21 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all these things shall be added unto you, be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, be not afraid only believe, be not dismayed, be strong and of a good courage, be too large for worry, be ye angry and sin not, can add one cubit unto his stature, catch our second wind, cease from anger forsake wrath, christianity, consider the lilies of the field, control our temper, do good work for Jesus, do not worry about your life, don't worry about tomorrow, endure to the very end with Christ, even Solomon in all his glory, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fear is a natural human occurrence, fear thou not for I am with thee, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, halfway home, hands on the plough, have I not commanded thee, he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly, he that is slow to wrath is of great understanding, holy spirit, how is it that ye have no faith, I am thy God I will strengthen thee, I will fear no evil, I will help thee, I will not fear what man can do to me, if God so clothes the grass of the field, impulsive, is not life more than meat, it only causes harm, Jesus Christ, Jesus has us well protected, Jesus rebukes the wind and calms the sea, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, let not your heart be troubled, living for Jesus, LOVE, mercy, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, not turning back, O ye of little faith, our finite brains can't comprehend, our marvellous position in Christ, Peace i leave with you, promise yourself, righteous indignation, salvation, scriptural attributes, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sinful anger, starting the day on the wrong foot, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take no thought for the morrow, take no thought for your life, thank God, the BIBLE, the body more than raiment, the breath of life is still flowing through me, The Lord is my helper, the Lord's blessed us with life, thou art with me, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to a glorious future with Jesus, tomorrow is cast into the oven, tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself, tomorrow shall worry about itself, too happy to permit the presence of trouble, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, truth, uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, was not arrayed like one of these, we may boldly say, Wednesday Wail, which of you by taking thought, why are ye so fearful, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 October 2026 Proverbs 14:29.
Proverbs 14:29. ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive, short of spirit) exalteth folly.’
And it’s another beautiful autumn day in my neighbourhood! The Lord’s certainly blessing us with good weather, and let’s hope we catch our second wind on this glorious Wednesday, so we can continue doing good work for Him. Now, since the Lord blessed us life again today, let’s keep yesterday’s vow to continue looking at the scriptural attributes of the Christian D. Larson poem ‘Promise Yourself.’ And yesterday, we’d stopped at the last verse of the poem, which says to promise ourselves ‘To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.’
Oh boy, that verse points to all kinds of scriptures. ‘To be too large for worry,’ coincides with Jesus’ teaching on the subject in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)?
And why take ye thought for (worry about) raiment (clothing)? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed (clothed) like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe (clothes) the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (don’t worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient into the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:25-34)
There we have it friends; Jesus’ treatise on worry. And I know it’s difficult not worry, especially in these oppressive and turbulent times, but if we follow Jesus’ formula, we will not be consumed by worry, and that will give us time to concentrate on the necessary things, like God and His righteousness.
Then, there’s ‘too noble for anger.’ And there are so many scriptures that talk about not letting anger control us, that we can only address a couple of the more well known ones. Like this one from Bruh David in Psalm 37. ‘Cease (refrain) from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:8) Then Cousin Sol offers this gem from Proverbs. ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive, short of spirit) exalteth folly.’ (Prov. 14:29) That means we need to control our tempers and thus our anger, otherwise we’ll look and be considered foolish.
Now, here’s this other practical gem from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:’ (Eph. 4:26) And that’s wonderful advice my brethren, as the scholars say: ‘Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the devil may not be given an opportunity.’ Yes, our anger ought to be short lived, and never go to bed angry, because it will disturb our sleep and we’ll most likely also wake up angry, thus starting our day on the wrong foot.
And when we come to promising ourselves to be ‘too strong for fear,’ well there are even more scriptures on that than on anger. So let’s quote a few of them, beginning with this well known verse from Isaiah, where he encourages his people Israel. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) Then there’s this marvellous verse from Bruh David in Psalm 23. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4)
Meanwhile, the author of Hebrews, having relayed the Lord’s promise to never to leave nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5) then confidently declares: ‘So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall (can) do unto me.’ (Heb. 13:6) And we have the gumption to not fear also based on these words of Jesus: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
And it’s worthwhile to note that during His time on earth Jesus was always chiding those around Him about their fear, or encouraging them not to fear, like these two scriptures illustrate. The first one deals with Jesus and His disciples crossing the sea of Galilee and a big storm suddenly arises, while Jesus sleeps in the stern of the boat apparently unaware of the storm. In terrible fear, the disciples awaken Him. Jesus gets up, rebukes the wind and calms the sea, then says to the disciples: ‘Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’ (Mark 4:40)
Then, on the way to heal the daughter of the synagogue leader Jairus, Jesus hears him being told that his daughter had died, He turns and simply says to Him: ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’ (Mark 5:36) Those are words we all ought to take to heart in these evil and ungodly times. Now, please note that fear is a natural human occurrence, and the Lord expects us to be afraid at times, however, the problem is what do we do, and where we go when we’re afraid? The Lord expects us to come to Him in times of fear, because He is able to handle any fear that consumes us, as He so assertively says to Joshua.
‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) And that’s a wonderful scripture for us to ponder on today, as we go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 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. Glory Hallelujah!’
And for those who endure to the very end with Jesus, it’s been promised they’ll enjoy an even more glorious future than our finite brains can comprehend. So please, let’s endure to the very end, so that we can endure that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…in living for Jesus…we don’t need to worry, be angry, or fearful…for He has us well protected…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and now abideth faith hope love, avenge not yourselves, be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good, be patient, be patient unto the coming of the Lord, Beauty for Ashes, boggle our finite minds, catch our second wind, cease from being a nation, Christians, don't take personal revenge, Dr. Robert H. Schuller, endure to the end with Christ, establish your hearts, even when it's behind the clouds, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faith in Almighty God, faith is the substance of things hoped for, give place unto wrath, God's greatest attribute is love, God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours, halfway home, hands on the plough, hath long patience for it, heap coals of fire upon his head, heap shame on his head, holy spirit, Hour of Power 50th Anniversary Book of Daily Motivation and Inspiration, I beleive in faith even when betrayed, I beleive in God even when my prayers aren't answered, I beleive in hope even when hurt, I beleive in love even when rejected, i beleive in the seed, I believe in the sun, if he thirst give him drink, if thine enemy hunger feed him, in God's kingdom belieiving is seeing, it lies unsprouted under the ground, it takes faith to believe in the faithfulness of God, Jesus Christ, keep on doing good work for Jesus, leave it all in God's hands, LOVE, love covers the multitude of sins, mercy, not looking back at the past, not turning back, on a late bus, planted by the Lord for his glory, rooted and grounded in faith, salvation, seeing is believing, so glad to be alive, sow good seeds in good soil, stand strong in Faith, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, the conviction of things not seen, the earth bringeth forth the fruit of herself, the essence of a Christian's belief system, the evidence of things not seen, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, the fruit ripens, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, the greatest commandments, the greatest of these three is love, the harvest is come, the kindom of God, the Lotd gives the sun for a light by day, the oil of joy for mourning, the ordinace of the moon and stars for a light, the planting of the Lord, the realization of things hoped for, the seed of Israel, the truth of God's word and His promises, to a glorious future with Jesus, to give unto them that mourn, trees of righteousness, truth, vengeance is mine I will repay, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, you see it when you believe it
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 October 2026 Hebrews 11:1.
Hebrews 11:1. Faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.
Ah mih people, we’re on a bit of a late bus today, because I was up early, then went out to my Wednesday church group and ran a couple of errands afterwards, so by the time I got back home, I was tired and had to rest a spell to catch my second wind. (smile) Let’s hope we all do that today, so we can keep on doing good work for Jesus.
And today we’ll look at an interesting prayer from the Hour of Power 50th Anniversary Book of Daily Motivation and Inspiration, with writings by the late Dr. Robert H. Schuller. It’s a short prayer simply titled, ‘Faith.’ Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I believe in the sun, even when it’s behind the clouds; in the seed, even when it lies unsprouted under the ground; in faith, even when I have been betrayed; in LOVE, even when I have been rejected; in hope, even when I have been hurt; in God, even when you do not answer my prayers. Amen.’
And to be a true Christian you must believe in al those things, even when you don’t see them, or when you feel them, or when God’s says no. That’s because we have faith; faith in Almighty God and the truth of His word and His promises. And why do we have faith? We have faith because we simply need to believe that what God says is true, since we don’t see everything He says or does in our time frame. Remember His thoughts and ways are both higher and different than ours, (Is. 55:8-9) therefore not everything He does or doesn’t do we’ll understand, so something is necessary for us to believe Him and His doings. We call that thing faith.
And what is faith? Hebrews tells us that ‘Faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) Now all that basically means is believing for things that you don’t see, but expect them to happen, because God promised them. The world says ‘seeing is believing,’ but God says, ‘believing is seeing,’ or you see it when you believe it. That’s why we can believe in the sun, even when we don’t see it on cloudy days, because we know it’s still there, just not visible because of the clouds.
God promised the Israelites, through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light, which divideth (disturbs) the sea when (and) the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.’ (Jer. 31:35-36) Yes friends, the Lord promised that if the sun, moon and stars ever disappear, then so will the nation of Israel. And it takes faith to believe in the faithfulness of God!
It’s the same thing with the seed that remains unsprouted in the ground. Jesus tells it thus: ‘So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast his seed into (upon) the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear (grain in the head). But when the fruit is brought forth (ripens), immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.’ (Mark 4:26-29)
Yes friends, we sow the seeds, and they eventually sprout, how, we don’t know, but we believe by faith that they will sprout and produce a harvest, because God’s promised that when we sow good seeds in good soil they will grow. It’s also like James remind us about the value of patience and prayer. ‘Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman (farmer) waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and later rain. Be ye also patient; stablish (establish) your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (comes nearer every day).’ (James 5:7-8)
Ah mih bredrin, patience plays a large part in faith, for we oftentimes have to wait for things we desire, just like the farmer waits long months for the seed to grow and produce a harvest. In other words, faith is impossible without a large dose of patience. (smile) And as Christians, even when we’re betrayed, rejected or hurt, we’re still expected to stand strong in faith, hope and LOVE, for the Lord has promised that He will repay, comfort and restore us in times of trouble.
Remember Bruh Paul’s words from Romans. ‘Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire (shame) on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:19-21) That means we’re not to take personal revenge against those who do us wrong, but leave it all in God’s hand. And the ‘it was written,’ pertains to Deut. 32:35, when Moses first told that to the Israelites.
Remember also, the Lord’s promise in Isaiah: ‘To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, (console them) to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.’ (Is. 61:3)
And I like how this overview breaks down that promise. ‘Beauty for Ashes: Replaces dust and ashes—ancient symbols of grief, mourning, and repentance—with a crown, garland, or diadem of beauty. Oil of Joy for Mourning: Replaces sorrow and weeping with gladness and comfort. Garment of Praise for Heaviness: Replaces a spirit of despair, heaviness, or faintness with festive praise and thanksgiving. Trees of Righteousness: Describes those who receive this restoration as strong “oaks of righteousness” planted by the Lord for His glory.’
And friends, we’ve left the best for last; that’s LOVE; God’s greatest attribute. And Bruh Paul rightfully testifies to the values and worth of LOVE in 1 Cor. 13:, then finally makes this declaration: ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), but the greatest of these three is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor, 13:13) Peter then puts it all together by saying: ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet. 4:8) And that’s why LOVING God and LOVING ourselves and our neighbours are the greatest commandments! (Matt. 22:36-40)
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 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. Glory Hallelujah!’
And those who endure to the very end with Jesus, will experience such a glorious future that it will boggle our finite minds. So let’s be wise and endure to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the essence of a Christian’s belief system…is rooted and grounded in faith…in Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Oct 2026
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 light unto my path, a morning without clouds, among whom ye shine as lights of the world, another sunny autumn day, as the tender grass springing out of the earth, be as the light of the morning, by clear shining rain, catch our second wind, choose the wise path- the path of life, difficult the way, do all things without murmurings and disputings, do not travel on it, drink the wine of violence, eat the bread of wickedness, endure to the end with Christ, enjoy a more than glorious future together, enter in at the narrow gate, enter not into the path of the wicked, enter ye in at the strait gate, faith, few there be that find it, glorify your Father which is in heaven, go not in the way of evil men, halfway home, hands on the plough, have the light of life, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, he that ruleth over men must be just, hear O my son, his word was in my tongue, holy spirit, how narrow is the gate, I am the light of the world, in the light or in the darkness, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, Jesus Christ, keep her, keep on doing good work for Jesus, keep on praying for showers of blessings, led thee in right paths, let her not go, Let your light so shine before men, living for Satan or living for Jesus, LOVE, many there be whcih go in thereat, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, narrow is the way, narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, not looking back at the past, not turning back, only two paths to choose from, only two ways to live this life, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, receive my sayings, ruling in the fear of God, salvation, see your good works, she is thy life, so glad to be alive, strait is the gate, take firm hold of instruction, taught thee in the way of wisdom, thank God, that shineth more and more, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the children of God, The God of Israel, the path of darkness leads to death, the path of light leads to everlasting life, the path of the just is as the shining light, the Rock of Israel, the sons of God, the spirit of the Lord spake by me, the true light of the world, the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, the way of the wicked is as darkness, the years of thy life shall be many, their sleep is taken away, they know not at what they stumble, they sleep not unless they've done evil, thou shalt not stumble, thy steps shall not be hindered, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unless they cause some to fall, unto the perfect day, walk a path of light, Wednesday Wail, when the sun riseth, when thou runnest, wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, wisdom, wisdom and understanding, without rebuke, Ye are the light of the world, ye may be blameless and harmless
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 October 2026 Proverbs 4:18.
Proverbs 4:18. But the path of the just is as the (bright) shining light, that shineth more and more (ever brighter) unto the perfect day.
And then it was Wednesday, the day we catch our second wind. Let’s hope and pray that we do it, and can thus keep on doing good work for Jesus. And all His people said ‘Amen!’ Now, surprisingly, the day has turned into another sunny autumn one. For earlier on there was some cloud cover, but the strong breeze that’s cavorting through the neighbourhood easily blew it away, very effectively ending any hopes we might have had of rain. (smile) We’ll just have to keep on praying for some showers of blessings, and when they do come, they won’t come in excess.
Right now though, let’s look at some of Cousin Sol’s immense wisdom from Proverbs. Re wisdom and understanding, he wisely advises us: ‘Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast (firm) hold of instruction: let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, pass not by it (do not travel on it), turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not except (unless) they have done mischief (evil); and their sleep is taken away (they are robbed of their sleep), unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the (bright) shining light, that shineth more and more (ever brighter) unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.’ (Prov. 4:10-19)
Yes friends, the wicked don’t know where they are going in the darkness of their life, but the just surely do, because their path is ever shining brightly, and getting even brighter as the day of the Lord approaches. And there’s plenty scripture to prove that the way of the just is bright and shiny as Cousin Sol says. So let’s check out a few of them, with this first one coming from his father, Bruh David, supposedly his last words, as recorded by the prophet Samuel.
‘The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining rain.’ (2 Sam. 23:2-4) Yes my fellow believers, when we’re true and just, we shine like a bright light and everyone can see it.
That’s also why Jesus referred to us thus: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14 &16) Christians are supposed to be like shining lights so that they can show others the way to Jesus, the true light of the world, as John says of Jesus in John 1:9. ‘That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.’ Then Jesus follows that up by declaring: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
And the last scripture about the just being light comes from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where he advises them: ‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:14-15) So there can be no doubt that we believers ought to walk a path of light, and Psalm 119 tells us how. ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light to my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) That means our path of light begins with God’s Word; knowing it and then actioning it in our lives.
And I like what the scholars say about the verses we read from Proverbs 4. ‘Here is a good summary of the theology of the entire book: two paths to choose from (cf. vs. 16 with Matt. 7:13-14).’ And that’s quite true, for throughout the Book of Proverbs Cousin Sol keeps talking about the right and wrong way to live this earthly life. And Jesus did corroborate that fact when He said: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way (how narrow is the gate and difficult the way), which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
No doubt about it my people, there are only two ways to live this life; good or bad, in the light or in the darkness, living for Satan, or living for Jesus! Let’s hope that most of us will choose the wise path, that’s the path of life and light which leads to Jesus, and live sincerely for Him for evermore! Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Jesus Christ.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 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. Glory Hallelujah!’
And it’s been promised that those who endure with Jesus to the very end, will experience a future even more glorious than our puny minds can imagine. So please, let’s endure right to end with Jesus nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the path of darkness leads to death…the path of light leads to everlasting life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a house divided against itself won't stand, a little fire sets ablaze a large forest, a more glorious future than we can ask or imagine, a snowball's chance in hell, a world of iniquity, adders' poison is under their lips, an unruly evil, be able to bridle the whole body, boasteth great things, can a vine bear figs, can the fig tree bear olive berries, children of the living God, Christ's church is too divided and disunited, Christ's church must stand up and be counted, Christians, does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter, doth a fountain send forth at the same place, driven of fierce winds, endure to the very end with Christ, everything has been tamed by man, eyes fixed staight ahead, faith, full of deadly poison, go missing when it's time for action, great ships are turned about by a small rudder, halfway home, hands on the plough, hate, holy spirit, if any man stumble not in word, impossible is such an irresponsible word, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in Jesus' name, in many things we offend, Jesus Christ, keep us keeping on, LOVE, made after the likeness of God, mercy, no fountain can yield salt water and fresh, not focusing on the past, not turning back, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, nothing is impossible to God, our second wind day, our very talkative society, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, out of the same mouth, proceedeth blessing and cursing, put bits in the horses' mouths, receive greater condemnation, salvation, seek for glory and honour and immortal life, Selah, set on fire by Satan, sets on fire the course of nature, sets on fire the whole course of life, sharpened their tongues like a serpent, small things can make big changes set on fire of hell, so glad to be alive, straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus, stricter judgement, sure conquerors through Christ, talk a good talk, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the cold weather draws closer, the gospel truth, the last day of September, the main culprit is our tongue, the perfect man, the power of the tongue, the similitude of God, the tongue can no man tame, the tongue causes war and oppression, the tongue defiles the whole body, the tongue is a fire, the tongue is a little member, the tongue is a system of iniquity, the tongue is small but hard to control, the tongue prevents peace and love, these things ought not so to be, they may obey us, through him that loved us, too many tongues are preaching evil instead of good, truth, turn about their whole body, violent recriminations, we all stumble, we bless God and curse man with the same tongue, Wednesday Wail, wherever the pilot wants, who by patient contiuance in well doing, why can't we conquer the tongue, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 September 2026 James 3:8.
James 3:8. But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Aye mih people, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day, hope we catch that second wind to keep us keeping on in Jesus’ name. Unfortunately though, it’s also the cloudy last day of September, meaning that the cold weather draws closer with each passing day. And although most of us don’t like the chilly times, we all know that we can handle it because we are sure conquerors through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As Bruh Paul so wisely writes in Romans when talking about nothing can separate us from God’s LOVE: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37)
And that’s the gospel truth my faithful brethren! Nobody or nothing can separate us from Christ, nor conquer us, unless we allow them to. And it’s interesting to note, that if we’re such great conquerors, why can’t we conquer our little bodily part called the tongue? Yesterday we saw how our words can cause all sorts of problems according to the way in which we use them, and the main culprit is our tongue, because that’s what enables us to speak. That brings us to this very important treatise of James on the power of the tongue, where he writes.
‘My brethren, be not many masters (let not many of you be teachers), knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation (stricter judgement). For in many things we offend all (all stumble). If any man offend (stumble) not in word, the same is the perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet they are turned about with a very small helm (rudder) whithersoever the governor listeth (pilot wants).
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire). And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (existence); and it is set on fire of hell.’ (James 3:1-6)
Oh my brethren, small things can indeed make big changes, and one of the worse of those small things is our tongue. As the scholars explain about that last verse: ‘The tongue is a system (world) of iniquity that sets on fire the whole course of life, and is even set on fire by Satan (cf. 3:15).’ And we see that every day in our very talkative society. It’s the tongue that causes war and oppression, and prevents peace and LOVE.
And James continues: ‘For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith we bless God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude (likeness) of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.’ (James 3:7-12)
That’s more gospel truth my people! So why do our tongues both curse and bless eh? We bless God, but then turn back and with the same tongue, curse our fellow human beings who are made in God’s image. Doesn’t something seem wrong with that picture? It surely does! But for some unknown reason we can’t seem to control our tongues, one moment we allow it to be peaceful and LOVING, while the next, we allow it to go berserk with hate and violent recriminations. It’s like the psalmist says of evil, war-like men. ‘They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ (asps) poison is under their lips. Selah.’ (Ps. 145:3)
And sadly, that’s the way too many of us behave; no wonder we have so much strife, war, hatred, oppression and anger in our world. Too may tongues are preaching evil instead of good. So how are we to turn this around eh? By Christ’s church standing up and being counted. But that seems impossible when that church is so divided and disunited. However, as Dr. Robert H. Schuller, one of the great Possibility Thinkers liked to say: ‘Impossible is such an irresponsible word.’ And it certainly is for children of the Living God Jehovah, to whom nothing is impossible. But it certainly won’t be easy.
Oh friends, as I keep saying, until Christ’s church unites and acts as one, our world isn’t going to change very much in the direction of godliness, for right now the separated and divided parts of the church are working against each other. And as Jesus so rightly said, a house, church or any organization divided against itself, won’t stand. No, it won’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell! So why do we keep staying divided, making it so easy for the enemy to continue doing his evil deeds without much resistance? We talk a good talk, but when it comes down to critical action to make a stand for Jesus and godliness in our world, too many of us go missing.
But let’s remember that we’ll all be judged on that fateful day, for our own works, not the works of others. So let’s do our best, be like Bruh Paul declares when talking about God’s righteous judgement: ‘To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortal life.’ (Rom. 2:7) Please let that be our motto. Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 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. Glory Hallelujah!’
And for those who endure to the very end with Christ, a more glorious future than we can imagine with our finite minds is promised. So let’s be wise and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the tongue…it’s small…but oh so hard to control…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: actions speak louder than words, because he was faithful, before him I was found innocent, before thee O king, before thy even reached the bottom, brake all their bones in pieces, cast into the den of lions, cast them into the lions den, catch our second wind, christianity, concerning the kingdom, concerning the law of his God, Daniel prayed from his window facing Jerusalem, distracted by stuff not helping my cause, do better in the future, do more than we talk, endure to the very end with Christ, exceedingly glad, experience an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine, eyes fixed staight ahead, faith, glorify your Father which is in heaven, go about our work with diligence and excellence, halfway home, hands on the plough, have I done no wrong, he believed in his God, he will deliver thee, holy spirit, is thy God able to deliver thee from the lions, Jesus Christ, keep on doing our best, laboured till the going down of the sun, Let your light so shine before men, LOVE, make a petition of any God or man for thirty days, mercy, my God hath sent his angel, never know when we'll need a miracle, no charge could be found, no manner of hurt was found on Daniel, not looking back, O king live for ever, on a late bus, our behaviour gives God glory, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, overpowered them, salvation, save of thee O king, see your good works, Sermon on the Mount, servant of the living God, set his heart on Daniel to deiliver him, share that glorious future together, shut the lions' mouth, so glad to be alive, sought to find a charge against Daniel, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the king spent the night fasting, the king was sore displeased with himself, the king's sleep fled from him, the lions had the mastery of them, the powerful kind of God we serve, the way we behave in front of unbelievers, they have not hurt me, three times a day, thy God whom thou servest continually, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, Wednesday Wail, went in haste unto the lions den, worthy of his signs and wonders
Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 September 2026 Daniel 6:16b.
Daniel 6:16b. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
And it’s another Wednesday, a sunny but somewhat cool and windy day, and let’s hope we all catch our second wind. I certainly had to catch mine because I went out to my Wednesday church group, then ran a couple of errands afterwards, so by the time I came home I was tired and had to rest for a spell. Then by the time I came downstairs to begin writing the Bit, the doorbell wrang, and since the Duchess was out, I had to go upstairs and answer it. Then by the time I came back down the phone wrang, but I ignored it.
Now that’s my excuse for being on a late bus today. I’ve noticed though that these days, I am almost always on a late bus, and I don’t like it. And I wonder why? Is it me, just getting up later than usual, then spinning around too much before I come downstairs? Or am I just being too distracted by other stuff that’s not helping my cause? So let’s see if we can’t do better in the future nuh. (smile)
And the Good Library opened today at the book of Daniel, where the other leaders of Babylon were jealous of Daniel because the king favoured him, and they decided to plot against him. The Bible tells us: ‘Then the presidents and princes (overseers and provincial governors) sought to find occasion (some charge) against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion (no charge) nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error of fault found in him.’ (Dan. 6:4) Oh my brethren, can that be said about us; that there was no fault or charge liable against us for doing our work. Let’s hope so.
The Bible continues: ‘Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion (fault, charge) against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.’ (Dan. 6:5) Now that’s the way we ought to be; the only way anyone should find fault against us is concerning our God. Thus they set out to trap Daniel by talking king Darius into establishing a royal statute and making a decree that ‘whosoever shall ask (make) a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.’ (Dan. 6:7) And Darius unaware of their plot, signs such a decree.
But Daniel being the god-fearing man he was, did not worry about their scheme and went ahead praying from his window toward Jerusalem, three times a day like he usually did. And when they found him, they carried the news to the king, entreating him to send Daniel to the lions den because he regarded not the king’s petition and still prayed three times a day. Only then did the king wake up to their plot. The Bible relates: ‘Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore (greatly) displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured (strived) till the going down of the sun to deliver him’ (Dan. 6:14)
But the jealous courtiers gave him no chance whatsoever to help Daniel, they kept calling for him to be thrown into lion’s den as the decree determined. Finally, the king had no choice but to have Daniel thrown into the den of lions. However, before the king did that, he made this very interesting comment to Daniel. ‘Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.’ (Dan. 6:16b)
Now why would a heathen king say that to a Christian believer? Possibly because of all the stuff he’d heard about Daniel, like he could decipher visons, and the fine way in which he executed his duties. And that’s the way the Lord likes to have people thing about us. It’s like Jesus advises in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘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) Yes friends when we go about our business with diligence and excellence, others note it and consider the possibilities of our God, just like the king did with Daniel.
And after they had shut Daniel securely in the lions den; ‘The king went to his palace, and passed (spent) the night fasting: neither were instruments of music (musicians) brought before him: and his sleep went (fled) from him.’ (Dan. 6:18) That’s how concerned he was about throwing Daniel into the Lion’s den. ‘Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable (pained) voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency (innocence) was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt (wrong). Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them (overpowered them), and brake all their bones in pieces or (before they) ever came at the bottom of the den.’ (6:19-24)
Ah mih people, that’s the powerful kind of God we serve, and what He can and will do if we’re found to be worthy of His signs and wonders. But it all stems from the way we behave in front of the unbelievers, if our behaviour gives God glory or not. So, since we never know when we’ll need a miracle, let’s keep on doing our best nuh, so if and when that time comes, the Lord doesn’t hesitate to perform it to our benefit. Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, telling the whole world about our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 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. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then we’re assured of an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine. So let’s endure to the end nuh, so that we can share that glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…actions speak louder than words…that’s why we must do more than we talk…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a committed follower of Jesus Christ, a custom for the condemned man to carry his cross, a dedicated learner, a personal relationship with Christ, a student, a theological basis for holy living, an earthen ware jar depicts humanity in its weakness, be wise and stick with Jesus to the end, being a true disciple of Jesus, bounden duty, carry the Christian message worldwide, catch our second wind, Chrisitans striving to follow Christ's example, christianity, commanded light to shine out of the darkness, disicples, do extraordinary things in Christ's name, doing good work for Jesus, drawing people to faith, embracing whatever challenges that come our way, empowered them to heal the sick, endure to the very end with Christ, experience an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine, eyes fixed straight ahead, eyewitnesses to Jesus' resurrection, faith, fish for people wherever we are, fishers of men, flawed people like you and me, followeth after me, future leaders of the church, God works through unexpected people, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that taketh not his cross, holy spirit, humanity in its strength, humans are fragile and brittle, if any man will come after me, in the face of Jesus Christ, is not worthy of me, Jesus anticipated His mode of death, Jesus Christ, Jesus picked ordinary flawed people as His disicples, Jesus trained the disciples to preach and to teach, Jesus wanted a personal relational community, let him deny himself, live to glorify God in our bodies and spirits, living according to the teachings of Jesus, LOVE, mercy, not looking back at the past, not turning back, observe his way of life, of the glory of God, one who tries to live according the the teachings of a leader, our bodies are not our own, our bodies are the temple of the Holy spirit, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, ourselves your servant for Jesus' sake, salvation, share the message of His good news, shined in our lives, so glad to be alive, take up his cross daily and follow me, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the earthenware Jar, the excellency of the power may be of God, the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us, the gospel is not a product of human genius, the gospel resides in men of clay, the power of the Holy spirit, the twelve tribes of Isreal, the wisest decision a human being can ever make, to a glorious future with Jesus, to become fishers of people, to build the foundation of the church, to cast our demons, to give the light of knowledge, to share the message of the kingdom of God, today god dwells in the believer's heart, truth, unspeakable truth, visible signs of God's work, we have been bought with a price, we have this treasure in earthen vessels, we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 September 2026 Matthew 10:38.
Matthew 10:38. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
And then it was Wednesday; our second wind day. Let’s hope we all catch our second wind, so that we can go on doing good work for Jesus, because that’s our bounden duty as His disciples. Now some of you might query the use of the word disciple with our modern day roles in Jesus, but if we look at the meaning of the word as provided by the Cambridge dictionary, we’ll see that it’s still totally appropriate to these modern times. And the dictionary defines ‘a disciple as a dedicated learner, student, or follower who accepts and tries to live according to the teachings of a leader or master.’
And isn’t that what we’re doing today; living and learning according to the teachings of Jesus Christ? At least that’s what we’re supposed to be doing. And this overview describes discipleship in Christianity thus: ‘A disciple is a committed follower of Jesus Christ. In the Gospels, it most often refers to the people who walked, learned, and lived with Jesus during his ministry, which included his twelve core Apostles. Today, it describes any Christian striving to follow Christ’s example.’ And as supposed Christians in today’s world, that’s exactly what we’re supposed to be striving for!
Now, just for good measure, let’s see what Jesus had to say on the topic. He declared: ‘If any man will follow (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Ah mih people, there’s nothing to misunderstand in Jesus’ statement. He made it quite clear that following Him, or being His disciple was a daily duty, embracing whatever challenges might come our way, as we strive to live the way He desires us to live. So, if we’re not embracing our challenges every day, taking up our crosses daily and doing as He desires, then we’re not truly disciples or followers of Christ.
And according to Christ in the gospel of Matthew: ‘And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.’ (Matt. 10:38) Another very clear statement. If we cannot take up our cross on a daily basis and follow Christ, then we’re certainly not worthy of His name or benefits. And the scholars raise an interesting point here about ‘Taketh not his cross: This is the first mention of the cross in the New Testament. It was the custom for the condemned man to carry his cross on the way to his execution. There is plenty of evidence that our Lord anticipated the mode of His death.’
Thankfully though, very few, if any of us will die by such sadistic and tortuous means today. So that’s one less thing we need to worry about. (smile) And I like how this Overview draws from several different documents and authorities, the key reasons for Jesus calling the disciples. Those reasons were: ‘To be with Him: Jesus wanted a personal, relational community. They lived, traveled, and ate together so the disciples could learn His teachings and observe His way of life. To preach and teach: He trained them to share the message of the kingdom of God with others.
To have authority and power: He empowered them to heal the sick and cast out demons as visible signs of God’s work. To become “fishers of people”: He called them to transition from their everyday jobs, like fishing or collecting taxes, to drawing people into faith. To build the foundation of the Church: The twelve chosen apostles symbolized the twelve tribes of Israel. They served as eyewitnesses to His resurrection and future leaders who would carry the Christian Message worldwide.’
And yuh know what friends, those are the same reasons for our partaking in discipleship today. We still need to have a personal relationship with Jesus so that we can learn His teachings and His ways, so that we can share the message of His good news gospel, with the Holy Spirit that dwells within each believer, enabling us to have the extraordinary power of Christ, so that we can do extraordinary things in His name. Unlike those first disciples though, we don’t all have to give up our regular jobs to become ‘fishers of men’, for today we are expected to fish for people in whatever regular job we do.
In fact, wherever we go we must be on the lookout for opportunities to spread Christ’s good news and try to attract people to His wise and most worthwhile cause, which is all a part of building His church and taking the Christian message worldwide. And one last thing about Christ’s call to discipleship. The Overview tells us about the nature of Christ’s selection. The disciples were intentionally chosen. ‘Jesus did not pick the religious elite or the most educated scholars. He chose ordinary, flawed people—including fishermen and a tax collector—to show that God works through unexpected people.’ And believe me people, God is still doing that today, working through flawed people like you and me!
It’s like Bruh Paul writes about Preaching Christ Jesus the Lord in 2 Corinthians. ‘For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God who commanded light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.’ (2 Cor. 4:5-7)
As the scholars say: ‘In the wilderness under the old covenant, God’s presence dwelt in a tent. Today He dwells in the believer’s heart. This is unspeakable truth and forms a theological basis for holy living (cf. 1 Cor. 6:19-20 – our bodies are not ours, but the temples of the Holy Ghost, that we were bought with a price, so live to glorify God in our bodies and spirits). But the stress here is on earthen. An earthenware jar is brittle. It depicts humanity in its weakness. The gospel is not a product of human genius or clever intellect (humanity in its strength). Yet it resides in men of clay, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.’
Yes mih bredrin, although we are fragile and brittle, God still cherishes us so much that He allows His wonderful Word to live in our bodies. And that’s why we can go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 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. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then it’s promised that we will experience an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine. So let’s be wise and stick with Jesus right to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…being a true disciple of Jesus…is the wisest decision a human being can ever make…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessing in disguise, a more glorious future than we can ask or imagine, accept with calmness, an hour or two away from it all, best example of rest and relaxation is Jesus, buried deep in our hearts, calms my inner muddle, christianity, Christians, come aside into a deserted place, come ye yourselves apart, constantly on the go, cuts through the confusion, departed into a desert place privately, do something that calms your spirit, endure to the end with Jesus, eyes fixed staight ahead, faith, filled with compassion towards them, for the certain knowledge, get away from the multitudes and the noise, halfway home, hands on the plough, he began to teach them many things, here and there, holy spirit, I needn't condemn, in the morning, it's all about rushing, Jesus always obeyed the Father, Jesus Christ, Jesus departed into a solitary place to pray, Jesus went apart from the crowd to rest, legitimately snatch, LOVE, many were coming and going, mastering my flesh, mercy, Moments of Leisure, more loving, more patient, more understanding with my family, no time to make wise decisions, not, not looking back, now for now stuff, on a late bus, One Year Book of Bible promises, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, overruled my flesh, peaceful solitude, people don't have time to think, plan more wisely, reinvigorate and re-energize our our souls bodies and minds, rest a while, rest and relax, rising up a great while before day, salvation, Satan is driving the world at such a fast pace, second wind day, shopping just for fun, so glad to be alive, so much as to eat, So must I, social media, solitary time in a quiet place is essential, spend time reading or resting, take an occasional break, take breaks from the rat race, take time to rest, thank God, thank you for assuring me, thank you for convincing me, thank you for the moments of lesiure, Thank You God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through one's body, the crowd followed Jesus, the human body is not a machine, the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes, the multiple demands imposed upon me, the tumult and confusin of our world, there's no glory in a rat race, they had no leisure, they were as sheep not having a shepherd, things will only get worse, to a glorious future with Jesus, to keep our marbles, to pick up a few things, truth, turns it topsy turvy, Wednesday Wail, when Jesus saw the multitude, wisdom, with the increase in technology, without a driving sense of urgency I think more clearly, without apologizing, words of wisdom, writings by Ruth Harms Calkin
Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 September 2026 Mark 6:31a.
Mark 6:31a. He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart (aside) into a desert (deserted) place and rest a while:
Ah friends, on this rainy, cloudy, humid Wednesday in early September, we’re on a real late bus with the ole fella desperately trying to catch his second wind! Why, you wonder? Because I took the Duchess to a mid-morning doctor’s appointment, then, on the way back, she surprised me by wanting to go to the grocery to pick up a few things, which obviously turned into many things. So by the time we got home and put away the few things (smile), it was minutes to two, and the ole fella just wanted to go and rest for a spell. But I overruled my flesh, and instead came down to write the Bit. Aren’t you proud of me…mastering my flesh? (smile)
And today we’ll look at the poem designated for September 9th in our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s most appropriately titled; ‘Moments of Leisure.’ So please read with me: ‘Lord, thank You For the moments of leisure And peaceful solitude I can legitimately snatch Here and there Without apologizing. Thank You for assuring me That I needn’t condemn myself When I spend some time reading or resting Or shopping just for fun. Thank You for convincing me That there’s no glory In a rat race.
I’ve discovered, dear Lord That an hour or two “Away from it all” Calms my inner muddle And cuts through the confusion. Without a driving sense of urgency I think more clearly – I plan more wisely. I am more patient, more LOVING More understanding with my family. I even accept with calmness The multiple demands imposed upon me. Thank You so much, dear God for the certain knowledge that Jesus (who always obeyed the Father) Went apart from the crowd to rest. So must I!’
Oh my people, all of that poem is certainly the most glorious truth! And furthermore, many of us today, who are participating in the crazy rat race that our world has now become, would do well to take an occasional break from it and just rest and relax, and do something that calms your spirit rather than turns it topsy turvy. Yes mih bredrin, Satan and his evil cronies are just driving the world at such a fast pace that people don’t have time to think, to make wise decisions. It’s all about rushing, about now for now stuff. And with the surprising increase of technology, especially the social media demon, things will only get worse.
And as always, we have the best example of that from Jesus, who was known to go away by Himself quite often to just rest, relax and pray. And the Bible verse for today’s poem comes from the gospel of Mark. It occurs after the disciples came back from their teaching and healing journey, that Jesus had earlier sent them out in pairs to perform. After they told Him all that they’d done, ‘He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart (aside) into a desert (deserted) place and rest a while: for they were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert (deserted) place privately (by themselves).’ (Mark 6:31-32)
That shows that Jesus was also cognizant of the fact that His followers needed rest and relaxation. Now that was a blessing in disguise, for when they arrived at their destination, they found the crowd had followed them and gathered together unto Him. ‘And when Jesus saw the multitude, He was moved and filled with compassion towards them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.’ (Mark 6:34)
And at the end of that day the feeding of five thousand men, plus women and children with five loaves of bread and two small fishes and picking up twelve baskets of leftovers took place. (Mark 6:35-44) And right after that Jesus sent the disciples away in a ship, to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away, then went up into a mountain to pray. (Mark 6:45-46) There again, Jesus recognizes both His and the disciples need for a break from the multitudes.
And talking about getting up early to be by oneself to pray, Jesus was the epitome of that habit. Mark tells it thus. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) Yes friends, solitary time in a quiet place is essential for us to keep our marbles, otherwise the world will drive us crazy from all the tumult and confusion that’s currently happening in it. So please, like Jesus, let’s take time to rest, to get away from the multitudes and all the noise and commotion they create, and thus reinvigorate and reenergize our souls, bodies and minds.
And with those words of wisdom buried deep in our hearts, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Jesus Christ. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 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. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the end with Jesus, then it’s been promised that we’ll enjoy an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine. So please let’s endure right to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the Lord didn’t make the human body to be like a machine…constantly on the go…but to take occasional reinvigorating breaks from the rat race that’s our current world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Jesus freak, a lamb without blemish, aimless conduct, and ye are not your own, be not ye the servants of men, Bless His Holy Name, blue eyes aglow, by him do believe in God, catch our second wind, Christ gave his all for us, Christ's servant, christianity, Christians need to stay brave and openly admit their faith, endure to the end with Christ, even around hostile people, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fear of what people will say, for ye are bought with a price, foreordained before the the foundation of the world, from your vain conversation, gave him glory, give our all for Christ, glorify God in your body and spirit, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that is called being free, him will I also confess before my father in heaven, him will I also deny before my Father in heaven, holy spirit, I love her exuberance, I want that too, in great big letters, indelible ink, it works both ways, Jesus Christ, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, let every man wherein he is called, living in a strife-free society, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, manifest in these last times, mercy, motives, my thoughts, never be ashamed of proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, not looking back at the past, one strong and sincere voice, One Year Book of Bible promises, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, Praise the Lord, raised him up from the dead, rather expose them, rather reprove them, received by tradition from your fathers, refreshing spontaneity, rushed into the house, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, secret dreams, so everybody knows it belongs to me, so glad to be alive, so that everybody knows I belong to you, stay faithful to the end, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lord's freeman, the name cannot be erased, the precious blood of Christ, therein abide in God, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, Wednesday Wail, which are God's, which ye have of God, whosoever shall confess me before men, whosoever shall deny me before men, wisdom, without spot, working for Jesus can be hard and dangerous, write my name on my book, write your name on my total being, write your name on the chapters of my life, ye are bought with a price, ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, your body is the temple of the holy Ghost, your hope and faith might be in God
Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 September 2026 1 Corinthians 19b-20a.
1 Corinthians 19b-20a. and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:
It’s a cloudy, rainy, second wind Wednesday morning, but most importantly, it’s a warm day! Yes my faithful brethren, the early days of September have stayed warm, so we have no need to be aggrieved. (smile) A little rain and dark clouds never hurt anyone yet, so let’s be glad that we’re alive and living in a fairly, strife-free society, and give the Lord much thanks and praise for the many blessings He’s bestowed on us. And all God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His holy Name! Amen!’
And to help us catch our second wind, we’re going to check out an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘Indelible Ink.’ Now, it’s the poem dedicated to September second. Remembering that the last poem we did was on the actual day dedicated to it, I decided to see if today’s poem would also be suitable and it was not one we had recently used. And to tell the truth I don’t know if we have used it before, (smile) but we’ll do so today.
So please read with me: ‘I LOVE her exuberance, Lord, Her refreshing spontaneity. I smile when I think How she rushed into the house (Blue eyes aglow) And thrust her new book Into my hands: “Please write my name on my book In great big letters So everybody knows It belongs to me.” Yes, Lord Yes. I want that too. Write Your name On the chapters of my life – My thoughts Motives Secret dreams … Write Your name On my total being So everybody knows I belong to You. And Lord Indelible ink, please.’
Oh friends isn’t that a most wonderful sentiment! It surely is! Just like a young child is exuberant when they get new book and wants their name written in it, so that everyone knows it’s theirs, we should also want the Lord’s name written on our lives, on each and every chapter, so that everyone knows we belong to Him, lock, stock and barrel! And please note we want it written in indelible ink, meaning it cannot be erased. (smile)
The truth though is that many of us don’t want anyone else to know that we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, for although we claim to believe in Him, there’s still that little fear of what people will say if they know. Perhaps they’ll call me a ‘Jesus freak,’ or laugh at me and don’t invite me to their gatherings because they fear that I will only want to talk about Jesus and scriptures, and/or expose their sinful habits. It’s like Bruh Paul says in Ephesians. ‘And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them.’ (Eph. 5:11)
Yuh see friends, it works both ways. We’re afraid of what others would say, but they are also wary about how we’ll affect them. However, we should never be ashamed of proclaiming Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour for remember what Jesus said to the disciples when He was sending them out to preach: ‘Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 10:32-33)
That’s how it is! If you are proud to talk about Jesus before mankind, then He’ll also put in a good word for you to His heavenly Father. But if you’re too afraid to talk about Him to unbelievers, then He’ll not put in a good word for you with His Father in heaven. Yes, working for Jesus can be hard and dangerous, but He’s asking us, His followers, to stay brave and openly admit our faith, even when people around us are hostile.
And we do have a great responsibility to do that as noted by the Bible verses for today’s poem which come from 1 Corinthians. ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) That says it all my fellow believers! Once we claim Jesus as Lord and Saviour, we no longer belong to ourselves, but to Him, because He paid for our sins and salvation with the awesome price of His shed blood on Calvary.
And in the next chapter, when talking about marriage, Bruh Paul again makes the point. ‘For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.’ (1 Cor. 7:22-24)
And Peter is also forceful and adamant on the subject. ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who was verily foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest (revealed) in these last times to you. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.’ (1 Pet. 1:18-21)
Ah mih people, Christ gave His all for us, and the least we can do is give our all for Him. So lets’ go home now declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 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. Glory Hallelujah!’
And it’s promised that if we endure to the end with Christ, we will enjoy a future so glorious that we cannot ever comprehend or imagine it. So please, let’s stay faithful to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…you can’t be a Christian…and deny or be ashamed of Christ…the One who saved you…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a true child of God, add thou not unto his words, Agur, all his works are done in truth, all thy commandments are righteousness, an intrument of ten strings, and again I say rejoice, believe whatever God says without doubting, by them is thy servant warned, catches up to the perpetrator, christianity, cloud cover, converting the soul, endure to the end with Christ, enduring for ever, enjoy a more than glorious future together, enlightening the eyes, every word of God is pure, eyes fixed staight ahead, faith, God's word has everything we need, halfway home, have more understanding than all my teachers, he is a shield unto them that trust him, holy spirit, How I love thy law, I declare things that are right, I keep thy precepts, I the Lord speak righteousness, imprisoned in a Roman jail, in keeping of them is great reward, in the Lord's time and way, it is my meditation all day, Jesus Christ, learn the truth, lest he reprove thee, LOVE, made me wiser than mine enemies, making wise the simple, mercy, more to be desired than gold, my lips shall utter praise, my tongue shall speak of thy word, not looking back at the past, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, play skillfully with a loud noise, praise is comely for the upright, praise the Lord with the harp, priase for God's goodness, Rejoice in the Lord always, Rejoice in the Lord O ye righteous, rejoicing the heart, righteous art thou O Lord, salvation, shout for joy, sing unto him a new song, sing unto him with the psaltery, so glad to be alive, sweeter also than honey, taking liberties with God's word, than much fine gold, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the commandment of the Lord is pure, the deceitful encouragement of Satan, the drippings of the honeycomb, the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord, the fear of the Lord is clean, The Heavens Declare God's Glory, the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous, the law of the Lord is perfect, the Lord be praised, the Lord loves righteousness and justice, the negative consequences of such ungodly actions, the statutes of the Lord are right, the testimony of the Lord is sure, the word of the Lord is right, thou be found a liar, through thy commandments, thy testimonies are my meditation, thy testimonies are righteous and faithful, to a glorious future with Jesus, to suit their own selfish purposes, truth, understand more than the ancients, upright are thy judgements, Wednesday Wail, when thou hast taught me thy statutes, ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, ye shall not add unto the word which I command you
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 August 2026 Psalm 33:4.
Psalm 33:4. For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.
And the week’s rolled by to Wednesday, our second wind day; not as bright and sunshiny as yesterday, with a cloud cover threateningly hanging around, but good enough to say, ‘the Lord be praised for another marvellous day!’ (smile) And is there ever good reason to and great joy in praising our wonderful God. Listen as Psalm 33, titled ‘Praise for God’s Goodness,’ tells it.
‘Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely (beautiful) for the upright. Praise the Lord with the harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise (shout of joy). For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He LOVETH righteousness and judgement (justice): the earth is full of the goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS) of the Lord.’ (Ps. 33:1-5)
And all of that is the glorious truth my people! No wonder Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say rejoice.’ (Phil. 4:4) And remember he wrote that while chained up in a Roman jail, so there must be plenty cause to rejoice in the Lord if he could write that while imprisoned in the most ghastly conditions. And the psalmist gives us some, for example when he writes: ‘For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He LOVETH righteousness and judgement (justice): the earth is full of the goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS) of the Lord.’
And there are several scriptures that attest to those facts. Let’s look at a few. First up are these words from Proverbs, supposedly written by Agur the son of Jakeh. According to the scholars, nothing is known of Agur, but he was likely one of the international sages of Solomon’s day. He writes: ‘Every word of God is pure (tried, found pure): he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.’ (Prov. 30:5-6)
And that last verse about not adding to God’s word is also very important my brethren, because the Lord does not joke with His Word. Right from the beginning, He warns the Israelites: ‘Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought (take anything) from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.’ (Deut. 4:2)
Unfortunately though, down through the ages, with the deceitful encouragement of Satan, many people have either tried to add to or subtract from God’s word, and today we’re doing the same thing; people are taking liberties with God’s word and phrasing it, or changing it to suit their own selfish purposes. However, in the Lord’s time and way, the negative consequences of such ungodly actions eventually catches up to the perpetrator.
But getting back to the purity and rightness of God’s word, through the prophet Isaiah He said: ‘I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.’ (Is. 45:19) And if you desire to be a true child of God, then you need to believe whatever He says, without any doubting at all.
Then in Psalm 119, we find these wonderful verses: ‘Oh how I LOVE thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients (aged), because I keep thy precepts … Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgements. Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and faithful … My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes. My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.’ (Ps. 119: 97-100, 137-138, 171-172)
Then there are these awesome words on the subject from the pen of Bruh David in Psalm 19, titled ‘The Heavens Declare God’s Glory.’ He writes: ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (the drippings from the honeycomb). Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:7-11)
Yes friends, the word of our Lord isn’t only right and true, but is also ever so important and necessary for us, so we can also learn the truth and behave in a righteous and godly manner that seeks the Lord’s will. And yuh see how important Bruh David thinks the Lord’s justice is; ‘more to be desired than gold, and sweeter than honey.’ Now that ought to wake us up to the worthiness of God’s Word, His goodness and greatness! For gold is what we compare anything worthwhile to, and honey is the sweetest natural substance in the world. Therefore anything that is more desirable than those two things surely is of the utmost importance.
And having gotten a glimpse into the importance of and the workings of God’s word, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 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. Glory Hallelujah!’
And it’s been promised that those who endure to the end with Jesus will experience an even more glorious future than we can ask or imagine. so let’s be wise and endure to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…God’s Word…has everything we need…to live a good and godly earthly life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christ-like manner, a trip to Toronto, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, according to the riches of his glory, be able to comprehend with all the saints, be filled with all the fullness of God, being rooted and grounded in Love, bring about glory on their part, by Christ Jesus, Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, christianity, developed more courage to fearlessly speak the word, divinely enabled to live the Christian life, don't lose heart, edification, endure to the end, eyes fixed staight ahead, faint not at my tribulations for you, faith, faithfulness, for this cause I bow my knees, gentleness, glad to be alive, God is omnipotent omniscient and omni-present, God would grant you, goodness, halfway home, hands on the plough, high stress levels, holy spirit, in the inner man, Jesus Christ, joy, kindness, LOVE, many of the brethren in the Lord, mercy, much bolder to speak the word, not looking back at the past, not turning back, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, patience, Paul's prayer for the Ephesians, Paul's tribulations will spiritually benefit his recipients, peace, praise and honour God, reap the full benefits of the partnership, road rage, salvation, seeing Paul standing strong despite his imprisonment, slef-control, somewhat overcast day, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Christian family derives their spiritual life from God, the enormous love of Christ, the fruit of the spirit, the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, throughout all ages, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit, to do exceeding abundantly, to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, truth, unto Him be glory in the church, unto him that is able, unto the Father of our Lord Jesus christ, Wednesday Wail, which is your glory, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 August 2026 Ephesians 3:20.
Ephesians 3:20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
And then it was Wednesday; our second wind day. And brother, do I ever need to catch my second wind, having just returned at mid-day from taking the Duchess to an early morning doctor’s appointment in Toronto. And it’s not something I can do very often. No sir! The traffic’s disgusting, the roads are full of potholes and cracks, with lanes blocked off everywhere for construction or some such thing. I don’t know how some people traverse those rough, traffic filled roads, twice a day, five days a week. No wonder stress levels are so high, and road rage is prevalent.
But as a certain friend would tell me; ‘that’s progress.’ Well you can keep that kind of progress yes. I certainly don’t want to live, or even visit a city that looks uglier and dirtier than it did fifty years ago. But that’s only my opinion…and who cares about that? Nobody! So let’s see what kind of scriptural message the Lord wants to bless us with this warm, sunshiny August day that’s slightly overcast. And today, it seems He wants us to look at Bruh Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians.
After explaining how he came to be an apostle, (Eph. 3:1-12) he says: ‘Wherefore I desire (ask) that ye faint not (not lose heart) at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.’ (Eph. 3:13) And the scholars explain that verse by saying: ‘God will use Paul’s tribulations and sufferings in the ministry to spiritually benefit his recipients. Such edification will then bring about glory on their part in that they praise and honour God.’ It corresponds to what he says in Philippians: ‘And many (most) of the brethren in the Lord, waxing (becoming) confident by my bonds (chains) are much bolder to speak the word.’ (Phil. 1:14) Meaning that the majority of the Roman believers, seeing Burh Paul standing strong despite his imprisonment, depending on God, developed much more courage to speak the Word fearlessly
Then Bruh Paul continues: ‘For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.’ (Eph. 3:14-15) That means the whole Christian family, those saints now departed and in heaven, and those saints still living derive their spiritual life from God. And furthermore; ‘That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in LOVE, May be able to comprehend (understand) with all saints, what is the breadth (width), and length, and depth, and height; And to know the LOVE of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph. 3:16-19)
And per the scholars in verses 16-19, Paul makes three prayer requests for the Ephesians.: (1) That they would be strengthened with might by his Spirit (vs. 16), that is, they be divinely enabled to successfully live the Christian life. (2) That the readers be able to comprehend … the LOVE of Christ, that is, to better understand the enormous LOVE Christ has for them. And (3) that they might be filled with all the fullness of God, that is, that the life, character and virtues of God Himself may be fully developed in them.’
Ah friends, it’s the same sort of prayer that I pray for us in these critical times. For do we ever need our inner man to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, so that we can successfully handle, in a Christ-like manner, all the ungodly and evil stuff that’s happening around us every day, as well as the personal temptations that Satan are constantly bombarding us with, to make us turn away from God. And one of the aids to doing that is our understanding the great LOVE that Christ has for us, so that our faith can be rooted and grounded in that LOVE, for if out faith isn’t solidly rooted and grounded, then we can be very easily led astray by all the seemingly wonderful temptations of the evil one.
And when we understand and have that overwhelming LOVE of Christ buried and rooted deep in our souls, then we will begin to see the virtues and characteristics of God blooming forth in us. In other words the fruit of the Spirit; LOVE, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness and self-control, will begin to flourish in our lives. Then Bruh Paul ends the prayer thus: ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amne.’ (Eph. 3:20-21)
And according to the scholars, Bruh Paul ‘In making the three above petitions (vs. 16-19) (strengthened with might, understanding the LOVE of Christ, and filled with the fullness of God), he’s not asking too much. For he prays unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that he can ask or think.’ Meaning that our God is so great that those things He’s asked for are not too difficult for Him to accomplish. And we all know that nothing is impossible for our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God! That’s why He’s the Creator and Sovereign Ruler of the Universe!
Above all though friends, let’s remember that all the good things that Bruh Paul prayed for are within God’s reach, but individually, we all have a part to play by living obediently to God’s Word and Will, else none of it will happen. And with those words of wisdom (smile) let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. 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. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we’re serious, then for all of those who endure to the end with Jesus, a more than glorious future lies ahead. So let’s be wise and endure to the end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…God’s already done His part of our partnership…it’s now up to us to do ours…so we can reap the full benefits of the partnership…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
Previous Older Entries
