18 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a Mighty Deliverer, a positive outlook on life, a strong will, abundance, all the days of our life, as it is written, base things of the world, be saved from our enemies, blessed be the Lord God of Israel, compensates for the months of being mute, courage, creativity, curse, delivered out of the hand of our enemies, divine protection and guidance of the Holy Spirit, divinely empowered praise, faith, faith makes us stronger, favour, fear steals our strength, for with God nothing shall be impossible, from the hand of all that hate us, go before the face of the Lord, god hath chosen the foolish things of the world, good friends, good health, he hath visited and redeemed his people, he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord, holy spirit, in holiness and righteousness, in the house of David his servant, in the shadow of death, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, negative word a great family, no flesh should glory in his presence, not many mighty, not many noble are called, not many wise men after the flesh, of God has become wisdom., raised up a horn of salvation, redemption, remember his holy covenant, righteousnes, run errands, salvation, sanctification, self-control, serve him without fear, seven days to christmas, shall be called the prophet of the Highest, short and sweet, spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, supernatural wisdom, talent, the birth of John the Baptist, the dayspring from on high, the oath he swore to our father Abraham, the remission of their sins, the tender mercy of our God, the weak things of the world, things which are despised, things which are not, thou child, to bring to nought things that are, to confound the things which are mighty, to confound the wise, to give knowledge of salvation, to give light to them that sit in darkness, to guide our feet in the way of peace, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, to prepare his ways, to put to shame the wise, truth, use our blessings to help others, wisdom, you are in Christ Jesus, Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost
Luke 1:37. ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’
Only 7 more now friends… Yes, only seven day left to Christmas, so you had better get all your Christmas shopping and preparations done soon, because the days are passing by quicker than you realize. (smile) And on this Thursday before Christmas, our penultimate day of the work week, unfortunately we’re on a late, late bus, because I had to go out the street and run some errands, and you know, despite how carefully you budget your time, those things always take longer than expected. But we’ll try to keep it short and sweet… and some of you are laughing, as though I can ever write anything short.
Well, be careful, I might just surprise you today, (smile) as we continue looking at the birth of John the Baptist and what can happen, even to those with little or no faith, when the Holy Ghost fills you. The Bible tells us that after John was born: ‘And his Father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel: for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation (A Mighty Deliverer) for us in the house of his servant David;
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began (down through the ages): That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us: To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.’ (Luke 1:67-75)
Wow! What a way Zacharias suddenly loses his fear, develops faith and begins to prophesy…all under the aegis or divine protection and guidance of the Holy Ghost! That ought to remind and encourage us of the words that the Angel Gabriel said to Mary, when he told her about Elisabeth’s barren state being changed: ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37) And thus Zacharias was able to prophesy his head off. Or as the scholars say: ‘His divinely empowered praise compensates for the months of being mute.’
Thus he continues, now turning his prophecy to his son John. ‘And thou child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest (Most High): for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission (forgiveness) of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring (dawn, Messiah) from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ (Luke 1:76-79)
Ah mih people, who would have ever thought it possible for Zacharias to offer up such profound prophesy after his reaction of fear to the angel Gabriel’s unexpected announcement that he was about to have a son…and a famous one at that? Not many of us. But that’s how our great and wonderful God works, especially in the lives of those who seem weak. It’s as Bruh Paul says in his first missive to the church at Corinth: ‘For ye see (consider) your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound (put to shame) the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound (put to shame) the things which are mighty. And base (insignificant) things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought (nothing) things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us (has become) wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 1:26-31)
And that’s a most wonderful and informative scripture for us to end on my people! Now, let’s declare and thus activate our Thursday Blessings which the Lord hath so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! And as you can see friends, with the Lord’s help, the Bit IS a tad shorter than normal! (smile) Much LOVE!
….fear steals our strength…but faith makes us even stronger than normal…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a broken and contrite heart, a broken spirit, a new heart also will I give you, a new spirit will I put within you, a state of sinfulness, a strong and steadfast soldier in christ's army, a strong will, abundance, afraid of what man can do, ambassadors of Christ, blood and burnt offerings, bring light to a dark and evil world, cause you to walk in my statutes, Christ-like duties, clear direction for my life, clemency, come to know and love christ like we do, confess Jesus openly, curse, deliver me from bloodguiltiness, divine protection, do good in thy good pleasure, exalt you in due time, faith, forgiveness, give you an heart of flesh, God-given purpose, good friends, good health, guide us in the way we should go, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, humility, in all sincerity and truth, Jesus Christ, keep my judgements and do them, living a Christ-like example, LOVE, mercy, my mouth shall shew forth thy praise, negative word, no freedom to live in known continual sin, not to the best of our ability, open thou my lips, our avowed enemy, paid obeisance to God, pride, promotion, prosper and succeed, quiet as lambs, saddened by our disobedience, salvation, Satan, self-control, sharing the knowledge of Christ, sing aloud of thy righteousness, sinners shall be converted, spreading the good news of Christ, supernatural wisdom, take away the stony heart, talent, teach transgressors thy ways, the believer's earthly role, the gift of God, the God of many chances, the help of Jesus Christ, the sacrifices of God, the trademarks of Satan, thou delightest not in burnt offering, thou desirest no sacrifice, too comfortable in the pleasures of the world, truth, turning away from the faith, use those blessings to help others, wisdom, without shame or embarrassment
Psalm 51:13. ‘Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.’
So we come to Thursday, the second to last day of our work week, and we’re all anxious to see Friday and the beginning of the weekend, but unfortunately we have to make it through Thursday first. (smile) But that should be a problem we can easily overcome with the help of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit that dwells within us for the very purpose of leading and guiding us in the way we should go as faithful believers in Christ. So let’s hunker down with Him and do our Christ-like duties nuh. (smile)
And today we’ll continue looking at Psalm 51, where David pleads for forgiveness, then for cleansing from the Lord for his adulterous sin with Bathsheba, the wife of his solider Uriah. And it’s interesting that after Bruh David pleads for forgiveness and cleansing, he then offers Praise for Forgiveness with these words of ministry. ‘Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.’ (ps. 51:13) Now, that’s also our God-given purpose. But are we doing it to the best of our ability? Absolutely not! Otherwise our world would not be in such a terrible state of sinfulness, hate, greed, strife, envy and deceit; all the trademarks of our avowed enemy, Satan.
And Bruh David continues with his promise of ministry: ‘Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.’ (Ps. 51:14-15) There again my fellow believers, those are things we should also be doing, but unfortunately are not doing them very well either. How many of us are truly singing aloud the righteousness of God eh? Or how many mouths are proclaiming His praise? Certainly not enough! In other words we are not being good ambassadors and disciples of Jesus Christ, as He desires and expects of us.
That’s why so many are turning away from the faith and not enough others are taking their place. We seem to be too afraid of what mankind will say or do to us if we confess Jesus in all sincerity and truth. In church we carry on everlasting, but out in the world where it really matters we are quiet as lambs. It’s easy to talk up Jesus amongst a group of believers, however that’s not we’ve signed up for. We signed up to bring light to a dark and evil world by unabashedly spreading the good news of Christ. That means doing it without embarrassment or shame, being a strong and steadfast soldier in Christ’s army.
Now, no army would be victorious if many of it’s soldiers are afraid of fighting, like so many of us supposed Christians are. And if by chance we’re not afraid, then we’ve become too comfortable in the ways and pleasures of the world, and don’t want to make the effort it takes to glorify Christ to the world. But please note what Bruh David then says in the psalm. ‘For thou desirest not sacrifice; else I would give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.’ (Ps. 51:16-17)
Yes friends, that’s what the Lord desires when we sin against Him; a humble spirit and heart; our inner being saddened by our disobedience. As Peter tells us: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.’ (1 Pet. 5:6) Humility is the number one attitude of the true believer. We cannot seriously engage with the Lord if pride is uppermost in our souls, for it’s one of the things He most dislikes. That’s why our first move in pleading for forgiveness is to become humble in God’s sight. For remember, we don’t deserve clemency, but it’s the awesome gift of God’s compassionate nature.
And I like what the scholars say about verses 13-17 in the psalm. ‘This passage clearly teaches that those who have failed God may be restored to the service of God.’ And isn’t that the most wonderful truth! Yes my people, our God is the God of many chances! Once you come to him with a sincere and humble heart seeking forgiveness, He will indeed offer you another chance. But please note that does not give us the leeway to live in known continual sin and then continually plead for forgiveness.
And Bruh David concludes the palm with a Plea for Blessings on Zion. ‘Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering, and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.’ (Ps. 51:18-19) Ah mih people, back then the Israelites paid obeisance to God, through blood and burnt offerings, but those are no longer necessary, for what the Lord requires of today is the sincerity of our hearts.
And it all falls into line with the prophecy of Ezekiel. ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony (hardened, unresponsive to God) heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh (tender, responsive to God). And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:26-27) Yes mih brethren all of that came through when Christ returned to heaven and the Holy Spirit came to dwell in us. Therefore, it’s no longer about physical offerings, but the offerings of our hearts.
Now, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our undeserved Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him as we do! Much LOVE!
…sharing the knowledge of Christ…while living a Christ-like example…is the believer’s earthly role……
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a man's life does not consist of his possessions, a positive outlook on life, abundance, an appropriate lesson for these times, be content with what you have, be in the world not of the world, before many witnesses, beware of covetousness, Christians living like the world, clear direction for my life, confessed a good confession, courage, covet not thy neighbour's wife, covetous vultures, covetousness is not a Christian attribute, creativity, curse, divine protection, don't covet anything that is your neighbour's, drown men in destruction, eat drink and be merry, engaging in greed and envy, erred from their faith, even as I am not of the world, evil doers, faith, fall into temptation, favour, fight the good fight, flee these things, follow after righteousness, godliness, godliness with contentment is great gain, greedy and covetous times, hast professed a good profession, having food and raiment, high-priced lawyers, holy spirit, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, in the name of Jesus, into many foolish and hurtful lusts, is not rich towards God, Jesus Christ, lay hold on eternal life, let us therewith be content, let your conduct be without covetousness, licentiousness, LOVE, maximization of earthly wealth, meekness, mercy, negative word, nice sunshiny weather, O man of God, our life's goal, patience, perdition, pierced themselves through with many sorrows, ruin and destruction, salvation, sanctify them through thy truth, self-control, self-discipline, set them apart, so is he that layeth up treasure for himself, some in their greediness, stop striving for material wealth, strayed from the faith, success, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, take heed, take thine ease, talent, the gospel truth, the Lord hath said, the LOVE of money, the parable of the Good Samaritan, the parable of the rich fool, the root of all kinds of evil, the Ten Commandments, the way of the world, they are not of the world, they that desire to be rich, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thy word is truth, truth, we brought nothing into this world, we can carry nothing out, which some coveted after, which thou hast provided, who is my neighbour, whose shall those things be, wisdom
Hebrews 13:5a. Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have:
Ah friends, I can’t believe it’s already Thursday, the penultimate day of our workweek! The week has certainly passed quickly, and October seems to be giving us some nice sunshiny weather, though a tad on the cooler side. And we won’t complain, although complaining seems to be our lot these days. (smile) Now, as I was leafing through the Good Library, seeking something to write on, I came across this rather interesting and most appropriate lesson for these particular times.
It’s a verse from the author of Hebrews, which very conveniently, we only remember the last half, while seldom paying any attention to the first half. Why? Because the scripture admonishes and wisely advises us thus: ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he (the Lord) hath said , I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Heb. 13:5)
Yes my people, we tell ourselves that the last half of the verse is the gospel truth, but we completely ignore the first half, because that’s the way of the world in these greedy and covetous times, and too many of us supposed believers are living like the world, not like Christians. Remember what Jesus said when He prayed for the disciples, and consequently us? ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth.’ (John 17:16-17)
Yes friends, we’re supposed to be in the world, but set aside from the world, and knowing God’s Word, which is the infallible truth, we’re not supposed to be behaving like the world. But unfortunately, too many of us are doing just that, engaging in the greed, envy and licentiousness that we’re supposed to resist and instead make public, so that the evil doers can see the light of Christ. And the sad part is that the admonishment against covetousness is not a new one, for it was framed from time immemorial in the Ten Commandments which the Lord gave to the Israelites and subsequently to those who professed belief in him and His Son Jesus Christ.
So, let’s cast our minds back to that august document, set out in Exodus 20. The last commandment of those ten, most explicitly warns: ‘Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.’ (Ex. 20:17) Now, what about that don’t we understand eh?
And some of you trying to be smart might say, it only talks about our neighbour’s stuff. Well for your information, everybody around you, whether you live close to them or not, is your neighbour. Remember when the foolish lawyer who wanted to be seen, asked Jesus the same question, ‘Who is my neighbour?’ And Jesus then told him the parable of the Good Samaritan, showing his neighbour was anyone whom he came into contact with. (Luke 10: 28-37) So, don’t covet, means just that: don’t covet anything at all from anybody. Covetousness ought not to be an attribute of a believer in Christ Jesus.
And Jesus Himself warned us about covetousness, when someone asked him to talk to his brother about sharing their inheritance, ‘And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge, or a divider (an arbitrator) over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’ (Luke 12:13-15) Then, as was His wont, to back up His statement, Jesus told them the parable of the rich fool. Where this man had so much stuff, he had nowhere to store them. So in his foolish, worldly wisdom decided to tear down all his storehouses and build bigger and better ones, so he could store all his goods.
‘And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat drink and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.’ (Luke 12:19-21)
And we see that happening every day, where some person who has spent their entire lives building great material wealth, suddenly dies. And what becomes of their fortune eh? They surely cannot take it with them. No, it’s left behind for a lot of greedy, covetous vultures in human form to fight over it. And in the end, the people who benefit most are the high-priced lawyers they hire to fight for it! What godly justice for greed and covetousness.
And we can’t have a scriptural conversation on covetousness without these remarkable words of Bruh Paul to Timothy on the subject. He writes: ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us be therewith content. But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
For the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from their faith (for which, some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim. 6:6-12)
Ah mih bredrin, Bruh Paul says it all right there! It’s high time we believers stop making the attainment of material wealth our life’s goal. There’s nothing wrong with having wealth, but living to create it is unwise. Especially since the Lord has blessed us with what we call our Thursday Blessings; so many undeserved blessings, to do our earthly work. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh!
As one strong and sincere voice. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings, it now behooves us to go out and use them on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…godliness with contentment…is what Christians should be seeking…not maximization of earthly wealth…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a prophet unto the nations, abundance, all things work together for good, as yet was none of them, be not afraid of their faces, before I formed thee in the belly, before thou camest out of the womb, Christians, clear direction for my life, courage, covered me in my mother's womb, creativity, curiously wrought, curse, divine protection, faith, favour, formed my inward parts, frustrating, fulfillment, good friends, he also did predestinate, health, holy spirit, How high Lord, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, I am not eloquent, I am slow of speech, I am with thee to deliver thee, I have put my words in thy mouth, I have this day set thee over nations, I knew thee, I ordained thee, I sanctified thee, I set thee apart, I was made in secret, I will be with thy mouth, I will praise thee, in continuance were fashioned, in thy book all my members were written, it's best to say, Jesus Christ, LOVE, marvellous are thy works, mercy, my soul knoweth right well, my substance was not hid from thee, negative word, of a slow tongue, promotion, prosper and succeed, salvation, say I am not a child, Scrip-Bits Blog, showers of blessing, success, supernatural wisdom, talent, teach thee what thou shalt say, testify to the Lord's faithfulness, the BIBLE, the firstborn among many brethren, the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth, the word of the Lord came unto me, them he also called, therefore go, thine eyes did see my substance, thou hast possessed my reins, time consuming, to be conformed to the image of his Son, to build and plant, to destroy, to pull down, to root out, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose, truth, undeserved blessings, whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak, when the Lord says jump, who hath made man's mouth, who maketh the dumb the deaf the seeing or the blind, whom he did foreknow, whom he did predestinate, whom he justified he also glorified, wisdom, womb, wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, yet being unperfect
Jeremiah 1:8. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
Now, this last Thursday of August, the penultimate day of our work week, is definitely a cloudy one. No sign whatsoever of the morning sun. But that’s okay, cause it might mean we will finally receive some showers of blessing. And we do need it because the earth, at least in my area, is desperately calling out for refreshment. (smile)
So, what’s on the agenda for today? Well I just opened the Good Library and it fell open at the first chapter of Jeremiah, where the Lord called him to be a prophet. Therefore, I guess that’s what the Lord wants us to talk about today. (smile) And it’s a very interesting situation, so applicable to many of our own lives. It seems, as the book opens Jeremiah prophesied under three kings, Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. That means he had a long prophetic career.
But getting to God’s call on Jeremiah. He writes: ‘Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart), and I ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ (Jer. 1:4-5) Yes friends, that’s how the Lord operates. He calls some of us even before we are formed in our mother’s womb.
As Bruh David so eloquently writes in Psalm 139: ‘For thou hast possessed my reins (formed my inward parts): thou hast covered (weaved) me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee: for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right (very) well. My substance (frame, bones), was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously (skillfully) wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect (unformed); and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned (the days fashioned for me), when as yet was none of them.’ (Ps. 139:13-16)
Oh my people, you see the majesty and wonderful works of our great God. He knows everything about us, has a plan for our lives before we’re even formed in our mother’s womb. It’s also like Bruh Paul wrote to the Romans. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and who he justified, them he also glorified.’ (Rom. 8:28-30)
Wow mih bredrin! Our God is so good and great, that when He calls us to do his work, He gives us all we need. But we often respond to His call in a negative manner. We behave similarly to Jeremiah, who after the Lord called him, responded thus. ‘Then said I, Ah Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child (youth). (Jer. 1:6) Now, many of us have behaved the very same way eh, finding some foolish excuse to refuse the Lord’s call.
It’s like when Moses tried to refuse the Lord’s call to lead the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. ‘And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore (before), nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; but I am slow of speech, and of a slow (heavy, dull, stuttering) tongue. And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.’ (Ex. 4:10-12) But Moses persisted in asking for help, then the Lord in His anger finally promised to send Aaron his brother with him as the spokesperson. (Ex. 4:13-16)
And I’m chuckling here because I know exactly how both Jeremiah and Moses felt, for when the Lord initiated a conversation with me, some eighteen years ago, about writing what turned out to be the Scrip-Bits Blog, I also excused myself by saying I didn’t know enough scripture to write such a thing. But just like Moses and Jeremiah, I found out that the Lord does not give up when He wants us to do stuff for Him. Consequently, He kept after me, making my life so difficult, that final I had no choice but to relent and do it. And you’d notice, the first few Bits are merely pieces of scripture, without anything much added.
Now, it wasn’t easy, very time consuming and ofttimes frustrating, and several times I wanted to give up. However, as the years went by, with the Lord’s help, I got more involved with the Word, until now I’ve reached the stage where I write too much. (smile) But through it all, I can certainly testify to the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness in helping me do what He desired.
Thus, when Jeremiah claimed to be a child and unable to do the Lord’s bidding, he writes: ‘But the Lord said unto me, Say not I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down (tear down), and to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant.’ (Jer. 1:7-10)
And we all know that Jeremiah’s life was not an easy one, but the Lord stuck with him through all the tough times, just like He will stick with whoever He calls to do a job for Him. Meanwhile, let’s not forget God’s general goodness in generously bestowing our undeserved Thursday Blessings on us, so that we may do His earthly work. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made those declarations (yesss!!!), it now behooves us to go out and use those underserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed then on us. Much LOVE!
…when the Lord says jump…it’s wisest to quickly say…Yes Lord…how high…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a licentious society, a positive outlook on life, a strong will, abundance, Ahimelech, be as a tree planted by the waters, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, boast of evil doing, Chrisitanity, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, Doeg the Edomite, duty bound, evildoers will be destroyed, faith, flourish like a green olive tree, God has given us all the good things we have, God shall likewuse destroy thee for ever, Goliath's sword, good freinds, good health, hallowed shrew bread, her leaf shall be green, holy spirit, I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever, I will praise thee for ever, I will wait on thy name, in the house of God, in the midst of thee, in thee are those who eat upon the mountais, it is good before the saints, Jesus Christ, Jesus has promised never to leave nor forsake us, like a green olive tree, like a sharp razor, living like Satan dictates, LOVE, lying rather than to speak righteousness, men that carry tales to shed blood, mercy, negative word' favour, neither shall cease from bearing fruit, pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, promotion, rejected God and his word, root thee out of the land of the living, salvation, Selah, self-control, self-discipline, shall not be careful in the year of drought, shall not see when heat comes, slander to cause bloodshed, spreadeth out her roots by the river, strife-filled and chaotic world, success, supernatural wisdom, take thee away, talent, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the goodness of God endureth continually, the land of the living, the penultimate day of the work week, the tongue deviseth mischief, the tongue plans destruction, they commit lewdness, thou deceitful tongue, thou lovest all devouring words, thou lovest eveil more than good, to help us whenever we call on him, trust in the Lord's goodness and mercy, truth, undeserved blessings, whose hope the Lord is, why boastest thou thyself in mischief, wisdom, working deceitfully
Psalm 52:8. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
And then it was Thursday, our penultimate day of the work week. And as the past many days, it’s opened bright and sunshiny, with a cool breeze wafting through the trees, but although it’s not too hot at midday, who knows how much the temperature will increase as the afternoon rolls in. But whatever happens, we will manage it wisely and successfully with Jesus’ awesome help, because He has promised to never leave nor forsake us and help us whenever we call on Him.
And today, the Good Library opened at an interesting but little considered Psalm 52, titled ‘Evildoers Will Be Destroyed,’ written by Bruh David when the betrayer Doeg, the Edomite, went to king Saul and told him that David had come to the house of Ahimelech, the priest, at Nob, who had given him the hallowed shrew bread and Goliath’s sword aiding his efforts to escape from Saul’s murderous hand. And we can find that story in 1 Samuel 21.
The scholars tell us that the psalm is one of eight Bruh David wrote while fleeing from Saul. He begins this one thus: ‘Why boastest thou thyself in mischief (evil doing), O mighty man? the goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS) of God endureth continually. The tongue deviseth mischief (plans destruction); like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou LOVEST evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou LOVEST all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.’ (Ps. 52:1-4)
Wow! Those are truly tough words. It’s like the prophet Ezekiel said of the people of Israel: ‘In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood (slander to cause bloodshed): and in thee they (are they who) eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.’ (Ezek. 22:9) And isn’t that the very same thing that’s happening right now in our slanderous, dysfunctional and licentious society? Of course it is! For we have rejected God and His Word and are living like Satan dictates. No wonder the strife-filled and chaotic state of our world.
But getting back to the psalm, it’s interesting to note the scholars take on the first four verses. They say: ‘The description of Doeg is one of the most contemptuous in Scripture. But because of his betrayal Doeg will be destroyed.’ And Bruh David details that in the next verse. ‘God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.’ (Ps. 52:5)
Now that’s certainly a wish for thorough destruction. However something good will come from it. That is: ‘The righteous shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness (destruction)’ (Ps. 52:6-7)
Yes friends, there are indeed valuable lessons to be learned from the destruction of the wicked. Unfortunately though, too many of us supposed believers don’t learn from it, and continue going in the way of the devil, down the wide and winding way that leads to destruction. But please remember, that all these scriptures about the destruction of the wicked are for our benefit, to enlighten us to the foolishness of following the diviner of darkness, Satan.
Instead we should be like Bruh David describes. ‘But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.’ (Ps. 52:8) Oh my faithful brethren, that’s what happens when we trust in the Lord’s goodness and mercy, we thrive and flourish like a green olive tree.
Or, as Jeremiah so beautifully puts it: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from bearing fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8)
Oh my people, what a wonderful picture of what happens to those who trust in Almighty God! No wonder Bruh David ends the psalm thus: ‘I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.’ (Ps. 52:9) That’s our best bet friends! Praising God for ever and ever is what it’s all about. And it’s one of the reasons He created us. So if we are wise and put our trust in God, then praise should come automatically. And consequently His goodness and mercy will follow us all the day long. It’s so simple and wonderful; praise and trust, bring goodness and mercy!
And also, through God’s great generosity, come undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that sincere declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…why don’t we LOVE, trust and praise our Creator…when He’s the one who’s given us all the good things we have…especially the breath of life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a godless society, a great family, a positive outlook on life, a strong will, abundance, actions prove love, an expression of love, another day another dollar, arise and flourish, baptizing them in the name of the Father, be completely lost, Christians, complacent, curse, discarded on the dumping ground fo life, divine protection, even unto the end of the world, faith, favour, fear him which can destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, fight the good fight, glorify your Father which is in heaven, good for nothing, good friends, greed, hide your light under a bushel, highest level of innovation, his commandments are not grievous, holy spirit, I am with you always, if any man will come after me, if ye love me keep my commandments, in the name of the Holy Spirit, in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ, keep arrogance and judgement from my heart, lack of faithful witness for Christ, lazy, let him deny himself, Let your light so shine before men, lost our salty flavour, LOVE, mercy, negative things, negative word, nigh impossible, not able to kill the soul, not putting fort the necessary effort, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, overrun by negative things, positive ad productive changes, preach Christ Crucified, promotion, prosperity, salvation, see your good works, self-aggrandizement, self-control, spread our salty flavour, stand strong in Faith, supernatural wisdom, take up his cross daily and follow me, talent, teach all nations, teaching them to observe all things, that we keep his commandments, the BIBLE, the Great Commission, the salt of the earth, this is the love of God, through him that loved us, to be cast out, trodden under foot of men, truth, we are more than conquerors, we can do anything through Jesus, whatsoever I have commanded you, wisdom, with Jesus in our lives, Ye are the light of the world
John 14:15. If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.
Another day, another dollar! That’s what we’re working for, on this Thursday morning in early July. But in reality, after taxes, inflation, pension plan etc. etc. we might only end up with about thirty five cents out of that dollar, and it’s definitely not easy, nigh impossible, to live on that in these dreadful times. However, as children of God, who have been made to see another sunshiny summer’s day on God’s great earth, we have the ability to make something from nothing, for we can do any and everything through Christ Jesus who strengthens and enables us. (Phil. 4:13)
Give Him the glory my people! For He’s been such a blessing to us, that without Him, we’d be completely lost and discarded on the dumping ground of life. But with Jesus in our lives, we can arise and flourish, for we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. (Rom. 8:37) And how wonderful it is to further know that NOTHING can separate us from the marvellous LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:38-39)
No wonder we stand strong in faith and fight the good fight that Jesus has called us to engage in on His behalf. We know it as the Great Commission, where He commands us to ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20)
Now that’s the job we ought to be doing down here on earth if we claim to believe in Jesus and all that he stands for. But unfortunately we’re not doing such a great job, judging by the overwhelming strife, anguish, poverty, hunger and sickness that exist in a world of plenty; a world that’s reached its highest level of innovation, knowledge, information and prosperity in its entire existence. But all these negative things exist because our world is also a generally godless society that is overrun by other negative things like greed, arrogance, entitlement and self-aggrandizement.
The truth of the matter though is that we supposed believers are not putting forth the energy and effort necessary to make positive and productive changes in our world. We’re either lazy and complacent, living in our comfortable little corner, not wanting to be disturbed or bothered to help anyone in need. Or, we are afraid of what man can do to us, if and when we preach and live Christ crucified. But please remember Jesus’ warning to that situation. ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28)
That means we’re not to be afraid of man, because all he can kill is our bodies, but our fear should be of God who can destroy both our bodies and souls. But that doesn’t seem to bother us in the least since we’re going about our selfish business as usual, without a qualm regarding our lack of good and faithful witness for Jesus.
Like we’ve also forgotten, or simply disregarded His entreaty, that we’re the salt of the earth, and should be spreading that salty flavour of Christianity all over the planet. And why aren’t we doing that eh? Is it because we have apparently lost our salty flavour? If so, then as Jesus says, we are good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. (Matt. 5:13) I would certainly hope that is not the case.
And what about Jesus’ other contention? ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.’ (Matt. 5:14) Yes friends, that’s what we’re supposed to be; bright lights shining forth like cities and lighthouses set on hills, to provide the light of Jesus for the numerous people who are still living in darkness today. But instead, we seem to be hiding our light under a bushel or a basket, so that it’s not getting to anyone else and lighting their way. But Jesus’ specific instruction was to: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16)
Ah mih people, how easily we disregard Jesus’ desires, but yet still insist on calling ourselves His ambassadors and disciples. Remember His saying on 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, that’s what a disciple of Christ looks like! And how many of us can truthfully claim to be doing that to the best of our ability eh? Not enough of us!
Let’s also remember the rather profound statement that Jesus made while comforting the disciples before His departure. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) It’s as simple as that my fellow believers. If we LOVE Jesus, we will keep His commandments. And this commentary explains the verse thus: ‘It emphasizes that LOVING Jesus is demonstrated through obedience to his teachings and instructions. The verse highlights that keeping commandments is not a burden, but an expression of LOVE and a way to experience a deeper relationship with God.’
And John corroborates that when he says in his first epistle: ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ (1 John 5:3) No my brethren, God’s commandments are not burdensome, but we do have to come up a little higher than normal to keep them. And on that exhilarating note, (smile) let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) and thus activating what we call our Thursday Blessings, undeserved, but generously given to us by God to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…you can’t say you LOVE someone…and not have actions to prove it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God of refuge and comfort, a positive outlook on life., abundance, almighty god, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, be careful for nothing, be ye thankful, bring my soul out of prison, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, christianity, Christians, curse, deal bountifully with me, deliver me from my persecutors, did I make my supplication, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, duty bound, favour, fear, give God His due, give heed to my cry, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, good family, good health, handle the situation, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, holy spirit, I am brought low, I cried unto the Lord with my voice, I cried unto thee O Lord, I declared my trouble, I fainted, I will bless the Lord at all times, in a calm and positive manner, in every thing, in the land of the living, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, let your request be made known unto God, life cannot always be sunshine, looked on my right hand, LOVE, mercy, my refuge, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, my spirit was overwhelmed, negative word, no man cared for my soul, no man that would acknowledge me, only one place to turn for safe refuge, poured out my complaint, praayer and thanksgiving, refuge failed me, running away from homes, salvation, secretly laid a snare for me, self-control, stormy weather, success, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, talent, that I may praise thy name, the BIBLE, the humble shall hear and be glad, the Lord God Jehovah, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the process of rebuilding, the rain must fall, the righteous shall compass me about, the two basics of Christian life, they are stronger than I, thou art my refuge and my portion, thou knewest my path, times of discomfort, to escape the wildfires, to nourish the land, truth, use those blessings for the good of others, whatsoever ye do in word and deed, wildfires, wisdom, with my voice
Psalm 142:5. I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
The beautiful summer days seems to have been quite short lived, just two, (smile) for this Thursday has opened damp and somewhat cloudy after a night of rain, and more rain is forecasted for later today and the upcoming days. But as we all know, life cannot be sunshine all the time, the rain must fall to nourish the land.
And how the Western Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are dying to see torrents of rain, so that the many wildfires currently plaguing them could be extinguished and allow them to get on with their lives. But unfortunately they are not being granted that wish and have to be running away from their homes and towns to avoid the ever expanding wildfires.
Let’s pray that their ordeal will soon end, and they can begin the tough process of rebuilding. But until then, there’s only one place they can turn to for safe and perfect refuge, that’s in the Lord God Jehovah. For He is indeed a God of refuge and comfort. And when those times of discomfort, fear and stormy weather overtake us, He is the One we should first turn to, like Bruh David did when he was forced to hide in a cave from his enemies, especially king Saul.
He writes in Psalm 142: ‘I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed (declared) before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me (I fainted), then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily (secretly) laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know (acknowledge) me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend (give heed) unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about (surround me); for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.’ (Ps. 142:1-7)
Oh my people, please, let’s use this psalm today as a reminder that our great God is indeed a place of refuge and comfort; a God to whom we can sincerely cry out in times of trouble and expect His awesome help. Sometimes it might not come right away, because He’s using the situation to test us, but we will always receive the wherewithal to handle the situation in a calm and positive manner. That’s His faithful promise. But we need to do it in a reverential manner, somewhat like how the scholars said Bruh David did it. ‘After presenting his lament (vs. 1-4), David lifts up his petition (vs. 5-6) and promises his thanksgiving when God answers (vs. 7).’
Yes friends, although we might be in serious trouble, we must still take the time to give God His due; that’s praise and thanksgiving, and not just rush blindly and arrogantly into demanding mode. That reminds us of the opening verses of Psalm 34: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.’ (Ps, 34:1-2)
As Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto the Lord. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) That informs us that every prayer must have some form of thanksgiving in it. We don’t just boldly and selfishly ask for whatever we desire. No, we must also offer a modicum of thanks and praise for God’s goodness to His human creation.
And we can reinforce that by remembering Bruh Paul’s writing to the Colossians, when he speaks of putting on the new man. These verses certainly expand our horizons (smile). ‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. …And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:15; 17) That means, as Bruh Paul writes to the Thessalonians: ‘In EVERY THING give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18)
And that’s the long and short of the story my fellow saints; in everything we do or say, thanks ought to be given to God. So please, let’s integrate it, or keep it integrated, (smile) in all aspects of our lives, for it’s God’s desire for His human creation. Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us by the Lord to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the good of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…prayer and thanksgiving are…the two basics of the Christian life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep desire for personal righteousness, a hungry animal, a message of hope, a mighty rushing wind, a new heart will I also give you, a new spirit will I put within you, a renewed relationship with God, a sound from heaven, a spiritual transformation, a strong will, a thirsting soul, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, began to speak with other tongues, believers, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, broken right now in the name of Jesus, broken the gates of brass, cause you to walk in my statutes, christianity, cloven tongues like fire, complete satisfaction, curse, cut the bars of iron asunder, divine protection, early will I seek thee, everything originates from God, faith, favour, filled with the Holy Ghost, for his goodness, fulfilment, give you an heart of flesh, good health, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, he satisfieth the longing soul, his wonderful works to the children of men, holy spirit, I will bless thee while I live, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is, Jesus Christ, keep my judgements and do them, lift up my hands in thy name, LOVE, mercy, my flesh longs for you, my lips shall praise thee, my soul longeth for thee, my soul thirsteth for god, negative word, O God thou art my God, obedience to God's law, oh that men would praise the Lord, Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament, other languages, outpouring of righteousness, panting for food or water, promostion, proof of their spiritual rebirth, propser, put my spirit within you, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, share our blessings with others, so panteth my soul after thee O God, spiritual poverty, spiritual rebirth, spiritual renewal, succeed, supernatural wisdom, take away the stony heart out of your flesh, the Beatitudes, the BIBLE, The Day of Pentecost, the Holy spirit indwelling believers, the indisputable truth, the living God, the penultimate day of our work week, the prophecy of Ezekiel, the sons of Korah, they shall be filled, thy loving-kindness is better than life, to see thy power and thy glory, truth, underserved blessings, When shall I come and appear before God, wisdom, yearning for perishable things, yearning for spiritual things
Psalm 107:15. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
So we’ve come to Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, a warm and sunshiny day, and we’re just panting for Friday, like a hungry or thirsty animal panting for food or water. Oh, how I wish we could be like the sons of Korah say in Psalm 42: ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2)
And Bruh David corroborates it in Psalm 63, ‘A Thirsting Soul’ while in the wilderness, running from his arch enemy King Saul. He writes: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul longeth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;’ (Ps. 63:1)
Yes friends, it’s the living God we should be panting and thirsting for; not the day when we get a break from work! For who do you think allows you to have that break eh? In the long run, it’s the living God! In fact everything that you have or get, initially flows from Almighty God! It might come through other people, but it all originates from the grace, mercy and LOVE of our heavenly Father! As Bruh David spells out in the next couple of verses. ‘To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee (looked for thee) in the sanctuary. Because thy LOVING-KINDNESS is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.’ (Ps. 63:2-4)
Now that’s how we supposed believers ought to be behaving, not looking forward to the material, perishable things of the world, as so many of us are currently doing. It’s like Jesus says in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6)
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation of that verse. ‘These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst for righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which ONLY God can give them. They shall be filled refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Ps. 107:9)
And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers! When we sincerely hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God, He fills us up, because that is His very nature, which He cannot deny. And we find one of the best examples of that in the Book of Acts, on the Day of Pentecost when the church members were sitting together in a room, ‘And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (in other languages), as the Spirit gave then utterance.’ (Acts. 2:2-4)
Oh my brethren, that was certainly an unusual outpouring of righteousness all at once, but it marked the beginning of the Holy Spirt indwelling believers and not operating outside on certain occasions. It’s what God promised the Israelites in the prophesy of Ezekiel. ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:26-27)
And this commentary offers an explanation of those verses. ‘They promise a spiritual transformation, where God will replace the Israelites’ “heart of stone” (stubbornness, resistance) with a “heart of flesh” (responsiveness, obedience), and infuse them with a “new spirit,” symbolizing a renewed relationship with God and obedience to His laws. This promise is a type of the New Covenant, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, offering spiritual renewal to all believers.
In essence, Ezekiel 36:26 is a powerful message of hope and spiritual renewal, promising a restoration of the Israelites’ relationship with God through a transformation of their hearts and minds. This transformation is also seen as a foreshadowing of the New Covenant, where God’s spirit dwells within believers, enabling them to live in obedience and righteousness.’
Now that ought to help us believe God’s Word even more, as those prophecies in the Old Testament keep being fulfilled in the New Testament. Consequently, our behaviour ought to be like the psalmist says in Psalm 107: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he hath broken the gates of brass (bronze), and cut the bars of iron in sunder.’ (Ps. 107:15-16)
Yes, friends, the Lord has broken all our chains and released us from the prison of sin and being hell bound through the auspices of Christ’s work on the cross of Calvary. That means we should be thankful, grateful and show it through our obedience and LOVE, especially since He’s further showered us with our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. So let’s declare and activate them right now nuh.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yeah!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…instead of yearning for perishable earthly things…we ought to ye yearning for imperishable spiritual or heavenly things…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strong will, abundance, brake it and gave to the disciples, by whom the Son of man is betrayed, Christ's Last Supper, christianity, clear direction for my life, come to know and love Jesus, commemorating the memory of Jesus, consternation, courage, creativity, curse, drink it new with you, drink of the fruit of this vine, drink ye all of it, duty bound, enabled God to forgive sins, example of humility, exceeding sorrowful, faith, favour, for the remission of sins, goes as it is written of him, good for that man he had not been born, he that dippeth his hand with me, he took the cup and gave thanks, Holy Communion, holy spirit, Holy Thursday, humility- a lost attitude, in my Father's kingdom, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus too bread and blessed it, Jesus' sacrificial death, Lord is it I, LOVE, Maundy Thursday, mercy, my time is at hand, negative word, one of you shall betray me, prosper, redemption from Egyptthe cup of blessing, salvation, self-disicpline, shed for many, success, supernatural wisdom, surprise announcement, take eat this is my body, talent, the BIBLE, the bread of affliction, the covenant was sealed with blood, the cup of blessing, the current attitude is to exalt oneself, the greatest among you shall be your servant, the intimate nature of the betrayal, the Passover, the redemption from sin, the same shall betray me, the Son of man, this is my blood of the new testament, truth, washing of feet, which our fathers ate in Egypt, whoever shall exalt himself shall be hubled, wisdom, woe unto the man
Matthew 26:28. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins.
At last it’s Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday, according to which religion or geographical area you belong to. Anyway, it’s the second saddest day of the year, after Good Friday. It’s the fifth day of Holy Week and is known for the Celebration of Christ’s Last Supper with His disciples, where He gave us the discipline of Holy Communion to remember Him by.
That night Jesus also gave the disciples a warning example of the humility He expected from them, and consequently from us by washing their feet. It was one of the lowliest jobs in existence and was usually done by slaves. However, Jesus doffed His clothes and donned a towel and washed their feet letting them see and experience the full meaning of the words He had spoken to them before: ‘But he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (lifted up)’ (Matt. 23:11-12)
But sadly that state of affairs doesn’t exist in today’s world nor enough in Christ’s church, for the current attitude is to exalt oneself above others; the higher, the better. Humility is a lost attitude in these proud and arrogant times, and when it’s found, it’s considered weakness and foolishness by the majority of our fellow men. But let’s not forget that Jesus’ kingdom is an upside down one, where you believe before you see, you humble yourself and not exalt it, and several other attitudes that the world considers nonsense.
Anyway, on that famous night of the Last Supper, Jesus skewed the usual Jewish Passover meal, when He sat with them in the room He had directed them to go and arrange. When they asked where they were to prepare the meal, He’d said: ‘Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master (teacher) saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples.’ (Matt. 26:18) And they did as instructed.
The Bible then tells us: ‘Now when the even (evening) was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?’ (Matt. 26:20-22) Can you imagine the consternation that surprise announcement must have made amongst the twelve, with each wondering if it would be them.
But Jesus answered and said, ‘He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: (Dan. 9:26) but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He (Jesus) said unto him, Thou hast said (said it).’ (Matt. 26:23-24) Now the Bible doesn’t tell us what happened directly after those statements. But the scholars tell us that He that dippeth reveals the personal and intimate nature of the betrayal, and Thou hast said means “yes.”
After those eye opening comments, the Bible continues: ‘And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it (drink from it all of you); For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.’ (Matt. 26:26-30)
Yes friends, that’s the advent of what we call Holy Communion, the commemorating or honouring the memory of Jesus, of His sacrificial body and blood when we celebrate it. Now, let’s hear some interesting explanations from the scholars on what we’ve just read. As per ‘Jesus took bread: The head of the Jewish household was accustomed to doing this during the Passover feast. Jesus gave a completely new significance to the action. This is my body: During the Passover feast, the Jewish householder took bread in hand and said, “This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt,” meaning of course, that one represented the other.
By His words the Lord changed the whole significance and emphasis of the feast from looking back to the typical redemption from Egypt to faith in the redemption from sin accomplished by His death. The bread and wine were only outward symbols of our Lord’s death. Nothing in the Gospels indicates that these were to be viewed as a means of grace, sacraments, or that they were physically necessary for one’s salvation. Per The cup: Three cups were passed around by the Jewish householder during the Passover meal; the third, which is probably the one referred to here, being known as “the cup of blessing.”
Then My blood of the new testament taken from the Greek Septuagint version (the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) of Exodus 24:8, with allusions to Jeremiah 31:31 and Zechariah 9:11. The covenant in Exodus 24:8 was sealed with blood. The word testament can also mean a covenant. Shed for many for the remission of sins: Here is a clear statement that the death of Jesus was necessary to enable God to forgive sins. It, in fact made it right or morally justifiable for Him to do so. That day refers to the time when He comes again in glory.’
Now, I do hope that we all learned some new and interesting stuff from the scholars explanations. I did. But it’s time to for us to declare (oh no!!!) our Thursday Blessings, undeserved blessings the Lord bestowed on us do His earthly work. So let’s do that as one loud and sincere voice nuh. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
That means we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Holy Communion…serves to remind us…of the overall importance of Jesus…especially His sacrificial death…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a joy, bangles, baubles, bright shiny things, broken right now in the name of Jesus, climate change, curse, dem's the breaks, Demas hath forsaken me, discouraging message, divine protection, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, favour, following Jesus is a serious commitment, fulfillment, go thou and preach the kingdom of God, hands fixed securely on the plough, having loved this present world, he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, holy spirit, if any man love the world, is fit for the kingdom of heaven, Jesus Christ, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, let the dead bury their dead, life's lesser matters, look to the future not the past, looking back, looking back means you're not dedicated enough, LOVE, love not the world, lust of the flesh, mercy, meritorious benefits, moth and rust doth corrupt, negative word, no man having put his hand to the plough, not looking back, only a life with Jesus lasts forever, personal desires, physical desires, plow means work or task, pride, pride of life, prosper, rewards for faithful service, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, self-interest, share generously, springtime, strong faith in Christ, succeed, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, the disciple has more important things to do, the love of the Father is not in him, the lust of the eyes, the lust thereof, the spiritually dead, the spiritually dead can bury the physically dead, the spiritually living, the world passes away, thieves break through and steal, things of the world, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, winter climate, wisdom, working for God on earth
Luke 9:62. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit (suitable) for the kingdom of heaven.
Oh friends, Thursday has opened bright and sunshiny from the very beginning, although it’s still somewhat chilly. Let’s hope it stays that way…but luck of all luck, I just looked down at the bottom of the computer and saw this dreary and discouraging message: ‘3 cm of snow on Sunday.’ Brother, I thought that since we’re in springtime, we were all over with that white stuff, but apparently not. And we can’t write off the report, because last week when it said snow on Monday, we did get snow early on Monday morning, although not a great amount and it melted very quickly.
But dem’s the breaks! If you live in the winter climate, you must expect winter weather at any time, especially with the crazy weather patterns that we’re currently experiencing in the throes of climate change. Anyway, not to worry, we will overcome whatever comes against us through strong faith in, and the help of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. He’s promised it, and He keeps all of His promises.
So, today, let’s look at a couple of interesting verses from Luke’s gospel. The story behind it is that one man wants to follow Jesus, but he wants to go and bury his father first. To which Jesus replies: ‘Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9: 60) Now that sounds somewhat rough and unfeeling of Jesus, but this commentary explains it thus: ‘The man needs to let someone else bury his father; he needs to spread the news of the coming of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ play on words most likely means that the spiritually dead—those who refuse to follow Him—can bury the physically dead; in this case, the spiritually living—the disciple—has more important things to do.’
That leads to this next situation. Another man wants to go and say farewell to his family before following Jesus. ‘And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit (suitable) for the kingdom of heaven.’ (Luke 9:62) Now that’s a big statement my people! And what does it mean? The scholars put it thus: ‘One who makes life’s lesser matters of greater priority than God’s work is of little use to him.’
Then this commentary explains: ‘Luke is showing that following Jesus is a serious commitment. We can’t look back at the past; we need to keep our eyes on our work and where it will take us in the future.’ Meanwhile this other commentary says: ‘Plow is synonymous with work or a task. The implication is that once you begin your walk with Jesus, but then look back to the worldly life you lived once before (i.e.: in longing for), you are not dedicated enough to continue and/or complete that task.’
There you have it my brethren: Basically, once we have begun our walk with Jesus we cannot look back or long for the things of the past, but need to press on to the things of the future that Jesus has in store for us. That’s why we have this statement in our Wednesday Wail: ‘My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus.’ It’s all about looking to the future my brethren!
And we have an interesting comment on just that from Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica…’ (2 Tim. 4:9-10) Now, that’s the kind of thing Jesus is talking about. We cannot just up and leave our ministry for the world and expect everything to be hunky dory.
As John so rightly puts it in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interest), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)
Ah mih people, I know Satan and his evil cronies are always throwing baubles, bangles and bright shiny things in our faces, and it’s hard to stay away from the entrancing and captivating things of the world, but we need to seriously realize that most of those things are either not necessary, ungodly, or not a part of God’s will for us, plus they will not last forever. Only a life with Jesus will last forever!
Jesus made it quite clear, when He delivered these teachings. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21)
Yes friends, we should not be so taken up with accumulating things here on earth, which rust and rot and thieves can steal, but with accumulating treasures in heaven, where they are safeguarded from moths, rust and thieves. And according to the scholars: ‘The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits, but rather of rewards for faithful service, as illustrated elsewhere in the teachings of Jesus.’
And yuh know what, our God is such a great God that He’s bestowed undeserved blessings on us so that we can better do His earthly work and thus earn more heavenly rewards for faithful service. We call them our Thurseday Blessings. So, let’s declare them out loud and thus activate them nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…working for God on earth…should be a joy…as we consider…the treasures we’re building up in heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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