24 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of ungrateful sinners, action the promises of God, be not dismayed, break your own heart, come boldly to the throne of grace, communion with god, deepen my breath, delivers them out of all their troubles, enjoy the abundant life, enjoy the fruits of your labour, faith, fear thou not for I am with thee, find grace to help in time of need, for evermore, from this time forth, from whence cometh my help, fulfill our God-given destiny, God commendeth his love toward us, God neither slumbers nor sleeps, God shields us from danger both day and night, God so loved the world, God's love does not fluctuate on human performance, God's love is eternal, God's love is rooted in his faithful character, God's proximity to those in pain, great is thy faithfulness, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he that keepeth thee will not slumber, help from above, his compassions fail not, hold fast our profession, holy spirit, I am thy God, I will help thee, I will strengthen thee, in all these things we are more than conquerors, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, it never fails, Jesus Christ, Jesus has firsthand experience of this evil world, Jesus the Son of God, know you all the more, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lift up mine eyes unto the hills, LOVE, many are the afflictions of the righteous, mercy, my help cometh from the Lord, nigh unto those of a broken heart, nor the moon by night, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, obtain mercy, passed into the heavens, preserve thee from all evil, preserve thy going out and coming in, preserve thy soul, relax my muscles, salvation, saves those of a contrite spirit, slow my thoughts, suffer thy foot to be moved, sympathize with our weaknesses, thank you for this tenderness, the emotional connection of Jesus to human suffering, the Lord delivers him out of them all, the Lord is thy keeper, the promise of ultimate relief from distress, the righteous cry and the Lord heareth, The sun shall not smite thee by day, the ultimate proof of God's love is Jesus death on the cross, therefore have I hope, they are new every morning, thy shade upon thy right hand, truth, unceasing nearness, undying LOVE, unfailing sympathy, uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, was in all points tempted like as we are, we have a great high priest, which made heaven and earth, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, yet without sin, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Psalm 121:2. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Here we are friends, on this lazy-day Saturday, betwixt and between bright sunshine and dark cloudiness. Let’s hope the sunshine wins the day. (smile) And as it’s still pretty cold, snowy and dangerous out there, if you don’t have to go out, then don’t. Just stay inside and enjoy the fruits of your labour with rest and friendly communion with God. And we’ll begin the latter half of that equation by offering up our ‘Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.’
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Now, if our hearts were sincere and true, then the Lord will flood them with peace and goodwill, for there’s nothing He LOVES more than His children seeking greater intimacy with Him. And having accomplished that, let’s turn to our unfinished business with the poem, ‘Promises and Non-Promises of God’ where we still have to check out scriptures dealing with the promises for ‘help from above, unfailing sympathy, and undying LOVE.’
So, let’s get right into scriptures dealing with ‘help from above.’ And as expected, God’s promises in any area are numerous, but we’ll begin with these most reassuring words from Psalm 121, titled, ‘God Neither Slumbers Nor Sleeps.’ Please read with me: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains), from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and for evermore.’ (Ps. 121:1-8) There you have it friends, a golden promise that help comes directly from the Creator, who shields us from danger both day and night.
And we’ll highlight one more scripture on help from above, one that many of us know but don’t action in our everyday lives. The prophet Isaiah declares on the Lord’s behalf: ‘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) Now how much more assurance can the Lord give than that eh? None really.
So let’s move on to ‘unfailing sympathy.’ And I like how this commentary explains it. ‘Scriptures regarding unfailing sympathy, compassion, and comfort emphasize God’s proximity to those in pain, the emotional connection of Jesus to human suffering, and the promise of ultimate relief from distress.’ But again, there are so many verses of promise to choose from that it just boggles the imagination.
Anyway, these most reassuring words from Bruh David in that magnificent Psalm 34, surely capture the idea of God’s sympathy and compassion for His children. ‘The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite (crushed) spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’ (Ps. 34:19-19)
Oh my people how much more sympathy can we ask for eh? Meanwhile, in Jeremiah’s Lamentations, he highlights the very essence of God’s sympathy, when remembering God’s faithfulness, he writes: ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:21-23)
But here is one of the greatest promises of heavenly empathy, as the author of Hebrews declares to us. ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
Ah my fellow believers, there’s nobody who can sympathize, empathize and show more compassion than Jesus, because He knows firsthand what we experience in this evil and ungodly world! And that finally brings us to the last of the promises; ‘undying LOVE.’ And I won’t even bother to tell you that there are oodles of scriptures that talk about that, because it’s the most important attribute of God, and why He made us in the first place.
And possibly the greatest showing of God’s undying LOVE, is this verse from the lips of Jesus to Nicodemus the Jewish teacher. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Then there’s one of my favourite scriptures, from the pen of Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Yes mih bredrin, God didn’t wait for us to change our ways, His LOVE was so great that He went ahead and did His part, trusting that we would eventually do ours. What greater LOVE can be shown eh, than breaking your own heart by giving up your only Son to save a bunch of ungrateful sinners and doing it before they were even fully aware of it? And just for good measure, or lagniappe, we’ll throw in these wonderful assurances of Bruh Paul to the Roman church.
‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, though him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:37-39) That says it all my people!
Now let’s close with what this commentary calls the ‘Core Themes of God’s Undying LOVE: (1) His Unchanging Character: God’s LOVE does not fluctuate based on human performance, but is rooted in His faithful character. (2) His Sacrificial Action: The ultimate proof of this LOVE is Jesus Christ laying down His life. (3) God’s Eternal Presence: His LOVE is described as “everlasting” and “never fails,” offering comfort through trials.’
And this cold, snowy, lazy-day Saturday is an excellent day to understand, appreciate and accept God’s great promises, so that we can have the good and abundant life that Christ promised and died for us to have! Much LOVE!
…only as we understand, accept and action the promises of God…will we fulfill our God-given destiny…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a path to spiritual freedomtrue purpose, a tough row to hoe, absolute loyalty to Christ is paramount, aligining yourself with God's divine viewpoint, all to Him I freely give, All to Jesus I surrender, all to thee my blessed Saviour, amazing rest and peace, as docile as a lamb, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, change our way of thinking, discipleship, divine blessings, enable us to handle another week, faith, family ties must be secondary, father if thou be willing, fill me with thy love and power, follow me, fully yielding your will to god's, give praise and thanks, glory to his name, God will provide us with strength mercy courage and grace, hate his own life also, hate not his mother and father, he cannot be my disciple, humbly at his feet I bow, humility, I feel the sacred flame, I surrender all, I will ever love and trust Him, I will make you fishers of men, if any man will come after me, in his presence daily live, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, Jesus' surrender to the Father's will, let him deny himself, let thy blessing fall on me, leting go of self-centred control, LOVE, make me Saviour wholly thine, make the pilrimage to the Lord's sanctuary, mercy, no fear or anxiety, not my will but thine, obedience, Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus, prove the good and perfect will of God, remove this cup from me, salvation, song of worship, surrender, surrendered and dedicated my life to christian service, surrendering our all to Jesus, sweet sacrifices of praise, take me Jesus take me now, take up his cross daily and follow me, the Christian faith, the joy of full salvation, the most momentous moment of our lives, the power of surrendering to God, they straightway left their nets and followed him, this evil and ungodly world, trust god to provide for us, truth, wisdom, worldly pleasures all forsaken, worship
Luke 22:42. Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.
One more Sunday morning amongst the many in our lives, my fellow believers, (smile) meaning that we should make the pilgrimage to the Lord’s sanctuary to worship, give praise and thanks and receive divine blessings to enable us to handle another week in this evil and ungodly world! Now, though it’s a rather chilly Sunday, that should be offset by the bright rays of sunshine filtering through the cloud cover.
And for today’s song of worship, we’ll sing an old favourite written around 1896 by the American Hymnwriter Judson W. Van De Venter (1855-1939), most aptly titled ‘All to Jesus I Surrender.’ And how did the song come about? According to Reynolds (Companion to the Baptist Hymnal), the author apparently stated it was written “in memory of the time when, after a long struggle, I had surrendered and dedicated my life to active Christian service.” And that’s what ALL believers are called to do!
But more on that later. Right now, let’s raise our voices in sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartwarming, heartfelt, mid-tempo version of the song. Singing: ‘All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I freely give; I will ever LOVE and trust Him, In His presence daily live. (Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all.) All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken. Take me, Jesus, take me now. (Refrain: I surrender all..) All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine.
(Refrain: I surrender all…) All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy LOVE and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me. (Refrain: I surrender all…) All to Jesus I surrender, Now I feel the sacred flame; Oh, the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory, to His name! (Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all…I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all… All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all…’
That was a great rendition friends! And isn’t surrendering our all to Jesus the most momentous moment of our lives? It most certainly is! And I like what this commentary says about the hymn. ‘The song “I Surrender” is a beautiful reminder of the power of surrendering to God and trusting in Him. When we surrender to God, He will provide us with strength, courage, mercy, and grace. We can trust Him to take care of us and provide for us. May we all remember to surrender to God and trust in Him.’ And that’s exactly what the Christian faith and life are all about; surrendering ourselves to Jesus!
Now, before we get into the heart of the matter, (smile) it might be best to define what it means to surrender in biblical terms. This commentary explains it thus: ‘Biblically, surrender means fully yielding your own will, plans, and desires to God’s will, submitting to His authority, and trusting His sovereignty, which is seen not as weakness but as a path to spiritual freedom, true purpose, and intimacy with Him, often involving obedience, humility, and letting go of self-centered control. It’s about putting a “white flag” up to God, trusting He can handle your anxieties and lead you better than you can yourself, aligning your life with His divine viewpoint.’
And that’s indeed a tough row to hoe in this turbulent and ungodly society, but it’s what our discipleship calls for. As Jesus so succinctly puts it: (smile) ‘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 what we are called to do daily, not when we feel like it. And it’s not the easiest thing to do, especially when Jesus breaks it down thus: ‘If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren (brothers), and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.’ (Luke 14:26-27)
Oh, we know that Jesus doesn’t truly mean we should hate our families, but as the scholars point out: ‘In comparison to one’s devotion to Christ, one’s family ties must be secondary. This does not set aside Jesus’ other teachings to LOVE one’s enemies, to honour father and mother, and the like. It does highlight though that absolute loyalty to Christ is paramount, not the either-or that the verse sets up and so many societies adhere to.’
And the easiest way to begin living for Christ is by doing like Bruh Paul advocates to the Roman church: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) The first thing we must do is change our way of thinking from that of the world to that of Jesus. And we know that’s not easy either, but with Jesus’ help we can certainly do it.
And it won’t be right to close without a couple examples of biblical surrender. The first is when Jesus called the brothers Peter and Andrew, two fishermen in the process of casting their nets. He simply said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him’ (Matt. 4:18-20) Imagine that nuh! They left their livelihood just like that to follow an itinerant preacher. And it’s the same thing James and John did when He called them soon after. They were mending their nets with their father on their ship. The Bible tells us: ‘They immediately left the ship and their father and followed him’ (Matt. 4:21-22)
Wow! Not many of us would do that on such short notice. But that’s exactly what discipleship calls for! And possibly the greatest surrender in human form might be Bruh Paul himself; an abuser and killer of the brethren when known as Saul, but after Jesus knocked him off his horse and blinded him on the way to Damascus to persecute more Christians, he became as docile as a lamb, and went quietly into Jesus’ service, with his name changed to Paul, to become one of the most hardworking and zealous apostles of them all. And you can find Bruh Paul’s story in Acts 9.
And the best example of surrendering is obviously Jesus’ surrender to His Father’s will, to come to earth and die to save a bunch of ungrateful sinners. As He says in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion, when His soul was in much torment at the dreadful situation he faced: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.’ (Luke 22:42)
Now that’s how we all ought to be when the Lord calls on us. So please, let’s ponder our individual responses to Jesus today, and see where we can make improvements in our attitude of surrender. Much LOVE!
…there’s such amazing rest and peace…with no fear or anxiety…when we surrender our all to God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a living stone, a spiritual house, acceptable to God by Jesus, an holy priesthood, anything that doesn't come from the heart is worthless in God's eyes, be filled with the Spirit, by the mercies of God, false prphets, giving thanks always for all things, God is a Spirit, holy acceptable unto god, holy spirit, I want to be with you now, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in vain do they worship me, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, John Piper, Jsus is ready and waiting to teach us about worship, know you all the more, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, look not on his countenance, LOVE, making melody in your heart to the Lord, man looks on the outward appearance, mercy, neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will ye worship God, now is the time to worship in spirit and in truth, prayer without heart is vain, present your bodies a living sacrifice, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, salvation is of the Jews, scandalize them into listening to you, shock them, slow my thoghts, snowy conditions, songs without heart are vain, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, spiritual service of worship, spiritually asleep, thank you for this tenderness, the church of Christ needs to be awakened, the desiringgod website, the Father seeketh such to worship Him, the hour cometh, the importance of our spiritual lives, the importance of spirituality, The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him, the Lord looks on the heart, the Lord sees not as man sees, the right motive, their heart is far from me, they teach as doctrine the precepts of men, they that worship, this people honour me with their lips, thrilled to the gills, to all that call upon him in truth, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, transforming our minds, true worshippers, truth, urgent times, who and whom you worship is more important than where you worship, wisdom, worship has to do with real life, worship Him in spirit and in truth, worship is first and foremost an experience of the heart, worship is not merely an external act
John 4:24. God is a spirit: and they that worship hm must worship him in spirit and truth.
Oh boy! It’s our lazy-day Saturday! And many of us are just thrilled to the gills because after plowing through the snow for the last couple of days, there’s no need to go out today! We can stay inside and enjoy the warmth, the peace and quiet and the laziness of the day. (smile) However, before we get too lazy, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And I’m sure that many of us who were out there bearing the brunt of the inclement weather could not help but be sincere, for fighting the snowy conditions back and forth everyday is not an easy task, even for the strongest and most righteous of us. So, we’ll very much appreciate the peace and calm, as well as the overwhelming intimacy that comes from our wonderful God this lazy-day Saturday morning. For when you ask to know Him better, that’s exactly what you get; greater intimacy. And there’s nothing better than a deep intimacy with our heavenly Father.
It’s like Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. After He tells her about her unrighteous life (John 4:16-18) and she replies: ‘Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain (Mt. Gerizim); and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit: and they that worship hm must worship him in spirit and truth.’ (John 4:19-24)
Yes friends, that is the kind of people the Father wants to worship Him; those who do so in spirit and truth! And please note what Jesus says in that second to last verse; ‘the hour cometh, and now is…’ That means NOW is the time for true believers to worship God in spirit and truth. Jesus is basically trying to point out that WHO and WHOM you worship is much more important than where you worship!
And I like how this commentary by John Piper in the desiringgod website puts it. He writes: ‘The first thing we learn is that worship has to do with real life. It is not a mythical interlude in a week of reality. Worship has to do with adultery and hunger and racial conflict…. Worship is not merely an external act that you can accomplish by going to a place. Jesus said in another place (Matthew 15:8): “This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.”
Worship is first and foremost an experience of the heart. Prayer without heart is vain. Songs without heart are vain. Confession and creeds and liturgies and sermons that don’t come from the heart are empty and worthless in God’s eyes. So Jesus says to the woman: Don’t get hung up on irrelevant controversies. How you worship is vastly more important than where.’ And that’s a truth that many of us need to focus on in these days of so many false prophets and false and deceitful rhetoric. And there are many scriptures that warn us about the importance of our spiritual lives.
Let’s consider a few of them nuh. Like this one from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service (spiritual service of worship).’ (Rom. 12:1) Yuh see friends, even the quality of our bodies is important, for we belong to God and His Spirit dwells within us, and the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in a place that is enveloped in sin. And as Bruh Paul says in the next verse, that means transforming our minds from the works of the world to those of Christ Jesus. (Rom. 12:2)
Meanwhile, in Psalm 145, Bruh David writes thus: ‘The Lord is nigh (near) unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.’ (Ps. 145:18) And that’s a fact. The only way you will engage the Lord is if your heart is filled with sincerity and truth; with the right motive. It’s like the Lord said to Samuel when he sent him to Jesse’s house to anoint the next king of Israel. Samuel looked on the magnificent physical appearance of Eliab and thought, this must be the one. ‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)
Yuh see mih bredrin, to come to the Lord we have to come clean, come open, for He doesn’t look at what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside, for mankind is very good at hiding what’s really on the inside with enchanting but false stuff on the outside. That’s why it’s so important we adopt this wisdom of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, where he exhorts: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus.’ (Eph. 5:18-20)
That’s about the best and surest way to stay spiritually true and sincere. And Peter, in talking about an Holy Priesthood lets us know, first about Jesus then us: ‘To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed (rejected) indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively (living) stones, are built up (are being built up) a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus.’ (1 Pet. 2:4-5) That’s our job friends; to be an holy priesthood and offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ. There’s one big problem though, the church of God, that’s the people of God are either asleep or don’t care, that’s why we need a wake up call to get our spiritual lives in order.
And we’ll end with the opening remarks of the commentary that tells it like it is: ‘If people are spiritually asleep, you have to shock them, startle them, scandalize them, if you want them to hear what you say. Jesus was especially good at this. When he wants to teach us something about worship, he uses a whore (the Samaritan woman). “Go call your husband!” “I don’t have a husband.” “That’s right. But you’ve had five, and the man you sleep with now is not your husband.” She was shocked. We’re shocked. But Jesus simply sits there on the edge of the well with his hands folded, looking at the woman with razors in his eyes ready to teach us about worship.’
And my people, Jesus is still sitting, this time in heavenly places, waiting to teach us about worship. Let’s hope He shocked us all today into wanting to learn about it! Much LOVE!
…the body of Christ…needs to be shocked into awakening…to the importance of spirituality… in these urgent times…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light that shineth in a dark place, a light unto my path, a more sure word of prophecy, a morning without clouds, all my desire, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, be as God, be as the light of the morning, clear shining after rain, deepen my breath, divine revelation, faith, fall for anything, find God's wisdom on it's pages, for our benefit not God's, god should always be an integral part of our lives, God's incomparable peace, God's inerrant word, God's Word, godly human instruments of recording God's message, Gods thoughts and ways are higher than ours, guidance and direction, guide for living, he that ruleth over men must be just, his word was in my tongue, holy men of God, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, instruction in righteousness, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, live the life that God desires, LOVE, make it not to grow, mercy, moved by the Holy Ghost, no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, rudderless and directionless lives, ruling in fear of God, salvation, sincere communion, slow my thoughts, start on the right foot, study the wisdom of God, thank you for this tenderness, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the BIBLE, the Bible is God's word to man, the day star arise in your hearts, the infallibility of Scripture, the man of God may be perfect, the process of revelation and inspiration, the prophecy came not by the will of man, the revelation of God to man, the Rock of Israel, the spirit of the Lord spake by me, the sweet psalmist of Israel, the tender grass springing up out of the earth, the transfiguration of Jesus, this is my salvation, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, truth, uncertain times, until the day dawn, when the sun riseth, will not allow it to increase, wisdom, wisdom and truth can fill our souls and spirits, you can't be contained, you'd do well to take heed, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
2 Samuel 23:2. The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
And then it was Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, the first one in this new year! No doubt many of us are glad for the relief from work and partying and intend to spend a quiet day recovering from all the seasonal celebrations, while some of us are just laying low so that we can get back up later and rejoin the festivities. (smile) But before we laze away the day, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong and heartfelt voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Oh, what awesome desires for more knowledge of and intimacy with our God! How can He not answer a prayer like that with His grace and mercy, His incomparable peace and calm? He has to, because it’s what He desires above everything else… sincere communion with His human creation. But the truth is, we should not just be seeking intimacy with and knowledge of our God on Saturdays, but every day! That way He is ALWAYS an integral part of our lives, not just sometimes! Remember His thoughts and ways are higher than ours, (Is. 55:8-9) so who better to go to, to associate with, if we desire guidance and direction in these confused and uncertain times?
And one of the ways we encounter God is through His Word, which, as the psalmist so wisely and rightly says: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) That means He gave us His Word, the Bible, as a Guidebook for Daily Living. And when you read it, you will find guidance and direction in it’s pages. As the saying goes: ‘The Bible is God’s Word to us, still fresh through the ages, and if we read it, we will find God’s wisdom on its pages.’ That’s the glorious truth friends. And that’s why we are strongly exhorted (smile) to read and study it every day, so that it’s truth and wisdom can fill our souls and spirits and allow us to live the life that God desires we live.
And Bruh Paul further edifies us with his wise words, in his second letter to Timothy. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) But until we sincerely believe the great value of God’s Word and read an study it, then put it into action, our lives will be rudderless and directionless, and we will fall for anything that the evil and ungodly world foists upon us.
And Peter further exhorts as he talks about being an eyewitness at Jesus’ transfiguration, when He was revealed to James and John and himself in all His glory. (Matt. 17:1-8) He writes: ‘We have also a more sure word of prophecy (the prophetic word made more sure); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old (any) time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Hoy Ghost.’ (2 Pet. 1:19-21)
And what does all of that mean? The scholars offer these explanations: ‘A more sure word of prophecy refers to the infallibility of Scripture as the greatest and clearest revelation of God to man. “Prophecy” may be used here as a general term for divine revelation. Private interpretation means “origination.” Thus true revelation does not originate by the will of man. It comes from God Himself through holy men who were godly human instruments of recording God’s message. Moved by the Holy Ghost describes the process of revelation and inspiration. “Moved” means to be “carried along as a sailboat in the wind.” Thus human beings were so moved by the Holy Spirit that what they wrote was God’s inerrant (infallible) Word.’
And we have more confirmation of the Spirit speaking to humans as the prophet Samuel writes about the last words of Bruh David. ‘Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in fear of God.
And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing up out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow (he will not allow it to increase).’ (2 Sam. 23:1-5)
Yes friends, we clearly see through the life of Bruh David that the Lord does speak to his human creation of both heavenly and earthly things, so that they can convey it to the rest of humanity. And on this first lazy-day Saturday in 2026, please, let’s take some time to read and study the wisdom of God found in the pages of His Guidebook, the Bible, so we can get this new year started on the right foot! Remember, it’s all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…if you are a Christian…then the Word of God ought to be your guide for living…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Sunday afternoon stroll, an attitude of prayer, ask and it shall be given to you, be patient in tribulation, communication with God, continuing instant in prayer, deepen my breath, delve into God's Word, everyone that asks receives, everyone that seeks finds, eye-opening scripture, faith, for our benefit, frequent prayer, go and pray unto me, He spake a parable unto them to this end, holy spirit, I love them that love me, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I will hearken unto you, in Christ Jesus concerning you, in everything give thanks, in the face of adversity, in the morning, in the Spirit, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, Jesus went out into a solitary place and prayed, knock and it shall be opened unto you, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, maintain gratitude, make time to be intimate with our heavenly Father, meditate and pray, men ought always to pray and not faint, mercy, not lose heart, patient in tribulation, perseverance, pray without ceasing, praying always, put the word into action, quiet my soul, refreshing ourselves, rejoice evermore, rejoicing in hope, relax my muscles, relieve frustrations, rising up a great while before day, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek and you shall find, slow my thoughts, spiritual success, thank you for this tenderness, the armour of God, the BIBLE, the Christian life, the wronged woman seeking justice from the unjust judge, then shall ye call upon me, this is the will of God in Christ, those that seek me early will find me, to everyone that knocks, to him that knocks it shall be opened, truth, watching thereunto, wisdom, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, with prayer and supplication, ye shall seek me and find me
Luke 18:1. And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).
And finally we come to another Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, where we dare to lie about doing as little as possible, in the opening rounds of refreshing our tired selves and spirits from a mediocre and unpleasant week. And the best way to begin relieving our frustrations is by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth.
So, as one strong voice, let’s pray. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And there’s nothing better at relieving frustrations than seeking intimacy with our heavenly Father, because it lightens our spirits and renews our souls. Remember that eye-opening scripture we read yesterday from the prophet Jeremiah? ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes friends, anytime we’re disheartened, discouraged, fearful, worried, lost or even just tired, the best way to relieve our anxieties is by sincerely seeking Jesus in prayer with all of our hearts. souls, bodies and minds. Cousin Sol also offer his two cents worth on the subject in Proverbs, when he writes of the Lord: ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’ (Prov. 8:17)
This brings to mind this ever so important verse of the Bible, where it says: ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) Then He told them about the wronged woman who kept seeking justice from the unjust judge, until he finally got tired of her and gave her the justice she desired and deserved. And prayer, sincere and steadfast must always be number one in our lives.
Look at how often Jesus prayed. Before and after almost every event He went away by Himself to pray, to seek intimacy, strength, renewal and direction from the Father. And this scripture verse on the subject just touches my heart. Mark writes: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
Now, if Jesus, the Son of God, thought it necessary to make time to be in the Father’s presence, how much more do we, miserable and sinful creations that we are, need to make time to be intimate with our heavenly Father eh? Much, much more! And there are a number of scriptures that do encourage, admonish and exhort us to pray.
So let’s look at a few of them now nuh, beginning with this famous one from Jesus: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8)
And the scholars offer this explanation of those verses. ‘The three imperatives, ask, seek, knock are in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and frequent prayer. Fervent and continual prayer is to be made on behalf of those for whom we are concerned. God promises to answer all genuine prayer (vs. 8). Everything we need for spiritual success has been promised to us. God leaves us no excuse for failure.’ And that’s something we ought to grab hold of and hold on to quite tightly: we have no excuses for spiritual failure, because God has already given us what we need, and shown us the way to succeed.
Now here is another verse of scripture that encourages us to pray, from Bruh Paul to the Romans. When talking about overcoming evil with good, he says a part of our behaviour to enable us to do that, must be: ‘Rejoicing in hope, patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (rom. 12:12)
Then to the Ephesians, when talking about the armour of God, Bruh Paul ends with this most important verse. ‘Praying always with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for the saints.’ (Eph. 6:18) What he’s saying there is that despite all the godly armour you might have on, prayer is still very important, for without it, the armour won’t work.
And finally, to the Thessalonians, Bruh Paul exhorts them thus: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Yuh see how he throws in that li’l gem in the middle: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ The scholars tell us that means we ought always to have an attitude of prayer, although we might not be praying audibly, and that constant attitude of prayer will help us to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.
No friends, living the Christian life is not easy, definitely not a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park,, but as we saw earlier on, our wonderful God has given us everything we need to live the successful Christian life, so it’s all up to us to delve into His word, meditate and pray on it, then put it into action in our lives. And there’s no better time to begin doing that than right now. So, let’s take some time on this lazy-day Saturday, the first one in July of 2025, and spend it in true and sincere intimacy with our marvellous God. That can only be to our benefit! Much LOVE!
…without prayer…there’s no communication with God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, acknowledge God's sovereignty, after a hard week's work, all liars, be wise and choose life, between a rock and a hard place, blaspheme His holy name, blessing and cursing, both thou and thy seed may live, choose life, crying out for help, deepen my breath, disobedient, do our won thing, draws us closer to our heavenly Father, established it upon the floods, eternal death, eternal death with Satan, eternal life, eternal life with Christ, every step of the way, faith, find ourselves in trouble, fools despise wisdom and instruction, free will, good communion, he hath founded it upon the seas, holy spirit, I call heaven and earth, I have set before you life and death, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in the name of Jesus, increase my awareness of you, indwelling Holy Spirit, intimacy with god, intimacy with His human creation, Jesus Christ, Jesus is with us, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mercy, more in tune with Satan than with God, no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, nomore cruing, pray without ceasing, quiet my soul, rebellious, relax my muscles, robots, salvation, selfish, sexually immoral, slow my thoughts, stay in the good graces of God, thank you for this tenderness, the abominable, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, the fearful, the former things are passed away, the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, the world, the world and they that dwell therein, to make a living, to record this day against you, traffic jams, true wisdom is clinging sincerely to Jesus, truth, under the umbrella of His shed blood, warms the cockles of God's heart, whoremongers, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
1 Thessalonians 5:17. Pray without ceasing.
And after Friday comes Saturday; our lazy-day Saturday, when we just laze around and try to catch ourselves after a hard week’s work, of battling the twice a day traffic jams and all the other stuff we have to contend with out there in this crazy world, as we try to make a living, all in the name of Jesus! And we only succeed because Jesus is with us every step of the way, through His indwelling Holy Spirit!
So, seeing that we don’t have to rush off anywhere today, let’s take a moment and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Now, that just quiets our souls and draws us a li’l closer to our heavenly Father, giving Him His greatest desire, more intimacy with His human creation. For, remember one of the main reasons He created us, is that we could have good communion together. The unfortunate part of that plan though, is that we’ve used the free will He gave us to become selfish, disobedient and rebellious, not desiring to have much communion with Him, preferring to do our own thing without any interference whatsoever from Him.
But that’s a fool’s wisdom, and it’s only when we find ourselves in trouble, between a rock and a hard place that we run to Him, crying out for help. And when He doesn’t answer our cries for help, we get all upset and blaspheme His holy name. What we need to remember is that He is the Sovereign ruler pf this universe; it’s Creator and Controller, and answers to NO ONE! Bruh David stated it in no uncertain terms: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
Yes, He is the one that created everything and controls it all. And until we get that straight in our puny minds, we’re liable to go off on all sorts of foolish tangents in this crazy and chaotic world, that will only make our lives more difficult than necessary, and will eventually ruin us. That’s why it’s wise and necessary to stay in the good graces of Almighty God, keeping in constant touch with Him through prayer. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess. 5:17)
In other words, have a running communication with the Father. As you go about your day, talk to Him about everything. Oh friends, you don’t know how it warms the cockles of His heart when we bring Him into all of our affairs, be they simple or complicated. It certainly does, because He created us so that He could get involved in our everyday lives, and gave us free will so that we would not be merely robots, but have some choices in our lives, hoping that we would choose Him, and His way of life over everything else.
Sadly though, today we seem more in tune with the fallen angel, Satan, than we are with our Creator. But please remember that Satan is also a created being, and only exists by the grace of God, and when He believes the time is right, Satan will be destroyed, along with all those who have taken shelter under his evil wings. That means true wisdom is clinging sincerely to Jesus Christ, for those who are under the umbrella of His shed blood will enjoy eternal life with Him.
As Cousin Sol so wisely says in Proverbs: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov. 1:7) And he’s right on both points. The first step in gaining knowledge is by submitting to God and His revelation. And fools do indeed despise wisdom and knowledge because they think they know it all. But thankfully some of us do bow to the Lord’s sovereignty and accept His Word as wisdom and truth, the things which will give us a good life here on earth and an even better one in the life to come, where there will be no more tears, no more death, or pain or sorrow, or crying, for the former things are passed away. ( Rev. 21:4)
However, if we don’t acknowledge God’s sovereignty here’s what we have to look forward to. ‘But the fearful (cowardly), and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers (sexually immoral), and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.’ (Rev. 21:8) Now that’s the two ends we humans will eventually face; eternal life with Jesus, or eternal death with Satan; the choice is ours.
But like the Lord so strongly advised Moses to say to the children of Israel so long ago: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) Oh friends, it’s the same thing the Lord’s saying to us today; be wise, choose Me, choose life and not death, because in death, it’s all over, but in life, it goes on forever.
So please, I implore us, on this bright and sunshiny lazy-day Saturday in June 2025, let’s take a moment to review all we know and have heard, then be wise and choose life nuh! Much LOVE!
…when the battle rages…it’s wisest to choose the reigning king…over the foolish, untried usurper…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a life devoid of strife and hatred, a positive response, according to his own purpose and grace, according to the power of God, appear outwardly beautiful, appear outwardly righteous, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, be not ashamed of the Lord's testimony, be partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, before the world began, brought life and immortality to light, but of power love and a sound mind, by the putting on of my hands, called us with an holy calling, deceit, don't have time to spend with God, eccentricities, eternal life, faith, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, fraudulence, full of dead men's bones, genuine faith, given us in Christ Jesus, God-given abilities, good news of the gospel, gotten up off our rear ends, great joy on earth and in heaven, heartfelt sincerity, heed the urgent call of jesus, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I put thee in remembrance, I want to be with you now, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, it's not too late to turn things around, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, like unto whited sepulchres, living a life filled with salt and light, LOVE, love and kindness, mercy, Mother Nature, my soul thirsts for God, no one to blame but ourselves, not according to our works, now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour, our world is a paradox, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, roll along with the tumbling tunbleweed, run Beelzebub out of town, salvation, self-aggrandizement, selfishness, sincere of heart, slow my thoughts, so panteth my soul after thee O God, spreading our salty flavour and bright light, still expect to receive his blessings, stir up the gift of God, thank you for this tenderness, the darkness and death that Satan offers, the sons of Korah, the unfeigned faith, true disciples of Jesus, truth, unpredictable year, whine and complain about the sad state of the world, whitewashed tombs, who hath abolished death, who hath saved us, wisdom, within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity, woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, your love both surrounds and fills me
2 Timothy 1:6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on (laying on) of my hands.
There we have it friends, the end of another month of this crazy and unpredictable year of 2025! And I’m still amazed at how quickly the days and months are going by. And not only are the days and months passing by quickly, but the weather is also topsy-turvy. Yesterday we had highs in the twenties and you could feel the heat. Today though, our lazy-day Saturday will barely get up into the mid-teens, while being cloudy and very windy. And, unfortunately, it’s definitely not in our power to stop or control Mother Nature and her eccentricities, (smile) we can only roll along with the tumbling tumbleweed if we want to survive and be successful in the long run.
Our world today is a paradox that only the Lord could work out and understand. But we can certainly benefit from His colossal wisdom by turning to Him and asking for His wonderful assistance. So lets’ do that right now by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with heartfelt sincerity. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Now, that’s one of the great things about our God; we can pray to Him, and if it’s in His will, and we’re sincere of heart, then almost immediately we can get a positive response. Especially if it’s a desire to grow closer to Him. That just floors Him every time! (smile) And because intimacy and communion with Him were amongst the major reasons He created us, He obviously cannot refuse a sincere request to get intimate with Him. Not at all! That brings to mind these two marvellous verses from Psalm 42 titled – My Soul Thirsts for the Lord – where the Son of Korah write: ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2)
Oh friends, that’s how we believers ought to be hungering and thirsting for our great and wonderful God. But sadly, too many of us supposed believers don’t have the time to spend with Him, or even want to spend time with Him, but we do expect to receive His awesome blessings and favours though. What a set of bloody hypocrites we are. It’s like Jesus saying to the Pharisees: ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres (whitewashed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and are of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)
Ah mih people, definitely too many of us fit that disgraceful sobriquet in these perilous times, brought about to a large extent by our unwillingness to get out into the world and impart Christ’s gospel to the heathen, by spreading our salty flavour and bright light in the terrible darkness that exists there. And why have we so badly reneged on our promise to go out and manifest the Great Commission? Who knows? Possibly through laziness, shame, fear, or whatever cunning and deceitful method the devil used to restrict us.
But let’s remember these fateful words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘When I call to remembrance the unfeigned (genuine) faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on (laying on) of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions (share with me the sufferings) of the gospel according to the power of God: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (before time), But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.’ (2 Tim. 1:5-10)
Yes my fellow saints, we have been appointed by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who, through His selfless sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, brought us salvation and eternal life, to go over all the world and spread the good news of His gospel, so that all the earth would have the option of accepting His amazing options of light and life over the dreaded darkness and death that Satan offers. But we have failed to live up to our promises as His true disciples, as His ambassadors and representatives here on earth. What a shameful display my brethren!
But then we whine and complain about the sad state of our world! Do we ever sit and consider what would have happened if many more of us had gotten up off our rear ends and gone out and lived the life of a true Christian. Not even preaching the gospel, but simply living a life filled with salt and light, with LOVE and kindness, one devoid of strife and hatred, of deceit and fraudulence, of greed and envy, of selfishness and self-aggrandizement! Yes friends, if a greater portion of us had lived that kind of life, our world would certainly not be in the ungodly and chaotic state that it’s currently in.
So, when we complain about the terrible times we’re now facing, let’s remember that a lot of it stems from our lack of living the way we ought to, so we have no one else to blame but ourselves. But thankfully it’s not too late for us to turn things around. So please, let’s wake up and heed the urgent call of Jesus nuh, and get together and use all the tools we have to run Beelzebub out of town! What great joy that would bring, both here on earth and in heaven above! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for us to wake up…and use our amazing God-given abilities…to turn the world around…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, ambassadors for Christ, and again I say rejoice, be careful for nothing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, cannot stop our drive to victory, christianity, Christians, deepen my breath, divide and conquer, doing what we want when we want, don't walk the walk, drop our petty differences, faith, fight the good fight for Jesus, filled with the peace of God, galvanize us into action, get serious about living for Christ, glorify your father in heaven, good for nothing, heading straight to hell, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, if the salt has lost it s flavour, in everything by prayer and supplication, in the back of our minds, in the name of Jesus, in the proverbial handbasket, in word and deed, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, it gives light to all in the house, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lead miserable and lacking lives, Let your light so shine before men, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, light blazing, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, make a substantial difference, mercy, neither do men light a candle, peace that passes all human understanding, put it under a bushel, put our faith to work in our daily lives, quiet my soul, Rejoice in the Lord always, relax my muscles, saltiness overflowing, salvation, see your good works, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, slow my thoughts, start our day with prayer, talk the talk, tasteless like the world, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the current chaotic state of our world, the enemy, the forefront of our minds, the gutter of hell, the Lord is at hand, the murky abyss of hell, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the terrible consequences of inaction, to be cast out, trodden under foot of men, truth, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Matthew 5:13a & 16a. Ye are the salt of the earth: Let your light so shine before men,
And finally our lazy-day Saturday is on board! It’s somewhat cloudy and windy and not as warm as we might like, but it’s nonetheless our lazy-day Saturday, where we can do what we want, when we want, and how we want! (smile) Now isn’t that a joy, after having to do the wishes of others all the live long week? It certainly is! And as always, it’s best to start our day with prayer; that’s salutations, greetings and thanks to our wonderful God for allowing us to see another day on this great though confused and chaotic earth.
So let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And without a doubt, if our prayer was truly heartfelt, our bodies and souls will soon be filled with the calm and peace of God, that passes all human understanding. Because there’s nothing that our God likes more than His people wanting greater intimacy with Him, for that’s one of the major reasons He created us. And that’s why, when talking about the God of Peace, Bruh Paul could write these marvellous words to the Philippians.
‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (graciousness, reasonableness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all human understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
Oh friends, what wonderful advice! The trouble however, is that though we know the advice, too many of us keep it somewhere in the back of our minds, instead of in the forefront, and consequently not enough of us put it into practice. No wonder so many of us have somewhat miserable and lacking lives, when with simply following Bruh Paul’s advice we could be doing so much better.
That brings us to the realization that too many of us talk the talk but don’t actually walk it. We all talk about faith and all the things it can do, but how many of us truly put our faith to work in our daily lives eh? Certainly not enough of us, otherwise our world would not be in its current chaotic, ungodly state. That means we’re not doing as Jesus desires. Remember these poignant words of His? ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13)
Sadly my people, it seems like way too many of us have lost our salty flavour and now are tasteless just like the rest of the world, which could never be a good thing and work in Jesus’ favour. Remember, we are His ambassadors here on earth and are supposed to be telling others, both in word and deed about His wonderful kingdom, and causing them to want to join us. But unfortunately we’re not doing it well enough. And how can we be good representatives of Jesus when we don’t adhere to these words of His either eh?
‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp) and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
And right there my fellow believers is one of our biggest problems and why our world is in such an ungodly mess. God’s people are not shining their lights as brightly as they ought to! Too many of our lights have either been dimmed or simply gone out, for us to be able to make a substantial difference in our evil world that’s sadly heading straight to hell in the proverbial handbasket!
But my brethren it’s not too late for us to stop the slimy slide down to the gutter of hell. No! If we would only get serious about living for Christ, then drop all our petty Christian differences and get together as ONE, and boldly and confidently restore our salty flavour and turn up the level of our lights, so that the world can see what true Christianity is all about, then we can retake most of the world for Christ, and stop that slimy and sorry slide to hell fire and damnation.
But unfortunately it first depends on us being willing to individually stand up and fight against the evil around us, then, more importantly for us to get together and fight as ONE! For we cannot defeat the enemy in our present divided and distrustful state. That’s why the enemy has concentrated on keeping us apart, using the old but wise theory of divide and conquer. And once he keeps us divided, his evil plans will meet with much success, as they are now doing so very blatantly.
So it’s up to us to decide if we’re going to fight the good fight for Jesus, or just let our world slide down into the dark and murky abyss of hell. I’d suggest we all take a few moments today and consider the question and the sure, terrible consequences of our inaction, and let them galvanize us into powerful action, in the strong and mighty name of Jesus! Much LOVE!
…with saltiness overflowing…and light blazing…the enemy cannot stop our drive to victory…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as sheep going astray, bare our sins in his own body, be made the righteousness of God in Him, become better witnesses for Christ, being dead to sins, Bible, binds up their wounds, bitter waters, bless the LOrd o my soul, brought upon the Egyptians, by the stripes of Jesus, Christ also suffered for us, christianity, Christians, close communion with God, committed himself, crowns thee with loving-kindness, crying out for your help, diligently hearken to voice of the Lord, disobedience, divine favour, do that which is right in his sight, faith, forget not all his benefits, forgives all thine iniquities, Friday chant, give ear to his commandments, God's sinless Son, he heals the broken in heart, he threatened not, heals all thy diseases, holy spirit, in its death throes, intimacy with god, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep all his statutes, leaving us an example, live unto righteousness, LOVE, made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, Marah, mend our evil ways, neither was guile found in his mouth, now returned unto, obedient to God's will, on the tree, our sinful world, placed on Jesus' shoulders, problems escalating, put none of these diseases on thee, redeems thy life from destruction, relaxation, rest, return backsliders to your fold, reviled not again, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, set free from Satan's evil bondage, tender mercies, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the burden of the world's sin, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the Great healer, the Lord forgives all of our sins, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls, the throne of grace, the workweek, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, to follow in his steps, to him that judges righteously, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, when he suffered, when he was reviled, who did no sin, wisdom, wise guidance, without god we are nothing, without me ye can do nothing, worldly frivolity
Psalm 103:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
And then it was that much lauded day called Friday! Yes, the workweek is in its death throes and we’re ever so happy that we can even declare: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ But let’s not forget that the weekend is not to be simply wasted away in partying and other worldly frivolity, but must also include rest, relaxation and a fair amount of intimacy with God. On the weekend, we need to make up the time we could not spend with God during our busy work week.
And remember it’s all for our benefit, not His. He has everything we want, and we can only get it by going to Him in reverential awe and humble communion. That brings to mind these most beneficial words of Bruh David from Psalm 103: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVINGKINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103: 1-5)
Wow mih bredrin! Yuh see how many benefits we get from being in close association with Almighty God? We ought never to forget them, or Him, for without Him, we are absolutely nothing. Jesus said it in no uncertain terms: ‘for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5b) And if you don’t believe Him, then try living this devilish earthly life without Him, and see how far you get. So, let’s check out some of these benefits in a li’l more detail nuh. And the greatest of them all is that he forgiveth all our iniquities. That means the Lord forgives all of our sins. And how does He do that?
Through the sacrifice of His sinless Son’s life on the cross of Calgary. He placed all the burden of the world’s sin on Jesus’ shoulders, so that we could be set free from Satan’s evil bondage and see the bright light of Christ’s resurrected glory. As Bruh Paul writes to the church at Corinth: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21) Now, how much more do we want eh? Oh, in our lazy, entitled fashion, we expect it all to happen automatically, but unfortunately it doesn’t. We have to do our part, work at it, by receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour and living the life He desires of us.
Then there is the phrase ‘who healeth all thy diseases.’ What another powerful blessing my people! The Lord not only forgives us of our sins, but He also heals our sicknesses. Who else can do that for us eh? Nobody! Because Jehovah Rapha is the Great Healer. And again, as Isaiah says, it’s by the stripes of Jesus, that we are healed. (Is. 53:5) And if you don’t believe Isaiah because He’s an Old Testament prophet, or the psalmist who declares: ‘He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds (sorrows).’ (Ps. 147:3) then listen to Peter, who actually walked with Christ on the earth.
He writes in his second epistle: ‘For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps; Who did no sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again (in return); when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes (wounds) ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop (Overseer) of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 2:21-25) Wise and true words indeed!
But before all of that happened, the Israelites were warned about disobedience, for when they came out of Egypt into the wilderness and could find no water, they began complaining against Moses, and at a place called Marah, Bitter Waters, the Lord allowed Moses to cast a tree into the water and it became sweet and they drank their fill. Then Moses delivered this message. ‘If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.’ (Ex. 15:26)
And we all know the ten plagues that the Lord wrought on the Egyptians, ending with the death of the firstborn and the instituting of the Passover. (Ex. Chapters 7-12) Anyway, time has run out on us, so we’ll continue studying the awesome benefits we derive from close communion with God tomorrow. Right now, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these turbulent and fearful times.
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!’
Now, let’s remember that we’re not doing such a great job for Christ on the earth right now, that’s why it’s such a mess, but if we would only mend our evil ways and become better witnesses, the Lord will surely look down on us with divine favour. Much LOVE!
…God’s awesome benefits are available…to all who sincerely LOVE the Lord…and are obedient to His will…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a good attirude, a physical sign, a real crisis, a strong will, a successful Christian life, abundance, all who walk with God face conflicts, answer your letter, anticipate as you wait, Bible, bounden duty, cast thy burden upon the Lord, children of God, christianity, clear direction for my life, common task, conflicts, courage, creativity, curse, daily grind, faith, favour, fear not, Gideon, glorify God's name, God is never too late, God is not a God of confusion, God loves His people, God never contradicts himself, God sends only silence, God wants to buttress us, God will never disappoint our hope, God will work everything out for good, God's agenda is the truth, God's faithfulness, God's highest intention, God's infallible word, God's supernatural wisdom, good health, grow in spiritual maturity, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, he shall sustain thee, he will not fail thee, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, holy spirit, hope in a promise, I asked for a sign, incorrigibly hopeful, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, joy, know His will, lo I am with you always, LOVE, mercy, negative word, neither be dismayed, no sudden hailstorm, not baby us, on our own two feet, One Year Book of Bible promises, our only evidence, permit the righteous to be shaken, presumptuous, provides wise advice through the Bible, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, seek signs, self-control, sincerely believe in God, stand strong, step out to do God's work, still waiting, talent, thanksgiving, the dry fleece, the festivities are over, the hope that He himself implants, the Lord doth go before thee, the promises in God's word, the wet fleece, Thursday Blessings, to free us from unnecessary props, train us to trust His word, trials, tribulations, trust and faithfulness in God's promises, truth, urgent decisions, wisdom, writing in the sky, you can't see ahead, you don't stand alone
Psalm 55:22. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).
And then it was Thursday; the second day of this new year of 2025! Can you believe it? All the festivities, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, are now over and we, unfortunately have to go back to the daily grind and common task. It’s back to work and the slogging it entails, especially when we got a bit of snow this morning, which makes driving and walking even more hazardous than normal.
But we are God’s children and are expected to endure whatever trials and tribulations come our way, with a good attitude, still filled with joy and thanksgiving, knowing that our wonderful God has promised to work everything out for our good eventually. (Rom. 8:28) And if there’s one thing we’re sure of is God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises. So let’s get out and do what we have to do to glorify His great name! End of Sermon! (smile)
And today I want to share an interesting and a most appropriate writing for these turbulent and uncertain times, from Our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is titled: ‘I Asked for a Sign.’ Don’t know if I’ve ever shared it before, but if I have, it’s very worthwhile sharing again. (smile) So please read with me.
‘Even as I answer your letter, you are perhaps still waiting while God sends only silence. There is no sudden hailstorm, no writing in the sky. The crisis is real, and you don’t want to be presumptuous. Like Gideon in Judges 6, you want to feel the wet fleece. Or the dry fleece – you don’t care which one. You just want to know!
You don’t stand alone! All of us who walk with God face conflicts that involve urgent decisions. God is not a God of confusion. We can know His will. When our faith is very new, He may send a sign to fortify us. However, I am convinced that God’s highest intention is to free us from unnecessary “props.” He wants to buttress us, not baby us. Above all, He wants to train us to trust His Word, not the wool!
When He encourages us to hope in a promise, that hope may be our only evidence. At this moment you can’t see ahead. However, you can still be incorrigibly (not given to change) hopeful! You can anticipate as you wait, knowing that God will never disappoint the hope He Himself implants. He is never too late. Remember: Not the wool but His word.’
And will it ever do us much good if we remember that for this new year. It’s not about signs and wonders, but about trust and faithfulness in God’s promises found in His inalienable (cannot be altered), infallible (flawless) Word! And yes, many of us seek signs before we step out to do God’s work, and sometimes we might be blessed enough to get them, as when we’re young believers, but as the writing says, the Lord wants us to stand strong, on our own two feet, as it were, not always desiring ‘props’ from Him.
Once we know that He is faithful and will not let us go astray, we can stand strong and step out in faith. Obviously, we must seek His advice on the matter, but we don’t always have to be like Gideon and need a physical sign. No. We read His Word and the Holy Spirit will speak to us His indomitable but calm and quiet manner…if we’re listening.
And there are two statements in the writing that I think bear reiterating. The first is that we don’t stand alone! No! Never! For our omnipresent God is always by our side. He promised that way back in time to the Israelites, when Moses assured them: ‘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. 31:8)
Jesus also assured us of His faithfulness when He promised the disciples: ‘… and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) And so did the author of Hebrews, when speaking of the Lord as our helper. ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Heb. 13:5) So there you have it; God is always with us.
And the second statement I want us to consider is that God is not a God of confusion. Certainly not! He has every move planned out down to the last minute, to the last detail. And Bruh Paul states it loud and clear when talking about the Author of Peace to the Corinthians. ‘For God is not the author of confusion (disorder), but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.’ (1 Cor. 14:33)
And what does that mean? This commentary explains it thus: ‘God never contradicts himself. He never has to go back and apologize because he “misspoke.” His agenda is the truth, pure and simple. He LOVES his people and provides wise advice through his written word, the Bible.’
Yes friends, it’s in the Bible, the Lord’s Word, our Guidebook for Earthly Living, that we will find the basics of all we need to know. That’s where we truly get to know Him, and we will never know Him unless and until we dig deep into it and meditate constantly on what it says.
And before we forget, (smile) the Bible promise for today’s reading comes from Psalm 55; these most encouraging words of Bruh David: ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken). (Ps. 55:22) Now that’s another important promise that we need to take to heart if we’re to grow in spiritual maturity and intimacy with God in this new year.
And the great thing about our God is that He gives us all the tools we need to do His work; for instance what we call our undeserved Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one 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 said all of that, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…to live a successful Christian life…one must sincerely believe in God…and the promises in His Word…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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