31 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: allow your aura of love, and again I say rejoice, be careful for nothing, be thankful for small mercies, be thankful unto God, bless His name, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, christianity, come before his presence with singing, cometh down from the Father of lights, constantly buffeted, didn't do us any favours, disobedience, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, even in th darkest times, every gift originates from God, every good and perfect gift is from above, faith, fill us with steadfast faith, furthering your glorious kingdom, get off course from God's will, give thanks, give thanks in whaever we do, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, go out to meet the enemy in battle, God is our Creator and Provider, god's mercies reset every day, great is thy faithfulness, his compassions fail not, his mercy is everlasting, his promise to be near us when we call, his truth endureth to all generations, humble servants, in all wisdom, in every thing give thanks, in everything by prayer and supplication with thanskgiving, into his courts with praise, it is he that made us not we ourselves, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, jobs, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, know ye that the Lord he is God, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, look for fresh quiet graces at the start of every morning, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, our bounden duty to serve him with gladness, pray without ceasing, rebelliousness, rejoice evermore, Rejoice in the Lord always, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, sally forth with confidence, salvation, serve the Lord with gladness, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, shout joyfully unto the Lord, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord, sure conquerors, teaching and admonishing one another, thankful for just being alive, thankfulness - the number one attitude of every believer, the best of the summer months, the BIBLE, the last day of August, the Lord is at hand, The Lord is good, the peace of God which passes all understanding, the right attitude, the sheep of his pasture, the throne of grace, therefore I have hope, they are new every morning, this is the day the Lord has made, this is the will of God in Christ concerning you, this recall to mind, to begin a new week of work, to lead and guide all your servants, truth, undeserving children of men, we are his people, we can praise God for his love, we know we're invincible, we surrender our all to you, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, whatsoever ye do in word or deed, wisdom, with whom there is no variableness, wrought in our weary souls
Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 August 2026 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
1 Thessalonians 5:18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
And then it was Monday one more time… but unfortunately, this last day of August did not do us any favours by being damp and cloudy. However we must give it thanks for being possibly the best of the three summer months; with no heat warnings and smoke from forest fires, but a constant, bearable summer temperature with plenty sunlight. And as the ole people would say, be thankful for small mercies, for who knows what kind of weather we’ll be having next. So goodbye August. Hope you come around quickly again! (smile)
And since we’re on the topic of being thankful, why don’t we check out a few of the many scriptures, especially in Psalms, that admonish/and or encourage us to be thankful to Almighty God. And possibly the best way to begin is with these words of wisdom from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Yes friends, those are the three basic duties of the Christian believer; pray, rejoice and give thanks. And if we do those in the right spirit, with the right attitude, then we can never get far off course from God’s will.
And regarding God’s mercies, we have this very poignant reminder from Jeremiah’s Lamentations. As he remembers his afflictions and how they humbled him, he says: ‘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) Now right there are some things we should continually be giving thanks for; God’s mercies, compassions and faithfulness, for without them we’d have already been consumed a long time ago by His wrath for our rebelliousness and disobedience. Or as this overview says: ‘God’s mercies reset every day. They remind us to look for fresh, quiet graces at the start of each morning.’
Then there’s this ole faithful: ‘This is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) Yes my brethren, we need to be oh so thankful for just being alive today. And these marvellous words of Psalm 100 – Serve with Gladness – puts it all into the proper perspective. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (100:1-5)
And there is no doubting those words, for God is indeed our Creator and Provider, and thus it’s our bounden duty to serve him with gladness and offer up much praise and thanksgiving for His wonderful goodness to us undeserving children of men. Meanwhile Bruh Paul advises the Philippians thus: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness, graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
There again we have those three things; rejoicing, praying and thanksgiving; the basis of our Christian life. And James reminds us that: ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) Meaning, everything good—no matter how small or simple—originates from God, and we ought to be thankful for whatever He gifts us with.
Then there are these awesome words from Bruh Paul to the Colossians. ‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts. to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:15-17) There again, we’re called to give thanks in whatever we do.
And I want to end with these interesting and wise words from one commentary. ‘When the peace of Christ rules in our hearts, thankfulness overflows. Even in the darkest of times, we can praise God for his LOVE, his sovereignty, and his promise to be near us when we call (Psalm 145:18). Thank you, Lord, for your peace that transcends understanding and your LOVE that endures forever. Amen!’ And for help to get it right, let’s go the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now let’s go out and do as we promised; further God’s kingdom here on earth! Much LOVE!
…thankfulness…should be the number one attitude of every believer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new work week, a double minded man is unstable in all his ways, a personal relationship with jesus, alcoholic beverages, all rested up, ambassadors for Christ, an inclement weekend, ask and it shall be given you, ask and ye shall receive, ask anything in my name and I will do it, ask for things that fit into God's will, ask in faith nothing wavering, ask me nothing, ask the Father in my name, ask what ye will and it shall be done, asked the Good Lord, be the salt of the earth, bear much fruit, because ye have loved me, believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ, believed that I came out from God, buffeted by the enemy's evil schemes, chomping at the bit, christianity, confidence toward God, confident of our victory, conquerors, divine aid, do those things that are pleasing in his sight, don't ask for selfish carnal things, driven with the wind and tossed, every one that asketh, faith, figurative language, fill us with steadfast faith, fired up, furthering your glorious kingdom, giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, he gave it to me, He gives liberally and without reproach, he that seeketh findeth, he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, he will give it to you, herein is my Father glorified, hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name, holy spirit, humble servants, I will see you again, if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, if our heart condemn us not, if ye abide in me and my words abide in you, in that day, incredible aura of LOVE, invincible, it shall be given him, it shall be opened, Jesus Christ, jobs, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, knock and it shall be opened unto you, lead and guide all your servants, let not that man think, LOVE, love one another as he gave us commandment, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, meet the enemy in battle, mercy, no more speak to you in proverbs, not doubting, pray the Father for you, receive anything of the Lord, rejuvenation of spirit, sally forth with confidence, salvation, satisfying our sinful urges, seek and ye shall find, serve a useful purpose, show you plainly of the Father, so shall ye be my disciples, spoken unto you in proverbs, submission to the Lordship of Christ, surrender our all to you, that will I do, the BIBLE, the disciple acting as the agent of Jesus, the energy and enthusiasm, the evil and ungodly world, the Father himself loveth you, the Father may be glorified in the Son, the inherent power in the name of Jesus, the light of the world, the promise of answered prayer, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the Sermon on the Mount, the throne of grace, the time cometh, the vine and the branches, to get out there and do good work for Christ, to him that knocketh, to tell the truth, truth, unlimited resources to do God's work, we keep His commandments, we receive of him, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, weary souls, whatsoever we ask, whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, wisdom, words of absolute wisdom, you now have sorrow, your heart shall rejoice, your joy may be full, your joy no man taketh from you
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 August 2026 John 14:13.
John 14:13. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
It’s a brand new work week friends, and we’re all rested up, fired up and chomping at the bit, to get out there on this Monday morning in August 2026! I know some of you must be wondering what I smoke or drank to be so enthusiastic about a windy and somewhat cloudy Monday morning, after a rather inclement weekend, that spoiled a lot of our outside entertainment. To tell the truth friends, I didn’t smoke or imbibe any kind of alcoholic beverage or uplifting drugs, I just asked the Good Lord for the energy and enthusiasm to get out there and do good work for Him, to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world that He desires me to be, and He gave it to me.
We keep forgetting what Jesus told us about asking for things. First off in the Sermon on the Mount He says: ‘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) So that’s the first lesson; if we want something, we must ask, seek and or knock for it. However, that does not refer to selfish, carnal, meaningless stuff. It must be things and stuff that fit into God’s will.
And having noted that proviso, we can now look to the gospel of John, where Jesus again informs us about asking for stuff. ‘And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.’ (John 14:13-14) And as the scholars explain: ‘In my name means “as My Agent.” The promise of answered prayer is based on the disciple acting as the agent of Jesus’ will (cf. 16:23-26). The promise is for unlimited resources to do the works of God.’
Then in the very next chapter, where He mentions about Him being the vine and we the branches, Jesus again talks about asking. This time He declares: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.’ (John 15:7-8) Yuh see mih bredrin, it’s all about bearing good fruit for Jesus; not just satisfying our own sinful, lustful urges.
And in the following chapter in telling the disciples about His going away, Jesus says: ‘And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day, ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name. He will give it to you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
These things I have spoken unto you in proverbs (figurative language): but the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs (figurative language) but shall shew (tell) you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself LOVETH you, because ye have LOVED me, and have believed that I came out from God.’ (John 16:22-27)
Ah mih people, as we saw yesterday, it’s all about the name of Jesus, the inherent power in His name because of His selfless and marvellous works. There must be faith, a personal relationship to Christ, as well as submission to His Lordship, if we hope to ask for stuff and be granted it. Remember we’re mainly ambassadors for Christ; meaning we need to do the work He desires of us, and if we abide in Him, and His words abide in us, then He will give us the resources to do His will. It’s as simple as that! (smile)
And James, Jesus’ brother, further informs us about asking, when He declares: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8) Words of absolute wisdom my brethren!
But John has the last word from his epistle. (smile) ‘Beloved if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and LOVE one another, as he gave us commandment.’ (1 John 3:21-23) And now, having all of that knowledge about asking for stuff, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, confidently, but humbly and faithfully seeking divine aid to do God’s work.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And with our prayer being successfully answered, let’s go out and meet the enemy in battle, confident of our victory in Jesus’ name! Much LOVE!
…to ask…to ask…and yet to ask in faith…in Jesus’ name…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a magnificent day, a perishable crown, acceptable unto God, achieve glory, always abounding in the work of the Lord, an awesome greeting, an imperishable crown, an incorruptible crown, an indisputable fact, be a castaway, be disqualified, be not conformed to this world, be of good cheer, be rewarded with glorious victory, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, be ye steadfast, bondaged to Satan, bought with a price, bring it into subjection, but one receiveth the prize, by the mercies of God, children of the Most High God, Christ's sacrificial death, Christians, clothed by freedom in Christ, competes for the prize, conquering power, constantly bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, disciplining our minds and bodies, divine aid, does man have access to God, don't allow the world to contaminate you, enter thou into the joy of the Lord, even our faith, every man that striveth for mastery, expect to come out victorious, face the music of the working world, faith, faithful over a few things, fill us with steadfast faith, find favour with God, finished my course, finished my race, fought a good fight, furthering your glorious kingdom, getting serious about living for Jesus, give me at that day, glorify God in your body and spirit, go out to meet the enemy in battle, God is sovereign over the world, God's presence within us, he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, holy, holy spirit, honour God with how we live our lives, humble servants, humbly ask, I beseech you therefore brethren, I discipline my body, i have overcome the world, I have preached to others, I keep under my body, I therefore so run, in a practical manner, in me ye might have peace, in our endeavours for Christ, in the world ye shall have tribulation, into the evil and ungodly world, invincible, irrevocable presentation, Jesus Christ, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, kept the faith, know ye not, lest that by any means, LOVE, make thee a ruler over many things, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, my beloved brethren, not as one that beateth the air, not to me only, on Christ's behalf, one more Monday, one more time unto the breach, only through the Son, present your bodies a living sacrifice, prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God, put on the new man, rejuvenation of spirit, rewarded with a crown of righteousness, run not as uncertainly, run that ye may obtain, sally forth with confidence, salvation, self-control, so fight I, sure conquerors, take off the old man, temperate in all things, thankful for jobs, thanks be to God who gives us the victory, the BIBLE, the christian life begins with total commitment, the indwelling of the Holy spirit, the joy of the Lord, the judgement day, the parable of the five talents, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the righteous judge, the righteousness of God is manifested, the throne of grace, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, these things I have spoken unto you, they which run in a race run all, this is the victory that overcometh the world, through him that loved us, through our Lord Jesus christ, to lead and guide all your servants, to obtain a corruptible crown, trials and tribulations, truth, unmoveable, unto all them that love his appearing, we surrender our all to you, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, well done thou good and faithful servant, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, who is he that overcometh the world, wisdom, ye are not your own, you've wrought in our weary souls, your body is the temple of the holy Ghost, your incredible aura of love, your labour is not in vain, your reasonable service
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 August 2026 1 John 5:5.
1 John 5:5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.
One more Monday, one more time unto the breach dear friends, one more time to face the music of the working world! And though we may experience numerous trials and tribulations in our endeavours for Christ, we fully expect to come out victorious because we are the children of Most High God, and thus sure conquerors through him that LOVED us. And that’s an indisputable fact! If we diligently pursue God’s will for our lives, then we will eventually be rewarded with glorious victory!
As John so rightly states in his first epistle: ‘For whatsoever is born of God (every believer born of God) overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.’ (1 John 5:4-5) And I like the scholars’ explanation of that last verse. ‘There is conquering power through this confession because God is sovereign over the world, and only through the Son does man have access to and find favour with God.’
Jesus Himself also spoke about overcoming the world when He said to the disciples, and consequently to us. ‘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) So John’s words are gospel truth.
And Bruh Paul corroborates John’s words with his own testimony to the Corinthians: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:57-58)
And that’s for sure! The Lord will never give us work to do, then not reward us if we do it diligently and excellently. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy in his last letter. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (my race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:7-8)
Yes, my brethren, all who LOVE the Lord and faithfully do His bidding will be rewarded with a crown of righteousness come the judgement day. It will be just like the Jesus describes it in the parable of the five talents, where one of the servants did a good job with the duties given to him, and the Master rewards him thus: ‘Well done thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee a ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord.’ (Matt. 25:21)
Wow! What an awesome greeting, and what a magnificent day that will be when we receive it from Jesus! And how do we achieve that glory in a practical manner? Listen to some practical advice from Bruh Paul contained in his first letter to the Corinthians, which ties in very nicely with his comment to Timothy about running his race. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control).
Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown; but we an incorruptible (imperishable crown). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Yes friends, it all begins with disciplining our minds and bodies, getting serious about living for Jesus. As Bruh Paul further advocates: ‘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. 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. 12:1-2)
Now that’s not easy to do, but if we are to truly serve Christ, then we must do our best and don’t allow the world to contaminate us, neither in soul, body or mind. And according to the scholars, ‘This means that the Christian life begins with total commitment and irrevocable presentation. And our bodies are now to be presented to God as a channel through which the righteousness of God is manifested.’
For as Bruh Paul spells out in 1 Corinthians. ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Yes mih bredrin, we no longer belong to ourselves, but to God who paid a rather high price for us, through Christ’s sacrificial death, and with the indwelling Holy Spirit, or God’s presence within us, we are now called to honor God with how we live and treat ourselves.
And for divine aid to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour!
We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And having our prayers answered, let’s now go out and do sincere battle with the enemy on Christ’s behalf! Much LOVE!
…take off the old man…bondaged to Satan…and put on the new one…clothed by freedom in Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a built-in barrier, after ye have suffered a while, all will face temptation, allow your incredible aura of love, ambassadors of Christ, as a roaring lion, be able to bear it, be sober be vigilant, be tempted above that ye are able, begin a new week of work, buffeted by the enemy's wicked taunts, called us unto his eternal glory, cast into the lake of fire, casting all your care upon him, christianity, destructive schemes, disobedient to God's will, embrace Jesus and His salvation, eternal separation from God, exalt you in due time, experienced by your brethren, faith, fill us with steadfast faith, furthering your glorious kingdom, go out to meet the enemy in battle, God is faithful, god the father, God the Holy Ghost, God the son, God will make a way of escape, greater is he that is in you than he that's in the world, have it more abundantly, have overcome them, he careth for you, hell fire and damnation, holy spirit, humble servants, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I am come that they might have life, if god be for us who can be against us, in bondage to sin, Jesus Christ, Jesus has the keys to hell death and the grave, jobs, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, live under the heavy yoke of Satan, LOVE, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, make you perfect, mercy, negative consequences, no temptation has overtaken you, our weary souls, out and about on Monday, penchant for the lustful things of the world, rejuvenation of spirit, resist Satan, resuscitation of spirit, sally forth with confidence, salvation, Satan's looking for company, scriptures to strengthen us in temptation, sealed until the day of redemption, secured by God through the Holy Spirit, spread our salt and light, stablish strengthen settle you, such as is common to man, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, the BIBLE, the crucifixion death and resurrection of Christ, the evil one, the God of all grace, the lake of fire, the options of salvation and eternal life, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the same afflictions are accomplished by your brethren, the strongest trio in our corner, the thief cometh not but to steal, the throne of grace, the way to spend eternity, the worst thing that can happen to a human soul, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, to kill and destroy, to lead and guide all your servants, tormented day and night for ever, truth, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, we know we're invincible, we're not afraid, wearing your protective spiritual armour, whom resist steadfast in the faith, wisdom, with the temptation, work diligently for Christ, ye are of God little children, your adversary the devil
Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 August 2026 1 John 4:4b.
1 John 4:4b. greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
And we’re out and about again on a sunshiny but somewhat cloud-covered Monday, as ambassadors of Jesus Christ, anxious to spread our salt and light before the unbelievers of this evil and ungodly world, so that they can come to know and understand the valuable options of salvation and eternal life that the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus made available to all mankind.
That they would no longer have to live under the heavy yoke of Satan, the evil one, whose only desire is to turn us away from Jehovah God, to keep us in bondage to sin and darkness, to be rebellious and disobedient to God’s holy will, thus destroying our souls and ending up in eternal separation from our Creator, the worst thing that can happen to a human soul.
That’s why Jesus in His talk about being the good shepherd warns us: ‘The thief cometh not but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) The long and short of the story friends is that Satan is looking for company to face all the negative consequences that He will eventually face, like hell fire and damnation for a thousand years, then after being released for a short while to continue his destructive behaviour, finally being tossed into the great lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented day and night for ever. (Rev. 20: 1-10)
Oh my people, is that the way we desire to spend eternity? Obviously not, that’s why we must embrace Jesus and His salvation while resisting Satan and all his destructive schemes, or as Peter puts it: ‘Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. (1 Pet. 5:6-9)
Yes mih bredrin, all of us will face temptation, but when we trust Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we receive a built-in barrier, the Holy Spirit, that helps us to resist said temptation. But it doesn’t occur automatically; we also need to talk to and listen to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide us. Please note that the devil has no real power against us unless we give it to him, for the Holy Spirit has sealed us until the day of redemption, (Eph. 4:30) which means that believers are marked, owned, and secured by God through the Holy Spirit until their final salvation. (Eph. 1:13-14)
And the wonderful thing about all of that is as John says in his first epistle: ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them (false prophets): because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4) And that’s one thing we must never forget; Jesus, in the form of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, is greater than Satan or any of his evil cohorts in this dark world. And Satan knows that too, since He’s been defeated by Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection, and now possesses the keys to hell death and the grave.
But the evil one is optimistic if nothing else, plus he knows our penchant for the lustful things of the world and thus keeps coming back to us every so often to try to inveigle us to fall for his temptations. But here are a couple of scriptures that ought to strengthen us in the face of Satan’s attacks. Bruh Paul writes thus in his first letter to the Corinthians: ‘There has no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13)
In other words, the Lord might not allow us to escape the temptation, for whatever reason(s) He has, like testing our faith, but He will certainly give us the strength to endure said temptation. And Peter ends his talk about resisting the devil thus: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:10-11)
So you see once we’ve accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, we are never alone, so there’s no reason to fear the evil doers and evil schemes of this evil world, because we have the strongest trio in the universe in our corner; that’s God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. And they are so wonderful that they have invited us to come to the throne of grace at any time to find help. So, let’s do that right now through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn nuh.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And having had that resuscitation of spirit and confidence, (smile) let’s go out and work diligently for Christ, like we ought to! Much LOVE!
…if God be for us…who can be against us eh… (Rom. 8:31)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fugitive, a lowly sheperd, all of it, all the earth may know, allow your incredible aura of love, always remembered, anointed king of Israel, August Civic Holiday, avoid negative consequences, begin a new week of work, carrying your loved ones as you go, celebrating, Christians, constantly bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, David moves from glory to glory, David refused to kill Saul, David taunted Goliath, divine aid, doing heroic deeds, doing right by everyone, every day, every hour, every minute that we have breath, expect the best, faith, faithfully holding them in prayer, fight the traffic, fill us with steadfast faith, filled with the Lord's Spirit, furthering your glorious kingdom, get to work on time, give the carcasses of the Philistines, go out to meet the enemy in battle, Goliath, good example of moving forward is faith is David's story, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine, holy spirit, honouring this life, how you move beyond what's comfortable, how you move forward in faith, how you show up, I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, I will smite thee, if the Lord spares life, into the evil and ungodly world, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, jobs that serve a useful purpose, July In Touch Devotional, keeping lives and families together, killing a lion and a bear, knowing God is carrying you through, lead and guide your servants, LOVE, loving sacrifically, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, modicum of circumspection, moving forward with God, not perfectly, on the long days, on which side his bread was buttered, out of the paw of the bear, out of the paw of the lion, places his trust, present with the people around you, rejuvenation of spirit, remaining steady, remembering where God has taken you so far, rise and shine, sally forth with confidence, salvation, Saul's jealousy, stand strong in the Lord, staying open to where God will take you, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, take thine head from thee, the battle is the Lord's, the BIBLE, the boring days, the God of his forefathers, the God of the armies of Israel, the life you'e been entrusted with, the Lord be with thee, the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, the Lord that delivered me, the Lord will work it out to your advantage in the end, the Lord's anointed, the rain dampened the party spirit, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the throne of grace, the wish-it-were-already-tomorrow days, there is a God in Israel, these difficult and uncertain times, this day will the Lord deliver thee into my hands, to the wild beasts of the earth, truth, unto the fowls of the air, waited twenty years to become king, we're here for that journey, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, weary souls, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 August 2026 1 Samuel 17:37a.
1 Samuel 17:37a. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.
And then it was Monday; the August Civic Holiday, which means many of us don’t have to rise and shine early and fight the traffic to get to work on time, but can continue partying,. (smile) And although yesterday’s rain somewhat dampened the party spirit, today has opened bright and sunshiny, so that party spirit will obviously be easily renewed.. Anyway, let’s remember not to overdo it, to apply that modicum of circumspection, and thus avoid any negative consequences. (smile)
Now, let’s look at an interesting article in poem form from the July In Touch Devotional. There’s no title as such, so please read with me. ‘This is how you move forward in faith: by remembering where God has taken you so far and staying open to where He’ll take you tomorrow. This is how you show up: by carrying your LOVED ones as you go, every hour, every day – not perfectly but faithfully holding them in prayer. This is how you move beyond what’s comfortable: by LOVING sacrificially, doing right by everyone, honouring this life you’ve been entrusted with. Even on the long days, the boring days, the wish-it-were-already-tomorrow days. Remaining steady, present with the people around you. Knowing God is carrying you through. We’re here for that journey. All of it.’
That poem definitely contains some very interesting and valuable information, and I like how they break it down into sections; like how to move forward in faith, etc. And talking about moving forward in faith, the article advises we do that by remembering where the Lord has taken us from and staying open to where He’ll carry you later. And one of the best examples of that in the Bible is Bruh David. As we read his story, we see how he moves from glory to glory as he places his trust in the God of his forefathers.
He began as a lowly shepherd, then suddenly found himself anointed to be the next king of Israel. (1 Sam. 16:13) And when King Saul questioned his ability to fight the Philistine giant Goliath, he confidently informed Saul about his killing of a lion and a bear while managing his father’s sheep. ‘David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.’ (1 Sam. 17:37)
Furthermore, when Bruh went out to meet Goliath, he boldly taunted him: ‘Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite (strike) thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.’ (1 Sam. 17:45-47)
Mama Mia! Was Bruh David the teenager, ever filled with the Lord’s Spirit, remembering how the Lord had helped him in his fight with the lion and the bear, and expecting Him to do the same against the giant Philistine. And so said, so done. Bruh David became a hero, and continued doing heroic deeds, but always remembered on which side his bread was buttered, constantly moving forward with God, growing in faith, even when Saul’s jealousy made him a fugitive. Then, when he had the chance to kill Saul, he refused to do it, considering him the Lord’s anointed.
And how many of us would have waited some twenty years after being anointed to become king eh, while going through all the tough times he encountered? Not many. But that’s the only way to grow in faith; remember what the Lord has taken you through, expect the best, but stand strong in the Lord, even if it doesn’t happen, knowing that in the end, the Lord will work it all out to your advantage.
And I’m chuckling here friends because I never expected to spend so much time on this one aspect of the poem, but that’s how I was led. And since time and space are now in short supply, if the Lord spares life tomorrow, we’ll continue looking at the other aspects of the poem. In the meanwhile, let’s humbly but confidently approach the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these difficult and uncertain times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!
And we’re expected to make inroads into the enemy’s ranks and further God’s kingdom, every minute that we have breath, meaning that we do it all the time, even when we’re celebrating. (smile) Much LOVE!
…never forget who brought you to where you are…and who will take you further…Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a desire for easy living, a desire to be comfortable, a little folding of the hands to sleep, a little sleep, a little slumber, a prowler, a secret destination, a secret purpose, allow your incredible aura of love, amenitites that make life easy, as a thief in the night, as one that travelleth, be as busy as the days, be prepared for whenever Jesus returns, be ye also ready, begin a new week of work, buffeted and bombarded, busy like bees, consider her ways and be wise, diligence, dire poverty, divine aid, faith, fill us with steadfast faith, filled with doom and gloom, for in such an hour as ye think not, foresight, furthering your glorious kingdom, gathereth her food in the harvest, get left behind, go out to meet the enemy in battle, go to the ant thou sluggard, having no guide overseer ruler, he becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand, holy spirit, how long wilt thou sleep O sluggard, into the evil and ungodly world, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs that serve a useful purpose, known when the thief would come, laggards, laziness leads to dire poverty, lead and guide all your servants, leaves a lot to be desired, life lessons, living in our efforts of yesteryear, living on past glory, LOVE, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, not allowed his house to be broken into, perpetual laziness, poverty comes quickly and unexpectedly, prepare for unpredictable circumstances, prepare for unpredictable situations, prosperity comes from diligent work, prosperity requires contiual diligence, provideth her meat in the summer, raise our work ethic, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, sally forth with confidence, salvation, self-motivation, serve a useful purpose, so shall thy poverty come, stop being lackadaisical, suffer the resulting consequences, sure conquerors, the ant is a self-starter, the enemy's evil schemes, the error of their ways, the goodman of the house, the hand of the diligent maketh rich, the last Monday in July, the sense of entitlement, the Son of man cometh, the throne of grace, this generation's work ethic, thy want as an armed man, treading down a road to certain destruction, truth, unpredictable times, unstable and uncertain times, we surrender our all to you, we're not afraid, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, what a surprise, when wilt thou arise, wisdom, work ethic, would have watched, wrought in our weary souls
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 July 2026 Proverbs 6:6.
Proverbs 6:6. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
And here we are on a hot, somewhat cloudy day; the last Monday in July…what a surprise! It should not be, because the days are rapidly moving ahead as though they have some secret purpose; some secret destination to reach in a certain amount of time and they are just busy like bees going about their jobs, regardless of if it’s causing some of us problems. (smile)
The truth though, is that we should be just as busy as the days are, doing what God has called us to do. We cannot afford to be laggards, or else we’ll simply get left behind and thus suffer the resulting consequences. And that advice is even more apropos for today’s world than ever before, since every day more problems are arising and what was once a reasonably sure and secure life, now seems unstable and uncertain at the best of times.
And how are we supposed to behave, you ask? Generally speaking, as Jesus desires, but I guess more specifically and to the point, as Cousin Sol advises in Proverbs. ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide (leader), overseer or ruler, Provideth her meat (grains, bread) in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.’ (Prov. 6:6-8) Now that’s a wonderful bit of advice for all of us!
Yes friends, Cousin Sol is using the lowly ant to teach us life lessons re that most important subject of work ethic; ‘featuring themes of diligence, foresight and self-motivation.’ And that’s rather interesting, since the ant has neither, leader, ruler nor overseer to guide him, but nonetheless knows instinctively to collect food in the summer harvest months so that he will be able to survive in the hard, cold winter months. In other words, as the scholars say: ‘The ant is a self-starter, and is wise enough to prepare for unpredictable circumstances.’
And all of us know that our crazy times can, and will produce unpredictable circumstances, that’s why it’s ever so necessary to do our best and be prepared for them when they come. But Cousin Sol doesn’t only point out the ant’s wise work ethic; he also preaches to the sluggard, lazy person directly, showing them the error of their ways.
He asks? ‘How long wilt thou sleep (lie down, be lazy), O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth (a prowler), and thy want (need) as an armed man.’ (Prov. 6:9-11) Yes my bredrin, perpetual laziness is filled with only doom and gloom. As Cousin Sol points out; it leads to dire poverty, and that dire poverty will come as quickly, unexpectedly and decisively as a robber or thief hits in the dark of night.
Remember how Jesus warned about His return. ‘But know this, that if the goodman (master) of the house had known in what watch (hour) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up (into). Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:43-44)
Oh my people, just as we should stop being lackadaisical and be prepared for whenever Jesus returns, likewise we must stop being lazy in our work habits and prepare for the unpredictable circumstances that will arise, but which we will be unable to handle if we continue to be lazy. And sadly, in our very progressive world, we possess too many amenities that make life much easier than before, and when we add the sense of entitlement that currently permeates our society, they have bred a desire for comfortable, easy living.
Thus, the work ethic of this generation leaves a lot to be desired. And if they don’t wake up soon and realize that they are treading down a road to certain destruction, then that’s where they will eventually end up. And it’s very unfortunate, that we seem to gather more knowledge every day, but we also seem to lose just as much too, in particular this most important aspect; that prosperity arises out of sincere and serious work, but prosperity does not stick around long without continuous sincere and serious work.
And we see that happening all down through the ages; countries getting prosperous by encouraging a good work ethic, but when the prosperity arrives, the work ethic eventually dies and living on our efforts of yesteryear begin, and so does the decline and destruction of the society. However, as true believers in Jesus Christ, we have options, and one of those is to go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid in these most unpredictable times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And having said all of that, let’s now go out and raise our work ethic as required! Much LOVE!
…He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack (negligent) hand…but the hand of the diligent maketh rich… (Prov. 10:4)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a change of diet, a little child shall lead them, a new week of work, all people will walk in the name of his god, arenas of strife, as the waters cover the sea, be established on the top of the mountains, beat their swords into plowshares, belly and backbone, big headlines, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, chaos, constantly buffeted, destruction, divine aid, do our best for Jesus, every promise of God will be eventually fulfilled, evil deeds, faith, fill us with steadfast faith, for ever and ever, furthering your glorious kingdom, go out to meet the enemy in battle, he shall judge among many people, he will teach us of his ways, heartache, holy spirit, humble servants, humbly ask, hunky dory, in all it's potential fruitfulness, in the last days, it shall be exalted above the hills, it shall come to pass, Jesus Christ, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, LOVE, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore, none shall make them afraid, peace and harmony will characterize the Messiah's kingdom, people shall flow unto it, put his hand on the cockatrice den, ravenous animals, rebuke strong nations, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, right back where we started, sally forth with confidence, salvation, sit every man under his vine, strife, surrender our all to you, targeted by evildoers, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, the chaos currently consuming our world, the covenant between God and Israel, the cow and the bear shall feed, the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, the law shall go forth out of Zion, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the light of the world, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, the Lord's promise, the Millennium reign of Christ, the mountain of the house of the Lord, the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it, the salt of the earth, the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, the throne of grace, the weaned child, the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, their spears into pruninghooks, their young ones shall lie down together, they shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, to lead and guide all your servants, to the house of the God of Jacob, truth, under his fig tree, under Satan's direction, we know we're invincible, we will walk in his paths, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, weary souls, wisdom, your incredible aura of love
Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 July 2026 Micah 4:3b.
Micah 4:3b. nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
And we’re right back where we started… Monday; that glorious day that just invigorates us, as we go out into a new week to continue doing good work for Jesus in this evil and corrupt world. Somehow though, we don’t seem to be making much of a difference because every day new arenas of strife and hate seem to be opening up and old ones are not being closed. It’s easier to count the countries where no serious strife exists than to count those that are being targeted by the evildoers under Satan’s direction.
There are so many, that most of them no longer make the headlines but have become forgotten in light of the more newsworthy ones, like that between the U.S and Iran, Israel and Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, and Russia and the Ukraine. All those in places like Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and several other states in Africa and the Eastern world, as well as in South America, are now being ignored because they don’t make big headlines and sell news like the bigger ones now on centre stage. But unfortunately, many of those smaller ones have been around longer than the big ones and are creating just as much strife and heartache as those we’re now focused on.
Oh, how we long for that day when the Lord’s promise as declared by Isaiah and Micah will come true. Micah says it thus: ‘But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in (on) the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people (peoples) shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of (out of) Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among (between) many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks (pruning knives): nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.’ (Mic. 4: 1-5)
Oh my people, what a blessed day that will be, as the scholars explain, when Jesus comes to set up His Millenium reign, and every promise given to Abraham and to Israel will ultimately be fulfilled. They also explain that ‘the vine and fig tree are both native to Israel. They flourish into luxuriant, natural arbours under which people can sit and enjoy fellowship while being shaded from the heat of the day. Both were used symbolically to represent the basic covenant between God and Israel in all its potential fruitfulness.’
And wouldn’t it be glorious to be sitting in such shade and enjoying peaceful and LOVING fellowship with each other, rather than the hate, anger, strife, evil deeds, destruction and chaos that’s currently consuming our world? It surely would be! But I guess until such time as Jesus returns, we’ll just have to exhibit much belly and backbone while doing what little we can to improve it. I’m also dying to see this other prophecy from Isaiah.
‘The wolf shall also dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed (graze); their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling (nursing) child shall play on the hole of the asp (cobra), and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ (viper’s) den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.’ (Is. 11:6-9)
What a day that will be when the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord! But that also seems to be not until Christ comes again to take up His rightful rule. As the scholars say: ‘Peace and harmony will characterize the Messiahs kingdom. Ravenous predatory animals – wolf, leopard, lion and bear – are set in deliberate contrast to the more defenseless lamb, kid, calf, cow and ox.
That the lion shall eat straw implies a change of diet. Even the asp and the cockatrice (snakes) will be harmless to a small child. Isaiah sees the Messiah ruling the world in righteousness and a peace that extends even to the animal kingdom. During this time the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Thus the prophet sees beyond the restoration of Judah to a time when the Messiah will rule the entire world.’
And we also look forward to that wonderful and amazing time, without wars and hate and strife, just LOVE and peace! Now, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us stand strong and steadfast in Christ until that marvellous day comes.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!
Now friends, it’s up to us to go out there and do our best for Jesus. Let’s remember that we’re the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and in Jesus we can do anything He calls us to do! Much LOVE!
…in the Messiah’s kingdom…everything will be hunky dory…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day in thy courts is better than a thousand, a reversal of fortune, acknowledgement of God's faithfulness, another new work week, be a doorkeeper, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, came upon me to devour my flesh, Christ is our be all and end all, doing our best, exalt him, faith, fill us with steadfast faith, God our shield, God shall wipe away all tears, goes round and round, he hath triumphed gloriously, he is become my salvation, he is my God, hide me in his pavilion, holy spirit, humble servants, I will sing unto the Lord, in the house of my God, in the secret of his tabernacle, in the time of trouble, in this will I be confident, incredible aura of LOVE, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our sin bearer, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together, laugh at those going to work, locked out of the new Jerusalem, look upon the face of thine anointed one, LOVE, make every day count, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, Messiah, mine enemies and my foes, my father's God, my heart shall not fear, names written in the Lamb's Book of Life, neither for brightness shall the moon give light, neither sorrow nor crying, no good thing will he withhold, no more death, no more pain, no need of the sun or moon, no night there, of whom shall I be afraid, praise God, prepare him an habitation, put our brave words into action, Redeemer, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, retirement, sally forth with confidence, salvation, set me upon a rock, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, the BIBLE, the days of thy mourning shall be ended, the fires of hell, the gates shall not be shut at all by day, the glory of God illuminated it, the grim reaper, the horse and his rider, the Lamb is the light thereof, the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it, The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is my strength and song, the Lord is the strength of my life, the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, the Lord will give grace and glory, the merry-go-round, the new heaven and the new earth, the song of Moses, the sons of Korah, the stage of our working life, the sun shall be no more thy light by day, the throne of grace, the wicked, them that walk uprightly, they stumbled and fell, though an host should encamp against me, though war should rise against me, thrown into the sea, to dwell in the tents of wickedness, to lead and guide all your servants, truth, walk in the light of it, wearing your powerful protective spiritual armour, whom shall I fear, wisdom, wisdom says be wise
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 July 2026 Psalm 27:1.
Psalm 27:1. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Another day, another Monday, another new work week! And the merry-go-round keeps going around and around, but just where does it stop? Who knows? Because that’s the way our society is set up. True relief might only be found when the Grim Reaper comes a calling. Or if you are lucky or blessed you might have a short time in what we call retirement, where you can lay in your bed on a Monday morning and just laugh at all those going out to labour.
Unfortunately though, many of us don’t get to enjoy such a reversal of fortune, and therefore we have to make every day count by doing our best while we’re out there on the stage of our working life. But enough of my amateur philosophizing, (smile) let’s see what the Lord wants us to talk about this Monday morning in mid-July. And the Good Library opened today at that marvellous, encouraging Psalm 27 – My Heart Shall Not Fear – so I assume that’s what the Lord wants us to consider today.
So, please read with me these beautiful and reassuring sentiments of Bruh David. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident… For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock.’ (Ps. 27:1-3; 5)
Yes friends, that’s the kind of God we serve and the way our faith ought to reassure us of God’s faithfulness, and strength. It’s like the song Moses sang unto the Lord about His defeat of Pharaoh’s army. ‘I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation (praise him); my father’s God, and I will exalt him.’ (Ex. 15:1-2) And Moses had cause to praise and exalt God, just like we do, for His sending Jesus to be our sin bearer, redeemer, Messiah; in fact, our Be All and End All!
Then the Sons of Korah also exalt God and praise His holy name in Psalm 84 – Rejoicing in God’s Tabernacle. ‘Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed (commissioned) one. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper (stand in the threshold) in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps. 84:9-12)
Meanwhile, Isaiah reassured his people thus: ‘The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.’ (Is. 60:19-20)
Oh my faithful brethren, the Lord is indeed our light and our salvation, and He keeps that promise in the Book of Revelation, where John says of the new heaven and new earth: ‘And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten (illuminate it), and the Lamb is the light thereof.
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And there shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh (causes) abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.’ (Rev. 21:22-27)
Ah mih bredrin, yuh see how important it is to have our names written in the Lamb’s book of life! For if your name’s not written therein, then you won’t be entering the new heaven and the new earth, you will be locked out of the new Jerusalem and will be spending time with Beelzebub and all his evil cronies in the fires of hell. And we all know that’s not a nice place to spend any time at all.
What we truly need to be enjoying then, is this wonderful situation that John describes in that New Jerusalem: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away’ (Rev. 21: 4) And I can only jump for joy and shout, ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ longing to see that day when there will be no more pain. (smile)
Now, with all that reassurance and encouragement under our belts, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us stand strong for Jesus, with our names indelibly recorded in the Lamb’s book of life. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour!
We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, let’s get out there and put those brave words into action! Much LOVE!
…Wisdom says…be wise…and live to see the New Jerusalem…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful summer's day, all the upright in heart shall follow it, allow your incredible aura of love, another work week, As many as I love I rebuke and chasten, be not among the winebibbers, be ready to accept corrections from God, be thou in fear of the Lord all the day long, be wise and guide thine heart in the way, be zealous therefore and repent, Blessed is the man whom the Lord chastens, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, chasteneth him betimes, chastening, chastens him promptly, child abuse, Christians, completely congruous with human practices, conquerors, corporal punishment, dangerous jobs, deliver his soul from hell, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, discipline, don't envy sinners, drive it far from him, drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags, drunkards, erred in their upbringing, evil and ungodly ways, faith, fighting to stay alive, fill us with steadfast faith, foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, forgotten the exhortation, forsake his inheritance, freedom to do what they want, furthering your glorious kingdom, futile, get serious about living in righteousness, give him rest from the days of adversity, gluttons, god, God's principle of discipline, he that loveth him, he that spareth the rod hateth his son, hear thou my son, holy spirit, humble servants, if thine heart be wise, if you beat a child with a rod he will not die, invincible, irresponsibility, Jesus Christ, jobs that serve a useful purpose, jobs we sometimes don't like, judgement shall return unto righteousness, judgement will prevail in the end, keeping lives and families together, lawlessness, let not thine heart envy sinners, LOVE, love and corporal punishment are not incongruous, make progress, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mercy, minor hardships, my heart shall rejoice, my innermost being shall rejoice, my reins shall rejoice, no sense of responsibility, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, over the weekend, parent like God, parental advice, prosper with the Lord's help, relief from adversity, reverence the Lord all day, riotous living, sally forth with confidence, salvation, scourgeth every son he receives, self-correction, speaketh unto you as unto children, surrender our all to you, teaches him out of thy law, tend to spoil those we love, thanks for our jobs, the church at Laodicea, the correction of a child, the current level of misbehaviour, the drunkard and glutton shall come to poverty, the hustle and bustle of our crazy world, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, the Lord will not cast off his people, the Lord's mysterious movements, the pit be digged for the wicked, the rejuvenation of Spirit, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the riotous eaters of flesh, the rod of correction, the thoughts of man are vanity, the throne of grace, there is a hereafter, there is an end, thine expectation shall not be cut off, this evil and deceitful world, time to tune in and listen to God's wisdom, to lead and guide all your servants, to meet the enemy in battle, tough love, truth, try to live as righteously as possible, two complimentary aspects of trianing, we're not afraid, wearing your protective spiritual armour, when thy lips speak right things, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, wisdom, withhold not correction from the child, wrought in our weary souls, your hope shall not be cut off
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 June 2026 Revelation 3:19.
Revelation 3:19. ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.’
Another work week has opened my fellow believers, meaning it’s Monday, a beautiful summer’s day, and we’re back in the hustle and bustle of our crazy world, fighting to stay alive and prosper with the Lord’s help. Let’s remember we cannot make any progress in this evil and deceitful world without His awesome help, so it’s time to tune in and listen to His wisdom through the Holy Spirit that indwells us for that purpose.
And in keeping with the Lord’s mysterious movements, I opened the Good Book just now, looking for something to write on, and lo, and behold, it opened at this interesting scripture in Revelation, where Jesus is sending His message to the church at Laodicea, stating: ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.’ (Rev. 3:19) And that’s a known fact, one that’s referred to several times in the scriptures.
The Lord is the original implementer of the system of tough LOVE. Unlike some of us earthly parents, when we LOVE a child or somebody else, we tend to spoil them, allowing them to get away with stuff you’d not let someone you don’t LOVE to get away with. And that’s one of the big reasons today’s children are so spoilt, have no sense of responsibility and cannot handle even minor hardships because their parents or someone who LOVED them erred in their upbringing. But that doesn’t work with our heavenly Father. If you want to be LOVED by Him, then you must be ready to accept corrections, discipline or chastening.
The author of Hebrews puts it quite plainly. ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons), My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6) And that’s a direct quotation from Cousin Sol’s wisdom in Proverbs 3:11-12.
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation: ‘God’s principle of disciplining His own people is completely congruous with human practices. This quote from Proverbs 3:12, stating God’s practice corresponds to the commands God gave to fathers: ‘He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly).’ (Prov. 13:24; cf. 22:15; 23:13). LOVE and corporal punishment are not incongruous; they are two complimentary and necessary aspects of training.’
But try telling that to some of the parents and administrators of today nuh. Many of them claim that corporal punishment is child abuse, no wonder the current level of misbehaviour and irresponsibility is so high in our society. But there is punishment or discipline, and then there’s’ abuse, or taking the punishment too far. So, we might get away with misbehaviour from our earthly parents, but rest assured, we’ll not get away with it from our heavenly Father.
And it’s certainly interesting that Cousin Sol had so much to say about raising children. Let’s look at a couple of those references from above. The first one says: ‘Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.’ (Prov. 22:15) Now listen to this passage explicitly on ‘The Correction of a Child.’
Cousin Sol declares: ‘Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die. Thou shall beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell (Hades). My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine (indeed my own heart shall rejoice). Yea, my reins (innermost being) shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in fear (reverence) of the Lord all the day long.
For surely there is an end (a hereafter); and thine expectation (hope) shall not be cut off. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among the winebibbers (drunkards); among the riotous eaters of flesh (gluttons): For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.’ (Prov. 23:13-21)
And you cannot find better parental advice than that. But our society has gotten so into evil and ungodly ways that many parents repudiate such advice, and thus allow their children absolute freedom to do what they want and give them whatever their little hearts desire. That only leads to the lawlessness and riotous living that’s become such a large part of our culture.
And Psalm 94 puts it this way. ‘The Lord knoweth the thoughts of a man, that they are vanity (futile). Blessed is the man whom thou chasteneth (instructeth), O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law: That thou mayest give him rest (relief) from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off (abandon) his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But the judgement shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.’ (Ps. 94:11-15) Yes friends, the Lord offers us self-correction, but in the end, He will surely judge. Let’s remember that and thus try to live as righteously as possible.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us do just that. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour!
We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!
Oh my fellow believers, it’s time to get serious about living in righteousness, so the Lord doesn’t have to correct us too much. Much LOVE!
…if we’d parent like God…with tough LOVE…half of today’s problems wouldn’t exist…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, add any enthusiasm to the situation, all for the glory of Jesus, all the days of thy life, allow your incredible aura of love, another new work week, as I was with Moses so will I be with thee, be constantly in thy mouth, be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, be strong and of a good courage, but of power love and of a sound mind, constantly bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, dangerous and unfair jobs, depend on us to a large extent, divide for an inheritance, divine aid, don't be afraid of any task God gives us, don't turn away from the law, drilled into Joshua's brain, encouragement, face challenges, faith, fill us with steadfast faith, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, furthering your glorious kingdom, get into the groove, God's conversation with Joshua, have good success, have I not commanded thee, have success, holy spirit, humble servants, humbly ask, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I praise and thank you God, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, inclement weather, inspire us to rise to greater heights, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, jobs that serve a useful purpose, keep our promises, keeping families together, living in fear, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, make worthwhile inroads into the enemy's ranks, mano a mano, meditate therein day and night, meet the enemy in battle, mercy, no man shall be able to stand against thee, no partying on Monday, observe to do according to all the law, observe to do all that's written therein, our omnipotent and merciful God, perform like you're capable of performing, positive reassurance of our faith, prerequisites for success, prosper, put it into action, reassurance, regardless of what happens, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, sally forth with confidence, salvation, step up to the plate, sudy the law and live by it, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, the evil and ungodly world, the fulfillment of promises, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the gospel truth, the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go, the lustful ways of the world, the throne of grace, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, to lead and guide all your servants, too comfortable in the pleasures of the world, truth, turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, we're not afraid, wearing God's powerful protective spiritual armour, wisdom, work all five days, wrought in our weary souls
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 May 2026 Joshua 1:9.
Joshua 1:9. Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Another new work week my people. And this time we have to work all five days, no partying on Monday, like we did last week. (smile) And it will undoubtedly be difficult for some of us to get back into the five-day groove, but get back into it we must, if we’re to do Jesus proud. Then the inclement weather we’ve had over the weekend certainly doesn’t add any enthusiasm to the situation, but the bright sunshine and warm weather of this Monday ought to inspire us to rise to greater heights, all for the glory of Jesus! (smile)
And as we face our challenges today, please, let’s remember we can face them mano a mano, because of this most important acclamation, this positive reassurance of our faith: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengetheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) And that’s the gospel truth, for whatever we need to do on Christ’s behalf, He will enable us to do it. And that reminds me of God’s conversation with Joshua, when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. He promised him: ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (Josh. 1:5)
Yes friends, the Lord gives us all wonderful promises, but sometimes the fulfillment of those promises depends on us to a large extent. And so it was with Joshua. The Lord made sure He pointed out certain things he needed to do to have a successful mission. He warned him: ‘Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance (you shall give as a possession) the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success) whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:6-7)
Please note that the Lord specifies two things in those two verses; that Joshua must stick to the letter of the law, and twice He warned him, to be strong and very courageous. Those were the prerequisites for success. Now that warning hasn’t changed since then. We modern day believers are still required to be strong and very courageous and obey the law in living for Christ. And let’s not say we can’t do it, because Bruh Paul has already declared that we are more than able, for ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) In other words, we need not be afraid of any task we are given.
But the Lord took His commands to Joshua so seriously that He expanded on them in the next couple of verses, when He warns: ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth (shall be constantly in thy mouth); but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:8-9)
Oh my brethren, you see how the Lord drilled those three things into Joshua’s brain: First we need to study the law and live by it, don’t turn away from it regardless of what happens. Then we need to be strong and courageous, and we have all the tools to do that. And last but not least, don’t be afraid, because the Lord our God is with us wherever we go! What wonderful assurance that is my fellow believers! No other supposed God offers that kind of assurance and confidence to their followers because they can’t fulfill it. They don’t have the power or wherewithal to do so. Only the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, omnipotent and merciful can make such a promise and fulfill it!
But yuh know what friends, we can have all the encouragement and reassurance in the world from God, but until we believe it and put it into action, it’s all wasted. And that’s what the Lord was trying to push home to Joshua; you can do it, because I’ve given you all you need, and I’m here to back you up, but you need to step forward, step up to the plate and perform like you are capable of performing. The same goes for us today, as so many of us are living in fear, or have simply gotten too comfortable in the lustful ways of the world and thus are not stepping forward to do our duty.
However, we hope and pray that very soon, before it’s too late, we’ll all wake up and see the light and perform the way we ought to. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine help to turn things around. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour!
We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!
Now, let’s go out and keep our promises! Much LOVE!
…it’s not if we can…for we have all it takes…but if we desire to…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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