10 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a spring-like day, a symbol of sorrow, a time of sufferation, an alien to my mother's children, an expected circumstance in a believer's life, be of good cheer, be perfect and complete, became a proverb to them, became my reproach, become a stranger unto my brethren, chastened my soul with fasting, Christ also suffered for us, come into deep waters, come to know and love christ like we do, committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, count it all joy, duty bound, face tough times, faith, fall into divers temptations, fall into various trials, follow his steps, for thy sake I have born reproach, hate me without a cause, he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself, holy spirit, hurry, i have overcome the world, I made sackcloth also to my garment, I restored that which I took not away, I wept, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, if we be dead with him we shall also with him live, if we belive not, if we deny him he will deny us, if we suffer we shall also reign, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, it is a faithful saying, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the best example of God's brusing, leaving us an example, let patience have her perfect work, LOVE, mercy, mine enemies, mine eyes fail while I wait for my God, more than the hairs of mine head, my throat is dried, rejoicing with Christ in eternity, restored what I didn't steal, salvation, save me O God, shame hath covered my face, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, sink in deep mire, stand strong and steadfast for Christ, steadfastness to one's commitment to God, suffering on God's behalf, suffering wrongfully, take it patiently, the beloved of God, the floods overflow me, the reporaches of them that reproach thee are fallen on me, the reproaches of them that reproached thee, the song of the drunkards, the trying of your faith worketh patience, the waters are come in unto my neck, the waters are come in unto my soul, the zeal for thy house hath eaten me up, these things I have spoken unto you, they that sit in the gate speak against me, they that would destroy me, this is acceptable before God, this is thankworthy, those whom God uses the most are the ones He bruises the most, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undeserved suffering, wanting nothing, weary of my crying, what glory is it when you be buffeted for your faults, when he suffered threatened not, when he was reviled reviled not again, when ye do well and suffer for it, where there is no standing, who did not sin. neither was guile found in his mouth, wisdom, worry, ye take it patiently
Psalm 69:1. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul (neck).
It’s Tuesday friends, and thankfully it’s another bright and sunshiny spring-like day with temps in positive double figures, and all the snow has finally melted. Thank God! I can now see the dry grass on the ground and the floor of the deck at the back of my house, which was once covered with snow over a foot high, making it risky to open my back door. Some trees are even starting to push out some buds. But please, let’s not get carried away, it’s only the tenth of March and winter is certainly not over. And soon we’ll be back enjoying the cold weather. (smile) But it’s surely nice to have a break in between.
And today we’ll have a look at Psalm 69, ‘A Cry for Help.’ It was a time of ‘sufferation’ for Bruh David and he cries out to God. ‘Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul (neck). I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away (did not steal)…
Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children. For the zeal of (for) thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to (became) my reproach. I made sackcloth also to my garment (a symbol of sorrow); and I became a proverb (byword) to them. They that sit in the gate (sit as judges) speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.’ (Ps. 69:1-4, 7-12)
And according to the scholars: ‘This psalm gives extensive expression to one of the major themes of the psalms: undeserved suffering. In this case, the suffering has come largely from the psalmist’s steadfastness in his commitment to the Lord.’ Yes my fellow believers, when we are steadfast in our commitment to the Lord we will indeed face tough times. And many men of God have gone through undeserved suffering just because of their faith. People like Moses, Elijah, Isaiah and Jeremiah. They were all doing the Lord’s work, but suffered unnecessarily because of it.
And the same thing is liable to happen to those of us who stand strong and steadfast in God’s name in these modern times. Jesus said it very clearly: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And people like James have written of such tribulation thus. ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials); Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:2-4)
Now that’s easier said than done! Consequently, listen to this interesting comment from the scholars. ‘Negative experiences are to be accepted with great joy, not for the sake of the trial itself but because of the positive work God can accomplish through the testing. The words in verses 2 and 3 (temptations and trying) are often regarded as virtually synonymous. If this were true, then trials themselves would produce spiritual maturity. But they do not. Often, testings make Christians bitter instead of better, with no spiritual growth occurring. The Greek word for “trying” (dokimion) might be better translated as “approving.” It is not merely one’s presence in such trials but one’s victory over them that brings spiritual growth and maturity. Those Christians whom God can use the most are those whom God has bruised the most.’
And is that ever true! For many of those used by God down through the ages have been well bruised, both before and during their work on God’s behalf. The most prominent example of that being God’s most important worker; Jesus Christ. I guess the reasoning is that if you’re not bruised, you cannot fully understand the problems and sufferings of others.
And to top James’ philosophy, Peter then declares: ‘Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward (harsh). For this is thankworthy (commendable), if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted (beaten) for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with (commendable before) God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did not sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again (in return); when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:’ (1 Pet. 2:18-23)
Ah mih people, that’s the kind of example we’re expected to follow as disciples of Jesus. And though that becomes more difficult as our world becomes more evil and ungodly, the effort is necessary if we’re to be true disciples of Jesus. And hopefully, this scripture from Bruh Paul to Timothy, might mitigate it some. ‘It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer (endure) we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not (are faithless), yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim. 2:11-13)
Yes mih bredrin, suffering for and with Christ here on earth, means also living and rejoicing with Him in eternity! And considering the short time limit to our possible suffering and the infinite extent to our rejoicing, that should help us bear the earthly trials and tribulations with a better attitude. (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And now friends, we’re duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…suffering on God’s behalf…is an expected circumstance in a believer’s life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child sitting with a loving parent, a gift yo help us in our relationship with God, a legacy prayer for the next generation, after prayer sit quietly and listen for God's voice, all is well, approach it the wrong way, be of good cheer, bouts of weakness, breathe and notice the quiet, bring glad tidings of good things, children of the Most High God Jehovah, christianity, Christianity can sound like a lot of shoulds, Chrsitians, clear sailing, come to know and love christ like we do, done like dinner, eliminate distractions, even reading the Bible can be exhausting, faith, give God your full attention, God doesn't need our performance, God wants to be with you exactly as your are, He spake a parable unto them to this end, holy spirit, how beautiful are the feet of them, hurry, i have overcome the world, I will therefore, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional Magazine, it behooves us, Jesus Christ, keep us rooted and grounded in christ, lifting up holy hands, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, men ought always to pray and not faint, men ought always to pray and not lose heart, men pray everywhere, mercy, more than any achievement, more than your discipline, not immune to problems, picture yourself, preach the gospel of peace, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, silence is golden, silence is golden in God's presence, spirtual practices, strife-filled and turbulent times, Thanks be to God, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the indisputable truth, the light of God surrounds me, the love of God enfolds me, the power of God protects me, the presence of God watches over me, these things I have spoken unto you, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we need lots of prayer in these turbulent times, what God wants is us, wherever I am God is, wisdom, without wrath and doubting, worry
John 16:33. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’
Oh friends, our nemesis, Monday is now done like dinner! And we’ve survived it in good form to see Tuesday, a chilly day with a mixture of sun and cloud! Thanks be to God! So from now on we should have clear sailing through the rest of the week. (smile) It’s just that that first day of the work week takes a lot of strength, faith and confidence to get going. And though we are children of the Most High God Jehovah, we are not immune to problems and bouts of weakness, though they are eventually overcome with our heavenly Father’s awesome help.
Remember what Jesus advised: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And we all know that in this evil and ungodly world that’s not always easy to do, but if we have the faith, then most of the time we will be able to do it. Now, here’s an interesting article from the February In Touch Devotional that shows how we can begin doing just that. It comes from the ‘Let’s Pause’ section of the Devotional.
So please read with me. ‘Without the right understanding in place, Christianity can sound like a lot of “shoulds.” Even something like reading the Bible can be exhausting if we approach it in a way God doesn’t intend for us. Here’s what we need to remind ourselves. Spiritual practices are a gift to help us in our relationship with Him. But ultimately, He doesn’t need our performance. What God wants is YOU. More than any achievement, more than your discipline – just YOU.
What if, for a few minutes, you gave yourself permission to take the pressure off, to simply show up and give God your full attention? Let’s try something Dr. Stanley practiced: Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, eliminate the distractions. Next, take a few moments to breathe and notice the quiet. If it helps, picture yourself as a child sitting with a LOVING parent – no agenda, just presence. This moment is about remembering that God simply wants to be with you. Exactly as you are.’
And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers. And I know that it works, because I do it every so often. The problem though is remembering to do it regularly, because we get so busy living this crazy life, that we don’t necessarily forget about God, but have to oftentimes make a special effort to just sit and be quiet with Him. But here’s another thing that Uncle Charles (Dr. Stanley) also encouraged. Every time you finish praying, just sit quietly for a few minutes and listen for God’s voice, listen for the answers He might have for whatever you prayed about.
That might help us to more often sit quietly with the Lord and just enjoy His awesome presence which always surrounds us, but we’re often too busy to feel or truly appreciate it, and therefore most times simply take for granted. That reminds me of this prayer that I often say, and believe I might have shared at some time in the past. But please don’t ask me where I got it from, because I could not tell you. (smile) All I know is that I like it. So please pray with me: ‘The light of God surrounds me: The LOVE of God enfolds me: The power of God protects me: The presence of God watches over me: Wherever I am, God is… And all is well! Amen.’
Now that ought to help us remember God’s amazing grace and mercy always looking out for us, and when we say it, we think of all the good things involved and find the time to spend quietly with Him. And by the way, I just remembered that I might have gotten that prayer, along with a number of others, written in the fly leaves of my mother’s Bible, which I took when she died and still use for my own daily devotions. Now that’s a legacy we should all strive to leave for the younger generation. Let them see the kind of prayers we prayed on a regular basis. And if our lives modelled those prayers, then it will surely help them in their own walk with Christ, the way the prayers I found in my mother’s Bible has helped me.
And I like this verse of Bruh Paul to Timothy on the subject of prayer. ‘I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim. 2:8) Then there’s this wonderful admonition from Christ: ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) So if both Bruh Paul and Jesus say that prayer ought to be a major part of our lives, who are we to doubt it eh? And yuh better believe, that in these strife-filled and turbulent times we certainly need a lot of prayer to keep us rooted and grounded in Christ and His way of life!
Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! For as the scriptures say: ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.’ (Rom. 10:15) So let’s get out there and bring glad tidings of good things, like we ought to! Much LOVE!
…prayer helps us communicate with God…but silence is also golden in His presence…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a name which is above every other name, accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, alive and kicking, all should come to repentance, appreciate how good God is to us, are not able to kill the soul, at the name of Jesus, believers are not stepping up to the plate, but of power love and a sound mind, cast off the works of darkness, Christ selflessly sacrificed His sinless life, Christ's church is in a terrible state, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, comfortable Christians, consequences for every misdeed, destined for hell, dissensions, divisions, do something worthwhile for Christ, do stuff in our own backyards, duty bound, eagerly await a Saviour, eternal life, everlasting life, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, evil and ungodliness being perpetrated, faith, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, get up off of our fat fannies, give thanks, glorify your Father which is in heaven, God is longsuffering towards us, God wanted nobody to perish, greed, hitting many home runs, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, it is high time to awake out of sleep, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus paid our sin debt in full, knowing the time, Let your light so shine before men, life altering consequences, light of the world, live in urgent expectation, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, mind-boggling consequences, mitigate the negative circumstances, more afraid of man than God, movers and shakers, no place for spiritual lethargy, obedience to the Father's will, our citizenship is in heaven, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed, put on the armour of light, rebellious attitude, salt of the earth, salvation, Satan is ruling the roost, see your good works, selfless sacrifice, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, sitting on the sidelines, strife, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the breath of life that's still fowing through us, the day is at hand, the night is far spent, the sad truth, there are consequences to all decisions, time to heed the wake up call, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undeserving children of men, we owe Christ a debt we can never repay, wide-awake preparedness, wisdom, worry
Romand 13:11. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we (first) believed.
And after Monday comes Tuesday… just like the Lord designed it. Yes mih bredrin, it’s a brand new day, and we’re still alive and kicking so let’s give our wonderful Lord and Saviour much thanks for the breath of life that’s still flowing through our finite, fragile, mortal bodies, not forgetting the hope of salvation and eternal life that He so selflessly died to provide for us. And all God’s people sent up a sincere prayer of ‘Thank You Jesus! You are the Greatest! And we LOVE and worship you with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds! Amen!’
Ah friends, it’s so good when we give God thanks for His wonderful attention and blessings to us underserving children of men. And it’s something I don’t think we do often enough, because we don’t truly understand/or appreciate how good God has been to us, when He had no reason whatsoever to be. Instead, He had, and still has, every reason to destroy us completely for our prideful and rebellious attitude towards Him.
But as the Bible tells us He LOVED us so dearly and is so longsuffering or patient with us, and didn’t want any of His most wonderful creation to perish, but that all should come to repentance, (2 Pet. 3:9) that He broke His own heart and sent His ONE Son, yes His ONLY Son to earth to die for our rebelliousness, so that all who believed in Him could have everlasting life and not perish in the fires of hell, where we were all destined for, before Christ’s death ransomed us. (John 3:16)
So, when we talk about being indebted to our heavenly Father, it’s no joke or simple matter, because it’s a debt we can never repay. But the good thing about our God is that He doesn’t require repayment, all He needs is for us to sincerely accept His Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and thus gain salvation and eternal life. And why is that? Because it’s Jesus who, in obedience to the Father’s will, paid our sin debt in full with the selfless sacrifice of His sinless life.
That’s why the Word says: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and those (things) under the earth; And that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2: 9-11)
Now that’s how the Father rewards those who do His will. Are we in line for rewards…are we doing His will to the best of our ability? I doubt it. Otherwise, neither Christ’s body, the church, nor the world would be in such a terrible state, with dissensions, divisions, hate, greed, strife and all the negative aspects front and centre, rather than in the background.
And it’s no wonder that Satan is ruling the roost, because we supposed Christians, supposed believers in Christ Jesus, are not doing what He desires of His followers, namely to be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, and thus show others how living with and for Him is the best life possible. In other words, we’re not doing as Jesus says: ‘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)
And that’s the sad truth! We believers are not stepping up to the plate sufficiently and hitting the many home runs that we need to turn things around in this evil and ungodly world. Remember that doing nothing to improve matters, is the same as encouraging them to be bad. So, sitting on the sidelines and seeing evil and ungodliness being perpetrated all over the world when you’re in a position to make some small improvement, makes you just as guilty as the perpetrators of the evil and ungodliness.
Consequently, a whole lot of us supposed Christians are guilty of plenty evil and ungodliness, for there’s always some small way that we can mitigate those negative circumstances, if it’s even in our own families or neighbourhoods. Oh friends, any evil or ungodliness mitigated is a win for Christ! Most of us can’t be big movers and shakers of the world, but we can certainly do stuff right in our backyards to improve the situation. It’s just that too many of us who call ourselves Christians, are either afraid of what others might say and/ or do, or too lazy and comfortable in our material wellbeing, and thus we refuse to get up off of our fat fannies and do something worthwhile for Christ!
But under those circumstances, here are two scriptures that we should consider well. The first comes from Bruh Paul to his protégé Timothy, regarding fear. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) And the second in Jesus words, is like unto it: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28)
Now, that means you should not fear mankind, because they can only kill your body and not your soul. But the One to be truly afraid of is Almighty God, who can kill both body and soul in the roaring fires of hell! And it’s a sad fact that many, if not most of us are more afraid of man than of God. How foolish! But I guess we are more concerned about our bodies than our souls. However, let’s remember there are consequences for every misdeed, and sometimes those consequences can be mind boggling and also life-altering.
Anyway, let’s hope what we’ve spoken of today will jumpstart our consciences, will wake us from our stupor, for as Bruh Paul says to the Roman church: ‘And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we (first) believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.’ (Rom. 13:11-12) And as this commentary explains: ‘That means there’s no place for spiritual lethargy in the Christian life. Believers must live in urgent expectation and wide-awake preparedness for what is coming because “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20)
So, nuff said. Let’s go home now declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock stock and barrel! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And with those words, we’ve now become duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for believers to heed the wake up call…for who knows what will happen tomorrow…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a frightening request, a pivotal moment, an exposition of the greatness of God's character, as I was with Moses so will I be with thee, ascend up into heaven, Ash Wednesday, at times it feels uncomfortable and scary, be strong and of a good courage, bring glad tidings of good things, carnival celebrations, christianity, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, confidence, confronting sin is hard, Consider This Section of the In Touch Devotional, continually in the Lord's presence, don't be afraid of them, Dr. Robert H Schuller, duty bound, dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, encouragement, even in our darkest moments God remains beside us, even there shall thy hand lead me, faith, faith-filled walk with christ, fear not, formed in our mother's womb, God is with us even when we want to hide, God never leaves us to face anything alone, God's unceasing presence, God's unfailing love, he that speaks evil of his brother and judges his brother, he will not fail nor forsake thee, holy spirit, how beautiful are the feet, I will recompense saith the Lord, in god's eyes, inviting God to examine our thoughts and motives, it is high I cannot attain unto it, Jesus Christ, judging isn't our department, laid your hand upon me, lead me in the way everlasting, lonely, lonely but never alone, LOVE, make my bed in hell, mercy, no man shall be able to stand against thee, of them that preach the gospel of peace, our relationship with God, salvation, search me O god and know my heart, see if there be any wicked way in me, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, speak not evil of one another, speaks evil of the law and judges the law, strengthen our sense of purpose, such knowledge is too wonderful for me, take comfort in the Lord, take the wings of the morning, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the divine presence of God, the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our king, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord shall judge his people, the Lord thy God doth go with thee, the Lord's presence is alway with us, the reality of the human experience, there is one lawgiver, thou art there, thy right hand shall hold me, to uncover what lies beneath, trust my friend Jesus, truth, try me and know my anxious thoughts, Tuesday Mantra, Vengeance belongeth unto me, whither shall I flee from thy presence, whither shall I go from thy spirit, who art thou that thou judgest another, who is able to save and destroy, wisdom, worry, you have enclosed be behind and before
Psalm 139:23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my anxious thoughts;
Then it was Tuesday, and the Family Day partying finish! But it still continues in places like Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago and New Orleans, where the Carnival celebrations are now in full swing, with today being the last day of music, costumes and masqueraders on the streets, carrying on like leggo-beasts. Then tomorrow, we’ll all get pious and godly for Ash Wednesday. Hn! What a life we living!
But judging isn’t our department, it belongs to the Creator and Controller of the universe, and several scriptures speak to that situation like these. Isaiah says: ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.’ (Is. 33:22) Meanwhile Hebrews tells us: ‘For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense (repay), saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.’ (Heb. 10:30)
Meanwhile James, the brother of Jesus puts it a bit sterner, when he writes: ‘Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy: who art thou that judgest another?’ (James 4:11-12) And that’s a very good question, which we will all have to answer on an individual basis.
Now, here is an interesting article from the ‘Consider This’ Section of this month’s In Touch Devotional, which can pertain to many of us. Please read with me: ‘Confronting sin is hard, isn’t it? At times it feels uncomfortable and scary. Lonely, even. But it doesn’t have to. Think about the closing verses of David’s prayer in Psalm 139: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139:23-24).
Such a frightening request – inviting God to examine our thoughts and motives, to uncover what lies beneath. But He is with us, even in those moments when we’d rather hide. He does not leave us to face anything alone. How do we know this? Go back and read Psalm 139 from the beginning. There you’ll find 18 verses that explore God’s with-ness, His unceasing presence and unfailing LOVE toward us. Like David, we can say to our Father, “You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.’ (Ps. 39:5-6) We too, can take comfort in the Lord, knowing that even in our darkest moments, He remains beside us.’
Now how does all of that sit with us as individuals eh my fellow believers? Does it frighten us, or does it make us strong, in the knowledge that even when the Lord uncovers our darkest sins, He never leaves us, His presence is always with us? It should strengthen us, for remember what Moses said to the Israelites? ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6)
And it’s the same thing the Lord told Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5) And it’s the very same thing the Lord is saying to us today my fellow believers. Regardless of what happens, or what we do, the Lord’s presence is, and will always be with us!
There’s no need to be afraid of walking this very stressful and dangerous life alone. We might be lonely, but we’re NEVER alone, for the Lord our God is always with us! And just that fact, ought to strengthen our sense of purpose and allow us to go on in good fashion. And as the article says, I hope you all took a moment to read the first 18 verses of Psalm 139, for it is a magnificent Psalm.
And I like how the scholars describe it: ‘Psalm 139. Certainly one of the grandest psalms in all of the Psalter, it is also one of the richest theologically. It combines an exposition of the greatness of God’s character with the reality of the human experience. From verses 19-22 we find that David wrote the psalm during a time of opposition. It therefore contains truths that were meaningful to him during these troublesome times. They may be summarized under four key thoughts as David addresses the Lord.: You know me (vs. 1-6); You are with me (vs. 7-12); You created me (vs. 13-18); and Your cause is my cause (vs. 19-24)’
Ah friends, it is indeed a marvellous psalm, containing so much information about our relationship with God, and how we are continually in His presence from the moment we are formed in our mother’s womb…and even before. And I always remember my first introduction to the psalm. It was many years ago on the Hour of Power Programme from the Crystal Cathedral in California, when the greatest actor preacher, Dr. Robert Schuller, raised his hands and declared in such an amazing fashion:
‘Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.’ (Ps. 139:7-10) Yes, that was a pivotal moment in my life, and it reminds me of the words of Bruh Paul in Romans, where He’s talking about how the Word reaches listeners. ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!’ (Rom. 10:15b)
Oh my people, I hope and pray that what we’ve spoken of today will encourage and strengthen us in our faith-filled walk with Christ, because we can never get too much encouragement and confidence in these tremulous and uncertain times. Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…one thing we’re never lacking…that’s the divine presence of our God and Saviour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bounden duty, a more opportune time, after ye have suffered a while, as a roaring lion, be sober be vigilant, be strong in the Lord, bounden duty, called us into his eternal glory, christianity, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, departed from him for a season, destroy the faith of believers, don't let your guard down, don't take anything for granted, eternal separation from Almighty God, experienced by your brethren, faith, God's protection is greater than the devil's threat, gotten our feet wet, he shall lift you up, holy spirit, humble yourselves in the sight of God, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, lurking in the shadows, maintain a sober and vigilant mind, make you perfect, mercy, muddy the waters of our lives, put on the whole armour of God, rely on God's strength, resist steadfast in the faith, resist the devil and he will flee from you, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the awesome love and friendship of Jesus, stablish strengthen settle you, stand against the evil schemes of the devil, stand firm in faith, submit yourselves to God, successfully fought round one, targeted by the devil, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the devil is a deceptive enemy, the devil is a toothless lion, the devil is not passive, the devil targets the weak and defenceless, the devil uses intimidation, the devil's roar can frighten you into submission, the enemy is a constant presence, the God of all grace, the same afflictions are accomplished by your brethren, the spiritual armour of God, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, to unleash his evil wiles and lies, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, waiting for an opportunity, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, we have all the tools to assure us of victoryu, worry, your adversary the devil
James 4:7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
So we’ve successfully fought round one of this new work week; Monday, now it’s on to round two, Tuesday. And Tuesday ought to be a li’l easier than Monday, since we’ve already gotten our feet wet in the workaday world. But let’s not take anything for granted because the enemy doesn’t, he is a constant presence. Yes, even if he’s not doing anything to us at the present time, he’s always there lurking around in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to unleash his evil wiles and lies on us. Remember what the Bible says about the devil and the temptation of Jesus? ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until a more opportune time).’ (Luke 4:13)
That’s why Peter warns us: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished (experienced) in your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 5:8-9) Now, I don’t know how much comfort it gives me to know that my fellow believers are also being targeted by the devil, (smile) but for my own benefit, I need to stay strong and resist the loud mouthed enemy.
And I like what the overview of this commentary says on the subject. ‘The devil is described as an adversary prowling like a “roaring lion,” actively seeking to devour, intimidate, and destroy the faith of believers. This metaphor highlights his role as a dangerous, loud, and deceptive enemy, prompting calls for Christians to remain sober, vigilant, and firm in their faith.” And is that ever so true, for the enemy’s avowed purpose is to turn us away from God and the things He desires of us.
And the commentary is further broken down into the ‘Key Aspects of the “Roaring Lion” Metaphor: Active Pursuit: The devil is not passive; he “prowls” or “walks about” actively looking for vulnerabilities. Intimidation: Similar to a lion’s roar, the devil uses fear, loud accusations, and persecution to terrify and overwhelm. Targeting Vulnerability: He often targets those who are defenseless, weak, or isolated. Goal of Destruction: The ultimate aim is to “devour”—to disrupt, tempt, and render believers ineffective in their faith.’ And we have all experienced those aspects of the devil’s behaviour time after time, but hopefully we have not given into or fallen for them.
And as protection from those devilish tricks, the commentary offers this ‘Biblical Advice for Response: Be Vigilant and Sober: Maintain a clear, alert, and watchful mind, not allowing your guard to be let down. Resist and Stand Firm: Resist the devil by standing firm in faith, relying on God’s strength rather than one’s own. Use Spiritual Armor: Utilize the “whole armour of God” to withstand attacks. Confidence in Victory: The devil is described as a defeated foe, and believers are encouraged that God’s protection is greater than the threat.’
Yes friends, we possess all the tools necessary to resist the devil, but we need to put them into action. First of all, there is the spiritual armour of the Lord. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11) And please note the active tense there, for us to ‘PUT ON’ the armour. It doesn’t get into our souls and spirits automatically. No. We have to make the definitive effort to put it on, like when we’re putting on our clothes every day.
Oh my faithful believers, we must remember that although Satan is a disarmed and defeated foe by Christ’s work on the cross, the final nail has not yet been driven into his coffin, He is still alive and operates in his evil manner, though with limited power. But such power as he has is still sufficient to muddy the waters of our lives and have us going down the wide and destructive path that leads to eternal separation from Almighty God, something we surely don’t want to experience. That’s why we must always be diligent, and remember scriptures like this one from James: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ (James 4:7)
Yes friends, the first act in resisting the devil is submitting ourselves to God, for it’s in that devotion we find the strength to resist the awful enemy. And in correlation to that scripture, James also advises: ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:10) So, if we want to successfully fight the devil, we must stay close to God in all righteousness and sincerity, and also believe like Peter says: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:10-11)
Ah mih brethren, living for Jesus is all about faith and belief. You need to have sufficient faith to believe the scriptures and all the promises that have been made for those who sincerely believe. It’s not always easy, but the Lord is so wonderful, He’s given us all the tools we need to assure ourselves of victory in His mighty name! So please, for our own benefit, let’s make the effort to put those tools into positive action and thus keep the enemy at bay. Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And now, it becomes our bounden duty to go out and share the awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the devil is a toothless lion…but if you’re not careful…his roar can frighten you into submission…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a confession of sins, a conversation with God, a personal relationship with God, a request for guidance, all must be humble when they come to God, and in the morning, as the Father and Son are one, believers must be as one, bounden duty, Chrisitans cannot achieve much unless they come together, Christians are more divided than ever, communicate regularly with God, departed into a solitary place and there prayed, eternal life depends on the glorification of the Son, eternal life is a personal relationship with God, even as I am not of the world, faith, Father the hour has come, for them which shall also believe on me through their word, given him power over all flesh, glorified thee on the earth, glorify thy Son, God's Sovereignty, have my joy fulfilled in themselves, he should give eternal life, holy spirit, hurry, I have finished the work you gave me to do, I pray not that you take them out of the world, in god's eyes, In the beginning was the Word, inclement weather, Jesus went out, keep them from the evil one, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, manifested thy name, mercy, my meat is to do the will of him who sent me, neither pray I for these alone, no longer in the world, others can come to know and love Christ like we do, Praise the Lord, prayer is the great leveller, risisng up a great while before day, salvation, sanctify them, sanctify them through thy truth, share His love with my neighbours, share the Love and friendship of Christ, thanksgiving for blessings received, that hty Son may also glorify thee, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the cross and the resurrection, the men which thou gavest me out of the world, the only true God, the privilege of prayer, the Word was God, the Word was with God, these are in the world, they all may be one, they are not of the world, they have kept thy word, they may be one as we are, this is life eternal, thy word is truth, to finish his work, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, worry
John 17:15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one).
Ah mih people, it looks like the recent run of bright and sunshiny days is over, because today is cloudy, with a hint of inclement weather in the offing. But as always, being children of the Most High God Jehovah, we will handle whatever comes against us with his wonderful help! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Praise the Lord!’ Yes friends, the Lord does deserve our praise and adoration because He’s done so much for us when He did not have to, and we ought to be offering up our praise and thanksgiving much more than we’re currently doing.
Now, as we saw yesterday, we do most of that communication through what we call ‘PRAYER.’ And as Ms. Okuda says in her article on the subject: ‘Christian prayer is a conversation with God. It’s a way for us to express our LOVE, gratitude, fears, and desires, acknowledging God’s sovereignty in our lives. Prayer can take many forms: it can be a thanksgiving for blessings received, a request for guidance or help, a confession of sins, or a simple conversation expressing our thoughts and feelings to God.’
Yes, prayer can serve whatever purpose we desire, but it must be used wisely, though not fearfully, because it is a great privilege we have to obtain God’s ear. And today, I want us to look at some instances of prayer from the Bible that show how important it is in the Christian’s life. And one of my favourite verses on the subject is this one from the gospel of Mark, where it talks about the prayer habits of Jesus. ‘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)
So my faithful brethren, I put it to us, if Jesus, the Son of God, thought it necessary to pray, to communicate with His Father on a regular basis, why would we think our that our earthly lives should be any different eh? Why should we not find it necessary to communicate regularly with the God of our forefathers. And Jesus prayed not only for Himself but also for others. We find an example of both situations in John chapter 17. Jesus first prays for Himself .
The Bible tells us: ‘These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father the hour has come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son may also glorify thee: As thou hast given him power (authority) over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with (alongside) thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.’ (John 17:1-5)
Now those verses contain some important ramifications for our fate. As the scholars explain: ‘His hour had finally come refers not only to His death, but also to His resurrection and exaltation. Glorify refers to the Cross and the Resurrection. Verse 2 means that the giving of eternal life directly depended on the glorification of the Son. Meanwhile verse 3 indicates that Eternal Life is more than an endless existence. It is a personal relationship with God. And I have finished in verse 4 means that He had completed his active ministry (cf. 4:34), and was then assuming a passive role, which He also completes when He declares from the cross in 19:30 ‘It is finished.’
And in verse 5, Jesus gives clear testimony to His preexistence (cf. 1:1)’ And that refers to John’s opening of his gospel: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ Meanwhile the first reference is when Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman at the well and the disciples came and asked Him if He ate. ‘Jesus saith unto them, My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’ (John 4:34)
After praying for Himself, Jesus then prayed for the disciples: ‘I have manifested (revealed) thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine were they, and thou gavest them (to) me, and they have kept thy word… I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are mine… And now I am no more (longer) in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are…
And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves….I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth.’ (John 17:6-17)
Now that says a lot about Jesus’ character, but what says even more, is that He continued in prayer for future believers. ‘Neither pray I for these alone (the disciples), but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that they world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.’ (John 17:20-22)
Oh friends, did you see what Jesus sincerely prayed for above everything else? That all of His believers should live as ONE! Yes, that was the explicit message. Believers must be as One as the Father and Son are One! Unfortunately though, that doesn’t exist because today believers are more divided than ever. And it must hurt Jesus’ heart to see the number of divisions and dissensions amongst His followers, knowing that they cannot achieve much unless they come together. But that’s a story for another day! Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And now it’s our bounden duty to go out and share the LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they can also come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…prayer is the great leveller…for we must ALL be humble…when we come to God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a balance of instruction and discipline, abuse of authority, admonition, balance love and discipline, barrage of snow, bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, children are being raised in negative environments, children are growing up without proper nurturing, children ought to develop a taste for the things of God, come to know and love christ like we do, cruelty, education in the home, even when he's old, faith, fathers provoke not your children to wrath, favouritism, forms the man throughout his lifetime, gangs, gospel truth, hard to fall off the wagon, he will not depart from it, holy spirit, honour means to have an inward respect for, honour thy father and mother, hurry, in god's eyes, it may be well with thee, lack of proper parenting, let the world know to whom we belong, life is slowly returning to normal, live long on the earth, lock stock and barrel, loss of temper, LOVE, mercy, negative environments, neither overly permissive or overly authoritative, no concrete foundation in morality and truth, not to provoke his child to rebellion, obey your parents in the Lord, once we truly know Christ, parents are not adhering to scripture, parents do not rear children alone, parents too busy to raise children properly, points out responsibilities and duties, provoke children to wrath by injustice, raising a child is the responsibility of the home, ridicule, salvation, sarcasm, share His love with my neighbours, spiritual education, the beloved of God, the breakdown of the basic family unit, the first commandment of promise, the Lord is the chief teacher in child education, the Ten Commandments, the total process of molding a child's life, train up a child in the way he should go, troubled times, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, undue severity, wisdom, without a godly perspective on life, worry, young adults running loose
Proverbs 22:6. ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’
Then it was Tuesday, with bright sunshine lighting up the area. And life is slowly returning to normal after that awesome barrage of snow we received two days ago. Most of it has now been cleared away, but there’s one li’l anecdote I have to share. They reduced the big pile of snow at the entrance to my lane, but in doing so they blocked the walkway, so anyone walking there will have to trudge through a pile of snow to get to the other side. But other than that, there’s nothing to complain about. (smile)
And today we’ll check out an important scripture from the pen of Cousin Sol in Proverbs which seems to be totally forgotten in these days of anything goes. It’s a scripture that most of us know very well, which says: ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Prov. 22:6) The problem though is that in these troubled times not many parents are adhering to wise scripture, and that’s why children and young adults are running loose, and have no concrete foundation in morality and truth.
And what does that scripture mean? The first thing we must admit and learn is that raising up a child is basically the province of the home; the duty of the parents. That’s where all training ought to start, and hopefully continue in the church and school. But today parents are supposedly too busy with their own lives to raise their children in a proper and godly manner, and the church has apparently relinquished any part in raising up children nowadays, and schools are teaching…heaven knows what!
Consequently, without a good home based or church training children are being reared in all sorts of negative environments. We depend on day-care centres, institutions of learning and the gangs that many young people graduate to, to raise our children. Yes friends, if we don’t pay serious attention to the rearing of our children at home, then people outside with all sorts of ungodly and evil ideas will raise them. That’s why the proverb says if we raise them right from the very beginning, even though they may stray at times, they will have the benefit of some godly wisdom and common sense that will eventually lead and keep them on the straight and narrow path.
But if they have no sense or knowledge of God, they are good fodder for any kind of immoral and ungodly ideas. And the scholars say, ‘Train up a child refers to the total process of molding a child’s life. The word train (chanak) comes from the root word meaning to “put into the mouth” and implies the idea of conditioning the palate. Thus, parental training should help children develop a taste for the things of God.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth!
Then the scholars continue: ‘The biblical pattern of effective parental training emphasizes a balance of instruction and discipline (cf. Eph. 6:1-4). The ideal parent is to be neither overly authoritative nor overly permissive. Rather, he must balance LOVE and discipline so as not to “provoke” his child to rebellion. When he is old means simply, “when he is grown up,” or a mature adult. It does not refer to his elderly years. The verse stresses the simple principle that education in the home forms the man throughout his lifetime.’
Ah mih people, those are indeed true words. However, because of the breakdown of the basic family all that stuff has gone out the window and now there are parents rearing children who had no proper training in their formative years either, thus the lack of proper parenting continues and the children are growing up like seeds thrown haphazardly, or randomly into the earth, with no tender nurturing, and therefore are growing up however they can, most without a godly perspective on life.
Now, let’s turn to the reference the scholars gave us above; Bruh Paul’s famous words of instruction to children and to fathers. ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment of promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.’ (Eph. 6:1-3) And what Bruh Paul is referring to there is the commandant of the same nature found in Exodus 20:12, where children are advised to honour their parents if they desire to see long life.
Then Bruh Paul continues: ‘And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.’ (Eph. 6:4) So there’s a responsibility on both sides; parents must raise their children with a good balance of discipline and LOVE, and the children ought to honour the parents so that they can live long lives. And what does all of that mean?
The scholars explain it thus. ‘Honour means have inward respect and reverence for. It is inadequate for children to obey parents only outwardly; they must also respect or honour them inwardly. Which is the first commandment with promise refers to the fifth of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:3-17, the very first of all God’s Old Testament injunctions to be given that possesses an attached promise. The promise is two-fold: honouring and obeying parents ensures a long and prosperous life upon earth.’ No wonder so many children nowadays die fairly young.
And as per the instructions to the fathers, the scholars declare: ‘Fathers can provoke their children to wrath by injustice, loss of temper, undue severity, cruelty, favouritism, suppression, sarcasm, ridicule, and misuse or abuse of authority.’ Wow! The parent does have a very narrow path to walk. ‘Then Nurture basically means “training,” here denoting spiritual education. Admonition is instruction that points out one’s responsibilities and duties. Of the Lord indicates that behind the parents’ rearing and instruction of their children stands the Lord as the chief teacher in child education. Parents do not rear children alone.’ Now that’s certainly a comforting thought (smile).
And having reacquainted ourselves with the proper way to raise children, let’s go home now declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now it behooves us to go out and share Christ’s LOVE and friendship with others , so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…once we truly know Christ…it’s hard to fall of the wagon…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a ray of sunshine, a tough cross to bear, ambassadors for Christ, and the lust thereof, cloud cover, desensitizing our sensibilities, don't adopt the habits of unbelievers, don't associate with sexually immoral people, faith, follow christ and not the desires of the world, for my name's sake, God's faithful Word, handle anything that comes against us, he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, holy spirit, hostile ideological environment, hurry, I have chosen you out of the world, if any man love the world, if they have persecuted me, in a location where, in god's eyes, in the world but not of the world, in their affliction, Jesus Christ, keep himself unspotted from the world, learn about the culture so you can influence it later, live in a way that pleases God not man, live like true christians, LOVE, love not the world, lust of the eyes, mercy, neither the things that are in the world, not of the Father but of the world, not to company with fornicators, others can come to know and love Christ like we do, our habits transforms unbelievers, personal desires, physical desires, pride of life, pure religion and undefiled before God, represent Christ's kingdom on earth, salvation, self-interests, separation from worldly corruption, share His love with my neighbours, starting to change the way we think, tacit approval, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the love of the Father is not in him, the lust of the flesh, the servant is not greater than his lord, the world hated me before it hated you, the world passeth away, the world would love his own, they know not him that sent me, they will also persecute you, through Christ who strengthens us, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, view of the world altered, visit the fatherless and widows, wisdom, worry, ye must needs go out of the world, your Christian worldview is challenged
1 John 2:15. LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
It’s Tuesday friends, and sadly, the early ray of sunshine that began the day is now gone, obviously to be replaced by cloud cover, with the computer forecasting rain for later this afternoon. But we’ll take rain over snow every time, (smile) although we can handle anything that comes against us through Christ who strengthens us. All glory and honour to our great Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
Now, today we will keep on looking at some key scriptures about being in the world but not of the world. And this commentary simply explains it as keeping our ‘focus on living with heavenly values while present on Earth, emphasizing separation from worldly corruption, transformation, and being ambassadors for Christ.’
Yesterday we had some revealing scriptures from Jesus, today we will begin with more of His revealing words, as He explains to the disciples, the world’s hatred for them. ‘If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would LOVE his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I spoke unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.’ (John 15:18-21)
Yes friends, because the world hated Jesus, and we belong to him, the world will automatically hate us also. That’s a tough cross to bear sometimes, but we know that with Christ’s help we can handle it. With the awesome power of the Holy Spirit, God’s faithful Word, the Bible and our faith and trust, we can learn to follow Christ, and not the desires of this world, and to represent Christ’s kingdom here on earth in the best way possible.
That brings us to this very important foundational scripture from the first epistle of John, where he profoundly exhorts us: ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interests), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)
And that’s the living truth my people! The world will pass away, but those who do God’s bidding will live forever! That’s what God’s Word says, and if you’re a follower of God, then you need to believe what He says, otherwise you’re just waiting your time and His. Meanwhile, in Bruh Paul‘s first epistle to the Corinthians, he writes: ‘I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company (associate) with fornicators (sexually immoral people): Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then ye must needs go out of the world.’ (1 Cor. 5:9-10)
Apparently the letter Bruh Paul is talking about is one he wrote to the Corinthians before, but now is lost. And in that letter he warned them about keeping company with sexually immoral people. But the problem is if we do not associate with any evil doers at all, we would need to leave the world completely, as Bruh Paul says in the second verse. And besides Jesus has placed us among the unbelievers so that we can show them what it is to be a true Christian, and thus have them want to be His follower. And we cannot do that if we avoid all unbelievers or evil doers. We just have to be careful that the habits of those we come into contact with don’t override our spirituality and righteousness, but that our habits transform theirs. For that’s the role of disciples and ambassadors of Christ.
Then we have this interesting verse from James, Jesus’ brother, where he declares: ‘Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.’ (James 1:27) And keeping oneself unspotted from the world can oftentimes be a difficult task, seeing that the world is always at us with advertisements, posters, social media, etc. etc. Our world has become a very noisy place, with lots of talk but little true information or empathy.
So how are we to decide whether we’re in the world or not eh? I like how this commentary simplifies it. A policeman and his wife were watching a sitcom on their laptop, and though it was humorous and full of everyday language with which he was familiar, they eventually turned it off, because they felt it was “desensitizing our sensibilities”. ‘Watching any further only demonstrated our tacit approval and we wanted to stop before our view of the world had been permanently altered.’
It goes on to say that ‘in the world’ could be defined as our point of location, and continues: ‘Paul was right when he said that we would have to leave the world altogether if we wanted to truly separate ourselves from immoral, “worldly” people. That’s not what God is asking us to do. The fact that you might be in a location where your Christian worldview is being challenged is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, God may have placed you there so you can have a positive impact on those who don’t yet know Jesus, or at least learn more about the culture so you can influence it later. So, while my wife and I were located in front of our laptop watching the sitcom, this was not the issue that concerned me.’
Then he defines ‘of the world’ as our source of information, and continues. ‘My concern was simply that the repeated exposure to the worldview expressed in the show was having an impact on my worldview as a Christian. It was starting to change the way I think. That isn’t always the case for me, but there are definitely times when I’ve caught myself repeating some objectionable phrase (or embracing some ungodly concept) simply because I heard (or saw) it repeatedly in some movie, cable show or series of conversations at work. It’s one thing to be located in these environments; it’s another thing to draw from them as a source for information and behavior.’
Now that’s the gospel truth! And I’m sure that many of us have had similar expereinces. Let’s hope we did not allow them to corrupt us. And this piece from the commentary makes a delightful summary for our Bit today. ‘It seems that Jesus understood the tension we would experience as Christians living in a hostile ideological environment. The authors of the New Testament also encouraged us to continue our relationships with the world around us, but to be careful to live in a way that pleases God, not the culture:’
And as we endeavour to live like that, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now that means we have go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do. Much LOVE!
…only if and when Christians live like true Christians…will the world pay attention to us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a consolation of joy, a joyful exalted song, a peace and calm that comes only from jesus, a spirit stealing winter's day, adhering to Jesus' teachings, alive and kicking, bondage to sin and condemnation, come to know and love christ like we do, consumed by the fires of hell, duty bound, even with my dying breath, every inscrutable mystery, faith, great is his faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, handle whatever comes against us, he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth my ear to hear as the learned, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, how delightful and how right, How good it is to sing God's praise, hurry, I shout a rousing welcome, I sing a new song, I will sing praises unto my God, in god's eyes, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, knowing and living by divine truth, living for Jesus, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, offering a deeper freedom, opens my understanding to his will, praise the Lord as long as I live, praise the Lord O my soul, Praise ye the Lord, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, shout Hallelujah, sing praises to my God, spiritual emancipation, spiritual liberation from sin, the beloved of God, the best is yet to come, the end will be fantastic, the future cannot daunt me, the glorious truth, the promise of new beginnings, the sun is nowhere in sight, the tempo accelerates, the truth shall set you free, the volume increases, the worst may happen, they are new every morning, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to the up-and-coming days, tough circumstances, trust my freind Jesus, truth, while I have any being, while I live I will praise the Lord, wisdom, with glorious anticipation, with you in control dear God, worry, ye shall know the truth
Psalm 146:2. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
And then it was Tuesday, the first one of the new year, but it’s turning out to be like so many of the recent others; a damp, cloudy, spirit and soul stealing winter’s day, with the sun nowhere in sight. Oh Lord, where is the sun? At least with the sun we can brighten up the winter atmosphere some. (smile) But the important thing is that we are alive and kicking and living for Jesus, and thus we can handle whatever comes against us with a peace and calm that comes only from Him! And I’m chuckling here, as I remember I got a zeppo to share the poem slated for the last day of the old year from our One Year Book of Bible Promises on December 31, but not one to share the first one on the first of January of this new year.
However, I finally got it today. Oh Yeahhh! And the first page of the Book very appropriately reminds us about ‘The Promise of New Beginnings,’ letting us know that ‘Great is his faithfulness!’ And the scripture passage for that comes from Isaiah 50:4b: ‘He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.’ Or, as the NLT (New Living Translation) used in the Book says: ‘Morning by morning He wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.’
And that’s the glorious truth my people! For every morning we open our eyes to a new day, the Lord grants us new mercies and understanding to handle the day. It’s like Jeremiah says in his Lamentations. ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) And that’s more glorious truth my brethren! Without the Lord’s mercies and faithfulness we would have long ago been consumed by the fires of hell, and that ought to encourage us to be also faithful to God in our own lives.
Now, all of that was just the preamble to the poem for the first day, (smile) which is titled, ‘Happy New Year.’ So please read with me: ‘This very first day Of the fresh new year I sing a new song – A joyful, exalted song! With Israel’s sweet singer I exclaim: “How good it is to sing God’s praise How delightful and how right.” The volume increases The tempo accelerates. With glorious anticipation I shout a rousing welcome To the up-and-coming days. The future cannot daunt me Every inscrutable mystery Becomes a consolation of joy For with You in control, dear God The worst may happen But the best is yet to come.’
And that’s yet more glorious truth my people! Oh brother are we ever on to the truth today! And so should we be, each and every day, for as Jesus says in the gospel of John: ‘And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.’ (John 8:32) And it certainly will! As this commentary explains; It means ‘adhering to Jesus’s teachings leads to spiritual liberation from sin, not necessarily political freedom, offering a deeper freedom through knowing and living by divine truth. While it’s used academically for knowledge, its core meaning is about spiritual emancipation from bondage to sin and condemnation, achieved by following Jesus and His word.’
And freedom from the bondage of sin is exactly what we’re after as we faithfully follow Jesus’ Word. But getting back to our poem. I certainly hope that as we rang in the new year that we sang joyful and exalting songs to God, our Giver of Life and Eternal Father, for that is the appropriate thing to do. It’s as the scripture passage for the poem exhorts: ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.’ (Ps. 146:1-2) Or, if you prefer the NLT Version: ‘Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, I tell myself. I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath.’
And that’s how it ought to be my fellow believers; praises to our great, wonderful and generous God should be continually coming from the depths of our hearts through our mouths, letting the whole world know what a marvellous God we serve! But my favourite part of the poem is the last section, which says; ‘The future cannot daunt me Every inscrutable mystery Becomes a consolation of joy For with You in control, dear God The worst may happen But the best is yet to come.’
And so it should be, if you are a true believer in Christ. The future ought not to daunt you, for you have God’s faithful promises concerning it, and with God in control, though some tough circumstances may occasionally envelope us, we’re not worried because we know that end will be fantastic. Jesus promised it, and He keeps ALL of His promises! And since there’s nothing to worry about, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And friends, having made that definitive statement, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…whatever our current circumstances…Christians ought always to believe…that the best is yet to come…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a piece of pottery, as the heavens are higher than the earth, be continually surprised by your vastness, be of good cheer, begun a good work in you, being confident of this very thing, but of power love and a sound mind, combat the forces of evil, come to know and love him like we do, December Prayer, do away with every limit, duty bound, dwell in your higher and better ways, enjoy the good life, every moment of my life, faith, fearful, forever find myself amazed, God has no limits, God has not given us a spirit of fear, greed, holy spirit, humbled in your presence, humbling ourselves before God, hurry, I fully understand you, i have overcome the world, I try to impose on you, improve our ways and thoughts, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the Master Potter's hands, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer to our every need, light of the world, LOVE, man-made disasters, mercy, my desire for certainty, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, natural disasters, neither are your ways my ways, new theatres of conflict, our job is to go about in faith, perform it until the day of jesus, plundering our world, poverty, promises, resolutions, resting and rejoicing in them, ring in the New year, salt of the earth, salvation, shaping us as closely as possible into the image of Jesus, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, so are my ways higher than your ways, stop putting God in a box, strife, tempted to think, the beloved of God, the gospel truth, the Prince of Peace, the Third World War, these things I have spoken unto you, trust my friend Jesus, trusting in god's faithful promises, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, with my whole heart, worry, your uneding wisdom kindness and grace
Isaiah 55:9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
And then it was Tuesday… the Eve of New Year’s Eve, and everyone’s trying to get ready for the big party, that will ring in the new year of 2026, with all sorts of new resolutions and promises etc. etc. But will the new year be any different from this one just past? Oh friends, I certainly hope and prayer that it is! Because 2025 has been one of unspeakable natural and manmade disasters, as well as enormous greed and poverty, where the powerful few have been busy grabbing more power and wealth, while leaving a large part of the population to suffer.
Not to mention the worldwide strife that’s been occurring, where instead of hearing of the end of conflicts, a new theater of conflict seems to be opening up almost every day. The world has become more ungodly and evil with Christians not doing much to help matters either, as we either enjoy the good life with no cares for what’s happening around us, or are too fearful to do anything to combat the forces of evil that are plundering our world.
We keep forgetting, or refuse to remember that we are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and most importantly that ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) So with all of that happening in 2025, it’s hard for it to get worse, unless there is all-out war; the third and last World War. Consequently, let’s hope more of us choose to remember and action those wise words of God above this coming year.
And to help us turn things around in the new year, this prayer from the December In Touch Devotional is a very good place to start. So please pray with me: ‘Lord, when I’m tempted to think I fully understand You, do away with every limit I try to impose on You in my desire for certainty. Let me be continually surprised by Your vastness and dwell in Your higher and better ways, resting and rejoicing in them with my whole heart. May I forever find myself amazed by your unending wisdom, kindness and grace – humbled in Your presence every moment of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my people that prayer contains so many of the things we ought to be doing in this coming new year to better our world and uplift our great God! For instance, let’s stop putting God in a box, trying to know what He plans for or doesn’t plan for. In other words, stop limiting Him, when He has no limits. If He had limits then He would not be God. Our duty is to go about this earthly life in faith, trusting in His faithful promises to look out for us in all circumstances.
And then, it would be so wonderful if we could dwell and rejoice in His higher ways, and not our mediocre or devilish ones. Remember the scriptures tell us very clearly of God’s position as opposed to ours. The prophet Isaiah spells it out in plain language. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) And that’s the gospel truth! That’s why He is God and we are His creation.
However, although we will never reach to the level of ways and thoughts of God, it doesn’t mean we cannot try to improve our ways and thoughts, and thus come up higher than we are right now. And that’s exactly what the Lord desires of us, that’s why He is in the process of making us more like His wonderful Son Jesus every day. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6)
Yes my fellow believers, until the day that Jesus returns, or the Lord takes us home, we will be like a piece of pottery in the Master Potter’s hands, being shaped as closely as possible to the image of Jesus Christ! And if we take God out of the finite box many of us have Him in, then as the prayer says, we will be amazed by His unending wisdom, kindness and grace, and thus wanting to do what we’re supposed to; that’s humbling ourselves before Him for the rest of our lives.
Oh my faithful brethren, living faithfully for God in this evil world is not easy, especially when Satan makes it his duty to tempt us to turn away from God, but if we’re sincere in our faith, God will help us to get through it, despite all the many setbacks we will face. Remember what Jesus said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And that my fellow believers is the ONLY way we can ever have true peace in this ungodly and strife-filled world. Yes, for Jesus is indeed the Prince of Peace!
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having declared that prayer, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…how often must we say it before we truly believe it…Jesus IS the answer to our EVERY need…hopefully we will finally believe and action it in 2026…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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