The Necessity for Christians to Stand Steadfast and Cry out to God for Help when Persecuted for His Sake!

28 Jul 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today’s Scrip-Bit   28 July 2026   Psalm 69:1.

Psalm 69:1.            Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul (neck).

Oh Lord… technology, technology, technology! It’s useful, but it also seems to break down or fail at the most inopportune times. I was already late getting down here, then I spent over half an hour fighting with this so and so computer to begin writing the Bit! It opened quite well and I checked some messages. But when I tried opening Word to begin writing…Hn! No reaction whatsoever. It wouldn’t open anything at all. So, in frustration, I decided to change the batteries in the mouse…Same khaki pants. Then I changed the batteries in the keyboard…Nothing doing. I couldn’t even turn it off with the mouse.

So I eventually turned it off manually…at least tried doing so, but it wouldn’t close because the Google App was open, so I hit cancel to stop the turn off and voilà …the whole screen lit up and the computer began working normally again! And I still don’t know what was wrong. But sadly, every day we’re becoming more and more dependent on the deleted expletive technology, which can break down or fail so completely when you most need it. But as one of my friends likes to say; that’s progress! Ah Lord eh! Hopefully, that is my only frustration for today. (smile)

Anyway, let’s see what the Lord wants us to talk about today, after allowing that most frustrating episode right at the very beginning. And wouldn’t you know, in the Lord’s most intriguing and mysterious way, the Good Library opened just now at Psalm 69 – A Cry for Help, where Bruh David cries out: ‘Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul (neck). I sink deep in the mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away (which I did not steal). O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee. Let not them that wait (in faith) on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake (because of me): let not those that seek thee be confounded (disgraced) for my sake, O God of Israel.

Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children. For the zeal of (for) thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to (became) my reproach. I made sackcloth also my garment (a symbol of sorrow); and I became a proverb (byword) to them. They that sit in the gate (sit as judges) speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.’ (Ps. 69:1-12)

Ah friends, I’m sure many of us are in the same boat that Bruh David was in back then; embroiled in a case of undeserved suffering, and mainly from his steadfastness in his commitment to the Lord. But unfortunately that is one of the negative things that can happen to us when we stand up strong for Christ. As He warned in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12)

Then later on, Jesus again declared to the disciples: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ (Matt. 10:22) Oh my fellow believers, we all know that rejoicing when we’re being falsely accused and negatively treated is not easy to do, but we have to dig down deep and find the faith to bear it, with the Lord’s help obviously. We need to cry out to the Lord, petition Him like Bruh David did:

‘But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me. Hear me, O Lord; for thy LOVING-KINDNESS is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily (quickly). Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies. Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee. Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me gall for my meat (food); and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.’ (Ps. 69:13-21)

Yes my brethren, it can be a difficult life if we insist on standing up strong and steadfast for Christ, but we need to also remember the rewards that come from our faithfulness and steadfastness; salvation and eternal life with Christ, and understand that those rewards greatly outweigh the ‘sufferation’ we might undergo here on earth. And again, it’s not easy, but we need to also cry out to God  and ask for help in our negative situations, and even if He doesn’t rescue us from the situation, for sure He’ll give us the peace and strength to withstand it, for that’s His ever faithful promise.

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

So let’s do just that nuh; 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!

…Jesus desires a lot from us…but look at what He’s already given…a whole lot more…

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

The Necessity for Christians to Understand the Importance of Being Blessed! Part 2.

01 May 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 5:12a.         Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:

So we’ve finally come to Friday, and our Friday Mantra’s has been sent on high: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ But it’s also the first of May, with May Day celebrations around the world, as this overview tells us: ‘May Day, celebrated annually on May 1st, is a dual-purpose occasion marking ancient spring festivals and International Workers’ Day. It honors the fight for an eight-hour workday, originating from the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, and is celebrated worldwide with marches, rallies, and traditional festivals celebrating the start of summer.’

Unfortunately, many of the young people don’t know of the enormous fight in the last couple of centuries to gain some decent labour relations. And though the current employers are fighting tooth and nail to restrict our hard won privileges, we cannot afford to let that happen, because if they had their greedy and exploitative way, we’d go right back to the dark ages. But thankfully some of us are still willing to get up and fight for good working conditions.

Anyway, since the Lord saw fit to bless us with life today, we need to keep our promise of checking out scriptures that talk about ‘blessed.’ And we ended yesterday right in the middle of the Beatitudes, a number of statements Jesus pre-fixed with the term ‘Blessed’ at the beginning of His Sermon on the Mount. So the next one is: ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.’ (Matt. 5:7)

And the scholars tell us ‘Those who are merciful…shall obtain mercy has reference to those who have been born again by the mercy of God. Because divine LOVE has been extended to them, they have the work of the Holy Spirit in them producing a mercy that defies explanation by unregenerate men. Jesus Himself became the ultimate example of this when He cried from the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

Then we have, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’ (Matt. 5:8) And per the scholars, ‘Those who are truly saved shall see God. These are the pure in heart. Their lives have been transformed by the grace of God. They are not yet sinless, but their position before God has been changed. They have the New Birth, saving faith, and holiness. The process of sanctification is ever conforming them to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29), which image consists in “righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24).

Then there’s this Beatitude: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt. 5:9) Sadly in these strife-filled times there doesn’t seem to be any peacemakers or children of God around. But as the scholars explain, ‘The peacemakers are ones at peace with God, and desire to live in peace with all men (cf. Rom. 5:1). Their peace with Christ enables them to be ambassadors of God’s message to a troubled world. Hence they shall be called the children of God. Throughout the Beatitudes Jesus clearly underscores that only those who have the qualities of a changed life, herein described, are citizens of His kingdom.’

Then we come to this somewhat tough Beatitude. ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:10) And the scholars tell us, ‘As Jesus develops His message, He clearly teaches that such a life causes His people to be in direct contrast to the world in which they live. Therefore He reminds us, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. The plural use of “ye” in verse 11 indicates that He foresaw this persecution touching all His followers. Notice 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

Yes friends, that’s a tough row to hoe, but hoe it we must, if we’re to consider ourselves followers of Jesus Christ. And the blessedness get even tougher as we continue; (smile) ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12) Ah mih bredrin, those are not easy sentiments to take in, but as followers of Christ they are true.

As per verse 11, the scholars say that ‘Again, Jesus warns that men shall revile you, and persecute you. This became true during His own ministry, in the lives of the apostles, and throughout the history of the church. The persecution spoke of here is twofold. First, it involves a physical pursuing of the persecuted, and second, a personal attack of slander against them.’ And Bruh Paul personified the persecution of the church when he was still called Saul.

Then per the next verse, the scholars inform us: ‘Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, means even more, exult! Great is your reward in heaven focuses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is as real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly  trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’

Wow! That’s much easier said than done! But that’s why the Lord has given us all the tools to do it. He knows that fighting His battle here on earth will be tough, but then He expects us to allow the eternal rewards to encourage and strengthen us. And these days we badly need help to keep the fight going, so let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, to receive divine help in these times of dire need.

Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. 

And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’

And we Christians definitely need to wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong, if we are ever going to make inroads into the enemy’s stronghold. Much LOVE!

…truly living for Jesus is not easy…but the rewards are certainly worthwhile…

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

Sincerely standing on the faithful promises of God!

27 Jun 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 43:1b.       O Israel, Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name; thou art mine.

And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, a somewhat cool and cloudy summer’s day. It’s definitely not as hot as those of the last week, and neither is the wind  as strong as it’s recently been. The beleaguered trees must certainly have sent up a ‘Thank You Lord Prayer’ for this break in the cruel wind dance they’ve been forced to perform for way too long. (smile) 

But you know what friends, in this crazy and cruel world, oftentimes we are also called on to perform deeds we don’t want to perform, for long periods of time, and it’s only with the help of God, through His Holy Spirit are we able to hang on until a period of rest comes. And it’s of the utmost importance for believers to note and to remember that we have the assurance of our great God that He will enable us to hang in there, though our world seems to be falling apart at our very feet. 

Listen to these comforting and reassuring words of God from the Book of Isaiah, as he let’s the children of Israel, and also we believers today, know that we have been chosen by Almighty God. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded (disgraced): they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.’ (Is. 41:10-11) 

Yes my fellow believers, that’s a sure promise of our ever-faithful God for us to hold on to in these dark and very dangerous times. Now it won’t all happen automatically… No! We have to make our contribution to the situation by sincerely believing and having the faith that allows us to do what’s necessary while holding on the Lord’s promise. And those things are only attained by constantly meditating on the scriptures, putting them into action, praying and fellowshipping with other believers. 

Remember, we are partners with God, and in almost every situation we have a partner’s part to play, for the Lord won’t do it all, every time. And, unfortunately, that’s why so many of us supposed believers don’t see the Lord’s hand at work in our lives; we don’t do our part, simply expecting the Lord to show up and make every thing right. 

Oh, sometimes He will, but certainly not all the time, because He expects us to pull our weight. He’s given us the promises, some of which are unconditional, but many that are conditional, or depend on our coming up to scratch, stepping up to the plate. So, to avail ourselves of the Lord’s promises, it’s often necessary to show our faith, our mettle and stand up strong, do whatever it takes to make the promises come true in our lives. 

Now here’s another interesting promise from the Lord through Isaiah, as He assures the children of Israel of their redemption. ‘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.’ (Is, 43:1-2)  

And my beleiving brethren, we’ve seen those promises literally come to pass, like when the Hebrew teenagers, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fire for not bowing down to the idol made by the Babylonian king, but they came out untouched, not even smelling of smoke. (Dan. 3) The king when looking into the furnace even said that he saw four people instead of three in there… ‘and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God (a son of the gods)  (Dan. 3:25) 

You see friends, Jesus Himself was in there with those faithful teenagers. And it’s the same way He’ll be with us when we suffer trials and tribulations for His sake. Remember His words from the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5::11-12) 

And no, it’s not always easy to put up with false accusations and unjust persecutions while doing Jesus’ work, but unfortunately it’s all part of our discipleship. And while giving us the wherewithal to handle it, He will also stand beside us during the whole time of trial. For He’s also promised: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) 

Yes my fellow saints, life on this earth never was easy, and never will be, until Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom, but in the meanwhile He’s assured us of His awesome help by coming to earth and dying on the cross of Calvary to pay our sin debt in full, redeeming us like promised in Isaiah. Then rising from the dead and assuring us of that same resurrection if we believe in Him, then sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, to lead, guide and comfort us in our times of trial, and finally to return and take us back with him, so that wherever He is, we might also be. We certainly cannot expect more from Him. No! The rest of it is up to us… providing we believe. 

And God is so good to us that He’s also given us a bunch of undeserved heavenly blessings to do His earthly work. So let’s declare them so they can be activated in our lives. As one 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!’ 

And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…God’s promised us a lot…but a lot depends on…our response to the promises…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 November 2021 Matthew 5:10.

17 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 5:10.      Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

What a morning! The day’s half done, and I haven’t done my business yet. (smile) But that’s how life intervenes sometimes; getting you behind the eight-ball before you have even begun. So, without further ado, let’s begin. And the Good Book opened today on the Beatitudes, those blessings with which Christ began His Sermon on the Mount, and though we are only going to look specifically at the last section, the scholars offer an excellent explanation of Jesus’ message. 

They say: ‘The opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount indicate that the message deals with the inner state of mind and heart that is the indispensable absolute of true Christian discipleship. It delineates the outward manifestation of character and conduct of true believers and genuine disciples. Thus, the life of the believer, described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, is a life of grace and glory, which comes from God alone. To make this quality of life the product of man’s human efforts (as does the liberal) is the height of overestimation of man’s ability and underestimation of his depravity. 

To relegate this entire message, Jesus’ longest recorded sermon, to a Jewish only life-style, as do some dispensationalists, is to rob the church of her greatest statement of true Christian living. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus states the spiritual character and quality of the kingdom He would establish, and the basic qualities of this kingdom are fulfilled in the church He would establish. Virtually every section of this message is repeated in substance elsewhere in the New Testament. Nothing here indicated that this message is to be limited in its application to the people of Israel only.’ 

Awright friends, so we now have a working knowledge of what the Beatitudes are supposed to mean, because just reading them without a proper understanding, will lead us astray, since all of them begin with ‘Blessed,’ which means “happy,’ but seem to be applicable to people who are suffering. They all seem rather contradictory to what the world expects. How can a suffering person be blessed and happy eh? But that’s because Jesus is talking about His spiritual kingdom, not that of this physical world, and the spiritual world always seems to be the opposite of the physical. 

Now, according to the scholars ‘Blessed is a basic description of the believer’s inner condition as a result of the work of God. These Beatitudes, like Psalm 1, do not show a man how to be saved, but rather describe the characteristics of one who has been saved.’ 

And finally, (smile) we come to the section we want to look at. It says: ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.’ (Matt. 5:10-11) Yes, my fellow saints, if we live the way Jesus wants us to live, we will face persecution, ridicule and hate from the world around us. 

And the scholars explain: ‘5:10.  As Jesus develops His message, He clearly teaches that such a life causes His people to be in direct contrast to the world in which they live. Therefore He reminds us, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. The plural use of  “ye” in verse 11 indicates that He foresaw this persecution as touching all His followers. Notice 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”  

There’s absolutely no doubt about that friends! No wonder so many of us don’t acknowledge Christ, or our faith in Him in public, because we are either and/or ashamed and afraid of the repercussions from those around us. But we must remember that no cause is ever easily invoked or maintained. 

Please note what the scholars tell us, re verse 11. ‘Again, Jesus warns that men shall revile you, and persecute you. This became true during His own ministry, in the lives of the apostles, and throughout the history of the church. This persecution spoken of here is twofold. First, it involves a physical pursuing of the persecuted, and second, a personal attack of slander against them.’ 

And that’s why I chose that section of the Beatitudes to look at today my fellow brethren. Some of us are naïve, or just don’t know what to expect in being a true and devout Christian and trying to live by the principles that Christ taught. But it is not a simple matter, as we see from the beginning of the church all the way down to right now. And yuh better believe that in many places, it’s open season on persecuting believers. So it’s not something to be taken lightly. 

However, as our Lord and Saviour always does, He provides solace for us even in those times of persecution. He says: ‘Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’  (Matt. 5:12) And I know that’s difficult to do when persecution is staring you straight in the face, but it’s a necessary part of walking with Jesus. 

Listen to the scholars again: ‘5:12. Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase ‘Rejoice and be exceeding glad’ means even more, exult! Great is your reward in heaven focuses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’ 

And that’s the God-awesome truth! We have to keep our minds tuned to the home we have waiting in heaven for us. Although this one will be pretty rough, the ultimate one will be worth all and any suffering we do down here. Please remember what Jesus said to the disciples later on when He was explaining the whole scenario of His coming and going to them? ‘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 He has overcome the world through His death, resurrection and ascension, but we have to be strong and remember that this earth is not our home, and for Jesus’ sake, with His strength and wisdom, handle whatever comes against us, knowing that He is faithful who promised. And for those of us who are sincerely attempting to do that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

Altogether now! ‘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!’ 

Yes friends, let’s keep that glorious future of heaven in our mind’s eye as we walk this evil and ungodly earth. Much LOVE!

…whatever ‘sufferation’ this earthly life brings…the joy of heaven will supersede and totally erase it…as soon as we get there…                                                                                                                              

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8