05 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a wind that passeth away, a winter storm, all God's children, another good summer's day, as the heavens are higher than the earth, as the rain cometh down, as the rain waters the earth, behaving like the Israelites, Bless His Holy Name, bread to the eater, Christ who strengthens us, christianity, cometh not again, cross that bridge when we come to it, destroyed them not, did not stir up all his wrath, downhill to the cold months, endure to the end with Christ, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, flatter him with their tongues, fool each other with external looks and talk, For I am the Lord I change not, forgave their iniquity, forgotten what the Lord did for us, give seed to the sower, God being full of compassion, God is our Creator, God knows everything about us, God's been good to us, God's compassion to his sinful creation, great is thy faithfulness, grieve him in the desert, handle any situation, hands on the plough, he remembered that they were but flesh, hearts rampaging after the things of Satan, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, how oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, I have refused him, I'm halfway home, in these comfortable and wealthy times, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, it shall accomplish that which I please, it shall not return unto me void, Jesus Christ, lessons that we need to learn, look not on his countenance, LOVE, maketh it bring forth and bud, man looketh on the outward appearance, many a time turned he his anger away, many supposed believers are not ture to God, mercy, Mother Nature, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts than your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, neither were they steadfast in his covenant, not turning back, only remember God in times of trouble, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, pay lip service to God, Praise the Lord, prosper in the thing whereto I sent it, reason to destroy us, remembered not his hand, returned and enquired early after God, salvation, so are my ways higher than your ways, so glad to be alive, so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth, sought diligently after God, take God for granted, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the day when he delivered them from the enemy, the grace and mercy of Christ, the height of his stature, the high god their redeemer, the Lord looketh on the heart, the Lord seeth not as man seeth, the snow from heaven, the truth in spades, the undeserving children of men, their heart was not right with him, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed, they are new every morning, they remembered that God was their rock, this is the day the Lord has made, this odious world, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turned back and tempted the Holy One of Israel, we cannot fool God, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 August 2026 Psalm 78:37.
Psalm 78:37. For their heart was not right (steadfast) with him, neither were they steadfast (faithful) in his covenant.
Oh boy! Another bright, sunshiny, cool summer’s day in my neighbourhood! August so far has just been marvellous, except for the one rainy day on Sunday. Let’s hope and pray that it stays this nice for all of the month, because you know after this, it’s all downhill to the cold months. But as children of the Most High God Jehovah, those minor things like cold months and winter weather don’t bother us, for we can handle any situation that comes against us, through the outstanding grace and mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who strengthens and directs us! Therefore, like the psalmist, we will say every day: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps;118:24)
And I’m chuckling here, as I think how bold and brave we’ll be until Mother nature blasts us with a winter storm and we get caught in the middle of it, struggling to get home or to work. But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, until then let’s be brave and bold and confident in our wonderful God. And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name, for He has certainly been good to us, the undeserving children of men!’
And that’s for sure my faithful brethren, Almighty God has been good to us when all He had was reason to destroy us, and we should be ever so thankful for His grace and mercy, His compassions to us His sinful creation, which like Jeremiah says in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) And Jeremiah’s statement is corroborated by the prophet Malachi, when he declares on the Lord’s behalf. ‘For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6)
And that faithful compassion of our God is seen even more in this passage from Psalm 78, where the psalmist Asaph describes his people’s sinful behaviour in the wilderness and God’s response. He says: ‘But he (God), being full of compassion forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. How oft did they provoke (rebel against) him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not his hand (his delivering power), nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.’ (Ps. 78:38-42)
And yuh know what my people, sadly, in these comfortable and wealthy times, we are behaving the same way the Israelites did back in the wilderness. We’ve either forgotten what the Lord did for us, or simply take Him for granted, and only seem to remember Him when troubles come against us, then we’re quick to cry: ‘O God, help me!’ But other than that we only pay lip service to Him. We again behave like the Israelites did.
‘When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early (sought diligently) after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right (steadfast) with him, neither were they steadfast (faithful) in his covenant.’ (Ps. 78:34-37) And when we look around today’s world that is exactly what we’re seeing too much of; supposed believers not being faithful and true to Almighty God, only paying lip service, while their hearts are rampaging after the things of Satan and this odious world.
And foolishly, many of us think that the Lord doesn’t know what we’re truly about when we come to Him with insincere pleas and requests, forgetting what he said to Samuel so long ago, when He sent him to anoint Bruh David to be the future king of Israel. Samuel saw the eldest of Jesse’s son, Eliab, looking strong and handsome and thought that he must be the one. ‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him; for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)
Yes my people, the Lord looks at the state of our hearts before He does anything else, so although we can fool each other with our external looks and talk, we cannot fool Almighty God. And the sooner some of us recognize that colossal fact, the better off we will all be. That reminds us of this other difference between us and the Lord, as He says through Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void (empty, without fruit), but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.’ (Is. 55:8-11)
That’s the truth in spades my fellow believers: the Lord’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, and His word will never return to him fruitless, but will do whatever He desires it to. Those are a couple more lessons that we either need to learn or remember in these lawless and deceitful times. Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the end with Christ, then it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s be wise and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…we cannot fool the Lord…for He is our Creator…thus He knows everything about us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a piece of pottery, as the heavens are higher than the earth, be continually surprised by your vastness, be of good cheer, begun a good work in you, being confident of this very thing, but of power love and a sound mind, combat the forces of evil, come to know and love him like we do, December Prayer, do away with every limit, duty bound, dwell in your higher and better ways, enjoy the good life, every moment of my life, faith, fearful, forever find myself amazed, God has no limits, God has not given us a spirit of fear, greed, holy spirit, humbled in your presence, humbling ourselves before God, hurry, I fully understand you, i have overcome the world, I try to impose on you, improve our ways and thoughts, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the Master Potter's hands, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer to our every need, light of the world, LOVE, man-made disasters, mercy, my desire for certainty, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, natural disasters, neither are your ways my ways, new theatres of conflict, our job is to go about in faith, perform it until the day of jesus, plundering our world, poverty, promises, resolutions, resting and rejoicing in them, ring in the New year, salt of the earth, salvation, shaping us as closely as possible into the image of Jesus, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, so are my ways higher than your ways, stop putting God in a box, strife, tempted to think, the beloved of God, the gospel truth, the Prince of Peace, the Third World War, these things I have spoken unto you, trust my friend Jesus, trusting in god's faithful promises, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, with my whole heart, worry, your uneding wisdom kindness and grace
Isaiah 55:9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
And then it was Tuesday… the Eve of New Year’s Eve, and everyone’s trying to get ready for the big party, that will ring in the new year of 2026, with all sorts of new resolutions and promises etc. etc. But will the new year be any different from this one just past? Oh friends, I certainly hope and prayer that it is! Because 2025 has been one of unspeakable natural and manmade disasters, as well as enormous greed and poverty, where the powerful few have been busy grabbing more power and wealth, while leaving a large part of the population to suffer.
Not to mention the worldwide strife that’s been occurring, where instead of hearing of the end of conflicts, a new theater of conflict seems to be opening up almost every day. The world has become more ungodly and evil with Christians not doing much to help matters either, as we either enjoy the good life with no cares for what’s happening around us, or are too fearful to do anything to combat the forces of evil that are plundering our world.
We keep forgetting, or refuse to remember that we are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and most importantly that ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) So with all of that happening in 2025, it’s hard for it to get worse, unless there is all-out war; the third and last World War. Consequently, let’s hope more of us choose to remember and action those wise words of God above this coming year.
And to help us turn things around in the new year, this prayer from the December In Touch Devotional is a very good place to start. So please pray with me: ‘Lord, when I’m tempted to think I fully understand You, do away with every limit I try to impose on You in my desire for certainty. Let me be continually surprised by Your vastness and dwell in Your higher and better ways, resting and rejoicing in them with my whole heart. May I forever find myself amazed by your unending wisdom, kindness and grace – humbled in Your presence every moment of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my people that prayer contains so many of the things we ought to be doing in this coming new year to better our world and uplift our great God! For instance, let’s stop putting God in a box, trying to know what He plans for or doesn’t plan for. In other words, stop limiting Him, when He has no limits. If He had limits then He would not be God. Our duty is to go about this earthly life in faith, trusting in His faithful promises to look out for us in all circumstances.
And then, it would be so wonderful if we could dwell and rejoice in His higher ways, and not our mediocre or devilish ones. Remember the scriptures tell us very clearly of God’s position as opposed to ours. The prophet Isaiah spells it out in plain language. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) And that’s the gospel truth! That’s why He is God and we are His creation.
However, although we will never reach to the level of ways and thoughts of God, it doesn’t mean we cannot try to improve our ways and thoughts, and thus come up higher than we are right now. And that’s exactly what the Lord desires of us, that’s why He is in the process of making us more like His wonderful Son Jesus every day. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6)
Yes my fellow believers, until the day that Jesus returns, or the Lord takes us home, we will be like a piece of pottery in the Master Potter’s hands, being shaped as closely as possible to the image of Jesus Christ! And if we take God out of the finite box many of us have Him in, then as the prayer says, we will be amazed by His unending wisdom, kindness and grace, and thus wanting to do what we’re supposed to; that’s humbling ourselves before Him for the rest of our lives.
Oh my faithful brethren, living faithfully for God in this evil world is not easy, especially when Satan makes it his duty to tempt us to turn away from God, but if we’re sincere in our faith, God will help us to get through it, despite all the many setbacks we will face. Remember what Jesus said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And that my fellow believers is the ONLY way we can ever have true peace in this ungodly and strife-filled world. Yes, for Jesus is indeed the Prince of Peace!
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having declared that prayer, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…how often must we say it before we truly believe it…Jesus IS the answer to our EVERY need…hopefully we will finally believe and action it in 2026…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a permanent guest, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, according to the riches of his glory, all saints derive their spiritual life from God, as the heavens are higher than the earth, be a true reflection of Christ, be able to comprehend, be divinely enabled, be filled with all the fullness of God, being confident of this very thing, being rooted and grounded in Love, Christ feels at home in us, Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, deepen my breath, divinely strengthened, exceeding abundantly, faith, for this cause I bow my knees, God may grant you, greater intimacy with God, growing in spiritual maturity, he which has begun a good work in you, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in God' the potter's hands, in the inner man, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, live the kind of lives God desires, LOVE, mercy, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, perform it until the day of jesus, put it into practice, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, right and sincere motives, salvation, slow my thoughts, so are my ways higher than your ways, spiritual awareness, take it all to heart, thank you for this tenderness, the breadth and depth of God's love, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the life character and virtues of God, the whole family in heaven and earth is named, time is of the essence, to be at ease, to be awakened and enlightened, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit, to comprehend with all saints, to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, to live the Christian life successfully, truth, understand the enormous love of God, unto Him be glory in the church, unto him that is able to do, wisdom, world without end, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Ephesians 3:16b. to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
It’s our lazy-day Saturday friends! Where we lie around and do as little as we want, even to the point of doing nothing! (smile) And isn’t it a good feeling? It surely is! I even enjoyed some lazy-day sleep in, but that’s mainly because I went to bed at a rather late hour, so that might not count. (smile) Anyway, let’s get the ball rolling right away, for time is of the essence. And we’ll begin by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
So, as one strong and sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, if we’re sincere, we’ll soon feel an extra special calm and peace filling our souls, because our wonderful God just LOVES to offer them to those who come desiring greater intimacy with Him. It’s one request He’ll NEVER turn away, if our hearts are truly sincere. And remember, He checks out our hearts before He answers our prayers to see if we have right and sincere motives, so it doesn’t make sense going to Him unless we fulfill those two scenarios.
That brings us to this interesting prayer Bruh Paul prayed for the Ephesians in his letter to them. He writes: ‘For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in LOVE, May be able to comprehend (understand) with all saints what is the breadth (width), and length, and depth, and height; And to know the LOVE of Christ , which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph. 3:14-20)
Wow! What an interesting prayer. Please note that Bruh Paul did not pray for earthly stuff but more for their spiritual awareness to be awakened and enlightened. And what does it all mean? The scholars offer these explanations. As per vs. 14, they explain: ‘For this cause. This expression resumes the apostle’s prayer begun in verse 1 but delayed by the discussion of verses 2-13.’ And that first verse simply says: ‘For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,’ It is just an introduction to what he says in verse 14 onward, but got diverted before he could get into the prayer.
And as per verse 15: ‘Is named means “is derived.” The whole Christian family, including those saints now departed and in heaven, and those saints still living on earth – all of them derive their spiritual life from God.’ Then in verses 16-19, ‘Paul makes three prayer requests for the addressees: (1) That they would be strengthened with might by his Spirit (vs. 16), that is, they be divinely enabled to successfully live the Christian life.
(2) That the readers be able to comprehend … the LOVE of Christ, that is, to better understand the enormous LOVE Christ has for them. And (3) that they might be filled with all the fullness of God, that is, that the life, character, and virtues of God Himself may be fully developed in them.’ Yuh see friends, it’s all about understanding the enormity of God’s LOVE for us and wanting us to be truly a reflection of the image of Christ.
Then the scholars further break down verse 17, by saying: ‘This verse expresses the result of vs. 16: Christ will dwell in the lives of those who are recipients of the Holy Spirit. Jesus already lives in them and in all Christians. The Greek word translated “dwell” means to settle down and be at home, to be at ease. When they are divinely strengthened (vs. 16), they will then live the kind of lives God desires. When they thus please God, Christ will then be “at home” or “at ease” in their lives. As a permanent guest, He will enjoy living with them.’
Now the big question here is whether Christ is at home, or at ease in us, does He enjoy residing with us? And until we can answer that question with a strong affirmative, we have work to do. Well … we will always have work to do, but the point is, are we growing in spiritual maturity? And remember, even if we aren’t working on us, the Lord is. Bruh Paul states it quite plainly to the Philippians. ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (continue) it until the day of Jesus.’ (Phil. 1:6) That means we will be in God, the Potter’s hands from the moment we receive Christ as Lord and Saviour until He takes us home, or Christ returns, whichever happens first.
And Bruh Paul finishes his prayer for the Ephesians in style. ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.’ (Eph. 3:20-21)
And the scholars tell us there that ‘Paul, has not asked for too much. For he prays unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that he can ask or think.’ And we all know that’s the gospel truth! Our great God can do much more than we can ever ask or think. He created us, therefore He must be a much higher power then us, His lowly creations. And He informs us of that most salient fact, very clearly through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9)
Yes friends, the Lord states it as it is, and I pray that on this lazy-day Saturday we will take to heart all that we’ve said, and also put it into practice, so that we can keep growing in spiritual maturity as our wonderful God desires of us. Much LOVE!
…until Christ feels at home in us…we need to keep growing…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new crop of believers, a word to the wise is sufficent, abundantly pardon, as the rain waters the earth, backsliders, Bible, bread to the eater, call ye upon him while he is near, christianity, crying out for help, destroy the earth, divine aid, error of their ways, faith, foolish pride, free choice, Friday chant, give seed to the sower, god, good examples of godly living, great sinfulness, have mercy upon him, in the thing which I sent it, it shall accomplish that which I please, it shall prosper, Jesus, Jesus Christ, let the wicked forsake his way, LOVE, mercy, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, my ways higher than your ways, my word shall not return void, mysterious ways, neither are your ways my ways, only lasts for a short time, our sinful world, payback is hell, puny minds, return unto the Lord, salvation, season of rebellion, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example we faithful believers set, the heavens are higher than the earth, the pleasures of righteousness, the pleasures of sin, the snow from heaven, the sweetness of sin, the throne of grace, the unrighteous man his thoughts, truth, ungodly ways, wake up and and smell the coffee, wisdom
Isaiah 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
And this Friday morning in early May, as we shout ‘TGIF! Thank God It’s Friday!’ we celebrate the rebirth of the flora around us. Yes friends, spring has finally shown it’s green and wonderful face after such a long absence. And what amazes me, is that a couple days ago, trees that had no leaves, merely some brown buds, today are overflowing with greenery. But that’s how the awesome plan of God for the smooth running of the universe works; in mysterious ways that our finite and puny minds can never grasp or fully understand.
That ought to remind us of these magnificent and oh so true words of the Lord, spoken through the prophet Isaiah, informing the Israelites, and us too, that God abundantly pardons. ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:6-7)
Ah mih people, that call which was issued to the Israelites in their season of rebellion and sinfulness so many years ago, is again being issued to us in our great sinfulness and ungodly ways, for few, if any other generations have been more wicked and ungodly than ours is today. And we badly need to seek the Lord for His mercy and pardon if we expect to survive for any length of time on this earth, because as we continue in our sinful and ungodly ways we keep destroying God’s planet as well as ourselves. And if we play the scenario out to its complete fulfillment then we’ll simply destroy the earth and all therein.
That’s the foolish and arrogant plan we’re following right now. And the only way to put a stop to it, is to turn back to the God of our forefathers, who created and still controls the universe. And these further words of Isaiah ought to wake us up to reality, help us take our foolish heads from the sand in which it’s so thoroughly buried that we don’t know right from wrong, or whether we’re coming or going.
Listen up: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void (empty, without fruit), but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing which whereto I sent it.’ (Is. 55:8-11)
Oh friends, we certainly cannot deny the truth of those statements! The Lord’s ways and thoughts are certainly higher than ours. His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence far outweighs what little power and understanding we possess, and we cannot begin to understand His person and purposes. That’s why He is God and we are simply His creation! Although in our foolish pride we ofttimes behave as though it’s the opposite way, and we end up paying a hefty price for that unwise thinking. But unfortunately the high price of disobedience doesn’t stop us from being rebellious and ungodly.
Let’s remember that our gift from God of free choice was not meant to choose the ungodly things of Satan, but the everlasting and wonderful things of God. But as always, mankind has abused that gift, turning more to the pleasures of sin advocated by Satan, than the pleasures of righteousness advocated by God. And that’s why our world is in such a mess right now, with strife and all the negative emotions of the evil one overwhelming our world.
But here’s what the Lord promised the Israelites if they turned back to Him. ‘For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall calp their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up a fir (cypress) tree, and instead of the brier (thorny plant) shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.’ (Is. 55:12-13)
Now doesn’t that scenario sound so much better than the one in which we’re currently enveloped? It surely does! So why don’t we turn from our evil ways, embrace the righteousness of God and make it come to pass eh? Remember, the sweetness of sin only lasts for a short while, then comes the payback. And payback is …hell! And that’s exactly what we’re suffering right now here on earth. Remember God’s Word will not be spoken in vain. Whatever it’s sent out to do, it will accomplish. And He sent it out in the first place promising salvation to all mankind, which has been accomplished by the work and sacrifice of Jesus.
So please, let’s get smart nuh, use the wisdom that God gave us and turn back to Him while He can still be found. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through the prayer of our Friday Chant, seeking the help we so desperately need in these evil and ungodly times. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you.
Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now friends, there’s an interesting proviso to receiving divine help…we must first show that we’re turning from our evil ways and being good examples of godly living. That’s what drives divine help! Much LOVE!
..a word to the wise is sufficient…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
12 Apr 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: deliver us from the heathen, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, ever-saving grace, fear before him all the earth, frail fickle and finite ability, glory and honour are in his presence, great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, great is thy faithfulness, heart is made of stone, his compassions fail not, his mercy endureth for ever, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, in god's eyes, It is of the Lord's mercies, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, moving and grooving, my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, our devilish souls washed clean, sacrificed His only Sn, save us O God of our salvation, share His love with the world, sing unto the Lord all the earth, strength and gladness are in his place, the cocoon of God's love, the cross of Calvary, the depths of Hades, the indwelling Holy Spirit of Christ, the price we pay, they are new every morning, to whom we belong, Tuesday Mantra, unconditional LOVE, wallowing in the Love of God, we are not consumed, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
1 Chronicles 16:34. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
And it’s a bright and beautiful spring Tuesday…getting warmer every minute too! (smile) Oh yes, it’s high time that we are blessed with some of the sun’s real warmth after such a long winter of hibernating. But that’s just the price we pay for living in the cold northern climes. Nothing that we can’t handle though with the indwelling Holy Spirit of Christ moving and grooving with us. And one of those marvellous moves happened just now. I’m talking about where the Good Book opened this morning; at 1 Chronicles 16, which contains this beautiful song of praise and thanksgiving from the mighty pen of Bruh David.
And you know what means, we’ve got to declare it today. (smile) So, let’s do as Bruh David says nuh. ‘Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; show forth from day to day his salvation. Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared (held in reverential awe) above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols (worthless things): but the Lord made the heavens. Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.
Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Fear (tremble) before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved. Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth. Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein. Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because he cometh to judge the earth.
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory (triumph) in thy praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord.’ (1 Chr.16:23-36)
Oh my people, my people, what beautiful, wise, true and sure sentiments! Bruh David surely knew how to pull one into the Lord’s sphere, to wrap one in the cocoon of God’s LOVE, mercy and greatness! If, after reading those true and worthy sentiments and you have not felt the LOVE, the nearness, the warmth and safety emanating from God’s Holy Spirit then your heart must really be made of stone. For the words just evoke a sense of totality, an all-encompassing serenity, stability and unchangeability that flows from the wonderful Creator of the universe and all therein. ‘For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.’
Now there’s no doubting His greatness if He can merely speak into existence this amazing world and all that’s in it. And just for that He definitely deserves praise and glory! Then when you add His goodness and mercy, His salvation, His saving grace…Oh friends, the honour and glory He truly deserves for all that He is, is way above our frail, fickle and finite ability. No wonder the Good Book tells us: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9)
We just are not in His league my brethren! And why should we be eh, when He is our Creator, the author of infinity, and we are just lowly, though highly adored minions with a finite existence? And that’s why we should be forever grateful and do like Bruh David says: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.’ And friends, not only the Lord’s mercy endures for ever, but also His amazing unconditional LOVE and ever-saving grace! Without His mercy, grace and LOVE, we’d be totally destroyed long ago!
Jeremiah said it so succinctly and wisely 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 all God’s people declared a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Blessed be His Holy Name! Give thanks for His wonderful goodness to the undeserving children of men!’
And so we should my fellow saints, for without the Lord’s abundant faithfulness, patience and long-suffering, we would have already been ignited with hell-fire and damnation! Because He promised, the fire next time, no more simplistic water. (smile) But yet still we refuse to bow to Him, to be obedient to His holy law and live according to the guidelines found in His word. And that’s even after He sacrificed His only Son on the cross of Calvary so that our abominable sins could be forgiven and our devilish souls washed clean.
For whatever reason, the deceitful enemy still holds the reins of too many of our hearts and souls, desiring to take us down to the depths of Hades with him, forever separated from the God of our creation and salvation. But people, that’s the worst decision, the biggest mistake any created being can make, for eternity is a long, long time, and without Almighty God in our lives, for any time at all, much less such a long period, we will endure much ‘sufferation.’
Remember, that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours. He’s our Creator and keeps the breath of life, His breath of life, going in us. He has the power to do whatever He wants with us through His omnipotence, omniscience, and omni-presence. And above all He is the God of our salvation! So, with all those things going for Him, doesn’t it make sense to bow down and worship Him, to give him much thanks and praise? I certainly think so!
And for those of us who also think that way, let’s go home now declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, proudly telling the whole world to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. Altogether now: ‘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 the world. Amen!’
Consequently, we must now go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, just as generously as He’s shared it with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Oh what a wonderful task that is my people! Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing better than…wallowing in the LOVE, mercy and grace of God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
25 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, all praise honour and glory to God, as the heavens are higher than the earth, But God commendeth his love toward us, Christ died for us, courage, creativity, curse, disobedience to God, don't bow to the foolishness of Satan, eternal life in heaven, experience God's wrath, faith, favour, God is no pushover, God is the source of all our blessings, God is the source of healing, Happy Thanksgiving U. S of A, hell fire and damnation, if the Son sets you free, if ye continue in my word, kick God out of our soicety, LOVE, love the Lord with all thy heart soul and mind, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, negative word, neither are your ways my ways, on the junk pile of history, on which side their bread was buttered, One Nation Under God, prosper, set free from the tentacles of sin, sinful children of men, so are my ways higher than yours, succeed, sufferation, the greatest commandment, the truth shall set you free, Thursday's Blessings, to God the Father all gratitude and thanksgiving, too big for his britches, while we were yet sinners, ye shall know the truth, you shall be free indeed
John 8:32. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING U.S. of A!
All praise, honour and glory to our heavenly Father this Thursday morning, my faithful brethren! It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Let’s hope that they do not get caught up and lost in the festivities and forget on which side their bread is buttered and spend some serious time considering their Creator because He is the source of all their blessings and also the source of the healing that their nation so badly needs. For their motto ‘One Nation Under God,’ no longer holds true, since they are now as divided and cantankerous as the days before the Civil War a couple hundred years ago, with Almighty God no longer the mainstay in the land.
And yes, to God the Father all gratitude and thanksgiving should go from all of us, for our awakening, our ability to walk, talk, eat and have a job to go to, for He is an awesome deity, the ONLY true and living God there is! And ALL Jehovah God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Father for your unconditional and undying LOVE, mercy, grace and faithfulness to us, sinful children of men. We LOVE You and praise Your holy name! Amen!’
And so we ought to friends, on account of the heartache that the Lord put Himself through for us, by sacrificing His only Son Jesus Christ so that we could be set free from the overwhelming tentacles of sin. Please note these heartrending words from the Good Book and let them soften our hearts. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Can you imagine that? Sacrificing your only Son to set a bunch of ungrateful sinners free, when they did not seem the least bit interested in you. Hn! But the Lord did it because of His great LOVE for His best creation. However, to be set free from the bondage of sin we must acknowledge and believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Like He said to the Jews at one stage in His ministry. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.’ (John 8:31-32)
That means if we really want to be set free from enslavement to sin, then we need to know the truth, and the truth is found in Christ’s written word. So, we have to read the word carefully and study it diligently. That’s the only way to know what it says. Then, most importantly, we need to obey what it says, for knowing and not obeying is sin. A dusty, unopened Bible is of no use to us. We need to always have a well-read one close by, and also have what it says written indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls.
For remember, the greatest commandment is ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’ (Matt. 22:37) And you can only truly LOVE the Lord when you know who He is and what He’s about, and you can only discover that when you read His word, His enlightened description of Himself and His ways.
And just one li’l footnote here to remind us of why He is God. As He says through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) It would do us all a whole lot of good if we would just keep those words at the front of our minds as we go about our daily living and don’t bow to the foolishness that Satan and his cohorts are trying to do in the land, like kick God out of our society.
Satan is a bloody fool, a created being who got too big for his britches! He couldn’t kick God out of heaven, what makes him think he can kick God out of the earth that He created eh? Hogwash! But unfortunately, too many of us are believing Satan’s lies and deceptions and are turning away from God. That’s the worst decision we can ever make my people, for all Satan has to offer is hell fire and damnation, while Jesus has eternal life in heaven with the Father, the Holy Spirit and Himself.
Now which one seems the best offer eh? Jesus’ obviously! But we fear what the world will say and do, and neither are we willing to put out the effort it takes to live sincerely for Jesus. But friends, if we read and study the Good Book, we will see how it ends, with God’s wrath levied against the evildoers. And believe me, our God might be LOVING, merciful and all those good things, but He’s no pushover, and I don’t think any of us will willingly want to experience His wrath. Just read about the ‘sufferation’ the Jewish people underwent for their disobedience to God, and all those other nations who got too big and proud to follow God. Where are they now eh? On the junk pile of history.
But that’s a decision each one of must make, so I am pleading with us to make the decision to live for Jesus, because that’s the ONLY wise and sensible one. As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say, there are consequences to every decision, but eternal wisdom decrees to: ‘obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.’ You can’t argue with that statement. So, for those of us who have already committed our lives to Jesus, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and confident voice. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, let’s rise up and go out and share those blessings just as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know, LOVE and glorify Him as we do! Much LOVE!
…if the Son shall set you free…you shall be free indeed… (John 8:36)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
SCRIP-BITS 