The Overwhelming Importance of Knowing God’s Promises, Believing Them, then Putting Them into Action!

13 Mar 2026 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:37.        Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.

Well then, it’s the day we’ve all been looking forward to; Friday. And we’ve offered up our Friday Mantra; ‘Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Now, fortunately, the morning commute was precipitation free, although we’d been promised snow by eight o’clock. However, I don’t know if the evening commute will be precipitation free because the snow began around 11 o’clock and it looks it means serious business. Some minutes before eleven, I was upstairs in my bedroom getting ready to come downstairs and looked outside and there was nothing. But by the time I came down to the living room a few minutes later, the place was white and the snow was tumbling down with a breakneck intensity. (smile)

Now I understand why we recently had that spring-like period; so the snow could melt and make room for more. But as I keep reminding us, we can handle anything that comes against us, for we are the children of the Most High God Jehovah, with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, the One who rose majestically from the dead to take rulership of this evil and ungodly world! So we are not afraid of anything or anyone, for He’s vowed to protect us, and besides that, as this scripture tells: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37)

And I like how this commentary explains that verse. “More than conquerors,” from Romans 8:37, refers to believers in Jesus Christ who, through His LOVE, are not just victorious over hardships, but “super-conquerors” who gain spiritual benefits from them. It signifies a, triumphant state where trials and enemies are turned into tools for good, relying on Christ’s power rather than personal strength.’ And is that ever the gospel truth, for we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! (Phil. 4:13)

Therefore, there’s no need to worry, just put our faith to work, believe and receive. Well, in truth, it’s not as easy as all that, but you do have to believe before you can receive. You also have to ask and knock and seek. (Matt. 7:7-8) So being a disciple or a true follower of Jesus is not an easy job, although it’s a very rewarding one. Remember how Jesus characterized discipleship: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)

Yes friends, we need to remember that following Jesus is a daily occurrence, with sacrifices thrown in where we would prefer them not to be. (smile) But them’s the breaks! If you want in, then you must stand the strain, even when it seems impossible to bear, for the Lord won’t give us more than we can bear…now that’s not completely true. He will give us more than we can bear in our own strength, but by the same token, He will help us to bear whatever burden He tests us with.

That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Corinthians. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Now that doesn’t mean you’ll escape all temptation. Certainly not! In other words, God will oftentimes give you the strength to resist the temptation rather than take it away completely.

And that’s one of the problems with today’s church, we mouth all these biblical clichés without fully understanding how they truly work. But beneath each statement that God makes there is usually something for the believer to do to receive it. Even the greatest gift, salvation through grace, although it’s free, one must believe and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour to receive it. So Christianity is not a something for nothing spree, it’s a partnership with Almighty God, and as in all partnerships, both partners have responsibilities, and God expects us to do our part of the partnership.

And the corollary to that is that you cannot know what you are expected to do in this partnership with God until you read and study His Word, listen to the guidance of His Holy Spirit that dwells within you, be a church member, so you can fellowship with other believers, and communicate with the Father Himself through the system of prayer. Don’t worry, the Father has it all well worked out, you just have to get serious, buckle down and do your part. He will do His. In fact, He’s already done most of His work, by giving us Jesus as our Redeemer, and plenty of what’s left to do is now in our hands.

And one of God’s great promises comes from this scripture in Hebrews: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently but humbly) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) And are we ever in a time of desperate need, with our world quickly spinning out of control. So let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these lawless times.

Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough…  because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.

We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Now friends, praying for help is fine, but remember God searches our hearts first before responding to our prayers, so let’s hope that all of our hearts were, and still are filled with good motives, otherwise divine aid will not be forthcoming. Much LOVE!

…the Christian’s walk is not a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park…but the rewards are certainly worth it…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 January 2020 Galatians 5:13.

18 Jan 2020 Leave a comment

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

Galatians 5:13.    ​For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by LOVE serve one another.

 

Well friends and neighbours, today is the day of the big snow storm! According to the weather forecasters Southern Ontario will experience oodles of snow from around midday today! And if we do, we can’t really complain nuh because we haven’t seen much of the white stuff so far this winter. But let’s hope and pray that they’re wrong, as they so often are, (smile) and that at least the quantity won’t be as much as forecasted, some 50 centimetres. And that is a lot of snow, which will just cause numerous problems, problems that we can do without right now. 

One last thing about the expected storm: it is blowing in from the south, down in the U.S. Yeh, contrary to popular opinion many of the storms we experience up here, both rain and snow, come from down south and don’t always flow the other way. Not because we’re further north, means that we’re automatically colder and given to more bad weather. In fact, the U.S. often has more bad weather than this blessed northern state! (smile) And since today is Saturday, let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. 

Unfortunately, it seems like he’s only sent us two quotes this week. I can’t find anymore, even checked my deleted files to see if I had deleted any by mistake. So we’ll just have to make do with those two, the first of which says: ‘Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.’ And that’s ever so true! We can never get power, real or imagined, over anything or anyone without some kind of demand being made on us. 

Look at all the high-flying people; athletes, celebrities, politicians, the wealthy, leaders of any type, be they countries or organizations; they all have power, but with that power always comes some sort of responsibility from which they cannot get away. Even as parents, we have power over our children, but we also have a responsibility to raise them right. Now those in power might use it inappropriately and don’t fulfill the responsibility inherent in their positions, like so many are doing nowadays, but believe me, that responsibility will seek them out, and oftentimes cause them to lose their power. 

Ah friends, power is akin to a ravenous beast; it might give you a head start, but it’s always there, nipping at your heels, knocking at your door, ever ready to take it away too. So remember if power is something that you seek, be very careful, because from the outside it looks glorious, but it’s also like a snake in the grass, ready to bite you, to trip you up in a moment. In other words, power cannot be trusted! 

And the next quote simply says: ‘Whatever happens, take responsibility.’ Now if our world would only accept that simple statement eh, what a wonderful place it would be! But sadly, these are the days of irresponsibility; a lot of it fuelled by the hideouts and platforms provided by the  social media scene. Nowadays very few of us are ready to take the blame for our own actions, instead we keep looking for others to pass the blame to. It’s become a sad reflection on our society. Even in the halls of power, amongst international leaders, the blame game is also being played out on that big stage. So what do we expect from lesser mortals then eh? The same kind of irresponsible behaviour. 

But yuh know friends, as the old people would say; do yuh do, but remember the chickens always come home to roost! In other words, have your fun, but your sins will eventually find you out; a day will come when you have to pay for them. As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say: ‘You’ll reap what you sow…more than you sow…and later than you sow.’ 

However friends, as true believers in Christ, we’re called to be different to the world. Christ has set us free, for whom the Son sets free is free indeed, (John 8:36) but we’re not to use that freedom irresponsibly. As Bruh Paul warned the Galatians: ‘For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by LOVE serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.’ (Gal. 5:13-15) 

Sadly though, we’re doing the opposite of Bruh Paul’s advice; using our liberty in Christ to hate and war with and devour and consume each other. But here’s an interesting take from the scholars on the Liberty and Responsibility of Christians based on 1 Cor. 9:19 ‘One of the results of redemption is the liberty of the believer. Christians are free from depending on the law and free from the bondage of their old nature. Christian liberty releases us to accomplish all our potential. But that liberty should not be abused to justify hedonistic behaviour. 

Although believers live in a state of freedom, concern for reaching others with the gospel and helping weaker believers grow will result in voluntary self-restraint in areas that might offend others, or hinder our efforts in reaching and helping people. Illustration: Paul referred to the example of eating meat offered to idols. He had the freedom to eat such meat, but he suggested that believers abstain because the practice acted as a stumbling block for weaker believers (Rom.14). Application: Believers should act responsibly in exercising their liberty if they wish to be most effective in service to Christ. (First Ref. Lev. 25:10; Primary Ref.. 1 Cor. 9:19; cf. Matt. 7:7).’ 

Yeh friends, though we are free to act as we please, we must always consider how we use that freedom, not take advantage of it to sin, or to hurt others who are not as strong in faith. Let’s ponder on that today nuh, and see how we shape up in the freedom scene, and obviously ask the Lord to help us come higher. Much LOVE!

…freedom is wonderful…but it’s not easy…for it also brings a lot of responsibility…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 February 2013 Psalm 121:8

08 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 121:8.     The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday – Carnival Friday to boot!. So you can imagine the joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ that are being let loose in places like Rio, New Orleans, The French West Indies, and T&T, where the party is now getting into full swing. Mama Mia! But unfortunately we in the Great White North, in particular Southern Ontario and the North  Eastern U.S. are expecting to be battered by a terrible snowstorm this Carnival Friday. It’s supposed to be a two-pronged storm; one coming from Texas and the other from Alberta, meeting and greeting in our territory. Ah Lord eh! What I wouldn’t give to be in T&T now! But I guess that’s why we have dreams. (smile) It’s already totally white outside, and they’re saying that’s just the start of something big moving through the area during the morning rush hour. So please be very careful my brethren, if you have occasion to go out. If you don’t have to, don’t go. This is one time I fervently hope that the weather forecasters are wrong. Anyway, with all that in mind, let’s chant our Friday Chant, with even more enthusiasm and prayerfulness than usual. As one vocal body now: ‘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. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ That should settle down those who have to drive in the stupid snow, allay their fears some, and put the assurance of God in their hearts. And for those in the party places, remember to go easy on the bacchanal, cause that’s when you tend to fall out of the frying pan and into the fire. Don’t forget our wise reminder: Drunk or sober, mind yuh business. Now turning to our Bit, which is rather appropriate for the weather we have outside: ‘The Lord shall preserve (keep) thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ Yes my people, that’s the unequivocal promise of our mighty and LOVING God to those who put their sincere trust in Him, to those who surrender their entire beings to His godly care! As the Psalm titled, God’s sustaining power, so emphatically declares before our Bit: ‘My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.’ (Ps.121:2-7) Oh Friends, none of the other supposed gods can promise anything even close to that, and keep it too! So why do we still insist on doubting our Creator, Controller, LOVING Father and Provider eh? From since the days of old, when Moses told the Israelites about the blessings of obedience, these were instilled in our consciousness. ‘Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shall thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten (defeated) before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.’ (Deut.28:6-7) My oh my! What wonderful promises my people! It couldn’t get any better than that! Consequently, I just can’t understand how we ignore those amazing promises to our own hurt and demise. And Cousin Sol, in his great wisdom, enthusiastically declares: ‘He keepeth the paths of judgement (guards the paths of justice), and preserveth the way of his saints.’ (Prov.2:8) We are those saints Friends! That means the Lord looks out for us wherever we go, and in whatever we do. Meanwhile, hear how Hannah, Samuel’s mother, proclaims it in her song of praise and joy, after the Lord struck down her barrenness and opened up her womb with fruit. ‘He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn (strength) of his anointed.’ (1 Sam.2:9-10) What strong words of encouragement my brethren! Our God is so strong and purposeful to those who LOVE Him and walk in his ways! And we’ll end with one more wise saying of Cousin Sol; one that all of us should know and diligently adhere to. ‘In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov.3:6) Yes Friends, when we give our lives to Jesus, then He leads and guides us in the proper direction we should go, through His Holy Spirit that dwells within us. So please, today, let’s all consider if we have done that, and if we’re therefore walking the straight and narrow path that Jesus walks. If not, then let’s get right on it, and turn our lives over to the ONLY ONE who is able to save us from sinful death and eternal separation from Almighty God. That, my people, is the wisdom of the ages. Much LOVE!…we can only walk this earth safely…if we’re protected by the…LOVE and care of Jesus…