19 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant battle against, a spiritual battle, a Sunday walk in the park, against principalities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, all for our benefit, all-out war, an opportune time, avail ourselves of God's provision, aware Christians, be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, be able to withstand in the evil day, be strong in the Lord, brings evil schemes to pass, cessation of hostilities, demonic onslaughts, destroy our Christian witness, difficult and discouraging life, disobeyed your word, divine aid, dressed in the spiritual armour of God, eternal destiny, faith, fight the good fight for Christ, fighting for supremacy over human souls, God's impenetrable armour, having done all to stand, holy spirit, humble servants, incomparable rewards, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, living for Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, no cease-fire, no quarter given, powers, pray, put on the whole armour of God, salvation, same ole same ole, sincerely seek God's face, spend eternity with Christ, spiritual wickedness in high places, strong faith in Christ, the enemy of darkness and evil, the fallen angel Satan, the God who heals, the power of God's might, the power to solve our many problems, the spiritual armour of God, the throne of grace, the way of life, truth, turn from our evil ways, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wicked spiritual foes, wisdom
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Here we go again friends, another cold, dreary Monday morning of a new work week. And I know some of us must be tired of them, especially if we’ve been doing the same ole, same ole for many years. But that’s just the way of life on this earth. We’re born, we live and work, and then we die, and hopefully go to spend eternity with Christ. Yes mih bredrin, what makes this life worth living, is living it for and with Christ. It’s not a Sunday walk in the park, but it’s always interesting and the rewards are marvellous and incomparable!
And our Jesus is so thoughtful and considerate He gives us all sorts of protection and equipment to live this, at times very difficult and discouraging life. And one of the things the Lord provides to help us is His protective, impenetrable armour. And you ask why we need armour? Well because we are in a constant battle against the enemy of darkness and evil, with the fallen angel Satan as it’s leader. It’s not a physical but spiritual battle, where each side is fighting for supremacy over human souls.
As Bruh Paul explains it to the Ephesians: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (rulers), against powers (authorities), against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings) in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) That means fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself. So, knowing what we are fighting against, Bruh Paul then warns us: ‘Finally, my brethren be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11)
And the scholars explain that ‘Finally can be rendered “from now on.” In other words, the spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on” until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no cease-fire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities. “From now on’ till the end there is all-out war. The rest of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely by His mighty power.”
So friends, you see how serious this war is. It’s a fight to the death, with no let up on either side. Satan’s trying to turn us around, and we ought to be trying to turn the unbelievers to Christ. And it’s only dressed in the spiritual armour of God that we can even expect to stand strong against our wicked spiritual foes, and their evil schemes and devices, much less win the battle against them. Thus, Bruh Paul continues his warning: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up, put on) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13)
And per the scholars, that verse is explained thus: ‘Wherefore means, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready for the Devil to attack repeatedly.’
And that friends is one thing we can be sure of; the devil will never give up trying to turn us away from God. He will take the occasional break, but he will keep on coming back once the breath of life runs through our bodies. And we have a good example of that when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan. The Bible tells us: ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him (Jesus) for a season (an opportune time). (Luke 4:13)
Now that’s the very same way the devil behaves with us. When we stand up strong to him, he leaves us alone until another opportunity or moment of weakness, presents itself, and like the slithering viper he is, he will strike again. So, we must constantly be on our ps and qs, and also dressed in our full spiritual armour, otherwise he will be able to make footholds, or even strongholds in our souls and totally confuse us. Therefore, let’s hope we have all dressed in all of our spiritual armour before we left home this morning so that we can have its total protection all day long, as we fight the good fight for Christ.
And tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue talking about the spiritual armour of God, but this time delving into the specifics, checking to see what it really entails, for if we did that today, the Bit would become way too long, and the information way too cumbersome and plentiful to take in in one sitting. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us in these critical times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And we don’t need to be rocket scientists to know what will bring divine aid, just be aware Christians, and basically humble ourselves before Almighty God, pray and sincerely seek His face. So friends, let’s get with the programme nuh, because it’s all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…spiritual battles might not kill our bodies…but they can certainly decide our eternal destiny…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all actions have consequences, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, bodily exercise profiteth little, carnal pleasures, Christian service, diligent in prayer, disobedyed your word, divine aid, eternally separated from God, eternity with the Godhead, even as I am not of the world, evil wiles, exercise thyself rather unto godliness, faith, fellowshipping with others, followers of Christ, given them thy word, godliness is profitable unto all things, have my joy fulfilled in themselves, holy spirit, humble ourselves and pray, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus and his righteousness, Jesus Christ, keep them from the evil one, life is moving on, live for Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, no precipitation, obedience, pray, promise of the life that is now, prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God, reforming our thinking, refuse profane and old wives fables, resist being poured into the mold of the world, s avowed purpose, salvation, same old same old, Satan, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincerely seek your face, spiritual exercise has unlimited value, spiritual life, spiritually dead, stop thinking like the world does, strong faith in Christ, take as many people as possible to eternal death, temptations, the bells of toil have tolled, the BIBLE, the God who heals, the gospel truth, the life Jesus upholds, the life of the secular world, the life that is to come, the power to solve our many problems, the throne of grace, the world hath hated them, they are not of the world, this is a faithful saying, truth, turn away from God, turn from our evil ways, what kind of life wre we moving on with, wisdom, worthy of all acceptance
John 17:16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
And the bells of toil have tolled once more this Monday morning, to begin a new week of the same old, same old work! And it’s dark, cloudy and cold, but thankfully dry, with no kind of precipitation making it messy like last Monday. Ah friends, life’s moving on, and if we don’t move on with it we’ll get left behind. The problem though is what kind of life are we moving on with? Is it the one that the secular world proposes, or the one that Jesus desires us to participate in?
And though we’re in the same world, the two ways of life are very different. One looks to the world and all it’s carnal pleasures, while the other looks to Jesus and His righteousness. And just like our everyday actions have consequences, so too do our long term actions in terms of the type of life we live. If we live like the secular world does, we’ll end up spiritually dead and eternally separated from Almighty God, our Wonderful Creator. If you live for Jesus, then you’ll enjoy spiritual life and eternity with the Godhead.
And Jesus specified the difference He expected from His followers when He prayed for the disciples: ‘And now I come to thee (Father); and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.’ (John 17:13-16)
That means as followers of Jesus we must live in the world but not as the world lives. And that’s much easier said than done, but that’s why He has provided the Holy Spirit, His Word, the Bible, and whatever else we need to help us do it. And we know that once we claim to be followers of Christ that the evil one, Satan, will do his very best through all sorts of evil wiles and temptations to get us to do wrong and eventually turn away from God, thus ending up in hellfire and damnation with him. That is his avowed purpose; to carry as many as possible to eternal death with him.
But we do have some reassuring and encouraging scriptures, like the one above there from Jesus, which helps us not to fall for the temptations of the evil one. Then we have encouraging words like these from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) Yes friends, to stay out of the world’s evil clutches we must stop conforming to what the world thinks is right.
The scholars say: ‘They are to resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems and conduct of this world.’ And the only way to do that is by reforming our thinking, stop thinking like the world does, and think like Jesus would have us. Which is to ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Yes my people, God has faithfully promised to look after all our needs if we place Him first and foremost in our lives.
And I like how Bruh Pul puts it to Timothy when he tells him about false teachers. ‘But refuse (reject) profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.’ (1 Tim. 4:7-9)
In other words, as the scholars explain verse 7: We need to reject all the false doctrines propagated in the myths and fables, because they promote ungodliness. ‘Not only must Timothy avoid false teaching, he must spare himself no pain and effort to be pious. Godliness does not come automatically. To attain holiness he must be diligent in prayer, Bible study, obedience, fellowshipping with other believers, and Christian service.’ Now that does not only pertain to Timothy but to all believers! We have to get involved in all those activities to the extent possible if we are to attain some form of godliness down here on earth.
And per verse 8, they paraphrase it to read: ‘For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness, the result of spiritual exercise, has unlimited value, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Godliness is good for both now and forever! So with that in mind let’s go to the throne of grace, though our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid to help us become and stay godly.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And right there in our prayer, we see what it takes for us to get divine aid: ‘humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek God’s face.’ So please, let’s get serious about doing that nuh…if we truly desire divine aid! Much LOVE!
…the only thing truly worth seeking in this world…is GODLINESS…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a benevolent ruler, a God-like King, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, all sinned and disobeyed your word, all who believe in him, an anticlimactic end, an attribute of Jesus, blessed with eternal life, call his name Immanuel, Christ birth was foretold to give Israel hope, Counsellor, divine aid, encouragement from Isaiah's prophecy, encouragement from Jesus' words, endure to the end with Christ, Enormous Rewards, eternal peace on earth, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, Father of Eternity, focus on Jesus Christ, For unto us a child is born, from henceforth even for ever, fulfill God's requirement, give us hope, God incarnate, God with us, he hat shall endure unto the end, Hero, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, Immanuel, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, live up to your expectations, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, miraculous counsel, of the increase of his government and peace, persevere in faith, pray, salvation, show this evil world, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, spiritual insight, strong faith in Christ, thank you for life, the everlasting Father, the Gift-Child, the God who heals, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the Lord himself shall give you a sign, the mighty God, the Prince of Peace, the promise of Christ's Second Coming, the same shall be saved, the worst feeling ever, The zeal of the Lord will perform this, there shall be no end, to alleviate our problems, to establish it with judgement and with justice, to stand strong in faith, truth, turn from our evil ways, unto us a son is given, upon his kingdom to order it, upon the throne of David, wisdom, wise guidance, Wonderful
Isaiah 9:6a. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
Only two more days friends…and then it’s Christmas Day! Let’s hope that the excitement and anticipation don’t have an anticlimactic end, leaving you with a less than jolly, merry Christmas, (smile) for that can be the worst feeling ever, when a moment you put so much energy and time into doesn’t live up to your expectations. But I’m sure if you keep your focus on Jesus, that won’t happen.
So, what shall we talk about on this Monday of Christmas week eh? Well… let’s see what the Bible suggests… And after looking through the Word and seeking spiritual insight we’ve been led to this familiar passage from the prophet Isaiah, where he declares the prophecy of the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7)
You see friends, centuries before Christ was born, His birth was foretold by the prophet Isaiah to give the people of Israel hope in their tough lives. And the zeal of the Lord indeed began the process through His birth at Christmas. Likewise, today, the promise of Christ’s Second Coming ought to give us hope to stand strong in faith with Him, so that all who believe in Him and endure to the end, can be blessed with eternal life, as He so clearly says in the gospel of Matthew while talking about the end times. ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:13)
So just like the Israelites of old were given encouragement by Isaiah’s prophecy, so we today are meant to take encouragement from Jesus’ words. But getting back to Isaiah’s prophecy, the scholars offer some interesting explanations on that passage. They say: ‘The Gift-Child in this passage is the same divine Child as Immanuel (God with Us). (Is. 7:14) Again, using the prophetic perfect, the prophet sees Him as though He were already born.
Wonderful, Counsellor is actually one term in Hebrew. A wonder is indicative of a miracle. Counsellor is often used in parallel with King (cf. Mic. 4:9) Thus miraculous counsel is given by this God-like King. The mighty God (El Gibor) is the strongest of these titles. In Isaiah, El is always used of God and never refers to man. Gibor means: “Hero.” Together they describe One who is indeed God Himself. (A most definite attribute of Jesus!)
Everlasting Father literally means Father of Eternity. He alone is the source of eternal life. (Another attribute of Jesus.) Prince of Peace (Sar-Shalom) indicates that the mighty God will be a benevolent ruler bringing eternal peace on earth through the establishment of His kingdom. Thus, the obscure figure of Immanuel is now brought to clear light: He is Himself God Incarnate!’ And everybody shouted: ‘Jesus, God Incarnate!’ (smile)
And I do hope that those explanations improved our understanding of the terms and how they were used back in the Old Testament. But, as per the reference to ‘Immanuel,’ let’s check out Is. 7:14. The situation existed where two nations were plotting war against Judah, and the Lord sent Isaiah to warn King Ahaz that the attack would not be successful. And though Ahaz was told to ask for a sign, He piously refused to ‘tempt God.’ But Isaiah nonetheless informed him: ‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God be with Us).’
Another prophecy of Christ’s birth. So, it wasn’t like the Israelites didn’t know of Christ’s coming, they just didn’t know when. Similarly, we know of Christ’s Second Coming, but we don’t know when either. That means we must persevere in faith until whatever time the Father chooses to send Him back, because the rewards for those who persevere until the end will be enormous and most worthwhile. And to help us do that on this Christmas Monday, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Ah friends, our prayer is very touching, but there’s only one problem; we must first fulfil the requirement for God to prosper us, that’s turn from our evil ways. So, let’s concentrate on doing that nuh, if we indeed desire divine aid! Much LOVE!
…Jesus’ coming to earth…was never a secret…it only called for persevering faith to believe it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disgrace to ther families, a level headed girl, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a pregnant unmarried teenager, a virgin espoused, all sinned and disobeyed your word, allowed her faith to rise above the serious consequences, an unwise move, be it unto me according to thy word, bear the Son of God, behold the handmaid of the Lord, blessed art thou among women, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, cast in her mind, conceive in thy womb, considered the greeting, decline God's outrageous offer, dismissed Gabriel's story as a joke, faith, fear not Mary, for with God nothing shall be impossible, Galilee, get your priorities straight, go out on a limb for christ, he shall be great, hold her head and bawl, holy spirit, how shall this be, humble ourselves, I am a virgin, impregnated through no human agency, in her old age, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, LOVE, Mary lived up to the Lord's expectations, Mary showed great faith, mass confusion in our world, mercy, mind-blowing information, Nazareth, of his kingdom there shall be no end, of the house of David, our faith ought to rise to the challenge, overshadow thee, please ease the pain, pray, precocious female, pregnancy without marriage, promised to hear and answer our prayers, reign over the house of Jacob for ever, rising each time we fall, salvation, seeing I know not a man, sent from God, shameful, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, sinless but totally human, strong faith in Christ, that holy thing born of thee, the angel departed from her, the angel Gabriel, the God who heals, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, the incarnate birth of Christ, the Lord God shall give unto him, the Lord is with thee, the manner of salutation, the many suffering from negative situations, the power of the Highest, the power to solve our problems, the problem is in our hands, the reason for the season, the Son of God, the Son of the Highest, the throne of grace, the throne of his father David, the virgin's name was Mary, there is no giving up in Jesus' kingdom, this evil world, thou art highly favoured, thou hast found favour with God, thrown her for a loop, thy cousin Elisabeth hat also conceived a son, to a man called Joseph, to alleviate our problems, to lay it on the line for His cause, troubled at his saying, truth, turn from our evil ways, under the prevailing circumstances, when the LZord calls to action, who was called barren, wisdom, wise guidance, Yahweh is salvation
Luke 1:38. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Only ten more days before the Big One friends, so you had better get your priorities straight and then accomplish them as quickly as possible, before time runs out on you. But please, don’t forget that the current most important priority is remembering that the incarnate birth of Christ is the reason for all the celebrations. That’s what we must keep uppermost in our minds as we go about our business this Christmas season.
And there are many interesting stories about Christ’s birth, but my favourite is the one that began it all. We’re talking about the visit of the angel Gabriel to Jesus’ mother Mary, informing her of what was about to happen. The Bible tells us: ‘And in the sixth month (of John the Baptist’s mother, Elisabeth’s pregnancy – Luke 1:5-25) the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city called Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused (betrothed) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail (rejoice), thou art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind (considered) what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS (Yahweh is salvation). He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:26-33)
Now, just imagine you are a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Jewish girl, in some backwater town of Galilee called Nazareth, recently engaged to be married, and this angel suddenly appears and confounds you with all that unexpected, mind-blowing information. What would your reaction be? But the Lord chose wisely, for Mary was a levelheaded girl and didn’t faint or hold her head and bawl in fear.
The Bible continues: ‘Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:34-37)
And if Mary was astonished and confused before, the information about how she would be impregnated, through no human agency, and that she would bear the Son of God, sinless but totally human, and that her relative, Elisabeth who was previously considered barren was now with child, must certainly have thrown her for a loop.
Even the most precocious female back then, or now, would probably have gotten angry, tried to argue, or just sent Gabriel away, dismissed his tale as a joke, because all that he had said was so outlandish and out of this world. And furthermore, if Mary was to get pregnant without being married…what a bam bam that would cause in little Nazareth.
But you know what, as we said before, the Lord in His infinite wisdom knew whom He was choosing to bear His Son. He didn’t pick just anybody, but someone who would not freak out and decline His outrageous offer. And Mary lived up to the Lord’s expectations, for the Bible relates: ‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38)
Now some people might look on her response as being rather stupid or foolhardy, and to a certain extent they would be right, for just consider all the problems a pregnant, unmarried teenage girl would face in a small Jewish town. Even today, in some places, pregnancy without marriage is still looked upon as wrong and shameful and can lead to serious consequences, so can you imagine how it would be construed two thousand years ago.
But the truth of the matter is that Mary showed great faith, accepting such a problematic role at such a young age. And I guess the knowledge that Elisabeth, her cousin, who had been barren for so many years, but was now six months pregnant in her old age, might have had some small effect on her decision. The point though, is that she did not back down from what under the prevailing circumstances seemed like an unwise move, but allowed her faith to rise up above the serious consequences a positive decision would undoubtedly bring.
And that’s the kind of faith the Lord is looking for in these evil and ungodly times. He’s looking for people who are not afraid to lay it all on the line for His cause. Unfortunately though, the numbers who are willing to go out on a limb for Christ are rather small, when compared with the overall total of supposed believers. But we’re not giving up, for in Jesus’ kingdom there is no giving up, just rising each time we fall, and continuing in His awesome journey.
And since we’ve been instructed to come boldly, but humbly to the throne of grace for help in times of need, let’s do that right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Friends, the problem is now in our hands. Our prayer says that God has promised to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways, so what are waiting for eh…if we truly desire divine aid? Much LOVE!
…when the Lord calls us to action…our faith ought to rise to the challenge…like Mary’s did…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city set upon a hill cannot be hid, a crying shame, a flurry of activities, a time to reawaken our discipleship, allow Christ to percolate in our spirits, believer's have lost their salt, believers are not doing their jobs properly, but to be cast out trodden underfoot of men, darkness is the absence of light, divine aid, evildoing instead of righteousness is rampant, faith, glorify your Father which is in heaven, good for nothing, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, if the salt has lost its flavour, if the salt have lost its savour, in the darkness of human depravity, it gives light to all in the house, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the reason for the season, let our lights shine brighter than ever, Let your light so shine before men, light carrying believers, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, neither do men light a candle, our salt has lost its flavour, our world is filled with so much darkness, praise Your Holy Name, pray, promise to prosper us, push the envelope further than ever, put it under a bushel, reverence for Christ, salt adds as a preservative, salt adds flavouring, salt heals wounds, salt melts coldness, salvation, second week in advent, see your good works, Sermon on the Mount, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, spiritual and emotional wounds that need healing, strong faith in Christ, taken up with Satan, the birth of Jesus Christ, the Christian's condition is salt to meet the world's needs, the Christian's mission is light, the essential mission of the Christian, the genuinely born-again person is salt, the God who heals, the light of the world, the perfect time, the reason for Christmas, the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness, the throne of grace, the world is not flavoured with talk of Christ, to shine forth, to spread our salty flavour far and wide, truth, turn from our evil ways, wherewith shall it be salted, wisdom, wise guidance, ye are the salt of the earth
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Once more round the block friends on this cold Monday, the first day of this new work week, the second week in Advent, where we prepare to celebrate Christ’s coming at Christmas. And there’s already a flurry of activity with lights, Christmas trees, gifts, food preparations, and Christmas parties, but please let’s not forget that the reason for Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, and ensure that we keep it uppermost in our minds and activities as we journey on to the big day.
Oh, I know it’s very easy to get caught up in all the hustle and bustle of the season, especially if we follow those who don’t consider Christ as Lord and Saviour and His birth inconsequential and talk about Happy Holidays etc. I wonder how those Happy Holidays and whatever else came about eh? Let’s remember that all the festivities, the merriment and all the other hoopla, comes about because of Christ’s birth and nothing else! So, whatever we do this Christmas season, let’s allow Christ to percolate in our souls and spirits, the way He ought to.
That brings us to some of Christ’s very meaningful and important words from the Sermon on the Mount, concerning our witness in His name, and now might just be a good time to reawaken our discipleship with so much talk of and references to Christ being in the air. We are referring to His words regarding our energizing the world. ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13)
And sadly, it seems like many of us supposed believers have lost our salt, for the world is not flavoured with talk of and reverence for Christ, but for Satan. Evildoing is running rampant in the world instead of righteousness. And who is to blame for that? In great part we supposed believers who, for whatever reason(s) are not doing our job to the best of our ability. We have simply allowed Satan and his evil cronies to simply overtake the world without as great an effort as we should have put forth.
And as the scholars remind us, per Ye are the salt of the earth: Again, the phrase “ye are” indicates that only the genuinely born-again person is salt and can help meet the needs of the world. Salt adds flavouring, acts as a preservative, melts coldness, and heals wounds. Thus, it is a very appropriate description of the believer in his relationship to the world in which he lives.’ And that’s particularly true in today’s world as regards melting coldness and healing wounds, for so many of us today are cold and unforgiving, and have serious wounds, especially spiritual and emotional wounds that desperately need healing.
Now, Jesus doesn’t leave our responsibility as mere salt of the world, but continues: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:13-16)
And the scholars offer this explanation on that passage. ‘Ye are the light of the world describes the essential mission of the Christian to the world. He is the condition (salt) to meet the world’s needs, and he has a mission (light) to the world. His light is to clearly shine forth into the darkness of human depravity. He is to set his light upon a candlestick, not hide it under a bushel, that is a basket. Darkness is the absence of light; and darkness alone cannot dispel the light, but the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness.’
And that’s why it’s such a crying shame that our world is filled with so much darkness when there are so many supposed light carrying believers in it. Remember, as the scholars say, even the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness! So why then is our world dark and evil minded? It’s obvious that we’re not shining enough of our supposed light on it. Our lights have possibly gone out, like our salt has lost its flavour. If so, then our world is in for a very rough and evil time, which we are currently seeing taking place before our very eyes.
Our world has always had a lot of evil in it, but I doubt it’s ever been this evil or depraved, especially with all the new-fangled stuff we now have that can push the envelope further than ever. It’s therefore very urgent my fellow believers that we wake up immediately and begin turning things around, getting the flavour back into our salt and relighting our lamps so that they can shine brighter than ever in this diabolical world. And since we are encouraged to come to the throne of grace for help in times of need, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, so that we can get divine aid to turn things around.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
But remember friends, the basic requirements for divine aid, is humbling ourselves, praying and sincerely seeking God’s face. So, if we truly desire divine aid, let’s get together and meet those basic requirements nuh. For it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…now is the perfect time…to spread our salty flavour far and wide…and let our lights shine brighter than ever…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a divine promise from God, a light unto my path, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a spiritual message, abandon our hopes, all sinned and disobeyed your word, an inner sense of direction, assuring us of His guidance, be ruled by our emotions, be thou strong and very courageous, become better Chrsitian witnesses, behind the wheel, building trust, choose peace, clean up our act, common sense, Consider This, decision, divine help, do all acording to the law, emotional desires, encourages listening to God's will, experience the peace that comes only from God, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, falling prey to ungodly decisions, feel lost and uncertain, God is in the driver's seat, God will never lead us astray, God will never let us down, God will provide the right path, God will work all things out for our good, help me, hold my hopes with open hands, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, ignore our feelings, In Touch Magazine, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, let all thy ways be established, let thine eyelids look straight before thee, let thine eyes look right on, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, Moses my servant commanded thee, not allowing temptations to derail us, not be governed by my emotions, not easy to navigate on God's behalf, not the advice of others, our Father who art in heaven, place our lives in the hands of God, ponder the path of thy feet, praise Your Holy Name, pray, prosper wherever you go, put our trust in Almighty God, puts space between us and our desires, regardless of the choices, remove thy foot from evil, ruled by our emotions, salvation, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, staying focused on a righteous path, strong faith in Christ, thank you for life, the first day of the work week, the God who heals, the gospel truth, the infallible truth, the passenger seat, the throne of grace, the topic of problems, they word is a lamp unto my feet, thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, this is the way walk ye in it, through scripture, trust you for everything, trusting that God will guide us, trusting the Lord feels risky, truth, turn away from our own ways, turn from our evil ways, turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, turn not to the right hand nor to the left, warning words, we want to know how god will fix our problems, welcomes God, when you turn to the left, when you turn to the right hand, wisdom, wise guidance, wishy-washy society
Proverbs 4:26-27. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.’
And wouldn’t you know it, Monday, the first day of the work week, and in this case the first day of December 2025, has rolled around again friends, just like it has done for eons, and yet many of us still find it difficult to handle. (smile) Now, the weather should not be a problem since most of the snow from yesterday’s storm has melted, so that’s one item in our favour. And today we have some important and interesting info to share on the topic of problems from the ‘Consider This’ Section of the November Edition of the In Touch Magazine.
So please read with me: ‘When there’s a problem, we want to know how God will fix it. But we never know exactly what He’ll do. In these moments, trusting the Lord feels risky (when it’s actually anything but). A good way to begin building trust is to choose peace rather than be ruled by our emotions. This doesn’t mean we abandon our hopes or ignore our feelings – but simply that we keep them in the passenger seat rather than behind the wheel.
This decision puts space between us and our desires and welcomes God in them. And by doing so, we’re better able to receive whatever he has planned – whether it’s what we imagined or something altogether different. So how do we begin? With a prayer like this: “Lord, I want to experience the peace that comes only from You and not be governed by my emotions. Help me hold my hopes with open hands and trust you for everything. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Ah mih people, what wise information! Because in this wishy-washy society in which we currently live, with so many distractions and evil schemes, too many of us are ruled by our emotions and not good common sense which advises us to put our trust in Almighty God, who sincerely LOVES and cares for us and will never lead us astray. And there are several scriptures that warn of falling prey to unwise, ungodly distractions, and live by God’s Word and His guidance instead.
Listen as the prophet Isaiah warns us, while telling his people Israel about God’s graciousness and mercy. He writes: ‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’ (Is. 30:21) Yes friends, it’s a divine promise from God to His people, assuring us of His guidance if we will turn away from our own ways and listen to Him.
And this commentary offers this explanation as per the ‘Spiritual interpretation: The phrase is interpreted as a spiritual message that regardless of the choices one faces, God will provide the correct path. It is a call to trust in divine guidance and be attentive to the “voice” of God, whether through scripture, the Holy Spirit, or an inner sense of direction.’ And per the ‘Practical application: For believers, the message encourages listening to God’s will rather than the advice of others and trusting that He will guide them, even when they feel lost or uncertain.’
And is that ever the infallible truth! Of course! For it’s the very same thing the Lord told Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou may observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:7) It could not be put any plainer than that my faithful brethren.
Then we also have these warning words from Cousin Sol in Proverbs re swerving from God’s path, where he solemnly advises: ‘Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.’ (Prov. 4:25-27) There again we have a warning about staying focused on a righteous path, not allowing temptations to derail us from it through emotional desires.
Remember, God is in the driver’s seat, not our emotions. That’s why Cousin Sol tells us to specifically watch where we walk. It’s also like the psalmist says: ‘Thy word is a lamp uno my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And that’s exactly why the Lord gave us His Word, so it can light our path and guide our feet. But none of this will happen if we don’t know the Word and then place our lives in the hands of God, trusting Him to eventually work all things out for our good, because that’s His promise. (Rom. 8:28)
And though all we’re saying is the gospel truth, it’s still not easy to navigate on God’s behalf in this evil world. That’s why we can go confidently to the throne of grace seeking divine help in times of need. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world.
Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it’s all well and good to remind God of His promise to prosper us, but what about the conditions that must first be met eh? That’s our turning from our evil ways. The point is, until we clean up our act and become better Christian witnesses and ambassadors, God will not cause us to prosper. So let’s concentrate on doing that nuh … if we indeed desire divine help. Much LOVE!
…when we sincerely place our lives in God’s hands…He will never let us down…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Guidebook for earthly living, a light that shines in a dark place, a light unto my path, a more sure word of prophecy, all I hoped it would be, all of the time, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, all sinned and disobeyed your word, alleviate our problems, an act of love, an extraordinary passion, ask for help, bind them continually upon thine heart, can't trust that day, could not guarantee, divine aid, ease the pain, eccentric opening, faith, find me crying, folk groups, forsake not the law of thy mother, God is still in control of the universe, God is still in the heavens, God loves us, guides our feet, holy men spake, holy spirit, howling winds, humble ourselves, in dire times, instruction in righteousness, it just turns out that way, it shall lead thee, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, John Phillips, keep thy father's commandment, keep you when you sleep, keep your promise to prosper us, leading a person to repentance, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, mere mortals, Monday Monday, moved by the Holy Ghost, navigate the storms, negative situations, no prophecy or scripture is of private interpretation, no warning, not by the will of man, opens the path of life, pray, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, raging around us, reproofs of instruction are the way of life, salvation, seek God's face, sincere repentance, so good to me, spiritual growth, strong faith in Christ, take heed, talk with you, the BIBLE, the commandment is a lamp, the day star arise in your hearts, the God who heals, the goodness of God, the great value of God's Word, the law is light, The Mamas & Papas, the man of God may be perfect, the power to solve our many problems, the throne of grace, the transfiguration of Jesus, the word of the Lord, thoroughly furnished, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, tie them about thy neck, total surrender, tru faith, truth, turn from our evil ways, unlimited trust, until the day dawn, unto all good works, walk under God's protection, when thou goest, wisdom, wise guidance, you'd still be here with me
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Ah friends, those are the basic words of the hit song ‘Monday, Monday,’ written in 1966 by John Phillips of the Mamas & Papas and recorded by the group. And I just happened to remember the song while searching for an interesting, but somewhat eccentric opening. (smile) Most of you young folks won’t know the song, but it was indeed a big hit in the day when folk groups were popular, and I wonder how many of us experience such an intense and uncomfortable feeling on Mondays?
‘Monday, Monday, oh so good to me, Monday morning, it was all I hoped it would be, Oh, Monday morning, Monday morning could not guarantee, that Monday evening, You’d still be here with me…. Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day, Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way Oh, Monday mornin’ you gave me no warning’ of what was to be Oh, Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me? Every other day (Every other day), every other day Every other day of the week is fine, yeah But whenever Monday comes (But whenever Monday comes), but whenever Monday comes You can find me cryin’ all of the time… Oh Monday, Monday…’
And to be on the safe side, I won’t even offer an answer to that touchy question, (smile) but simply allow the day to play out as it will and thus provide the true answers. But let’s be sure of one thing; however the day plays out, and whatever answer we get to the question, be it good or bad, we must remember that our God is still in the high heavens, still in control of the universe, and still LOVES us with an extraordinary passion, one that mankind can never replicate, but can surely appreciate and be grateful for, especially in these crazy and uncertain times in which we currently live!
Yes my people, it’s only with true faith in Almighty God, unlimited trust and total surrender to His will, can we ever navigate the stormy waters and howling winds that are now raging around us. It’s like the psalmist declares: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And it surely is, for it’s the Word of the Lord that opens the path of life and light to us and guides our feet as we walk along it, under His awesome presence and protection.
Now, listen to how Cousin Sol puts it in Proverbs when he warns against adultery. ‘My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart (mind), 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). You cannot get wiser advice than that my brethren! And from the wisest man ever too! (smile)
And what are ‘reproofs of instruction’ you ask? This commentary gives a brief overview: It says, ‘In the Bible, “reproof” means to correct, rebuke, or express disapproval, with the goal of leading a person to repentance and improvement. It involves showing someone their faults and exposing error, and is considered an act of LOVE and a necessary part of spiritual growth. God’s Word provides reproof by revealing sin and guiding believers towards righteousness.’
And that’s exactly why it was written and passed down through the ages. As Bruh Paul says to Tmothy: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect (blameless), thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) What more can we say to encourage and enlighten us as to the great value of God’s Word to the believer eh?
Possibly these words from Peter, as he discusses his eyewitness account of Jesus’ transfiguration, when He was revealed to Peter, James and John in all His glory. (2 Pet. 1:16-18) He then writes: ‘We have also a more sure word of prophecy (the prophetic word made surer); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy or scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of (any) man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ (2 Pet. 1:19-21)
More confirmation that the Bible is God’s Word as directed by the Holy Ghost for holy men to write so that we can have a worthwhile guidebook for living this earthly life. But being mere mortals, we have not followed its guidelines properly, and thus have made all sorts of mistakes, however through the amazing goodness of God, we can go the throne of grace and ask for help in dire times like these. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And is it ever interesting to note, that right in our prayer, we find the answers to our problems: humbling ourselves, praying, sincerely seeking God, and turning from our evil ways. So, if we truly desire divine aid, let’s get to correcting those faults nuh, for remember they are all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…if God did not truly care for us…He would not have given us a guidebook…the Bible…or a Saviour…Jesus Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a barbaric society, a strife-filled society, a wintry Monday, all sinned and disobeyed your word, at the end it shall speak and not lie, cause me to behold grievance, come to that wise understanding, contention, cry out unto thee of violence, declare all thy works, destroyed all the unfaithful, destroyed all them that go a whoring, divine aid, divine judgement, don't lose hope, ease the pain, envious of the boastful, evil doers are pulling the strings, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, God is the strength of my heart, he may run that readeth it, He who has promised is faithful, his soul that is lifted up is not upright in him, holy spirit, how long shall I cry, humble ourselves, humble servants, I have put my trust in the Lord, it is good for me to draw near to God, it will surely come, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, justice doth never go forth, keep your promise to prosper us, little incentive to abide by the law, living in the northern climes, LOVE, make it plain upon tables, makes one's stomach churn, mass confusion, mercy, my flesh and my heart fails, my portion for ever, not enough serious consequences for breaking the law, perverse justice is handed down, pray, prophetic vision, repercussions, rush hour traffic, salvation, set me upon the tower, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, spoiling and violence are before me, stand upon my watch, strong faith in Christ, thank you for life, the burden, the faithful will be vindicated, the God who heals, the law is powerless, the law is slacked, the lawlessness of our society, the many suffering from negative situations, the power to solve our problems, the prosperity of the wicked, the righteous will inherit the earth, the throne of grace, the vision is for an appointed time, the wicked doth compass about the righteous, the wicked surround the righteous, the wicked will be destroyed, then understood I their end, there is never justice, there is strife, they that are far from thee shall perish, thou wilt not hear, thou wilt not save, though it tarry wait for it, to alleviate our problems, toil, trouble, truth, turn from our eil ways, until I went into the sanctuary of God, why di you show me iniquity, wisdom, wise guidance, write the vision, wrong judgement proceedeth
Habakkuk 2:4. Behold, his soul that is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
And then it was a wintry Monday; dark, snowy, slippery, aggravating and frustrating, as snow storms usually are when you must drive to work in them. But that’s all par for the course my brethren. It’s what living in the northern climes calls for and it’s what makes us such tough and hardy folks. (smile) Hope that you all left home early enough to escape most of the rush hour traffic and those who still drive unwisely under poor road conditions. Anyway, we pray that you arrived at your destinations safely, be it work, school or play, and that you will return home just as safely. We pray it all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen!
Now, yesterday in church, I heard an interesting scripture that I was not familiar with, but it made a big impression on me. It comes from the book of Habakkuk. The Book begins by saying, ‘The burden (oracle, prophecy) which the prophet Habakkuk the prophet did see. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance (trouble, toil)? For spoiling (plundering) and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife (there is strife) and contention. Therefore the law is slacked (powerless), and judgement (justice) doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about (surround) the righteous; therefore wrong (perverse) judgement proceedeth.’ (Hab. 1:1-4)
Yes friends, that was Habakkuk’s cry to the Lord, who, in his prophetic vision, was only showing him violence and evil, suffering for the righteous and prosperity for the wicked who were dominating the situation with evil, perverted schemes. In other words, a sentence of divine judgement to befall at the appropriate time. And the part of that scripture which really caught my attention was the last verse about the slackness or powerlessness of the law and the perverse or wrong justice that comes about because of the powerlessness of the law.
And it just struck me as a similar situation to the one which our society is currently embroiled in, where lawlessness is increasing, but the law is not doing anything constructive about it, because the evil doers are pulling the strings, and thus we are becoming a rather violent and strife-filled society. Too many rules are daily being broken with little or no consequences to the lawbreakers. And it’s sad that many of them are not first-time lawbreakers, but those with records to their names.
There is little incentive to abide by the law, as well as not enough serious consequences to stop breaking it. And as some like to say, laws are only made for those who wish to abide by them; those who want to break them, will break them anyway. But there must be some repercussions for breaking them, else why bother to have them at all, let’s simply live in a barbaric society. And that’s exactly what we are inching closer to every day, because there’s such inhumanity towards each other that it makes one’s stomach churn in dismay.
And I can imagine how all the modern prophets burdened with a prophecy like Habakkuk must be crying out to the Lord as they see the injustice, violence and ‘sufferation’ being meted out to many of the righteous in our society. But the wonderful thing about the Lord is that He might allow the evil doers to prosper for a while, but He’s promised that they will eventually be destroyed, and the righteous will inherit the earth and all that the wicked possessed.
So, after opening his heart and complaining to the Lord, about the iniquity of Babylon and their abuse of other nations, here’s how Habakkuk opens Chapter 2. ‘I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower (rampart), and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.’ (Hak. 2:1)
Good for Habakkuk! He’s standing up and waiting for an answer from the Lord and contemplating his own answer to the Lord’s reproof. But the Lord surprises him with this answer. ‘And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables (tablets), that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul that is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.’ (Hab. 2:2-4)
Yes, my people, the Lord instructed Habakkuk to write the coming of the divine judgment on tablets big enough so those who are running by can read it. And He makes sure to tell him that though justice might take a while to come, it surely will come, so don’t lose hope. And I guess that’s the same message He is sending us today my faithful brethren; eventually, He will relieve the pressure and the wicked will be destroyed, and we faithful will be vindicated.
And yes, it might be tough to see the prosperity of the wicked, but let’s remember like Asaph did in Psalm 73, when he was envious of the boastful and the prosperity of the wicked, but thankfully, as he recounts: ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps. 73:17)
Hopefully, we will also come to that wise understanding and afterwards, say like Asaph: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (are unfaithful). But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73: 26-28) Now let’s put that declaration (chuh!!!) in to practice and draw near to God at the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hym, seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, if we sincerely desire divine aid, then it’s ever so necessary for us to do as our prayer says: ‘turn from our evil ways.’ Remember, we are the ones it’s hurting, not the Lord. Much LOVE!
…He who has promised is faithful…and that ought to be enough for us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a forward-looking perspective, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new work week, accomplishing his redemptive purpose, adopt Jesus' selfless attitude, ambassadors, an example of self-control, as much as humanly possible, assurance of his heavenly Father's guidance and protection, came down from heaven, come back to haunt us, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, disicples, disobeyed God's word, divine aid, earth's corrupt treasures, earthly purpose, ease the pain, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, eternal life, faith, faithfully promised, for eternity, fulfilling God's redemptive purpose, fulfilling God's Will, give his life for a ransom, give to all who love his appearing, God-given purpose, handle them with great aplomb, highlighting his obedience, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, if thou be willing, in the face of immense suffering, in the face of numerous difficulties, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus handled his earthly life, Jesus' ability to endure extreme suffering, Jesus' human struggle and distress, Jesus' primary focus, joy, laying up treasures in heaven, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, life with Christ will be forever, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion, material things, mercy, my meat is to do the will of him who sent me, never be discouraged, not my will but thine be done, not to do mine own will, our lives should be governed by the will of Jesus, poise, pray, reflecting the way, remove this cup from me, resolute obedience, salvation, self-confidence, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, shame, sincerely seek God's face, sinful pleasures, sought a reprieve, spreaing the good news of Christ, steadfast devotion, strong faith in Christ, sufferation of the cross, the author and finisher of our faith, the bread of life, the crown of righteousness, the Garden of Gethsemane, the God who heals, the joy that was set before Him, the many suffering from negative situations, the obedient attitude of Jesus, the righteous judge, the sacrificial nature of Jesus' purpose, the Son of man came not to be served, the throne of grace, the travails of Jesus, the ultimate joy, the will of him that sent me, to finish his work, to hear and answer our prayers, to serve, truth, turn from our evil ways, unwavering commitment, waiver from his purpose, welcome thou good and faithful servant, wisdom
John 4:34. ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’
Awright my people, Monday and a new work week has come back to haunt us one more time. But let’s remember that we have the wherewithal through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to handle them both with great aplomb, that’s amazing poise and self-confidence. Reflecting the way Jesus handled His earthly life with the assurance and certainty of His heavenly Father’s guidance and protection. All the trials and tribulations, the abuse and denial of His holy person, did not make Him turn back or waiver from His purpose.
And there are several scriptures that point out, as this commentary puts it: ‘The unwavering commitment to His earthly purpose and the will of the Father, highlighting His obedience, focus, and determination, even in the face of immense suffering.’ And was Jesus ever a marvellous example of self-control in the face of numerous difficulties. And why is that you ask? Listen to Him explain it to the disciples after speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well and refusing the food they offered. ‘My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’ (John 4:34)
And the commentary tells us: ‘This verse clearly demonstrates that fulfilling God’s will was Jesus’ primary sustenance and focus in life.’ Oh, how I wish that many more of us would adopt that selfless and obedient attitude, and do the work that Jesus expects of us as His disciples and ambassadors. (smile)
Then there’s this other time, after accusing the multitude of only following Him because they ate of the bread He provided, and telling them that He is the bread of life, (John 6:26-35), Jesus then informs them: ‘For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.’ (John 6:38) And according to the commentary: ‘Jesus explicitly states that His mission was defined entirely by the Father’s will, not His own desires.’ So should our lives be entirely governed by the will of Jesus.
And when we talk about Jesus being the perfect example for us to follow, Hebrews tells us loud and clear: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged in your souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
And per the commentary; ‘These verses point to Jesus’ ability to endure extreme suffering and shame by maintaining a forward-looking perspective on the ultimate joy of accomplishing His redemptive purpose.’ And don’t we have a purpose that ought to also bring us joy? Yes, that of spreading the good news of Christ and living like He desires of us. And what’s the joy we should look forward to? That’s salvation and eternal life with Jesus, being greeted with the words ‘Welcome thou good and faithful servant,’ (Matt. 25:21) and ‘the crown of righteousness that the righteous judge, (the Lord) will give to all who LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:8)
Now, isn’t that a big enough reward to encourage us to do Jesus’ will? I believe it is. And let’s remember that our earthly lives and all the material things we covet and the sinful pleasures we so avidly desire down here only last for a short while. But life with Christ will be for eternity…that’s forever…without end. So, it’s certainly not wise to expend so much energy and use up what little time we have here on earth running down its corrupt and rust-driven treasures, but ought to be laying up treasures in heaven that don’t rust or spoil.
But getting back to Jesus’ serious focus on His God-given purpose, listen to what He tells the disciples after the argument that erupted when John and James asked for one of them to sit on His right and the other on the left hand in His glory. (Mark 10:35-41) ‘For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (be served), but to minister (to serve), and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45) And the commentary explains that verse thus: ‘This highlights the sacrificial nature of His purpose, to which He remained committed.’
And we see that commitment further displayed in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus in His human form was terribly weighed down by the whole situation and pleaded: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.’ (Luke 22:39) The commentary tells us: ‘This shows His human struggle and distress, but ultimately, His resolute obedience to the Father’s plan, which included the cross.’ Yes friends, though Jesus was undergoing a lot of ‘sufferation’ and sought a reprieve from His heavenly Father, deep down He knew that it could not happen if the Father’s overall plan for our salvation was to be successful.
And we’ll close with a final word from the commentary. They say: ‘These scriptures collectively demonstrate Jesus’ singular and steadfast devotion to fulfilling God’s redemptive purpose on earth, despite the personal cost and suffering involved.’ And though we all know it’s not easy to do, that is the same singular and steadfast devotion that we need to show in fulfilling Jesus’ purpose for us here on earth. Now, let’s use one more benefit we acquired through the travails of Jesus, that’s the ability to go directly to the throne of grace and ask for divine aid in times of need. Let’s do that right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And what’s the answer we received? ‘Begin by turning from your evil ways, humbling yourselves, and sincerely seeking my face.’ So, if we truly desire divine aid, then it’s up to us to put those demands into action! Much LOVE!
…as disciples of Jesus…our lives ought to reflect His steadfast devotion and commitment…as much as is humanly possible…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a new work week, all we like sheep have gone astray, answer our prayers, burdensome, calls together his friends and neighbours, conquering power, divine aid, don't commit adultery, don't lie, don't murder, don't steal, ease the pain, even our faith, faith, fear, fearful, forgotten their resting place, found my lost sheep, God is sovereign, gone from mountain to hill, greater is he that's in you, having an hundred sheep, he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God, his commandments are not grievous, holy spirit, honour the Sabbath day, honour your father and mother, humble ourselves, I do not forget thy commandments, I have gone astray, if ye love me keep my commandments, in the wilderness, in this dark and evil world, indifference, insufficient Christian witness, irresponsible, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus has won the victory, joy shall be in heaven over one repentant sinner, lackadaisical attitude, languishing in a cesspool of evil, lays it on his shoulders rejoicing, leaves the ninety and nine, lethargic, like a lost sheep, likewise, loses one of his sheep, LOVE, love God with all your heart soul body and mind, Love your neighbour as yourself, make a difference, make hay while the sun shines, mass confusion in our world, mercy, my people hath been lost sheep, ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance, pray, reconciled back to his fold, rejoice with me, sacrifices, salvation, seek thy servant, sheep stray from their shepherd, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, spreading our salty flavour and bright light, strong faith in Christ, suffer dire consequences, than he that's in the world, the ball is in our court, the God who heals, the iniquity of us all, the Lord hath laid on him, the many suffering from negative situations, the only one to solve our problems, the right tonic, the throne of grace, the victory that overcomes the world, their shepherds have caused them to go astray, this is the love of God, to find favour with God, truth, turn from our evil ways, turned every one to his own way, victory over hell death and the grave, we keep His commandments, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, when he comes home, who is he that overcomes the world, wisdom, wise guidance, ye are of God
Psalm 119:176. Oh Lord, I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
It’s Monday friends, it’s Monday! Time to get out there and take advantage of this new work week in Jesus’ mighty name! Yes, time for us to get out into the evil world and make hay while the sun shines, for one day the sun will stop shining and we won’t be able to make any hay then! (smile)
And believe me, with every passing day, it becomes more imperative, more important that we allow our salty flavour and our bright lights to make a difference in this dark and evil world, for we are quickly losing control of it…if we haven’t already, and that’s not what Jesus left us down here to do. He came to earth, did His part, won the victory over hell, death and the grave, then went back to heaven, leaving us down here to maintain that victory. Remember what He said to us: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15)
And John, later on in his first epistle, added his take to that statement. ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ (1 John 5:3) And no, His commandments are certainly not burdensome! They might entail some difficulty, some sacrifices at times, but what’s so difficult in ‘don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, honour your father and mother, honour the Sabbath day, LOVE your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and LOVE your neighbour as yourself?’
There’s nothing there for us to misunderstand or not comprehend. However, our response to His commandments have been lethargic, fearful, irresponsible and obviously not good enough, otherwise our world would not be languishing in the cesspool of evil and ungodliness that it’s currently engulfed in.
No friends, our Christian witness has certainly not been good enough, which brings us back to these important words of John’s first epistle. ‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:4-5)
Oh my people, it’s through our faith in Jesus Christ that we overcome the world, but if our faith is not strong, we’re fearful, lackadaisical, or simply not interested, then we obviously cannot overcome it. And I like what the scholars say about verse 5. ‘There is conquering power through this confession because God is sovereign over the world, and ONLY through the Son does man have access to and find favour with God.’
And we know that’s the awesome truth, but for some reason(s), we simply refuse to rise to the task and do what we know Jesus expects of us, both as individuals, and as His corporate church. And we can certainly do it, because as John also reminds us: ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that’s in the world.’ (1 John 4:4)
That’s more awesome truth my brethren! Our God is stronger than the god of this world, there’s no denying that! But we need to come together and live it; make it work! And I have the right tonic for our indifference, fear, or whatever is holding us back from doing the Lord’s will. It’s a very applicable statement from Psalm 119. So please pray with me: ‘Oh Lord, I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.’ (Ps. 119:176)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s our problem. Like Isaiah says when talking about Jesus’ sorrow. ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:5) No doubt about it, we had all gone astray in the early days, and the Lord placed all our sins on Jesus, so we could be reconciled back to his fold. It’s also like Jeremiah declared: ‘My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.’ (Jer. 50:6)
So it’s not the first time we have gone astray like lost sheep my people, and we desperately need the Lord to come seeking us. And He will, as Jesus so plainly says. ‘What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just (upright) persons, which need no repentance.’ (Luke 15:4-7)
Yuh see mih bredrin, Jesus is always on the lookout for His lost sheep, and can you imagine the joy there’ll be in heaven when so many of us lost ones have been found…it will be immense! But the ball is still in our court; we must admit that we’re lost, and want to be found. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And if we’re serious, we’ll note some of the requirements for receiving divine aid: humbling ourselves, praying, seeking God’s face, and turning from our evil ways. So please, let’s get to work nuh! There’s much to be done, and we cannot waste another moment. Much LOVE!
…when sheep stray from their shepherd…they very likely will suffer dire consequences…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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