14 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sacrifice for sin, a sense of peace and calm, adoration for God, an ingenious plan, and now abideth faith hope love, Christ died for the ungodly, christianity, Christians, Christians are not doing their duty, deepen my breath, doing a better job of living for Christ, enamoured of hate more than love, faith, God commendeth his love toward us, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God so loved the world, hang all the law and the prophets, Happy Valentine's Day, harbingers of love, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in due time, increase my awareness of you today, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, love can only bring change when it's actioned, love is an action word, Love makes the world go round, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, on these two commandments, one we cannot understand but desperately need, perhaps for a good man, quiet my soul, relax my mucsles, salvation, scarcely for a righteous man will one die, show love more regularly, show love on a daily basis, sincere hearts, slow my thoughts, some would even dare to die, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the first step to victory, the greatest of these three is love, the straight and narrow path, the undeniable truth, truth, unity, when we were yet without strength, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, without batting and eyeslash, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
1 Corinthians 13:13. And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these three is charity (LOVE).
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
And then it was Saturday; our lazy-day Saturday, but unfortunately we don’t get to do too much lazing around today, because it’s also Valentine’s Day, that day we shower so much LOVE and adoration on those around us, with gifts of flowers, chocolates, etc. etc. And nothing’s wrong with that, although we ought to show LOVE more regularly, like on a daily basis, for LOVE is what truly makes the world go round!
The other, more important question though, is are we showing enough LOVE to our wonderful God? And I very much doubt it, otherwise our world would not be so angry and filled with so much strife, neither would be living like leggo-beasts in a jungle-styled society. So let’s address that last question to some small extent by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong 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!’
Now, although many of us have been guilty of not showing enough LOVE and adoration to God, if our hearts were sincere in what we just prayed, then the Lord will soon fill us with that sense of peace and calm, one we cannot truly understand, but which we so desperately need in these anxious and confused times, to keep us on the straight and narrow path.
And since today is a day for showing LOVE, I guess we ought to consider some famous scriptures on that wonderful emotion. (smile) And I believe this one should always be first, because it’s what started the whole ball of salvation rolling. As Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Yes friends, after creating us in and for LOVE, and we spoiled it all by rebelling in sin, the Lord nonetheless LOVED us so much, that without batting an eyelash, (smile) He initiated a plan to bring us back to Him. A plan that had nothing to do with us, but all with His great LOVE and affection for us. And as I keep asking, which supposed god is great enough and confident enough in themselves to do such a thing eh? And the undeniable truth is that none can, except Jehovah God, who has the will, the power and confidence to put such an ingenious plan into action!
And the next scripture is an obvious one; Jesus Himself talking about God’s LOVE, as He says with all certainty to Nicodemus: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) Now let’s stop here for a moment and consider that scripture. God’s LOVE for His sinful and rebellious creation was so great, that He gave His only Son to be a sacrifice for them!
Wow! What a powerful LOVE that must have been…and still is! How many of us though have that kind of LOVE for anyone that we would die for them? Not too many! How did Bruh Paul put it before the quote about God demonstrated His Love? ‘For when we were yet without strength (sinful), in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die.’ (Rom. 5:6-7) So, for all intents and purposes, what God, through Christ did, was, and is still highly unlikely to be done by many others.
Then there’s this most important scripture passage on LOVE, again from Jesus, when the Jewish lawyer trying to draw Him into an argument, asked? ‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:36-40)
There again, we se that LOVE is the fulcrum upon which everything ought to turn: LOVING God, then LOVING our neighbours as we LOVE ourselves. Unfortunately though, many of us hate ourselves, so it doesn’t look so good for some of our neighbours. (smile) And there is no scripture that points out the fact of LOVE being the turning point, like this marvellous one from Bruh Paul to the Corinthians, where he waxes poetic and philosophical (smile). ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these three is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor. 13:13)
Yes my faithful brethren, LOVE is indeed the most important of all attributes, because it’s the ONLY one that truly brings us together, and thus encourages peace more than strife! And if our world only had more LOVE than the current state of hate with which it’s now overrun, we would live much better lives than what’s currently available to so many. And we come back to the question, why is our world so strife-filled and enamoured of hate rather than LOVE?
And the easy answer is that we Christians, who are supposed to be harbingers of LOVE, are not doing our duty as we ought to. We won’t ever get rid of hate and anger until Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom here on earth, but our world would certainly not be as ungodly and evil, if we were doing a better job of living for Jesus. Just look at all the many divisions in the church, and the several directions in which they are going. How then can we ever achieve unity, which is Jesus’ desire, and which is the first step towards victory?
And I’ll leave us to ponder that all-important question on this Valentine’s Lazy-Day Saturday, my people. Much LOVE!
…LOVE is an action word…and it can only bring change if and when…it’s put into action…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a charging bear, a chorus of crazed banshees, a cold warning, a companion of gluttons shames his father, a great oppressor, a man that does violence shall flee to the pit, a mirror image of our society, a wicked ruler over the poor people, all for our benefit, anger, as a roaring lion, better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, blackmail, burdened with bloodshed, chaos, christianity, Christians, Christians ought to walk in integrity, climb the ladder of worldly success, companions of riotous men, deepen my breath, extortion, faith, faithful and true, fall into calamity, fall into his own pit, gather it for him that will pity the poor, glory when righteous men rejoice, God will bless us with the peace and calm of His spirit, godliness is the best way to live this earthly life, happy is the man that feareth always, happy is the reverent man, hatred, he that by usury and extortion increase his substance, he that covers his sins shall not prosper, he that hardens his heart shall fall into mischief, he that hates covetousness shall prolong his days, he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool, he that turns as way his ear from the law, his prayer shall be an abomination, holy spirit, howling winds, hunger for power, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you, in all sincerity and truth, in an evil way, increase my awareness of you today, inherit good things, Jesus Christ, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, leaders no longer have integrity, let no man help him, light a fire in our hearts, LOVE, makes us want to do the right thing, mercy, pledge to do better, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, scandal mongering, selfish and irresponsible times, slander, slow my thoughts, strife, thank you for this tenderness, that our finite minds can't comprehend, the BIBLE, the gracious auspices of the Lord, the lack of integrity today, the prince that lacks understanding, the rich man is wise in his own conceit, the ungodly things filter down from the top, the upright shall have good things, to keep on keeping on, truth, turbulent and evil times, we all have room for imporvement, when righteous men rejoice there is great glory, when the wicked rise a man is hidden, whoever causes the righteous to go astray, whoso keepeth the law is a wise son, whosoever confesses their sins and forsakes them shall have mercy, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Proverbs 19:1. Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
Then it was Saturday, my brethren! Our lazy-day Saturday, when we can just relax and laze around at home, not worried about going to work in the cold, wintry weather. And believe me, though it’s bright and sunshiny, it’s also very cold out there. The computer is flashing a cold warning. So if you don’t have to go out, then don’t. I’m also remembering the wind that was a howling and caterwauling like a chorus or keening of crazed banshees (smile) in my area last night.
At one point, around ten thirty p.m., I kept hearing this strange noise outside, but thought that could not be the wind because it sounded so eerie. Then I looked outside and saw the leafless branches of the trees dancing like crazy and snow blowing wildly from west to east. Thankfully though, it didn’t last for much longer, and I hope it did not damage anyone or anything. So, having said all of that, (smile) let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth.
‘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 if our words were faithful and true, our hearts right with the Lord, then He will undoubtedly bless us with the peace and calm of His marvellous Spirit; a peace and calm that our finite minds cannot comprehend, but which gives us the wherewithal to keep on keeping on in His awesome name.
Now, as I was looking through the Bible for something to talk about, (no, I don’t always have something planned when I come to write the Bit (smile), I came upon this most appropriate passage for these irresponsible and outlandish times from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. He writes: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’ (Prov. 19:1)
Wow! What an amazing remark that highlights the lack of integrity in these greedy, selfish and irresponsible times, where our word means absolutely nothing, and we don’t feel compelled to keep it, if we give it. That’s why our society is in such an awful mess, with strife and chaos reigning from one end to the other. And that’s mostly because even our leaders, who are supposed to have serious integrity, no longer walk with any kind of integrity whatsoever.
And, unfortunately, the things that filter down from the top are the ungodly and sinful things like, greed, irresponsibility, hatred, anger, slander and hunger for power. And if you consider the upper echelons of our current society, those are the things that are driving it right now. So, it’s obvious that those governed by that type of leader will eventually adopt those habits, bringing eventual ruination to the society.
However, God’s people, those who seriously follow Jesus Christ are not supposed to be like that. We Christians are supposed to walk with integrity, responsibility, truth, and godliness in all our endeavours. And Cousin Sol says it so well in this passage from Proverbs on the ‘Companion of Riotous Men.’
‘Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich. Whoso keepeth the law is a wise (discerning) son: but he that is a companion of riotous men (gluttons) shameth his father. He that by usury and unjust gain (extortion) increaseth his substance (possessions), he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination.’ (Prov. 28:6-9)
Oh my people, that’s a mirror image of our own society in these turbulent and evil times! Extortion, blackmail, blasphemy, scandal mongering, total ignoring of the law, all those things are what’s happening in the world today. And it’s not starting from the bottom either, but from the top; the very heights of power. Leaders have now become so corrupted and power hungry that they will do anything to increase their earthly possessions and their power.
So what can you expect from the lower classes of society but the same thing eh? They see, and therefore believe that the only way to climb the ladder of worldly success is by behaving the way the rich and powerful leaders behave. And you really cannot give them wrong…unless they are Christians, for none of those things are worthy of the name of Jesus Christ.
And I like how Cousin Sol puts it in this next section titled, ‘Glory When Righteous Men Rejoice.’ He says: ‘Whoso causeth the righteous (upright) to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession (shall inherit good things). The rich man is wise in his own conceit (eyes); but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.
When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden (will be sought). He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Happy is the man that feareth always (is always reverent): but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief (calamity).
As a roaring lion and a ranging (charging) bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people. The prince that wanteth (lacks) understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days. A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person (is burdened with bloodshed) shall flee to the pit; let no man stay (help) him.’ (Prov. 28:10-17)
Ah friends, it’s all stated right there for us, from many centuries ago, and it’s playing out as if Cousin Sol is living with us today. No wonder he’s considered the wisest man ever. And please note he did not acquire this wisdom in his own strength and power, but through the merciful and gracious auspices of the Lord. And when we read those words above there, they ought to light a fire in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls; a fire that causes us to want to do the right thing, to do better than we’re currently doing. For we all know that regardless of how good we’re doing, we all have room for improvement.
So please, on this lazy-day Saturday in this wintry month of February, let’s pledge to do better nuh. Remember, it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…godliness was…is still…and will always be…the best way to live this earthly life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of love, according to all that I command thee, and now abideth faith hope love, call them to mind, deepen my breath, embrace the Love Revolution, faith, fall the marvellous colours of God's artistry, for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, for Jesus' sake, foundational truth, gather thee from all the nations, God gives grace and mercy to those who seek Him with sincere hearts, God's love showing through, God's soothing peace, hang all the law and the prophets, have compassion on you, he is a liar, he who loveth God love his brother also, holy spirit, how can he love God whom he hath not seen, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if a man say I love God and hates his brother, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, last day of January, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, love for God ultimately leads to love for others, love is God's greatest attribute, Love makes the world go round, love the Lord with all thy heart soul and mind, Love thy neighbour as thyself, loving God with one's entire being, mercy, nothing as beautiful as bright sunshine on clean snow, obey God's voice, on these two commandments, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, responsibility to god, responsibility to man, return unto the Lord thy God, salvation, selfless love, slow my thoghts, spring rebirth of trees in green, summer the total resurgence of life, thank you for this tenderness, the blessing, the curse., the first and great commandment, the foundation for all spiritual life and obedience, the gospel truth, the greatest of these is love, the Lord will turn thy captivity, the prescription for god's compassion, the second is like unto it, the true level of our love meter, total unselfish devotion to God, truth, we all have room for improvement, when ye shall search for me with all your heart, wisdom, wishy-washy lip service, with all thine heart, with all thy soul, ye shall seek me and find me, your love both surrounds and fills me
Jeremiah 29:13. And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
And it’s still pretty cold, around minus 11 Celsius on this lazy-day Saturday, the last day of January, so the snow on the banks of the roads and rooftops can’t melt, but it’s also another glorious sunshiny day. And you know there’s nothing as beautiful as bright sunshine on clean, unadulterated snow; it just gleams like a precious jewel! (smile)
No, I’m not crazy. If you really enjoy God’s creations, you will notice that in every season, He’s made something beautiful and amazing in it. In the spring it’s the beautiful rebirth of the trees in green, in the summer it’s the total resurgence of life in nature, strong and sturdy, while fall shows off the marvellous colours of God’s artistry, and in winter it’s the beauty of the sunshine reflecting off the white snow. That’s God’s LOVE showing through. Although seasons change, and life becomes more difficult, He still graces us with wonders in each one.
But enough talk of the weather and the seasons, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth. As one strong 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 our prayer was heartfelt, the Lord will soon respond with His soothing peace and calm overwhelming our spirits, for He’s ever glad to give His grace and mercy to those who seek Him with sincere hearts. And He’s said that so often in the Bible that I can’t understand why more of us don’t do it. As this foundational truth from Jeremiah reminds us, where the Lord clearly states: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) That statement is as clear as day. If you want to find God then you have to seek Him with all of your heart. Not with wishy-washy lip service.
Now, that wasn’t something new to the Israelites, for Moses had long ago warned them: ‘And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind (remember them) among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the Lord will turn thy captivity (bring you back from captivity), and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord hath scattered thee.’ (Deut. 30:1-3)
There you have it friends; the prescription for God’s compassion! Obey the Lord and LOVE Him with all thy heart and soul! And it’s exactly what Jesus says when the arrogant, smart-aleck Jewish lawyer tries to tempt Him into an argument by asking about the great commandment. ‘Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)
And as the scholars explain, Jesus outsmarted the lawyer by simply summarizing ‘the two tables of the law: (1) responsibility to God; and (2) responsibility to man, by paraphrasing Deuteronomy 6:5, and Leviticus 19:18, LOVE the Lord thy God and LOVE thy neighbour as thyself.’ And I like the overview from this commentary. ‘This commandment serves as the foundation for all spiritual life and obedience, requiring total, unselfish devotion to God.’
That’s for certain sure! It necessitates LOVING God with one’s entire being—heart, soul, mind, and strength. It then explicably leads to the second commandment, to LOVE your neighbour as yourself, as true LOVE for God ultimately leads to LOVE for others. For you can’t LOVE God and hate His human creation. As John so rightly tells us in his first epistle. If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God, whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.’ (1 John 4:20-21)
And when we truly focus on LOVING God, then we are better able to LOVE our neighbours with divine, selfless LOVE. And it’s as Jesus says, all the laws and the teachings of the prophets depend on those two commandments; LOVING God with everything you have and then LOVING your neighbour the way you LOVE yourself. Yes my faithful brethren, it’s all about LOVE, God’s greatest attribute. Remember how Bruh Paul puts it in that famous verse in his first letter to the Corinthians? ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three: but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor, 13:13)
And that’s the gospel truth! LOVE is indeed the greatest! And we all notice the great difference in our hearts and spirits when we’re filled with LOVE instead of hate. For as we say, though sometimes in jest, it’s very real: ‘LOVE makes the world go round!’ Now, on this cold lazy-day Saturday, it’s a good time to take a look at ourselves and see how we’re truly doing in the LOVE Department, ascertain the true the level of our LOVE meter.
Now, although some of us might be doing okay, we all have room for improvement, and I don’t need to tell us that our world is currently suffering from a serious lack of LOVE, and it’s our job as disciples and followers of Jesus Christ to embrace the LOVE Revolution and move it forward, so that when Jesus returns, He will find much hope, faith and LOVE here on earth! So, let’s put our hands, heads and hearts together and do it nuh…for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…all we do…should be done out of a sense of LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a living stone, a spiritual house, acceptable to God by Jesus, an holy priesthood, anything that doesn't come from the heart is worthless in God's eyes, be filled with the Spirit, by the mercies of God, false prphets, giving thanks always for all things, God is a Spirit, holy acceptable unto god, holy spirit, I want to be with you now, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in vain do they worship me, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, John Piper, Jsus is ready and waiting to teach us about worship, know you all the more, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, look not on his countenance, LOVE, making melody in your heart to the Lord, man looks on the outward appearance, mercy, neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will ye worship God, now is the time to worship in spirit and in truth, prayer without heart is vain, present your bodies a living sacrifice, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, salvation is of the Jews, scandalize them into listening to you, shock them, slow my thoghts, snowy conditions, songs without heart are vain, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, spiritual service of worship, spiritually asleep, thank you for this tenderness, the church of Christ needs to be awakened, the desiringgod website, the Father seeketh such to worship Him, the hour cometh, the importance of our spiritual lives, the importance of spirituality, The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him, the Lord looks on the heart, the Lord sees not as man sees, the right motive, their heart is far from me, they teach as doctrine the precepts of men, they that worship, this people honour me with their lips, thrilled to the gills, to all that call upon him in truth, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, transforming our minds, true worshippers, truth, urgent times, who and whom you worship is more important than where you worship, wisdom, worship has to do with real life, worship Him in spirit and in truth, worship is first and foremost an experience of the heart, worship is not merely an external act
John 4:24. God is a spirit: and they that worship hm must worship him in spirit and truth.
Oh boy! It’s our lazy-day Saturday! And many of us are just thrilled to the gills because after plowing through the snow for the last couple of days, there’s no need to go out today! We can stay inside and enjoy the warmth, the peace and quiet and the laziness of the day. (smile) However, before we get too lazy, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong 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 I’m sure that many of us who were out there bearing the brunt of the inclement weather could not help but be sincere, for fighting the snowy conditions back and forth everyday is not an easy task, even for the strongest and most righteous of us. So, we’ll very much appreciate the peace and calm, as well as the overwhelming intimacy that comes from our wonderful God this lazy-day Saturday morning. For when you ask to know Him better, that’s exactly what you get; greater intimacy. And there’s nothing better than a deep intimacy with our heavenly Father.
It’s like Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. After He tells her about her unrighteous life (John 4:16-18) and she replies: ‘Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain (Mt. Gerizim); and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit: and they that worship hm must worship him in spirit and truth.’ (John 4:19-24)
Yes friends, that is the kind of people the Father wants to worship Him; those who do so in spirit and truth! And please note what Jesus says in that second to last verse; ‘the hour cometh, and now is…’ That means NOW is the time for true believers to worship God in spirit and truth. Jesus is basically trying to point out that WHO and WHOM you worship is much more important than where you worship!
And I like how this commentary by John Piper in the desiringgod website puts it. He writes: ‘The first thing we learn is that worship has to do with real life. It is not a mythical interlude in a week of reality. Worship has to do with adultery and hunger and racial conflict…. Worship is not merely an external act that you can accomplish by going to a place. Jesus said in another place (Matthew 15:8): “This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.”
Worship is first and foremost an experience of the heart. Prayer without heart is vain. Songs without heart are vain. Confession and creeds and liturgies and sermons that don’t come from the heart are empty and worthless in God’s eyes. So Jesus says to the woman: Don’t get hung up on irrelevant controversies. How you worship is vastly more important than where.’ And that’s a truth that many of us need to focus on in these days of so many false prophets and false and deceitful rhetoric. And there are many scriptures that warn us about the importance of our spiritual lives.
Let’s consider a few of them nuh. Like this one from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service (spiritual service of worship).’ (Rom. 12:1) Yuh see friends, even the quality of our bodies is important, for we belong to God and His Spirit dwells within us, and the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in a place that is enveloped in sin. And as Bruh Paul says in the next verse, that means transforming our minds from the works of the world to those of Christ Jesus. (Rom. 12:2)
Meanwhile, in Psalm 145, Bruh David writes thus: ‘The Lord is nigh (near) unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.’ (Ps. 145:18) And that’s a fact. The only way you will engage the Lord is if your heart is filled with sincerity and truth; with the right motive. It’s like the Lord said to Samuel when he sent him to Jesse’s house to anoint the next king of Israel. Samuel looked on the magnificent physical appearance of Eliab and thought, this 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)
Yuh see mih bredrin, to come to the Lord we have to come clean, come open, for He doesn’t look at what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside, for mankind is very good at hiding what’s really on the inside with enchanting but false stuff on the outside. That’s why it’s so important we adopt this wisdom of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, where he exhorts: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus.’ (Eph. 5:18-20)
That’s about the best and surest way to stay spiritually true and sincere. And Peter, in talking about an Holy Priesthood lets us know, first about Jesus then us: ‘To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed (rejected) indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively (living) stones, are built up (are being built up) a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus.’ (1 Pet. 2:4-5) That’s our job friends; to be an holy priesthood and offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ. There’s one big problem though, the church of God, that’s the people of God are either asleep or don’t care, that’s why we need a wake up call to get our spiritual lives in order.
And we’ll end with the opening remarks of the commentary that tells it like it is: ‘If people are spiritually asleep, you have to shock them, startle them, scandalize them, if you want them to hear what you say. Jesus was especially good at this. When he wants to teach us something about worship, he uses a whore (the Samaritan woman). “Go call your husband!” “I don’t have a husband.” “That’s right. But you’ve had five, and the man you sleep with now is not your husband.” She was shocked. We’re shocked. But Jesus simply sits there on the edge of the well with his hands folded, looking at the woman with razors in his eyes ready to teach us about worship.’
And my people, Jesus is still sitting, this time in heavenly places, waiting to teach us about worship. Let’s hope He shocked us all today into wanting to learn about it! Much LOVE!
…the body of Christ…needs to be shocked into awakening…to the importance of spirituality… in these urgent times…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light that shineth in a dark place, a light unto my path, a more sure word of prophecy, a morning without clouds, all my desire, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, be as God, be as the light of the morning, clear shining after rain, deepen my breath, divine revelation, faith, fall for anything, find God's wisdom on it's pages, for our benefit not God's, god should always be an integral part of our lives, God's incomparable peace, God's inerrant word, God's Word, godly human instruments of recording God's message, Gods thoughts and ways are higher than ours, guidance and direction, guide for living, he that ruleth over men must be just, his word was in my tongue, holy men of God, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, instruction in righteousness, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, live the life that God desires, LOVE, make it not to grow, mercy, moved by the Holy Ghost, no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, rudderless and directionless lives, ruling in fear of God, salvation, sincere communion, slow my thoughts, start on the right foot, study the wisdom of God, thank you for this tenderness, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the BIBLE, the Bible is God's word to man, the day star arise in your hearts, the infallibility of Scripture, the man of God may be perfect, the process of revelation and inspiration, the prophecy came not by the will of man, the revelation of God to man, the Rock of Israel, the spirit of the Lord spake by me, the sweet psalmist of Israel, the tender grass springing up out of the earth, the transfiguration of Jesus, this is my salvation, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, truth, uncertain times, until the day dawn, when the sun riseth, will not allow it to increase, wisdom, wisdom and truth can fill our souls and spirits, you can't be contained, you'd do well to take heed, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
2 Samuel 23:2. The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
And then it was Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, the first one in this new year! No doubt many of us are glad for the relief from work and partying and intend to spend a quiet day recovering from all the seasonal celebrations, while some of us are just laying low so that we can get back up later and rejoin the festivities. (smile) But before we laze away the day, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong and heartfelt voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Oh, what awesome desires for more knowledge of and intimacy with our God! How can He not answer a prayer like that with His grace and mercy, His incomparable peace and calm? He has to, because it’s what He desires above everything else… sincere communion with His human creation. But the truth is, we should not just be seeking intimacy with and knowledge of our God on Saturdays, but every day! That way He is ALWAYS an integral part of our lives, not just sometimes! Remember His thoughts and ways are higher than ours, (Is. 55:8-9) so who better to go to, to associate with, if we desire guidance and direction in these confused and uncertain times?
And one of the ways we encounter God is through His Word, which, as the psalmist so wisely and rightly says: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) That means He gave us His Word, the Bible, as a Guidebook for Daily Living. And when you read it, you will find guidance and direction in it’s pages. As the saying goes: ‘The Bible is God’s Word to us, still fresh through the ages, and if we read it, we will find God’s wisdom on its pages.’ That’s the glorious truth friends. And that’s why we are strongly exhorted (smile) to read and study it every day, so that it’s truth and wisdom can fill our souls and spirits and allow us to live the life that God desires we live.
And Bruh Paul further edifies us with his wise words, in his second letter to Timothy. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) But until we sincerely believe the great value of God’s Word and read an study it, then put it into action, our lives will be rudderless and directionless, and we will fall for anything that the evil and ungodly world foists upon us.
And Peter further exhorts as he talks about being an eyewitness at Jesus’ transfiguration, when He was revealed to James and John and himself in all His glory. (Matt. 17:1-8) He writes: ‘We have also a more sure word of prophecy (the prophetic word made more sure); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old (any) time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Hoy Ghost.’ (2 Pet. 1:19-21)
And what does all of that mean? The scholars offer these explanations: ‘A more sure word of prophecy refers to the infallibility of Scripture as the greatest and clearest revelation of God to man. “Prophecy” may be used here as a general term for divine revelation. Private interpretation means “origination.” Thus true revelation does not originate by the will of man. It comes from God Himself through holy men who were godly human instruments of recording God’s message. Moved by the Holy Ghost describes the process of revelation and inspiration. “Moved” means to be “carried along as a sailboat in the wind.” Thus human beings were so moved by the Holy Spirit that what they wrote was God’s inerrant (infallible) Word.’
And we have more confirmation of the Spirit speaking to humans as the prophet Samuel writes about the last words of Bruh David. ‘Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in fear of God.
And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing up out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow (he will not allow it to increase).’ (2 Sam. 23:1-5)
Yes friends, we clearly see through the life of Bruh David that the Lord does speak to his human creation of both heavenly and earthly things, so that they can convey it to the rest of humanity. And on this first lazy-day Saturday in 2026, please, let’s take some time to read and study the wisdom of God found in the pages of His Guidebook, the Bible, so we can get this new year started on the right foot! Remember, it’s all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…if you are a Christian…then the Word of God ought to be your guide for living…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cardinal sin, a just world without perpetual poverty, a river of giving, a stop gap measure, all who receive physical sustenance, bringing us closer to God, caring for the needy is a continuous duty, charities, comfort the poor, contemplating on Jesus, cool down the Christmas excitement, deepen my breath, ease suffering in your name, enjoyed so much of God's goodness, eradicate poverty, faith, flooding our spirits, grateful for everything you've given me, he that hath pity upon the poor, help me make sacrifices, holy spirit, homeless people, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to share what I have, in all sincerity and truth, In Touch Prayer Cards, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lendeth unto the Lord, lends to the Lord, let christ's love flow through you, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn, mercy, multiply it to bless many, negate the importance of Christ's presence, New Year's Eve celebrations, one who is gracious to a poor man, open thine hand wide unto thy brother, others will have enough, pave the way for change, ponder what we have and how we can share it, pray for the poor and hurting, quiet my soul, recognize your love. come to know you as their Saviour, relax my muscles, repay him for his good deed, salvation, show me how, slow my thoughts, take what I give, thank you for this tenderness, that which he hath given, the peace and calm of God's presence, the poor, the poor shall never cease out of the land, to the poor and needy, too few have too much, too many have too little, too many poor with so much abundance, too many suffering from lack of the basics of life, truth, will he pay him again, wisdom, you can't be contained, your heart will be blessed in the flood, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Proverbs 19:17. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
And then it was our lazy-day Saturday! Oh what a wonderful way to relax and let all the Christmas excitement cool down, before it rachet’s back up for the New Year’s Eve celebrations next week. Yes, we do an awesome amount of celebrating between Christmas and New Years, and we do need to get a li’l break in between, contemplating on Jesus, so that we can handle it all properly.
So, before we get too lazy, (smile) let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. With all sincerity and truth: ‘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 were sincere in our prayer, the peace and calm of God will soon be flooding our spirits, bringing us closer to God, and putting us in a better place today. However, let’s not only think about ourselves, but also a class of people in which our world sadly abounds when there’s absolutely no need for so many. We’re talking about the poor. And yes, Jesus noted that we would always have the poor with us, after Mary anointed Him with an expensive bottle of fragrant oil, and His disciples complained that it was a waste of money. (Matt. 26:11)
And I like what this commentary says about the verse. ‘It’s often used to highlight that while caring for the needy is a continuous duty, it doesn’t negate the immediate importance of Christ’s presence or God’s ideal of a just world without perpetual poverty, referencing Deuteronomy 15:11 as a source for His command to care for the poor.’ And what does that verse say? ‘For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thy hand wide (freely) unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in the land.’ (Deut. 15:11)
Oh my people, the commandment to look after the poor could not be made any clearer, but the problem today is that we have too many poor when we also have such an abundance of wealth. It just doesn’t sync up. It means that we are not opening our hands as freely as the Lord desires, and that’s a cardinal sin, for all through the Bible the Lord warns the people, to look after, the widows, orphans, strangers and the poor, because at one time they were in those positions. And the truth is that many of us who are now wealthy or fairly well-off, were once poor, but we apparently forget those times and refuse to do more than we’re currently doing.
But please, let’s remember these wise words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs per the topic. ‘He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given will he pay him again.’ (Prov. 19:17) Or, according to this translation: ‘One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.’ There again, we see how wise and important it is to look after the poor and hurting in our society. And as we said earlier on, the hurtful part is that we currently have so much wealth in our society that the billions of people who are poor and hurting should not be that many.
Most likely we will never eradicate poverty until Jesus comes back and sets up His kingdom, but right now there are way way too many suffering from want and lack of the basics; food, shelter and clothing. Even in the big, supposedly rich metropolitan areas of our world there are countless homeless people, living in the streets, in parks, and some lucky few in shelters. And all are not just lazy wastrels, many of them have had jobs and families but due to circumstances beyond their control, their fortunes have slid to where they are no longer able to support themselves. And this is a sad situation made even worse by the worldwide strife currently engulfing our world.
Then there are the numerous charities, supposedly set up to help the poor and hurting, constantly begging for money and food. To tell the truth, sometimes I don’t even want to go to the post box and collect my mail, because I know the majority of it will be entreaties from several charities for donations, some of them I don’t even know. And I do my best to share my treasure, but even if these charities are helping some, this should just be a stop gap measure, not a permanent way to solve the problem.
A problem which stems from too few having too much, and too many having too little, and which continues to assert the truth that man’s inhumanity makes countless millions mourn. But all we can do is share what we have and then pray for those who are poor and hurting. So, in closing, let’s put that last aspect into action, using this prayer from the Prayer Cards issued earlier this year by the In Touch Ministries.
Please pray with me: ‘Lord, please comfort the poor in this world, and pave the way for change. I’m grateful for everything You’ve given me, and I want to share what I have. Show me how I can ease suffering in Your name. Help me make sacrifices so others will have enough. Please take what I give and multiply it to bless many. Above all, may each one who receives physical sustenance recognize Your LOVE and come to know You as their Saviour. We Pray this in Jesus’ name! Amen!’
And having offered up that prayer, let’s take a moment on this lazy-day Saturday after Christmas, having recently enjoyed so much of God’s goodness, to ponder what we have and how we can share some of it with others who are much needier than us. Remember when we give to others, we lend to the Lord, and He will repay us eventually. Much LOVE!
…the prayer card wisely advises…let Christ’s LOVE flow through you in a river of giving…your heart will be blessed in the flood…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gentle but refreshing calm and peace, a touch of God's peace, an attitude of gratitude, and again I say rejoice, anxious, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer, bring good news to mankind, Christ's birth would bring peace and joy to mankind on earth, deepen my breath, do our best for christ, faith, feel the Lord's Spirit drawing us closer to Him, forgiveness from sins, four days to Christmas, gladness, Glory to god in the highest, God's plan of salvation, gratitude, heaven's intention, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, I marvel to think, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if ye love me keep my commandments, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let not your heart be troubled, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, LOVE, make small improements, mankind is more warlike and bloodthirsty, mercy, merriment, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, no matter what life throws at us, not as the world giveth give I unto you, on earth, our victory lies in Jesus, our victory lies in Jesus not in our circumstances, peace good will toward men, Peace i leave with you, quiet my soul, reconciliation, regardless of our circumstances, Rejoice in the Lord always, relax my muscles, righteousness, salvation, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, slow my thoughts, stand strong and steadfast in faith, still have joy, thank you for this tenderness, thanks, the angels came to earth, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, these things I have spoken unto you, too much strife in our world, truth, turbulent and ungodly times, wisdom, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Luke 2:14. ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’
Then it was only 5… and it’s also our lazy-day Saturday! Glory be! Actually friends, it’s only four shopping and preparation days to Christmas, since the fifth day is Christmas Day. (smile) And I know all around the world the merriment and gladness is ramping up as the day draws nearer, but let’s not forget the reason for it all; the wonderful birth of Christ Jesus, some two thousand years ago.
That was the beginning of God’s great plan of salvation and forgiveness for His human creation. And just for the very idea that God thought so highly of us, or LOVED us so much to discombobulate Himself and break His own heart, to provide reconciliation and righteousness to mankind, ought to give us an attitude of immense thanks and gratitude. Anyway, before we get into whatever we have to do today, let’s offer up some thanks and praise in the form of our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
So, in sincere and heartfelt voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And if we were truly sincere, then in a moment’s time we’ll feel the Lord’s Spirit drawing us closer to Him, producing a gentle but refreshing calm and peace. And there’s nothing we can desire and require more in these turbulent and ungodly times than a touch of God’s peace and calm. For, remember what the Bible says about it? Jesus made two most encouraging statements about it. The first one 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 if that did not touch your heart, enough to bring you peace, then listen to this other statement from Jesus: ‘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 yes, it’s ofttimes difficult to actually find peace in this tumultuous world, but Jesus is the best hope we have for doing so. Why?
Listen to Bruh Paul as he spells it out in his letter to the Philippians. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
Now all of that simply means that if we live sincerely for Christ, or as He quite clearly said: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments;’ (John 14:15) then we will be able to access the peace of God, which passes all human understanding and stand strong and steadfast in faith, regardless of our circumstances. But we have to do the things required of us, before we can acquire God’s peace.
And I like how this commentary puts it. ‘ The peace that transcends all understanding comes from knowing that no matter what life throws at us, we can still have joy when we know that our victory lies in Jesus Christ and not in our circumstances.’ There you go my faithful brethren! True peace only comes from knowing Jesus and sincerely living for Him!
And furthermore, this Christmas season is supposed to be one of joy and peace, for remember the night Christ was born and the angels came to earth in their multitude to serenade the occasion and bring the good news to mankind? The first people they gave the good news to were some lowly shepherds, looking after their flocks by night. And how did they end their words of greeting? ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:14)
Yes my people, heaven’s intention was that Christ’s birth would bring some peace and joy to mankind down here on earth. Unfortunately though, it has not done much of that, for down through the ages, mankind has become ever more warlike and blood thirsty. But nonetheless, Jesus expects those of us who sincerely believe and try our best, to make some small improvements in the world, even if it’s our own families or neighbourhoods. And sadly, even that, many of us are not doing, for there’s much more strife in families, churches and neighbourhoods than is necessary.
So what’s the answer eh? Just continue being our best; sincerely doing our best for Christ in whatever way we can. For that’s all He really expects of us. And on this Saturday before Christmas, when our world is in such turmoil and ungodliness, I plead with us, as believers in Christ, to come together and make a strong push for Jesus, for that’s the only way, we will ever bring some semblance of true joy and peace to the earth. We pray it in Jesus’ name! Amen! Much LOVE!
…true joy and peace…don’t come without…the sincere involvement of Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all liars, as a bride adorned for her husband, be punished after many days, before his ancients gloriously, bound him for a thousand years, cast him into the bottomless pit, cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, characterized by righteousness peace and love, Christ's kingdom, coming down from God out of heaven, compassed the camp of the saints, deepen my breath, eternal punishment, faith, fire came down from God out of heaven, gathered together as prisoners in a pit, give thanks for another day of life, give unto him that thirsts, go out to deceive the nations, God himself shall be with them and be their God, God shall wipe away all tears, have their part in the lake, he shall be my son, he should deceive the nations no more, he that overcomes shall inherit all things, holy spirit, I am Alpha and Omega, I marvel to think, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will be his God, idolaters, if you believe the Bible then live according to it, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, laid hold on Satan, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, loosed for a little season., LOVE, mercy, more intent on getting intimate with Satan, murderers, neither sorrow, no more death, no more pain, nor crying, nothing more fulfilling and rewarding than intimacy with God, punish the host of the high ones, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, Satan shall be loosed from prison, set a seal upon him, sexually immoral, shut up inthe prison, slow my thoughts, sorcerers, thank you for this tenderness, the abominable, the beginning and the end, The Christmas season, the devil that deceived them, the fall of man, the fearful, the former things are passed away, the fountain of the water of life, the kings of the earth, the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, the Millennium reign of Christ, the moon shall be confounded, the new Jerusalem, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea, the second death, the sun ashamed, the tabernacle of god is with men, the unbelieving, they shall be his people, to get closer to God, tormented day and night for ever, truth, two ways to live this earthly life, wanting to spend more time with God, where the beast and the false prohet are, whoremongers, wisdom, yearn to know God better, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Revelation 21:7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Oh my people, let’s give thanks to our wonderful God for another day of life on His great planet earth, especially on this lazy-day Saturday in the Christmas season, where we don’t have to rush off to work, or anywhere else, and we can just relax and enjoy the warmth and comfort of our beds, or simply take our time and be comfortable with whatever catches our fancy, (smile) before getting into the busyness of the day, with stuff like Christmas preparations.
But before we get too comfortable or too busy, let’s offer op our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with sincere hearts and voices. Altogether: ‘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!’
Ah friends, it’s a simple prayer, but what I particularly like about it is that though simple, it still brings out, or highlights our wanting to spend more time with God, to get closer to Him and know Him better. And there’s nothing more fulfilling and rewarding that that in this entire world; for intimacy with Him, was God’s major purpose for creating human beings. But unfortunately with the fall of man and the rising of our sinfulness, we have lost that desire to get intimate with God and His righteousness, we seem to be more intent on getting intimate with Satan and his evil ways, which doesn’t say much for our intelligence and wisdom.
But please, let’s remember Satan’s prophetic destiny. The Bible says: And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed (released) for a little season (while).’ (Rev. 20:1-3)
Yes my brethren, during Christ’s thousand years reign on earth Satan will be locked up and unable to tempt or deceive the people. And as the scholars tell us: ‘Any temptation to sin during the Millennium (the thousand year reign of Christ on earth) must come from within those people who are born after the kingdom begins. It must be assumed that all of Satan’s demons or fallen angels are also imprisoned at the same time (cf. Is. 24:21-23). And we’ll quote those verses to give us a better understanding of the scriptures.
Isaiah writes: ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high (Satanic powers), and the kings of the earth upon the earth (earthly powers). And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall be visited (punished). Then the moon shall be confounded (disgraced, ashamed), and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients (elders) gloriously.’ (Is. 24:21-23)
So, after that Christ will reign on earth without opposition for a thousand years, and His kingdom will be characterized by righteousness, peace and LOVE. But remember that after the thousand years Satan will be released for a short while, as we see in the following verses. ‘And when the thousand years are expired (completed), Satan shall be loosed (released) out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed (surrounded) the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever.’ (Rev. 20:7-10)
Yes my people that’s the faith that will eventually befall the powers of evil. And for those who follow them rather than God, here’s their fate: ‘But the fearful (cowardly), and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers (sexually immoral), and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (eternal punishment).’ (Rev. 21:8)
Now please contrast that ending with this one. ‘And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:2-4)
Oh my faithful belieers, that’s what we have to look forward to when we endure with Jesus right to the very end. Listen closely as John tells it. ‘And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst (who thirsts) of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.’ (Rev. 21:6-7)
There it is in black and white my friends; the two endings to the two ways to live this earthly life. It’s up to each individual to make a decision, let’s hope and pray that we all make the right one. Much LOVE!
…if you believe that the Bible is God’s Guidebook to man…then you’d better believe what it says…and live accordingly…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abide in me and I in you, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, as in the provocation, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, behold I stand at the door and knock, cleanse your hands ye sinners, come unto me, crapaud smoke we pipe, deepen my breath, desire the Lord with passion and sincerity, do whatever we want, draw nigh to God, early will I seek thee, faith, find rest unto your souls, for the living God, gladly grace our souls with peace and calm, God can only get as close as we allow Him to, God wants us to truly desire His presence in our lives, God will draw near to you, God's heart's desire, harden not your heart, he that abides in me and I in him, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the vine ye are the branches, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will come into him, I will give you rest, if any man hear my voice and open the door, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Jesus is knocking at the door of our hearts, Jesus' great invitation, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, learn of me, LOVE, mercy, my burden light, my flesh longs for thee, my soul thirsteth for god, my soul thirsteth for thee, my yoke is easy, not to be used for our convenience, O God thou art my God, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, resist the devil and he will flee from you, salvation, seeking greater intimacy with God, serious repercussions, sincerely seeking God with all of our heart, slow my thoughts, so panteth my soul after thee O God, stay close to Jesus like white on rice, submit yourselves to God, take my yoke upon you, telling it like it is, thank you for this tenderness, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the message is urgent, the onus is on believers to seek God, the same bringeth forth much fruit, time to stop being stubborn and rebellious, today if ye will hear his voice, truth, When shall I come and appear before God, when ye shall search for me with all your heart, will sup with him and he with me, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing, ye shall seek me and find me, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Jeremiah 29:13. ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’
The weekend’s here friends! It’s our lazy day Saturday and we can do whatever we want to do without fear of any serious repercussions…well some of us can! (smile) And in my area it’s flurrying which doesn’t give us any inclination to go out there unless we have to. So, hopefully, today we’ll simply stay inside and watch the flurries flutter and fall, while relaxing with a good book, or watching the tube, or just doing nothing at all.
And if you’re wondering why I am up so early on this lazy day Saturday, well, the truth is that I’ve been in bed for most of the night, trying to rest and get over this persistent cold that’s been bothering me all week. So I’m just tired resting now, and my back is protesting the large amount of lying down it’s been doing. So here we are up and about rather early.
But regardless of what we do or not do today, we must offer 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!’
Now, that’s the kind of prayer our God really wants to hear from us. One seeking greater intimacy with Him, because that’s His heart’s desire, and therefore He will NEVER turn away such a sincere prayer, but will gladly grace our souls with the peace, calm and closeness we seek from Him. And there are several scriptures that emphasize seeking closeness with, drawing near to God or longing for His presence, and it’s all for our benefit.
So let’s look at a few of those verses, beginning with this one from James, that we all know, but don’t put into practice as much as we should. He admonishes his readers thus: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.’ James 4:7-8) Yes friends, the onus is on us to clean up ourselves, inside and out, and draw near to God, for He is always there waiting for us to come to Him.
It’s like He says through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) There again we see the emphasis on us seeking God, and not in any old way, but sincerely, with all of our heart. That’s the only way we will ever find Him, because God wants us to truly desire His presence in our lives, and not simply be used for our convenience.
And Jesus said it quite clearly when He spoke about the vine and the branches. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5) Now that’s telling it like it is! Without Jesus in us and we in Him, we are unable to do much of anything for the kingdom. That means we have to get close and stay close to Him like white on rice, or else crapaud smoke we pipe! (smile)
And we see the longing for God in many of the psalms like this one we all know by the Sons of Korah. ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2) Oh my people, that is how we are supposed to be seeking our wonderful God; panting for Him like the deer pants for water at the brooks. Not just a wishy-washy approach like so many of us have, and still expect to enjoy His many blessings.
Now listen to Bruh David as he declares in Psalm 63: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;’ (Ps. 63:1) Now tell me nuh, how many of us truly desire the Lord with such passion and sincerity eh? Not enough of us. But it’s by a deep passion and longing for God that we truly get to enjoy all the benefits of His grace and mercy.
And we cannot forget Jesus’ Great Invitation, where he faithfully promises: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now why would Jesus offer such an invitation if He did not seriously care for us and desire great intimacy with those who truly seek Him. But again, we have to go to Him, to accept His invitation. He’s done all He can, the next move is now in our hands.
And if you still don’t believe that Almighty God seeks a deep relationship with us, then listen to this telling verse from Revelation, where Jesus declares: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open up the door, I will come in to him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me.’ (Rev. 3:20) Oh friends, Jesus is always right there at our hearts, knocking on them seeking to come in and dine with us. All it takes is for us to open our hearts to Him, so that we can enjoy all the goodness and mercy He desires to share with us.
And we will end with is this exhortation from Hebrews: ‘Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation (rebellion of the Israelites)’ (Heb. 3:15) Yes my people, the message is urgent; it’s time to stop being stubborn and rebellious, meaning today is the day that you let Jesus into your heart! Please do it if you hear Him knocking. It will be the wisest decision you’ve ever made. Much LOVE!
…God can only get as close to us…as we allow Him to…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better frame of mind, a closer walk with God, a figment of my imagination, a saline drip, a special kind of comfort, amazing truths from the scriptures, an unexpected medical problem, back home, blessed is the man that trusteth in him, contemplating life, deepen my breath, diplomatic, faith, familiarity, feel closer to our Maker, God's greatest joy, going through hell, his faithfulness unto all generations, his mercy endures for ever, holy spirit, hospitals can be discouraging, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mercy, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, no place like Home, O taste and see that the Lord is good, only the Lord knows, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, seeking intimacy with Him, seeking medical help, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, the earthly paradise, the hellish stuff, the long and short of the story, The Lord is good, the Lord moves in mysterious ways, the peace and calm which emanates from God, the Pitch Lake, therapeutic salt water, to get to paradise, Tobago, trials and tribulations, truth, twenty four hour observation in hospital, well mannered, wisdom, with all sincerity and truth, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me
Psalm 34:8. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
We home my Scrip-Bits family! We back home in good ole Canada! And there’s’ no place like home! Even if you spend time in a palace, when you return to the l’il hovel you call home, you always feel a special kind of comfort, a special familiarity, that brings out a different vibe. Anyway, today is Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, where we do little or nothing at all! And believe me, today is one day I don’t want to do anything, but I must write the Bit, since I haven’t done so for what…the last three days, because as I said in the last Bit, whenever that was, (smile) I was going through hell to get to paradise in Tobago, which sadly turned out to be just a figment of my imagination.
But before we get into that hellish stuff, which is all behind us now, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, as one voice, with all sincerity and truth. ‘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 every time we say that prayer, it touches something in me, making me feel somewhat closer to our Maker. And that’s how it ought to be, because what we just asked for is a closer walk with him, increased intimacy. And if you don’t know, or don’t remember, our God’s greatest joy is for us to come seeking intimacy with him, since that was His main purpose in creating us. And now that we have grown closer to our God, and are feeling the peace and calm which emanates from Him, when we ask for it, let’s go back to the hellish stuff we were talking about earlier. (smile)
Well, in the last Bit, I mentioned the tough day in the Pitch Lake in South Trinidad, then having to come back to Port of Spain and go to dinner with some family members, and after that, simply being too tired to write anything. Now, the next morning, Friday, we were up early again, so we could stop off to see my favourite Uncle, Uncle Foster, with whom I lived a wonderful bachelor life back in the day, before heading to the airport, dreaming of some easier time in that earthly paradise called to Tobago.
But unfortunately that was not to be. For after we got settled there on Friday afternoon, the Duchess went off with a couple of friends to get some food, while I waited for a gentleman to bring a rental car for me. And the Lord does move in mysterious ways, because the fella finally showed up in the night when I could not see the car properly, and I almost said leave it until tomorrow, but something told me to take it right then. And it’s a good thing I did, for around nine the next morning, while sipping some coffee, contemplating life on the porch of the villa, looking out at lovely expanse of greenery on a marvellous golf course, that backed on to the villa, the Duchess called me inside and informed me that she had an unexpected medical problem.
Well, hell began again after that. The children came down from their hotel a little ways up the street and began making enquiries about medical help. We finally found a doctor who was willing to see her, and headed out to see him around midday. He, in his medical wisdom decided that she needed to be hospitalized for a twenty four hour period of observation. So we journeyed down to the hospital, which sadly began my journeying back and forth to the hospital. When we got there we sat in the Emerge Dept. for some time, before she was finally admitted to the Triage unit, where apparently they wanted to do some tests, but since she had eaten something shortly before, they had wait some time before doing them.
Oh friends, I don’t know how many times I journeyed back and forth to the hospital, in the rain and in the sun. And would you believe that for two of those days rain fell like crazy. On one day I even had to step into water to get into the car where it was parked at the villa, because the parking spot was flooded. And several times, just like at the pitch lake, especially walking up the hill to the hospital in the broiling sun, I had to ask the Lord for the strength to do it. And He indeed lived up to His Word as He said to Bruh Paul, who had asked Him three times to remove the thorn from his side. ‘And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a)
The long and the short of the story though is that they did not do very much for the Duchess at the hospital, except put a saline drip in her arm, and take blood. Sunday eventually came, and the same story. Then later in the day she was transferred to the Surgical Unit. For what purpose? They alone knew. But we knew that there was going to be NO surgery done in Tobago! Sunday evening I went to see her, and she looked worse that she did before being admitted. So obviously I was unhappy. And the sad part is that the doctors and nurses were too arrogant and full of themselves to speak to you properly. But thankfully, they were dealing with the well-mannered and diplomatic Duchess and children and not me.
So Sunday passed away and Monday came. And the same nonsense went on, supposed tests and no real word of anything concrete. Meanwhile the doctor who had admitted her, as well as a medic cousin of mine, were saying there was no need to keep her there when the medical problem had subsided. So Monday evening came, and still nothing. Eventually though, the Duchess decided that she would release herself. And that’s what she did. And from the moment she stepped out of the hospital, she looked better and was in a better frame of mind, because hospitals, unless you’re truly sick, can be rather discouraging and disconcerting if you’re just lying there with no medical treatment.
Anyway, with her release, it meant going back and forth to the first doctor to check on her, and unforunately, with all the running around, I believe it was not until late Tuesday evening, night had already fallen, I was able to get a short dip in the wonderfully therapeutic salt water. Imagine that nuh…in sweet Tobago for five days before immersing the ole, pained up body in the salt. After that though hell became more like the paradise we had hoped for, and we were able to get in some visiting with friends and family, as well as go around the island on Thursday. Then on Friday, it was time to head home.
And here we are, on this lazy day Saturday at the end of November 2025, contemplating what happened back there. Ah friends, only the Lord knows the purpose for all that happened, but even if I didn’t believe before, now I have to, because without the Lord’s amazing strength and grace during those ten days away from home, I most definitely would not have been able to handle the trials and tribulations that I experienced. That’s why we’ll close with these amazing truths from the scriptures. ‘O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’ (Ps. 34:8) ‘For the LORD is good; his mercy endureth for ever; and his faithfulness unto all generations.’ (Ps. 100:5) Much LOVE!
…if you say you believe…then you ought to show it by your trust…
Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.com
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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