21 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beginning on the road to faith, a dreary day, a great lesson, a humiliating experience, a man thiks and acts like an ox, a man thinks and acts like and animal, a mental illness known as zoanthropy, after a hard week's work, against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, all the inhabitants of the earth are considered as nothing, all who refuse to acknowledge God's sovereignty, all whose works are truth, an ash heap, blessed be the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, boanthropy, boasts of his power and majesty, christianity, Christians, cut him down to size, cut in pieces, deepen my breath, delivered his servants that trusted him, do as much ar as little as we please, driven mad for 7 years, faith, flowing through our mortal bodies, frustrated the king's word, Give God thanks and praise, giveth it whomsoever he will, God dislikes foolish pride, God's peace and love are present, he does according to his will, his kingdom is from generation to generation, his ways justice, holy spirit, houses made a dunghill, I blessed the most High, I may know you all the more, I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the king of heaven, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in the army of heaven, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, lay i n bed, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, learn from Neb's prideful consequences, learned his lesson, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, LOVE, make a decree, mercy, might not serve or worship any other god, mine understanding returned unto me, neither were their garments affected, no other God can deliver after this sort, none can stay his hand, nor the smell of fire had passed on them, nor wan an hair singed, only worship their own God, or say unto him what doest thou, peace we cannot understand, pick up a good book, ponder our own pride situation, praised and honoured him that lives forever, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, riding for a fall, salvation, sent his angel, sit in a cozy corner, slow my thoughts, speak anything amiss, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the Lord uses all types to proclaim His power, the most High rules in the kingdom of men, the omnipotence of God, the peace that comes only from God, the smell of smoke did not linger on them, those that walk in pride He is able to abase, through God's grace and mercy, truth, until thou know, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, wisdom, ye servants of the most high God, yielded their bodies, your love both surrounds and fills me, zoanthropy
Daniel 3:28a. Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him,
So we’ve finally come to our lazy-day Saturday friends, where we can do as much or as little as we please! (smile) And the weather outside is just the type that calls for us to lay in bed for much of the day and simply rest after a hard week’s work, or pick up a good book and sit in a cozy corner and lose ourselves in it. Yes, it’s wet and cloudy, so unless there’s real need to go out, we shouldn’t. And to put it all into proper perspective, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth.
As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And on a dreary day like this, if we cannot come up with some sincerity in our prayers, then things certainly bad with us mih people! For if our prayer was sincere, we would be assured of soon receiving that calming, restful, uplifting peace we can’t understand, that comes only from God, to those who ask with right motives. And on top of that, the Lord has seen fit to allow the breath of life to continue in our mortal bodies today, so there’s another reason to give Him thanks and praise.
Now, as we promised yesterday, let’s continue looking at that marvellous story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that highlights the omnipotence of our great God. So far, we’ve seen where the three Hebrew men were thrown into the furnace that was heated seven times more than normal, and it killed those who threw them in. Then the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar claims to have seen four men walking around loose in the fire and one appeared to be the son of God (a son of the gods). But the best part of the story is still to come.
The Bible says: ‘Then Nebuchadnezzar came near the mouth (door) of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed (garments affected), nor the smell of fire had passed on them.’ (Dan. 3: 26-27)I like that, not even the smell of smoke lingered on them!
And that miraculous moment made such an impact on the king, that he then declared: ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed (frustrated) the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill (an ash heap): because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort (like this). Then the king promoted (caused to prosper) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.’ (Dan. 3:28-30)
What a marvellous story of faith my people, and the amazing way our God moves to prove His awesome power. One important note though from the scholars. They say: ‘Neb’s recognition of the God of the three men does not mean that he converted to their religion. It was simply an acknowledgement of their God’s power.’ But we’ll take that, for it’s a beginning on the road to faith! (smile) And it just shows how the Lord uses all types and sorts of people, even pagans kings to show forth His majesty and power, particularly Nebuchadnezzar, as we’d see if we read the fourth chapter of Daniel.
There, he has a dream which Daniel interprets as one in which he’s all powerful, but the Lord would eventually cut him down to size. Then later on he boasts of his power and majesty, and soon thereafter the consequences of the dream come to pass. He is driven mad for seven years, looking and living like a wild animal, and ox in particular. But in our God’s great mercy, He did not allow Neb’s kingdom to pass from him. For as the Bible says, ‘until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it whomsoever he will.’ (Dan. 4:32b)
And I guess it took seven years for Neb to learn that truth, (smile) for he says: ‘And at the end of the days (time) I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed (considered) as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay (restrain) his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?’ (Dan. 4:34-35)
Now friends, there’s a great lesson in that for all of us who refuse to recognize God’s power and sovereignty over all the earth, right down to our individual lives. And if we insist on boasting in our own might and power, He is liable to bring us down like He did to the Babylonian king, for foolish pride is one of the things He very much dislikes.
And the scholars ask two very interesting and important questions re Neb’s situation. ‘Could it happen to a man, and could it have happened to Neb? The answer to both questions is YES. There is a mental illness known as zoanthropy in which a man thinks and acts like an animal. It is also called boanthropy, more specifically when a man thinks of himself as an ox, (like Neb did – Dan. 3:32) In answer to the second question, this illness is not mentioned in Neb’s annals, but one would not expect such a humiliating experience to be chronicled. On the other hand, his long reign of 43 years (605-562 B.C) is more than long enough to include the length sickness.’
So, seven years later through God’s grace and mercy, Neb was restored to sanity and regained his throne. And it’s obvious that he had learned his lesson, as he later spoke these words. ‘Now, I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgement (justice): and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.’ (Dan. 4:37)
Wow! What insight Neb gained from his trials and tribulations! And what a blessed thing it would be if many more of us could learn from His prideful consequences, because pride is one of the biggest sins in our current world order. So please, let’s spend some time on this dreary lazy-day Saturday, pondering our own pride situation nuh, and, with God’s help, do our best to lessen it, for if we don’t we’re certainly riding for an eventual fall! Much LOVE!
…the greatest pride…usually leads to the greatest fall…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, be responisble, bow to none other than Almighty God, by the example that we faithful believers set, can wake up and smell the coffee, christianity, Christians, crying out for God's help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine aid, embrace your love and compassion, enjoy the weekend, faith, fear not, four men walking loose in the fire, Friday chant, god moves in mysterious ways, God's omnipotent help, heated seven time more than normal, help to navigate this crazy world, holy spirit, I am the Lord thy God, I have called thee by name, I have redeemed thee, I will be with thee, I will give men for thee, if God spares life, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, Nebuchadnezzar, our Christian witness is not good enough, our sinful world can wake up, people for thy life, problems are escalating, reach our destination safely, redeemed by Jesus Christ, refused to bow to a golden calf, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, Shadrach Meshach Abednego, show them the error of their ways, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, strong in faith, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the evening commute, the fourth is like the son of God, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord keeps all his promises, the real power of faith is shown in the positive action of faith, the throne of grace, the weather conditions, these ungodly times, they have no hurt, they shall not overflow thee, thou art mine, thou hast been honoured, thou wast precious in my sight, through the rivers, thrown into a furnace of fire, thy Saviour, trusting faith, truth, use the discontent and dissatisfaction, when thou passest through the waters, wisdom, wise guidance and direction, with God's help
Isaiah 43:1b. O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
And it’s Friday friends; the day we’ve all been looking forward to. And we’ve offered up our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ However, I don’t think we’ll be happy with the weather conditions, for they are forecasting rain and snow for today. Well, the rain has already begun, which means it’s wet and cloudy, now we’re only waiting for it to change to snow.
And if that happens before the evening commute, it will be a long and dangerous time for many getting home to enjoy the weekend. But there’s not much we can do about the weather conditions except grin and bear it, and take our time moving through it, and with God’s help, eventually get to our destination safely.
And who says our God isn’t great and moves in mysterious ways eh? After talking about the weather, I didn’t know what to write on, so, as always, in those situations, I simply opened the Bible, and the Lord be praised, it fell open to this most appropriate scripture from the prophet Isaiah, talking about being redeemed by the Lord.
Please read with me: ‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned: neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place). Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable (honoured), and I have LOVED thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.’ (Is. 43:1-4)
What a marvellous promise my people! And we know the Lord keeps all His promises. He did indeed redeem Israel from all the terrible consequences of her rebellion, by bringing her back to her former land and making her great again. And the same way God reassured them: ‘Fear not: for I have redeemed thee,’ it’s the same thing He’s saying to us today, and we know that it’s true, because we have been redeemed by His Son Jesus Christ! So there’s nothing to fear!
And if you think our great God cannot protect us from the floods and fires, just check out the scripture in Daniel chapter 3, where his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to bow down to a golden calf made by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, were thrown into a furnace of fire heated seven times hotter than normal. And what was the result? Because the fire was so hot, it slew the men who took the three Hebrew men up to the mouth of the furnace and cast them in.
But what of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? The Bible tells us: ‘Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was atonied (astonished), and rose up in haste, and spake, and said to his counsellors (high officials), did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt (are not hurt); and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God (like a son of the gods).’ (Dan. 3:24-25)
Yes friends, anything is possible when your faith in Jehovah God is strong. They knew that the Lord could save them, but were not sure of it, yet, they still refused to bow to an idol. And that’s how we ought to be in these terrible times of ungodliness and evil. So strong in faith that whatever comes against us, we will not bow to anyone but God Almighty!
But here’s some interesting info from the scholars, who say, re The fourth is like the Son of God: (lit., a son of the gods”): Neb had no knowledge of Christ and was probably saying nothing more than that a divine being was protecting the three men. The fourth person may have been the preincarnate Christ, who often appears in the Old Testament as “the angel of the Lord,” or may have been an angel sent by God to protect them.’
Unfortunately though friends, we’ll have to stop there for today, because the story although it has a wonderful ending, will make the Bit much too long, and we’re already on a late bus. (smile) So if God spares life tomorrow, we’ll continue with the awesome story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant to find divine aid to help us successfully navigate this stormy and crazy world.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, although our prayers might be sincere, our Christian witness is not good enough, and until it improves, we will not see much divine aid! So let’s up the ante on our witness nuh! Much LOVE!
…the real power of faith…is not shown merely in talk of faith…but in the positive action of faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, abundance, alive and kicking, all these things will I give thee, angels came and ministered unto him, appetite loss, bear thee up in their hands, below ground, by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, cast thyself down, Chrisitanity, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, curse, divine protection, duty bound, faith, fall down and worship me, favour, fulfillment, get thee hence Satan, give his angels charge over thee, God's granted us another day of life, good friends, good health, him only shalt thou serve, holy spirit, if thou be the Son of God, it is written, Jesus Christ, Jesus sat on the pinnacle of the temple, lack of sunshine, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone, LOVE, low energy, man shall not live by bread alone, mercy, negative word, preaching ministry, promotion, SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder, salvation, Satan is no match for us when we have Christ, Satan the usurper, Satan uses scripture deviously, self-control, self-discipline, share the blessings, sleep problkems, success, supernatural strength, talent, the BIBLE, the height of abusrdity, the Kidron Valley, the Messiah, the rightful King, the temptations of christ were real experiences, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, to build Jesus' faith, trample the young lion and serpent under thy feet, tread upon the lion and the adder, tries to bamboozle us, truth, undeserved blessings, wisdom
Matthew 4:10. Get thee hence, Satan (away with you): for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Ah mih people, like the good Lord has given us another day of life on this wonderful planet Earth! And though we’ve spoiled it, so that life now is oftentimes tough, we’re still thankful to be here, alive and kicking, rather than unalive below ground. (smile) And thankfully too, there’s no more dangerous precipitation like we had yesterday; just a cold, somewhat cloudy day. And we can live with that.
There’s also one other thing we cannot complain about this year, that’s SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), when we suffer symptoms like low energy, sleep problems, appetite changes, and loss of interest because of a lack of sunshine. For this year we’ve gotten quite a lot of sunshine with the cold weather, so we can’t complain. (smile)
Now let’s get to our topic for today, the continuation of the importance of Jesus’ temptations. So, yesterday we saw where immediately after He was baptized by John the Baptist, He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, fasting for forty days and nights, then the devil came and tempted Him. All of it to build His faith, mental and emotional strength for the rather difficult journey He was about to embark on in His preaching ministry.
We saw too that when Jesus was terribly hungry after fasting, the devil tempted Him in that supposedly weak area, by saying if He was the Son of God, He could make bread from the stones around Him. But Jesus rebuked him with that famous statement: ‘It is written. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ (Matt. 4:4)
But that did not deter the tempter. The Bible tells us: ‘Then the devil taketh him (Jesus) up into the holy city, and sitteth him on a pinnacle of the temple. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, he shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt (test) the Lord thy God.’ (Matt. 4:5-7)
Wow friends! The devil quoting scripture! Anyway, the scholars offer these explanation re those verses. ‘The second temptation took place in the holy city (Jerusalem) on the pinnacle of the temple, which towered above the Kidron Valley. Evidently Jesus was transported there by Satan’s power, and this time the devil quoted Scripture (out of context) in order to get Him to sin and ultimately shake His faith in the Word. Satan used Psalm 91:11-12 urging Jesus to cast thyself down. Again Jesus replied with Scripture (Deut. 6:16) that he was not to tempt God by such a presumptuous action. The very passage of scripture quoted by Satan actually goes on to promise God’s ultimate victory over him!’
So my brethren, we see that Satan also knows the Bible and can use it in devious ways to his advantage. That’s why we must know our scripture too, so when he tries to bamboozle us with it, we can quote like Jesus: ‘It is written.’ And here’s the scripture the scholars talk about that refers to victory over Satan in Ps. 91. ‘Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (cobra): the young lion and the dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample under feet.’ (Ps. 91:13. The serpent there refers to Satan.
And the verse that Jesus quotes in reply to Satan is that spoken by Moses to the Israelites: ‘Ye shall not tempt (test) the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.’ (Deut. 6:16) That’s when they were in the wilderness with no water and they complained against Moses and God, and God had Moses strike the rock and produce water. (Ex. 17:1-7)
Then we come to the last of the great temptations. The Bible says: ‘Again, the devil taketh him (Jesus) into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan (away with you): for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.’ (Matt. 4:8-11)
But the boldfaceness of Satan! Imagine it nuh! He telling His Creator to bow down and worship Him, when it should be the other way around! But that should not surprise us, because it’s also the way some of us behave towards God, expecting Him to do as we desire instead of us doing His will.
And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘The third temptation takes place on an exceeding high mountain. The mountain is clearly real in the text, though its exact location is unidentified. Despite the grandeur of this temptation, nothing in the passage itself indicates that these temptations were only in the mind of Christ. Clearly, they are depicted as real experiences that actually occurred in the human life of the Messiah. That Satan, the usurper, would attempt to give the kingdoms of the world to Jesus, the Messiah, the rightful King, is the height of absurdity!
For Christ to fall down and worship Satan would have been to acknowledge the Devil’s lordship over Him. In His direct rebuke, Get thee hence, Satan, Jesus clearly asserts His lordship over the old serpent whose head he will soon crush. Matthew’s statement that Satan leaveth him shows that his order of the temptations is the chronological one. (cf. Luke 4:1-13).’
And that reference to Luke’s gospel, simply shows he has the last two temptations in a different order. And for our information, the quote Jesus uses in that last temptation could come any number of verses, such as, Deut. 6:13; 10:20; Ex. 20:1-5. Now, with all of that wonderful information under our belt, let’s go home declaring and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us by the Lord to enable us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration, we’re now duty bound to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Satan is a wily one…but he’s no match for us…when Christ dwells within us…
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
15 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heartfelt version of the song, a name that is above every other name, a name written, at the name of Jesus, became obedient unto death, being found in fashion as a man, blessed Redeemer, bore our sorrows, carry them in his bosom, Christ died to pay for our sins, christianity, Christians, crown him, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, face another week of work, faith, Fanny Crosby, feed his flock like a shepherd, fellowship, for our sins he suffered, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, give to his holy name, God hath highly exalted him, he carries them all day long, he hath on his vesture and on his thigh, he humbled himself, heavenly portals, His wonderful love proclaim, holy spirit, hope of eternal salvation, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and are known of mine, I know that my Redeemer lives, in his arms, in joyful song, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus is Christ the Lord, Jesus our Blessed Redeemer., Jesus reigns for ever and ever, Jesus sacrificed His sinless life, Jesus the crucified, Jesus will guard his children, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, leads me beside still waters, like a shepherd, loud with hosannas ring, LOVE, love unbounded, make war with the Lamb, makes me to lie down in green pastures, mercy, my Prophet Priest and King, no other name compares to Jesus, on the cross of Calvary, our rock, praise him, Praise Him Praise Him, Praise ye the Lord, praise ye the name of the Lord, redeemed us from the curse of the law, redemption through Christ's blood, salvation, sound his praises, strength and honour, sweet sacrifices of praise, tell of his excellent greatness, the battle trenches called work, the BIBLE, the death of the cross, the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the Son of man, the son of man came not be ministered unto, to the glory of God the Father, truth, wisdom, worship in the Lord's sanctuary, ye servants of the Lord
Psalm 135:1. ‘Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord.’
It’s another cold Sunday in this cold and snowy month of February friends, but let’s hope that will not stop us from congregating in worship with other believers in the Lord’s sanctuary, on this His special day. We need to give Him thanks and praise and receive His awesome grace and mercy to face another week in the battle trenches called work. (smile)
And today we have an interesting song to open our worship session. It’s one of the many from that blind but prolific American hymn writer Fanny Crosby, titled ‘Praise Him, Praise Him!’ written somewhere around 1869. The hymn celebrates Jesus as our “blessed Redeemer” and praises His amazing gifts of salvation and redemption.
So, without further ado, let’s raise our sweet sacrifices of praise to high heaven, in a soulful, mid-tempo, heartfelt version of the song, letting our exaltation of Jesus ring forth with all sincerity and truth. Singing: ‘Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Sing, O Earth, His wonderful LOVE proclaim! Hail Him! hail Him! highest archangels in glory; Strength and honor give to His holy name!
Like a shepherd Jesus will guard His children, In His arms He carries them all day long: (Refrain: Praise Him! praise Him! tell of His excellent greatness; Praise Him! praise Him! ever in joyful song.) Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! For our sins He suffered, and bled and died; He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation, Hail Him! hail Him!
Jesus the Crucified. Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows; LOVE unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong:(Refrain:) Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Heavenly portals loud with hosannas ring! Jesus, Saviour, reigneth forever and ever; Crown Him! crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King!
Christ is coming! over the world victorious, Power and glory unto the Lord belong:(Refrain: Praise Him! praise Him! tell of His excellent greatness; Praise Him! praise Him! ever in joyful song. Praise Him! praise Him! Power and glory unto the Lord belong: Power and glory unto the Lord belong:’
Now that was an excellent version my people! All heaven could hear the sincerity of our praise. And there are so many scriptural references in the song, that we could spend all day and not list them all. (smile) But let’s look at the few that time and space will allow us. And we’ll begin with the first two words ‘Praise Him.’
Well friends, throughout the Bible we are encouraged to praise the Lord, for one reason or another, especially in the Psalms. And Psalm 135, opens thus: ‘Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord.’ (Ps. 135:1) Meanwhile Psalms 146-150, all open with the advice to praise the Lord. So, there is very good reason to praise our great God, like Ms. Crosby contends.
Then we come to ‘Jesus our blessed Redeemer,’ and there’s absolutely no doubt that He is indeed our Redeemer, having sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary to pay our sin debt. He is the one that’s caused us to have the option of salvation and eternal life. And we have this great prophetic reference of Job, to Christ as the ultimate Redeemer, when He declares to his friends: ‘For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter (last) day upon the earth.’ (Job 19:25)
Meanwhile in the New Testament there are several scriptures which talk about Jesus as our Redeemer. Listen to Bruh Paul to the Galatians: ‘Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse (having become) a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.’ (Gal. 3:13) Christ became cursed as He took our sins on His sinless shoulders.
And Bruh Paul writes thus to the Ephesians: ‘In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.’ (Eph. 1:7) There it’s stated that redemption was through His blood, and there are several places where Jesus’ redemptive work was seen as paying a ransom for us. Jesus Himself said it in the gospel of Matthew when talking to the disciples about the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ‘Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (be served) but to minister (serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Matt. 20:28)
Then we come to this verse that says: ‘Like a shepherd Jesus will guard His children, In His arms He carries them all day long:’ And that’s the gospel truth! Isaiah made that reference to the Lord carrying sheep in His arms like a shepherd. ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:11)
And we all know that Bruh David spoke of the Lord as his shepherd in that famous Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.’ (Ps. 23:1-2) So the reference to Jesus as a shepherd of His flock is indeed a very appropriate one, as He also referred to Himself as a shepherd. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:11&14)
Then the song says: ‘Jesus, Saviour, reigneth forever and ever; Crown Him! crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King!’ And so we ought to, because He’s been exalted for His obedience to the Father’s will. As Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians: ‘And (Jesus) being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient even unto death, even the death of the cross.
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 should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:8-11)
And not only that but He’s also been given the titles of King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Revelation tells us that ‘These (pagan kings) shall make war with the Lamb, and the lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.’ (Rev. 17:14) And for further info on that, we can turn to Revelation 19, where in speaking of Jesus battle gear, it says: ‘And he hath on his vesture (robe) and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’ (Rev. 19:16)
Now that puts paid to the whole scenario, for He will be coming in all His glory, with might and power. To claim Hic victory! Let’s hope and pray that we will be there to receive and honour Him like we ought to. Much LOVE!
…there’s no other name that compares to Jesus’…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sacrifice for sin, a sense of peace and calm, adoration for God, an ingenious plan, and now abideth faith hope love, Christ died for the ungodly, christianity, Christians, Christians are not doing their duty, deepen my breath, doing a better job of living for Christ, enamoured of hate more than love, faith, God commendeth his love toward us, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God so loved the world, hang all the law and the prophets, Happy Valentine's Day, harbingers of love, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in due time, increase my awareness of you today, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, love can only bring change when it's actioned, love is an action word, Love makes the world go round, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, on these two commandments, one we cannot understand but desperately need, perhaps for a good man, quiet my soul, relax my mucsles, salvation, scarcely for a righteous man will one die, show love more regularly, show love on a daily basis, sincere hearts, slow my thoughts, some would even dare to die, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the first step to victory, the greatest of these three is love, the straight and narrow path, the undeniable truth, truth, unity, when we were yet without strength, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, without batting and eyeslash, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
1 Corinthians 13:13. And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these three is charity (LOVE).
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
And then it was Saturday; our lazy-day Saturday, but unfortunately we don’t get to do too much lazing around today, because it’s also Valentine’s Day, that day we shower so much LOVE and adoration on those around us, with gifts of flowers, chocolates, etc. etc. And nothing’s wrong with that, although we ought to show LOVE more regularly, like on a daily basis, for LOVE is what truly makes the world go round!
The other, more important question though, is are we showing enough LOVE to our wonderful God? And I very much doubt it, otherwise our world would not be so angry and filled with so much strife, neither would be living like leggo-beasts in a jungle-styled society. So let’s address that last question to some small extent by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Now, although many of us have been guilty of not showing enough LOVE and adoration to God, if our hearts were sincere in what we just prayed, then the Lord will soon fill us with that sense of peace and calm, one we cannot truly understand, but which we so desperately need in these anxious and confused times, to keep us on the straight and narrow path.
And since today is a day for showing LOVE, I guess we ought to consider some famous scriptures on that wonderful emotion. (smile) And I believe this one should always be first, because it’s what started the whole ball of salvation rolling. As Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Yes friends, after creating us in and for LOVE, and we spoiled it all by rebelling in sin, the Lord nonetheless LOVED us so much, that without batting an eyelash, (smile) He initiated a plan to bring us back to Him. A plan that had nothing to do with us, but all with His great LOVE and affection for us. And as I keep asking, which supposed god is great enough and confident enough in themselves to do such a thing eh? And the undeniable truth is that none can, except Jehovah God, who has the will, the power and confidence to put such an ingenious plan into action!
And the next scripture is an obvious one; Jesus Himself talking about God’s LOVE, as He says with all certainty to Nicodemus: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) Now let’s stop here for a moment and consider that scripture. God’s LOVE for His sinful and rebellious creation was so great, that He gave His only Son to be a sacrifice for them!
Wow! What a powerful LOVE that must have been…and still is! How many of us though have that kind of LOVE for anyone that we would die for them? Not too many! How did Bruh Paul put it before the quote about God demonstrated His Love? ‘For when we were yet without strength (sinful), in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die.’ (Rom. 5:6-7) So, for all intents and purposes, what God, through Christ did, was, and is still highly unlikely to be done by many others.
Then there’s this most important scripture passage on LOVE, again from Jesus, when the Jewish lawyer trying to draw Him into an argument, asked? ‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:36-40)
There again, we se that LOVE is the fulcrum upon which everything ought to turn: LOVING God, then LOVING our neighbours as we LOVE ourselves. Unfortunately though, many of us hate ourselves, so it doesn’t look so good for some of our neighbours. (smile) And there is no scripture that points out the fact of LOVE being the turning point, like this marvellous one from Bruh Paul to the Corinthians, where he waxes poetic and philosophical (smile). ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these three is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor. 13:13)
Yes my faithful brethren, LOVE is indeed the most important of all attributes, because it’s the ONLY one that truly brings us together, and thus encourages peace more than strife! And if our world only had more LOVE than the current state of hate with which it’s now overrun, we would live much better lives than what’s currently available to so many. And we come back to the question, why is our world so strife-filled and enamoured of hate rather than LOVE?
And the easy answer is that we Christians, who are supposed to be harbingers of LOVE, are not doing our duty as we ought to. We won’t ever get rid of hate and anger until Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom here on earth, but our world would certainly not be as ungodly and evil, if we were doing a better job of living for Jesus. Just look at all the many divisions in the church, and the several directions in which they are going. How then can we ever achieve unity, which is Jesus’ desire, and which is the first step towards victory?
And I’ll leave us to ponder that all-important question on this Valentine’s Lazy-Day Saturday, my people. Much LOVE!
…LOVE is an action word…and it can only bring change if and when…it’s put into action…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leadership method that foments hate and strife, a means of restoring faith in you, a modicum of circumspection, according to their own personal beliefs, anxiety, as flesh within the cauldron, as for my people, as for the pot, be resposnible, been evil in their deeds, behaved themselves ill in the doings, both shall fall into the ditch, break their bones, calamity, cause thee to err, children are their oppressors, chop them in little pieces, christianity, Christians, confusion, corruption is rampant, crying out for God's help, deceitfulness, declare their sin as Sodom, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, destroy the way of thy paths, disaster, don't go overboard with the celebrations, eat the fruit of their doings, egotism, faith, Family day, fellowship, followers, for personal gain, Friday chant, greed, hate the good and love the evil, he will not hear them, heads of Jacob, hide his face from them, holy spirit, if the blind lead the blind, in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, introduce a new flock of believers, is it not for you to know justice, it shall be ill with him, Jesus Christ, keep on our blinkers, lead you astray, LOVE, make sacrifices, male dominance, mercy, misleading the people, no respect for the law, omnipotent help, our only hope, our sinful world, power struggles, princes of the house of Israel, problems are escalating, real change only comes through real sacrifices, return backsliders to your fold, rewarded evil unto themselves, rising up and making godly changes, salvation, say to the righteous it is well with him, show them the error of their ways, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, strip the skin from my people, TGIF!, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the church of Jesus getting together, the current situation in our world, the failure of male leadership, the leaders of this people cause them to err, the look on their faces, the reward of his hands, the throne of grace, the worst set of leaders, their flesh from their bones, their guilty faces reveal their sinful hearts, they be blind leaders of the blind, they do not hide their sin, they shall cry unto the Lord, they that are led of them are destroyed, they which lead thee, trusting faith, truth, use the discontent and dissatisfaction, Valentine's day, wake up and smell the coffee, we are followers like sheep, we are like sheep, wisdom, wise guidance, witness against them, woe unto the wicked, woe unto their soul, women rule over them, your faithful believers set
Isaiah 9:16. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.
So friends, we’ve finally come to Friday, the day we’ve all been looking forward to! And it’s sunny though cold…but who cares…it’s Friday! (smile) And obviously our Friday Mantra was offered up early and loud: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last! And is this ever a big weekend in Canada. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and Monday is Family Day, a civic not federal holiday in most provinces, apparently created on the third Monday in February to provide a mid-winter break for families to spend time together.
So, you know the partying will be in full swing from today. But let’s all remember those important cautionary words of Jeeves: ‘a modicum of circumspection please.’ Yes, we don’t need to go overboard with all the celebrations, for our world is already overboard with all the strife and power struggles it faces. And let’s remember too, in the middle of all the celebrations, to fellowship with other believers on Sunday, so that we can be refreshed and renewed to face a new work week on Tuesday. End of Sermon! (smile)
And today we’ll look at an interesting passage of scripture from the prophet Isaiah that very much resembles the situation in our current world. Isaiah was talking to the people about their sins and refusal to repent and turn back to the God of their forefathers, and commented thus: ‘For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.’ (Is. 9:16) Oh friends, it’s the very same crime that can be thrown at today’s world leadership! Why? They are misleading the people according to their own personal beliefs and for their own personal gain.
Now that’s a method of leadership that does nothing but foment hate and strife, deceitfulness and power struggles. There’s no respect for the law, thus corruption is both rampant and flagrant. No one even considers hiding their corrupt souls any longer. It’s something to boast about. And right now I believe we have the worst set of leaders our world has seen in a very long time. Greed and egotism are their forte; not proper leadership. And remember, most of us are like sheep, mere followers, not given to do anything but what the corrupt, power hungry leaders do. So what can we expect then but a world filled with evil and ungodliness.
And it’s not the first time that Isaiah made that claim of misleading management. In chapter 3 where he talks about the Lord Pleads and Judges, he writes: ‘The shew of their countenance (the look on their faces) doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded (brought) evil unto themselves.
Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands given him (done to him). As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err (lead thee astray), and destroy the way of thy paths.’ (Is. 3:9-12)
Yes friends, their guilty faces clearly reveal their sinful hearts. And that last verse basically means the utter failure of male leadership over the society. Sadly, the same thing can be said for today’s leadership. The male dominance has driven the world to war and hate and corruption way too often in the last couple of centuries. Unfortunately though, it looks like that male dominance will continue amongst our leaders, so there’s very little change to expect.
And the prophet Micah reveals the same evil doing of the leaders when He declares: ‘And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes (rulers) of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgement (justice)? Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck (strip) off their skin from off them (my people), and their flesh from off their bones; Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and break their bones, and chop them to pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron. Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill (been evil) in their doings (deeds).’ (Mic. 3:1-4)
Now that’s not a pretty picture of leadership, but unfortunately it also correlates to the kind of leadership we have today. And sadly, we Christians who are supposed to improve the situation, too many of us are following the crowd; being OF the world instead of simply being IN it. And the remainder either are afraid or simply don’t care. So how is the world to improve eh? It’s like when the Pharisees complained about Jesus saying that what goes into the mouth doesn’t defile a man, but only what comes out. (Matt. 15:11) Jesus said to the disciples: ‘Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ (Matt. 15:14)
And that’s exactly what’s happening today. Our blind leaders are leading us astray, and if we keep our blinkers on, the eventual outcome will only be more disaster and calamity than we already have. And our only hope is the church of Christ, getting together, rising up and making godly changes. That’s it friends. The evil doers will not willingly destroy their evil empire, so we have to do it for them. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these most crucial and critical times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, things won’t turn around unless we are willing to make the sacrifices for them to happen. So, this long weekend, let’s ponder how willing we are to do that nuh. Much LOVE!
…real change only comes about through real sacrifices…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abraham believed God, abundance, announced good news before hand, believing means having faith, christianity, Christians, clear direction for my life, come to know and love christ like we do, complete obedience to the law, concentrate on today, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, faith, faith in the Lord God Jehovah, favour, given all things into his hands, God so loved the world, good family, good freinds, have everlasting life, having faith means belieivng, he gave his only begotten son, he that believeth not on the son shall not see life, he that believeth on the son hath everlasting life, his soul that is lifted up is not upright in him, holy spirit, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, impossible for sinful man, in the sight of God, it was counted as righteousness, Jesus Christ, justify the heathen through faith, LOVE, mercy, negative word, no man is justified by the law, one day at a time, preached before the gospel, promotion, round four of our weekly work fight, salvation, salvation obtained by meritorious works, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, self-discipline, stop looking forward to tomorrow, subject to God's wrath and codemnation, success, supernatural strength, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, takes all those who believe to heaven, talent, the BIBLE, the doctrine of justification by faith, the just shall live by faith, the just shall live by his faith, the law is doing not of belieiving, the Mosaic Law, the power of God unto salvation, the power of the gospel, the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, the wrath of God abideth on him, they which be of faith are blessed with faithful abraham, to every one that believes, tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself, truth, using the law to win divine approaval, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom
Habakkuk 2:4. Behold, his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Then it was Thursday; round four of our weekly fight…only one more day to go! But remember, we must win today’s fight first, so stop looking forward to tomorrow and concentrate on today. And Jesus, after telling us our first act is to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, (Matt. 6:33) warned us of that very fact. ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of the itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34)
In other words, we’re not to worry about tomorrow, for as the scholars explain: ‘Each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ So let’s concentrate on dealing with today’s problems today, for who knows, we might not even be around tomorrow to deal with tomorrow’s problems. (smile) Remember that Lord only gives us one day at a time, and that’s more than enough for us to handle, no wonder we get all confused and muddled when we try to handle more.
That brings us to this interesting and most important principle of scripture from the prophet Habakkuk, where, talking about the battles between the Chaldeans of Babylon, and the Jews of Judah, he prophesies: ‘Behold, his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.’ (Hab. 2:4) Yes friends, Habakkuk is saying that although the Chaldeans would win the forthcoming battle, eventually though the victors would be the Jews because of their belief, of their faith in the Lord God Jehovah.
And the scholars explain that the words or principle, ‘the just shall live his faith’ is often quoted in the New Testament in support of the doctrine of justification by faith. Thus, this Old Testament prophecy anticipates the New Testament Gospel which shall ultimately conquer the nations and bring them to Christ.’
Now let’s look at a few of those New Testament references to that Old Testament Scripture. And the first one comes from the words of John the Baptist, where he informs a crowd of Jews that he is not the Christ; but one sent before Him to testify of Him. (John 3:27-34) And he ends his speech thus: ‘The Father LOVETH the son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not on the son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (remains) on him.’ (John 3:35-36)
And it’s exactly what Jesus said to Nicodemus the Jewish teacher who, for fear of reprisals from his fellow leaders, came to Jesus under cover of night seeking answers. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) It’s very plain and simple my people! Believe in Jesus Christ and you will have eternal life. Don’t believe in Him and you will not have eternal life but eternal death. It could not be said any clearer or more straightforward than that.
Then there are these words on the subject of the just living by faith from Bruh Paul to the Roman church. ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Gentiles). For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.’ (Rom. 1:16-17) Oh my people, the power of God is so strong in the gospel of Christ that it takes those who believe all the way to heaven! There’s nothing else as powerful, or can accomplish that feat!
And to the Galatians Bruh Paul justified the principle of the just living by faith when he writes. ‘Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen (nations) through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful (believing) Abraham.
For as many as are under the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written: Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified (declared righteous) by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in (by) them.’ (Gal. 3:7-12)
And the scholars offer some interesting explanations on those verses. As per 3:7: They say; ‘The verse may be read: “Therefore recognize that those who believe, these only are Abraham’s sons.’ So if you don’t believe, you’re not a son of Abraham. 3:8: Preached before the gospel is better said, “announced good news beforehand.” Paul equates justify with being blessed. 3:9. This verse might be, “So then they who believe are blessed along with believing Abraham” – that is, they are justified.
3:10: As many as are of the works of the law refers to all who rely upon obedience to the Mosaic Law as the means of winning divine approval (salvation). To be under the curse is to be subject to God’s wrath and condemnation. Continueth is explained by to do, which means “to obey.” The recipient of divine wrath is every one who, believing salvation can be obtained by meritorious works, fails to obey the law perfectly. Complete obedience to the law is impossible for sinful man (Acts 15:10; James 2:10). All, then, who attempt to secure salvation by this route are doomed. 3:12: This verse declares that the law is a matter of performance, not of faith; it is a principle of doing, not of believing.’
And we know that the gospel of Christ is all about believing. So let’s stop merely trying to obey the law, but first believe Christ is whom He says He is, then use our undeserved Thursday Blessings to do the good works He prearranged for us to do when we first believed. And to activate those blessings, we need to declare them. So, with a strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And with that declaration, (yesss!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…having faith…means believing…and believing…means having faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a major part of our lives, after ye have done the will of God, are you in the dark, believe to the saving of the soul, cast not away your confidence, cause our faith to doubt, christianity, Christians, confidently live life resting in God's faithfulness, consistently rely on God's immutable Word, deepen your understanding of Gods' faithfulness, despair, dig down deep and find the faith to trust, discover God's promises in new ways, disregard the darkness, don't understand God's timimng, don't' understand why life is topsy-turvy, endure to the end with Jesus, every promise of God has come true, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faith is all about trusting God, feeling or no feeling, God can be trusted, God keeps His promises, God waits for us to trust Him, God will give you a very precious message for someone else, God's immutable word, God's intention, God's promise remains certain through our deepest trial, God's promises, God's promises do not suddenly disappear, going the way of all the earth, great recompense of reward, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that shall come will come, he will not tarry, holy spirit, if any man draw back, if we stand strong in faith we will receive the promises, increasing joy, it stands firm, Jesus Christ, listen, loneliness, looking to Jesus, LOVE, mercy, my soul shall no pleasure in him, negative situations, not turning back, One Year Book of Bible promises, our courage fails, our fears become overwhelming, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, regardless of negative circumstances, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, sincerely and humbly ask for divine help, so glad to be alive, testify to the truth of that statement, thank God, the author and finisher of our faith, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the gospel truth, the just shall live by faith, the Lord always helps us to stand strong, the privilege of prayer, the truth of God's promises to be foundational in our lives, times of questioning, times of saadness, to a glorious future with Jesus, trusting seems the most difficult thing to do, truth, we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, weather the tough times, Wednesday Wail, when God gives a promise that speaks directly to our need, when you are in the light, wisdom, ye have need of patience, you have need of endurance, you might receive the promise
Hebrews 10:36. For ye have need of patience (endurance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Round three of our workweek fight is up today friends, that’s Wednesday. And it’s a good day, because it allows us to catch our second wind. So let’s do just that nuh, then keep on fighting the good fight for Jesus, as we are expected to do. (smile) And today we’re going to check out one of the amazing poems in our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled, ‘God’s Promises.’ And we all know that God’s Plentiful Promises are supposed to be a major part of our lives, but many of them don’t happen automatically, we have to seek them and then action them.
So please read with me: ‘With increasing joy I am discovering that God’s promises do not suddenly disappear when our courage fails and our fears become overwhelming. Feeling or no feeling, when God gives a promise that speaks directly to our need, it stands firm regardless of negative circumstances. There may be times of questioning, and we may not understand God’s timing, but His promise remains certain through our deepest trial.
If we consistently rely on His immutable Word, we can disregard the darkness. Oswald Chambers says, “Are you in the dark right now regarding your circumstances? Then listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you are in the light.’’ God waits for us to trust Him when trusting seems the most difficult thing of all.’
Oh friends, most of us can testify to the truth of that last statement, because it’s in our very dark, or our darkest times that the Lord expects our faith to rise up and trust Him. And that’s not always easy to do, but if we truly believe, then we dig down deep and find that faith to trust whatever promise He’s made to us, even if it seems most unlikely to come true.
And the unfortunate part is that we all go through times of sadness, of despair, of loneliness and all those negative situations that cause our faith to doubt, to stumble, to wonder what it’s all about. However, that’s why we have the Holy Spirit, God’s unchangeable Word and the privilege of prayer to help us weather those tough times. And believe me, the Lord will always help us stand strong when we sincerely and humbly ask for His divine help.
Now, the Bible passage that is attached to today’s poem is certainly an interesting and encouraging one for the hard times. The Book uses the New Living Translation (NLT), which says: ‘Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.’ (Heb. 10:35-36) And that’s oh so true: if we stand strong in faith we will receive the promises.
But yuh know what, I’m chuckling here because as I opened Our One year Book of Bible Promises just now, I stumbled across a very appropriate passage for this poem. It’s actually the Introduction to the Book. I don’t remember ever seeing it before, but in the Lord’s mysterious ways of working, (smile) He obviously intended me to see and use it today.
So, please read with me: ‘God keeps His promises. You’ve heard it; in fact, you’ve probably even said it a few times. But how well do you know it? God’s intention is for this great truth to be so foundational in your heart that you confidently live life resting in His faithfulness. God can be trusted. Discover His promises in new ways this year and deepen your understanding of His faithfulness.’ And it ends with this NLT translation of Joshua 23:14. “Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!”
Now isn’t that a marvellous intro my faithful brethren! Indeed it is! And it’s just what we’ve been talking about. The Lord desires us to live confidently in the truth of His faithfulness throughout all of our lives, despite the negative situations we will encounter from time to time! And that’s what faith is all about: trusting God, even when you don’t know or understand why your life is all topsy-turvy.
And for our information, that passage from Joshua, is actually Moses, on his death bed telling the Israelites about the faithful promises of God. ‘And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.’ (Josh. 23:14) And that’s the gospel truth my people! Not one of God’s promises have ever failed. When we interpret them properly, they all come true.
That brings us back to the scripture passage for our poem today, and we’ll look now at the King James Version. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry (delay). Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition (destruction); but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.’ (Heb. 10:36-39)
Yes friends, I thought we needed to hear the last few verses of that scripture, because they help to raise our level of faith and keep us strong, and remind us that we are not of those who turn away from Christ and end up in ruin, but those who believe and thus save our souls! Now let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) 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 really want to see a more than glorious future, then we’ll endure to the end with Jesus, because then, a future so amazing that we cannot comprehend it will shine forth. And I do hope that we’ll all be there to enjoy it together! Much LOVE!
…true Christian faith…is found only by looking to Jesus…the author and finisher…the originator and perfector…of that faith…
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
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