21 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a destructive weapon, a disciplined mind, all the days of my life, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, autumn leaves, autumn season, be of good cheer, but of power love and a sound mind, came upon me to devour my flesh, climate change, come to know and love christ like we do, constantly study the word, don't feel guilty when you're afraid, dread, even mine enemies and my foes, faith, fear comes from the enemy, fear does not come from God, fear has no part in a Christian's life, fear hath torment, fear is a natural human emotion, fearful tidings, fiery red, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, God shall hide me in his pavilion, God's greatest attribute is love, he shall set me upon a rock, he that feareth is not made perfect in love, holy spirit, hurry, i have overcome the world, I will seek after, in god's eyes, in living colour, in me ye might have peace, in the secret of his tabernacle, in the time of trouble, in the world ye shall have tribulation, in this will I be confident, Jesus Christ, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, mercy, my heaart shall not fear, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth give I unto you, not received the spirit of bondage to fear, of whom shall I be afraid, One thing have I desired of the Lord, overcome fear by faith in Jesus, overcome us in our weakness, Peace i leave with you, perfect love casteth out fear, reap the good benefits God has to offer, received the Spirit of adoption, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, the beloved of God, the introduction to winter, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, the Prince of Peace, the sons of God, there is no fear in love, these things I have spoken unto you, they stumbled and fell, though an host should encamp against me, though war should rise against me, to behold the beauty of the Lord, to enquire in his temple, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, when the wicked came upon me, whom shall I fear, wisdom, with the whole wide world, worry
John 16:33b. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Well, well, well, if it isn’t Tuesday! In living colour too! Although the beautiful colours of the fall leaves as they change from green to whatever, are somewhat dampened by the overall cloudiness of the day. And yes, the leaves are finally changing in this exceptional year of 2025. In a normal year, they would have changed already, but that’s climate change for you.
And speaking of beautiful colours, my neighbour has a tall tree in his backyard, and the leaves are now all a marvellous fiery red. When I looked out my bedroom window this morning, much to my surprise, it’s like I saw a big, beautiful fire out there! (smile) Autumn is indeed the most beautiful season, as it pertains to colours, but it also has the sad drawback as being the introduction to winter and its dead, dreadful look and feel.
But then fear or dread has no part in the life of a Christian, for as Bruh Paul confidently declared to Timothy, and consequently us: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) That means that anytime fear bombards us, it’s not coming from our God, but the enemy, who uses fear as one of his most destructive weapons against believers. For he knows that once he gets us afraid, then we lose the joy of the Lord, which is our strength (Neh. 8:10) and thus he can quickly overcome us in our weakness.
Therefore, we need to keep scriptures that admonish and drive away fear at the forefront of our minds, especially in these evil and fearful times, when the enemy is in the ascendance and is constantly bombarding us with fearful tidings. We need to have scriptures like these two from Jesus at the very tips of our tongues when fear strikes. Jesus encouraged His followers with these wonderful words. ‘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)
Then later on, He again touched on the subject of fear, knowing that the world would certainly come against us, even if it’s simply because we call ourselves Christians. He encouraged us thus. ‘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) Yes friends when we associate with Jesus we have peace, because He is the Prince of Peace. And if we have the peace of Jesus, then we should not be afraid of what the world throws against us. Remember He said, ‘don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,’ as well as ‘be of good cheer.’
Now obviously that is not always easy to do in this evil and ungodly world, but if we know the scriptures and stand strong in them, we will be able to overcome most of the fear that comes against us. And please don’t feel belittled or guilty when you’re afraid, for fear is a natural human emotion that comes over us in times of trouble or unknown situations. The good thing is that we can overcome fear by having strong faith in Christ! And to have strong faith means we have to constantly study the Word and put it into practice, as well as remember what the Lord has done for us and others in past tough times, and will do again if we ask Him to. For He still does miracles, keeps promises and answers prayer.
And here is an interesting comment by John, from his first epistle. He confidently states: ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18) Yes my faithful brethren, torment is certainly not of God, and when we’re concentrating on LOVE, God’s greatest attribute, we won’t have time to be bothered by fear. And if we’re constantly fearful, it means that LOVE is not a big enough part of our lives.
Then there’s this admonishment from Bruh Paul in his letter to the Romans. ‘For as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.’ (Rom. 8:14-15) Another instance where it’s shown that constant fear is not a godly attribute, but one that the enemy likes to force on us. And what better words to close with than these awesome ones of courage and faith from Bruh David in Psalm 27 – titled ‘My Heart Shall Not Fear.’
Let’s declare it together: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock.’ (Ps. 27:1-5)
Yes my fellow believers, those ought to be desires on which we have purposefully set our hearts, for it’s only in close and constant association with Almighty God can we reap the good benefits He has to offer! Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong. 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, it now 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!
…fear is always around…but with faith…we can chase it away…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leisurely day, anger, at the forefront of our minds, away from have to things, be of good cheer, behooves us, burn out, coddling a pent-up rebellion, come to know and love him like we do, didn't want to go to church, do what we feel like, doing a brisk business, faith, fear, followers of Christ Jesus, foolishness, for His name's sake, get away from the alarm clocks, get away from work family friends, God is a refuge for us, greed, handle our problems properly, hate, he leads me beside the still waters, he leads me in the paths of righteousness, he makes me lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul, holy spirit, hurry, i have overcome the world, I shall not want, I will fear no evil, In God is my salvation and my glory, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, insecurity, Jesus Christ, learned a profound lesson, let not your heart be troubled, life is good, lock stock and barrel, lose our focus, lose the capacity for personal enjoyment, LOVE, mental illness, mercy, my hope is from him, my peace I give unto you, my refuge is in God, my soul wait thou only upon God, neither let it be afraid, not as the world gives, of whom shall I be afraid, Once in a while we can, once in a while we can do what we want to, once in awhile we need to walk think meditate, One Year Book of Bible promises, only God can satisfy our deepest longings, our competitive society, Peace i leave with you, personal enjoyment, pour out your hearts before him, pressing commitments, propaganda, rely upon God, reminiscent of our current society, retain our sanity in this crazy world, salvation, Selah, sense of purpose, share His love with my neighbours, share our private secrets with God, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, the beloved of God, the Lord is my light and my salvation, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord is the strength of my life, the mind doctors, the negatives running rampant in our society, the rock of my strength, the shattering pressures, these things I have spoken unto you, thou art with me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to whom we belong, trust in him at all times, trust my friend Jesus, truth, trying to keep up with the world system, unfair systems of the world, whom shall I fear, wisdom, without hurting someone, worry
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
And finally the bright sunshiny days have come to an end! Yes, rain is in the offing for today. We’ve already had a small drizzle, but with all the cloudiness around, we’ll probably have some bigger showers later in the day. And we really can’t complain because we’ve had such beautiful unseasonable weather recently, and though rain might fall, the temperature is still almost summer-like. (smile) So let’s give thanks, for life is good; we’re alive, and the weather is fine!
Now, here’s a very interesting and rather appropriate writing from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And though I’m sure I’ve shared this one before, it’s worthwhile hearing again, because it’s highly reminiscent of our current society. It’s aptly titled, ‘Once in a While We Can.’
So please read with me: ‘One bright Sunday when I was twelve, I didn’t want to go to church. I wasn’t coddling a pent-up rebellion. I simply pictured a leisurely day away from “have to” things. How to explain and be understood! Finally I just blurted it out as Mother prepared breakfast. She listened attentively. “Honey,” she said calmly, we can’t always do what we feel like doing without hurting someone.” That settled it, I thought. I was sorry I had asked. Suddenly I heard, “But once in a while we can do what we want to – just because we want to. You may stay home this Sunday.”
The memory of that day is still vivid. Not because I stayed home from church, but because I learned a profound lesson: Once in a while we can! Once in a while we can get away from the alarm clocks, peanut butter jars, milk cartons…away from the shattering pressures of our competitive society. Once in a while we need to get away from work, family, friends, and pressing commitments. Often we lose the capacity for personal enjoyment. Once in a while we need to walk, think, and meditate. Only God can satisfy our deepest longings. He longs for us to share our private secrets with Him. Once in a while we can.’
And that my friends is ever so true! In fact, it’s not only we need to do it, but we must do it, if we’re to retain our sanity in this crazy world in which we now live! Everything is fast and quick, busy and now for now, that if every so often we don’t get away from it all, we’ll simply burn out, lose our focus and sense of purpose. And that’s not a very nice picture to contemplate, much less experience.
And all around us, we see the danger in living at the crazy pace our society dictates with the high amount of mental illness and burn out that now exists. Pharmaceuticals for tiredness and mental illness have reached a sky high level, and the mind doctors are doing a brisk business because of the amount of fear, insecurity, greed, anger, hate, and all the other negatives that currently are running rampant throughout our world. And please note that this downward trend is not filled with only unbelievers, but also many believers, who are trying to keep up with the world system, but unfortunately are not doing so well at it.
Why? Because we have forgotten where our hope, health and strength come from. And just to remind us where it comes from, please listen as Bruh David passionately declares: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1) Yes my fellow believers, as a follower of Christ Jesus, that’s where our health, hope and strength are supposed to come from! Not from the insecure, unfair and uncompromising systems of the world, that so many of us are trying to get them from.
That’s why Bruh David also penned these words in Psalm 62: ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your hearts before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62:5-8) Now that’s something we ought never to forget, especially when the trials and tribulations of the world come upon us.
And we also need to vividly remember these two poignant and very reassuring verses from Jesus. The first says: ‘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) And the second verse strengthens the first. ‘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) Now, if those two verses from our Lord and Saviour don’t resonate strongly within us, then I don’t know what will.
But hopefully, may be these verses will. (smile) They are the ones listed as the Bible Promise for our reading today. So, please read with me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:1-4)
And if we keep those scriptures at the forefront of our minds, then we won’t allow the world to drive us crazy with all the foolishness and the propaganda that it purports to be progress and wisdom. Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the 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 said all of that, it now 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!
…only as we rely upon God…will we be able to handle our problems properly…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: awakened from a troubled sleep, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, blessed be God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, declare all thy works, destroyed all them who go a whoring from thee, don't lose faith, entrepreneurial crisis, envious of the wicked's prosperity, facing bankruptcy, faith, fellowship, God has us in the palm of his hand, God is the strength of my heart, God on the Mountain, God took them through the valley, God will make them right, holy spirit, I will fear no evil, in the presence of mine enemies, it is good for me to draw near to God, it's down in the vallesy, Jesus Christ, know it deep down in our hearts, life is easy when you're on the mountain, LOVE, mercy, my cup runneth over, my flesh and my heart faileth, my portion for ever, of whom shall I be afraid, peace of mind like you've never known, prayers of praise and thanksgiving, put it into action, put my trust in the Lord God, reward of God's goodness and grace, salvation, still God in the bad times, still God in the night, still God in the valley, stood strong in faith, swimming pool business, talk comes easy, talk of faith, the day of the Lord, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, The God of the day, the God of the good times, the God on the mountain, the gospel truth, the indisputable truth, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, the trials and tribulations of life, their world seemed to be falling apart, they that are far from thee shall perish, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Tracy Dartt, trials and temptations, truth, ungodly times, up on the mountain, we ourselves are comforted by God, when life's at its best, when things change, when things go wrong, when you're down in the valley, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, whom shall I fear, wisdom, you're never alone, your faith is put to the test
Psalm 23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Sunday has come around again my fellow believers! That wonderful day of our God, where we endeavour to visit His house, and with other believers offer up prayers of praise and thanksgiving and worship Him with a true and sincere heart. In return, we receive His strength and wisdom to face another week of work in these tough and ungodly times. And on our worship schedule for today is a song that’s very appropriate for these times and offers encouragement to those of us who are having a hard time managing the trials and tribulations of our lives.
The song’s aptly titled ‘God on the Mountain.’ It was written by Tracy Dartt in the mid 1970’s when his wife Sharon and himself were going through an entrepreneurial crisis, where there swimming pool business in California was facing bankruptcy, and to make matters worse, their partner became discouraged, threw in the towel, and signed everything over to them. That obviously caused them even more anxiety and stress for they had several swimming pools to build, but no money to build them with.
It so happened though that the Dartt’s were also country gospel music singers and per Mr. Dartt: ‘In the midst of the turmoil, I awakened from a troubled sleep one night. It was two o’clock in the morning. A tune was echoing in my troubled brain. I picked up a tablet and a pencil and began to write, “Life is easy when you’re up on the mountain, and you’ve got peace of mind like you’ve never known. But, when things change and you’re down in the valley, don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone.”
“Thank You, Lord,” I prayed, “for being God in my valley.” The chorus came, “The God on the mountain is still God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right…” In all, it took about thirty minutes. I again prayed, “Thank You, Lord,” and then settled back down to sleep.’
And wouldn’t you know it, the next day he went off to work and through God’s goodness and mercy, he got a call for a new swimming pool. Then a few days later he got another call. And so it went, until as he writes: ‘Through the off-season, we ended up selling and building 12 pools in all, at a time when no one else was building pools. The building season came, and suddenly we were able to finish all of our construction and eliminate our debts. We were free and clear, without having to bankrupt the business. God had taken us through the valley.’
And believe me friends, that is not an exception but has happened to many believers down through the ages, who stood strong in their faith even when their world seemed to be falling apart around them. So now that we know some the song’s background, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, soulful version of the song, a la the American Gospel Artiste, Lynda Randle.
Singing: ‘Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known But things change, when you’re down in the valley Don’t lose faith, for you are never alone For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night We talk of faith way up on the mountain
But talk comes easy, when life’s at its best Now it’s down in the valleys, trials and temptations That’s where your faith is really put to the test For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley, When things go wrong, He’ll make them right And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times The God of the day, is still God in the night The God of the day, is still God in the night.’
And that’s the indisputable truth my people! Our God is the God of both the day and night, as well as of the valley and the mountain top. But we must know that deep down in our hearts and put it into action, like the Dartt’s did, if we want to experience the same kind of reward of God’s goodness and grace that they received.
And we all know that one of the most famous scriptures on being down in the valley is this one from Psalm 23, where Bruh David confidently affirms: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.’ (Ps. 23:3-4)
Yes my brethren, the Lord has faithfully promised that He will never leave nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5) that means wherever we are, He is there with us, leading and guiding us. However though, valley life is not easy. For as the song so rightfully points out. ‘We talk of faith way up on the mountain But talk comes easy, when life’s at its best Now it’s down in the valleys, trials and temptations That’s where your faith is really put to the test.’
Now that’s the gospel truth! When things are going well, we can always boast about our faith, but it’s down in the trenches of the valleys, when the darkness seems overwhelming, that our faith is really tested. And it’s where so many of us fail the test, because we cannot walk our talk of faith. But when we put our trust in God during those dark and dismal times, He helps us to get through them. It’s like the psalmist Asaph who found himself in the valley, being envious of the wicked, then went into the sanctuary of God and finally understood the wicked’s end. (Ps. 73:17).
Later, he declares: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:26-28)
And we’ll close with possibly the most comforting scripture verses in the Bible. The words of Bruh Paul in his second letter 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)
Yes friends, our great God not only comforts us, but in such a manner that we can comfort others. Isn’t He wonderful? Of course He is! So, let’s remember, that though times are tough and seem to be getting tougher daily, our God Jehovah has us in the palm of his hand, but we need keep our faith strong, to even build it up, so that we can make it through the many death-like valleys that are appearing nowadays. Much LOVE!
…the Lord is my light and my salvation…whom shall I fear…the Lord is the strength of my life…of whom shall I be afraid…NO ONE… (Ps. 27:1)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive outlook on life, a strong will, believers ought never to give up, blessed with God's supernatural widom, chores, christianity, Creator and Controller of the universe, curse, David encouraged himself in the Lord his God, David was greatly distressed, divine protection, do not fear, double figures, even mine enemies and foes, every man for his sons and daughters, evil and ungodly times, faith, favour, fear him which can destroy both body and soul in hell, fear not them which kill the body, fulfillment, give I unto you, good health, holy spirit, humans cannot harm the soul or spirit, in the name of Jesus, in this will I be confident, Jesus Christ, let not your heart be troubled, lifted up their voices to God, like a rag doll before a mad bull, LOVE, mercy, my heart shall not fear, my peace I give unto you, negative word, neither let it be afraid, nobody, not as the world gives, of whom shall I be afraid, onfidence, Peace i leave with you, physical harm, promotion, put our full hope and faith in God, salvation, self-control, share our undeserved blessings, stood strong in the comfort and encouragement of his God, strengthen our hearts, strife-filled and ruthless times, success, the Amalekites burned Ziklag, the BIBLE, the chaotic and fearful state of our world, the enemy will cast us aside, the Lord God Almighty, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, the men blamed David for their woeful state, the people spake of stoning him, the soul of all the people was grieved, they stumbled and fell, though an host should encamp against me, though war should rise against me, to eat up my flesh, total assurance, truth, useful scriptures, we look for someone else to blame, we want to share in the fame and fortune, when the wicked came upon me, when things go right, when things go wrong, whom shall I fear, wisdom
1 Samuel 30:6b. …but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
Ah mih people, we’re on the late, late bus this Thursday morning, or rather afternoon, where the sun has a decided edge over the clouds, but those clouds aren’t giving up very easily. Just like we faithful believers ought not to give up easily, or rather not give up at all, for there’s no giving up in Jesus’ kingdom! And on this penultimate day of our workweek, when July has hit double figures… imagine that nuh, is jut last week we celebrated Canada Day on the first of July, and it’s already up to the tenth. The days certainly are running away like they have some kind of wild animal running them down. (smile)
But I’m sure some of you are wondering why we’re so late today. Well it’s simple. I went to bed late, thus got up late, and there were a few chores to be done around the house that I could not put off any longer without earning the Duchess’ ire. And you know what that can be like! (smile) Anyway, we’re finally here, and kicking too, so let’s check out some useful scriptures…and be brief in doing so too. Hn! Hn! As if the ole fella knows how to be brief. But we’ll try. (smile)
And the scripture for today comes from that marvellous Psalm 27, aptly titled, ‘My Heart Shall Not Fear.’ And that’s something so many of us believers ought to get a grip on, for one of the things Jesus said most often while here on earth is ‘Do not fear.’ He doesn’t expect His followers to fear when they have His sovereign authority and marvellous promises at hand. And what can be more encouraging than these words of His. ‘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)
Unfortunately though many Christians right now are experiencing much fear because of the chaotic and fearful state of our world. But that’s exactly where and when Bruh David’s words from Psalm 27 ought to strengthen our hearts, as he writes with total assurance and confidence: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1) And the correct answer to that question from the mouth of believers, ought to be a loud and resounding, ‘NOBODY!’
Yes friends, we ought to be afraid of NO ONE! Remember Jesus’ warning. ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) And this commentary explains that verse thus: ‘It means that while humans may have the power to take away physical life, they cannot harm the soul or spirit. Therefore, one should not be excessively afraid of those who can inflict physical harm, but rather should fear God, who has the power to destroy both body and soul in hell.’
Now, I know it’s not always easy to not be afraid of man, especially in these strife-filled and ruthless times, but let’s weigh the thing in the balance here: man can only destroy our physical body, but the Lord can destroy both our body and soul, so whom should we fear most then eh? It’s obvious, the Lord God Almighty, Creator and Controller of the Universe and all therein!
So let’s stop fearing what man can do to us, and put our full hope and faith in God. Let’s begin thinking and saying like Bruh David did: ‘When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ (Ps. 27:2-3)
Oh my people, that’s the kind of thinking we have to embrace in these evil and ungodly times, otherwise the enemy will just cast us aside like a rag doll before a mad bull. And we all know that Bruh David’s life was far from easy, but he stood strong in the comfort and encouragement of His God. And there’s no better example of this than when Bruh David was living amongst the Philistines, running from King Saul, and he joined them to fight against his Jewish brethren. The Philistine princes didn’t trust him to fight on their side, and sent him and his men back home to Ziklag.
Unfortunately, they arrived there only to find that the Amalekites had invaded, burned it down, and took away all the inhabitants and their livelihood. Obviously when they discovered that sorry state of affairs, Bruh David and his men were very sorrowful, and they lifted up their voices to God and wept. But the selfish and distressful thing was that the men blamed Bruh David for their woeful state, not considering that his two wives were also taken captive. And here’s where Bruh David’s faith truly came through.
The Bible says: ‘And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved (bitter), every man for his sons and his daughters:’ (1 Sam. 30:6a) So, wasn’t Bruh David’s soul grieved for his family too? Apparently not, in the people’s estimate. But that’s how we feckless humans behave. When things go right we all expect to be a part of the fame and glory, but when they go wrong, we always try to lay the blame on someone else’s shoulders.
But thankfully Bruh David was up to the task…obviously with God’s help. The Bible further informs us that instead of being afraid and worried, ‘but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’ (1 Sam. 30:6b) And that my people is what we all are expected to do when things get rough. And the example continues, for Bruh David enquired of the Lord what to do, and the Lord told him to go after the Amalekites. He and his six-hundred men did so, and with the Lord’s assistance recaptured all that they’d lost.
And today, there’s no need to worry, because the Lord has given us underserved blessings to do His earthly work as well as boost our faith; we call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, it behooves us to go out and use those underserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. And I know I promised to be short …but that’s the best I could do! (smile) Much LOVE!
…faith is hope in action…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a second chance, a symbol of hope, after facing adversity, after living a life of sin, all this time, at our breaking point, born from the knowledge and experience, bright colours, Buju Banton, Buried Alive, challenging circumstances, christianity, come together, difficult times, digged a pit for me, disappointment, don't know what tomorrow will bring, experienced betrayal, fellowship, for all the trials and tribulations, friends of mine, gave his life to God, given one more chance, God has recently seen us through, greater faith in God, he that rolleth a stone, heartfelt rendition, holy spirit, I am alive, I can't care the grave, I survived the worst of times, I'm still breathing, I've been blind, I've got a feeling, identify with the expressed sentiments, if God is for you, in which they themselves have fallen, incarcerated, it will roll back on him, it's my determination to win, Jah made I brave, Jesus Christ, LOVE, made a ditch for one but there would be two, many give in, many give up, mercy, my heart's still beating, my soul is bowed down, mythical bird the phoenix, never give up, no need to fear, of life and of better things to come, of whom shall I be afraid, pass with time, prepared a net for my steps, reaping what you sow, rebirth, resilience, rises from its ashes, running against the wind, salvation, Selah, springtime, sweet sacrifices of praise, symbolism of the phoenix, symbolizes renewal, take a look in the mirror, the ability to emerge stronger and more powerful, the BIBLE, the boomerang effect, The God of second chances, the gospel truth, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, the phoenix, the renewal of nature, the tough winter, the wicked things they do, their attempt to out my life, there must be a reason, to give thanks and praise, truth, Upside Down, whom shall I fear, whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein, win with the help of God, wisdom, with God's awesome help
Psalm 27:1. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Sunday morning in springtime…what can be more enchanting, more enervating, especially after all the tough winter weather we’ve faced, and might still be facing, if the weather forecasters are right about more snow being on the way. But that seldom kept us away from the Lord’s house, to faithfully praise and worship Him, as we fellowshipped with other believers. Now, as we joyfully await the renewal and refurbishing of nature with all its bright colours, we come together again to give thanks for all the trials and tribulations our God has recently pulled us through.
And if there’s a man who knows about trials and tribulations it’s the Jamaican Reggae Artiste Buju Banton, who paid for his wrongdoing with prison time, but as the Lord would have it, became a bigger selling and more popular artiste after he was released and wisely gave his life to God. We open our worship today with his testimonial song, ‘Buried Alive,’ from his 2020 Upside Down Album.
And I know that many of us still hypocritically have Buju in our bad books because of his drug dealings and prison sentence, but if he’s turned his life around and God’s forgiven him, then who are we to question it. I suggest that we take a look in the mirror and remember the many sinful and ungodly things that the Lord has forgiven us for and consider where we would have been if He hadn’t offered us His grace and mercy when we so badly and desperately need it.
So, let’s offer up sweet sacrifices of praise in a rousing, up-tempo and heartfelt rendition of the song, that so many of us can identify with. ‘Singing: (Chorus): ‘Oh Lord, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing. I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart’s still beating.’ (Repeat Chorus) Now all this time… I’ve been blind… only running against the wind. Friends of mine …pass with time… After living a life of sin. Now many give up, many give in. It’s my determination to win. I survived, the worst of times, I survived. (Chorus)
Oh, they made a ditch for one, but there would be two, In their attempt to out my life, The wicked things they do. But Jah made I brave, and I can’t care the grave, Oh no, The Lord is my salvation, Of whom shall I fear? Yeah, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart’s still beating… (One more time)
Yes, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…’
Ah friends, I know that many of us can identify with the sentiments expressed in the song. Oh, we might never have been incarcerated, but we’ve all experienced betrayal and disappointment that brought us heartache and to a very low point in our lives. But with God’s awesome help we’ve been able to do like the proverbial phoenix, that mythical bird that supposedly goes up in flames, but then rises from its ashes.
And I like how these two commentaries explain the symbolism of the phoenix rising from its ashes. The first one says: ‘it symbolizes renewal, rebirth, and resilience, representing the ability to emerge stronger and more powerful after facing adversity or destruction.’ And the second tells it thus: ‘Rising from the ashes of its previous life, the phoenix is a symbol of hope, of life and of better things to come, born from the knowledge and experience of difficult times and challenging circumstances.’
And is that ever the gospel truth! Because whenever we go through tough times, we usually come out stronger, with a greater faith and hope in God! For as Buju says, he doesn’t know why he’s still alive, but there must be a reason that he was given one more chance. Yes friends, our God doesn’t do things willy nilly, we might not see or understand His reasoning, but there’s always an important purpose behind whatever He does or allows to happen.
Then I like this verse that says: ‘Now all this time… I’ve been blind… only running against the wind. Friends of mine …pass with time… After living a life of sin. Now many give up, many give in. It’s my determination to win. I survived, the worst of times, I survived.’ And that’s always the most important thing my fellow believers; the determination to never, never give up, but to win with the help of the Lord!
Now, I don’t know how many of us have noticed it, but I surely have, it’s when we’re at our lowest, at our breaking point that the Lord shows up with grace and mercy and turns us around, gives us a reason for living, a second chance. That’s why He’s called the God of second chances…and even third, fourth and fifth!
Then there’s this seminal or very critical verse in the song that should speak to us all. ‘Oh, they made a ditch for one, but there would be two, In their attempt to out my life, The wicked things they do. But Jah made I brave, and I can’t care the grave, Oh no, The Lord is my salvation, Of whom shall I fear?’ Oh my people, we’ve all been there in times of adversity, when there seems to be no way out, but we’ve found courage and strength in the Lord to see it through.
And I like how he says: ‘Oh, they made a ditch for one, but there would be two,’ in an analogy to Bob Marley’s song where he says, if you dig a ditch for one, you’d better dig two, meaning one for yourself too. All of it referring back to the scriptures found in Psalm 57: ‘They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst of whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.’ (Ps. 57:6)
And Cousin Sol in his vast wisdom, obviously has something on that. (smile) In Proverbs, he writes: ‘Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return (roll back) upon him.’ (Prov. 26:27) They’re all emphasizing the point that if you set a trap for someone it usually falls back on you, like a boomerang effect, or reaping what you sow. Then we have the last line of that verse, which is so instrumental in a believer’s life. As Bruh David puts it in Psalm 27: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1)
Yes my fellow saints, let’s meditate on that verse today nuh, until we can boldly and confidently say…NOBODY! Much LOVE!
…if God is for you…then no one can be against you…so there’s no need to fear…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that hope in the Lord, and he shall strengthen thine heart, be of good courage, Christlike, Christmas Season, hide them in the secret of thy presence, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in communion with God, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, keep them secretly in a pavilion, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, none like the God of Jeshurun, O love the Lord all ye his saints, of whom shall I be afraid, oh how great is thy goodness, plentifully rewardeth the proud doer, quiet my soul, slow my thoughts, the eternal God is thy refuge, the highest form of wisdom, the Lord is my light, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, the Lord preserveth the faithful, the strife of tongues, thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, trust in thee before the sons of men, truth, underneath are the everlasting arms, whom shall I fear, wisdom, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Psalm 31:24. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
And it looks like the first lazy-day Saturday in December will be just like the first Friday yesterday; wet and cloudy with promises of rain and intermittent snow. But it’s a perfect day for staying inside and allowing all the stress and tension to flow out of you, as you get quiet and somewhat lazy (smile) and contemplate your position in life: like where you’re going, how you’re going to get there, are you improving, especially your spiritual self, becoming more Christlike…
Yes friends, today, at the beginning of the Christmas Season, when we celebrate the incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, it’s a perfect time to reconsider our goals in life and see if they line up with the Lord’s will and Word. And to help us do that, let’s say our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with sincere hearts, minds, bodies and souls.
As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And it never ceases to amaze me, that every Saturday when we say that prayer, how quiet, relaxed and thoughtful I become. I surely hope it does the same for you, because at the end of our busy work week, we certainly need something to quiet our spirits and keep our souls in communion with God and His awesome plan for our lives. And there’s nothing better than prayer to do so! In fact, that’s what prayer was designed for; to bring us closer to our heavenly Father.
So anytime you feel like you’re drifting away from Him, please turn to prayer, sincere prayer, so that you can get reconnected and be safely ensconced, hidden in the refuge of His ever-LOVING embrace. For, as Moses so wisely wrote in the book of Deuteronomy so long ago: ‘There is none like the God of Jeshurun (righteous people), who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee, and shall say, Destroy them.’ (Deut. 33:26-27)
Yes my faithful brethren, that’s the strong and powerful and ever-LOVING God we righteous serve. As one commentary puts it. ‘Deuteronomy 33:26-27 Prays For Those Who Are Struggling, saying: Oh God, that they would rest in you, the eternal God as their dwelling place. That they would find deep rest in you today, right now in this moment, and they would know underneath them are the everlasting arms of the eternal God.’
And that’s our prayer for all of us this lazy-day Saturday my fellow saints, for in this troubled and chaotic world we all need a safe and secure refuge when the enemy comes with his evil minions to tempt and test our souls and spirits. And the only place we believers can find such security and refuge is in the everlasting arms of our great and wonderful God, who has faithfully promised to protect us from all the attacks of the enemy if we would only surrender our souls and lives to him.
That’s why Bruh David could afford to write in Psalm 27: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1) Oh my people, those sure are powerful words of faith and trust! And until we can declare (yesss!!!) them with the utmost certainty and sense of purpose, we will be forever doubtful when the enemy tempts and tests us.
Now, we’re not saying that those are easy words to proclaim, but we can only do so if we keep practicing what they say. That means we need to be continually turning to the Lord for whatever we desire in our everyday lives, for only with practice can we ever come close to perfection. And Bruh David could utter those words with complete conviction because he had personally experienced the safety and security of God in his everyday life, especially in those crazy times when he was running from King Saul who desperately wanted to kill him.
And these words of Bruh David from Psalm 31, subtitled ‘My Rock and My Fortress,’ gives us more insight into how it is when we walk sincerely with God. Please read with me: ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear (reverence) thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence (secret place) from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues.
Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication when I cried unto thee. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps. 31:19-24)
Oh my fellow saints in Christ, I could not put it any better than that, and I do hope that what we’ve said this lazy-day Saturday will help to fill us with the strength the courage and the will to sincerely turn to Almighty God, to surrender our all to Him, and be obedient to His will, because that is the highest form of wisdom for all the ages! Much LOVE!
…the One who created you…He’s the One who will keep you safe from all harm…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
18 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pipe dream, a rebellious people, archangel Lucifer, as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, as an ensign on a hill, blasphemers, boasters, covetous, disobedient to parents, endure to the end, evil lusts and desires, faith, get you out of the way, glad to be alive, halfway home, hands on the plough, in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength, in returning and rest shall ye be saved, Jesus Christ, loll around and enjoy life, LOVE, men shall be lovers of their own selves, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, obedience, of whom shall I be afraid, prophesy not, proud, salvation, Satan, say to the prophets, say to the seers see not, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, to a glorious future with Jesus, to cease from before us, topsy-turvy world, turn aside out of the path, turned away from God, unholy, unthankful, Wednesday Wail, whom shall I fear, will not hear the law of the Lord, wisdom, ye would not, you despise this word
Isaiah 30:9. That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord:
Ah mih people, can you believe it’s already the 18th of October. The month which just began is already more than halfway through! And although I know that the days are going at the same pace they always have, these days just seem to be moving increasingly fast. (smile) Before you turn around the days, weeks, months and year is done. I guess it seems that way because right now our lives and our world are so topsy-turvy, filled with all kinds of tremulous, disastrous, unwanted and unforeseen stuff, and thus we can’t just loll around and enjoy life the way we desire, we have to be up and busy, ofttimes just trying to stay alive.
But there’s a very valid reason for the turmoil in our lives and our world, and a very obvious way to turn it all around. And the simple reason for our many problems is that we have turned away from the Lord God Jehovah, our Creator and Provider, and have become so enamoured of our own strength and advances that we’ve left the Lord behind, taken Him out of our schools and public places, even trying to remove Him completely from our society. But friends, that’s just a pipe dream! It will NEVER happen, because the Lord will not allow it to, although our world is now behaving like the Lord said about the people of Judah through the prophet Isaiah a long time ago.
‘Now go, write it before them in a table (on a tablet), and note it in a book (on a scroll), that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever. That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.’ (Is. 30:8-11)
Wow mih bredrin! Isn’t that just like what’s happening today? Of course! And that’s exactly why the Lord told the prophet to write it, so that future generations like ours, could see that rebelliousness does not pay. But who’s taking note eh? Not with all the false stuff, the deceits, treacheries and deceptions that are being promulgated today, along with all the evil and wrong stuff that’s passing for truth, and so many of the population turning away from God, not wanting to hear His Word because it doesn’t coincide with their selfish and evil lusts and desires.
It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy about the perilous times that were to come: ‘For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…etc. etc.’ (2 Tim. 3:2) And he goes on to list in the rest of that chapter, a whole lot of evil and ungodly things that are indeed prevalent in our world today. But yuh know what my fellow believers, this is all just a replay of the scenario that took place in heaven many moons ago, where Satan, as the archangel Lucifer, mounted a prideful, foolish plan to overthrow God and take over the kingdom of heaven.
It failed miserably and Lucifer was summarily kicked out of heaven with his handful of foolish followers to walk the earth in pain and disgrace for the rest of their evil days. And now, because he’s amassed a li’l power in the earth, instead of learning from his previous mistake, once again, he’s trying to get God’s children to side with him against the Father. But that deceitful and evil ploy will eventually fail too, because the wise will recognize Satan’s deceit for what it is, revenge against God, that will only cause them to suffer eternal damnation, and will have no part of it, for they know that the Lord is the ultimate in strength, power and majesty.
And all God’s people said, a loud and proud: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1) And the answer to those two questions is simply: ‘NOBODY!’ So hie thee away Satan! And despite our rebellious, evil and ungodly character right now, things will get better. Why? Because the Lord God Jehovah has promised it, and whatever He promises will eventually happen! First though, life will not be so rosy, for there’s this promise.
‘Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay (rely) thereon: Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling (bulging) out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. And he shall break it as the breaking of the potter’s vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it (among the fragments) a sherd (shard, broken piece) to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit (cistern).
For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; in returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke (threat) of one; at the rebuke (threat) of five shall ye flee till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of the mountain, and as an ensign (flag, banner) on an hill.’ (Is. 30:12-17)
And what’s that all about eh friends? The people of Judah’s rebellion was so deep, that while sending out queries to make peace with Egypt and the surrounding nations, they refused to make peace with God. And you know that anytime we look to others for help before looking to God, He becomes angry, thus the breaking up of the nation, in their iniquity and rebelliousness. They were so rebellious that they refused returning and rest, which meant repentance and faith, which are necessary to true salvation. Thus the Lord left them to their own foolish demise.
And friends, that’s exactly what’s happening in our world today. We have chosen to turn away in great drove from God and ally ourselves with Beelzebub. Consequently, the Lord has left us to our own way. You know He never intrudes where He’s not wanted, and we’ve made it ever so clear that we don’t desire His presence in our lives or our world. And I hope we’re seeing what happens when we’re left up to our own devices; war, hate, anger, resentment and all the negative actions and desires that fall under Satan’s portfolio. For all our sakes, let’s hope we wake up and smell the roses before it’s too late.
Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to hold on to God and His Word, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all the 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 believe me friends, if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s make a date to meet at that time nuh! Much LOVE!
…the three most important words in the scriptures…obedience…obedience…obedience…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
30 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a kingdom destination, abide under the shadow of the Almighty, Ah cyar leave Him, calms our fears, chutney soca gospel, from hellbound to holiness, from revelry to righteousness, from sin to salvation, God God man I living, he is my refuge and my fortress, He that dwelleth in the secret place, I am under the rock, I will say of the Lord, Jahovah, Jesus, LOVE, my God in him will I trust, Na Leaving, never condemn or forsaken me, of whom shall I be afraid, on my way to a fiery end, rose up just like a boss, sacrificial praises, takes us from darkness to light, the bell'ringing, the Lord is my light and salvation, the rock is higher than I, thou shalt not be burned, too old fashioned, wallowing deep in a pigpen, West Indian gospel, when thou walkest through the fire, Yahweh, Yeshua
Psalm 91:2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
The bell’s ringing friends, the last bell to boot, so hurry up, else you’ll be late for church, and yuh know the minister doesn’t like people coming in late and disrupting the service! (smile) Ah mih people, I wonder how many of us are still around who remember when the bells would toll to indicate that church was about to begin. If I remember correctly, there were three bells at different intervals, but it was so long ago that I could be wrong, (smile) and those of us who lived close by to the church would wait until the last bell began ringing before we hurried out to get there just in time.
Unfortunately, there are no more bells now to give us an inkling of the time left for gathering to worship. That’s too old fashioned and makes too much noise, disrupting the peace of the neighbourhood. Thus, nowadays many of us consistently stroll in late, claiming it doesn’t matter. But it does matter if you are consistently missing the beginning aspects of worship. Anyway, since the numbers attending church are much, much less than they used to be, let’s just give thanks that the latecomers are late rather than absent.
And today we going to open the service with some sweet West Indian gospel, the sweetest gospel music in the world! Yes, I am biased, but it is the truth! (smile) So let’s buss them up with some chutney soca gospel from a converted calypso singer, Denyse Plummer. It’s a rework of an earlier secular chutney soca hit, ‘Na Leaving,’ which celebrated all the good things of T&T, that those who were leaving would miss. And it’s obvious that when I first heard those gospel lyrics on top of that beautiful meshing of African and East Indian Riddims that we call chutney soca, I was blown away and just couldn’t get enough of it.
So, let’s get into the sweet, scintillating up-tempo, island riddims of’ ‘Ah Cyar Leave Him.’ Obviously, we talking about Jesus there. And we all know that once you’re truly acquainted with Him, it’s impossible to ever leave him. So, please let those sacrificial praises rise up to heaven in harmonious unison. And as the sweet, easy rocking chutney soca music start, we hear a couple bars, then we shout out: ‘Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah! From revelry to righteousness…Cyar leave Him. From hell-bound to holiness…Cyar leave Him. From sin to salvation…Cyar leave him. A kingdom destination…Cyar leave Him.
There I was, in my glee, wallowing deep in a pig pen, full of life, but so empty, on my way to a fiery end. But someone told me about a Saviour, who said He LOVES me and He cares. In times of storm He is my shelter, so in His arms you’ll find me there. Yuh see ah cyar live life without Him, He is my King of Kings, He’s the reason I’m still living. Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. Never condemn or forsaken me dread…Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. For God man I living, For God I go dead.
There are so few, who made it through, and come from the darkness of this world. But I saw the light, I found the truth. I have more than silver, more than gold. I gave my life over to Jesus, the greatest decision I’ve made. Boy I recommend you try Him, Jesus is the best upgrade. He came to earth and died on the cross, rose up just like a boss, when yuh see me smiling, He’s the cause. Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. Never condemn or forsaken me dread…Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. For God man I living, For God I go dead.
I am under the rock. The rock is higher than I. Jahovah hides me. I am under the rock. Go tell my enemies, that I am under the rock. Jahovah hides me, I am under the rock. The rock is higher than I. Jahovah hides me. From revelry to righteousness…Cyar leave Him. From hell-bound to holiness…Cyar leave Him. From sin to salvation…Cyar leave him. A kingdom destination…Cyar leave Him. Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah! (And we shout again) Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah!’
Oh friends, oh friends, who say West Indian gospel ain’t sweet eh? Tell them deh lie! It so sweet, that the whole of heaven was rocking along with us. Even Jesus and the Father were enjoying themselves. Wow! And yuh know what my people,, the lyrics are simple and self-explanatory. ‘From revelry to righteousness… From hell-bound to holiness… From sin to salvation… A kingdom destination…’ That says it all. When one accepts Jesus as Lord and Saviour, that’s how it works; your whole life is turned right around.
When we wallowing gleefully in the pig pen, but spiritually empty and on the way to hellfire and damnation, Jesus comes and takes us out of the pig pen, like the Prodigal Son, takes us home to His house, cleans us up and fills us with His Holy Spirit. And please note how we usually hear about Jesus; someone tells u about Him. And that’s what we ought to be about as His true followers; His Great Commission to evangelize the world! And we all know that when we come to Jesus, He takes us out of darkness into the light, calms our fears and any storms in which we’re caught. He becomes a rock and refuge for us when enemies come against us.
And most importantly He never condemns or forsakes, just takes us however we come to Him and makes us over into His own image. That’s why we can never leave him, once we truly know Him. And there are so many scriptures that emphasize all those attributes that we only have space and time for a few, like this one from Psalm 91. ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver me from the snare of the fowler (bird trapper), and from the noisesome (deadly or perilous) pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shall thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (small shield).’ (Ps. 91:1-5) Oh, my brethren, there’s’ no fear, or rather there’s oodles of courage when one is walking with the Lord.
And Isaiah tells us: ‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place). Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable (honoured), and I have LOVED thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.’ (Is. 43:1-4)
And we’ll conclude with these marvellous words of trust and confidence from Bruh David in Psalm 27: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ (Ps. 27:1-3)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s the kind of trust we need to have in our Triune God, and why it makes no sense whatsoever to even consider leaving Jesus. For where would we be without Him eh? Nowhere, but on the fiery road to hell! Much LOVE
…with Jesus in our corner…there’s no need to fear…or want for anything…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
23 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day of rest and relaxation praise and worship, Buju Banton, Buried Alive, called out by god, God is on your side, he shall set me upon a rock, I am alive, I don't know what tomorrow may bring, I will sing praises unto the Lord, I'm still breathing, I've got a feeling, if you did a hole you'd better dig two, in this will I be confident, it's my determination to win, living a life of sin, LOVE, my heart shall not fear, my heart's still beating, of whom shall I be afraid, paid a price to society, running against the wind, sacrificial praises, spread the good news gospel of Christ, the Great Commission, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, the Sabbath, there must be a reason, to witness against our sins, whom shall I fear
Psalm 27:1. The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
It’s time once again friends to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to celebrate His holy day, Sunday, the Sabbath. It’s supposed to be a day of rest and relaxation, praise, worship and fellowship amongst believers, but with all the supposed progress our world has made, it naturally entails that some things must run twenty four -seven, which makes it difficult for all believers to gather on a Sunday. However, if we fall into that category, it’s imperative that we take one day, whenever it’s convenient, to rest from labour and spend more time than normal to praise and worship and glorify our great God.
But for those of us who made it today, we’ll open our worship with an interesting song called ‘Buried Alive’ by an interesting man named Buju Banton. Yes, we all know the gentleman who paid a hefty price to society for his lawlessness, but on his release from prison, having seemed to change his ways, he became an even bigger star and celebrity than before his prison time. That just goes to show how sometimes the Lord can move in the lives of the least expected and turn them to his use.
And this song from Buju seems to mirror that by John Newton, ‘Amazing Grace,’ when he turned from his ungodly ways. So let’s send up sacrificial praises, as we sing ‘Buried Alive’ in a lively, heartfelt, up-tempo beat, thinking about how it could quite easily apply to each of us, who have been given another chance, or even many more chances, by our merciful, forgiving and gracious God.
So, singing: (Chorus: ‘Oh Lord, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing. I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart‘s still beating. Buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart‘s still beating.) Now all this time… I’ve been blind… only running against the wind. Friends of mine …pass with time… After living a life of sin. Now many give up, many give in. It’s my determination to win. I survived, the worst of times, I survived. (Chorus:)
Oh, they made a ditch for one, but there would be two, In their attempt to out my life, The wicked things they do. But Jah made I brave, and I can’t care the grave, Oh no, The Lord is my salvation, Of whom shall I fear? Yeah, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating… (One more time) Yes, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating…my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…’
Oh friends, that story is indeed true of each one of us in some way or another, not that we necessarily went to prison to pay for our crime(s) against society, but we’ve all been called out by God to witness against our sins against Him. And in whatever unfortunate circumstance we might have found ourself, He rescued us, and gave us another chance. So, as Buju so rightly says, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but the good news is that we’re still breathing, and there must be a reason for the Lord allowing it.
And yes there certainly is: it’s for us to live the way He desires and spread His good news gospel to all whom we might meet, letting them know by both our talk and our walk the kind of wonderful Deity He is, and He is desirous that ALL His human creation come to salvation, to reconciliation and eternal life with Him. Yes, my fellow believers we’re still here to do Christ’s Great Commission… and please, let’s not forget it, as so many of us are wont to do as we get caught up in the affairs of this evil and ungodly world.
And these words in the song ought to wake us up. ‘Now all this time… I’ve been blind… only running against the wind. Friends of mine …pass with time… After living a life of sin. Now many give up, many give in. It’s my determination to win. I survived, the worst of times, I survived.’ Oh my people, so many of us have been on the same ungodly bent for so long, it’s time we become determined to win, to not give up…with Jesus’ help of course. For, as He so plainly says when talking about the vine and the branches: ‘for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And that’s the gospel truth!
And I like how the old Jamaican Proverb is included. ‘If you dig a hole (ditch), you’d better dig two,’ because the trap you set might just backfire on you, for what we sow, we usually reap. And as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) likes to add, you’ll reap later than you sow, and more than you sow. And you can’t dispute that truth. And Cousin Sol, in his divine wisdom, obviously has a take on the subject too. In Proverbs, he writes: ‘Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return (roll back) upon him.’ (Prov. 26:27) We can’t doubt his words either, since those are things we witness everyday in this ungodly world…the destruction of the wicked.
Then these poignant words from the song ought to rise up and speak to us. ‘In their attempt to out my life, The wicked things they do. But Jah made I brave, and I can’t care the grave, Oh no, The Lord is my salvation, Of whom shall I fear?’ Now don’t’ they echo the sentiments of Bruh David in Psalm 27? They surely do! Bruh David, though highly favoured and blessed by God, still underwent many trials and tribulations, some his fault, others just the luck of the draw, like King Saul hunting him down like a wild animal for so many years, just because he had been anointed as the next king of Israel.
In one of his difficult times, he penned these most notable words. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty, (delightfulness, majesty) of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up (in honour) above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. ’ (Ps. 27:1- 6)
Oh my fellow saints in Christ, I do hope the words of that psalm echo the confident trust that we have in Almighty God, and that we indeed sang sacrificial praises this morning in His tabernacle, for that’s one of the things we gathered there to do. Now, let’s spend some time today meditating on those awesome words, so that they can be written indelibly in our hearts and souls, ready to be used in our time of trial and testing. Much LOVE!
…if God is on your side…then there’s no need to fear…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
12 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a complete 360 turnaround, be not afraid or dismayed, be strong and of a good courage, be your best, before you embark on a journey of revenge, Buju Banton, Buried Alive, do your best, don't know what tomorrow may brng, friends of mine, given one more chance, God will accept us anyhow we come to Him, God will never turn you away, I can't care the grave, I'm still breathing, I've been blind, if you dig a ditch you'd better dig two, It is my determination to win, joy shall be in heaven over one repentant sinner, living a life of sin, look your best, LOVE, made a ditch for oneJah made I brave, many give in, many give up, ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance, of whom shall I be afraid, pass wtih time, running against the wind, survived the worst of times, the Lord is my salvation, the Lord thy God is with thee, the Lord's Day, there must be a reason, you'd better dig two graves
Luke 15:7. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just (upright) persons which need no repentance.
It’s Sunday once again friends, a rather warm and sunny one, which requires us to don our Sunday best and hie ourselves to our local church for another celebration of worship and thanksgiving on this the Lord’s Day. And if you’re worshipping at home through technological means, then it’s quite okay to do so in your jammies. (smile) The important thing is to participate in some form of worship to Almighty God, our Creator and Keeper.
And though this is not of the utmost importance, I remember when we used to dress to go to church. But nowadays you see all kinds of untidy and somewhat inappropriate dress in church. And granted the Lord will take you anyhow you come, still there is something to be said for putting on a good appearance to go to God’s house. As Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) likes to say: ‘Look your best, Do your best and Be your best!’ And that’s certainly how we ought to be for God. But as we said, He will take us anyhow we come, He just wants us to come to Him, though we ought to show a li’l pride and look good for Him.
Anyway, today we’re opening with an interesting song, ‘titled ‘Buried Alive’ By Buju Banton from his 2020 Upside Down Album. We all know he was found guilty of some serious wrongdoing and paid a hefty price for it, but since he’s been out of incarceration, like he’s made a complete 360 turn around in his lifestyle and has found Christ as Lord and Saviour. And this song seems to be his testimony. So please let’s do a sweet, up-tempo, harmonious, uplifting reggae version, celebrating with heaven over one sinner once lost, but now found.
Singing: ‘Oh Lord, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing. I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart’s still beating. Buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating.
Now all this time… I’ve been blind… only running against the wind. Friends of mine …pass with time… After living a life of sin. Now many give up, many give in. It’s my determination to win. I survived, the worst of times, I survived. Yeah, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating.
Oh, they made a ditch for one, but there would be two, In their attempt to out my life, The wicked things they do. But Jah made I brave, and I can’t care the grave, Oh no, The Lord is my salvation, Of whom shall I fear? Yeah, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating…
(One more time) Yes, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating…my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…’
Yes friends, that’s one of the wonderful attributes of our Great God, He gives second chances…. even third, fourth and fifth! Once you’re alive and willing to turn to Him, He will NEVER turn you away. And in Jesus’ philosophy, He diligently searches for the lost and brings them home rejoicing. No wonder He said after finding the lost sheep in the parable of that name. ‘I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just (upright) persons which need no repentance.’ (Luke 15:7)
That just goes to show how much Jesus cares for the lost and is determined to find them, through us, His eyes, ears, feet and hands down here on earth. And I like how Buju refers to the old Jamaican saying, ‘If you dig a ditch, you’d better dig two,’ because whatever you plan to do might just ricochet or rebound back on you like a boomerang. And it’s alleged that Confucius said: ‘Before you embark on a journey of revenge, you’d better dig two graves.’ Meaning one for yourself too, for revenge can ofttimes go awry.
And Cousin Sol said it this way in Proverbs: ‘Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return (roll back) upon him.’ (Prov. 26:27) It all just goes to show that evil deeds can often have surprising effects on not only the receiver, but also on the doer or giver. Buju is simply saying that those who plotted his demise, failed, and Christ saved Him and gave him another chance, which he gratefully accepted. And now the Lord is his salvation. Of whom shall he fear? Those marvellous words of Bruh David from Psalm 27:1.
And I like how he says that he doesn’t know what tomorrow may bring, but he’s alive, and there must be a reason for that. Yes my fellow believers, there’s always a reason why the Lord has us down here on earth and not at home in heaven. The words of the song are so scriptural and reflect a serious change of heart. Listen to this: ‘Now all this time… I’ve been blind… only running against the wind. Friends of mine …pass with time… After living a life of sin. Now many give up, many give in. It’s my determination to win. I survived, the worst of times, I survived.’
Oh, how I wish that so many more of us supposed believers will manifest that determination in our lives, because that’s what it takes to make a difference for Jesus: NEVER, NEVER GIVING UP! And the best verse of scripture re never giving up and being encouraged is certainly this one where the Lord tells Joshua. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage: be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) Now please my fellow saints, let’s take that verse to heart today and sincerely live by it nuh, because it’s the gospel truth! Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing or no one Jesus LOVES more than…sincerely repentant sinners…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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