lock stock and barrel

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding that Doing God’s Will has Numerous Benefits, otherwise unavailable!

23 Jun 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a bunch of ungrateful sinners, a living hope, a spoiled child, abundant life, according to His abundant mercy, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, ask anything that's in God's will, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be my Helper, Bless His Holy Name, bless the Lord oh my soul, blessed be God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, camp beneth the Lord's umbrella, carry them in his bosom, challenging, compassionate, crowneth thee with loving-kindness, delights in giving His Children good things, faith, feed his flock like a shepherd, foolish tears, forget not all his benefits, forgive my vain grasping, forgiveth all thine iniquities, friendly God, full of adventure, gather the lambs with his arm, genreous, gently lead those that are with young, gets whatever he asks for, guide me all my life, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, healeth all thy diseases, hold me, holy spirit, hurry, I resisted, I struggled, in god's eyes, Jehovah God is the greatest, Jesus Christ, kept by the power of God, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, light in the darkness, lock stock and barrel, Lord You LOVE to Say Yes, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, my Friend, no better way to live, obedient to God's demands, ready to be revealed in the last time, redeemeth thy life from destruction, reserved in heaven for you, run and not be weary, salvation, satisfieth thy mouth with good things, seize me, share His love with my neighbours, shattered, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, steady me when I staggered, take us home when we lose our way, tender mercies, that fadeth not away, the awesome truth, the beloved of God, the easy yoke of christ, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the One and Only True God, the resurrection of the dead, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, thread my tears into a song, through faith unto salvation, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, torn with grief, transitory change, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Manrta, undisturbable joy, value God's guidance, walk and not faint, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, willful pride, windstorm, wisdom, with your wisdom, worry, you said yes, your captivating love, your counsel

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 June 2026 Psalm 103:5.

Psalm 103:5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

So we’ve conquered Monday and come to Tuesday; a sunny and mild though somewhat windy day, but definitely nothing like it was for the couple of days last week. That was a windstorm, this is just a decent wind. (smile) And today we’ll look at a wonderful poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin titled ‘Lord, You LOVE to Say Yes.’ I believe I’ve shared it before, but I also think it’s time to share it again, because it’s so beautiful and truthful. (smile)

So, please read with me: ‘Lord, I asked You for abundant life Rich, challenging, full of adventure And You said yes. I asked You for an undisturbable joy Independent of transitory change And You said Yes. I asked you to thread my tears into a song when I was shattered and torn with grief and You said Yes. I asked you to steady me when I staggered – To hold me when I struggled To seize me when I resisted And You said Yes.

I asked You to forgive my vain grasping My foolish fears, my willful pride And You said yes. I asked You to be my Helper, my Friend My light in the darkness And You said Yes. I asked You to guide me all my life With Your wisdom, Your counsel Your captivating LOVE And You said Yes. Sometimes, Lord I feel like a spoiled child Who gets whatever he asks for. You overwhelm me with joy For You LOVE to say Yes!’

And isn’t that the awesome truth when we ask for anything that’s in His will? It certainly is! Yes friends, we have a wonderful, generous, compassionate, LOVING and friendly God, who delights in giving His children good things. And if we are living in His will and are being obedient to His demands, then why wouldn’t He be generous, especially when we ask for things like His wisdom, His counsel and His captivating LOVE, which show that we truly value His guidance. As well as to be our friend, our helper and our light in the darkness, for those are all major aspects of the relationship the Lord desires to have with us.

It’s like Bruh David says in Psalm 103, from which the scripture promise for today’s poem comes. ‘He declares; ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:1-5)

Oh my people, that is the good and great God that we serve, who always desires for us to the abundant life for which His Son, Jesus Christ, died for us to have. And by the way, that last verse is the Bible promise for today’s poem. And Isaiah also corroborates Bruh David’s sentiments, when he declares: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31) So, if we’re wise, we’d certainly camp beneath the Lord’s umbrella, so we can enjoy all the good things He has in store for us.

And we know how He just LOVES to comfort us in our troubles, meet us wherever we are, ‘thread our tears into a song,’ and take us home when we lose our way or are too prideful and get lost because we choose to go our own way. Listen to how Bruh Paul puts it to the Corinthians: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)

Yuh see mih people, our God is so caring and compassionate that He comforts us so that we can comfort others who need it! It’s like Isaiah says: ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:11) That shows God’s tender and protective LOVE! Now, no other supposed God does anything like that. Our God gives and comforts, while the other supposed gods only take, with little or no desire to give to their people, or comfort them in times of sorrow. That’s why Jehovah God is the greatest!

And Peter acknowledges that when he declares: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5)

Now which other supposed god gave up their only Son to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners eh? None, but the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That’s why He is the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD! The undisputed Creator, Controller and compassionate Ruler of this universe! The One who LOVES to say yes to those who seriously and sincerely worship Him in faith and truth. No wonder the wise flock to Him, so that He can spoil them and overwhelm them with unspeakable joy. (smile)

And that’s why we can declare our Tuesday Mantra with joy, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

That then means we are duty bound to go out and share the amazing friendship and LOVE of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…there’s no better way to live…than under the easy and unburdened yoke of Christ…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Necessity for Christians to Understand the Power of God’s Encouragement, and to Sincerely Seek It! Part 1.

16 Jun 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a foundation stone scripture in our hearts, a man's heart deviseth his way, according to his riches in glory, all the days of your life, all we have comes from God, an early bus, as I was with Moses so will I be with thee, be strong and of a good courage, boast about God's goodness and mercy, challenges, Christians, come to know and love him like we do, discouragement, distress, divide the inheritance, duty bound, encouragement, encouraging scriptures, every other foe, faith, for Christ's sake, glory in my infirmities, God is the most powerful being in the universe, grin and bear it, holy spirit, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I will boast in God, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, I will not give up, if God spares life, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in Christ there is no giving up, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, look to God for strength each day, LOVE, man plans but God laughs, mercy, more than a conqueror, my god shall supply all your need, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, necessities, no man shall stand before thee, no matter how fierce or relentless the battle, nothing to boast about, over doubt, Prayer Cards from In Touch, remove the thorn from his flesh, reproaches, salvation, Satan tempts us, share His love with my neighbours, stand firm in christ, stand firm in the Lord, take pleasure in infirmities, talking to the Holy spirit, taunts me with past failures, taunts us with past failures, thank you for your power within me, Thank You Lord, that's life, the beloved of God, the best encouragement comes from God, the BIBLE, the Creator of the universe, the enemy of my soul, the land I swear to give them, the Lord directs his steps, the power of Christ may rest upon me, the power of Jesus that dwells within us, the power of the Holy spirit, the strength I need, there is no one greater than you, threaten to knock me over, through him that loved us, throwing in the towel, to emerge victorious today, to share Christ's love and friendship, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wasn't in the cards, when I am weak then I am strong, wisdom, worry, you are almighty

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 June 2026 Philippians 4:1b.

Philippians 4:1b. ‘…stand firm in the Lord…’

Oh friends, I tried hard to make an early bus today, but it seems like that wasn’t in the cards, wasn’t meant to be. As the old people would say, ‘Man plans, and God laughs.’ And as Cousin Sol so wisely tells us: ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way, but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) And that’s no lie, for the Lord stepped in, and against my plan, I ended up going out the street with the Duchess this morning. (smile) But that’s life, and we just have to grin and bear these things when they happen.

And to help us do just that, today we’ll look at a prayer from the recent Prayer Cards issued by the In Touch Organization, this one titled ‘Encouragement.’ And do we ever need that in great amounts in these uncertain and difficult times, when it seems like our world is speeding down to hell in a hand basket. So please pray with me.

‘Lord Jesus, thank You for Your power within me. You are almighty. Challenges may threaten to knock me over, but in You I’m more than a conqueror. So, no matter how fierce or relentless the battle, I will not give up. When the enemy of my soul taunts me with past failures, I will boast in You. Be the strength I need to emerge victorious today – over doubt, discouragement, and every other foe. Thank You Lord. There is no one greater than You. Amen!’ And my fellow believers, once you truly know the Lord God Almighty, you’ll definitely know that there’s none greater than Him!

So let’s try and dissect the prayer. And right from the very beginning, it offers us encouragement, telling us about the great power of Jesus that dwells with us. That’s the power of the Holy Spirit; our Guide, Leader, Comforter, etc. etc. That means we already have the power we need to fight our battles, but we need to use it; by talking to the Holy Spirit, asking for guidance and direction, and then actioning whatever He tells us.

And I like how it says that challenges may threaten, but because we have the most powerful being in the universe dwelling within us, we are able to conquer them. As Bruh Paul so rightly puts it in his letter to the Roman church: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) And that’s a scripture that we need to make one of the foundation stones in our hearts, so we can remember and act on it when times get rough.

But possibly the most important statement in the prayer is this one; ‘I will not give up.’ Praise the Lord my brethren! Yes, regardless of how tough and frightening times might get, there is no giving up, for as I keep reminding us, in Christ’s vocabulary there are no words like giving up, like throwing in the towel. And why should there be, when we’re dealing with the Creator of the universe, the One who died for our sins and reigns in heaven advocating on our behalf? And also when the scriptures tell us; ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13)

And furthermore, when Satan tries to tempt and taunt us with our past failures, we’ll just ignore him, and boast about our great God and His goodness and mercy. As Bruh Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, after asking three times for the Lord to remove a particular thorn from his flesh, and eventually got this answer. ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses) that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distress for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

Ah friends, we really don’t have anything of ourselves to boast about, because all we have comes from Jehovah God. So, if the feeling takes us to boast, the right person to boast on and about is our heavenly Father, for He equips us with whatever we need. As Bruh Paul says in Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) So whatever we need, the Lord provides, and we are contented with whatever He provides, for it’s often better than what we could provide on our own.

And it’s to the Lord God Almighty to whom we must look for the strength to be victorious on each and every day of our earthly journey. And there are many scriptures on encouragement, like this one from the Lord to Joshua. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swear unto their father to give them.’ (Josh. 1:5-6)

Now that’s a wonderful bit of encouragement, straight from the Lord Himself, meaning it could not get any better than that. But being strong and courageous is not always easy to do, even when we know the Lord is with us, that’s why the scripture for today’s prayer encourages us to: ‘…stand firm in the Lord…’ (Phil. 4:1b) And there are several more encouraging scriptures to look at, but because time and space are against us, we’ll look at them tomorrow, obviously providing that God spares our lives. (smile)

Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…consider the power of Christ Jesus within you…and stand firm in Him… (In Touch Devotional Prayer Card)

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Overwhelming Importance of Understanding that God Disciplines Those Who Disobey Him!

09 Jun 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: as a man chasteneth his son, being confident of this very thing, better unto me than thousands of gold and silver, build an house for my name, chasten him with the rod of men, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, consider in thine heart, despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty, duty bound, Eliphaz the Temanite, establish his kingdom, establish the throne of his kingdom forever, faith, falling prey to my prayers, family doctor, fear God, feeding them with manna, forty years in the wilderness, God chastened David for his affair with Bathsheba, God promised to chasten Solomon if he erred, God's disciplining of His people, happy is the man the Lord correcteth, he maketh sore and bindeth up, he shall be my son, he which hath begun a good work in you, he woundeth and his hands make whole, holy spirit, home remedies, humbling them, hurry, I will be his father, if he commit iniquity, It is good for me I have been afflicted, Jesus Christ, keep all the Lord's commandments, learn the hard way, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, live and multiply, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make us more Christ-like, man does not live by bread alone, mercy, Moses, Moses instructing the young Israelites, my mercy shall not depart away from him, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, on a late bus, proving their faithfulness, salvation, set up thy seed after thee, share His love with my neighbours, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee, sore throat, suffering them to hunger, that i might learn thy statutes, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the law of thy mouth, the Lord's works run the whole gamut of our experience, the potters wheel, the Promised Land, the prophet Nathan, the stripes of the children of men, thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever, to share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk in God's ways, will perform it until the day of Jesus, wisdom, worry

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 June 2026 Deuteronomy 8:5.

Deuteronomy 8:5. Thou shalt also consider (know) in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.

Ah friends, today we’re on a real late bus, because I went to see my family doctor about a bad sore throat I’ve had for almost a week now and it wasn’t falling prey to my prayers or any of my home remedies, so I succumbed to the medic as a last resort. (smile) Anyway, without further ado, let’s get to our topic for today, making it as short and sweet as possible. (smile)

And it’s the same topic as it yesterday, God’s disciplining of His people, just with more scriptures. And if several people spoke about it down through the ages, that just goes to show how important it is. So we’ll go right back to the early years, where Moses is instructing the young Israelites who were going into the Promised Land, about the things the Lord had unsuccessfully tried to teach their forefathers.

He began by telling them that they had to keep all the commandments that he would tell them that day, so that they could live and multiply and go in and possess the Promised land. Then he related about the tough forty years spent in the wilderness, with the Lord trying to prove their faithfulness, humbling them, suffering them to hunger, then feeding them with manna, so that they could learn that man did not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the Lord’s mouth, and how their garments never grew old, nor their feet swollen in those forty years. (Deut. 8:1-4)

And he continues, ‘Thou shalt also consider (know) in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his way, and to fear (reverence) him.’ (Deut. 8:5-6) And all of that still stands to day my people! If we don’t keep the Lord’s commands as His children, He will discipline us.

Then we have the prophet Nathan speaking to Bruh David about God’s promises after his death. ‘I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes (strokes) of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.’ (2 Sam. 7:12-16)

Yes mih bredrin, that’s how much the Lord valued Bruh David, to make sure the kingdom was always ruled by his descendants, beginning with Cousin Sol, right down to Jesus. But please notice that He promised to chasten Cousin Sol if he erred. Just like He chastened Bruh David for his sinful and ungodly behaviour with Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. So no one is exempt from the Lord’s discipline.

As Eliphaz, Job’s supposed friend reminds us: ‘Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.’ (Job 5:17-18) Now that’s the awesome truth my people; the Lord’s work runs the whole gamut of our existence.

Then in Psalm 119, the psalmist declares: ‘It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.’ (Ps. 119:71-72) Unfortunately though, that’s a fact some of us can only learn the hard way. (smile) But don’t worry, the Lord will not give up on us, once we desire to rest under His umbrella, He will make sure that we learn what we need to.

And in closing, let’s remember this most appropriate verse from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where he reminds them and us: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) That’s just to remind us that every day we’re alive, the Lord will be putting us through our paces on His potter’s wheel, attempting to make us more Christ-like, on our earthly journey.

And since we cannot evade the Lord’s discipline, hopefully the scriptures we’ve reviewed these past two days, will enable us to do what’s right more than ever, and thus not need to be disciplined by the Lord too often. (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

And that now makes duty bound to go our and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

… as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) liked to say…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Necessity for Christians to Know the Biblical Definition and Purpose of the Church!

02 Jun 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a haven of peace and truth, after their own lusts, all church members are equally valued, all the members of that one body being many are one body, any day is capable of rumpling our feathers, as the body is one and hath many members, be a breeze from here on in, be alert, be bond or free, be Jews or Gentiles, be turned unto fables, been all made to drink into one Spirit, biblically speaking, both an individual and corporate matter, bring light and love to mankind, by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, called to care for one another, causing grief, church members are interconnected, come to know and love christ like we do, comfort those who suffer, diverse gifts and functions, doing many things differently, duty bound, every part is essential to the whole, exhort with longsuffering and doctrine, faith, fall into bad habits, for all the saints, get down to the nitty gritty, give thanks to Jesus' commitment to the church, God's compassions are new every morning, granted life, great is thy faithfulness, grow in love discernment and good works, have the Holy Spirit present wherever you are lifted up, have the same care for one another, heap tp themselves teachers, holy spirit, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, instead of what they need to hear, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, itching ears, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the legal head of the church, Jesus will not let the church fall, keep us safe as we hope in you, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, live in righteousness and thanksgiving, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make your church ready for your return, mercy, need to keep praying for the church, no one part can say it does not need the others, no schism in the body, not guaranteed to see tomorrow, not to the standard it ought to, on Christ's behalf, please protect and encourage your people, Prayer Cards from IN Touch Ministries, prayer is of the utmost importance, praying always with all prayer and supplication, preach the world, preachers telling people what they want to hear, preaching different doctrines, presenting challenges, provide for those in need, rumpled Monday's feathers, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, so also is Christ, spiritual combat, strengthen us against temptation, take one day at a time, thank you for the church, the analogy of the human body, the body of Christ, the church is a single unified body under Christ, the church is badly disunified, the church is strife-filled, the church is the worldwide body of Christian believers, the last days, the spiritual armour of God, the time will come, the truth is skewered, the whole body experiences it together, they will not endure sound doctrine, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, too many different denominations, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn away their ears from the truth, unified by the Holy Spirit, vigilant against deception, watching thereunto, we cannot give up, welcoming to all, when one part suffered or is honoured, wisdom, with all perseverance and petition, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, worry

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 June 2026 Ephesians 6:18.

Ephesians 6:18. ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’

Oh boy, it’s Tuesday, sunshiny and warm! And since we’ve rumpled Monday’s feathers, it ought to be a breeze from here on in! I wouldn’t be so sure of that nuh, for Tuesday might just rumple our feathers. For any day is capable of rumpling our feathers, presenting challenges that we cannot handle and thus causing us grief. So let’s take one day at a time, don’t belittle any of them, but deal with each one seriously, as though it was our last one. And who knows, it just might be, since we’re not guaranteed to see tomorrow.

And as the prophet Jeremiah so rightly declares in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) Yes friends, let’s remember that it’s only because of God’s goodness and mercy that we are granted life to see a new day, and therefore live the way we ought to, in righteousness and thanksgiving.

Now, today, we’re going to look at one of the Prayer Cards issued by the In Touch Organization a few years ago. This one deals with the church. So please pray with me. ‘Lord Jesus, thank You for the church. Please protect and encourage Your people. Comfort those who suffer, and provide for those in need. Strengthen us against temptation. Help us grow in LOVE, discernment, and good works. May your church be a haven of peace and truth, welcoming to all and vigilant against deception. Let Your Holy Spirit be fully present wherever You are lifted up. Make Your church ready for your return, Lord Jesus, and keep us safe as we hope in You. Amen.’

Yes my fellow believers, that’s a wonderful description of all the things Christ’s church ought to be and do! But is it doing them? Definitely not to the standard it ought to. But before we get down to the nitty gritty, let’s see what the church really is. Many people understand it as the building where believers gather to worship, however in the real sense the church is not so much the building, but biblically it refers to the worldwide body of Christian believers with Jesus as it’s legal head.

It’s as Bruh Paul describes the church in 1 Corinthians. ‘For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we bond (slaves) or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.’ (1 Cor. 12:12-14) Bruh Paul uses the analogy of the human body to explain the church. Just as a body has many parts (hands, feet, eyes, and ears), the church has many members, but they form a single, unified body, under Christ, unified by the Holy Spirit.

And later on in that same passage, Bruh Paul further states that although the church is composed of many individual members with diverse gifts and functions, every part is essential to the whole. This means all members are interconnected, equally valued, and called to care for one another. And further still, he emphasizes that no one part can say it does not need the others, and when one part suffers or is honored, the whole body experiences it together. (1 Cor. 12:15-27) Yes mih bredrin, Christ’s church is just like the human body, with Christ at the head and the many other parts making it up into one whole, all unified by the Holy Spirit.

So let’s see now, how it’s living up to its purpose. Per the Prayer Card, the church should be a place where people are encouraged, comforted and provided for when in need; a haven of peace and truth, welcoming to all and vigilant against deception.’ How much of that is the church really doing eh? Not enough. And it cannot when it’s so badly broken up and disunified, when there are so many different denominations, cliques and different entities all claiming to be a part of Christ’s body and preaching different doctrines, as well as doing many things differently.

Therefore, it’s totally contrary to Bruh Paul’s words; ‘That there should be no schism (division) in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.’ (1 Cor. 12:25) And is the church really a haven of peace and truth? No way! For today’s church is strife-filled and what truth that’s being preached is usually skewered to the preacher or the people’s liking.

To a great extent it’s like Bruh Paul warned Timothy: ‘Preach the word; be instant (ready) in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.’ (2 Tim. 4:2-4)

And are we ever seeing that in these last days, where preachers are telling people what they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear. But regardless of how bad things might seem, we still cannot afford to give up. No way! For giving up does not exist in Christ’s vocabulary! And we desperately need to keep on praying for the church, for the body of Christ that’s supposed to bring light and LOVE to mankind on Christ’s behalf, for if we don’t, it will only continue to fall into bad habits and eventually crumble. And that we definitely don’t want to happen.

So, let’s do as the Prayer Card strongly suggests by using as it’s Bible verse: ‘Be alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.’ Now that’s a new-fangled version of Bruh Paul’s declaration after admonishing us to put on the spiritual armour of God in Ephesians. But here’s the real McCoy. (smile) ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:18)

Yes my people, prayer is of the utmost importance in the Christian life. For even the spiritual armour of God is inadequate without it. And we are to pray not only for ourselves, but for all of God’s saints, because, as the scholars tell us; ‘spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’

And now, with all that information re the church and its purpose refreshed and renewed in our minds, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

That now makes us duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

And as per the Prayer Card …Give thanks for Jesus’ commitment to His church…He will not let her fall…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Overwhelming Necessity for Christians to Know and Understand the Importance of pursuing and embracing Righteousness, instead of Sin!

26 May 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a shortsighted situation, a wise and perceptive passage, as the grave, as those that go down to the pit, behold the upright, bringing tough circumstances to the forefronteach day can cause tous, cast in thy lot among us, caught with our pants below our knees, christianity, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, come with us, death-bringing sinfulness, deliver them from the wicked, do not err my beloved brethren, drawn away of his own lust, duty bound, each day can cause serious challenges, earthly pleasures, enticed, every man is tempted, faith, fill our houses with spoil, find all precious substance, for the innocent without cause, full grown sin brings forth death, God cannot be tempted with evil, God tempts no man, have rule over all my labour, he shall exalt thee to inherit the land, I am tempted of God, I am the beloved of god, I hated all my labour, I sought him but he culd not be found, if sinners entice thee consent not, in god's eyes, in the sight of any bird, in vain the net is spread, involved with the schemes of the wicked, Jesus Christ, leave it unto the man tat comes after me, let no man say when he is tempted, let the world know to whom we belong, let us all have one purse, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily, let us lurk secretly, lie in wait for blood, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, lurk privily for their own lives, lust brings forth sin, make haste to shed blood, make Tuesday and easy target, mark the perfect man, mercy, one strong and sincere voice, our nemesis, plunder, promise wealth without work, refrain thy foot from their path, salvation, save them because they trust in him, seen the wicked in great power, share His love with my neighbours, shewed myself wise under the sun, sin brings painful consequences, so few seeking righteousness, so many practicing wickedness, spreading himself like a green bay tree, swallow them up alive, taken under the sun, taketh away the life of the owners, the BIBLE, the counsels of the wicked are deceit, the end of sin is always death and destruction, the end of that man is peace, the end of the wicked shall be cut off, the house of the righteous shall stand, the individual's responsibility, the Lord shall help them, the mouth of the upright shall deliver them, the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, the thoughts of the righteous are right, the transgressors shall be destroyed together, the way of sinners, the ways of every one that is greedy of gain, the wicked are no more, the wicked are overthrown, the wise son rejects the invitation of criminals, the words of the wicked, their feet run to evil, their strength in time of trouble, they lay in wait for their own blood, this also is vanity, to avoid the tempter's snare, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, trust in the Lord, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wait on the Lord and keep his way, walk not thou in the way with them, when the wicked are cut off, who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool, wisdom, with the whole wide world, worry, yet he passed away, you shall see when the wicked are cut off

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 May 2026 Proverbs 12:7.

Proverbs 12:7. The wicked are overthrown, and are not (no more): but the house of the righteous shall stand.

Oh boy, we’ve beaten our nemesis Monday into the ground! But please, don’t think that will make Tuesday an easy target. It most likely won’t be, for Monday might give us starting problems after the weekend break, but each day is very capable of bringing tough circumstances to the forefront. That means every day is a challenge in itself, and we cannot afford to lower our expectations, otherwise we can be caught with out pants below our knees. (smile)

And on this bright, warm, sunshiny Tuesday, with temps in the mid-twenties, we’re going to look at a few verses from the wisdom of Cousin Sol in Proverbs, re the difference between the wicked and the righteous. He expounds thus: ‘The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit. The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. The wicked are overthrown, and are not (no more): but the house of the righteous shall stand.’ (Prov. 12:5-7)

Oh friends, how many times in the Bible have we been told the same basic story eh – that the wicked shall be destroyed and the righteous saved? But too many of us seem not to believe it, otherwise there would not be so many wicked people in the world practicing their wicked behaviour, and not so few seeking righteousness. And right at the beginning of Proverbs, Cousin Sol warns us about walking in the way of sinners with a very wise and perceptive passage.

‘My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, come with us, let us lay wait for blood (to shed blood), let us lurk privily (secretly) for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down to the pit: We shall find all precious substance (wealth), we shall fill our houses with spoil (plunder): Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain (keep) thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. Surely in vain (futility) the net is spread in the sight of any bird. And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily (secretly) for their own lives. So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.’ (Prov. 1:10-19)

Yes my brethren, we could not get a better discourse on the actions of the wicked and advice not to fall into their snare. As the scholars explain: ‘The wise son rejects the invitation of criminals who promise wealth without work (vs.13). The verse stresses the individual’s responsibility to avoid the tempter’s snare (cf. James 1:14-15).’ And that’s the point we’re trying to make, it’s our responsibility, not anybody else’s, to avoid getting involved with the deeds and schemes of the wicked.

As James states it: ‘Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust (desire), and enticed. Then when lust (desire) hath conceived, it bringeth forth (gives birth to) sin: and sin, when it is finished (full grown), bringeth forth death. Do not err (be deceived), my beloved brethren.’ (James 1:13-16) So when we’re tempted to sin, we cannot say it’s God tempting us, but it’s our own lustful, carnal desires that are driving us to sin. And in the end, that sinful desire only causes death!

How many times do we need to hear that before we turn away from sin eh? Obviously some of us must like death, the way we live such a sinful life. But that’s a shortsighted and very unwise situation, for you cannot carry any of the wealth and pleasures you amass here into the next life; in fact you’ll forfeit it all to someone else. As Cousin Sol writes as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes:

‘Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken (toiled) under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity (futility).’ (Eccl. 2:18-19) Yes, you’ll leave all your earthly wealth for someone else to possibly use and abuse. So what’s the point in toiling hard to amass it eh?

And if you don’t believe Cousin Sol or James, or me, (smile) then listen to Bruh David from Psalm 37, titled ‘Trust in the Lord.’ where he confidently declares: ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree (a native green tree). Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust him’ (Ps. 37:34-40)

Oh my people, it could not be said any clearer than that! Stay away from evil and trust in the Lord and your life will be saved. It as simple as that! So please, let’s cut out, turn away from all the foolish and death-bringing sinfulness that we’re currently involved in nuh, because it certainly doesn’t do us any good, neither now or in the hereafter. And furthermore, sin always brings painful consequences right here on earth. So why pursue it eh?

That makes us duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…sin might bring some earthly pleasures…but its end is always…death and destruction…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Overwhelming Importance of Believers Understanding what is the Good Life and How to Live It!

12 May 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a friend of the world is the enemy of God, be fulfilled in us, belly and backbone, carnally minded, Christ carried out His divine mission, come to know and love christ like we do, do mind the things of the flesh, doing God's will with a sense of joy and inner peace, Dr. Robert H Schuller, duty bound, eternal life, every man's life is a plan of God, faith, fellowship, fight us tooth and nail, free from the law of sin and death, friendship with the world is enmity with God, fulfilling God's plan and purpose for our life, God condemned sin in the flesh, gumption, holy spirit, Hours of Power Devotional, hurry, I am come that they might have life, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his, if any man love the world, if the Spirit of God dwell in you, in god's eyes, It is finished, Jesus Christ, Jesus' purpose for coming to earth, know ye not, let not your heart be troubled, live the good and abundant life, living by the spirit of christ, lock stock and barrel, lots of perseverance study prayer and fellowship, LOVE, love not the things in the world, love not the world, mercy, my joy might be in you, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, no condemnation to them which are in Christ, not as the world giveth give I unto you, not subject to the law of God, Peace i leave with you, perseverance, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, succumb to the devil's evil and ungodly will, taken from darkness into light, the basics of the good life, the beloved of God, the carnal mind is enmity against God, the good life, the good life begins and ends with living for christ, the good life has a deep undercurrent of profound peace, the good life is one with inner joy, the good life is the awareness of fulfilment, the good life is the deep feeling of fulfilling God's plan and purpose for our life, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, the law was weak through the flesh, the love of the Father is not in him, the righteousness of the law, the secret of Jesus' satisfying life, the thief cometh not but to steal, the things of the Spirit, they might have it more abundantly, they that are after the flesh, they that are after the Spirit, they that are in the flesh cannot please God, to be carnally minded is death, to be spiritually minded is life and peace, to kill and destroy, trials and tribluations, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk not after the flesh but after the spirit, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit, wisdom, with flying colours, worry, you are not in the flesh but in the spirit, your joy might be complete

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 May 2026 John 10:10b.

John 10:10b. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

So, we’ve gotten through Monday with flying colours, and now come to this sunshiny day called Tuesday. Well what’s in for us we wander? Is it more heartache, more trials and tribulations or the Good Life? Now all of us pant for the Good Life, but what exactly is it? Today, we’ll look at what Dr. Robert H Schuller wrote about it in his Hours of Power, Daily Book of Motivation and Inspiration. He wrote thus about the Good Life.

‘If you want to know what is meant by the good life, direct your attention to Jesus Christ. This was the good life incarnate.’ Oh, for sure! None of us would ever doubt that Jesus’ life was indeed the good life, but what was it all about eh? Dr. Schuller continues: ‘What was life like for Him? Take a look at His last days on earth and you will see the secret of His satisfying life. Shortly before He died he said to his apostles, “I would that my joy might be in you and that your joy might be complete” (John 15:11). The good life, then, is a life that has an inner joy.

Then hear this: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). The good life is a life that has a deep undercurrent of profound peace. The last words to fall from Christ’s lips, as he hung and died under the Jerusalem sky, were short and simple, but triumphant: It is finished” (John 19:30). He had carried out His divine mission. The good life is the awareness of fulfilment. For “every man’s life is a plan of God.” God has a plan for you. And the good life is the deep feeling that we are fulfilling God’s plan and purpose in our life.’

Yes friends, that’s the basics of the good life! Doing what God desires us to do, while doing it with a sense of joy and inner peace. And to help us find those things, we need to remember these reassuring words of Jesus, as he talks about the good shepherd in the gospel of John. ‘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) That was certainly Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth, so that we could have the abundant life of being saved, taken from darkness into the light, not be overwhelmed by our trials and tribulations, have joy and peace, with the eventual action of eternal life in His wonderful presence!

Wow! Who would not want that sort of life eh? But it doesn’t just fall in our laps, no, we have to get up and live it; live it sincerely and seriously by the rules set out by Christ for His church; the people who truly believe in Him and follow Him. On the other hand though, the devil will fight us tooth and nail to not do what Jesus desires, but to succumb to his evil and ungodly will. That’s why it takes a lot of belly and backbone, a lot of gumption and perseverance to live the good and abundant life.

And one of the first steps in living that life, is found in these words of Paul. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) And you might ask, why do we need to do that? James answers that question thus: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will (wants to) be a friend of the world is (makes himself) the enemy of God?’ (James 4:4)

And you might want to delve further in the reason for that. John explains it this way in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.’ (1 John 2:15) Basically, it means that living as the world dictates is living by the flesh, by our feelings, carnally minded, while living for Christ is done through the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, found in the Bible, and these two ways of living are totally different and thus cannot exist together in the same body. It’s either one or the other.

But listen to this more in depth explanation from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for (on account of) sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness (righteous requirements) of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’ (Rom. 8:1-9)

That’s the technical reasoning for the differences in the two ways of earthly living; one by what the world desires, or fleshly living, and living by the Spirit of Christ which dwells within believers. So you have to be a believer if you want to live by the Spirit, because that’s the only way to receive the Holy Spirit. So yes, it is possible to live the good life, the abundantly life that Christ died for us to have, but it must begin with an individual decision, and then lots of perseverance, study, prayer and fellowship.

Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

That now makes us duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…living the good life…begins and ends with living for Christ…

Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.com

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Sincerely Living for Christ, and Boldly Speaking His Word in These Turbulent Times!

28 Apr 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a privilege to speak out boldly for Christ, all filled with the Holy Ghost, baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost, behold their threatenings, bold and timely witness, boldness in speaking God's Word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal, caught up in annals of history, cherish today like a present from God, christianity, Christians, Christians are either too afraid or too comfortable, Christians can save the world, come to know and love christ like we do, deeply rooted, deeply rooted in my heart, difficult and dangerous situations in sharing God's word, duty bound, each day is a special gift from God, eah day is a special gift from God, even unto the end of the world, evil doing and ungodliness are running rampant, faith, give us this day our daily bread, go ye therefore and teach all nations, God has a purpose for keeping us alive, God's compassions are new every morning, God's purpose for my life, grant unto thy servants, great is thy faithfulness, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, hope to make a positive difference, hurry, I am with you always, I want everyone to know you, in the name of thy holy child Jesus, In Touch Prayer Cards, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, judge ye, lead me into situations to tell others about you, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make me bold to share the gospel, may speak the word with all boldness, may your words abide in me, mercy, Monday's over and done with, nothing is more urgent that speaking out for christ, on a direct tangent to hell fire and damnation, openly and fearlessly, our basic purpose here on earth, people badly need to hear God's word, Peter and John are arrested for healing a lame man in Jesus' name, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, so grateful for the gift of salvation, spake the word of god with boldness, speak the truth of scripture without compromise, speak the word openly with out fear, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever, thank you for your precious word, that signs and wonders may be done, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the Great Commission, the Lord's word contains the path of life, the place was shaken, this is the day the Lord has made, through the power of your Holy Spirit, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to hearken unto you more than unto God, to spread the good news of Christ's gospel, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, upset the old applecart, warned and threatened not so speak of Jesus, we cannot but speak of the things we've seen and heard, we will rejoice and be glad in it, whatsoever I have commanded you, when they had prayed, whether it be right in the sight of God, wisdom, worry

Acts 4:31b. and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Oh friends, it’s Tuesday! Monday’s over and done with; caught up in the annals of history, and Tuesday has replaced it, though with a somewhat chilly and cloudy look. It’s therefore our duty to pay serious attention to it, to cherish and appreciate it like the present from God that it is! So let’s declare and put into action this wise and wonderful advice from the Bible: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) And we can never go wrong by doing that, because each new day is a special gift from God to those whom He keeps alive, and there’s a special purpose for Him doing that.

For as the prophet Jeremiah so wisely acknowledges in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) And that’s the gospel truth for God’s mercies are new every day. As Jesus prayed; ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ (Matt. 6:11) For the Lord only gives us enough to handle each new day, as our finite souls and spirits cannot handle much more than that.

However, despite only receiving enough compassion, LOVE, peace etc. for one day at a time, His glorious purpose(s) for keeping us alive is (are) deeply embedded, deeply rooted in our hearts. And today we’ll discuss one of those most important purposes that God’s set in our lives; it’s called Boldness. And we’ll get the basics of that from one of the Praying with Purpose Prayer cards that the In Touch Organization published last year.

So please pray with me: ‘Lord Jesus, I’m so grateful for the gift of salvation. Please make me bold to share the gospel with others openly and fearlessly. I want everyone to know You and Your name to be lifted up. Lead me into situations where I can tell others about You through the power of Your Holy Spirit. May your words abide in me so I speak the truth of Scripture without compromise. Thank You for Your precious Word which contains the path of life. Amen.’

Now, we have to be careful when we pray a prayer like that, for the Lord will take us at our word and begin bringing situations in our paths to do so. However, they might not all be easy or fortunate circumstances. Like Bruh Paul, we could face many difficult and dangerous times in sharing God’s Word. But sharing God’s word with boldness and without compromise is of the utmost necessity.

Remember what Jesus said to the disciples and consequently to all His followers, when He gave them the Great Commission? ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach (make disciples of) all nations. baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)

Now that’s our basic purpose on this earth my faithful brethren; to spread the good news of Christ’s gospel and live our own lives in a way that others would see it and desire to turn to Him for salvation. And that situation needs to be very seriously addressed today my fellow believers, because evil doing and ungodliness are running rampant. Yes my brethren, it’s in times like these that the Word of God needs to be spoken evermore vociferously and sincerely, because the people need it ever so much, as our world is on a direct tangent to hell fire and damnation, and only we, the servants, disciples and children of Almighty God can save it through our bold and timely witness.

But unfortunately, not enough of us supposed Christians are making the desired effort to spread Christ’s gospel of salvation, so our world is sliding downhill to hell more every day, and Satan and his evil cronies are just smiling and high-fiving each other as it happens. And we can use this situation from the early church as a good example.

Peter and John were arrested for healing a lame man in the name of Jesus, and when they were warned by the Council of leaders not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, they replied: ‘Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.’ (Acts 4:19-20) And after more threats of serious punishment, they were released and went out and told their people what had happened.

‘And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, ‘Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that therein is.’ (Acts 4:24) Then they went on to state how the Lord had set matters in Israel in Jesus’ time (Acts 4:25-28) Finally, they declared: ‘And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by (through) the name of thy holy child (servant) Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.’ (Acts 4:29-31)

Now friends, it’s stuff like that we need to initiate in these dreadful times, where we can go out and speak the word of God openly, without fear, regardless of any consequences that might arise from it. But unfortunately, Christ’s people are not doing such actions, because we’re either too afraid, or too comfortable, and we don’t want to upset the old applecart. But please note, that no changes, good or bad, ever happen unless the old apple cart is upset. (smile) So please, it’s time for all Christians to seriously get together and both live and speak the Word of God with all boldness and sincerity, if we hope to make a positive difference in our failing world!

We are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…what a privilege it is…to speak out boldly for Christ…and nothing is more urgent… (In Touch Prayer Card on Boldness)

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Necessity for Christians to Understand that Christ’s Resurrection has Changed Everything, and Will Eventually Make All Things New!

21 Apr 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a broken world, a disicplined mind, a future guaranteed by Christ's resurrection, a journey toward wholeness, a journey with christ by our side, a new heaven and a new earth, a successful Christian, according to his riches in glory, all these things shall be added unto you, awaken from sinfulness, behold I make all things new, Christ's resurrection is not ancient history, christianity, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, consequences of disobedience, Consider This Section of the In Touch Devotional, courage and strength to believe, declare my praise, disobedient to God, every moment of our life, faith, feel out of our league, felt God's wrath, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, free from the consequences of sin, give drink to my people, God shall supply all of our needs, God shall wipe away all tears, he that sat upon the throne said, holy spirit, hopelessness, hurry, I will do a new thing, in god's eyes, in the long run, Jesus Christ, Jesus has defeated death, Jesus' victory belongs to every believer, let the world know to whom we belong, living in mortal bodies, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make a way in the wilderness, mercy, my chosen, neither consider the things of old, no more death, no more negative effects of sin, no more sorrow or crying, now it shall spring forth, of power love and a sound mind, pain my constant companion, prepared for the worst, remember ye not the former things, remind yourself of this truth, return to God's fold, rivers in the desert, salvation, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sent Monday to the history dump, share His love with my neighbours, sincere repentance, successfully gotten through Monday, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the former things are passed away, the Lord will work everything out for our good, the resurrection is unfolding within us, there shall be no more pain, things will never get better, tied up in knots of fear and worry, to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose, trials and tribulations, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we are well able, we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us, we know that all things work together for good, we serve an ever-faithful God, wine women and song, wisdom, worry, write for these words are true and faithful

Revelation 21:5a. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.

And then it was Tuesday…Yes, Tuesday, meaning we’ve successfully gotten through Monday, sent it to the History dump, showing that there’s no need to fear the opening day of our work week, that we can handle it just as efficiently and capably as we handle any other day! So, let’s hope that when another Monday rolls around, as it most certainly will, we won’t be fearful and feel out of our league, for we are well able.

And whenever the devil tries to bring fear into our souls and spirits, let’s remember these most encouraging words of Bruh Paul to Timothy, and to consequently to all believers: ‘For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) That ought to keep us strong in the belief that we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us. (Phil. 4:13)

And furthermore, that our wonderful, wealthy and generous God shall supply all of our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19) For He has promised that when we seek Him and His kingdom of righteousness first, that all of our needs will be met. (Matt. 6:33) So, considering all of that, there is no real reason for a believer to get tied up in stressful knots with fear and worry. End of Sermon! (smile)

And today, we’ll do some more contemplation from the Consider This Section of the In Touch April Devotional. So please consider this with me: ‘When the women arrived at Jesus’ tomb, (that’s on Easter Sunday morning), they’d come prepared for the worst. But they didn’t find a body to tend to – only a piece of cloth lying apart from the linen wrappings. They wept because they thought their beloved Teacher had been taken away. They didn’t understand that Jesus had defeated death or that His victory belongs to every believer.

We’re living in mortal bodies in a broken world, so it can be easy to forget something marvellous has already happened. The moment we said yes to Jesus, we began a journey toward wholeness – one we make with Him by our side. So when hopelessness is saying that things will never get better, remind yourself of this truth: The resurrection isn’t ancient history or a mysterious moment in the distant future. It is unfolding within us every moment of our life and will be complete when Jesus returns to make all things new.’

Now that’s indeed something to look forward to, because He’s promised in His Word: ‘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. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21:4-5)

Oh my fellow believers, what a joyful and glorious day that will be, when Jesus creates a new heaven and a new earth, and there’s no more negative effects of sin. In other words, that’s the day we’ll be free from the consequences and effects of sin. It’s a future guaranteed by Christ’s resurrection. And as one commentary says: ‘it fulfills God’s plan to restore, rather than merely replace the broken world.’

Yes friends, that promise of making all things new is ever so wonderful, because it offers us believers hope for a brighter and more glorious future while facing trials and tribulations here on this sinful and evil earth. And oh, I can’t wait to not feel the effects of pain, (smile) because it’s been my constant companion in one form or another over the last several years.

And having said all of that, we certainly cannot overlook possibly the most poignant and meaningful promise in all of God’s Word, one that we desperately need to cling to if we are to make it through this life with the success He’s planned for us. And yes, that’s a Bruh Paulian sentence, (smile) and it stems from his encouraging and reassuring words to the Roman church. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)

Oh mih bredrin, those words give us the courage and strength to believe that in the long run, despite all our trials and tribulations, the Lord will eventually work everything out for our good. Wow! Remember, the Lord never promised that it would be all wine, women and song down here on earth, but that the end will be much better than the beginning or the middle. And we know that He is an ever-faithful God who never reneges on His promises.

Now that was not even the first time that the Lord promised to make all things new, but simply the last. For long ago, through the prophet Isaiah, He promised His people Israel thus: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beasts of the field shall honour me, the dragons (jackals) and the owls (ostriches); because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth (declare) my praise.’ (Is. 43:18-21)

But unfortunately the Israelites were constantly disobedient to God, so they often felt His wrath. However, when the consequences of their disobedience were too great to bear, they would eventually awaken from their sinfulness and with sincere repentance, return to God’s fold, seeking His forgiveness. But sadly, with all the disobedience and tribulation in our current world, we’re not even wise enough to turn back to God with sincere repentance, seeking His forgiveness, so that He could make things better. That’s how prideful, foolish, egotistical and dumb we are!

But for the relative handful of us who see the problems and aspire to solve them, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

Now, we are beholden to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…to be a successful Christian…one must believe that things will eventually get better…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Importance of Christians Understanding that God, like a Potter, is Remodelling Them Every Day into the Image of Christ!

07 Apr 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a long and arduous process, amidst much pain and sorrow, arise and go down to the potter's house, as the clay is in the potter's hand, as the heavens are higher than the earth, being confident of this very thing, cast our minds forward to the end product, christianity, Christians are tough people, come to know and love christ like we do, cry out for help, don't like God's timing, Easter Tuesday, encouragement to stand the pain, enjoy the tough times, every tough step is wothwhile, everyday we're in the potter's hands, faith, faith grows stronger with each misfortune, faith only grows in tough times, feel god's presence hovering over me, from sinner to saint, Goat races in Tobago, God is always just in time, God is faithful, God is never late, god moves in mysterious ways, God will change us into the image of Christ, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, God will provide a way for us to endure the negative situation, God's imminent rescue, God's incomparable goodness and mercy, God's main purpose, growing our faith, he which hath begun a good work in you, holy spirit, how much aggravation our faith can stand, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, lacks spontaneity, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make a way of escape, mercy, more flabbergasted than normal, my thoughts than your thoughts, no Sunday afternoon stroll in the park, O house of Israel, personal experience, salvation, see the Lord's hand guiding and protecting, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, so are my ways higher than your ways, so are ye in mine hand, such as is common to man, testing our faith, the beautiful replica of Christ, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the eventual rewards are incomparable, the potter made a different vessel from the same clay, the potter wrought a work on the wheels, the right time for intervention, the vessel of clay was ruined in the potter's hand, there hath no temptation taken you, to have His children resemble Jesus, tough like Jesus, tough times, tough times don't last but tough people do, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, will perform it until the day of Jesus, wisdom, wit with bated breath, with the temptation, worry, ye may be able to bear it

Jeremiah 18:6b. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

And not because it’s Easter Tuesday and we gone back out to work means that the Easter celebrations over …Not by a long shot! For they are continuing in full swing at the Goat Races down in the seaside town of Buccoo in sweet Tobago! And oh, do I ever have some fond memories of Goat Race Tuesday‘s in Buccoo, but that was before it got so big that they built a stadium to house it.

Back then it was held in a field between some houses, and in several of those houses loud parties would be happening, while the goats and crabs ran. Yes, crabs did run in those days too! (smile) Back then it was a more inclusive and personal occasion, as opposed to the new situation of paying customers sitting down watching an event. It’s still a great time, though it lacks the spontaneity and vivacity of the earlier, less controlled era.

Ah friends, the ole fella’s lived a fairly long life, and though it’s been pretty tough many times along the way, when I look back at those tough times, I can definitely see the Lord’s hand guiding and protecting me through them. And believe me, there are still tough times today, but now I look to the Lord and cry out for help, when they come around. And He might not help me exactly when I need it, or in the way I desire, but I can always feel His presence hovering over me, waiting for the right time for His intervention.

And although I don’t like His timing, (smile) He’s never really late, but always just in time. Just before you go over the cliff, He reaches down and rescues you. Now, that’s not always easy to endure, but once you experience it a few times, your faith grows stronger with each occurrence, and you wait with bated breath amidst much pain and sorrow for His imminent rescue. (smile) And we wonder why it sometimes takes so long for Him to rescue us, when He has the power to do it right away.

But He’s the Creator and Controller and has His own reasons for His varied actions, many of which we can’t and don’t want to understand, for we will be even more flabbergasted than normal. And, as He long ago said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8) Now, that’s putting it in a very mannerly and decent way. (smile) But with our small and finite minds we can never hope to understand the reasons for Him doing what He does.

However, in His incomparable goodness and mercy, He does promise, as Bruh Paul writes to the Corinthians: ‘There hath 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 to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Now that doesn’t mean He will always recuse us, but if He doesn’t, then He will provide a way for us to endure the negative situation.

And why is that you ask? Well, it could be for several reasons, like growing our faith, for our faith doesn’t grow in good, easy times, but in rough, tough ones. And also for testing said faith; seeing how strong it is, how much aggravation it can bear up under. (smile) For remember God’s main purpose is to have us become strong and faithful like His Son Jesus Christ, which means breaking us and building us like a potter does a piece of clay.

It’s like how the Lord said to the prophet Jeremiah: ‘Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potters house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels (the Potter’s wheel). And the vessel he made (was making) of clay was marred (ruined) in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.’ (Jer. 18:2-6)

Yes my fellow believers, we are like clay in the Lord’s hands. He created us and He can recreate us into any shape or image He desires. Although His preferred image to turn us into is that of His wonderful Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) Meaning that once we come to God seeking salvation and eternal life, He will begin to change us into the image of Christ, and will do so, everyday we’re alive, or until Christ returns to earth.

So, as believers, we cannot get away from the potter’s work of God’s hands. And it’s not easy being formed or marred on the potter’s wheel, or being placed in the oven to harden, but in going though it all, we have to cast our minds forward to the end product; the beautiful, glowing replica of Christ that we will all eventually become, using it as encouragement and reassurance to stand the pain of becoming like Jesus.

And mih bredrin, I know of which I speak, not from hearsay, but from personal experience, for sometimes when I write certain stuff here, before it can even reach you, the Lord is already working it out in me. And when I eventually realize that fact, despite the painful situation I might be in, I just have to chuckle at how our great God moves in very mysterious ways.

So, as we keep saying, living for Jesus is by no means a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park, but by the same token, we can still enjoy the tough times we go through living for Him, as the eventual rewards are marvellous and incomparable. It’s as Dr. Schuller says: ‘Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.’ And we are indeed tough people, tough like our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

Now, it behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…from sinner to saint…the process can be long and arduous…but every tough step is worthwhile…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Overwhelming Importance of Having a Personal Relationship with Christ, even if it’s just and outward One!

24 Mar 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a bit of spiritual grit, a thought provoker, accompanying this ignorance was immorality, alive and living for Jesus, all things that are reproved, an outward connection, arise from the dead, as capable of standing firm, awake thou that sleepest, but rather reprove them, children of light, children of the day, Christ shall give thee light, christianity, come to know and love christ like we do, discerning what is and is not acceptable to God, don't indulge in the sins of the unsaved, don't know exactly when ti happened, enter a relationship with God, expose the sins of the unsaved, faith, God invites the unbeliever to turn from his sin, godly wisdom, have no fellowship, hideous nature, holy spirit, house of Jacob, hurry, in all goodness righteousness and truth, in god's eyes, in the midst of affliction, it is a shame, it's necessary to have a connection to God, its resultant guilt and misery, Jesus Christ, knowledge of the truth, let us walk in the light of the Lord, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, made manifest by the light, make our hearts and souls joyful, mercy, moral purity and happiness, no awareness of your love, no comfort or joy in your promises, no daylight in my heart, no deep conviction, nor as strong, nor even candlelight, not a deep spiritual involvement, not as brave as you think, not of the night nor of darkness, on your word without, One Year Book of Bible Promises our spiritual eyes, opted to throw my weight, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord, rather than my feelings within, reached the conclusion, religiously informed, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, shameful to discuss their iniquties in decnt company, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, sincerity and truth, spiritually unenlightened, terrible consequences of sin, that you are real, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the conclusion, the fruit of the spirit, the irony of the situation, the joy a new birth brings, the promise of spiritual enlightenment and help, the reawakening of life, to speak of those things done in secret, to whom we belong, tough and unpredictable times, trees are budding, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk as children of light, walk with you in the dark of night, walk without you in the light, whatever doth make manifest is light, whatever sin is made visible becomes light, wisdom, with sheer determination, with the unfruitful works of darkness, worry, ye are the light of the Lord, ye were sometimes darkness

Isaiah 2:5. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.

And so we come to Tuesday; a beautiful, sunny, but somewhat chilly spring day. Buds are coming out on the trees, so spring must certainly be in the air. (smile) Just sit a moment and contemplate all the lovely greenery that will soon become reality nuh; the reawakening of life once more, like the new birth of a baby that always brings such joy, and let’s make our hearts and souls joyful that although the times are tough and unpredictable, we’re alive and living fully and faithfully for Jesus! There’s absolutely nothing better than that friends!

And as I looked through our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin for a poem to share today, this one, so in line with what we just said above, struck me as being most appropriate. And, as usual, I don’t know if I’ve ever shared it before. (smile) It’s simply titled ‘The Conclusion.’ So please read with me: ‘Lord, Lord I am not as brave As You seem to think Nor as strong Nor as capable of standing firm In the midst of affliction. Lord, there is not a drop Of emotional response in me. No awareness of Your LOVE No comfort or joy in Your Promises.

I have no deep conviction That you are real. There is no daylight in my heart Nor even candlelight. Nevertheless, with sheer determination And perhaps a bit of spiritual grit I have opted to throw my weight On Your word without Rather than my feelings within. I don’t know exactly when it happened But I have reached the conclusion That I would rather walk with You In the dark of night Than walk without You In the light.’

Wow! What godly wisdom friends! It has to be, for what else would make you enter a relationship with God, although it’s not a deep spiritual involvement but simply an outward connection? It shows that God is working, working in a way that is most appropriate for that person. And believe me, our God will take anyone who comes to Him with sincerity and truth, although not ready for deep involvement. Yes my people, regardless of how our hearts feel inside, it’s ever so important that we at least walk with Almighty God on the outside, for it’s necessary to have some sort of connection with Him to live this life.

And once we begin walking with Him, even if it’s just on the outside, He will eventually make us see the light, and our feelings will become what they ought to be on the inside. It’s just a matter of time! And I just LOVE those two last lines: ‘That I would rather walk with You In the dark of night Than walk without You In the light.’ What a beautiful emotional juxtaposition, highlighting the irony of the situation! It’s preferable to walk with God in the dark, than walk without Him in the light. It sounds good, and is indeed a thought provoker. And you can spend several minutes, like I just did, trying to figure it out. (smile)

But the important thing is that one ought always to walk with God, be it day or night! And the Bible Promise for that poem comes from Isaiah, in talking about the mountain of God, he advises his people: ‘Come people of Israel, let us walk in the light of the Lord.’ (Is. 2:5) That’s the NLT or New Living Translation. Meanwhile the KJV or King James Version which we use, puts it thus: ‘O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.’ (Is. 2:5)

And as we just said, it is ever so important to walk in the light of the Lord in this dark and despicable world. As Bruh Paul explains to the Ephesians. ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them.

For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.’ (Eph. 5:8-14)

Now here are some explanations from the scholars re those verses. ‘5:8. Darkness indicates that the readers used to be spiritually unenlightened, and accompanying this ignorance was immorality with its resultant guilt and misery. Light denotes that the recipients are now religiously informed. Their knowledge of the truth is attended by moral purity and happiness. 5:10. Because of the constant temptations and solicitations to evil, believers must always be proving or discerning what is and what is not acceptable unto the Lord.

5:11. Reprove is better translated “exposed.” The believer’s duty is expressed here in two ways. Negatively, he is not to have any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, that is, not to indulge in the sins of the unsaved. Positively, he is to “expose” (reprove) these sins, that is, bring them to light and show them for what they really are, so that the unbeliever may see their hideous nature and their terrible consequences. 5:12. For tells why the Christian must expose the sins of the lost. If it is shameful even to discuss their iniquities in decent company (cf. vs. 3), how much the worse is the committing of these sins. Hence the need to bring them to light.

5:13. This verse may be paraphrased: “All sins that are exposed are made visible by the gospel, for whatever sin is made visible becomes light.” 5:14. Since exposing sin is beneficial, God invites the unbeliever (thou that sleepest) to turn from his sin (arise from the dead), with the promise that he will be granted spiritual enlightenment and help needed (Christ shall give thee light).’ Hopefully those explanations give us a better understanding of how we are to walk as children of light.

Now, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As on strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

That now makes us duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…believers are all children of light…and children of the day…they are not of the night…nor of darkness… (1 Thess. 5:5)

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

SCRIP-BITS

Pages

Categories

Archives