06 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a consolation of joy, a joyful exalted song, a peace and calm that comes only from jesus, a spirit stealing winter's day, adhering to Jesus' teachings, alive and kicking, bondage to sin and condemnation, come to know and love christ like we do, consumed by the fires of hell, duty bound, even with my dying breath, every inscrutable mystery, faith, great is his faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, handle whatever comes against us, he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth my ear to hear as the learned, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, how delightful and how right, How good it is to sing God's praise, hurry, I shout a rousing welcome, I sing a new song, I will sing praises unto my God, in god's eyes, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, knowing and living by divine truth, living for Jesus, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, offering a deeper freedom, opens my understanding to his will, praise the Lord as long as I live, praise the Lord O my soul, Praise ye the Lord, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, shout Hallelujah, sing praises to my God, spiritual emancipation, spiritual liberation from sin, the beloved of God, the best is yet to come, the end will be fantastic, the future cannot daunt me, the glorious truth, the promise of new beginnings, the sun is nowhere in sight, the tempo accelerates, the truth shall set you free, the volume increases, the worst may happen, they are new every morning, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to the up-and-coming days, tough circumstances, trust my freind Jesus, truth, while I have any being, while I live I will praise the Lord, wisdom, with glorious anticipation, with you in control dear God, worry, ye shall know the truth
Psalm 146:2. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
And then it was Tuesday, the first one of the new year, but it’s turning out to be like so many of the recent others; a damp, cloudy, spirit and soul stealing winter’s day, with the sun nowhere in sight. Oh Lord, where is the sun? At least with the sun we can brighten up the winter atmosphere some. (smile) But the important thing is that we are alive and kicking and living for Jesus, and thus we can handle whatever comes against us with a peace and calm that comes only from Him! And I’m chuckling here, as I remember I got a zeppo to share the poem slated for the last day of the old year from our One Year Book of Bible Promises on December 31, but not one to share the first one on the first of January of this new year.
However, I finally got it today. Oh Yeahhh! And the first page of the Book very appropriately reminds us about ‘The Promise of New Beginnings,’ letting us know that ‘Great is his faithfulness!’ And the scripture passage for that comes from Isaiah 50:4b: ‘He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.’ Or, as the NLT (New Living Translation) used in the Book says: ‘Morning by morning He wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.’
And that’s the glorious truth my people! For every morning we open our eyes to a new day, the Lord grants us new mercies and understanding to handle the day. It’s like Jeremiah says in his Lamentations. ‘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. 3:22-23) And that’s more glorious truth my brethren! Without the Lord’s mercies and faithfulness we would have long ago been consumed by the fires of hell, and that ought to encourage us to be also faithful to God in our own lives.
Now, all of that was just the preamble to the poem for the first day, (smile) which is titled, ‘Happy New Year.’ So please read with me: ‘This very first day Of the fresh new year I sing a new song – A joyful, exalted song! With Israel’s sweet singer I exclaim: “How good it is to sing God’s praise How delightful and how right.” The volume increases The tempo accelerates. With glorious anticipation I shout a rousing welcome To the up-and-coming days. The future cannot daunt me Every inscrutable mystery Becomes a consolation of joy For with You in control, dear God The worst may happen But the best is yet to come.’
And that’s yet more glorious truth my people! Oh brother are we ever on to the truth today! And so should we be, each and every day, for as Jesus says in the gospel of John: ‘And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.’ (John 8:32) And it certainly will! As this commentary explains; It means ‘adhering to Jesus’s teachings leads to spiritual liberation from sin, not necessarily political freedom, offering a deeper freedom through knowing and living by divine truth. While it’s used academically for knowledge, its core meaning is about spiritual emancipation from bondage to sin and condemnation, achieved by following Jesus and His word.’
And freedom from the bondage of sin is exactly what we’re after as we faithfully follow Jesus’ Word. But getting back to our poem. I certainly hope that as we rang in the new year that we sang joyful and exalting songs to God, our Giver of Life and Eternal Father, for that is the appropriate thing to do. It’s as the scripture passage for the poem exhorts: ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.’ (Ps. 146:1-2) Or, if you prefer the NLT Version: ‘Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, I tell myself. I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath.’
And that’s how it ought to be my fellow believers; praises to our great, wonderful and generous God should be continually coming from the depths of our hearts through our mouths, letting the whole world know what a marvellous God we serve! But my favourite part of the poem is the last section, which says; ‘The future cannot daunt me Every inscrutable mystery Becomes a consolation of joy For with You in control, dear God The worst may happen But the best is yet to come.’
And so it should be, if you are a true believer in Christ. The future ought not to daunt you, for you have God’s faithful promises concerning it, and with God in control, though some tough circumstances may occasionally envelope us, we’re not worried because we know that end will be fantastic. Jesus promised it, and He keeps ALL of His promises! And since there’s nothing to worry about, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And friends, having made that definitive statement, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…whatever our current circumstances…Christians ought always to believe…that the best is yet to come…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, a flamboyant lifestyle, a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, all sinned and disobeyed your word, alleviate our problems, because strait is the gate, beware of false prophets, burnt out, Christ himself is both the gate and the way, come to you in sheep's clothing, common grind, conformity of doctrine with the scriptures, denied or distorted the truth of the gospel, dissatisfied, divine aid, drama, ease the pain of the many, enter ye in at the strait gate, eternal life, except the father draw him, exceptions rather than the rule, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, few there be that find it, food for thought, good things don't last forever, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am the way the truth and the life, impossible to live a life of constant excitement, inwardly they are ravening wolves, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is not a killjoy, keep your promise to prosper us, lead us down the garden path, living for Jesus, LOVE, many go in thereat, mass confusion in our world, mercy, merry-go-round of excitement, narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, no man can come to me, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, only two paths in life, our Father who art in heaven, passion, pray, raise him up the last day, ravenous wolves, reminiscent of the turtle, salvation, season celebrations over, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, social media, suffering from negative situations, take life as it comes, take life quietly, tempting things, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the broad way that leads to destruction, the daily task, the God who heals, the least stress, the power to solve our many problems, the throne of grace, the ups and downs of life, to live for Jesus, truth, turn from our evil ways, walk the straight and narrow path, wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, wisdom, wise guidance
Matthew 7:13. Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Oh friends, the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations have finally petered out, and sadly it’s back to work this Monday morning, despite the snowy weather out there, back to the daily task and common grind. (smile) But good things don’t last forever, so we hope you had a peaceful and LOVING Christmas and a bang-up New Year, that saw you renew your resolution to follow Jesus even more closely in this unknown year of 2026, for He is the ONLY One who can guide us on the straight and narrow path that leads to salvation and eternal life.
And one of the things we must learn and teach the young people as quickly as possible is that life is not a constant merry-go-round of excitement, passion and drama, like so many people tend to, or want to believe. But life is basically a bland, banal, slow-paced affair, reminiscent of the turtle and not the hare. And yes, it does have moments of excitement, drama and passion, but those are the exceptions rather than the rule, for it would be rather difficult, if not impossible to live a life of constant excitement, although some of us try to live it, but soon get burnt out and dissatisfied.
That’s why those who live the longest and with least stress are those who take life quietly, or as it comes, and handles the ups and downs with a peace and calm that comes from living for and with Jesus. Unfortunately though, the world today is trying to make us believe that life is one big, swinging party with lots of fun and excitement happening all the time. And sadly, a lot of us are flocking to that way of thinking through social media and all the other flashy, flamboyant, tempting things that are currently floating around in our world.
Therefore, Jesus warned us thus: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14) And is that ever the absolute truth my fellow believers! And it’s not that Jesus is a killjoy or something like that, and doesn’t want us to have fun, but He knows that if we follow certain behaviour that the world calls appropriate we would be led down the proverbial garden path; that’s the broad way that leads to destruction.
And the scholars offer these explanations on the subject. ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate means that one must come through the narrow gate to reach the path that leads to eternal life. Though many are on the broad … way, that leadeth to destruction (eternal separation from God), the gate that leads to life is so narrow that few there be that find it. Christ Himself is both the gate and the way (cf. John 14:6), and God enables men to find that gate (cf. John 6:44)’
Now, we know that the first reference refers to Jesus’ declaration to the disciple Thomas: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ And the second reference refers to Jesus’ statement: ‘No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ So, with Jesus’ warning about the two paths one can tread in this life, one good and one bad, we need to be very careful about what activities we participate in, as well as with whom we interact.
Thus Jesus continues His warning: ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening (ravenous) wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil (bad) fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil (bad) fruit), neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.’ (Matt. 7:15-18) And that’s the truth of the matter friends!
And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘The warning Beware of false prophets fits appropriately with the concept of the two ways. Since many are being led in the wrong way, they are obviously being led by the wrong people. False prophets were prevalent in the Old Testament, whereas God’s true prophets were often in the minority. False prophets appear in sheep’s clothing but are in reality ravening wolves. This is a perfect description of those preachers who have denied or distorted the truth of the gospel. They look like lambs but act like wolves. Meanwhile, a true test of a prophet was the conformity of his doctrine to the Scriptures (cf. Deut. 13: 1-5; 1 Cor. 14:37)’
And that test is still very important and applicable today, for there are many false prophets currently in our world. Consequently, when you listen to a preacher or teacher, it’s your duty to go and consult the scriptures and see if what they preach or teach actually conforms to God’s Word. That’s why the scholars further explain: ‘Their fruits refer not only to the actions of their lives, but also to the doctrines they proclaim. The two trees are contrasted in relation to the fruit they produce. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit consistently, while a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit continually. Therefore, the normal and consistent production of fruit, whether good or evil, in a person’s life will bear evidence whether or not that life is of God.’
Now that should give us food for thought, (smile) as we go about our daily duties in this new year. So, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in this earthly life. 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 lest we forget, divine aid hangs on us turning away from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…if you want to live for Jesus…then you must endeavour to walk the straight and narrow path…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of praise and worship, all my heart to him I give, be not afraid, be of good cheer, be saved today, beginning to sink, belongs to Him, bid me come unto thee in the water, billow his will obey, Christ died for us, ending up in the drink, even the winds and the sea obey him, ever his praises sing, ever to him i'll cling, faith, faithful loving service too, from the waters lifted me, God commendeth his love toward us, God's amazing love, God's awesome blessings, God's faithful promises, grateful appreciation, he rebuked the winds and the sea, He wants to be your Saviour, heard my despairing cry, hell bound, hellfire and damnation, holy spirit, In his blessed presence live, in the fourth watch of the night, It is I, James Rowe, Jesus Christ, Jesus completely saves, Jesus fed five thousand men, Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, Jesus was asleep, Jesus went unto them, lift you by his love, Lord save us, LOVE, love lifted me, love so mighty and so true, mercy, merits my soul's best songs, now safe am I, o thou of little faith, O ye of little faith, our abominable sinful state, out of the angry waves, Peter walked on the water, rebellious human creation, sacrifices of praise, salvation, save me Lord, sinking deep in sin, sinking to rise no more, souls in danger look above, take a chance on us, take courage, the disciples cried out in fear, the first Sunday of the new year, the glorious truth, the Master of the sea, the mire of sin, the sea of Galilee, the unconditional love of God, the well-being of grace, the wind was contrary, there was a great calm, time together in God's house, tossed with waves, truth, walking on the sea, we perish, what manner of man is this, when he saw the wind boisterous, when nothing else could help, when the evening was come, wherefore didst thou doubt, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, why are ye so fearful, why do we doubt Jesus, wisdom
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) His LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Well friends, it’s the first Sunday of the New Year, and a most fitting place to be today is in the Lord’s sanctuary to celebrate His day, as well as give thanks for seeing 2026 and all the faithful promises He’s kept, and the awesome blessings He’s so generously bestowed on us. What a faithful and wonderful God we serve my fellow believers! And as always, we begin our time together in God’s house with a song of praise and worship.
Today’s song is aptly titled: ‘LOVE LIFTED ME.’ And isn’t that the glorious truth? It certainly is! For the unconditional, amazing, everlasting LOVE of God is what’s lifted us up out of the mire of sin, when we were irrevocably hell bound. So, in grateful appreciation, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt, mid-tempo version of this beautiful song written by James Rowe in 1912.
Singing: ‘I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more; But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, now safe am I. (Refrain: LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me. LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me.) All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling, In his blessed presence live, ever his praises sing. LOVE so mighty and so true merits my soul’s best songs; Faithful LOVING service, too, to Him belongs.
[Refrain] Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves; He will lift you by His LOVE out of the angry waves; He’s the master of the sea, billows His will obey; He your Savior wants to be, be saved today. [Refrain: LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me. LOVE lifted me! LOVE lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me…. Yes, When nothing else could help, LOVE lifted me….’
And that’s a concrete fact my brethren, for the only thing in this whole wide world that could have ever lifted us from the abominable sinful state in which were in, was God’s amazing LOVE for His most disobedient and rebellious human creation. As Bruh Paul puts it in one of my favourite scripture verses, in his letter to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) His LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Now that says a whole lot about God’s LOVE for us; that while we were yet sinners, He was willing to take a chance on us. No other supposed god would ever dream of taking such drastic action! But our God, Jehovah, Immanuel, was willing to risk it. And that’s why we should be everlastingly grateful to Him and His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jeus Christ. But I’m not telling you anything that you don’t know, (smile) so let me tell you some stuff you might not know, like some background to our wonderful song.
As we said before, the song was written in 1912 by James Rowe (1865-1933), a British born son of a copper miner, who immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1889. He was a railroad worker for ten years in New York before becoming an inspector for the Hudson River Humane Society. The song itself is based on two stories in the Bible about the disciples’ tough experiences on the sea of Galilee. Both stories come from the book of Matthew.
The first tells us about the time when Jesus having fed five thousand men, beside women and children, sent the disciples in a ship to go to the other side of the lake, while he went up into a mountain to pray. (Matt. 14:13-23) Matthew then tells us: ‘and when the evening was come, he was there all alone. But the ship (with the disciples) was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night (between 3 and 6 a.m.) Jesus went unto them walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer (take courage); it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him, and said, Lord it be thou, bid me come unto thee in the water. And he (Jesus) said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when He saw the wind boisterous (violent), he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And Jesus immediately stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ (Matt. 14:23-31)
And that my fellow believers is a question that Jesus would like to put to many of us today? Why do we doubt Him when, time and time again He’s shown His LOVE and compassion for us, saving us from ending up in the drink? It’s the same thing with the second story which comes from Matthew 8. This time though Jesus is with them in the boat as they cross the sea of Galilee, when a violent storm rises up, such that the ship was covered with the waves, but Jesus Himself was asleep in the stern of the boat.
‘And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!’ (Matt. 8:25-27) And why shouldn’t the sea and the wind obey him, when He is also their Creator and Controller eh?
But that’s another instance of small faith, my people. The disciples had been with Jesus for almost three years and had seen Him do all sorts of miracles, yet their faith was still small. But we cannot be too harsh with them, because today, even with greater knowledge and experience, many of us would most likely behave the same way. (smile)
And what better way to close than with the wise and truthful words of this commentary: ‘Rowe’s hymn masterfully incorporates both stories, using sinking or being swamped into the sea as an illustration for “sinking deep in sin… sinking to rise no more.” But Jesus, “Master of the sea,” hears our pleas for help, reaches out to us in LOVE, and lifts us up into the well-being of grace.’
Wow! Again, all I can say is, what a wonderful God we serve my people! Please show Him His much-deserved reverence and adoration! Much LOVE!
…if it wasn’t for God’s great LOVE…we’d all be headed for hellfire and damnation…
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
02 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a modicum of circumspection, a new year, and reaching forth, Bob Marley, by the example we faithful believers set, crapaud smoke we pipe, crying out for help, currently running rampant in our world, dictatorship, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine commendation, everywhere will be war, excessive hunger for power, experiencing Christ's power, experiencing the resurrected life, faith, for the prize of the high calling of God, forget our guilt or past successes, forgetting those things which are behind, Friday chant, get out of hand, greed, Haile Selassie I, heavenly reward for reaching this goal on earth, holds one race superior and another inferior, holy spirit, I count not myself to have apprehended, I press toward the mark, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, keep our focus heavenward, keep the populace under control, know christ as well as I can, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, look forward to what is ahead of us, lose the many advantages derived from using our differences as roadblocks, LOVE, make a positive difference, mankind's differences, mercy, more heavenly than earthly minded, moth and rust doth corrupt, negative and evil stuff, no longer first and second-class citizens, nothing will change without big overriding changes, of no more significance than the colour of his eyes, omnipotent help, our sinful world, participating in Christ's suffering, permanently discredited and abandoned, play up rather than play down our differences, practice the philosophy, prejudiced tools, problems are escalating, procrastinating attitude, put out differences behind us, reaching forth unto those things that are before, remain but a fleeting illusion, return backsliders to your fold, rumours of war, salvation, selfishness, show them the error of their ways, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the colour of a man's skin, the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation, the dream of lasting peace, the goal of knowing Jesus to the best of our ability, the gospel truth, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, the joyful personal satisfaction, the prize, the rule of international morality, the weekend, thieves break through and steal, this one thing I do, to be pursued but never attained, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, ungodly times, until basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, until that day, using our differences as roadblocks, wake up and smell the coffee, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, wisdom, wise guidance, without regard to race, world citizenship
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And would you believe it, we’re already into the second day of this new year of 2026, and the partying will continue over the weekend, after offering up the Friday anthem: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Now, nothing’s wrong with partying, but there needs to be a modicum of circumspection attached to it, otherwise things will eventually get out of hand, as they’ve recently gotten out of hand in many other aspects of life in our world. And we can’t expect our greedy, strife filled world to turn around in only two days, or because it’s a new year.
To tell the truth, this new year stuff is simply another way for the powers that be to make money and keep the populace under control, for not much usually changes from one year to the next. Now, in an attempt to get over my lazy and procrastinating attitude for this new year, (smile) after several months of ignoring it, I finally went into my music studio last night and played some music. And one of the songs I played was one by Bob Marley that makes an impact on me every time I hear it, and which is rather appropriate for these evil and ungodly times. The song’s simply titled ‘WAR.’
It’s where he takes the words of a speech given by the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I in California in 1968 and puts it to music. And it prophetically declares: ‘…Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior, is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned. That until there are no longer first and second-class citizens of any nation. Until the colour of a man’s skin is of no more significance than his eyes. That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regard to race. That until that day, the dream of lasting peace, world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained…And everywhere will be war…ah say war…’
And that my people is the gospel truth! Until we stop using our differences as roadblocks to our future, that future will be filled with nothing but war and rumours of war, of greed and selfishness, of excessive hunger for power and dictatorship and all the other negative and evil stuff that’s currently running rampant in our world. So all this guff or foolishness we spout at the end of every year is just that, for nothing is going to change until we make those big overriding changes mentioned in Haile Selassie’s speech above. And who really wants to make them eh, or even be responsible for making them?
None of the powers that be, nor many supposed Christians either, because it will take away the many advantages they possess from using the prejudiced tools that play up, rather than play down our differences. That’s why, to make a difference in this turbulent world, true believers have to put our differences behind us and do like Bruh Paul exhorted the Philippians in his letter. ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (known Christ as well as I can): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead), I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
Yes my fellow believers, if we want to undertake serious changes in our world, we have to forget all that’s behind us, any guilt or past successes, and look forward to what is ahead of us, that’s the goal of knowing Jesus to the best of our ability, with all that it implies. And the scholars point out, that basically means ‘experiencing Christ’s power and participating in His suffering, becoming more like Him in death, and experiencing the resurrected life.’ Now those are some of the important things we need to attend to in this new year, if we truly desire to improve both our lives and our world.
And what’s the purpose of, or prize for attaining that mark or goal, you ask? The scholars tell us: ‘The prize is the joyful personal satisfaction of having attained it, as well as the divine commendation and reward to be granted in heaven for having reached this goal on earth. The high calling of God is the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation.’ So, in the long run, we’re building up heavenly rewards and commendations for our Christ-like work on earth.
And there’s nothing better than doing that, for as Jesus so rightly exhorted us: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21)
And that’s more gospel truth my people! Wherever our treasures are stored that’s where our concentration will naturally follow. And since we’re more heavenly than earthly minded, (smile) let’s go the throne of grace through our Friday Chant to get divine aid to keep our focus heavenward. 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!’
Oh my people, do we ever desperately need to wake up and see the great amount of evil that’s being perpetrated in our world, with some of it even purported, or alleged to be under Jehovah God’s direction, and do our best to make a positive difference. Otherwise…crapaud smoke we pipe! It’s as simple as that! Much LOVE!
…until mankind’s differences are used for and not against him…our world will never know true peace…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 2026 the year for sincere action, a brother or sister be naked, a compassionate heart, a genuinely saved person does the will of the father, a great family, a more proactive and Christ-like attitude, a strong will, abundance, althugh you don't give them the things they need, be ye warmed and filled, broken right now in the name of Jesus, by grace are ye saved through faith, by their fruit ye shall know them, can faith save him, cast out devils in thy name, Christians must get up, courage, creativit, curse, depart from me ye that work iniquity, depart in peace, destitute of daily food, done many miracles in thy name, eternal life, eternal life is granted to those who show compassion, everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed, faith, faith if it hath no works is dead, fallen down on the job, false prophets, genuine faith results in good works, get together and fight for Christ, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good works follow salvation, gospel truth, Happy New Year, have we not prophesied in thy name, he that doeth the will of my Father, holy spirit, I never knew you depart from me, in thy name cast out devils, Jesus Christ, Jesus is intereceding for us in heaven, Jesus set the stage, less talk and more action, lest any man should boast, living and working for Jesus, living in continual obedience to God, LOVE, mercy, negative word, not of works, nothing is impossible with God, others can come to know and love Christ like we do, proving faith is alive, reaction to the new year, receive clear direction for my life, recreated by Jesus for good works, salvation, salvation is not of works, see the world go to hell in a handbasket, self-control, shew me thy faith without thy works, shew thee my faith by my works, talent, talk the good talk, the gift of God, the parable of the sheep and the goats, the world through him might be saved, true repentance, truth, what doth it profit, wisdom
James 2:17. Even so faith, if it hath no works, is dead, being alone.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!
It’s 2026 friends! Yes, the old year has gone and the new one has come. What will our reaction be to it eh? Let’s hope for all of our sakes and those of our descendants that it is a more proactive and Christ-like attitude than what we showed last year. I know I keep harping on Christ-like improvements, but my fellow believers, the truth of the matter is that’s the ONLY way our world will ever improve. If we don’t get up, get together and fight like one big army for Jesus, do you think the devil and his evil-doing cronies will do it? Obviously not! Because their confirmed desire is to see the whole world go to hell in a handbasket… and the sooner the better.
This year ought to be one of less talk and much more action, if we desire to see good and godly improvements in our world. Remember these most important words of Jesus? ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world though him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And Jesus came and did His part; set the stage for peace and LOVE and goodwill to men, with salvation and eternal life thrown in for good measure. (smile) But then He had to go back to heaven to do His work there, interceding for us, and left us to continue the good work He began down here.
But, unfortunately, we have fallen down on the job and allowed the evil doers to run rampant all over the world, so now we have an even bigger job to take it back from them. However, it’s not impossible, for when we’re living and working for Jesus, NOTHING is impossible! But it doesn’t happen on it’s own, or overnight, for as James so wisely reminds us: ‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works, can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath no works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.’ (James 2:14-18)
Oh my people, those words are filled with gospel truth, for in this life so many of us talk the good talk but do nothing to action it. And yes, it’s faith that gets you to heaven, but that faith is expected to have good works with it after we come to Christ. As this commentary tells us: ‘Genuine faith results in good works, proving it’s alive.’ And also as Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘For by grace are ye saved (you have been saved) through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any many should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.’ (Eph. 2:8-10)
The long and short of the story there is that we are can only be saved by grace through faith, which is a gift of God, so that man cannot boast about his own deeds. However, God had foreordained that we should do good works after being saved. As the scholars explain. ‘Created in Christ Jesus unto good works means “having been (morally) re-created by Christ Jesus for good works;” that is, Jesus remade our spiritual lives so that we could then do good works. The apostle’s thinking is this: since the Christian has been given spiritual life for the purpose of doing good works, there could have been no good works by him prior to conversion that would merit salvation. Good works follow – do not precede – salvation.’
So good works will not get us into heaven, but after we are come to faith we are expected to do good works in Christ’s name. It’s like Jesus said when talking about false prophets: ‘Every tree that bringeth not forth food fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruit ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils (demons)? and in thy name done many wonderful works (miracles)? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.’ (Matt. 7:19-23)
Yes friends doing all those outward things doesn’t mean that you’re sincere, for false prophets can also appear sincere. And as the scholars further explain: ‘Not everyone professing Christ is genuinely saved. Even the outward verbal acknowledgement of His lordship is in itself not enough to save the unbeliever apart from true repentance and faith. A genuinely saved person is one that doeth the will of my Father, the Greek present tense suggesting that he is continually living in obedience to the will of God as the normal course of his life.’
And if you want some more clarification on the subject, then you can check out Jesus’ parable about the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46, where, as this commentary breaks it down: ‘eternal life is granted to those who showed compassion (fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick), demonstrating faith through action.’ And that’s the moral of the story; we cannot have true faith without sincere good works, for they go together like a hand and a glove.
Now let’s go home declaring our undeserved Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do the good work He desires of us. What a wise and wonderful God we serve my people! Altogether: ‘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 awesome declaration (yesss!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…2026 is the year for sincere action…on the part of true believers…let’s beleive it…and act on it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a two-way relationship, after all these things do the Gentiles seek, after weeks and months of, all day long, all these things shall be added unto you, answered our prayers, bearing precious seed, bringing his sheaves with him, carrying seed to sow, Christians must become more actively involved, come again with rejoicing, crapaud smoke we pipe, Day of Rejoicing, endure to the very end with Christ, faith, glad to be alive, grow in spiritual maturity, he that goeth forth and weepeth, holy spirit, I am the good shepherd, it is happening to us, Jesus Christ, Jesus gave his life for the forgiveness of sins, keep God first place in our lives, laughing and singing, LOVE, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, New Year's Eve, new years have gotten worse than previous ones, noise makers, not turning back, One Year Book of Bible promises, only one resolution needed, our hearts are filled with unspeakable joy, our society encourages reaping without planting, put your trust and faith in Jesus, rain on the parade, reap the rewards of joy and plenty, reap with songs of joy, reaping the rewards of their toil and tears, return with songs of joy, riotous parties, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, Sermon on the Mount, sheaves, shouting and praising, shouts of joy, sow in tears, take no thought, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Good Shepherd - Jesus, the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep, the good shepherd knows his sheep, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, there must be a planting before a harvest, they that sow in tears shall reap in joy, to a glorious future with Jesus, to live for Jesus more fully, toil and labour through the tough times to sow good seed, truth, waiting and pleading, weeping tears of sorrow, what shall we drink, what shall we eat, whatever we need can be found in Jesus, wherewithal shall we be clothed, who goes out weeping, wisdom, your heavenly Father knows you need all these things
Psalm 126:5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Awright friends, it’s party time! New Year’s Eve is finally here and the party preparations are in full swing; food, music, clothing and noise makers are being prepared for the biggest party of the year! Some of us are looking at our lives and considering what would be good resolutions for the new year. But my people, there’s only ONE resolution we need to make, that’s to LOVE and sincerely follow Jesus; to grow in spiritual maturity and faith as we live for Him.
Remember what He says in the Sermon on the Mount? ‘Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:31-33)
Yes my brethren, our God knows exactly what we need, and if we keep Him first place in our lives, then He will make sure we don’t lack them. It’s like Bruh David says so simply, but awesomely in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) It’s a proven fact that when you put your trust and faith in the Good Shepherd Jesus, you never lack for anything you truly need.
And how do we know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd? Because He said so: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that’s exactly what He did; give His life so that we could be forgiven of our sins! And again He says: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:14) So there we have it; Jesus, as the Good Shepherd gave up His life for us, and knows those who belong to Him, and those who belong to Him, also know Him. It’s a beautiful two-way relationship, that you can never improve on!
Now, being in a somewhat humorous mood, I decided that for the last day of the year, we should also consider the last poem in our One Year Book of Bible Promises. (smile) And it turns out to be a rather interesting one, that I’ve possibly never shared before, but is aptly titled ‘Day of Rejoicing.’ So please read with me: ‘Lord, all day long we’ve been laughing and singing. We’ve been shouting and praising. After weeks and months Of waiting and pleading You have wonderfully answered our prayers. Our hearts are filled with unspeakable joy. You promised that those Who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. It is happening, dear Lord To us… to us!’
And yes, it is definitely happening to some of us, although relatively speaking to only a handful, for many are still weeping tears of sorrow. However, this season of Christmas and New Years is indeed a joyful one, where some who have shed tears all year long are now reaping the rewards of their toil and tears.
And what’s the Bible Promise for our poem? It comes from Psalm 126:5-6, which says: ‘They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth (to and fro) and weepeth, bearing precious seed (a bag of seed to sow), shall doubtless come again with rejoicing (shouts of joy), bringing his sheaves with him.’ Meanwhile the book gives us the (NIV) New International Version, which says: ‘Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy carrying sheaves with him.’
And if you didn’t know it, sheaves are bundles of grain stalks laid lengthwise and tied together after reaping. So, basically we’re talking about those who toil and labour through tough times to sow good seed, both literally and figuratively, will eventually reap the rewards of joy and plenty. For remember there must be a planting before a harvest can be reaped, although many of us in this selfish and greedy society try to reap without planting.
And I guess tonight there will be much joy and singing as the parties welcoming in the New Year of 2026 become full blown, and some even become riotous. And I don’t want to rain on the parade, (smile) but every year we go through the same motions, and so far the years have gotten worse than the previous one. Let’s hope that this one will be different, because as I believe I said yesterday, if it gets any worse than 2025 was, then crapaud smoke we pipe.
But the important thing is that for it to get better, we believers in Christ Jesus must become more actively involved, pouring out our salt and light on a dark and flavourless world! And that’s the ONLY way it will improve. So if we desire improvements, let’s get up and make them! End of Sermon!
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And for those who stick with Jesus right to the very end, there’s a promise that the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So please, let’s stick to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…be it the old year or a new one…whatever we need can be found in Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a piece of pottery, as the heavens are higher than the earth, be continually surprised by your vastness, be of good cheer, begun a good work in you, being confident of this very thing, but of power love and a sound mind, combat the forces of evil, come to know and love him like we do, December Prayer, do away with every limit, duty bound, dwell in your higher and better ways, enjoy the good life, every moment of my life, faith, fearful, forever find myself amazed, God has no limits, God has not given us a spirit of fear, greed, holy spirit, humbled in your presence, humbling ourselves before God, hurry, I fully understand you, i have overcome the world, I try to impose on you, improve our ways and thoughts, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the Master Potter's hands, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer to our every need, light of the world, LOVE, man-made disasters, mercy, my desire for certainty, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, natural disasters, neither are your ways my ways, new theatres of conflict, our job is to go about in faith, perform it until the day of jesus, plundering our world, poverty, promises, resolutions, resting and rejoicing in them, ring in the New year, salt of the earth, salvation, shaping us as closely as possible into the image of Jesus, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, so are my ways higher than your ways, stop putting God in a box, strife, tempted to think, the beloved of God, the gospel truth, the Prince of Peace, the Third World War, these things I have spoken unto you, trust my friend Jesus, trusting in god's faithful promises, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, with my whole heart, worry, your uneding wisdom kindness and grace
Isaiah 55:9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
And then it was Tuesday… the Eve of New Year’s Eve, and everyone’s trying to get ready for the big party, that will ring in the new year of 2026, with all sorts of new resolutions and promises etc. etc. But will the new year be any different from this one just past? Oh friends, I certainly hope and prayer that it is! Because 2025 has been one of unspeakable natural and manmade disasters, as well as enormous greed and poverty, where the powerful few have been busy grabbing more power and wealth, while leaving a large part of the population to suffer.
Not to mention the worldwide strife that’s been occurring, where instead of hearing of the end of conflicts, a new theater of conflict seems to be opening up almost every day. The world has become more ungodly and evil with Christians not doing much to help matters either, as we either enjoy the good life with no cares for what’s happening around us, or are too fearful to do anything to combat the forces of evil that are plundering our world.
We keep forgetting, or refuse to remember that we are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and most importantly that ‘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 with all of that happening in 2025, it’s hard for it to get worse, unless there is all-out war; the third and last World War. Consequently, let’s hope more of us choose to remember and action those wise words of God above this coming year.
And to help us turn things around in the new year, this prayer from the December In Touch Devotional is a very good place to start. So please pray with me: ‘Lord, when I’m tempted to think I fully understand You, do away with every limit I try to impose on You in my desire for certainty. Let me be continually surprised by Your vastness and dwell in Your higher and better ways, resting and rejoicing in them with my whole heart. May I forever find myself amazed by your unending wisdom, kindness and grace – humbled in Your presence every moment of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my people that prayer contains so many of the things we ought to be doing in this coming new year to better our world and uplift our great God! For instance, let’s stop putting God in a box, trying to know what He plans for or doesn’t plan for. In other words, stop limiting Him, when He has no limits. If He had limits then He would not be God. Our duty is to go about this earthly life in faith, trusting in His faithful promises to look out for us in all circumstances.
And then, it would be so wonderful if we could dwell and rejoice in His higher ways, and not our mediocre or devilish ones. Remember the scriptures tell us very clearly of God’s position as opposed to ours. The prophet Isaiah spells it out in plain language. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) And that’s the gospel truth! That’s why He is God and we are His creation.
However, although we will never reach to the level of ways and thoughts of God, it doesn’t mean we cannot try to improve our ways and thoughts, and thus come up higher than we are right now. And that’s exactly what the Lord desires of us, that’s why He is in the process of making us more like His wonderful Son Jesus every day. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6)
Yes my fellow believers, until the day that Jesus returns, or the Lord takes us home, we will be like a piece of pottery in the Master Potter’s hands, being shaped as closely as possible to the image of Jesus Christ! And if we take God out of the finite box many of us have Him in, then as the prayer says, we will be amazed by His unending wisdom, kindness and grace, and thus wanting to do what we’re supposed to; that’s humbling ourselves before Him for the rest of our lives.
Oh my faithful brethren, living faithfully for God in this evil world is not easy, especially when Satan makes it his duty to tempt us to turn away from God, but if we’re sincere in our faith, God will help us to get through it, despite all the many setbacks we will face. Remember what Jesus said: ‘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 that my fellow believers is the ONLY way we can ever have true peace in this ungodly and strife-filled world. Yes, for Jesus is indeed the Prince of Peace!
Now, let’s go home declaring 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 declared that prayer, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…how often must we say it before we truly believe it…Jesus IS the answer to our EVERY need…hopefully we will finally believe and action it in 2026…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good attitude, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a sacrifice for mankind, a true reflection of Jesus, all sinned and disobeyed your word, as to the Lord and not unto men, became obedient unto death, being found in fashion as a man, being in the form of God, Christians are too comfortable and fearful, divine aid, do an honest day's work, ease the pain, emptied himself of all his privileges, empty talk about Jesus, faith, having a good attitude every day, he that does wrong, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, humbled himself, if any man will come after me, if you love me keep my commandments, impartiality, in all sincerity and truth, it takes two to tango, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is depending on us, Jesus loved the Father, Jesus put His life on the line for us, keep the Christmas Season going, keep your promise to prosper us, knowing that of the Lord, let him deny himself, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, live for Christ, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, mass confusion, mercy, need to turn things around, New Year's Eve, no respect of persons, not willing to go to bat for Jesus, praise Your Holy Name, pray, promised to hear and answer our prayers, receive for the wrong he has done, receive the reward of the inheritance, salvation, showing the world, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, Stand up Stand up for Jesus, taalk without any worthwhile action, take up his cross daily and follow me, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the death of the cross, the general trend, the God who heals, the many suffering from negative situations, the power to solve our problems, the throne of grace, the trumpet call obey, thought it not robbery, to alleviate our problems, to be equal with God, to do as little as possible, to do the jobs we signed up for as disciples, took upon him the form of a servant, tough consequences for disobedience, treacherous roads, truth, turbulent times, turn from our evil ways, whatsoever ye do do it heartily, wisdom, wise guidance, ye serve the Lord Christ
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
And if you are not one of the smart, blessed or lucky ones who have the day off, (smile) then you would have gone out to work in the bad weather this Monday morning, a few days before New Year’s Eve. Let’s hope you were careful on the roads, for most likely they were very treacherous, what with the combination of rain, snow, freezing rain and sleet we’ve had this weekend.
Now, although Christmas Day has passed, the season isn’t over, so please keep the peace, LOVE and joy going, wherever you may be, for we desperately need to turn things around in our old world for this new year. Jesus is depending on us to do the jobs we signed up for when we became His disciples. It’s like He said: “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) That means getting out there every day with a good attitude, even though life might not be the greatest, and showing the world a true reflection of Jesus.
Obviously it’s not easy, but it’s what is expected of us as true and sincere believers. None of us like the idea of sacrificing anything, but do you think Jesus liked the idea of sacrificing Himself on that rugged cross? No way! But the Father asked it of Him, for our benefit, and since He LOVED the Father and wanted to be obedient to Him, He valiantly put His life on the line for us.
And Bruh Paul puts it very plainly in his letter to the Philippians. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of all his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8)
Yuh see that my fellow believers, Jesus gave up everything He had to come to earth to die in our place. So, please don’t tell me that we can’t suffer and sacrifice a little on His behalf. And that’s exactly why our world is in such an evil and ungodly mess; we Christians have gotten too comfortable and fearful and thus are not willing to go to bat for Jesus as much as is necessary, but we keep crying out to Him for help when troubles befall us and bold facedly expect Him to help us.
But don’t forget that it takes two to tango, and two hands to wash each other, so if we need Jesus’ help, we must do what He desires. Remember His words: ‘If you LOVE me, you will keep my commandments.’ (John 15:15) So all the empty talk we spout about Jesus is just that; talk without any worthwhile action. And please note that Jesus does not expect us to kill ourselves on His behalf, but just to do an honest day’s work, like we would do for our earthly employers.
But then, that brings up the interesting question of how many of us in today’s greedy and selfish society, do an honest day’s work? Hn! Definitely not the majority, since the general trend is to do as little as possible, or as little as we can get away with. But that is not the way Jesus wants His believers to behave.
Bruh Paul also made that quite clear when he said in his letter to the Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. For he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: And there is no respect of persons.’ (Colo. 3:23-25)
Yes friends, when we live for Christ, we are expected do things diligently and excellently, as though we are doing it for Him, for in the end we will receive the reward for our good attitude from Him. And likewise, if we do wrong, we will also receive the tough consequences for our disobedience, for God is impartial. Now, to help us handle all that is coming and will come against us, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these turbulent times.
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!’
Now it’s up to us to do what our prayer says; turn from our evil ways, so that God can prosper us. And that in turn means going to God for help in all sincerity and truth…if we truly desire divine aid. Much LOVE!
…it’s high time Christians action what we so lustily sing…Stand up…Stand up for Jesus…the trumpet call obey…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, a refusal to quit, about the tough rows that I've hoed, all at once, all things work together for good, always get up one more time, amass a lot of earthly wealth, called according to His purpose, courage to go on living, defining characteristic, don't worry about that much, Drinking from my Saucer, eternal life, faith, fall seven times stand up eight, falling isn't the end, fellowship, go along life's journey, God's love never fails, going through some rough times, grateful for God's grace and mercy, grin and bear our burdens, haven't got a lot of riches, holy spirit, I pronounce a blessing on your life, I'll not ask for other blessings, I'm already blessed enough, I'm happy anyhow, I've got a friend in Jesus, I've never made a fortune, if God gives me strength, in the name of Jesus, Jabez, Jesus Christ, keep drinking from my saucer, keep on fighting the good fight, Lord help me not to grumble and complain, LOVE, make the dark clouds disappear, make the sun to shine again, may I never be too busy, mercy, my cup has overflowed, my faith wore somewhat thin, never give up, nothing to complain about, our cup is still overflowing, perseverance through life's trials, persistence, prosper and be in good health, reaping better than I sow, reconciliation, resilience, rising is what matters, salvation, setbacks are temporary, sometimes the going's rough, thank God for all his blessings, that makes me rich enough, the dark clouds broke, the greatest gift ever given to man, the just recover from setbacks, the key to overcoming life's challenges, the mercies he's bestowed, the modus operandi of christians, the pilgrim's life, the sacrifices Jesus endured for us, the storms of life, the sun peeped through again, the wicked shall fall into mischief, the wicked shall stumble into calamity, the wicked succumb to calamity, there is no giving up in Jesus' kingdom, times when things went wrong, to help others bear their loads, to them that love God, too late now, truth, we worship you Lord, when the way grows steep and rough, wisdom, with all of our hearts souls bodies and minds
Proverbs 24:16. For a just (righteous) man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).
So it’s the first Sunday after Christmas and many of us are tired from all the preparing and celebrating, but please, let’s not forget the necessity for going to the Lord’s house today to thank Him for all He’s done, is doing and has promised to do for us, especially sending us the greatest gift ever; Jesus, to live and die and bring us salvation, eternal life, and wonderful reconciliation with Himself. Nothing can be better than that my people!
That’s why today we’ll sing this most appropriate song, Drinking From My Saucer, letting the Lord know how grateful we are for His grace and mercy. And we’ll do the song in the slow, soulful, heartfelt manner as that done by the Jamaican Gospel Artist, Jabez. First, we pray: ‘We Worship You Lord, we worship You with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds.’
Then we offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise, singing: ‘I’ve Never Made A Fortune, And It’s Probably Too Late Now, Oh but I Don’t Worry About That Much, Cause I’m Happy Anyhow. And As I Go Along Life’s Journey, I’m Reaping Better Than I Sow. I’m Drinking From My Saucer, Because My Cup Has Overflowed. I haven’t Got A Lot Of Riches, And Sometimes The Going’s Rough, But I’ve Got a friend in Jesus, And That Makes Me Rich Enough. I Thank God For all His Blessings on me, And The Mercies He’s Bestowed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed.
I Remember Times When Things went Wrong, And my Faith Wore Somewhat Thin, But All At Once The Dark Clouds Broke, And the Sun Peeped Through Again, (Monologue) You know, right now you may be going through some rough times in your life, but I’m here to encourage you today, not to give up. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! I pronounce a blessing upon your life, upon your family. You must prosper and be in good health in the name of Jesus. I believe it with all my heart’ (singing:)
So Lord, Help Me Not To Grumble and complain About The Tough Rows That I’ve Hoed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. And If God Gives Me Strength And Courage to go on living, When The Way Grows Steep And Rough I’ll Not Ask For Other Blessings Jesus, For I’m Already Blessed Enough, And May I Never Be Too Busy, To Help Others Bear Their Loads, Then I’ll Keep Drinking From My Saucer Lord, Because My Cup Has Overflowed! Yes, I’ll keep drinking from my saucer Lord, Cause my cup has overflowed, Oh my cup has overflowed…. Yes My cup has overflowed…’
And yes my fellow believers, did our cups ever overflow that Christmas night two thousand years ago when Jesus Christ was born in that smelly barn in Bethlehem. And what’s even better, is that our cup is still overflowing with the great sacrifices He’s so selflessly endured for us. As the song so rightfully says, most of us will never amass a lot of earthly wealth, and in any case, it might just be too late for some of us to do that, but the good thing about it all is that we’re not worried, because we’re still happy, and as we go along life’s journey, we’re reaping better than we sow; so much so that our cup is overflowing, causing us to drink from our saucer.
Now what else can we ask for eh friends? When one’s reaping more than one sows, and your cup is overflowing so that you are forced to drink from the saucer, then there’s nothing whatsoever to complain about. And even though the going ofttimes gets rough, we don’t question it, because we know that we have a wonderful friend named Jesus, who will look after us through all the storms of life, and will eventually make the dark, stormy clouds disappear and the sun to shine again.. And that makes us rich enough! Glory be!
And the monologue is very encouraging, exhorting us to NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! Now that is a veritable no-no for believers in Christ Jesus, for in His kingdom, there is NO giving up whatsoever! It’s as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘For a just (righteous) man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) And that’s the modus operandi of the Christian believer.
As this commentary explains: ‘The verse signifies that while good people face hardships and failures (falling), their defining characteristic is their resilience and persistence to get back up (rise again), contrasting with the wicked who collapse in disaster. The phrase “fall seven times, stand up eight” is a common interpretation, emphasizing that no matter how many times you’re knocked down, you must always get up one more time.
The core message is about perseverance through life’s trials, emphasizing that falling isn’t the end; rising is what matters. It highlights the difference between the just, who recover from setbacks, and the wicked, who ultimately succumb to calamity. In essence, this proverb serves as a powerful reminder that setbacks are temporary and that faith, persistence, and a refusal to quit are key to overcoming life’s challenges.’
Oh my faithful brethren, I could not have said it any better! So, let’s not grumble and complain about the tough times nuh, for it’s all a part of this pilgrim’s life we’re living down here on earth for Jesus, who is always blessing us, even when we don’t deserve it. That means we must grin and bear our burdens, hard though it may be, while helping others to bear theirs, for we have the greatest promise of all to look forward to, that from the book of Romans: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Yes friends, we must believe that God will eventually work everything out for our good as He’s so faithfully promised. Until then, we must keep on fighting the good fight, while drinking from our saucers, as our cups overflow with His grace, goodness and mercy. Much LOVE!
…it’s a proven fact…that GOD’s LOVE NEVER FAILS…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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