11 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of God, a disciplined mind, a very present help in trouble, an abundantly available help, are not able to kill the soul, be of good cheer, both in the good and bad times, but of power love and a sound mind, call on God continually, don't be afraid of those who persecute you for your faith, endure to the very end with Christ, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faith is only built through tough times, fear God, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, God is a refuge for us, God is our refuge and strength, God's sovereignty over life and death, halfway home, hands on the plough, he is my defence, He only is my rock and my salvation, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, I shall not be moved, In God is my salvation and my glory, in me ye might have peace, in the palm of his hands, in the world ye shall have tribulation, in time of trouble, Jesus Christ, Jesus defeated hell the death and the grave, light the candle at both ends, LOVE, mercy, my expectation is only from him, my refuge is in God, my soul wait thou only upon God, not turning back, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, pour out your heart before God, salvation, save from the ravages of this evil world, second wind day, Selah, set your soul free of fear, sons of Korah, thank God, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the importance of prioritizing God over human authority, the Lord God Almighty, the rock of my strength, therefore will not we fear, these things I have spoken unto you, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the mountains shake, though the water roar and be troubled, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose, trust him at all times, truth, we know that all things work together for good, Wednesday Wail, who has authority over the physical and spiritual realms, wisdom
Psalm 46:1. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in time of trouble.
So it’s Wednesday my people, our second wind day. It opened bright and sunshiny and somewhat cool, but it’s warming up, and we on the late bus, because after church, I ran around and did a couple errands, then had to come home and rest before writing the Bit. Yuh know the ole fella’s not as young as he used to be, and unfortunately can’t light the candle at both ends again. (smile)
And today, as we witness all the strife, the anger, the carnage and all the other negative things that are so prevalent in our world, I believe this word from the Sons of Korah in Psalm 46, is a good scripture for us to hold close to our hearts. So please read with me: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in time of trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s how strong our faith ought to be; winning out even in the most serious predicaments. That’s because the Lord God Almighty; our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Deity has us in the palm of His hands and has promised to take care of us. Like Bruh Paul says 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 the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
So, though we will have problems in this ungodly world, the Lord’s promised that in the end He will work it all out for the good of those who put their trust in Him. And Jesus reinforces that promise when He says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And He certainly has, by defeating hell, death and the grave through His death and resurrection!
That means we ought not to be afraid of what man can do to us, but be more concerned about what the Lord Jehovah can do. As Jesus said: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 18:28) And what does all of the mean?
This commentary explains that verse thus: ‘Jesus encourages his followers not to be afraid of those who might persecute or kill them for their faith, as such people can only affect their physical body. The verse contrasts this with the fear of God, who has authority over both the physical and spiritual realms. The phrase “destroy both body and soul in hell” refers to the concept of eternal punishment, where the soul is also eternally separated from God. This verse highlights God’s sovereignty over life and death and the importance of prioritizing Him over any human authority.’
Now those are some things that we ought to take into serious consideration as we walk amongst all the evil and ungodly doings that are currently running rampant in our world. We all are human, and fear does come upon us at some time or other, but the important thing to remember is that God is sovereign over the entire universe, and as a child of God, you have His protection and ought not to let fear overtake you for any length of time. Remember these marvellous words of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
And if that doesn’t set your heart and soul free of fear, then listen to these most assuring words of Bruh David from Psalm 62, titled My Rock and My Salvation. He writes: ‘My soul, wait thou (silently) only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah’ (Ps. 62:5-8)
And if there’s one thing we can say about both Bruh David and Bruh Paul is that they not only talked the words of God, but they also walked them. They both had oodles of trials and tribulations, many more serious than any we will ever have, but they never once gave up on their faith, never once feared that the Lord would not come through for them. Now that’s the kind of faith we all need to build in these fearful and troubled times. However, unfortunately, faith is only built when we go through trials and tribulations, when we personally endure tough times.
We don’t need faith when the going’s good; but we surely need it when we don’t have the foggiest notion how to handle our tough situations. And that’s the time to call upon Almighty God for help, and believe that He will see you through! But more importantly, take a page from Bruh David’s book and continually call on Him. (smile) Bruh David constantly called on the Lord, even when thinks were good. That’s when we need to give Him praise and thanks for keeping our souls and lives together.
We can’t only know Him when things are rough. But sadly, that’s the only time many of us call on Him. No friends, the Lord God Jehovah must always be in our sights, be our times good or bad, for that’s when He knows that we truly care for Him, and are not only interested in what He can do for us. And with all that glorious information under our belt, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail.
As one, in a 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 you truly know the Lord, then you’ll know of the promise that those who endure right to the very end with Jesus, will have a future even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s be wise and make plans to endure right to the very end nuh, and so enjoy that glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…only in God…can we be truly safe…from the ravages of this evil world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a biblical way of life, a bunch of ingrates, a meaningful prayer, a peace that trancedns all human understanding, a peace that's totally different from the world's, a strong faith, a way of relating to God, according to his riches in glory, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, anger, ascendance in earthly power, be moved to compassion, be of good cheer, breathtaking spectacle, calm in the midst of the storm, change the world, Christ's miraculous resurrection, Christian faith, christianity, Christians, come unto me, compassion for the less fortunate, defeating Satan hell death and the grave, dicison, division, does not burn people out, Easter celebrations, encompasses everything, endure to the end, evil and ungodly world, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, filled with your peace, find rest unto your souls, flowing through me, gentle and humble, give I unto you, God's peace, hands on the plough, headline increase panic, healing words, help us, help us breathe and turn to you, help us not to forget anyone, help us remain calm, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, i have overcome the world, I will give you rest, ignore people on the margins, in Jesus' name, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, Jesus is all we ever need, Jesus is the way the truth and the life, justified, lay siege, learn from me, leave us anxious, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, mercy, miraculous action, more effective than efficient, more faithful than fashionable, more fulfilling than frustrating, more practical than pragmatic, move peacefully through the day, my God shall supply all your needs, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, not as the world gives, not as the world giveth, not turning back, our conversations, our times get rough, panic, Peace i leave with you, peole are rushing, personal circumstances, put our total trust in Jesus, reconciled, redeemed, repentance, rest for both body and soul, rose from the grave, rushing, salvation, sanctified, second wind day, speak gentle healing words, step out in faith, strength and endurance for the course, surrender our lives to Jesus, take my yoke upon you, tempted to, thank God, the annals of man, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the Great Invitation of Jesus, the less fortunate, to a glorious future with Jesus, to conquer our Christian walk, tough times, truth, unsettled state of our world, Wednesday Wail, whosoever will may come, wisdom
John 14:27a. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Oh Friends, I can’t believe that it’s already Wednesday, our second wind day of the work week! But I guess when you’re caught up in the joy of the Easter Celebrations, the days pass by so quickly that you hardly notice them. And to tell the truth, any reason for catching a second wind today won’t be from work, but from the intensity and excitement of the celebrations. I’m sure most of us who were off on Monday didn’t do much work yesterday, so what second wind is there to catch eh? (smile) None but that from the revelry and breathtaking spectacle of Christ’s miraculous resurrection, which ultimately provided salvation and eternal life to a bunch of ingrates like we human beings!
There could not be a bigger and better moment in the annals of man! For in that miraculous action, Jesus redeemed, reconciled, justified and sanctified us. Wow! In those four words lie the basis of our Christian faith, therefore we do have a duty to uphold what they mean by allowing them to show forth in our lives. And sometimes we need help to do so, because it’s not always easy living in this evil and ungodly world, especially like right now, when Satan and his cronies have the ascendance in earthly power. But we know that won’t last forever, however to help us get through these tough times let’s offer up this prayer from the In Touch April Devotional.
Please pray with me. ‘Lord, when people around us are rushing, help us move peacefully through the day. When anger and division lay siege to our conversations, help us speak gentle, healing words. When headlines increase the panic in others’ hearts, help us remain calm and be moved to compassion. When we’re tempted to ignore people on the margins, help us not to forget anyone. When our personal circumstances leave us anxious, help us breathe and turn to you. May we be filled with Your peace, and may it change the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Now that’s what you’d call a very meaningful prayer, for it encompasses all the things and times we need to conquer in our daily Christian walk and help turn our world around. Negative things like rushing, anger, division, panic, ignoring the less fortunate, and self-pity when our own circumstances become negative. And we need to conquer them with God’s peace, gentle, healing words, calm in the midst of the storms of life, compassion for the less fortunate, and a strong faith when our own times get rough.
And that’s exactly what Jesus offers. Listen as He opens up His very heart and soul to us when He makes the following statements. The first says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Yes, my faithful brethren, Jesus gives us a peace that is totally different from what the world offers. And Bruh Paul explains that as the peace that surpasses or transcends all human understanding. (Phil. 4:7) Now with that kind of peace in our hearts, we can react positively to any and everything.
And if that doesn’t convince you, then listen to Jesus’ other offer of peace, where He solemnly and faithfully declares (yesss!!!): ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And He did do that when He arose majestically from the grave on Easter Sunday, thus defeating Satan, hell, death and the grave! So there’s no need to be worried, or be afraid, because we have all that we need to overcome the world in our own small way.
And if you still have doubts, then listen as Jesus offers what we call His Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) And there’s absolutely no doubt that many of us today are fretfully labouring and heavy laden with the panicked and unsettled state of our world. That means we definitely need Jesus, because He’s the ONLY ONE who can calm our fears and relieve our circumstances…that is, if we surrender our lives to Him and put our total trust in Him.
For, hear the wonderful things He offers; rest for both our bodies and souls, a kind and gentle personality, an easy yoke and a light load. And this commentary explains that’s ‘a biblical way of life that is more fulfilling than frustrating, more effective than efficient, more practical than pragmatic, and more faithful than fashionable. This is a way of relating to God that does not burn people out but instead gives them strength and endurance for the course.’
Now what more can we ask for eh my faithful brethren? Absolutely nothing! For Jesus encompasses ALL we can ever want or need! And Bruh Paul corroborates that with this marvellous promise from his letter to the Philippians. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
Oh my people, all the promises are there for us, but they will not fall on us automatically, no, we have to step out in faith and receive them. That’s the way we show our trust in and surrender to Jesus. He says, that ALL His promises are for whosoever comes to Him in repentance. It doesn’t matter your race, creed, physical, emotional or mental state, whether you’re rich or poor, for we all need salvation, and He’s the ONLY ONE who can provide that!
And once you’re received salvation, then you’ll joyfully declare our Wednesday Wail in loud voice and strong conviction. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, there’s the promise of seeing an even more glorious future than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s be wise and endure to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy that most glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the way, the truth and the life…He created us…He can destroy us…but most importantly…He can also save us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a true child of God, according to his riches in glory, all things work together for good, be of good cheer, be strong and of a good courage, be strong faithful and persevering, but of power love and a sound mind, called according to His purpose, carest thou not that we perish, Christ has given us the victory, christianity, do not fear, ever so glad to have Jesus, faith, faith is the antidote for fear, fear of life, God has not given us a spirit of fear, God is with us wherever we go, God shall supply all your needs, God's promised to look after us, halfway home, hands on the plough, he arose and rebuked the wind, he said unto them, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, holy spirit, how is it that ye have no faith, I am with thee, i have overcome the world, I will help thee, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, live in faith and in peace, LOVE, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, navigate through anything successfully, no need to fear, not looking back at the past, not turning back, our second wind day, peace be still, said unto the sea, salvation, satisfy all our needs, spiritual maturity, strange weather, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lord thy God goeth before thee, the Navigator of All navigators, the wind ceased, there was a great calm, these things I have spoken unto you, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them that love God, truth, turbulent times, victory, Wednesday Wail, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, why are ye so fearful, wisdom, with Jesus at our helm, work everything out for our good
Mark 4:40. And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
And then it was Wednesday, our second wind day, but the weather is certainly strange. Earlier on, there was some sunshine with clouds in the background, then some small white pieces of stuff began falling, then that went away after a few minutes, then the sun came out, then the clouds took over. Right now, at midday, it’s a mixture of cloud and sun, with who knows what’s going to happen next.
But that’s why we’re ever so glad to have Jesus! I say it every day, because whatever comes our way, whether it’s weatherwise or finances or sickness, or anything the evil and ungodly world throws at us, with Jesus at our helm, we will be able to navigate through it successfully, because He is the Navigator of All Navigators! Rocks and storms and strong winds or anything else are no problem for Him, because He is the One that created them all, and consequently can control them however He wants to.
Remember that marvellous and miraculous moment when Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat as He crossed the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, when a big storm rose up and threatened to sink the boat, but Jesus remained calmly sleeping. The disciples in great fear, woke him up, asking ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’ (Mark 4:38-40)
Now friends, that’s exactly what Jesus is asking of many of us in these tough and turbulent times because we are sorely afraid of what’s happening around us and what might happen to us. But if you are a true child of God, there’s no need to fear, for He’s promised to look after us, satisfy all of our needs, and to work everything out for our own good. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to these scriptures that promise divine aid and intervention. First off in Isaiah, the Lord Promises: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) What more do we want eh my people?
Then there’s this other promise: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 4:19) What’s in that that we don’t understand eh? Then we have the granddaddy of all promises: ‘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) Now, He doesn’t say that we will never have any problems, but in the end, He will work out all those tough times and things for our good. We just have to be strong, faithful, patient and persevering despite what comes against us, knowing that our great and wonderful God is always with us, wherever we go.
And that’s one of the oldest promises in the Bible, for Moses encouraged the Israelites thus before he gave up the leadership of the group to Joshua. ‘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 the Lord also pounded it into the ears of Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. You can read that very clearly in Joshua 1:7-9. So that’s nothing new, we should all be well aware, believe and expect the Lord to be with us at ALL TIMES!
And would you believe that the words or idea of ‘do not fear,’ occur very often in the Bible, because we still have that latent fear of life, of the devil and all his accomplices, despite the many assurances of God to hold the opposite emotion of faith. That brings us to this most telling exhortation from Bruh Paul to Timothy, and rebuke to us, who should know better. He steadfastly proclaims: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
So why is there so much fear today amongst supposed believers eh, if we weren’t given a spirit of fear by our God but one of strong faith, etc. etc.? Who knows? I guess we all have to speak for ourselves, but to my mind, too many of us have not reached that level of spiritual maturity where we stop being afraid of what the world and all its cohorts can do to us. Oh yes, we are concerned and do our best to help ourselves, but in the long run our help all comes from the God who LOVED us so much back in olden times, and still LOVES us a whole lot today, despite our disobedience and rebellious ways, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Now, that ought to tell us a lot about the wonderful nature and character of our God. But I guess it doesn’t, else we would not be behaving in the fearful and ungodly manner in which we’re currently behaving. For if we were not fearful and afraid, the devil would not be holding the world in as tight a stranglehold as he is right now. That alone shows how fearful and afraid we supposed believers are, otherwise we’d be out there fighting the devil and his evil doings mano a mano, step for step, and winning the battle, because we have the victory already assured by Jesus, we only have to keep it going.
And there’s no better verse of scripture to encourage us than this one from Christ Himself. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Wow mih bredrin! What encouragement and reassurance it ought to be knowing that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus has already overcome the evil world of Satan, and there’s no need for us to live in fear, but in faith and in His peace.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail to all sundry, letting them 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 you truly believe, then it’s also been promised that if we endure to the end with Christ, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s pledge to meet there at the very end and enjoy that more than glorious future together nuh! Much LOVE!
…when fear comes calling…send faith to answer…because faith is the only antidote for fear…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, all the days of your life, anxiety, as I was with Moses, backsliders, be not dismayed, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, be strong and of good courage, Bible, bring down trouble on me, cast thy burden upon the Lord, cause them to inheit it, christianity, confusion, crying out for help, dire need, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, do not give up, experience builds our faith, faith, fear thou not, for I am with thee, Friday chant, get on the good foot, give ear to my prayer, he shall sustain thee, he will not fail thee, holy spirit, I am thy God, i have overcome the world, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, I will strengthen you, I will trust in thee, I will uphold you, improve our witness for Christ, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, lawless times, learning God's word, LOVE, meditating on god's word, mercy, moan noisly, neither forsake thee, never permit the righteous to be moved, no man, omnipotent help, problems escalating, prosperity, putting God's word into action, reassuring scripture, salvation, simmering unrest, so will I be with thee, stand strong in the Lord, strong trust in God, success, surrender, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the Lord doth go before thee, the Lord thy God, the Lord thy God with thee whithersoever thou goest, the oppression of the wicked, the plea of the fearful, the right hand of my righteousness, the throne of grace, the troubles of life, the voice of the enemy, the weekend, these things I have spoken unto you, they cast iniquity upon me, times of trouble, trust in God, trusting faith, truth, uncertain times, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wisdom
John 16:33. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’
So, at long last it’s Friday, and we can all shout, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ And it’s another beautiful, sunshiny one to start the weekend, with reasonable temperatures too. And, as Cousin James, James Brown, would enthusiastically shout: ‘Let’s get on the good foot!’ Yes friends, we need to begin taking our faith and our duties to it more seriously, especially in these lawless and chaotic times, for it’s only our surrender to and strong trust in Jehovah God that will get us through them.
These are very scary and uncertain times that not many of us have ever faced, but because we’ve had some experience with God in previous times of trouble, we do know that He will see us through, if we abide by His will and put our fate in His wonderful, helping and strengthening hands. And the Bible gives us a whole lot of those reassuring scriptures, verses like this one from Isaiah: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10)
What a beautiful and reassuring verse of scripture my people! And even before that, Moses’ words when he turned over the leadership of Israel to Joshua is an inspiring scripture: “Moses said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:7-8)
And we know how the Lord Himself later on reiterated and pounded Moses’ words into Joshua’s ears after Moses died and he actually took over. First though, He promised Joshua: ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5)
Now that’s a wonderful reassurance, but it also came with great responsibility, like we see in verses 7-9. Being strong and courageous and constantly meditating on God’s Word and putting it into practice was essential, because that is what would bring prosperity. And I just LOVE verse 9. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9)
Oh my people, it couldn’t get any better than that! God Himself is still promising to be with us wherever we go if we put Him first place in our lives. And Bruh David also knew this, that’s why in Psalm 55, The Plea of the Fearful, he cries out: ‘Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn (wander) in my complaint, and make a noise (moan noisily); because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity (bring down trouble) upon me, and in wrath they hate me.’ (Ps. 55:1-3)
And I know that many of us are feeling the same fearful way in these fearful times, and are calling out to God for help, and might not be receiving any. But I beg of you not to give up, for our God is faithful and if He promised it, He will do it. Instead, let’s do like Bruh David; after crying out his complaints to God, he says at the end of the psalm. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken). But thou, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody (bloodthirsty) and deceitful men shall not live out half their days: but I will trust in thee.’ (Ps. 55:22-23)
And that last phrase there my brethren ‘but I will trust in thee,’ is probably the most important of all the psalm and of all the scriptures, for without total trust in Almighty God, nothing is going to work for us. Trust is the most important aspect of our walk with Him, because that’s what causes our faith and strength to rise up in times of trouble and uncertainty. We trust Him to look after us. So it’s obvious, that above all else, we need to build our trust in God if we hope to endure the trials and tribulations that will come against us.
However, that trust only comes from learning His Word and putting it in action, standing strong on it when the troubles of life hit, so we can gain the necessary experience that builds our faith. And there are many scriptures both in the Old and New Testaments that encourage us to stand strong in the Lord, but time will only permit us this last one. And it’s this marvellous one from Jesus Himself. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Now, that’s something all of us should be working towards, having peace in Jesus despite the chaos around us. And to help us do it, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these times of dire 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!’
And having said all of that, it now behooves us to improve our witness for Christ because it’s definitely not as good as it ought to be, and no divine aid will be forthcoming until we do better. Much LOVE!
…true prosperity and success can only be attained…by knowing God’s Word…and then actioning it in our lives…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God-fearing attitude, a modicum of peace and joy, actively seek out peace, as much as lieth in you, avoid temptation, be of good cheer, Bible, Blessed are the peacemakers, choose good over evil, choose peace over sin, Christ wants us to be characterized by peace, christianity, depart from evil and do good, disaster-filled world, divine pardon, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fall short of the grace of God, follow after things which make for peace, follow peace with all men, glad to be alive, greater intimacy with God, grow in spiritual maturity, halfway home, hands on the plough, hang all the law and prophets, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, I will repay, improve our faith walk, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, Jesus has defeated Satan, lest any man fail, let not your heart be troubled, live peaceably with all men, looking diligently, LOVE, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, negative things, neither let it be afraid, New Year's resolution, not as the world giveth, not turning baack, on these two commandments, Peace i leave with you, peace won't come to you, pray that 2025 will bring, sacrifice, salvation, seek peace and pursue it, strife, thank God, the Beatitudes, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the children of God, the great commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the world is groaning, thereby many be defiled, things to edify another, to a glorious future with Jesus, to chase after with intensity, tribulation, truth, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, without which no man shall see the Lord, work
Matthew 5:9. Blessed (happy) are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children (sons) of God.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And a Happy New Year to all you beautiful people out there in Scrip-Bits land! Let’s hope that this new year has met you in good shape, physically, mentally and emotionally, and if it hasn’t, then it will improve things as quickly as possible. And we sincerely pray that this new year of 2025 will bring a modicum of peace and joy to our strife and disaster-filled world, because our poor world is desperately groaning with all the negative things that’s happening to it.
And now is the right time for us to remember that peace doesn’t come of its own accord, but we have to seek it. As Bruh David says in Psalm 34: ‘Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it.’ (Ps. 34:14) Yes friends, we not only have to avoid temptation, to reject it from wherever it comes, while seeking peace and pursuing it. And what does that mean eh?
This commentary explains it as follows: ‘The verse conveys that peace is something that people must actively seek out, and that it is not something that will just happen. The phrase emphasizes the ongoing effort required to maintain peace. The Hebrew word radaf used in the verse means to chase or follow after with intensity. The verse also conveys that choosing good over evil, and peace over sin, is part of honoring God properly. It also suggests that making peace manifests a God-fearing attitude.’
And that’s exactly what we supposed followers of and believers in Christ Jesus need to do in a much greater fashion this new year! We most definitely need to raise our level of discipleship, with all diligence and efficiency, if we ever hope to make any worthwhile difference in this evil world. Remember the Bible tells us in several places that we have to diligently go after the peace, for it won’t come to us. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh Paul to the Romans: ‘Let us therefore follow after things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.’ (Rom. 14:19)
And Before that he admonished them thus: ‘If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.’ (Rom. 12:18-19) Oh my fellow believers there couldn’t be any stronger admonishment for going out of our way to live in peace!
And the author of Hebrews also had something to say on the subject of peace. ‘Follow (pursue) peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail (fall short) of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.’ (Heb. 12:14-15) Now those are indeed strong sentiments my brethren, but we need to take them to heart, for if we don’t, we’re liable to fall short of God’s grace and take many others with us. And we certainly don’t want to do that.
And if you don’t believe what those writers said, then check out these words of our Lord and Saviour nuh. And we’ll begin with begin with this commentary that asks: ‘What was Jesus main message about peace?’ And answers: ‘One of the central themes of the Sermon on the Mount is Christ’s expectation that His followers be characterized by peace—not violence or war. In the famous opening to this great sermon known as the Beatitudes, Jesus taught, “Blessed [happy] are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children (sons) of God” (Matthew 5:9).”
Yes friends, we cannot be true disciples of Christ until, and unless we are characterized by peace! And this other commentary takes it a little further: ‘Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). We are to try for peace. Peace can be experienced only when we have received divine pardon – when we have been reconciled to God and when we have harmony within, with our fellow man and especially with God.’
And that’s the gospel truth! We can’t have peace until we have harmony with ourselves, with others and most of all with God. It’s as the two great commandments say: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)
Oh my people, Jesus is all about peace and LOVE, but unfortunately, those are currently the least two attributes to be found in our topsy-turvy world. But we can turn it around this new year, provided we’re so inclined. However, it will take lots of work and sacrifice, with us totally increasing our salty flavour and the intensity of our light, while keeping these most encouraging words of Jesus on peace, front and centre in our minds.
The first statement says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Then there’s this other encouraging statement on peace. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
And if we believe truly believe that Jesus has overcome the world, defeated Satan, hell, death and the grave, then we will truly find peace in Him and His awesome promises. So please, let’s make this a year of peace and joy and LOVE, with our ONE New Year’s Resolution; that being to improve our faith walk with Jesus, thus grow in spiritual maturity and achieve greater intimacy with God! If we do those things, then everything else will fall into place.
Now let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So, see you there! Much LOVE!
…if you have the peace of Jesus…then you are truly blessed…because His peace…surpasses all of man’s understanding…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be of good cheer, betrayal, Bible, but the end is not yet, chaos, christianity, earthqukes, faith, false prophets, famines, fires, floods, for a witness unto all the nations, god, gospel truth, halfway home, hands on the plough, hate abounds, he that shall endure to the end, holy spirit, hurricanes, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, iniquity, Jesus is always there for us, Jesus is the only one we can cling to, Jesus is the only solid findation, lawlessness, LOVE, love is on the back burner, man-made disasters, messiahs, murder and martyrdom, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, nation shall rise against nation, not looikng back, offence-taking, pandemonium, pestilences, rise in technology, shall be preached in all the world, strife, summer in October, take heed that no man deceive you, thank God, the beginning of sorrows, the breath of life, the gospel of the kingdom, the love of many will wax cold, the same shall be saved, then shall the end come, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, ye shall be hated for my name's sake
Matthew 24:13. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
And yes, we have already reached the mid-point of our work week! It’s Wednesday, a bright and sunshiny day with temps rising to at least the high teens. Wow! It’s still almost summer in October! We certainly cannot complain about the weather. And even the rain is cooperating by falling in the late hours of the night, so that we can have bright and sunshiny days. But unfortunately, in many other places our brethren are not having it so wonderful, and instead are suffering disastrous times due to floods and hurricanes, fires and other natural, as well as man-made disasters.
Oh friends, our world right now is filled with so much chaos, a state of pandemonium like we’ve never seen before. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to go away or end any time soon. The man made strife is escalating instead of subsiding, and the natural disasters seem to be also spreading, partly due to climate change. And the only solid foundation left in our world is Jesus!
Yes, that’s the gospel truth! Jesus is the ONLY ONE we can cling to with some degree of certainty when things get bad. He won’t always pull us out of them unscathed, but He will help us get through them peacefully and with a good attitude. Please note His awesome assurance in these most encouraging words. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
That’s the beauty of our Lord and Saviour. He’s always there for us, be it sunshine or rain, strife or LOVE-ins. The sad part is that we don’t have very much of the latter in our world today, as strife seems to be ruling the roost. Right now it’s probably easier to name the nations that are not strife-filled, either internally or externally, than to name those that are engaged in serious strife. The number of the latter is much greater that that of the former. And in addition to all the natural disasters that are occurring, mankind seems to have gone on a strife rampage in the early years of this 21st century.
Who knows if this is the time that Jesus spoke of when He answered His disciples’ question about His coming again and the end of the age. (Matt. 24:3) But in answer to their questions Jesus replied: ‘Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers (various) places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted (to tribulation), and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity (lawlessness) shall abound, the LOVE of many shall wax (grow) cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.’ (Matt. 24:4-14)
Ah mih people, those are tough words to hear and digest, but if Jesus said them, they must be true. And believe me, we are seeing those signs like never before. The false prophets and messiahs are all over the place, leading people astray. Just look at the divisions and dissensions in Christ’s church nuh! Then there are wars and rumours of wars that have been with us all through the ages, but are now more rampant than ever, as well as the many natural disasters, that we see happening with unexpected frequency.
But according to Christ; that’s only the beginning of sorrows. For then believers will be persecuted, they will face martyrdom for simply believing in Jesus. Then offence-taking, hatred and betrayal will be the name of the game. And that’s certainly true right now, with lawlessness and irresponsibility abounding, while LOVE is placed on the back burner. And through the sudden rise in technology, the gospel today is being preached to many parts of the world, there are only a few more parts left for us to reach. That means, according to Jesus’ words, the end cannot be too far away.
But yuh know what my fellow believers, all that stuff can be rather frightening and worrisome, but with the Holy Spirit of Jesus indwelling our souls and spirits, we can handle whatever might come against us. And the most important words of Jesus’ discourse were these: ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:13)
Oh my fellow saints, as true believers in, and disciples of Jesus that’s what we need to do; endure to the very end! And we can do it, because He’s given us all the tools we need to do so. But we have to rise up, grow in Christian maturity, and stand strong in His name despite the trials and tribulations that might come against us! It’s the only way for us to be successful disciples and believers!
So please, lets raise our faith and stand up strong for him nuh! Just look at all He’s done for us, the least we can do is to believe, live the way He desires, and spread His gospel as much as we can. And we can begin doing that right now by declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we truly endure right to the very end, as Jesus desires, then as He promised, we will be saved, and that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, hoping to see you at the very end that we can enjoy that glorious future together! Much LOVE!
in this world…trials and tribulations may batter and buffet us…but they will not kill our LOVE for Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a tender planta man of sorrows, always abounding in the work of the Lord, an offence unto me, ascension, be of good cheer, be steadfast, Bible, borne our griefs, bruised for our iniquities, christianity, confidence, death, death is swallowed up in victory, faith, fellowship, fighting against oppression, freed from the agony of death, generous, get thee behind me Satan, god, God raised him from the dead, human rights, humble ourselves, humble servants, i have overcome the world, immortality, in me ye might have peace, in the world, in the world ye shall have tribulation, incorruption, inequality, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, justice, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, merciful, mercy, merry-go-round, o death where is thy sting, o grave where is thy victory, peace, pray, Redemption Sound steelband, resurrection, salvation, sincerely seek your face, smitten of God, Thanks be to God, the chastisement of our peace, the God who heals, the Prince of Peace, the Rapture, the sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law, the things of God, the things of men, the throne of grace, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, these things I have spoken unto you, through our Lord Jesus christ, to God the Father, truth, turn from our evil ways, unto us a son is given, victorious over death, who gives us the victory, wisdom, with his stripes we are healed, worship, your labour is not in vain
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
And the weekly merry-go-round of workdays, begins again with another Monday on our plate. But we’re not afraid, worried or anxious about it in the least, for we have been well rested and renewed in the strength of our faith through worship and fellowship. That means we have every confidence that we can handle Monday and whatever it brings against us, like the rainy and cloudy start to the day! And Jesus reminds us of that awesome power when He says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
And so He has! His death, resurrection and ascension assure us of victory over the world. And this commentary gives us a brief, insightful look into what that means. ‘Jesus proved then and there that He was victorious over death. The grave could not hold him. Acts 2:24 says it this way: “But God raised Him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.” No one should be surprised. Jesus had been saying this all along.”
Yes, He had been telling the disciples that He must die, then rise again, although they did not fully understand His meaning, and Peter quite boldly told Him that that would never happen. Then Jesus famously rebuked Peter: ‘Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not (are not mindful of) the things that be of God, but those that be of men.’ (Matt. 16:21-23)
Then there are these famous words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians re Jesus’ victory over death. ‘So, when this corruptible (body) shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal (body) shall have put on immortality (through the Rapture of the church), then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:54-58)
Yes, my fellow believers, that victory of Christ over hell, death and the grave ought to encourage and reassure us to stand strong and steadfast in Christ, doing His work with all diligence and excellence! That’s sacrificing where necessary, being generous, merciful, compassionate, LOVING and kind, fighting against oppression and inequality, for justice and human rights, because when we live that way, when we allow the fruit of the Spirit to flourish in us, then are we true disciples, and will be well rewarded in due course of time.
And just to show how Bruh Paul was a master of putting scriptures together to suit his purpose, that verse above ‘Death is swallowed up in victory,’ comes from Isaiah 25:8. And the one about ‘O death, where is thy sting?’ comes from Hosea 13:14, which simply means that in many cases, the New Testament is a reflection of the Old Testament, except that in the former, Jesus is formally introduced to fulfill the Old Testament Prophecies.
One of which was to conquer sin and death. As Isaiah so confidently tells us of Jesus’ birth: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7)
And the zeal of the Lord certainly gave us the incarnate Son of God, the Messiah, when the time was right! And Isaiah also prophesied of Jesus tough earthly days and His excruciating death characterizing Him as a Man of Sorrows. ‘Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm (power) of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form (stately form) nor comeliness (splendour); and when we shall see him, there is no beauty (appearance) that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected of (forsaken by) men; a man of sorrows (pains), and acquainted with grief (sickness): and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs (sickness), and carried our sorrows (pains): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God, and afflicted. But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement (correction, discipline) of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes (the wounds he suffered) we are healed.’ (Is. 53:1-5)
And we know that all of that was fulfilled in Jesus’ life, as well as the other verses that we don’t have time for, that explained Him being like A Lamb to the Slaughter (Is. 53:6-9), and An Offering for Sin, verses 10-12. So, from the beginning of the Bible, right to the very end, it’s all a Testament to Jesus and His marvellous work on mankind’s behalf. Therefore, with that in mind, let’s go to the throne of grace seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And as our prayer reminds us, the necessary requirements for divine aid are humbling ourselves, praying, sincerely seeking God’s face and turning from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…to God the Father be the glory…for giving us redemption through Christ Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a position of strength, above and not beneath, be of good cheer, Bible, christianity, concrete jungle, divine aid, faith, faith as a grain of mustard seed, faith in Christ, freely give us all things, frustration. physical and emotional strain, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, god, God walks with us through adversity, grace and mercy, head knowledge, heart action, his mercy endureth for ever, humble ourselves, i have overcome the world, if god be for us who can be against us, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, more than conquerors, negative circumstances, nothing can separate us from God's love, nothing shall be impossible to you, observe and do the Lord's commandments, pray, prosper us, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, strong faith in Christ, the God who heals, the head and not the tail, the throne of grace, through him that loved us, to alleviate our problems, traffic jams, tribulation, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 107:1. Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.
Another Monday…another day of work, bordered by morning and evening traffic jams! Yes, unfortunately that’s the sad reality in many big cities nowadays; not enough roads to handle the large volume of vehicular traffic. And don’t talk about that concrete jungle called Toronto! Right now, it’s even worse than normal with the daytime repairing of two lanes of the Gardener Expressway which leads into the heart of the city. Then to make matters worse, almost every street is barricaded due to building construction or street repairs.
Sometimes the confusion of construction and repairs in the summer months, makes you long for the relative peace of winter. (smile) But that’s how our world is set up; cram vehicles and people into the cities in the morning for work, then watch them try to rush out in the evening, without much success. And sadly the process contributes to the loss of a great number of man hours, severe frustration, physical and emotional strain.
One would have thought that with the magnitude of wisdom supposedly entrenched in our society, a more efficient, less stressful system would be employed. However, that’s the way it currently is, and it won’t change for the foreseeable future, so let’s just say thank you we have a job to go to, despite all the frustration involved, for many of our fellow humans don’t have jobs and are facing much more severe hardship than us.
That brings us to these most encouraging words from Psalm 107: ‘Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 107:1) And that’s as it should be my fellow believers! For although we will encounter unforeseen negative circumstances in this rough and tumble life, our faith in Christ Jesus will enable us to face them from a position of strength rather than one of weakness.
As Moses said to the Israelites: ‘And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken (heed) unto the commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them (be careful to observe them).’ (Deut, 28:13) And what does that mean? Exactly what it says. If you obey the Lord’s commands you will never be inferior or the tail, but always superior or the head.
And that leads us to this prayer based on Deuteronomy 28:3-14. ‘In the Name of Jesus, I declare…. I am blessed in the city and blessed in the country. I am the head and not the tail in my finances, my family, my health, my job and my ministry—not just sometimes, but all the time. Every day, in every way, I am the head and not the tail.’ Now that’s an interesting prayer we should offer up everyday.
Then let us not forget these marvellously encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spareth not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?…Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:31-32, 37)
Yes friends, if our great God, who willingly broke His own heart, gave up His most treasured relationship by crucifying His Son Jesus Christ for our benefit, why wouldn’t He give us lesser things than that eh? No reason whatsoever!
And as this commentary further explains: ‘Nothing that enters our life is able or sufficient to separate us from God’s LOVE demonstrated at the cross. God’s LOVE allows the believer to be a conqueror in adversity. God walks with us through every adversity and hardship. We do not merely survive or squeak by. We do not just succeed.’
No my brethren, with God in our corner, we don’t just succeed, we overcome with flying colours. As Jesus says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And if we are His true disciples, then we too can overcome the world.
Friends, it’s all a matter of faith, of belief. For as Jesus also says: ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible to you.’ (Matt. 17:20) Oh my people, Jesus was just highlighting that it doesn’t take much faith for God to work in a person, but the disciples needed to believe it, and so do we.
Yes, we can know the Bible verbatim from cover to cover and don’t believe what it says, and then put it into action, then all our effort to learn it was a waste of time. The Bible is only useful when we believe it, then action it. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking help with out many earthly problems.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And if we truly desire divine aid, then we need to turn from our evil ways and sincerely seeks God’s face. Much LOVE!
…head knowledge is of no use…unless it’s accompanied by heart action
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a calmitous and fearful place, artificial intelligence, be not afraid, be of good cheer, be strong and of a good courage, Bible, but of power love and a sound mind, christianity, climate change, crapaud smoke we pipe, deception, faith, god, God has not given us the spirit of fear, heat waves, holy spirit, hurry, I am the beloved of god, i have overcome the world, if any man will come after me, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, know the Word of God, let him deny himself, let not your heart be troubled, live the abundant life, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, misinformation, my peace I give unto you, natural disasters, neither be thou dismayed, not as the world gives, observe to do all that's written therein, Peace i leave with you, self-sacrifice, share His love with my neighbours, social media, sshall not depart out of thy mouth, take up his cross daily and follow me, that passes all understanding, the dustbin of history, the Father is with me, the Lord thy God is with thee, the peace of God, these things I have spoken unto you, thsi book of the law, tread very carefully, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, worry, yet I am not alone
2 Timothy 1:7. For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.
And then it was Tuesday…another Monday lost in the dustbin of history! And some of you are saying, ‘Thank the Lord!’ (smile) Anyway, according to my computer it’s going to very hot in my area again today with another strong, warm wind blowing it’s way through. But that’s what we expect from summer…well, except the continual strong winds. Right now though, too many places around the globe are having unexpected heat waves and unexpected rainfall, and other natural disasters, like tornadoes, earthquakes and volcano eruptions, very valid signs of climate change.
And those things, in conjunction with the strife-filled disasters that we ourselves have wrought, do serve to make our world a very calamitous and fearful place. That means one has to tread very carefully and examine everything we see and hear in a thorough manner just to ensure that it’s the truth and we’re not being deceived, as deception is rampant nowadays. Yes friends, with all the new technology, things like social media and Artificial Intelligence (AI) the stuff out there is very deceptive, slanted to either provide misinformation, or is often totally untrue.
That’s why believers must know the Word of God, so that they can protect themselves from the constant onslaught, the constant barrage of information being thrown at us in this Information Age. And the first thing we must know is that we’re not supposed to be afraid of engaging this world, for as Bruh Paul spells out in his message to Timothy, and consequently to us: ‘For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
Now that’s a very powerful scripture for us to hold on to, because it drives away the constant fear that so many people right now posses in this turbulent and chaotic world. And then, to bolster those memorable words of Bruh Paul to Timothy, there are these wonderful soul-easing, reassuring words of Jesus, promising His divine peace, that He spoke to the disciples when telling them of the coming of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, after He went away. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Please note friends, that the peace which our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gives us is not like what the world calls peace. No! His peace is a higher kind of peace; one that is above the understanding of mankind. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7) Now that’s the kind of peace we have when we sincerely embrace Jesus and continually meditate on His word.
And I particularly like this promise of peace that He gave to the disciples later on just before His crucifixion. He said to them: ‘Behold the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:32-33)
Wow! What reassuring and uplifting words from our Lord and Saviour! Though we will certainly have tribulation in this evil and ungodly world, we ought not to be fearful, but be of good cheer, because through His death and resurrection He’s conquered the world! And though Jesus knew that all His followers would desert Him in the upcoming rough days, He was assured of His heavenly Father’s company. Likewise my brethren, when we put our sincere and total trust in Christ, we can also be assured that whatever is happening to us in this crazy and disaster-filled world, we are not alone, but have His holy and reassuring presence right there with us, helping us to handle whatever is troubling us.
Oh friends, Jesus never said that following Him would be easy, in fact He knew and said that it would be difficult. Just listen to the requirements for being one of His disciples nuh. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Now that’s indeed a rough row to hoe; being always ready for self-sacrifice and daily bearing one’s cross. But just as the Father never left Jesus alone in His earthly tribulation, Jesus will never leave us alone in ours, but will always help us to do His will.
And that’s where our faith comes in. All that we’ve spoken so far does not become real from little faith, but needs strong faith to carry them through. That’s why we need to spend much time in the word of God, also praying and talking to Him, so that our faith can be bolstered. And there’s no better direction on that than these words of the Lord to Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. In no uncertain terms, the Lord said to Joshua:
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:8-9)
Oh my fellow believers there could be no better encouragement than that! But it’s up to each one of us to take it and work with it to achieve the plans God has for us, otherwise, crapaud smoke we pipe! It’s as simple as that! Now for those of us who are actively trying to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world 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!
…only by meditating on God’s word…then actioning it…can we truly live the abundant life…that Christ died for us to have…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a name above every other name, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, at the name of Jesus, be of good cheer, beside still waters, bet your bottom dollar, choose life, christianity, come unto me, curse, Easter Sunday, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, faith, fro glory to glory, fulfillment, god, God also highly exalted him, Good Friday, good vibes, I am meek and lowly in heart, i have overcome the world, I will you rest, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus in our hearts souls bodies and minds, Jesus is our Good Shepherd, Jesus is our Guide and Leader, King of Kings, leads us to green pastures, learn of me, let it rain, let not your heart be troubled, Lord of Lords, LOVE, my burden is light, my peace I give to you, my yoke is easy, negative word, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, paid our sin debt in full, peace, Peace i leave with you, refreshes our weary souls, salvation, self-discipline, set before you life and death, success, supernatural strength, take my yoke upon you, that both thou and thy seed shall live, the awesome power of Christ's resurrection, the Easter season, turbulent times, wisdom
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And the good vibes of this Easter Season still percolate strongly through our faith on this wet Thursday spring morning in early April. Thankfully, the rain has let up some, and the li’l snow we got has already disappeared. However, the promise of rain is still in the forecast. But as I like to say: ‘Let it rain, let it rain! With Jesus in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, rain cannot stop us from moving forward with Him!’ No sir! For Jesus is our Guide and Leader, our Good Shepherd, who leads us to green pastures, beside still waters and restores or refreshes our burdened and weary souls.
That means, if we are wise, we will quickly take Him up on His Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Oh friends, there is absolutely no better invitation in all the world! You can bet your bottom dollar on that!
And Jesus, having died on Good Friday and paid our sin debt in full, then risen on Easter Sunday and proclaimed the awesome power of His resurrection, He now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf, highly exalted for His work on the cross. As the Good Library tells it: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:9-11)
Wow mih bredrin! Jesus, for His stellar, unselfish work here on earth has been proclaimed King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the name that’s above all names! That means, if possible, He is now even more able to offer us the peace and rest that we so desperately need in these tremulous and turbulent times, than when He first offered that invitation while here with us on Mother Earth. So why are many more of us not turning to Him for the comfort, relief and solace He so readily offers eh? Why instead are so many of us leaving His church, turning away from Him and all the wonderful things He offers?
I truly don’t know why, neither can I understand why in this age of turmoil and confusion we would run away from the ONE source of true peace and comfort in this evil and ungodly world. My people, please, I plead with us to remember these most important words of Jesus on the subject of peace in this strife-filled world. He says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Right there you have it friends! Jesus’ peace is an entirely different kind of peace from what this ungodly world offers as peace. And furthermore, when you have the peace of Jesus, you don’t have to be worried and anxious about what’s happening in the world, or even in your particular situation, because He will keep you peaceful if you live for Him. And Jesus second quote on peace comes just after He tells the disciples about His upcoming crucifixion, acknowledging that in their fear they would scatter like rats at the presence of a cat. (smile)
Nonetheless, He comforts them with these words. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And yes, we all know that it’s hard to have peace when we’re undergoing trials and tribulations, but if we put our complete trust in Jesus, surrender our all to Him, He will give us the necessary peace to go about our business without too much worry and anxiety. That’s His absolute promise! And I’m here to testify to it.
But unfortunately, it doesn’t happen overnight. However, as you draw closer to Jesus; pray, read and understand more of His Word and put it into action in your own life, you find yourself being less and less worried and anxious, because little by little, you’re experiencing His faithfulness in your life. Your faith grows stronger as He slowly raises you from glory to glory! Now that my fellow believers is the least we can ask of our Saviour. But the truth of the matter is that He has a lot more to offer us, if we will only turn to Him seriously and sincerely!
As He says in His Invitation; you will find rest for your souls, an easy yoke, a light burden, plus stuff like forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life with Him wherever He might be. Now what can be better than that eh? Certainly not our only other option; that of sojourning in hell with Satan and his band of evil doers. But it’s all up to the individual. The Lord gave us free choice, hoping that we’d choose Him, over Satan. Thus Moses’ exhortation to the Israelites in the wilderness: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
It could not be said any clearer than that my fellow saints. Now the ball is in our court. Please play it wisely. And our God is so wonderful that He even bestows on us undeserved blessings to profitably share His Word on the earth. We call them our Thursday Blessings, but there’s one proviso; a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared (yesss!!!). So let’s declare (awright!!!) them right now nuh. 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 (yeahhh!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…why choose sorrowful death…when there’s glorious life to be chosen…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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