04 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious summer's day, a sacificial way, a sacrificial life, according to your compassion, according to your unfailing love, all of it, an attitude of prayer, an end to all good things must be, balance work with play, be discouraged, be out and about, blot out his/her transgressions, Caribana celebrations, carrying your loved ones as you go, christianity, cleanse him/her form all unrighteousness, come to know and love christ like we do, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, daily grind and common task, despising the shame, direct it like a river, doing right by everyone, endured such hostility of sinners, endured the cross, even on the long boring days, every day, every hour, faith, faithfully holding them in prayer, Father, follow Christ's example, for the joy that was set before him, godly purposes, godly ways of doing certain things, have mercy O Lord on my loved one, help usually involves sacrifice, helping others, holy spirit, honouring this life, how you move beyond what's comfortable, how you move forward in faith, how you show up, hurry, If any man will follow me, in god's eyes, In Touch Devotional, In Touch Devotional how you move forward, is set down at the right hand of the throne of God, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the best example, knowing God is carrying you through, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, let him deny himself, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, living the uncomfortable life, lock stock and barrel, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, loving sacrificially, mercy, my loved one's heart is in your hands, my neck of the woods, not perfectly, not what people say about me, outdoors, pray without ceasing, prayer should be a constant in our lives, present with the people around you, refreshed our minds and souls, remaining steady, remembering where God has taken you so far, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, staying open to where God will take you, take up his cross daily and follow me, the author and finisher of our faith, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the Christian way is a sacrificial way, the Christian way is not being comfortable, the life you'e been entrusted with, the whole wide world, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, upend our comfort, wash away his/her iniquity, we all love our comfort, we're here for that journey, wherever you please, wisdom, worry
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 August 2026 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
1 Thessalonians 5:17. ‘Pray without ceasing.’
Oh friends, it’s another glorious summer’s day in my neck of the woods! Bright sunshine and cool breezes make it an excellent day to be out and about outdoors, but sadly I’m stuck in here writing the Bit. (smile) But that’s okay, it’s my own fault for not starting earlier so that I could finish earlier. Anyway, as they say, all good things to an end must come, and thus the Caribana celebrations and all the other festivities of the past weekend are now over and done with, and we’re back to the daily grind and common task of work, work, and more work. But work is a good thing, there are many benefits to it, we just have to learn to balance it with our play time.
And since the Lord has granted us more breath of life to see today, let’s keep our promise from yesterday of continuing to look at the interesting article in poem form from the July In Touch Devotional. It reads: ‘This is how you move forward in faith: by remembering where God has taken you so far and staying open to where He’ll take you tomorrow. This is how you show up: by carrying your LOVED ones as you go, every hour, every day – not perfectly but faithfully holding them in prayer.
This is how you move beyond what’s comfortable: by LOVING sacrificially, doing right by everyone, honouring this life you’ve been entrusted with. Even on the long days, the boring days, the wish-it-were-already-tomorrow days. Remaining steady, present with the people around you. Knowing God is carrying you through. We’re here for that journey. All of it.’
Yes friends, it’s all true’ there are certain things we need to do in this life and certain Christian or godly ways of doing them. Now, yesterday we dealt with the first aspect of the poem,; moving forward in faith, using the example of Bruh David’s life. Let’s look now at the second aspect; how you show up. And they say you do that by constantly carrying your LOVED ones; faithfully keeping them in your prayers as you go through this life. In general, it’s like Bruh Paul says in 1 Thessalonians: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess. 5:17) Meaning prayer should be a constant in our lives, or have an attitude of prayer.
And also like he says in Ephesians: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for the all saints.’ (Eph .6:18) That’s about praying for all believers, but there are prayers we could use for our LOVED ones in particular, like this one drawn from Deuteronomy 30:6: ‘Lord, circumcise my LOVED one’s heart so that he/she may LOVE you with all his/her heart and with all his/her soul, and live.’
And this one drawn from Psalm 51 – Bruh David’s plea for forgiveness. ‘Have mercy O Lord on my LOVED one, according to your unfailing LOVE, according to your compassion blot out his/her transgressions. Wash away his/her iniquity and cleanse him/her from all unrighteousness.’ (Ps. 51:1) And like this one drawn from Proverbs: ‘Father, my LOVED one’s heart is in your hands, direct it like a river wherever you please.’ (Prov. 21:1) And there are many other scriptures from which we can extrapolate or convert to prayers for our LOVED ones, but keeping them prayed up is a must.
And the last aspect of the poem is: ‘This is how you move beyond what’s comfortable:’ Now that won’t sit right with many of us, because we all LOVE our comfort, especially in these times when almost everything is being done to make us as comfortable as possible. But that’s not the Christian way; it’s not the example that Christ showed when He was down here on earth. No! Christ’s way is a sacrificial way. It doesn’t dwell solely on comfort, but on ways to help others. And wherever help is involved, sacrifice will most likely be there also.
And there’s nothing to upend our comfort like reminding us of Christ’s desire for His followers. (smile) ‘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 mih bredrin, an uncomfortable sacrificial life is the possible lot of a believer in Christ Jesus. It won’t always be such, but if it does turn out to be like that, then we’re supposed to embrace it like Christ embraced His sacrificial life down here.
That’s why the author of Hebrews could write: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (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 (be discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Undoubtedly my fellow believers, Jesus is the best example of living the uncomfortable sacrificial life, for He did as the poem says: by LOVING sacrificially, doing right by everyone, honouring the life He was entrusted with. Even on the long, bad and boring days. Remaining steady, present with the people around Him, because He knew that God would carry Him through the job He was sent down here to do. Likewise, so should we, since we too ‘Are here for that journey. All of it.’
And having refreshed our minds and souls with some of our godly purposes and requirements, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That means we now have to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the big thing in Christ’s life was sacrifice…and so should it also be…in the lives of Christians…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bad planning, being obedient to God's will, bringing shame and disgrace on the name of Jesus, Calypsonian Shadow, Caribana celebrations, Caribbean Carnival, costumed revellers, deepen my breath, faith, feeling the feelings, find them sincere and true, full value for their money, go and pray unto me, gospel truth, grow in spiritual maturity, growing in godliness, hearken unto you, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if any man will come after me, in all sincerity and truth, in the middle of the band's performance, increase my awareness of you today, invigorating sounds of West Indian musci, Jesus Christ, Lamport Stadium, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, leggo beast behaviour, let him deny himself, living for God, LOVE, Love the Lord thy God, mercy, not growing in spiritual maturity, Pan Alive Steelband Competition, Pan Fantasy, quiet my soul, RBC Redemption Sound Setters, relax my muscles, sacrifice, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seeking sincere intimacy with God, self-discipline, shut off the lights, sincere love for God, slow my thoughts, take our faith for granted, take up his cross daily and follow me, thank you for this tenderness, the first and great commandment, the great commandment, the Lord checks the state of our hearts, the wee hours of the morning, then shall ye call upon me, truth, unfulfilled lives, using small bands as filler, warmed the cockles of God's heart, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, ye shall seek me and find me, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 August 2026 Matthew 22:37.
Matthew 22:37. Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
And what a gorgeous summer’s day is this first Saturday in August; well suited to the Caribana, sorry, the Caribbean Carnival Parade taking place right now down on the lakeshore of Toronto, with the bright costumed revellers jumping down the street to the sweet, invigorating sounds of West Indian music. Ah mih people, I remember the days when I use to be front and centre down on University Avenue, and later Lakeshore Boulevard behaving like leggo beast.
It’s interesting though that this is the 59th version of Caribana – and you can call it want you want, it will go down as Caribana in the annals of history. It seems like I missed the first five, but was very present at the next thirty, and probably haven’t seen one in the last twenty, because of my reduced physical condition, and the watering down of the celebration in my opinion.
But I do attend one function of the celebration each year; that’s the Pan Alive, or Steelband Competition on the Friday night, and although I wasn’t feeling up to scratch, nonetheless dragged myself out to it last night. And it wasn’t bad, although not up to the standard of some earlier years, when you had more big and serious bands, participating, without the small bands being used as filler. But most of them sounded good, although the surprise of the evening was the guest band from Bethel, Tobago, the RBC Redemption Sound Setters, who played after the competition was over, that’s after midnight, when they rudely shut off the lights in Lamport Stadium in the middle of the band’s performance.
Only in Toronto you say! And that happened because of bad organization. The show was billed to start at 7 p.m. but did not get going until after 8; a regular occurrence. Then they had too much stuff before the bands began to play, necessitating the show to go till after midnight. And sadly it happens every year; poor planning and execution. But this is the first time I’ve seen them turn off the lights.
Thankfully though, one spotlight remained on the band and they gave the small remaining crowd full value for their money. Everybody was surprised at how good they were and how different their pans sounded to ours up here. I myself was surprised, although I had visited their pan yard a few years ago when I was in Tobago and heard them playing well. And if they were still playing after midnight, that tells you I did not get home until the wee hours of the morning, thus I am somewhat late on this lazy-day Saturday. (smile)
By the way, my side, Pan Fantasy did not win the competition this year…you can’t do so every year, else it won’t be a competition, (smile). And although I don’t agree, the Judges and many of the audience agreed that PanMasters Steel Orchestra won the competition with a rousing rendition of the song ‘Feeling the Feeling ‘ from the amazing repertoire of the now departed, but still dearly LOVED Tobago born Calypsonian Shadow.
Anyway, enough talk, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And I know that when the Lord checks the state of our hearts, He will find them sincere and true, thus He won’t hesitate to fill us with the peace and calm that we’ve asked for, because the cockles of His heart were warmed by our seeking sincere intimacy with Him. And that’s all the Lord really desires of us yes; sincere intimacy with Him. And He says it several times in His Word, as in this instance through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes friends, that’s what the Lord desires of us; seeking him with all of our hearts! And it’s like when the arrogant Pharisee lawyer said to Jesus: ‘Master (Teacher),which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.’ (Matt. 22:36-38) And if Jesus says it, then we know it’s the gospel truth!
That just goes to show how important seeking and LOVING our wonderful God is. The problem though, seems to be that we don’t take those words as seriously as we ought to, and therefore don’t seek the Lord or LOVE Him as much as we should. And I believe our failure to do that shows up in the evil and ungodliness of our world, and the unfulfilled lives that so many of us are living, even supposed believers. Too many of us either take our faith for granted, or don’t pay sufficient attention to the things we ought to do to grow in spiritual maturity and LOVE for God.
And that’s all we are really about down here yuh know; living for God by being obedient to His will for our lives, while growing in godliness and sincere LOVE for Him. And it’s not rocket science, but it does require some sacrifice and self-discipline. But that’s where too many of us seem to draw the line; we’re not prepared to sacrifice ourselves or our possessions, neither are we willing to give up our right to behave as we so desire. But then how can we call ourselves, Christians or true followers of Christ eh, when that’s exactly what He requires of His people?
And under those circumstances, I believe it’s important that we close with Jesus’ basic requirement for His followers. He says: ‘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 my brethren, that’s what we signed up for when we decided to be a Christian. So let’s not forget it and do otherwise, thus bringing shame and disgrace on the name of Lord Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…God LOVES us… and all He asks…is that we LOVE Him back…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Jul 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a life of service and sacrifice, a piece of clay in the potter's hands, a real scorcher, a Sunday afternoon stroll, able to stand up to any kind of pressure, always complaining, an accumulation of life experiences, back of my neck, be able to comfort those in trouble, become more like Jesus, being confident of this very thing, both to abound and to suffer need, buzzing in our hearts and souls, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, christianity, clones of Jesus, cold, come to know and love him like we do, comforts us in all our tribulation, duty bound, evangelism, everything will turn out right in the end, everywhere and in all things, faith, faithfulness, gentleness, getting dirty and gritty, getting to know Jesus, go home encouraged, go through tough times, God will never abandon us, God's purpose won't be denied, goodness, grow in spiritual maturity, have it more abundantly, he which hath begun a good work in you, heat, high winds, holy spirit, hot town, hurry, I am come that they might have life, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have learned, I know how to abound, I know how to be abased, if any man will come after me, in god's eyes, in God's hands, in whatsoever state I am, it comes gradually, Jesus Christ, joy, kindness, learn from our experiences of life with jesus, let him deny himself, like a bee around a flower, like there's no way forward but God makes one, live humbly, live in prosperity, LOVE, mercy, never satisfied, on God's potter's wheel, over a period of time, patience, peace, persecution, poverty, regretting the end of summer, salvation, see God's awesome love and faithfulness, self-control, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, soon be experiencing the cold of winter, souls grieved unto death, suffer loss or disappointment, summer in the city, take up his cross daily and follow me, the beloved of God, the best life available, the BIBLE, the Christian's eternal security, the crux of the situation, the Father of mercies, the fruit of the spirit, the God of All Comfort, the good shepherd, therewith to be content, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wealth, will perform it until the day of Jesus, wisdom, with the help of the Holy Spirit, worry
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 July 2026 Philippians 4:13.
Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Here it is friends, another hot summer Tuesday in mid-July; a real scorcher with the promise of high winds too! As the song says: ‘Hot town, summer in the city, back of my neck getting dirty and gritty.’ Yes mih people, it looks like we’re in for a truly hot summer…and let’s not complain, because, with the days moving so quickly, before we know it, we will soon be experiencing the cold of winter and ruing (regretting) the day this hot summer ended. (smile) Yes, that’s the way we are, never satisfied, always complaining about one thing or another.
But let’s remember that we are saints of Jesus, with the ability to handle whatever comes against us with a spiritual calm that overrides our natural fleshly behaviour. As Bruh Paul would say: ‘ …for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:11-13)
And that’s the crux of the situation: Christ enables us to do all that we need to do when we’re sincerely living for Him. Consequently, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are able to stand up to any kind of pressure that comes against us; whether it’s poverty or wealth, heat or cold, persecution or evangelism. But the important thing there is that we need to learn how to do all of that, it does not come automatically, easily, or overnight. No, it comes gradually, over a period of time, when we learn from our experiences of life with Jesus.
It’s an accumulation of life experiences. Like when we go through tough times and see His awesome LOVE and faithfulness pull us through. Like when there seems to be no way forward, but He finds one for us. Like when we suffer loss or disappointment and our souls are grieved unto death, and as Bruh Paul, contends: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all out tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Oh mih people, that’s the wonderful and miraculous way in which our great God works; comforts us so that we can comfort others! And each instance of Jesus showing up for us builds our faith and teaches us how to operate the way He desires. And let’s remember how that is. He says: ‘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) That means a life of service and sacrifice like He portrayed here on earth. And no, it won’t always be hard times and suffocating sacrifice, but when it’s necessary we must be able to do it and not complain too much.
Remember too, that Jesus said; ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) Now that doesn’t mean a life of strictly or only sacrifice, but one also filled with LOVE, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness and self-control. In other words, a life filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit! Jesus also called himself the good shepherd, (John 10:11 & 14) and the good shepherd makes life good not difficult for His sheep.
So coming to know and LOVE Jesus can be tough, but believe me, it’s in those tough times that we truly know and appreciate Him, as well as grow in spiritual maturity, and become more like Him, which is the Lord’s desirous outcome for us all. That’s why Bruh Paul tells us: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jeus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) Meaning that once the Lord begins turning us into good clones of Jesus, He won’t ever stop until He takes us home, or Jesus returns.
That means, every day we’re alive, like a rough piece of clay in a potter’s hands, we’re liable to be in God’s hands, and on His potter’s wheel, being moulded and formed into the perfect image of Jesus. Now, that again is not always an easy process, but we have to accept His LOVE and faithful promises that He won’t intentionally hurt us, but that all He does will eventually turn out to be for our good. (Rom. 8:28) As the scholars advise us: ‘This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians (and also in us), and that purpose will neither be abandoned nor unrealized.’
Yes my faithful brethren, God will never abandon us! Of that we can be very sure! So with all that reassurance in God’s power and goodness buzzing in our hearts and souls, like a bee around a beautiful, sweet smelling flower, (smile) let’s go home encouraged, and thus declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, that means we are duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…getting to know Christ…is not a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park…but it’s certainly the best life available here on Mother Earth…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a burr in our sides, a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, abundance, an attitude of prayer, as the heavens are higher than the earth, carrying your loved ones as you go, christianity, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, die an eteral death, divine protection, even in the midst of trials, every day, every hour, faith, favour, fulfilment, glorious and incomparable, God is still on the throne, God never reneges on His promises, God's supernatural wisdom, God's unfailing faithfulness, God's unwavering faithfulness, good familygood friends, good health, have I not seen the righteous forsaken, his seed begging bread, holding them in prayer, holy spirit, honouring this life, how do you show up, how to keep on in our faithful journey with Christ, how you move forward in faith, I have been young and now am old, if any man will come after me, in the name of Jesus, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, Jesus is all about sacrificing, knowing that God is carrying you through, let him deny himself, live for earthly pleasure, live for Jesus, live forever, live the abundant life, living for Christ is the ultimate decision, LOVE, loving sacrifically, lustful pleasures, men ought always to pray and not faint, mercy, move beyond what's comfortable, move forward with faith, moved you from glory to glory, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, negative word, offer short lived thrills, only two choices, penultimate day of our workweek, pray without ceasing, promotion, prosper and succeed, put our utmost trust in God, remaining steadfast with those around you, remember all God has done for you in the past, remembering where God has brought you from, sacrificial living, sacrificing is against man's basic human nature, salvation, share our undeserved blessings, so are my ways higher than your ways, staying open to where god will lead you, success, take up his cross daily and follow me, talent, the best way to build faith, the BIBLE, the children go without provision, the rewards from living for christ, the righteous are not forsaken by God, to pay for our sins, truth, undeserved blessings, we're here for all of the journey, wisdom, your ways are not my ways
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 June 2026 Luke 9:23.
Luke 9:23. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’
And so we’ve moved on to Thursday, the hot, sunny penultimate day of our work week – rather quickly in my humble opinion. (smile) But then, the way the Lord runs His universe is too big for us small-minded folks to understand. And He states that quite plainly through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9)
That means we will not be able to understand a lot of things that happen both in our lives and in the world, because God is still on the throne and still ruling the universe He created in the fashion He desires. Consequently, we need to put our utmost trust in Him, and rely on His unmatched, unfailing faithfulness, if we desire to live the good and abundant life here on earth.
And today we’re going to look at some tips from the May In Touch Devotional that shows us how to keep on keeping on in our faithful journey with Christ. They advise: ‘This is how you move forward in faith: by remembering where God has taken you so far and staying open to where He’ll take you tomorrow.’
Yes my brethren, the best way to build faith is to remember all that God has dome for us in the past, how He moved us forward from one point of glory to another, and therefore He will be there to look after us in the future. It’s like Bruh David says in Psalm 37 – titled ‘Trust in the Lord.’ ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread,’ (Ps. 37:25).
One commentary explains it thus: ‘In that verse David is reflecting on God’s unwavering faithfulness throughout his lifetime. He shares his observation that, even in the midst of trials, those who walk in righteousness are never abandoned by God, nor do their children go without provision.’ So let’s move forward in faith.
The next bit of advice the Devotional offers is: ‘This is how you show up: by carrying your LOVED ones as you go, every hour, every day – not perfectly but faithfully, holding them in prayer.’ I guess that’s like Jesus said in the parable of the persevering widow and unjust judge: ‘men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) Or like Bruh Paul advises in 1 Thessalonians: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess. 5:17) In other words, as the scholars declare: ‘a believer ought to remain in the attitude of prayer though not always praying audibly.’
Then the Devotional continues by saying: ‘This is how you move beyond what’s comfortable: by LOVING sacrificially, doing right by everyone, honouring this life you’ve been entrusted with.’ And you know the sacrificial living thing is always a burr in our sides, because sacrificing is against our basic human nature. But that’s what Jesus is all about. That’s why He came to earth; to sacrifice His sinless life to pay for our abominable sins.
And when you signed up to be His follower you also signed up for sacrificial living. Remember what discipleship is all about? As Jesus defined it: ‘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 my people, as followers of Christ, we are called to be sacrificial whenever necessary.
And that’s how we need to live for Jesus, as the Devotional continues: ‘Even on the long days, the boring days, the wish-it-were-already-tomorrow days. Remaining steady, present with the people around you. Knowing that God is carrying you through.’ Oh my fellow believers those are ever so true and faithful words! We need to remain strong and steadfast in LOVE and compassionate caring, knowing without a doubt that God’s faithfulness will carry us through, because He’s promised that if we’re faithful to Him, He will be faithful to us. And He never reneges on any of His promises.
And the concluding, crowning statement of the Devotional is this: ‘We’re here for that journey. All of it.’ And so we are my fellow believers in Christ! It’s a journey we have signed up for, knowing that it would not be an easy one, but that the rewards from undertaking it successfully will be glorious and incomparable; salvation and eternal life with Christ!
There’s nothing in this world to truly beat that. Lustful pleasures might thrill us for a while, but what happens when this comparatively short life is over, as it will certainly be? What’s going to happen for the rest of that never-ending period called eternity? There are only two choices friends; live for earthly pleasure and die an eternal death, or live for Jesus and live forever. The choice is the individual’s!
And to show how good God is, and how much He wants you to spend eternity with Him, He’s generously bestowed undeserved blessings on us, to enable us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having accepted those undeserved blessings, it now behooves us 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!
…living for Christ…that’s the decision of all decisions…the ultimate decision…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a path to spiritual freedom, aligning your life with God's divine viewpoint, all to Him I freely give, All to Jesus I surrender, all to thee my blessed Saviour, arise and go into the city, ask for divine aid, christianity, Christians, embrace the righteousness and justice of Christ, expressed sentiments are heartfelt, faith, fill me with thy love and power, follow me and I will make you fishers of men, following Jesus is worth every trial and tribulation along the way, gather in the Lord's sanctuary, glory to his name, God will provide us with strength mercy courage and grace, he cannot be my disciple, holy spirit, humbly at his feet I bow, I feel the sacred flame, I give myself to thee, I surrender all, I will ever love and trust Him, if any man will come after me, in his presence daily live, intimacy with god, it is hard to kick against the pricks, Jesus Christ, Jesus is a tough road to follow, Judson Van De Venter, led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus, let him deny himself, let me feel the Holy Spirit, let thy blessing fall on me, LOVE, make me Saviour wholly thine, mercy, neither did he eat nor drink, only with the Lord's blessing is success possible, putting a white flag up to God, salvation, Saul arose from the earth, Saul did not put up a fight with Jesus, Saul Saul why persecutest thou me, Saul was three days without sight, Saul's conversion on the road to Damscus, submitting to God's authority, surrender involves obedience humility and letting go of self control, surrender is not a weakness, surrender means fully yielding your will to Christ's, surrendering our whole lives to Christ, sweet sacrifices of praise, take me Jesus take me now, take up his cross daily and follow me, that forsaketh not all that he hath, the BIBLE, the joy of full salvation, the most dramatic surrender, the power of surrendering to God, they immediately left the ship with their father, to give thanks for a successful week, total surrender to Christ, truly know that thou art mine, trusting God's sovereignty, trusting that God can lead better than you can lead yourself, truth, we can trust God to take care and provide for us, what wilt thou have me do, when his eyes were opened he saw no man, whosoever he be of you, wisdom, worldly pleasures all forsaken
Luke 14:33. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Can you hear it in the distance friends? The church bells are ringing, calling us to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary this first Sunday in May, to give thanks for a successful week, and to ask for divine aid to have another in this upcoming one. For it’s only with the Lord’s blessing that is possible.
And our song of worship today is one most appropriate for our times and aptly titled, ‘All to Jesus I Surrender.’ The author is Judson W. Van DeVenter, (1855-1939) an American Hymnwriter, who wrote the song around 1896 on the subject of Consecration. So, without further ado, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, scintillating mid-tempo version of this wonderful song, making it clear to all who hear it that the sentiments we express are truly heartfelt.
Singing: ‘All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I freely give; I will ever LOVE and trust Him, In His presence daily live. (Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all.) All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken. Take me, Jesus, take me now. (Refrain: I surrender all..) All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine. (Refrain: I surrender all…)
All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy LOVE and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me. (Refrain: I surrender all…) All to Jesus I surrender, Now I feel the sacred flame; Oh, the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory, to His name! (Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all…I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all… All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all…’ Well done my fellow believers! Our heartfelt surrender to Jesus could be heard in the words we uttered.
But before we get into any scriptures the song might raise, let’s first consider the meaning of the word surrender in the Biblical sense. This commentary explains it thus: ‘Biblically, surrender means fully yielding your own will, plans, and desires to God’s will, submitting to His authority, and trusting His sovereignty, which is seen not as weakness but as a path to spiritual freedom, true purpose, and intimacy with Him, often involving obedience, humility, and letting go of self-centered control. It’s about putting a “white flag” up to God, trusting He can handle your anxieties and lead you better than you can yourself, aligning your life with His divine viewpoint.’
Ah friends, it truly means surrendering our whole lives to Christ; letting Him lead and guide us in every decision, in every thought and step we take. And that’s not always easy to do with the evil and ungodly world trying it’s best to turn us away from our Lord and Saviour. But it’s what we signed up for when we became disciples of Jesus. Remember His conditions for 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) That means sacrificing our own will daily for His if necessary.
And we have some great examples of surrendering to Jesus’ will right at the beginning of his ministry. The Bible recalls it beautifully: ‘And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.’ (Matt. 4:18-20) Now how many of us would do something that exceptional eh? Not many.
But listen as the Bible continues. ‘And going on from thence, he (Jesus) saw other two brethren, James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.’ (Matt. 4:21-22) Wow! Who leaves their father, and their entire livelihood behind to follow some itinerant preacher that you don’t know eh? Apparently those first four disciples did!
No doubt Jesus must have exerted a strong pull of His Spirit on them, for them to just acquiesce to His request with no questions whatsoever. But that’s what Jesus requires of His followers. As He later says: ‘So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.’ (Luke 14:33) Yes friends, it’s a tough road to follow, but it’s worth every trial and tribulation involved along the way!
But the most dramatic accomplishment of discipleship, of surrender, is that of Bruh Paul, the one time persecutor of the church. One day, on his way to Damascus, to continue his persecution of the church, the Bible tells us that near to his journey’s end, ‘and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou Lord? and the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (a goad, a rod with a sharp point, used to prod animals forward).
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arsie and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man (he was blind), but they led him by the hand, and brought him to Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.’ (Acts 9:3-9)
Yuh see how it is mih bredrin, when the Lord really wants you, He will find a way to get you, though not always in such a dramatic way as Bruh Paul’s conversion. And if we read the rest of Acts 9 we will se how Bruh Paul’s conversion actually unfolded. Please note, that once Jesus declared Himself to Saul, the great persecutor of the church, did not put up a fight, but simply acquiesced to Jesus’ directive. And that’s how He desires his followers to be, no set of cantankerous arguments, although we can ask questions and make our differences known. But overall, we ought to embrace the righteousness and justice of Jesus without complaint.
And there’s no better way to end today than with this commentary. ‘The song “I Surrender” is a beautiful reminder of the power of surrendering to God and trusting in Him. When we surrender to God, He will provide us with strength, courage, mercy, and grace. We can trust Him to take care of us and provide for us. May we all remember to surrender to God and trust in Him.’
I could not put it any better than that my fellow believers. So, please, let’s spend some time today pondering how we can fully surrender our will to God’s. Much LOVE!
…only in total surrender to God…can He do His best work in us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a breakneck intensity, a new flock of believers, a partnership with Almighty God, a time of desperate need, be a church mem, be a church member, believe and receive, biblical cliches, children of the Most High God Jehovah, christianity, Christians, come boldly before the throne of grace, communicate with god through prayer, crying out for God's help, discipleship is a daily ocurrence, discontent and dissatisfaction, divine aid, faith, fellowship, find grace to help in time of need, Friday chant, gain spiritual benefits from hardships, gift of salvation through grace, God expects us to do our part in our partnership with Him, God is faithful, God searches our hearts, God will give you the strength to resist the temptation, God will make a way of escape, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, good motives, holy spirit, if any man will come after me, in all these things, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour, Jesus our Redeemer, Jesus rose majestically from the dead, let him deny himself, listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, LOVE, mercy, no need to worry, not just victorious over hardships, omnipotent help, our sinful world cn wake up, problems are escalating, put our faith to work, relying on Christ's power not personal strength, restoring faith in God, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, signifies a triumpant state, simmering unrest, snow storm, stand strong and steadfast, stand the strain, study God's Word, such as is common to man, super conquerors, take up his cross daily and follow me, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the gospel truth, the Lord will help us bear whatever burden He tests us with, the rewards are certainly worth it, the weekend is here at last, the world spinning out of control, them's the breaks, there hath no temptation taken you, through him that loved us, to obtain mercy, trials and enemies are turned into tools for good, trusting faith, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, we are more than conquerors, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, wisdom, wise guidance, with the temptation, with unexpected sacrifices, ye may be able to bear it, you won't escape all temptation
Romans 8:37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.
Well then, it’s the day we’ve all been looking forward to; Friday. And we’ve offered up our Friday Mantra; ‘Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Now, fortunately, the morning commute was precipitation free, although we’d been promised snow by eight o’clock. However, I don’t know if the evening commute will be precipitation free because the snow began around 11 o’clock and it looks it means serious business. Some minutes before eleven, I was upstairs in my bedroom getting ready to come downstairs and looked outside and there was nothing. But by the time I came down to the living room a few minutes later, the place was white and the snow was tumbling down with a breakneck intensity. (smile)
Now I understand why we recently had that spring-like period; so the snow could melt and make room for more. But as I keep reminding us, we can handle anything that comes against us, for we are the children of the Most High God Jehovah, with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, the One who rose majestically from the dead to take rulership of this evil and ungodly world! So we are not afraid of anything or anyone, for He’s vowed to protect us, and besides that, as this scripture tells: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37)
And I like how this commentary explains that verse. “More than conquerors,” from Romans 8:37, refers to believers in Jesus Christ who, through His LOVE, are not just victorious over hardships, but “super-conquerors” who gain spiritual benefits from them. It signifies a, triumphant state where trials and enemies are turned into tools for good, relying on Christ’s power rather than personal strength.’ And is that ever the gospel truth, for we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! (Phil. 4:13)
Therefore, there’s no need to worry, just put our faith to work, believe and receive. Well, in truth, it’s not as easy as all that, but you do have to believe before you can receive. You also have to ask and knock and seek. (Matt. 7:7-8) So being a disciple or a true follower of Jesus is not an easy job, although it’s a very rewarding one. Remember how Jesus characterized discipleship: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
Yes friends, we need to remember that following Jesus is a daily occurrence, with sacrifices thrown in where we would prefer them not to be. (smile) But them’s the breaks! If you want in, then you must stand the strain, even when it seems impossible to bear, for the Lord won’t give us more than we can bear…now that’s not completely true. He will give us more than we can bear in our own strength, but by the same token, He will help us to bear whatever burden He tests us with.
That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Corinthians. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Now that doesn’t mean you’ll escape all temptation. Certainly not! In other words, God will oftentimes give you the strength to resist the temptation rather than take it away completely.
And that’s one of the problems with today’s church, we mouth all these biblical clichés without fully understanding how they truly work. But beneath each statement that God makes there is usually something for the believer to do to receive it. Even the greatest gift, salvation through grace, although it’s free, one must believe and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour to receive it. So Christianity is not a something for nothing spree, it’s a partnership with Almighty God, and as in all partnerships, both partners have responsibilities, and God expects us to do our part of the partnership.
And the corollary to that is that you cannot know what you are expected to do in this partnership with God until you read and study His Word, listen to the guidance of His Holy Spirit that dwells within you, be a church member, so you can fellowship with other believers, and communicate with the Father Himself through the system of prayer. Don’t worry, the Father has it all well worked out, you just have to get serious, buckle down and do your part. He will do His. In fact, He’s already done most of His work, by giving us Jesus as our Redeemer, and plenty of what’s left to do is now in our hands.
And one of God’s great promises comes from this scripture in Hebrews: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently but humbly) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) And are we ever in a time of desperate need, with our world quickly spinning out of control. So let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these lawless times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now friends, praying for help is fine, but remember God searches our hearts first before responding to our prayers, so let’s hope that all of our hearts were, and still are filled with good motives, otherwise divine aid will not be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…the Christian’s walk is not a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park…but the rewards are certainly worth it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant merry-go-round, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, all these things shall be added unto you, and again I say rejoice, backbone and belly, be anxious for nothing, be careful for nothing, but are busybodies, clothes on our backs, diligent in reading the Bible, divine aid, ease the pain, especially in the tough times, faith, fellowshipping with other believers, food on our tables, God must be first and foremost in our lives, God's opinion is what truly matters, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, humdrum existence, if any man will come after me, if any would not work neither should he eat, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in the name of Jesus, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep a roof over our heads, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, labouring diligently, let him deny himself, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your requests be made known unto God, listening to the Holy Spirit, living for Jesus is a lifestyle, LOVE, make a living, mass confusion in our world, material wealth, mercy, one more time around the block, our Father who art in heaven, pray, praying, promised to hear and answer our prayers, Rejoice in the Lord always, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, sinned and seriously disobeyed your word, strong faith in Christ, take up his cross daily and follow me, thanky you for life, the BIBLE, the God who heals, the Lord is at hand, the many suffering from negative situations, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the peace that passes all human understanding, the power to solve our problems, the resilience to go out to work every week, the throne of grace, Thou shalt have no other Gods before me, trials and tribulations, true faith in Jesus, trusting Jesus to take care of us, truth, turn from our evil ways, upgrade our Christian witness, usurping God's spot, walk among you disorderely, willing to sacrifice for Jesus, wisdom, wise guidance, working not at all
Luke 9:23. If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
One more time around the block this Monday morning friends! Yes, we’ve got to get out there and make a living, so we can keep a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs and food on our tables. Remember what Bruh Paul said to the Thessalonians? ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.’ (2 Thess 3:10-11)
Now that situation still prevails in modern society, possibly even more now with the wealth we’ve achieved, but that ought not to stop most of us from going out and labouring diligently, all in the name of Jesus. And yes, it does seem like a constant merry go-round, the same thing from week to another, but that’s how our society is structured, and there’s not much we can do about it, except win the lottery or marry a rich spouse. (smile)
But yuh know what, when you have a lot of money and material wealth, you sometimes have to work even harder than normal to keep it, for someone else is always trying to take it away from you. And besides, plenty rich people are unhappy, so having material wealth is not necessarily the answer to our humdrum existence. So what is the answer then, you ask? It’s to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and therefore receive the peace that passes all human understanding so that we can handle all the same old same old things we need to deal with in this life.
That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let you moderation (graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
And that’s how we attain and maintain the peace of mind and resilience to go out to work every week! It’s all about true faith in Jesus, trusting Him to take care of us, even, or especially in the tough times, when we don’t know what to do. Yes, friends, living for Jesus is a lifestyle; the only one that will allow you to handle this world with the energy, faith and confidence that you need to do it successfully. However, that means knowing what it takes to live a life for Christ; what He desires and dislikes in our earthly walk.
It means being very diligent in reading His Word – the Bible, praying, listening to the advice of His Holy Spirit, as well as fellowshipping with other believers on a regular basis. It’s not an easy life to live, if we want to live it right, as you can see from how Jesus describes what He desires of His followers. ‘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) In a nutshell, He’s looking for those willing to sacrifice themselves and their possessions on His behalf.
But the wonderful thing about Jesus is that He’s given us all the tools we need to do what He desires, and if we do our best to adhere to His will, then, despite the trials and tribulations we will face, we will do well in this evil and ungodly world. That’s why Jesus warned us: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt; 6:33) That’s right my people, God must be first and foremost in our hearts, thoughts and actions!
No wonder He said it loud and clear in the Ten Commandments: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ (Ex. 20:3) Now that could either mean, no other gods beside Him, or put no other gods in front of Him. But in the long run, it simply means that Almighty God must be first in our lives, and anything or anyone we put before Him is usurping His spot, and that’s a no-no in His opinion. And believe me, God’s opinion is what truly matters in this earthly life!
So, hopefully from these few words (smile) we’ve gained some new insight into how best to live this life, and if you already knew it, then we’ve refreshed your memory. (smile) It’s a smiley kind of day although the weather is not so good. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to put it all together.
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 though our prayer says the right things, our actions don’t show them in real life. And until they do, divine aid will not be forthcoming. It’s as simple as that! We need to upgrade our Christian witness. Much LOVE!
…it takes knowledge…faith…backbone and belly…to truly live for Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a path to spiritual freedomtrue purpose, a tough row to hoe, absolute loyalty to Christ is paramount, aligining yourself with God's divine viewpoint, all to Him I freely give, All to Jesus I surrender, all to thee my blessed Saviour, amazing rest and peace, as docile as a lamb, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, change our way of thinking, discipleship, divine blessings, enable us to handle another week, faith, family ties must be secondary, father if thou be willing, fill me with thy love and power, follow me, fully yielding your will to god's, give praise and thanks, glory to his name, God will provide us with strength mercy courage and grace, hate his own life also, hate not his mother and father, he cannot be my disciple, humbly at his feet I bow, humility, I feel the sacred flame, I surrender all, I will ever love and trust Him, I will make you fishers of men, if any man will come after me, in his presence daily live, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, Jesus' surrender to the Father's will, let him deny himself, let thy blessing fall on me, leting go of self-centred control, LOVE, make me Saviour wholly thine, make the pilrimage to the Lord's sanctuary, mercy, no fear or anxiety, not my will but thine, obedience, Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus, prove the good and perfect will of God, remove this cup from me, salvation, song of worship, surrender, surrendered and dedicated my life to christian service, surrendering our all to Jesus, sweet sacrifices of praise, take me Jesus take me now, take up his cross daily and follow me, the Christian faith, the joy of full salvation, the most momentous moment of our lives, the power of surrendering to God, they straightway left their nets and followed him, this evil and ungodly world, trust god to provide for us, truth, wisdom, worldly pleasures all forsaken, worship
Luke 22:42. Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.
One more Sunday morning amongst the many in our lives, my fellow believers, (smile) meaning that we should make the pilgrimage to the Lord’s sanctuary to worship, give praise and thanks and receive divine blessings to enable us to handle another week in this evil and ungodly world! Now, though it’s a rather chilly Sunday, that should be offset by the bright rays of sunshine filtering through the cloud cover.
And for today’s song of worship, we’ll sing an old favourite written around 1896 by the American Hymnwriter Judson W. Van De Venter (1855-1939), most aptly titled ‘All to Jesus I Surrender.’ And how did the song come about? According to Reynolds (Companion to the Baptist Hymnal), the author apparently stated it was written “in memory of the time when, after a long struggle, I had surrendered and dedicated my life to active Christian service.” And that’s what ALL believers are called to do!
But more on that later. Right now, let’s raise our voices in sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartwarming, heartfelt, mid-tempo version of the song. Singing: ‘All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I freely give; I will ever LOVE and trust Him, In His presence daily live. (Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all.) All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken. Take me, Jesus, take me now. (Refrain: I surrender all..) All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine.
(Refrain: I surrender all…) All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy LOVE and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me. (Refrain: I surrender all…) All to Jesus I surrender, Now I feel the sacred flame; Oh, the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory, to His name! (Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all…I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all… All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all…’
That was a great rendition friends! And isn’t surrendering our all to Jesus the most momentous moment of our lives? It most certainly is! And I like what this commentary says about the hymn. ‘The song “I Surrender” is a beautiful reminder of the power of surrendering to God and trusting in Him. When we surrender to God, He will provide us with strength, courage, mercy, and grace. We can trust Him to take care of us and provide for us. May we all remember to surrender to God and trust in Him.’ And that’s exactly what the Christian faith and life are all about; surrendering ourselves to Jesus!
Now, before we get into the heart of the matter, (smile) it might be best to define what it means to surrender in biblical terms. This commentary explains it thus: ‘Biblically, surrender means fully yielding your own will, plans, and desires to God’s will, submitting to His authority, and trusting His sovereignty, which is seen not as weakness but as a path to spiritual freedom, true purpose, and intimacy with Him, often involving obedience, humility, and letting go of self-centered control. It’s about putting a “white flag” up to God, trusting He can handle your anxieties and lead you better than you can yourself, aligning your life with His divine viewpoint.’
And that’s indeed a tough row to hoe in this turbulent and ungodly society, but it’s what our discipleship calls for. As Jesus so succinctly puts it: (smile) ‘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) Now that’s what we are called to do daily, not when we feel like it. And it’s not the easiest thing to do, especially when Jesus breaks it down thus: ‘If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren (brothers), and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.’ (Luke 14:26-27)
Oh, we know that Jesus doesn’t truly mean we should hate our families, but as the scholars point out: ‘In comparison to one’s devotion to Christ, one’s family ties must be secondary. This does not set aside Jesus’ other teachings to LOVE one’s enemies, to honour father and mother, and the like. It does highlight though that absolute loyalty to Christ is paramount, not the either-or that the verse sets up and so many societies adhere to.’
And the easiest way to begin living for Christ is by doing like Bruh Paul advocates to the Roman church: ‘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) The first thing we must do is change our way of thinking from that of the world to that of Jesus. And we know that’s not easy either, but with Jesus’ help we can certainly do it.
And it won’t be right to close without a couple examples of biblical surrender. The first is when Jesus called the brothers Peter and Andrew, two fishermen in the process of casting their nets. He simply said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him’ (Matt. 4:18-20) Imagine that nuh! They left their livelihood just like that to follow an itinerant preacher. And it’s the same thing James and John did when He called them soon after. They were mending their nets with their father on their ship. The Bible tells us: ‘They immediately left the ship and their father and followed him’ (Matt. 4:21-22)
Wow! Not many of us would do that on such short notice. But that’s exactly what discipleship calls for! And possibly the greatest surrender in human form might be Bruh Paul himself; an abuser and killer of the brethren when known as Saul, but after Jesus knocked him off his horse and blinded him on the way to Damascus to persecute more Christians, he became as docile as a lamb, and went quietly into Jesus’ service, with his name changed to Paul, to become one of the most hardworking and zealous apostles of them all. And you can find Bruh Paul’s story in Acts 9.
And the best example of surrendering is obviously Jesus’ surrender to His Father’s will, to come to earth and die to save a bunch of ungrateful sinners. As He says in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion, when His soul was in much torment at the dreadful situation he faced: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.’ (Luke 22:42)
Now that’s how we all ought to be when the Lord calls on us. So please, let’s ponder our individual responses to Jesus today, and see where we can make improvements in our attitude of surrender. Much LOVE!
…there’s such amazing rest and peace…with no fear or anxiety…when we surrender our all to God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good attitude, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a sacrifice for mankind, a true reflection of Jesus, all sinned and disobeyed your word, as to the Lord and not unto men, became obedient unto death, being found in fashion as a man, being in the form of God, Christians are too comfortable and fearful, divine aid, do an honest day's work, ease the pain, emptied himself of all his privileges, empty talk about Jesus, faith, having a good attitude every day, he that does wrong, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, humbled himself, if any man will come after me, if you love me keep my commandments, impartiality, in all sincerity and truth, it takes two to tango, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is depending on us, Jesus loved the Father, Jesus put His life on the line for us, keep the Christmas Season going, keep your promise to prosper us, knowing that of the Lord, let him deny himself, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, live for Christ, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, mass confusion, mercy, need to turn things around, New Year's Eve, no respect of persons, not willing to go to bat for Jesus, praise Your Holy Name, pray, promised to hear and answer our prayers, receive for the wrong he has done, receive the reward of the inheritance, salvation, showing the world, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, Stand up Stand up for Jesus, taalk without any worthwhile action, take up his cross daily and follow me, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the death of the cross, the general trend, the God who heals, the many suffering from negative situations, the power to solve our problems, the throne of grace, the trumpet call obey, thought it not robbery, to alleviate our problems, to be equal with God, to do as little as possible, to do the jobs we signed up for as disciples, took upon him the form of a servant, tough consequences for disobedience, treacherous roads, truth, turbulent times, turn from our evil ways, whatsoever ye do do it heartily, wisdom, wise guidance, ye serve the Lord Christ
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
And if you are not one of the smart, blessed or lucky ones who have the day off, (smile) then you would have gone out to work in the bad weather this Monday morning, a few days before New Year’s Eve. Let’s hope you were careful on the roads, for most likely they were very treacherous, what with the combination of rain, snow, freezing rain and sleet we’ve had this weekend.
Now, although Christmas Day has passed, the season isn’t over, so please keep the peace, LOVE and joy going, wherever you may be, for we desperately need to turn things around in our old world for this new year. Jesus is depending on us to do the jobs we signed up for when we became His disciples. It’s like He said: “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) That means getting out there every day with a good attitude, even though life might not be the greatest, and showing the world a true reflection of Jesus.
Obviously it’s not easy, but it’s what is expected of us as true and sincere believers. None of us like the idea of sacrificing anything, but do you think Jesus liked the idea of sacrificing Himself on that rugged cross? No way! But the Father asked it of Him, for our benefit, and since He LOVED the Father and wanted to be obedient to Him, He valiantly put His life on the line for us.
And Bruh Paul puts it very plainly in his letter to the Philippians. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of all his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8)
Yuh see that my fellow believers, Jesus gave up everything He had to come to earth to die in our place. So, please don’t tell me that we can’t suffer and sacrifice a little on His behalf. And that’s exactly why our world is in such an evil and ungodly mess; we Christians have gotten too comfortable and fearful and thus are not willing to go to bat for Jesus as much as is necessary, but we keep crying out to Him for help when troubles befall us and bold facedly expect Him to help us.
But don’t forget that it takes two to tango, and two hands to wash each other, so if we need Jesus’ help, we must do what He desires. Remember His words: ‘If you LOVE me, you will keep my commandments.’ (John 15:15) So all the empty talk we spout about Jesus is just that; talk without any worthwhile action. And please note that Jesus does not expect us to kill ourselves on His behalf, but just to do an honest day’s work, like we would do for our earthly employers.
But then, that brings up the interesting question of how many of us in today’s greedy and selfish society, do an honest day’s work? Hn! Definitely not the majority, since the general trend is to do as little as possible, or as little as we can get away with. But that is not the way Jesus wants His believers to behave.
Bruh Paul also made that quite clear when he said in his letter to the Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. For he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: And there is no respect of persons.’ (Colo. 3:23-25)
Yes friends, when we live for Christ, we are expected do things diligently and excellently, as though we are doing it for Him, for in the end we will receive the reward for our good attitude from Him. And likewise, if we do wrong, we will also receive the tough consequences for our disobedience, for God is impartial. Now, to help us handle all that is coming and will come against us, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these turbulent 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!’
Now it’s up to us to do what our prayer says; turn from our evil ways, so that God can prosper us. And that in turn means going to God for help in all sincerity and truth…if we truly desire divine aid. Much LOVE!
…it’s high time Christians action what we so lustily sing…Stand up…Stand up for Jesus…the trumpet call obey…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new creation, a tough row to hoe, acknowledge God is working everything out for our good, all things are become new, anger, apropos for these trying times, as you promised, be of good courage, both young and old men together, by faith, comfort them, developed a cold, did not appreciate God's goodness and mercy, discipleship, do a brand new thing in me, emotional fatigue, enable me to praise you, faith, give me rest from my sorrow, go through the trials of life, God knows best, God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours, grow spiritually, He is faithful that promised, hold fast the confession of our hope, holy spirit, hurry, I will do a new thing, if any man be in Christ, If any man will follow me, in god's eyes, in these crisis days, it takes time and experience to build strong faith, it's not easy walking with Christ, Jesus Christ, let him deny himself, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make a way in the wilderness, mercy, moving lethargically, my cross to bear, not a Sunday evening stroll, now it shall spring forth, old things are passed away, on the late bus, one more thing, one of the most difficult things to do, One Year Book of Bible promises, ought not to lose faith, paid a high price for rebellion, piercing pain, praise is just so hard to come by in trying times, praise is the hardest thing of all, praise lifts our spirits, ravages your body and mind, rejoice from their sorrow, resentment, rest from my feaf, rest from the bondage that binds me, rivers in the desert, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, self-centredness, separate the sheep from the goats, shall ye not know it, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, streams in my desert, strengthen thine heart, take up his cross daily and follow me, the beloved of God, The Hardest Thing, the Promised Land, the virgin rejoice in the dance, through all my lifetime, tied up in knots, to whom we belong, trials and tribulations, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn their mourning into joy, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, waiting on God's timing, water in the wilderness, wisdom, without wavering, withstand tough circumstances, worry, you promised to be my God, you will keep your word
Isaiah 43:19a. ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
Ah friends, it’s Tuesday, and we’re on a somewhat late bus because the ole fella has developed a cold that has me moving slowly and rather lethargically. (smile) Like it wasn’t enough for me to be running around in T&T in the rain etc., but now to be doing it in the snow and get this flu, which causes a runny nose and ravages your body and mind like a cancer, and has you feeling lousier than ever. It’s a good thing I only get them once or twice a year. But right now it’s my cross to bear, and I will do my best to bear it valiantly. (smile)
And today we’ll look at a poem from Our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that is very apropos for these trying times in which we’re currently living. It’s simply titled ‘The Hardest Thing.’ So please read with me. ‘O God In these crisis days Of piercing pain And emotional fatigue Do a brand new thing in me. Give me water in the wilderness And streams in my desert. You have promised to be my God Through all my lifetime. Surely You will keep your word! As You promised Give me rest from my sorrow And from my fear And from the bondage That binds me. One thing more, dear Lord: Enable me to praise you when to praise is the hardest thing of all.’
And believe me friends, that last request is a tough but oh so necessary one, for when we are going through the many trials and tribulations of life, praising God doesn’t often seem like an option. Sometimes we feel that He’s let us down, not with us as He promised, and praise is just so hard to come by in those trying times. But yuh know what; it’s in those trying times that we need praise the most, because it lifts our spirits and brings us back into our sturdy and faithful relationship with God. We acknowledge that His thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Is. 55:8-9) and thus He knows best and has good reason(s) for allowing whatever hardship has come against us.
Most of the time, we don’t or won’t understand it, but by faith we must acknowledge that He is working everything out for our good, otherwise we will just get ourselves tied up in knots of resentment, anger, worry and self-centredness. And no, it’s not easy walking with and working for Christ. That’s one of the first things we ought to learn as believers. Following Christ was never, and will never be a Sunday evening stroll in the park. By it’s very nature, it’s a tough row to hoe, as Jesus indicated when He set out this definition of 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)
Now that certainly doesn’t evoke or bring to mind any Sunday evening strolls in the park. No! It’s all about sacrifices and DAILY taking up our crosses and walking in whatever direction Jesus chooses for us. And in all of our trials and tribulations, there is one thing we must hold on to if we are to survive them; it’s as this scripture from Hebrews reminds us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).’ (Heb. 10:23)
And that’s where the power and strength of our faith comes in. If we truly believe that God will fulfill all of His promises, in His own time, then we won’t’ be as worried and dismayed as if we don’t believe it. And right there is where we separate the sheep from the goats; those who sincerely believe and thus can withstand the tough circumstances, and those who’s faith is still too small to handle them. The real crux of the problem though is that it takes time and experience to build strong faith. Faith doesn’t just come overnight, so we will only grow spiritually when we go through the trials in our lives.
Now, in the poem we also ask God to do a new thing in us with water in the wilderness and streams in the desert. But haven’t you heard, don’t you know that the Lord promised that very thing a long time ago. Listen as Isaiah tells us about it. ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:19) And that is exactly what the Lord did as He carried the children through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
The problem though is they did not appreciate His goodness and mercy and subsequently rebelled, then had to pay a high price in the consequences of said rebellion. The same goes for us today; we want everything quickly, but God does not move quickly unless it’s absolutely necessary. And that’s something we very badly need to learn. Nothing’s wrong in calling out for help, but when the Lord doesn’t answer right away we ought not lose faith, for in His mind there’s a good reason for not moving quickly. And remember we already said that His mind and ways are higher than ours, so we must learn to wait in faith.
And the new thing the Lord does begins when we come to salvation. As Bruh Paul writes: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) Yes friends, when we come to Christ, we are completely changed into a new person with Christ-like behaviour and urges. We forget about, give up our past lives, all for the new one that Jesus gives. And as the Bible Promise for our poem today tells us: ‘Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.’ (Jer. 31:13)
Yes my people, that’s what the Lord will do for us, but we have to do like Bruh David says in Psalm 27: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait(in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:17) Now that’s not always easy to do, but until we learn to do it, we will constantly be beset by numerous fears and worries that will substantially limit our faith. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh man!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we are now bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…waiting on God’s timing…is probably the most difficult thing for Believers to do…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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