05 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: an incorruptible crown, anger, anxiety, be disqualified, be renewed and refreshed, blasphemy, bring it into subjection, but one receiveth the prize, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christian faith, christianity, competes for the prize, confusion, covetousness, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desire, discipline my body, divine aid, encompassed about with, every man that striveth for mastery, faith, filthy communication, fornication, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, help us to be responsible, heroes of faith, holy spirit, I have preached to others, I keep under my body, I myself should be a castaway, idolatry, if God spares life, if you want to eat you must work, imperishable, is temperate in all things, Jesus Christ, lack of a strong work ethic, lackadaisical attitude, lay aside every weight, lay aside whatever impediment that weighs us down, lie not one to another, lighten our load, LOVE, malice, mercy, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, not as one that beats the air, our faith keeps us rooted and grounded in God, out faith is being seriously challenged, passion, persihable, poor witness for Christ, problems are escalating, put off the old man with his deeds, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, run our faith race with endurance, run that ye may obtain, run with patience, salvation, self-control, stand strong and steadfast, successful in our race of faith, surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the children of disobedience, the end of the work week, the endurance of a long distance runner, the race set before us, the race that is set before us, the sin which doth so easily beset us, the sin which so easily beset us, the sinful world, the weekend is here at last, the wrath of God, they which run in a race run all, to obtain a corruptible crown, trusting faith, truth, undisciplined, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand the constant temptation, witnesses, wrath, you can't win if you're not prepared
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2026 Hebrews 12:1b.
Hebrews 12:1b. let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.
And then it was that blessed day of Friday, another hot and sunny one, and all the shouts of the Friday Mantra gloriously rose up to heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Our society has become so obsessed with Friday that we don’t give much thanks for any other day. I guess it’s because Friday has become associated with the end of the work week, and our society does not have a great work ethic, so working is not something we like to do.
But as the saying goes; if you want to eat, and have a roof over your head, you have to work. Bruh Paul even went so far as to tell the Thessalonians, that the busybodies and gossipmongers among them, who refused to work, should not be given food. (2 Thess. 3:10-11) Now, that seems a fair reckoning, but doing it is an entirely different story. (smile)
And today we’re going to talk about one of the most precious things we have, but also one of the hardest to keep on the right trail. That’s our Christian faith, which in this evil and godly world of today is being seriously challenged at every turn, but needs to be strong enough to endure and withstand the constant temptation and bombardment that’s thrown at it. For it’s our faith that keeps us rooted and grounded in the goodness, mercy and LOVE of our ever-faithful God.
And this passage in Hebrews 12, gives us an interesting explanation and path to follow. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are encompassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.’ (Heb. 12 :1) Ah friends, that’s a tough requirement, but it needs to be done, if we are to be successful in our race of faith.
There are a lot of heroes of the faith, witnesses, who have gone before us and who are looking on at our progress. We also need to stand strong like they did, but there’s only one way to do that. As the author of Hebrews says; we need to lay aside every weight, or whatever impediment that keeps us weighed down, the scholars suggest stuff like clothing and body weight. But for the diligent runner or the faithful Christian, those things must be removed, so it can lighten our load.
We also need to put aside every sin which so easily ensnares us. And what sins ensnares us eh? The scholars seem to think that refers to the one sin that is uppermost in our lives; the one sin that defeats us above all others. And there are numerous sins that ensnare us. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote the Colossians: ‘Mortify therefore (put to death) your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection (passion), evil concupiscence (desire), and covetousness, which is idolatry:
For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds:’ (Col. 3:5-9) Now that gives us some idea of the kinds of sins we ought to put aside as we run our faith race.
Then the author of Hebrews states that we should run our faith race with patience, that’s perseverance, or better yet endurance. We need to have the endurance of a long distance runner because our faith race is indeed a long one, and those short of breath will never win it. And we have another good example of how we should run that race from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He writes: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.
And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown, but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run , not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Yes mih bredrin, this race of faith that we’re running is one for our very life, therefore we need to be serious about it, have discipline and self-control, while working hard to keep our endurance going strong, for endurance and self-discipline are two important aspects of our race, that we badly need if we hope to win that imperishable crown promised to us by the Lord.
But sadly, endurance and self-discipline are two of the least recognized and practiced attributes in today’s society. Not many of us can stick with anything or project for a long time, or have the discipline to do the tough things needed to accomplish success. No wonder our society has become lackadaisical and undisciplined, wild and unruly. Unfortunately though, time and space have run out on us, so if God spares life tomorrow, we’ll continue looking at this race of faith that we are required to run.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us run our race. 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 also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our work and witness for Christ is definitely not good or strong enough, otherwise our world would not be in the terrible state it’s currently in! Much LOVE!
…everyone who runs a race…runs to win…but you can’t win if you’re not prepared…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, a theological basis for holy living, abundance, adulterating the word of God, all around the globe, as we have received mercy, blinded the minds of them which believe not, broadcast the good news of Christ's coming, by manifestation of the truth, clear direction for my life, clever intellect, cloud cover, come to know and love christ like we do, commending ourselves to every man's conscience, curse, divine protection, dwell in the land of the shadow of death, ensure that whatever we do Christ gets the glory, every one has a ministry, faith, favour, God dwells today in the believer's heart, God who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, guard against straying from God's word, hath shined in our hearts, have seen a great light, holy spirit, humanity in its strength, if our gospel be hid, in the sight of God, it is hid to them that are lost, it resides in men of clay, Jesus Christ, keep working for Jesus, kept in the chains of darkness, lest the light of the glorious gospel of christ, living under the shadow of death, LOVE, make known all the wonderful things Jesus has done for us, men of clay, mercy, negative word, not handling the word of God deceitfully, not walking in craftiness, now ye are light in the Lord, of the glory of God in the face of Jesus christ, our earthly purpose, perishing, promotion, proper doctrine, prosper and succeed, renounce the ways of the world, renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, salvation, Satan, seeing we have this ministry, self-control, self-discipline, shame, share our blessings generously with others, shining our lights like bright beacons, should shine on them, speak thou the things which become sound doctrine, spread the message of the gospel of Christ, spreading our flavourful salt, talent, teaching what others want to hear, the excellency of the power may be of God, the god of this world, the gospel is not a product of human genius, the gospel of the glory of Christ, the image of God, the light of Christ brings freedom to the enslaved, the light of Jesus breaks chains, the people that walked in darkness, the unspeakable truth, to give the light of the knowledge, too many are adulterating God 's word, treasure in earthen vessels, truth, upon them hath the light shined, walk as children of light., we do not lose heart, we faint not, we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord, wisdom, ye were sometimes darkness, your servants for Jesus' sake
Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 May 2026 2 Corinthians 4:1.
2 Corinthians 4:1. Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not (do not lose heart);
So we’ve come to Thursday, the second to last day of our work week, and though it seems windy like yesterday, it’s definitely not as warm and sunshiny. There’s a tad of cloud cover and temps only in the high teens. But we’ll take it, as though we have a choice, (smile) and keep working for Jesus, shining our lights like bright beacons, and spreading our flavourful salt all around the globe, so that people in the darkness can come to know and LOVE Him like we do, for that’s our earthly purpose.
How did Isaiah put it: ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) Yes friends, that’s our duty; to shine the light of Jesus on those who don’t know him, because they’ve been kept in the chains of darkness, living under the shadow of death. But the light of Jesus breaks chains and brings freedom to the enslaved. And brother are there still many enslaved in our world! So let’s get out there and do what we do best; spread the message of the gospel of Christ; broadcast the good news of His coming and all the wonderful things He’s done for us!
And Bruh Paul explained it to the Corinthians in greater depth., as he talks about preaching Christ Jesus the Lord. ‘Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not (do not lose heart); But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty (shame), not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully (adulterating the word of God); but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.’ (2 Cor. 4:1-2)
Now that’s something we must all understand; that every one of us has a ministry; have been appointed to preach, teach or in some way declare the word of God. The Lord has given us sufficient grace and mercy to do it, so there’s no need for us to become discouraged if things don’t seem to be going as we expected. The first thing we need to do though is renounce the ways of the world, then not adulterate the Word of the Lord, which unfortunately too many of us are currently doing.
That means they are using the Word in the wrong manner; teaching what people want to hear, or what they think they should hear, not doing as Bruh Paul admonishes Titus: ‘But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine (are proper doctrine).’ (Tit. 2:1) And we hear improper doctrine being advanced all over the globe today, possibly more so than at any other time. However, we cannot reach others properly for Jesus unless our consciences are clear and pure and we tell the truth as dictated by the Word.
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘But if our gospel be hid (veiled), it is hid to them that are lost (perishing): In whom the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ (the gospel of the glory of Christ), who is the image of God, should shine unto them.’ (2 Cor. 4:3-4)
Yes my brethren, as the scholars tell us, ‘those who don’t believe are so controlled by Satan, (the god of this evil world) that he effectively shields them from the light of the glorious gospel of Christ. The apostle thus categorizes those who find his message difficult to accept.’ And I guess the same thing goes for our ministry in this modern world; Satan has so many people so controlled that it’s difficult for the light of Jesus to shine into the darkness of their souls and spirits.
Then Bruh Paul announces: ‘For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.’ (2 Cor. 4:5) Now that’s a most important scripture my fellow believers. We must ensure that when we preach Christ or do anything in His name that it’s He who gets the glory and not us, for there are many who are using Christ’s gospel today to aggrandize themselves and not Him.
As Bruh Paul further declares: ‘For God, who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.’ (2 Cor. 4: 6-7) Oh my people, God caused the light to shine in our hearts so that we can talk about the glory of Jesus to others not through our power, but God’s.
And here’s how the scholars explain that last verse.: ‘Earthen vessels: In the wilderness under the old covenant, God’s presence dwelt in a tent. Today he dwells in the believer’s heart. This is unspeakable truth and forms a theological basis for holy living (c.f. 1 Cor. 6:10-20). But the stress here is on the earthen. An earthenware jar is brittle. It depicts humanity in its weakness. The gospel is not a product of human genius or clever intellect (humanity in its strength). Yet it resides in men of clay, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.’
Now that’s something we need to seriously guard against. Our fragility and fickleness can ofttimes cause us to stray, but let’s do our best not to, remembering that all that we are, all we have, and all that we do is through the strength of God. And it’s all for Him and His glory through Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour! Now let’s declare, and thus activate our Thursday Blessings; undeserved blessings generously bestowed by Almighty God to help us do our earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And my faithful brethren, that declaration now behooves us to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…for ye were sometimes (once) darkness…but now are ye light in the Lord…therefore walk as children of light… (Eph. 5:8)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a strong will, abundance, christianity, Christians, come to know and love God like we do, courage, creativity, David behaved himself wisely, David his ten thousands, dying for Friday to come, end of sermon, faith, favour, God's awesome wisdom, good friends, good health, holy spirit, if God spares life, in a more refined manner, jealousy, Jesus Christ, Jonathan stripped himself, Jonathanand David made a covenant, LOVE, loved him as his own soul, make a mess of today, mercy, negative word, one of the devil's most successful tools is jealousy, promotion, prosper and succeed, receive clear direction for my life, rise to today's challenges, salvation, Saul eyed David from that day forward, Saul hath slain his thousands, Saul was very wroth, self-control, self-discipline, share those undeserved blessings, small things can easily stir up jealousy, still warlike and bloodthirsty today, success, supernatural strength, talent, the BIBLE, the green eyed monster, the head of the Philistine in his hand, the interesting relationship between Saul David and Jonathan, the long and short of the story, the love that's possible despite tough circumstances, the son of thy servant Jesse, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, the women came out singing and dancing, their blood took to one another, truth, undeserved blessings, viewed him suspiciously, what can he have more than the kingdom, what jealousy can wreak in our lives, wisdom, with tabrets with joy and with instruments of musick
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 May 2026 1 Samuel 18:9.
1 Samuel 18:9. And Saul eyed David (viewed him suspiciously) from that day and forward.
And it seems that this Thursday will be another bright and sunshiny but mid-teens temperature day. But we’ll take it any day over the cold and miserable winter weather! (smile) And many of us are just dying for Friday to come so that we can rest up after our hectic Victoria Day weekend. However, remember that we’ve still got to rise to whatever challenges today will bring, so please don’t think too much about tomorrow and the rest period following it, or else you might just make a mess of today. End of Sermon!
And today we’re going to take a look at the violence and damage the green eyed monster, jealousy, can wreak in our lives, as portrayed by the relationships between King Saul and Bruh David, as well as the LOVE that’s possible, in spite of tough circumstances, as portrayed by Bruh David and Jonathan, Saul’s son and heir. We see the relationships begin with Bruh David’s victory Goliath. King Saul enquired whose son Bruh David was, but his captain Abner had no idea. So Saul told him to find out.
The Bible then tells us: ‘And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.’ (1 Sam. 17:57-58) Imagine that nuh, a young boy, only in his teen age years, walking around with the head of a man he’d slaughtered held in his hands! But we’re no different today, still warlike and blood thirsty, just in a supposedly more refined manner.
But the Bible continues: ‘And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David (the life of Jonathan was bound up with the life of David), and Jonathan LOVED him as his own soul.’ (1 Sam. 18:1) I guess Jonathan was hanging around his father when he spoke to Bruh David, and possibly after some conversation, the souls of the two young boys just took to each other. Or as the old people would say, their blood just took to one another. But however it happened, that day, saw the beginning of a very strong relationship develop between the two youngsters.
And per the Good Book: ‘And Saul took him (Bruh David) that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.’ (1 Sam.18:2) Such was the power of the king, and his apparent liking for Bruh David. ‘Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he LOVED him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of (took off) the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.’ (1 Sam. 18:3-4)
The scholars speculate that ‘Jonathan’s transfer of his royal attire to David may indicate his covenantal pledge to transfer his privileged position as heir to the throne.’ Who knows? Jonathan most likely knew that Bruh David had already been anointed as the next king of Israel, and with a strong religious background felt it the right thing to do under those circumstances. The long and short of the story though is that Bruh David ended up working for Saul, both as a warrior and as a harp player to pacify Saul’s soul with the music when the evil spirit took it over.
The Bible states: ‘And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely (prospered): and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine(s), that the women came out of the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tabrets (small drums), with joy, and with instruments of musick (three stringed instruments).
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth (angry), and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David (viewed him suspiciously) from that day and forward.’ (1 Sam. 18:5-9)
Ah friends, how these little things can stir up jealously and cause us to do crazy and evil things. So what if Saul only slew thousands and David slew ten thousands? Saul was still the king, and David his servant. But no, we always want to be doing better than anyone who is supposedly below us in social status. Unfortunately though, time and space have run out on us, so tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue with this most insightful story, between Saul, Jonathan and Bruh David.
Now let’s declare our undeserved Thursday Blessings, which the Lord in His awesome wisdom and generosity had seen fit to nonetheless bestow on us to help us do His earthly work. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him, like we do! Much LOVE!
…jealousy…one of the devil’s most successful tools…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a strong will, abundance, access by faith into grace, being justified by faith, belief, by the Holy Ghost which is given to us, character, Christians, clear direction for my life, courage, creativity, culminates in eternal life, curse, divine protection, even the youths shall faint and be weary, experienced, faith, favour, for what a man sees why does he yet hope for ir, fulfillment, glory in tribulations, God's faithfulness, God's supernatural wisdom, have peace with God through Christ, He gives power to the faint, holy spirit, hope does not disappoint, hope for what we don't see, hope in God, hope is the basis of faith, hope keeps us holding on to our dreams, hope keps us going, hope maketh not ashamed, hope of a good futre, hope that is seen is not hope, hope that things will turn out alright, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I wait for God my Saviour, I watch in hope for the Lord, I will look unto the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my God will hear me, negative word, patience, penultimate day of our workweek, plans to give us a future and a hope, promotion, rejoice in hope of the glory of God, run and not be weary, salvation, self-control, self-disicpline, self-sacrifice, shall mount up with wings like eagles, talent, the basic catalyst, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the groundwork called for in God's word, the level of our belief based on our hope, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, the young men shall utterly fall, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, to them that have no might he increaseth strength, tribulation worketh patience, truth, undeniable truth, walk and not faint, we are saved by hope, wisdom, with patience we wait for it, without hope you cannot have faith
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 May 2026 Jeremiah 29:11.
Jeremiah 29:11. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’
Ah friends, the penultimate day of our work week, Thursday, has opened somewhat cloudy and chilly, but let’s not lose hope, for yesterday afternoon turned out to be quite nice, despite the poor early morning weather. And if it’s one thing we Christians have is hope. Hope in God, and hope that things will turn out all right in the end. For without hope, what’s the purpose of living? None whatsoever! Since hope is the basic catalyst that keeps us going; keeps us holding on to our dreams and desires, whatever they may be. With hope we expect things to get better and those dreams to materialize at some point in time.
And that’s why the Bible, God’s Word is filled with so many wonderful verses on hope. So let’s look at some of them, and see how they boost our faith. for remember without hope, you cannot have faith, as hope is the basis of faith. And possibly the most well known and favourite verse of hope in the Bible is this one from Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Yes my fellow believers, that’s what the Lord has in mind for us; hope of a good future, that culminates with Him in eternal life. And there’s nothing better to look forward to than that!
Then there’s this other amazing promise from the prophet Isaiah, that we all know and mouth, but don’t always believe, otherwise we would not be so often lacking in hope. ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:29-31)
What a marvellous promise! But if we don’t truly believe it, then it will not happen for us, for that’s the groundwork called for in God’s Word; belief, which is born of hope and topped by faith. As Bruh Paul says in Romans. ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) wait (eagerly wait) for it.’ (Rom. 8:24-25) And that’s the gospel truth! For hope is looking and waiting for something we don’t see. If we see it, then there’s no point in hoping for it.
Then there’s this interesting verse from the prophet Micah, where he declares: ‘Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.’ (Mic. 7:7) Now that’s a tremendous statement of hope and faith. As this translation puts it: ‘But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.’ And that’s more undeniable truth my brethren. If we wait and hope in our God, He will hear us and provide salvation. But then again, that all depends on the level of our belief that’s based on the amount of our hope. (smile)
Now these are also important verses on belief and hope, but I don’t think we appreciate them as much as some of the others. Why? Just listen. ‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. and not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh (produces) patience; And patience, experience (character); and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); because the LOVE of God is shed abroad (poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’ (Rom. 5:1-5)
Ah mih people, we all like the end product, but none of us like to go through the middle section that talks of tribulations and perseverance. However, that is a most basic and foundational aspect of truly living for Jesus. It’s the calling of self-sacrifice that all followers of Jesus are expected to engage in, following His glorious example. And there are several more interesting scriptures on hope, but since time and space have runout on us, we’ll look at those tomorrow, if God spares life obviously. (smile)
And to help us find and keep that hope, the Lord has also most generously bestowed on us undeserved blessings, we call our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and activate them right now! In one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…there are too many examples of God’s faithfulness…to ever lose hope in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: admonish him as a brother, allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, allow your incredible aura of love, always doing our best, artificial intelligence, as best we can, be not deceived, be not weary in well doing, be taken advantage of, begin a new week of work, bombarded by the enemy's evil schemes, busybodies, command that with quietness they work, complaining about the good things we have, consider yourself without a job, constantly buffeted, count him not as an enemy, count yourself blessed, despite the many obstacles we face, divine aid, do good unto all men, do not lose heart, dog eat dog, echoes of love, experience life, faith, faithfulness, fill us with steadfast faith, food banks, further your glorious kingdom, gentleness, give their right arm, God is not mocked, have no company with him, he that soweth to his flesh, he that soweth to the spirit, holy spirit, homeless, humble servants, if any obey not our word, if any would not work neither should he eat, in due season we shall reap if we faint not, inroads into the enemy's ranks, into the evil and ungodly world, Jesus Christ, jobless, jobs that are unfair, joy, keep trying to live the christian life, keeping lives and families together, kindness, living for Jesus, living off the government, LOVE, make Jesus proud of us, make money, make worthwhile inroads, many living in dire poverty, may be ashamed, meekness, mercy, moaning and groaning, note that man, of the flesh reap corruption, of the household of faith, on the outside looking in, once the exception now the norm, our Father who art in heaven, our God-forsaken strife-filled world, over the weekend, patience, peace, people being laid of because of AI, personal experience, Praise the Lord, prices on the rise, rat race, salaries not running in tandem with prices, sally forth with confidence, salvation, self-control, serve a useful purpose, shall of the Spirit reap everlasting life, some have no shame whatsoever, some refuse to work, thank you for our jobs, the fruit of the spirit, the lack of a work ethic, the many homeless that exist in our wealthy society, the opportunity to go to work, the prevalence of food banks, the rejuvenation of Spirit, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the throne of grace, to meet the enemy in battle, truth, trying to right the wrong, walk among you disorderely, we know we're invincible, we surrender our all to you, we're not afraid, wearing God's powerful protective spiritual armour, whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap, wisdom, work and eat their own bread, working two jobs, wrought in our weary souls
2 Thessalonians 3:13. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
And another Monday has rolled around again, a warm, sunshiny one to boot…Praise the Lord! Now why would you do that? Because it gives us the opportunity to go out to work, make some money and experience life at the same time. Yuh know the millions of people around our God-forsaken and strife-filled work who cannot do that, and would gladly give their right arm to be able to do so. Meanwhile, we are here moaning and groaning, complaining about the good things we have going for us.
And no, it’s not always easy or likeable, but just sit and consider for a moment, what would happen to you and your family if you didn’t have a job in this dog eat dog, rat race of a world we currently live in. And you don’t have to go to any far-off, poor countries to see what happens when you don’t have a job and are living in dire poverty. You can see that in the many jobless and subsequently homeless people that exist right here in our prosperous and wealthy society.
And it’s not because they all don’t want to work, but ofttimes, for whatever reason, they cannot get a job. And with the new rage of AI, Artificial Intelligence, lots of people are being laid off, making it even harder to acquire a decent job. So, if you have one to go this Monday morning, then please count yourself blessed and stop complaining about the inequities and injustice that might come with it.
That’s not to say you ought to allow yourself to be taken advantage of by your employer, but be careful how you go about trying to right the wrong, for it’s very easy to find yourself on the outside looking in. And I know, from personal experience, that’s not a very nice place to be.
Now you just need to look at all the food banks that have recently opened, and you’ll see how desperate the situation is. When I first came here some fifty odd years ago, a food bank was the exception rather than the rule, but now it’s the norm, for even those who are working, sometimes two jobs at once, still cannot maintain a family on their wages, especially with prices always on the rise, but salaries not running in tandem.
And talking about working, remember what Bruh Paul wrote to the Thessalonians? ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but they are busybodies.
Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish (warn) him as a brother.’ (2 Thess. 3:10-15)
Yes friends, with the lack of work ethic that’s currently in vogue, (smile) it’s not surprising to note that there are many in our society, who refuse to work, instead living off of the Government and any others who will help them. And it would be good if we could shame them into working, but some of them have no shame whatsoever, and will keep on in their disorderly conduct regardless of what we do.
But the important thing to note in all this is that we must not be weary in well doing. In other words, despite the many obstacles we might, or will face, we ought to keep on trying to live the Christian life as best we can. That’s allowing the fruit of the Spirit to flourish in us; echoes of LOVE, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, patience, meekness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)
Which reminds us of these wonderful, encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the Galatians. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal. 6:7-10)
We could not get any better advice than that on this first day of our work week my people. And to help us accomplish it, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid. And it’s a somewhat different prayer today, because I brought back most of the old one, which I think resonates better with our current times.
So, altogether: Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise and thank You this Monday morning for our jobs; jobs we sometimes don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose; keeping lives and families together. We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the weekend. It’s that rejuvenation of spirit which now allows us to sally forth with confidence into the evil and ungodly world, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s evil schemes.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour! We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You allow Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Your servants, as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, thereby furthering Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!
Now, let’s go out there and make Jesus proud of us! Much LOVE!
…living for Jesus…always means doing our best…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a sense of humour, a serpent of brass, a source of spiritual confusion, a strong will, a symbol of deliverance, above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, abundance, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, brake in pieces the brasen serpent, Caleb and Joshua said they were well able, charity shall cover a multitude of sins, christianity, Christians, come to know and love God like we do, complaining, concentrate on the challenges of today, courage, curse, cut down the groves, did what was right in the sight of the Lord, duty bound, everyone that is bitten, faith, favour, forgiving iniquity and transgression, God's supernatural wisdom, good freinds, good health, great family, holy spirit, I have pardoned according to thy word, idolatrous worship, Israel burned incense unto the brass serpent, Jesus Christ, king Hezekiah, lack of faith in God and His promises, looking forward to tomorrow, LOVE, love shall cover a multitude of sins, make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole, mercy, Moses spoke God's own words back to him, Moses talks the Lord into not totally destroying Israel, negative word, removed the high places of pagan worship, salvation, self-control, self-disicpline, shall live when he looks at it, smite them with the pestilence, success, supernatural strenght, talent, ten spies said they could not take the land, the bearer of life, the BIBLE, the dire consequences that can result from complaining, the Israelites reluctance to enter the Promised Land, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years., the Lord is longsuffering and of great mercy, the Lord said unto Moses, the Lord's wrath is stirred up when we refuse to believe His signs and wonders, the negative image of the devil incarnate, the second to last day of our work week, the solution to the Israelites snake bite problem, truth, use hospitality to one another without grudging, wisdom, wooden images, worshipping the bronze serpent
1 Peter 4:9. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling).
And so we come to Thursday, the second to last day of our work week. It’s a nice, warm sunshiny day, but I believe too many of us are looking forward to tomorrow, Friday, the end of the work week, instead of concentrating on the challenges of today. And we need to be very careful with those kinds of situations, for we can cause ourselves serious problems if our minds are not focused on what’s happening in front of us right now. Remember, Jesus warned us to concentrate on today’s problems, rather than what might happen on the morrow. (Matt. 6:34)
Anyway, as promised yesterday, if God spared life today, which He’s most generously done, (smile) then we would continue looking at some of the scriptures that deal with complaining and the dire consequences that can result from it. Now, yesterday we stopped where, after the Israelites complained, the Lord had sent fiery serpents into the camp to bite them and many of them died. Then they repented of their complaining and asked Moses to pray to God for them, and Moses did as asked.
And anyone who thinks the Lord doesn’t have a sense of humour or of the unexpected and unconventional, had better think again, for here’s His solution to the Israelites snake bite problem. ‘And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, he shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld (looked at) the serpent of brass, he lived.’ (Num. 21:8-9)
Now, only our mysterious and unconventional God would choose to have us look on the same thing that caused our problem to be saved from it, especially when it was a snake that held the negative image of the devil incarnate. But it worked then, and according to the scholars the bronze snake played a large role in Israel’s life, and remained a symbol of deliverance, but unfortunately by Hezekiah’s time it had become a source of spiritual confusion and idolatrous worship, and they fell back into the ancient pagan way of thinking and worshipping the bronze snake as the bearer of life.
It was not until Hezikiah, who developed a great trust in the Lord and did what was right in His sight, that the idol worship was destroyed. The Bible tells us that Hezekiah, ‘Removed the high places (places for pagan worship), and brake the images (sacred pillars), and cut down the groves (wooden images), and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it, and he called it Nehushtan (a bronze thing).’ (2 Kin, 18:4) So, we can see how easy it is for something man made to be turned into idolatry if it lasts long enough in our societies.
Meanwhile, the second incident of complaining that Bruh Paul spoke about in his letter to the Corinthians stems from the Israelites lack of faith and reluctance to enter the Promised Land, after the 12 spies came back from checking it out. They foolishly believed the ten who said it was indeed filled with milk and honey, but there were giants whom they could not defeat. And summarily refused to countenance Joshua and Caleb’s contention that they were strong enough, especially with the Lord’s help to go in and take it.
And they murmured and grumbled and complained so much that the Lord said unto Moses. ‘How long will this people provoke (despise) me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the (miraculous) signs which I have shewed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.’ (Num. 14:11-12) Yes friends, that’s how the Lord’s wrath can be stirred up when we refuse to believe his signs and wonders and complain about our situations.
However, the Israelites were lucky that Moses intervened on their behalf and reasoned with the Lord that if He destroyed them all, then the other nations would hear about it and claim that ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he had slain them in the wilderness. And now I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation, Pardon I beseech thee, the iniquity of these people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even unto now.’ (Num. 14:16-19)
Moses certainly knew how to get God’s attention, basically with God’s own words and His merciful behaviour so far to the Israelites. ‘And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted (tested) me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it.’ (Num. 14:20-23)
And to make a long story short, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years until all those who had come out of Egypt died and only Joshua and Caleb, because of their strong faith, entered the Promised Land with the new generation of the Israelites. And it all came from their complaining and the lack of faith in the God of their forefathers, even after all the miraculous signs He had showed them. And sadly, many of us today feel and behave the same way, and eventually we will pay for our lack of faith and belief.
That’s why this scripture from Peter is so important. ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling).’ (1 Pet. 4:8-9) And our God is so wonderful and generous that He has further bestowed on us undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…grumbling and complaining…in spite of God’s goodness and mercy…only raises God’s wrath…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
1 Peter 4:9. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling).
And so we come to Thursday, the second to last day of our work week. It’s a nice, warm sunshiny day, but I believe too many of us are looking forward to tomorrow, Friday, the end of the work week, instead of concentrating on the challenges of today. And we need to be very careful with those kinds of situations, for we can cause ourselves serious problems if our minds are not focused on what’s happening in front of us right now. Remember, Jesus warned us to concentrate on today’s problems, rather than what might happen on the morrow. (Matt. 6:34)
Anyway, as promised yesterday, if God spared life today, which He’s most generously done, (smile) then we would continue looking at some of the scriptures that deal with complaining and the dire consequences that can result from it. Now, yesterday we stopped where, after the Israelites complained, the Lord had sent fiery serpents into the camp to bite them and many of them died. Then they repented of their complaining and asked Moses to pray to God for them, and Moses did as asked.
And anyone who thinks the Lord doesn’t have a sense of humour or of the unexpected and unconventional, had better think again, for here’s His solution to the Israelites snake bite problem. ‘And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, he shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld (looked at) the serpent of brass, he lived.’ (Num. 21:8-9)
Now, only our mysterious and unconventional God would choose to have us look on the same thing that caused our problem to be saved from it, especially when it was a snake that held the negative image of the devil incarnate. But it worked then, and according to the scholars the bronze snake played a large role in Israel’s life, and remained a symbol of deliverance, but unfortunately by Hezekiah’s time it had become a source of spiritual confusion and idolatrous worship, and they fell back into the ancient pagan way of thinking and worshipping the bronze snake as the bearer of life.
It was not until Hezikiah, who developed a great trust in the Lord and did what was right in His sight, that the idol worship was destroyed. The Bible tells us that Hezekiah, ‘Removed the high places (places for pagan worship), and brake the images (sacred pillars), and cut down the groves (wooden images), and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it, and he called it Nehushtan (a bronze thing).’ (2 Kin, 18:4) So, we can see how easy it is for something man made to be turned into idolatry if it lasts long enough in our societies.
Meanwhile, the second incident of complaining that Bruh Paul spoke about in his letter to the Corinthians stems from the Israelites lack of faith and reluctance to enter the Promised Land, after the 12 spies came back from checking it out. They foolishly believed the ten who said it was indeed filled with milk and honey, but there were giants whom they could not defeat. And summarily refused to countenance Joshua and Caleb’s contention that they were strong enough, especially with the Lord’s help to go in and take it.
And they murmured and grumbled and complained so much that the Lord said unto Moses. ‘How long will this people provoke (despise) me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the (miraculous) signs which I have shewed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.’ (Num. 14:11-12) Yes friends, that’s how the Lord’s wrath can be stirred up when we refuse to believe his signs and wonders and complain about our situations.
However, the Israelites were lucky that Moses intervened on their behalf and reasoned with the Lord that if He destroyed them all, then the other nations would hear about it and claim that ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he had slain them in the wilderness. And now I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation, Pardon I beseech thee, the iniquity of these people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even unto now.’ (Num. 14:16-19)
Moses certainly knew how to get God’s attention, basically with God’s own words and His merciful behaviour so far to the Israelites. ‘And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted (tested) me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it.’ (Num. 14:20-23)
And to make a long story short, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years until all those who had come out of Egypt died and only Joshua and Caleb, because of their strong faith, entered the Promised Land with the new generation of the Israelites. And it all came from their complaining and the lack of faith in the God of their forefathers, even after all the miraculous signs He had showed them. And sadly, many of us today feel and behave the same way, and eventually we will pay for our lack of faith and belief.
That’s why this scripture from Peter is so important. ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling).’ (1 Pet. 4:8-9) And our God is so wonderful and generous that He has further bestowed on us undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…grumbling and complaining…in spite of God’s goodness and mercy…only raises God’s wrath…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bribe, a great family, a lack of passion, a spirit of power love and a sound mind, a time of dictatorship, abhor justice, baptizing them, bloodshed, both shall fall into the ditch, bounden duty, broken in the name of Jesus, buildwith bllod up Zion, cause calamity, Christ has led us out of darkness into the light, christianity, Christians, Christians have the tools and the numbers to make changes, Christians need to throw off their differences, christians willing to walk the christian talk, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, confused and conflicted, continue in this godless race of evil doing, courage, curse, destruction is sure if we keep being ungodly, disturbed the tne natural elements of the weather, divine protection, even unto the end of the world, faith, fallen out of its natural rhythm, favour, fear holds us back, find destruction at the hands of an angry God, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, go ye therefore and teach all nations, good freinds, good health, greedy power hungry inept evil doing leaders, heaps of ruins, holy spirit, I am with you always, if the blind lead the blind, in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost, is not the Lord among us, it behooves Christians to rise up and hange the story, it's not too late to turn things around, Jesus Christ, led of them that are destroyed, living in fear of total destruction, LOVE, make disciples of all nations, mercy, negative word, no evil can come upon us, no sense of God in the hearts of our leaders, no sense of true purpose, pervert all equity, promotion, prosper and succeed, resolve power into their own hands, riddim and rhyme, roiling around in uncahrted waters, salvation, self-control, self-disicipline, supernatural wisdom, take the bull by the horns, teaching them to observe all things, the BIBLE, the Great Commission, the heads thereof judge for a reward, the leaders of this people cause them to err, the priests teach for hire, the prohets divine thereof for money, the same quandary our world is in, the strength of heart, they be blind leaders of the blind, through our own foolish and evil desires, total corruption, truth, uncharted waters, wake up, wandering around lost and unguuided, wisdom
Matthew 28:19. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
And then it was Thursday; our penultimate day of the work week, but yet another rainy and foggy morning, which eventually turned into a cloud covered somewhat sunshiny day. (smile) Ah mih people, the weather these days is like us, confused and conflicted, don’t know whether it’s coming or going. Why? Because we have played with and disturbed the natural elements so much that God’s set weather pattern has been thrown completely out of whack. Consequently, it has fallen out of its natural rhythm and is just roiling around in uncharted waters, with no sense of true purpose, no sense of riddim or rime, just like so may of us human beings today are wandering around lost and unguided.
It’s like the prophet Isaiah declared so long ago about the nation of Israel: ‘For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they are led of them that are destroyed.’ (Is. 9:16) And it’s the same sort of quandary our world is in today, with some of the most inept, greedy, power hungry, evil doing leaders that that world has seen in a long while. It seems like we are returning to a time of dictatorship, as so many current leaders are trying to resolve power into their own hands, so they can do as they please.
And it hearkens back to the cry of the prophet Micah on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes (rulers) of the house of Israel, that abhor judgement (justice), and pervert all equity. They build up Zion with blood (bloodshed), and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward (a bribe), and the priests thereof teach for hire (pay), and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say (saying), Is not the Lord among us? none evil (no harm) can come upon us.’ (Mic. 3:9-11)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s exactly the kind of world we’re faced with today; one of total corruption, greed, evil doing and no sense of God in the hearts of our leaders. It’s like Jesus said of the Pharisees: ‘Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ (Matt. 15:14) But friends, we’re not supposed to be blind because Jesus has come and led us out of darkness into the light, and if we have blind, godless leaders then we have to get up and do something about it.
For if we continue in this godless race of devilry, of evil doing, we will most likely end up just like the prophet Micah promised the Israelites, either by the hands of an angry and fed up God, or through our own foolish and evil desires. Listen up to Micah’s promise: ‘Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps (heaps of ruins), and the mountains of the house (the temple) as the high places (bare hills) of the forest.’ (Mic. 3:12)
Oh my people, if we keep on in the ungodly and evil way in which we’re going, destruction, in one way or another is certain to come upon us at some stage of the game. Now, is that what we truly desire for ourselves and our descendants? I doubt it very much. Therefore it behooves us Christians to rise up and change the story as much as we can, because none of the evil doers are going to do it. And it’s not like we don’t have the tools to do it, for we do, and we also have the numbers to do it too.
But what seems to be holding us back are things like fear, a lack of the necessary passion, and the strength of heart to even broach such a project, because we’re fearful that it will probably cause us much calamity. However, it will probably cause us even more calamity if we don’t get up and fight the good fight. And we cannot deny that’s already happening in this war torn, strife filled, selfish and greedy world of ours. But please, let’s remember these most important words of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
So the only answer to the problem is for believers in Christ Jesus to first get together, throw off our differences and divisions, then stand up strong and do what Jesus desires of us; spread His gospel of peace and LOVE, of forgiveness and salvation, to all parts of the world, like He says in the Great Commission. ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
That’s our purpose right there my fellow believers. It’s loud and clear, nothing to misunderstand. However, because of our refusal to do like we were expected, our world has fallen even further in to the quicksand of godlessness and evil doing. And you cannot deny that if more of us supposed Christians had only risen up and lived like true Christians, our world would not be in the disastrous and chaotic state it’s currently in. But it’s not too late to turn things around. So please, for Christ’s sake, as well as our children’s, let’s wake up and take the bull by the horns and turn things around nuh! Aren’t you tired of living in fear of total destruction with the ungodly, evil, power hungry leaders we now have?
And our God is so good and generous that besides all the other stuff, He’s further bestowed on us undeserved blessings to help do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, to help others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!
…only as Christians are willing to walk the Christian talk…will our world ever improve…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, accosted by the devil, all destinies lead to God, as a roaring lion, avenge not yourselves, be not overcome of evil, be sober be vigilant, be ye angry and sin not, bless them that curse you, cease from anger, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, commune seriously with God, curse, determine what's right for us, divine protection, do good to them that hate you, don't change for change sake, don't go overboard when you're angry, don't go to bed angry, duty bound, etenal life, face the battle mano a mano, favour, forsake wrath, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, generously share our blessings, get left behind, heap coals of fire on his head, heed its warning, holy spirit, I shall repay, if he thirst give him drink, if it's not broken don't fix it, if thine enemy hunger feed him, it only causes harm, Jesus Christ, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, looking for an opportunity to disrupt our lives, lots of bark but no bite, LOVE, Love your enemies, make you immune from eivl, mercy, negative word, neither give place to the devil, not all walk the same path to get to God, overcome evil with good, pray for them which spitefully use you, promotion, prosper and succeed, salvation, self-control, self-didcipline, shaming our enemy with good treatement, success, supernatural wisdom, talent, the BIBLE, the Bible is our everyday guide to life, the devil is powerless if we stand strong in the Lord, the devil's a toothless lion, the indisputable truth, the joy of the Lord is our strength, time's moving forward very quickly, truth, undeserved blessings, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, wisdom, with God's help, your adversary the devil
Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Oh brother! It couldn’t be Thursday already, the second to last day of our work week? But it surely is! That just goes to show how time is moving forward very quickly, and if we don’t heed its warning, we will get left behind, which is not a good feeling. But that doesn’t mean we have to change for the sake of change. The old cliché that if it isn’t broken don’t fix it, still stands as a reminder that a lot of things that are happening now are not really necessary and some of them can be bypassed. The difficult question though, is which ones should we bypass and which shouldn’t we?
I only wish I knew the answer. And unless you’re clairvoyant, the only way to find out is by each one of us facing the battle, mano a mano, and determining for ourselves, with God’s help, what is right for us. For although our destinies lead us all to the same place; salvation and eternal life with Jesus, not all of us walk the same path to get there. That’s why the Lord made us as individuals, with no two of us fully resembling each other in all aspects. He has a different path for each one of us to walk to get to Him, and only as we commune seriously with Him, will we find out the path He desires us to tread.
Consequently, that’s why He gave us His Word in the Bible as a guidebook for living this earthly life. And that’s why the psalmist so wisely declares: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And Cousin Sol elaborates on that in Proverbs by warning: ‘My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.’ (Prov. 6:20-23)
Yes my brethren, God’s Word is there to guide us and keep us safe, but we have to read and study it, then put it into action before it can do that. Just becoming a Christian doesn’t make you immune from the evil and ungodliness of this world. In fact, that will make the enemy try even harder to tempt you and make you miserable, because he doesn’t want you to enjoy the strength of the Lord which is our joy. (Neh. 8:10) Yuh see, even Jesus was tempted, and it was the Holy Spirit that led Him into the wilderness to be thus accosted by the devil. That means we will also have the wily snake hanging around us all the time, looking for an opportunity to disrupt our lives.
And as Peter warns: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’ (1 Pet. 5:8) But he’s a toothless lion, lots of bark, but no bite. However, if we allow him, he can wreak much havoc in our lives. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote these words to the Ephesians. ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph. 4:26:-27)
Yes, when we get angry, we’re liable do foolish and ungodly stuff, that just gives the devil and opportunity to get into our lives. So, we must be careful when we get angry not to go overboard and react foolishly. Neither should we go to bed angry, because that just disturbs our sleep, and most likely we’ll wake up angry also, which is not a nice or sensible way to start our day.
Bruh David also warned about anger in Psalm 37, when he writes: ‘Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:8) And that’s the indisputable truth! For evil does nothing good for mankind, only brings pain, suffering, death and sorrow. And Bruh Paul said it thus to the Romans. ‘Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:19-21)
Yes friends, we can become angry, but must be careful what we do in those times, don’t repay evil for evil, neither seek revenge, for that right belongs to the Lord. We’re suppose to treat our enemy with graciousness, feed and give him drink if necessary, thereby sought of shaming him. (smile) It’s as Jesus declared: ‘But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you.’ (Matt. 5:44)
Now, although that command is often difficult to put into action, we must do our best to follow our Saviour’s directives, and our God is such a wonderful God that in His goodness and wisdom He’s bestowed several undeserved blessings on us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, we are now duty bound to go out and generously use those blessings to help others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the devil is powerless…if we stand strong in the Lord…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a by product of our addiction to speed, abundance, addiction to speed, be of good courage, blessed are all they that wait for him, both hope and wait quietly, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, delight thyself also in the Lord, divine protection, duty bound, even the youths shall faint and be weary, excessive reliance on speed, eyes blazing, faith, favour, focus on today's tasks, fulfillment, give thee the desires of thine heart, good friends, good health, He giveth power to the faint, he may be gracious unto you, he may have mercy on you, he shall exalt thee to inherit the land, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, I had fainted, I wait for the Lord, in his word do I hope, in the Lord's kingdom timing is everything, it is good that a man, it's hard to wait on the Lord's timing, Jesus Christ, let Israel hope in the Lord, LOVE, mercy, more than they that watch for the morning, mount up with wings as eagles, mouths salivating, my soul doth wait, my soul waiteth for the Lord, negative word, offering their morning sacrifices of praise, personal experience, promotion, prosper and succeed, run and not be weary, salvation, self-control, serenade the one who provides for them, talent, the BIBLE, the Lord has me in waiting mode, the Lord is a God of justice, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the young men shall utterly fall, therefore will he be exalted, therefore will the Lord wait, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, thou shalt see it, times of total impatience, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, to the soul that seeketh him, to them that have no might he increaseth strength, truth, undeserved blessings, unless I had believed, uplifting to hear them, use those blessings to help others, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, wait on the Lord and keep his way, waiting on God and His timing, wake up to the sweet singing of birds, walk and not faint, when the time is right things will happen, when the wicked are cut off, wisdom, with him is plenteous redemption, with the Lord there is mercy
Psalm 37:34. ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it.’
Oh friends, how wonderful it is to awaken to the sweet singing of the birds on a spring Thursday morning, or any morning for that matter! It’s certainly uplifting to hear them offering their morning sacrifices of praise to their Maker and Provider, in such a natural manner. They can’t think like we do, but they know that they must serenade the one who provides for them. Only wish that more of us would do like them.
And on this fairly warm but cloudy and drizzly penultimate day of our work week, instead of wishing that tomorrow and the weekend would hurry up and come, let’s focus instead on the many tasks we need to perform today, for some of us might not even be around to see tomorrow. That’s why I believe the Lord guided me to these scriptures for today on waiting on Him and His timing.
Listen to these wise words of Jeremiah from his Lamentations. ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:25-26) Yes my people, waiting on our God is most important, but sometimes extremely difficult to do especially in these times of total impatience and the excessive reliance on speed.
And waiting on God is so important that there are many scriptures that call for it. So let’s look at a few of them, so that we can renew our minds and spirits on the subject. (smile) Hear, as the prophet Isaiah, talks about God’s graciousness and mercy. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait. That he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18)
And we all know this next popular scripture from Isaiah. ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. ‘ (Is. 40:29-31)
Now all of us want to ‘mount up with wings as eagles,’ but we don’t want to do the waiting on the Lord. And not wanting to wait is a sad byproduct of this society’s addiction to speed, to have everything move faster and done more quickly. We’re regularly offered new devices, and in many cases they’re not really much better than the last one, but they are always faster, and that gets our eyes blazing and our mouths salivating for them.
Meanwhile in Psalm 130 – Hoping and Waiting for the Lord – the psalmist declares: ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), And with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption.’ (Ps. 130: 5-7) Wow! What great reasons to wait on the Lord: abundant redemption and plenty mercy!
Then there are a couple of scriptures from Bruh David that we all know, but don’t necessarily action them. (smile) The first comes from Psalm 127 – My Heart Shall Not Fear. he writes: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:13 -14) Bruh David could not have put it any clearer or stronger than that my faithful brethren. And we all know his story, where although he made some bad mistakes, he waited on the Lord for most of his life, and he was successful as a king, a warrior, a poet and a musician.
And yes, it is hard to wait on the Lord’s timing. I can tell you that from personal experience, because I’ve been through it earlier on in life. When I didn’t wait, my projects were unsuccessful, but when I waited, they bore good fruit. Right now, I have several projects waiting in the wings, but not doing anything about them, either because I’m too lazy to jump start them, (smile) or the Lord has me in waiting mode. I’d like to think it’s the latter, but who knows,?
Anyway, I’ve learned from hard experience that when the time is right, things will happen. Therefore I’m doing as Bruh David says in Psalm 37 – Trust in the Lord – ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4) And do I ever have several desires of mine heart still left to be manifested, in the short time I have left! (smile)
And lastly, there’s this verse also from Psalm 37, where Bruh David advises us to: ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it.’ (Ps. 37:34) Yes my people, if we want to see the goodness and mercy of God, then we have to wait on His timing. That’s the living truth. Now, let’s declare and thus activate our undeserved Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in the Lord’s kingdom…timing is everything…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good attitude, a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, a tough nut to crack, abundance, adversity, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, ascend up into heaven, at thy right hand, become intimate with God, behold thou art there, broken right now in the name of Jesus, Christian maturity, christianity, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, commit thy way unto the Lord, constantly be on the lookout, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, duty bound, dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, experience with adversity, faith, favour, feed on his faithfulness, foundational truth, good health, he shall bring it to pass, he shall direct thy paths, holy spirit, I will give thee rest, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in thy presence is fullness of joy, Jane Williams, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, like a thief in the night, LOVE, make my bed in hell, Mellitus College, mercy, my presence shall go with thee, negative words, never escape the presence of God, omni-present, poverty wages, Prayer Through The, promotion, salvation, self-control, shew me the paths of life, so shall thou dwell in the land, take heed, take the wings of the morning, talent, teach me to wait with patience, the BIBLE, the penultimate day of our work week, the problem of trust, the unknown future, there are pleasures for ever more, thou art there, thou shalt be fed, thy right hand shall hold me, to go out and share those blessings, to know your presence, to prepare a place for me, to trust that you are with me, trust also in him, trust comes with experience, trust in the Lord and do good, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, waiting with faith, walking by faith and not by sight, watch and pray, watch with alertness, we need to feel God's presence, whither shall I flee from thy presence, whither shall I go from thy spirit, wisdom
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
And then we come to Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week. Wow! The week’s almost over! But please remember what Jesus said, don’t look forward too much to tomorrow, Friday, for Friday will present its own problems, (Matt. 6:34) let’s concentrate mostly on handling today’s challenges. (smile) Now, since God so generously spared our lives to see another day on His wonderful though currently chaotic planet earth, let’s keep our promise to continue looking at the prayer credited to Jane Williams, a professor at St. Mellitus College in London, England, founded in 2007, whose mission is to provide innovative theological education and training for those called to serve Christ in the church and the world.
The prayer is found in the 2025 publication of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, titled ‘Prayers Through The Ages.’ And it’s short and sweet enough for us to pray it again. (smile) So please pray with me: ‘Christ, you have gone before me to prepare a place for me, that where you are there I may be also. Teach me to wait with patience, to watch with alertness, to trust that you are with me in the unknown future and to know your presence.’ What wonderful sentiments! And yesterday we looked at Jesus’ promise to go and prepare a place for us and then come back to take us with Him, (John 14:1-3) a foundational truth of our faith, as well as the request for God to teach us to wait with patience.
Now that waiting with patience is a tough nut to crack, because it only comes through lots of experience; waiting with faith and a good attitude despite the adversity we all go through. Likewise the other request from the prayer: ‘teach me to watch with alertness.’ That only comes through faith and experience. As we saw a few day ago, where Jesus warns us to ‘Take heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.’ (Mark 13:33)
Yes, we know that Jesus is coming back, but we don’t know when, and it could be anytime, like a thief in the night. That means we have to constantly be on the lookout and also be ready. For if He comes back and we’re not ready, then it’s hell fire and damnation for us. That’s why these words of His are so important. ‘And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.’ (Mark 13:37) And we cannot overestimate how important it is to watch and be ready for whenever Jesus returns.
Then there’s the problem of trust, which means walking by faith and not sight. (2 Cor. 5:7) Putting all our trust in Jesus is again not easy, and only comes with experience. The longer we live with Jesus, the more we see His absolute faithfulness and learn to trust Him. And again there are numerous scriptures that detail that requirement. And here are a couple of the most prominent verses. The first ones come from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight or smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Then there’s this from Bruh David from Psalm 37. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:3-5)
And finally the prayer talks about knowing God’s presence. That’s another aspect that only comes with experience. But knowing and feeling God’s presence around us is of major importance, as it especially brings us comfort and lack of fear. And there are many scriptures that talk about the importance of feeling God’s presence in our daily lives. And I guess the first one ought to be Moses’ plea to God for grace and knowledge of Him, (Ex.33:13) while leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. ‘And he (God) said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’ (Ex. 33;14)
Now that gave Moses the encouragement he needed, because he knew if the Lord wasn’t present with them, they would see lots of trouble. Then in Psalm 16, Bruh David encourages us with this titillating verse on the subject. He writes: ‘Thou wilt shew me the paths of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for ever more.’ (Ps. 16:11) Yes friends, when we’re in the presence of God, our spirits are light and fanciful and there’s such joy that we cannot contain it.
And I believe Bruh David says it best in the remarkable Psalm 139 ‘Praise to the All-Knowing God.’ There, he expounds thus on God’s presence: ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.’ (Ps. 139: 7-10)
Oh my people, that just goes to show that we can never escape the presence of God; for he’s Omi-present Wherever we go, He’s always around. And every time I read that scripture I’m reminded of the first time I heard it acted out so marvellously by Dr. Robert Schuller on the Hour of Power T.V. programme. The problem though with God’s presence is for us to feel it. He’s always there, but unless we feel it, it does us no good. And to do that we have to become very intimate with God, through prayer, His Word and the Holy Spirit that dwells within us to lead, guide and comfort us.
Unfortunately friends, the whole Christian thing, growing in spiritual maturity, takes time and experience; going through adversity and failure, but not giving up because your faith and trust is strong. And every time you go through something negative; your faith gets stronger. As Cousin Sol says: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…’ (Prov. 24:16a) That’s the only way to grow!
Now, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings, undeserved ones, so generously bestowed on us by God to do His earthly work. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…growing in Christian maturity…only comes through… sincere trust and faith in God…and experience with adversity…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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