling Israel they can get away from their cursed life, if they turn from their rebellious ways and hearken unto the word of the Lord, and keep His commandments with all their hearts and souls. ‘For this commandment which I command thee this day, is not hidden from thee (is not too mysterious for thee), neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh (near) unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.’ (Deut. 30:11-14)
Ah friends, Bruh Paul had to know his scriptures to so skillfully weave those points from Moses into his own teaching. In other words, God’s commandments and Word is not far from us, that we have to depend on someone to get them for us. No! They have already been offered to us, and consequently are right with us; in our hearts, mouths, souls and bodies. Therefore it’s up to us to follow them. And I think we’ll stop there for today, because the Bit will get too long and heavy, if we continue with the rest of the stuff we want to talk about. So tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue talking about Bruh Paul’s take, on the word of faith.
Now, for those of us who are doing our best to live the way we ought to, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…we don’t deserve anything from God…but because of His great LOVE and compassion for us…His greatest creation…He generously offers us all that He is and has…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a helluva thing when yuh getting old, a man of many parts, a new flock of believers, a testimony, apologize for wrong date on Bit, be a good witness for Christ, be responsible, blessed is the man that trusteth in him, by the example your faithful believers set, can only have a testimony, change the batteries in the keyboard, changed his behaviour, christianity, computer keyboard, David his ten thousands, David the king of the land, delivered me from all my fears, divine help, faith, feigned himself mad in their hands, feigned madness, fled to a cave in the wilderness, Friday chant, godly coincidence, Goliath's sword, gospel truth, grin and bear it, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, holy spirit, I sought the Lord and he heard me, I will bless the Lord at all times, if God spares life, Jesus Christ, laid up these words in his heart, let his spittle fall down upon his beard, let us exalt His name together, LOVE, mercy, my soul shall make boast in the Lord, narrowly escaping death, O fear the Lord ye his saints, o magnify the Lord with me, O taste and see that the Lord is good, omnipotent help, our chaotic world, praise of one who was redeemed, problems are escalating, psalm 34, radiant, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, saved him out of all his troubles, scrabbled on the doors of the gate, seasoned instruction, seek refuge in your enemy's camp, shrew bread, sinful world, stay safe, Sual hath slain his thousands, suffer hunger, take your own medicine, Thanks be to God, the BIBLE, the computer expert, the error of their ways, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad, the Lord heard him, the poor man cried, the throne of grace, the young lions do lack, their faces were not ashamed, there is no want to them that fear him, they looked at him and were lightened, they that seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing, took these words to heart, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffe, wary of his presence, when you've passed a test, wisdom, wise guidance, witness for Christ
Psalm 34:8. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth him.
Oh friends, please let me apologize this hot, humid and somewhat cloudy Friday morning, for the date error I made on the Bit yesterday, naming it the 23rd of July instead of the 24th. And you would not believe the number of times I usually scrutinize the headings to see if they are correct. And I distinctly remember scrutinizing them yesterday and still found nothing wrong! Ah Lord eh! The devil surely finds ways to disrupt our lives. And believe me he’s doing a very good job right now through this keyboard of mine, where I am typing letters that are either not coming out, or when I hit the space button it doesn’t work and the typing comes out all jumbled up.
Chuh! Typing that last sentence took me a few minutes because I had to go back and fix several pieces of it …hn! hn! hn! Had to fix that last phrase too. (smile) Guess I’ll just have to buy a new keyboard, and this one is barely two years old. But they don’t make them like they did before, and I’m pounding away on this one every day. And you wouldn’t believe how nicely that typed there. (smile) I’ll just have to grin and bear it, as I like to preach. Believe me, it doesn’t feel so fine when you have to take your own medicine.
Hn, hn, hn! Yes friends, I’m laughing, but it’s a laugh of shame. And it’s a good thing that our God does move in mysterious ways yes, because I took a break there just now and was about to buy a new keyboard when the Duchess suggested I first consult my young daughter, the computer expert in the family. And her wise advice was to simply change the batteries in the keyboard. Brother! Did I ever feel foolish, for only then did I remember having that same problem before and simply changing the batteries solved it. It’s a hell of a thing when yuh getting old yes!
But thanks be to God, we solved that most vexing problem! So we can move on now with some serious stuff. Yes, my fellow believers, serious stuff like Psalm 34. A psalm Bruh David wrote after narrowly escaping death at the hands of king Saul. (1 Sam. 21) He lied to the priest Abimelech about being on an important mission for the king and hadn’t had time to collect food or weapons for himself and his men. The priest gave him the shrew (hallowed) bread, the only bread he had, and also gave him Goliath’s sword, the only weapon in his possession. What a godly coincidence (smile) Bruh David using his mortal enemy’s sword. But that’s how our God works.
And having gotten those things, he fled to Gath, the city of the Philistine king Achish seeking refuge from Saul. Imagine the boldness, or stupidity, (smile) of running from your people, to seek refuge in your enemy’s camp. But that’s what you do when you have no choice. Obviously though, the Philistine king was wary of his presence, as his servants recognized Bruh David and said, ‘Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
And David laid up these words in his heart (took these words to heart), and was sore (very much) afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands (feigned madness), and scrabbled (scratched) on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle (spit) fall down on upon his beard.’ (1 Sam. 21:11-13) The king believed the mad actions of Bruh David and refused him entry, so he and his men fled to a cave in the wilderness.
Ah friends, Bruh David was indeed a man of many parts, and with God’s help put on a good show. And these are some of the marvellous words that he wrote after that narrow escape. ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked at him and were lightened (radiant): and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him from out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ (Ps. 34:1-10)
What gospel truth, my people! Those who put their trust in the Lord God Jehovah will not want for anything! And I like how the scholars describe the psalm. They say: ‘It bears all the marks of the testimony of one who narrowly escaped death, just as the passage in Samuel describes. As such, it contains the praise and testimony of one who was redeemed (vs. 1-10) and the seasoned instruction that can stem from such deliverance (vs. 11-22).’ Today we’ve covered the section of praise…and is it ever so encouraging and uplifting and true! Tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll look at the section of ‘seasoned instruction’ and see what we can gain from it.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help for ourselves and our chaotic world. 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 friends, despite our supposedly sincere prayer, we also know that our witness for Christ is not good enough, that’s why our world is in such a disastrous state. So please, let’s get ourselves together and improve our witness nuh. It’s the least we can do, for all that Jesus has done for us. Much LOVE!
…you can only have a testimony…when you’ve passed a test…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a daily habit, all manner of disease among the people, an herd of swine, and were drowned, ask for healing and strength from God, awed beyond belief, cannot make it on my own, come to know and love him like we do, commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man, do Jesus' work with diligence, duty bound, enjoy the life He created us to have, epileptics, faith, give me strength to endure, had the palsy, healing all manner of sickness, holy spirit, I trust in your goodness, if God spares life, immediately the fever left her, in faith, in god's eyes, in his right mind, Jesus Christ, Jesus the great Physician, Jesus thou Son of God, Jesus took her by the hand, Jesus went about Galilee, lay sick of the fever, lifted her up, LOVE, mercy, possessed of devils, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, put an end to all pain, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, she ministered unto them, sickness comes knocking at our door, Simon's mother-in-law, sitting clothed at Jesus feet, teaching in the synagogues, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the country of the Gadarenes, the devils entered the swine, the Healing Ministry of Jesus, the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, the needs of my physical body, the paralyzed, there followed him great multitudes of people, too proud to ask for help, tragedy, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, vim and vigour, walk wit me, waning years, what have I to do with thee, wisdom, without the grace and mercy of God, your healing touch
Matthew 4:23. And Jesus went about all Galilee …healing all manner of sickness (every sickness), and all manner of disease (every disease) among the people.
Then it was Tuesday, a somewhat cool and cloudy day, and we can forget Monday…until next week that is, (smile) and go on about our Tuesday business, with vim and vigour, all in Christ’s mighty name. Today, we’re going to deal with the topic of healing, as expressed in a prayer form the Prayer Cards recently issued by the In Touch Organization.
So please pray with me: ‘Lord Jesus, You are the great Physician. When You walked the earth You healed the sick, and You still heal today. In faith I bring You the needs of my physical body. I trust in Your goodness today, knowing that one day You will put an end to all pain and brokenness. Walk with me and give me strength to endure. Thank You for Your healing touch. Amen!’
Oh friends, I don’t know about you all nuh, but I desperately need the Lord’s healing touch, each and every day, especially in these my waning years, if I hope to endure and do His work with diligence. And I’m sure a lot of you do too, but oftentimes we’re too proud to ask for help and healing. I certainly am not! I ask for it every single day, because I know that I just could not make it on my own without the grace and mercy of our wonderful God. So let’s promise ourselves to make it a daily habit to ask for healing and strength from Almighty God, so that we can do His work and enjoy the life that He’s created us to have.
And at the end of the prayer, they suggest that we ‘Read some of the many accounts of healing in the New Testament. Jesus is Your Healer.’ And he surely is! Praise the Lord! For without Him I don’t know what we’d do when sickness and tragedy dangerously come knocking at our door. And the first scripture on healing that we will read is the one on which the prayer was based, as Matthew talks about the Healing Ministry of Jesus.
He writes: ‘And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness (every sickness), and all manner of disease (every disease) among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers (various) diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils (demons), and those which were lunatic (epileptics), and those that had the palsy (were paralyzed); and he healed them.’ (Matt. 4:23-24)
Yes mih people, Jesus was, and is indeed our Healer! Can you imagine the crowds of sick people that came to Him back then when doctors and other care givers were in short supply, and the level of human health care was rather low , plus most of the sick could not afford to go to the few health care providers that were available? Matthew says it thus: ‘And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis (the Ten Cities), and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.’ (Matt. 4:25)
Wow! At the end of the day Jesus must have been real tired. No wonder He so often had to escape to a solitary place and commune with the Father, so that His strength could be renewed. And that just goes to show that Healing was a prominent aspect of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Now, let’s look at a few of the individual healings Jesus performed, beginning with Mark’s version of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law.
‘And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon (Peter) and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and anon (at once) they tell him of her. And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto (served) them.’ (Mark 1:29-31)
Then there was this most poignant and miraculous set of circumstances. Luke tells us of the time when Jesus and the disciples went into the country of the Gadarenes, which was on the opposite shore of the lake to Galilee. And as he stepped out of the boat, ‘there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils (demons) long time, and ware (wore) no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech (beg) thee, torment me not.
(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught (seized) him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters (shackles); and he brake the bands (chains), and was driven of the devil (demons) into the wilderness.) And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said , Legion: because many devils (demons) were entered into him. And they (the demons) besought (begged) him (Jesus) that he would not command them to go out into the deep (abyss).
And there was an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought (begged) him that he would suffer (allow) them to enter into them. And he suffered (allowed) them. Then went the devils (demons) out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked (drowned). (Luke 8:26-33)
Obviously the swine herders fled in fear back to the city and broadcast the happening. And when the crowd came back to Jesus, they found the demon filled man in his right mind, sitting clothed at the feet of Jesus. But the people were so afraid, that they asked Jesus to leave their place, and Jesus obediently got back into his boat and went back home. (Luke 8:26-39) Can you imagine being around then, seeing Jesus do those miraculous things. Even now, when He does them, and He still does, we’re awed beyond belief.
But we’ll stop here for today, for time and space are against us, and there are so many more healing miracles that we can talk about. However, if God spares life, tomorrow, we’ll continue looking at some more of Jesus’ marvellous healing miracles. Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Jesus…the greatest Healer of all time…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a healthy fear, a solid foundation to build on, acknowledging God's sovereignty, act in an appropriate manner, an ornament of grace to your head, beat about the bush, causes one to act in an appropriate manner, chains about thy neck, choose wisdom over folly, continue to the end with Jesus, discretion shall preserve thee, even when he is old, experiential knowledge of God, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, falsehoods, fanciful theories, fools despise wisdom, forsake not the law of thy mother, glad to be alive, godly wisdom, good and bad, halfway home, hands on the plough, he will not depart from it, hear the instruction of thy father, holy spirit, if God spares life, instruction, Jesus Christ, liable to fall for anything, LOVE, mercy, moral discipline, naive people, not looking back, on the wrong track of life, our Christian lifestyle, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Jesus, salvation, skill in living, Solomon, teach them the right way from the start, the apprehension of reality, the beginning of knowledge, the best gift we can give our children, the Book of Proverbs, the capability to distinguish between true and false, the controlling principle of wisdom, the fear of the Lord, the gospel truth, the power of formulating and carrying out right measures, the purpose of Proverbs, the reverential awe of God, the skill to live life successfully, the wisdom of God, the wisdom of man, the wisest man ever, the Word of god, those open any influence, to a glorious future with Jesus, train up a child in how he should go, truth, understanding, Wednesday Wail, who's the boss, wisdom, wisdom and understanding should begin at home
Proverbs 1:7. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (the principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom.’
So, once again it’s Wednesday friends, our second wind day, and we on the late, late bus, because I had some stuff to take care of here at home. I couldn’t put them off any longer. I tried, but the Duchess would not allow it. And yuh know who’s the boss. (smile) Anyway, it’s a fairly warm, cloudy day with the promise of rain in the forecast, but that won’t bother me because I’ve already done my outside running around.
And today we’ll touch on the subject of wisdom, that’s godly wisdom, not the nonsense the world showcases as such, for if that was so right, our world would not be in the awful mess that its currently in. And who better to learn wisdom from, than the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol. And he touches, no, he examines it very deeply in the Book of Proverbs. He doesn’t beat about the bush either, but gets right to the point, opening with the purpose of the Book.
It’s been written for mankind ‘To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive (discern) the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgement, and equity; To give subtilty (prudence) to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; a man of understanding shall attain unto (acquire) wise counsels:’ (Prov. 1:2-5) And having stated his avowed purpose, he then sets down the basis of his theory with these wise words. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (the principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom.’ (Prov. 1:7)
And both of those statements are indisputable true! The beginning of wisdom starts with acknowledging Almighty God, His sovereignty and omnipotence! And it’s obvious that fools despise wisdom, as so many of today’s population refuse to acknowledge Almighty God and serve Him. Then he pleads with his son, or those who follow after him: ‘My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.’ (Prov. 1:8-9) Yes friends, that’s how important wisdom is to us.
And what you ask, is this great thing called Wisdom? It’s the key word in the Book, and basically, as the scholars tell us, it means “skill in living.” So it can mean either having a physical skill like metalwork, engraving, carving or such, but metaphorically, as used in Proverbs, it refers to the skill to live life successfully. Meanwhile, Instruction (vs.2) refers to moral discipline of one’s life, not to classroom instruction. Understanding (vs.2) means the capability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, what matters most and what does not matter at all.
The simple in verse 4 are naïve young people open to any influence, and they are among the ones to whom Cousin Sol chiefly addresses the book. Knowledge (vs.4) means the apprehension of reality, including experiential knowledge of God. Discretion (vs.4) refers to the power of formulating and carrying out right measures. And the wise (vs.5) as well as the untaught can learn from this book. The fear of the Lord (vs.7) means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view hear. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner.
The beginning (vs.7) does not mean that “the fear of the Lord “is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom. Then My son (vs.8) begins the first of ten similar discourses in which the father appeals to his son to listen to his counsel and choose wisdom over folly. The mention of the mother shows that the original setting of the book was home, not the court or school. End of explanations.
And is that ever where wisdom and understanding ought to be begin…in the home, by the parents, unlike what’s happening today. We’re so busy and otherwise occupied that we claim not to have time to teach our children the right way, and leave that for places like school and the church to do. But neither do those who work in those places always have time to teach the children the right stuff, or most probably what they’re teaching them is not in accord with the Word of God and our Christian lifestyle. So they can be teaching them any of the many fanciful theories and falsehoods that exist today, and that’s basically why so many young people are currently on the wrong track of life.
They should have had the proper groundwork taught to them at home. Remember what Cousin Sol says later on in Proverbs? ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Prov. 22:6) And that’s the gospel truth my friends! And I can vouch for that from personal experience, for my mother trained me properly, and though for a while I deviated from it, I never lost sight of what she taught me. And that’s the best gift we can ever give to our children; teach them the right way early on, for then they at least have the basic knowledge of life, and as we all know, if you don’t know have a solid foundation to build on, you’re liable to fall for anything.
And I’m chuckling here friends, because I never intended to get into all those explanations, but I’m glad we did, because it now gives us a good foundation to understand some of Cousin Sol’s very profound statements on wisdom, which we’ll get into tomorrow, if God spares life. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we’ve learned true wisdom, then we’ll continue right to the very end with Jesus, because that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So, hoping and praying to meet you there! Much LOVE!
…oh…for our world to know, understand and practice…the wisdom of God…and not that of man…as we’re currently doing…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive outlook on life, abundance, adversity, become discouraged, by experience, by God's grace, christianity, Christians, consider him, courage, creativity, curse, despising the shame, divine protection, doing what pleases you, encompassed about with, endurance, endured the cross, entitled to the easy life, faint in your souls, Father You are good, favour, finish strong, for a long duration, for the joy that was set before him, fulfilment, get a move on, give me stamina, God-given purpose, good family, good freinds, good health, help me persevere, hold on through every test, holy spirit, I will trust you, if God spares life, In Touch Ministry, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the best example of endurance, Jesus will keep you on course, lay aside every weight, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, lest you become discouraged, live a Christ-like life, looking unto Jesus, lose sight of the goal, LOVE, mercy, negative word, not giving up easily, perform an exercise, perseverance, produce good fruit for God, promotion, prosper, run well, run with patience, salvation, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, so great a cloud of witnesses, stay focused on Jesus, stick to the job at hand regardless of the problems, stress, succeed, talent, thank you calling me, that endured such hostility of sinners, the ability to withstand hardship, the author and finisher of our faith, the BIBLE, the goodness of God, the race that is set before us, the sin which so easily ensnares us, to complete the work you begin in me, to endure trials, to sustain a prolonged effort, to the end, to this journey of growth in Christ, truth, use our blessings to help others, when you want to give up look to Jesus, wisdom, your promise
Hebrews 12:3. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls).
And so we come to Thursday, the second to last day of our work week, but please note that it’s also the middle of May, which means the month is quickly slipping by and we’ve got to get a move on, if we hope to do our jobs, and produce good fruit for God. And one of the basic and most important things we need to accomplish our God-given purpose is ENDURANCE!
And what’s that? This commentary describes it thus: ‘Endurance, in general, refers to the ability to withstand hardship, adversity, or stress, particularly the ability to sustain a prolonged effort or activity. In a physical context, it refers to the body’s ability to perform an exercise or activity for a long duration, encompassing both cardiovascular and muscular endurance.’
In other words, it’s the ability to stick to the job at hand regardless of the problems we may face, of not giving up easily. In fact, remember in Christ’s economy, the term ‘giving up’ does not exist. (smile) And how do we get endurance? Like most other things by experience and by God’s grace. The Bible is full of talk about the importance of endurance or persevering. But before we get into the scriptures, let’s offer up this interesting prayer on the subject from the Prayer Cards recently published by the In Touch Ministry.
Please pray with me: ‘Father, You are so good. Thank You for calling me to this journey of growth in Christ. I want to run well and finish strong. Don’t let me lose sight of the goal. Help me persevere in doing what pleases You and discarding what doesn’t. When I become discouraged, give me stamina to endure trials and hold on through every test. Thank You for Your promise to complete the work You begin in me. I will trust You and stay focused on Jesus to the end. Amen!’
Now, that’s certainly a stimulating and encouraging prayer! And the scripture associated with that prayer is one we all know: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed 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, endurance) the race that is set before us.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (be discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:1-3)
Oh friends that’s a mighty scripture on endurance, for we have the best example ever of it in the earthly life of Jesus, who despite all the shame and hostility and abuse and suffering He faced, got the job the done! Yes, Christ persevered through all the misfortune and problems that came His way, and He also expects us to do the same. And we’ll stop here for today, since there’s many more scriptures to look at on the subject of endurance. Tomorrow, if God spares life we’ll continue on that topic.
Remember through, that living for Jesus is not always easy, but He provides us with what we need to do the job He’s called us to do. And to tell the truth, we have it so much easier now than believers did back then, for we have all the accoutrements and scriptures and the things that make it easier to live a life of Christ-like endurance. But it’s still not easy, especially for us who believe we’re entitled to the easy life. (smile)
However, our God, in His awesome goodness has certainly helped by granting us undeserved blessings, that we call our Thursday Blessings, to help us do His earthly work. So you see, we indeed have all the tools to do our God-given tasks. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh man!!!) and thus activating those blessings.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!), it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as God did with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him, like we do! Much LOVE!
…when you want to give up…look to Jesus…He will keep you on course….
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a human predicament, a major human problem, a sin nature, bow to the world and words of Jesus, but the flesh is weak, consistent with God's character, could you not watch one hour, doing the wrong thing, dominated by sin, endure to the end, every imagination was evil continually, evil associates, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, falling to temptation, glad to be alive, God saw that the wickedness of man was great, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, how to perform that which is good I find not, I am carnal, I don't understand why, if God spares life, inherited from our forefathers, intruding on my day to day affairs, Jesus Christ, leads to sinful rather than godly stuff, lest ye enter into temptation, LOVE, man's sin nature, mercy, no good thing dwells in me, not looking back at the past, not turning back, our battle with sin, salvation, sin that dwelleth in me, sinful pursuits, sold under sin, struggle against sin, sunny days, thank God, thankful for medical help, that which I do I allow not, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the characteristics of the Spirit, the devious weather, the Garden of Gethsemane, the spirit truly is ready, the thoughts of his heart, the will is present in me, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turn around and bite us, wanting to do the right thing, watch ye and pray, Wednesday Wail, what I hate I do, what I would that do I not, wisdom
Mark 14:38. Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
Sunny days are here again! Glory Hallelujah! Yes friends it’s another sunshiny and warm day, warmer than yesterday, with temps up in the high teens, and people are already out walking without a lot of clothes on. Let’s hope that spring is truly in the air and the devious weather doesn’t turn around and bite us in the you know where. (smile)
Now, et me apologize for the lateness of the Bit, what with it being Wednesday and I had to go to my church group at mid-morning, then I had an afternoon doctor’s appointment. Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for the medical help, but it’s intruding too much on my normal day to day affairs.
Anyway, today, we’re going to look at an interesting scripture…sorry, all scripture is interesting… (smile) where Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane with His most intimate disciples, Peter, James and John, going through an agony of soul and spirit over His upcoming crucifixion. But every time He goes away to pray in private, He comes back and finds them sleeping. One time when He came and found them sleeping, He admonished them thus, saying to Peter: ‘Simon, sleepest thou? couldest thou not watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.’ (Mark 14:37-38)
And right there my brethren we have a major human problem. Our spirits are ready to follow God, but our flesh is weak, readily falling to the temptation of the enemy and his evil associates. Unfortunately, this did not start recently, but way back in time as Genesis tells us of man’s wickedness. ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart (intent or thought) was only evil continually (all the day long).’(Gen. 6:5)
And one could easily mistakenly believe that we’re living in those times because the wickedness of man in this generation is so perverted and pervasive that I’m sure the Lord is saying the same thing about us. Why are we so wicked and ungodly eh, and have no LOVE for ourselves and each other? Note I didn’t mention God in that, because it’s so obvious that we have no regard for Him whatsoever, otherwise our wickedness would not be so all pervasive.
But thankfully, there are some scriptures that try to explain our wicked situation, like this one from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome, where he talks about his struggle against sin. ‘For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not (I don’t understand why): for what I would (want to do), that do I not; but what I hate, that I do.’ (Rom. 7:14-15) Now that’s a problem we all have my fellow believers, because we have a sin nature that tends to lead to sinful rather than godly stuff.
And Bruh Paul was no different than us, as the scholars explain. ‘The law is spiritual, means that it has the characteristics of the Spirit and is consistent with the character of God. Meanwhile, I am carnal, explains the biographical nature of what follows and is designed to reveal the real struggle the apostle experienced in the flesh. His experience is also exemplary, for it shows the problems all believers experience in their battle with sin.’ And that’s no lie, as Bruh Paul continues to show.
‘If then I do that which I would not (I don’t want to do), I consent unto (agree with) the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For then good that I would (want to do) I do not; but the evil which I would not (don’t want to do), that I do.’ (Rom. 7:16-19)
Oh my fellow believers, how many times have we found ourselves in such a situation eh? Wanting to do the right thing, but ending up doing the wrong one, and we’re at a loss as to why we did what we didn’t want to do, instead of what we wanted to do. It’s certainly a human predicament, as we’re so often dominated by sin and sinful pursuits. And we’ll stop there for today, as Bruh Paul goes on make several other tough statements that would make the Bit way too long and confusing to digest all at once. If God spares life tomorrow, then we’ll continue with Bruh Paul’s epic struggle with our sin nature.
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And please, let’s not forget the added promise that if we endure with Jesus right to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s make plans to meet at the very end and together enjoy the marvellous future promised then nuh! Much LOVE!
…man’s sin nature was inherited from our forefathers…but it can be made to bow…by the works and words of Jesus
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Jun 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a smoke alert, among whom ye shine as lights of the world, an inferiority complex, bear your whoredoms, complaining means that God is not good enough, do all things without murmurings and disputings, endure to the end, halfway home, hands on the plough, how long shall I bear with this evil congregation, I will smite them with pestilence, if God spares life, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, know my breach of promise, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Israelites constantly complained, the negative consequences of complaining, to a glorious future with Jesus, we love to complain, Wednesday Wail, would God we had died in Egypt, would God we had died in this wilderness, ye may be blameless and harmless, your carcasses shall fall in the wilderness, your children shall wander in the wilderness
Philippians 2:14. Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings:
Oh boy, are these days ever moving along swiftly. Can you believe it’s already Wednesday, not to mention the last few days of June. And to make matters even worse, today there’s a smoke alert in our area from the wildfires up north that apparently are still spewing out their pollution. And the real summer weather hasn’t even truly arrived. Yes, we have gotten a few hot days along the way, but not consistently, the air conditioners have hardly been on. (smile) It’s been more like springtime weather.
Let’s hope that July brings some consistently warm weather, so that we can complain that it’s ever so hot. Yuh know how we just LOVE to complain, especially when we get what we ask for and discover it’s not what we really want. And on that note, I think we are being guided to look at complaining in a more serious and biblical sense, because the Bible tells us in several scriptures about the negative consequences of complaining. And there seems to be so much relevant stuff on complaining that this might just have to run for two days. (smile)
Now, I guess the best place to begin is right at the beginning, where complaining first reared its ugly head with serious consequences. And that’s when the Israelites having seen all the miracles that the Lord had done for them on the way out of Egypt, once in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land began murmuring and grumbling and about their situation. They complained about the lack of water, the lack of proper food, the lack of meat, etc. etc. Things got bad and the Lord threatened: ‘I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.’ (Num. 14:12)
Yes friends, the Lord was so tired with the ugly griping and complaining after all the wonderful things He’d done for them, that He was willing to destroy them and make a greater second nation for Moses. But Moses interceded on their behalf, pointing out how it would look if He destroyed them, when He was supposed to be their God and looking after them. And the Egyptians would have a field day spreading all kinds of nasty rumours. So the Lord listened to Moses’ wise words and relented, and instead of destroying Israel, He pardoned them. (Num. 14:1-20)
But they kept on complaining. And finally, the Lord’s patience wore thin. ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur (grumble) against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you. Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole (entire) number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me.
Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware (solemnly promised) to make you dwell therein, save Caleb of Jephunneh, and Joshua of Nun. But your little ones which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know (be acquainted with) the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall (die) in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness (be shepherds) forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness.
After the number of days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities (guilt), even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise (rejection or opposition). I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. And the men, which Moses sent to search (spy out) the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander (bad report) upon the land. Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the Lord, died by the plague before the Lord.’ (Num. 14:26-37)
Oh my people, yuh see what the evil of complaining accomplished. And how what you wish for can be used against you, for in verse 2, they had complained: ‘Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God that we had died in this wilderness.’ And they eventually got their wish after refusing to go into the Promised Land because of the negative report of ten of the twelve spies who went in and checked it out. That was a terrible slap in the face to God, because ‘Grumbling complaints directly or indirectly declare that God is not sufficiently good, faithful, loving, wise, powerful, or competent.’
So, none of them who came out of Egypt, except Caleb and Joshua, entered the Promised Land, but died in the wilderness. That’s because they were the only two spies who had positive reports on the land. Now you might say that was in the Old Testament and it doesn’t apply today. But you’ll be oh so wrong, for there’s this prominent scripture from Bruh Paul to the Philippians that refutes your contention. It quite clearly says: ‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as the lights of the world.’ (Phil. 2:14-15)
Yes, my fellow believers, we are warned not to grumble and complain as we go through this tough life, but to be strong and steadfast, blameless, innocent and shining as the lights of the world that Jesus desires of us. And as we saw above, when we grumble and complain against God, it means we don’t consider Him good or strong enough to handle our problems. And believe me, if God could destroy His chosen people, the Israelites for constant complaining and disobedience, why wouldn’t He do likewise to us? No reason whatsoever!
And I know God claims to be patient and longsuffering, but what with all the sin and disobedience that’s running rampant in our world, I’m sure His patience is growing thin with us, just like it was with the Israelites way back then. And yuh see the lethal punishment that He can mete out. So please, as they say, a word to the wise is sufficient. Let’s be wise then and cut down on our complaining. That’s enough for today. More tomorrow, if God spares life. Let’s go home now declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And let’s remember, that if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, that glorious future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…when believers complain incessantly…it upsets God…gives Him and inferiority complex…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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