02 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 direct line to the triune God, a personal expression of thoughts, a snow-filled Monday, abide in me and I in you, according to God's will, acknowledging God's sovereignty, all sinned and disobeyed your word, all that are in authority, alter circumstances, an intimate connection between a person and the divine, at the core of every Christian journey, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, become better Christian witnesses, building a relationship with God, changes hearts, confession, desires, direction to alleviate our problems, divine aid, ease the pain, emotions, except it abide in the vine, except ye abide in me, faith, fellowship, first of all, fosters a deepr understanding of God's nature, godlier in our daily lives, grow in grace, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am the vine ye are the branches, in all godliness and honesty, in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour, influences attitudes, intercession, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, lead a quiet and peaceable life, lies a deep and personal element, LOVE, mercy, no more can ye, not returned to normal, pray, prayer, prayer empowers comforts and guides us, prayer has the power to transform, prayer is absolutely necessary for Christians, prayer is the most powerful method of communication, prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God, regular prayer is essential for spiritual growth, salvation, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, spiritual growth, strong faith in Christ, supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, thank you for life, thanksgiving, the BIBLE, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the chief method of communicating with God, the God who heals, the many suffering from negative situations, the power to solve our many problems, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the throne of grace, to him be glory both now and forever, transformation, truth, turn from our evil ways, unexpected storms, used for adoration, wisdom, wise guidance, without me you can do nothing
John 15:4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Another Monday my people, and we’re back out to work, but thankfully it’s only cold and not snow-filled like last Monday, when some 40 to 50 centimeters of snow fell in the Greater Toronto Area. In fact, some people and neighbourhoods still have not returned to normal, as there is still lots of snow to be scraped up and removed. And work has been continuing round the clock, but there’s so much snow, and only so many people and so much machinery to deal with it. Let’s hope and pray that in the next few days, there will be a significant drop in the temperature to below freezing, so that most of the snow now lining our road banks and roofs will melt before any more snow falls. (smile)
And our topic for today is that great privilege believers have called ‘PRAYER.’ Yes friends, prayer is our chief method of communicating with our heavenly Father. That’s how He designed it. And before we do anything else, I think it’s best to have a basic definition of prayer. And the overview of this commentary explains it thus. ‘Prayer is the act of communicating with a higher power, deity, or the sacred, serving as a fundamental, intimate connection between a person and the divine. It is a deliberate, often personal, expression of thoughts, emotions, and desires, used for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, or supplication (requesting help).’
Now that gives us a good basis for a discussion on the subject. And the first point we need to make is that prayer is absolutely necessary for Christians, because, as we said earlier, that’s our main method of communicating with Jehovah God, our Creator and Controller. And I like how this excerpt from the article The Power and Purpose of Christian Prayer by Heather Okuda on the anglicanfrontiers.com website puts it. ‘At the core of every Christian journey lies a deep and personal element: prayer.
It’s a practice as old as the faith itself, a direct line to the triune God that empowers, comforts, and guides us as believers…. 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.’
Then she breaks down the Purpose of Prayer into sub-groups, explaining them thus. (1) ‘Communion with God: Prayer is primarily about building and maintaining a relationship with God. It’s a practice that fosters a deeper understanding of His nature and will.’ And for that she references John 15:4-5, where Jesus talks about our inability to do anything much without Him. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me, ye can do nothing.’
Now that’s truly telling it like it is. And the next sub-group of prayer Ms. Okuda lists is (2) ‘Spiritual Growth: Regular prayer is essential for spiritual growth. It is in these quiet moments that we often find strength, wisdom, and peace that guide our actions and decisions.’ And the reference for that is 2 Peter 3:18, which states: ‘But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.’
Then we come to sub-group (3) titled ‘Intercession: Prayer is also an act of intercession. We pray not only for our needs but also for others, lifting up friends, family, leaders, and even enemies to God’s care.’ And the reference for that is 1 Timothy 2:1-2. And that says: ‘I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty (reverence).’
And sub-group (4) is ‘Transformation: Prayer has the power to transform. It changes hearts, influences attitudes, and can even alter circumstances according to God’s will.’ And Romans 12:2, a scripture we all know quite well, serves as the reference for that sub-group. It wisely advises: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’
Wow mih bredrin! Who would ever have thought that prayer could be broken down into so many different aspects eh? (smile) But now that we have a deeper knowledge of prayer and its basic purposes, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle hymn, seeking divine aid to help us with all those aspects of prayer in these turbulent and confusing times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And friends, all the prayer in the world won’t help us get divine aid, until and unless we become better Chrisitan witnesses, by becoming godlier in our daily lives! Much LOVE!
…the oldest…the greatest…and the most powerful method of communication…PRAYER…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a certificate of debt, a selfless sacrifice, all praise honour thanks and glory to God, an IOU, being dead in your sins, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, bow our kness, but for the cross, But God commendeth his love toward us, by grace are you saved through faith, Christians should venerate the cross, come unto me all ye that labour, eternal life, faith, fellowship, forgiven you of all trespasses, from the depths of our hearts, gather in the Lord's sanctuary, give everlasting thanks to Christ, giving thanks, God's judgement, God's undeserved blessing, grace to strengthen us, heavy laden, holy spirit, humbly I come, I come to the cross, I will give you rest, indebted to God, into your strength, it is the gift of God, Jesus Christ, Jesus paid for our sins, Jesus paid our sin debt in full, joy, lest any man should boast, LOVE, made alive, man's inability to fulfil his obligation, mercy, my grace is sufficient for you, my guilt and shame, my strength is made perfect in weakness, not of yourselves, our journey begins and ends at the cross of Calvary, out of my weakness, quickened together with him, repentance, salvation, salvation is not of works, saving grace, seeking mercy and grace, shed innocent blood, singing God's praises, sweet sacrifices of praise, the BIBLE, the cross of Christ, the emblem of our faith, the essence of our lives, the Great Invitation of Jesus, the Lord's Day, the uncircumcision of your flesh, the words we sang, through Christ our debt was graciously blotted out, truth, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wisdom, you call me by name, you died in my place, you paid the price, you welcome this child that was lost, your arms are open
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye saved (you have been saved) through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
It’s that day again friends; Sunday, the Lord’s Day, bright, sunshiny and cold, (smile) which means we need to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary, or wherever, so we can fellowship with joy, giving thanks and singing praises to His holy name, while receiving His grace and mercy to strengthen us for another week. And our song of worship today is this time a fairly new one, only written in 2003 by Bob Somma and Bill Batstone, and is most appropriately titled for a time such as this: ‘I come to the Cross.’
It’s all about repentance, salvation, grace and mercy, four of the most wonderful and most important things in this rather ungodly world of ours. So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, sincere, heartfelt mid-tempo version, pouring all we have and are into it.
Singing: ‘I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Humbly, I come to the cross. I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross. Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame, Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross.
I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place. Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross. Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame, Jesus, I come, Jesus I come, Jesus, I come to the cross Jesus, I come to the cross…Jesus, I come to the cross….’
Oh my people, that was wonderful! Anyone hearing it would know that we were truly sincere, and the words we sang came directly from the depths of our hearts. And they ought to, since Jesus made Himself to be such a selfless sacrifice on our behalf, on the cross at Calvary. It’s on that dreadful cross that Jesus paid for our sins, through His shed innocent blood. That’s why the cross is such an important aspect of our faith, and Christians ought to venerate it much more than they do since it was through it that we received the wonderful options of salvation and eternal life.
If Jesus had not died there, and paid our sin debt in full, we would never be able to talk about those things, much less stuff like mercy and grace. Note the opening line of the song: ‘I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace, I come to the cross where You died in my place.’ And that’s the place where every believer ought to bow their knees and give everlasting thanks to Christ. That’s where our journey ought to begin and end…at the cross of Calvary! For everything else pales in comparison to it.
We have salvation, forgiveness of sins and eternal life with the Father because of the cross. We also have grace, which is God’s undeserved divine favour because of the cross. For as Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians: ‘For by grace are ye saved (you have been saved) through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph. 2:8-9) In other words, only through faith in Jesus Christ’s completed work on the cross can we acquire that saving grace. God gives it freely when we believe in His Son Jesus Christ. No works of ours can save us.
Bruh Paul explains it to the Colossians, as being dead to the world yet alive. ‘And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh (spiritual not physical circumcision), hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us (certificate of debt with its decrees), which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way nailing it to his cross.’
And what does all of that mean? Simply that God through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, gave us new spiritual life. And the handwriting of ordinances refers to the Mosaic Law, which the Jews had contracted to obey, and to which the Gentiles by conscience were obligated. But owing to man’s inability to fulfill this obligation of obedience, he was therefore indebted to God. However, through Christ this debt was graciously blotted out.’
All praise, honour, thanks and glory to God for doing that! He must have LOVED us a whole lot, for the Bible tells us: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Yes, although we deserved God’s judgement for our sinfulness, Christ died in our place. What a great God we serve my people!
And I like how the song talks about:’ Out of my weakness and into Your strength, Jesus, I come to the cross.’ That reminds us of the Lord’s words to Bruh Paul when he asked three times to have a thorn removed from his flesh. ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a)
And as this commentary explains: ‘It means that when human strength fails and weakness is acknowledged, God’s grace and power are most fully displayed and effective. It shifts focus from self-reliance to dependence on divine strength, allowing, as Paul did, for boasting in limitations so that Christ’s power may rest upon the believer.’ Now, let’s not forget these most meaningful words of the song. ‘Your arms are open, You call me by name, You welcome this child that was lost. You paid the price for my guilt and my shame,’
Yes friends, Jesus surely did it all, and His arms are open wide, as we can see from the Great invitation He extends to all the lost, and weary: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:29) Who else offers such an invitation eh? No one but Jesus! So, on this first day of February in this new year of 2026, it behooves all who call themselves Christians to pay serious attention to the emblem of our faith; the cross of Christ, to bow before it and cherish it with heartfelt respect and LOVE, for it’s the essence of our very lives, both physical and spiritual. Much LOVE!
…oh the cross…the cross…but for the cross…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Jan 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, a smiley kind of day, a winter storm, abundance, Accept god's sovereignty over our lives, action comes with a hefty price, Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed with God's supernatural widom, charged God foolishly, come to know and love christ like we do, community support, courage, curse, curse God and die, dent our spirits, faith, favour, fell upon the ground and worshipped, fulfilment, God can bring purpose out of suffering, guidance for navigating difficult times, He keepeth all his bones, holy spirit, if God spares life, immediate relief, in all this, it's the Lord's perogative to gie and to take, Jesus Christ, Job arose and rent his mantle, Job sinned not, LOVE, made of sterner stuff, many are the afflictions of the righteous, mercy, misfortune is a part of life, naked came I out of my mother's womg, naked shall I return thither, negative word, not one of them is broken, one of those day, perseverance, prosper and succeed, salvation, saveth such as be of a contrite spirit, shaved his head, take difficulties in stride, talent, talk is cheap, the aberrations of winter, the BIBLE, the Christian life, the Lord delivereth him out of them all, the Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away, the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles, the Lord is nigh unto them of a broken heart, the Lord's timetable, the response that God expects, the righteous cry, truth, undaunted faith in action, undeserved blessings, wisdom, without blaming something or someone, without complaining
Job 1:21b. the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Oh friends, as the song says, it’s just one of those days; one of those beautiful Thursdays when everything is covered in white, several inches deep. (smile) Yes, a winter storm has dropped a lot of snow on us during the past twelve hours, and it’s still sprinkling down as we speak. I can imagine the mess the morning commute must have been, and I’m sure many people could not even get to work because of it. But that’s the price we pay for living in the northern climes. Occasionally we’re hemmed in and severely restricted by the aberrations of the winter weather. (smile)
And after the storm … then comes the hard part; digging and shovelling ourselves out of it. The main roads in my area have not even been touched as yet, so you can imagine the chaos in the busier parts of the city. Usually, you’ll hear vehicles passing, but today nary a one is passing by, that’s to tell you the condition of the streets. But we’ll take it all in stride, as we usually do, and complain as we dig ourselves out, but we certainly won’t allow a li’l snow to dent or downgrade our spirits, for we are made of sterner stuff than that. (smile)
It’s a smiley kind of day. It has to be, or all the snow out there would just drive you crazy. And how do we do that? By turning to God’s Word which gives encouragement and reassurance in every instance of misfortune or disaster. It’s like the overview of this commentary says: ‘Scriptures on dealing with misfortune emphasize faith, perseverance, community support, and the belief that God can bring purpose out of suffering. The Bible acknowledges that misfortune is a part of life and provides guidance for navigating these difficult times.’
Yes my brethren, God’s Word certainly provides guidance for navigating difficult times. So let’s look at a few of them nuh, so we can gain some reassurance on this snowy day. And there’s no better scripture to begin with than this one from Job, where after losing everything; the Bible tells us: ‘Then Job arose, and rent (tore) his mantle (robe), and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshipped. And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.’ (Job 1:20-22)
And yes, that kind of faith and righteous behaviour is indeed difficult to show forth when tragedy befalls us, but it’s the necessary response that God expects. Please note that the first thing Job did was worship the Lord. And that’s where it ought to begin, although it’s not easy to remember that or to do it, even when we remember. And then Job did not blame the Lord for His misfortune, although the Lord had to be involved in some form and fashion for He oversees everything that happens to us. Job simply stated the logic of it all: the Lord gave, now the Lord’s taken away what He gave. That’s His prerogative.
So although his life had gone from heaven to hell in a short time, Job did not blame God or curse him and die, as his wife told him to do. (Job 2:9) Unfortunately though, many of us don’t have that kind of faith which enables us to take our difficulties in stride without complaining or blaming something, or someone, God included. But that is the kind of faith we need to have if we expect to successfully navigate this world as followers of Jesus. We need to truly trust and accept God’s sovereignty over all the matters in our lives.
Meanwhile these marvellous words of Bruh David from Psalm 34 encourages us to turn to prayer when difficulties arise. He writes: ‘The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh (near) unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit (crushed in spirit). Many are the afflictions of the righteous: bur the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.’ (Ps. 34:17-20)
Yes my fellow believers, the Lord does all of that, but unfortunately it’s on His own timetable. We want immediate relief, but the Lord has what He considers important reasons for not granting immediate relief. And I can tell you about that from personal example. In the last few weeks I’ve been crying out to the Lord for relief from the pains in my stomach, and I did not doubt that it would eventually come, but for whatever reason, the Lord did not see fit to give me some relief until very recently. And as I said a couple of days ago, I don’t know if my attitude during that time was satisfactory in God’s eyes, for I did complain some, but I certainly did not curse Him.
That’s why talk is cheap, but action comes with a hefty price, which many of us are not prepared to pay. And sadly, it looks like time and space have run out on us, so we’ll stop there for today. Tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that encourage us in difficult times. Now, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings, underserved ones, generously bestowed on us by the Father to help us do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the Christian life calls for showing undaunted, fearless faith in action…not merely in talk…
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
12 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all actions have consequences, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, bodily exercise profiteth little, carnal pleasures, Christian service, diligent in prayer, disobedyed your word, divine aid, eternally separated from God, eternity with the Godhead, even as I am not of the world, evil wiles, exercise thyself rather unto godliness, faith, fellowshipping with others, followers of Christ, given them thy word, godliness is profitable unto all things, have my joy fulfilled in themselves, holy spirit, humble ourselves and pray, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus and his righteousness, Jesus Christ, keep them from the evil one, life is moving on, live for Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, no precipitation, obedience, pray, promise of the life that is now, prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God, reforming our thinking, refuse profane and old wives fables, resist being poured into the mold of the world, s avowed purpose, salvation, same old same old, Satan, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincerely seek your face, spiritual exercise has unlimited value, spiritual life, spiritually dead, stop thinking like the world does, strong faith in Christ, take as many people as possible to eternal death, temptations, the bells of toil have tolled, the BIBLE, the God who heals, the gospel truth, the life Jesus upholds, the life of the secular world, the life that is to come, the power to solve our many problems, the throne of grace, the world hath hated them, they are not of the world, this is a faithful saying, truth, turn away from God, turn from our evil ways, what kind of life wre we moving on with, wisdom, worthy of all acceptance
John 17:16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
And the bells of toil have tolled once more this Monday morning, to begin a new week of the same old, same old work! And it’s dark, cloudy and cold, but thankfully dry, with no kind of precipitation making it messy like last Monday. Ah friends, life’s moving on, and if we don’t move on with it we’ll get left behind. The problem though is what kind of life are we moving on with? Is it the one that the secular world proposes, or the one that Jesus desires us to participate in?
And though we’re in the same world, the two ways of life are very different. One looks to the world and all it’s carnal pleasures, while the other looks to Jesus and His righteousness. And just like our everyday actions have consequences, so too do our long term actions in terms of the type of life we live. If we live like the secular world does, we’ll end up spiritually dead and eternally separated from Almighty God, our Wonderful Creator. If you live for Jesus, then you’ll enjoy spiritual life and eternity with the Godhead.
And Jesus specified the difference He expected from His followers when He prayed for the disciples: ‘And now I come to thee (Father); and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you 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.’ (John 17:13-16)
That means as followers of Jesus we must live in the world but not as the world lives. And that’s much easier said than done, but that’s why He has provided the Holy Spirit, His Word, the Bible, and whatever else we need to help us do it. And we know that once we claim to be followers of Christ that the evil one, Satan, will do his very best through all sorts of evil wiles and temptations to get us to do wrong and eventually turn away from God, thus ending up in hellfire and damnation with him. That is his avowed purpose; to carry as many as possible to eternal death with him.
But we do have some reassuring and encouraging scriptures, like the one above there from Jesus, which helps us not to fall for the temptations of the evil one. Then we have encouraging words like these from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) Yes friends, to stay out of the world’s evil clutches we must stop conforming to what the world thinks is right.
The scholars say: ‘They are to resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems and conduct of this world.’ And the only way to do that is by reforming our thinking, stop thinking like the world does, and think like Jesus would have us. Which is to ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Yes my people, God has faithfully promised to look after all our needs if we place Him first and foremost in our lives.
And I like how Bruh Pul puts it to Timothy when he tells him about false teachers. ‘But refuse (reject) profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.’ (1 Tim. 4:7-9)
In other words, as the scholars explain verse 7: We need to reject all the false doctrines propagated in the myths and fables, because they promote ungodliness. ‘Not only must Timothy avoid false teaching, he must spare himself no pain and effort to be pious. Godliness does not come automatically. To attain holiness he must be diligent in prayer, Bible study, obedience, fellowshipping with other believers, and Christian service.’ Now that does not only pertain to Timothy but to all believers! We have to get involved in all those activities to the extent possible if we are to attain some form of godliness down here on earth.
And per verse 8, they paraphrase it to read: ‘For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness, the result of spiritual exercise, has unlimited value, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Godliness is good for both now and forever! So with that in mind let’s go to the throne of grace, though our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid to help us become and stay godly.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And right there in our prayer, we see what it takes for us to get divine aid: ‘humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek God’s face.’ So please, let’s get serious about doing that nuh…if we truly desire divine aid! Much LOVE!
…the only thing truly worth seeking in this world…is GODLINESS…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light that shineth in a dark place, a light unto my path, a more sure word of prophecy, a morning without clouds, all my desire, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, be as God, be as the light of the morning, clear shining after rain, deepen my breath, divine revelation, faith, fall for anything, find God's wisdom on it's pages, for our benefit not God's, god should always be an integral part of our lives, God's incomparable peace, God's inerrant word, God's Word, godly human instruments of recording God's message, Gods thoughts and ways are higher than ours, guidance and direction, guide for living, he that ruleth over men must be just, his word was in my tongue, holy men of God, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, instruction in righteousness, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, live the life that God desires, LOVE, make it not to grow, mercy, moved by the Holy Ghost, no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, rudderless and directionless lives, ruling in fear of God, salvation, sincere communion, slow my thoughts, start on the right foot, study the wisdom of God, thank you for this tenderness, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the BIBLE, the Bible is God's word to man, the day star arise in your hearts, the infallibility of Scripture, the man of God may be perfect, the process of revelation and inspiration, the prophecy came not by the will of man, the revelation of God to man, the Rock of Israel, the spirit of the Lord spake by me, the sweet psalmist of Israel, the tender grass springing up out of the earth, the transfiguration of Jesus, this is my salvation, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, truth, uncertain times, until the day dawn, when the sun riseth, will not allow it to increase, wisdom, wisdom and truth can fill our souls and spirits, you can't be contained, you'd do well to take heed, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
2 Samuel 23:2. The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
And then it was Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, the first one in this new year! No doubt many of us are glad for the relief from work and partying and intend to spend a quiet day recovering from all the seasonal celebrations, while some of us are just laying low so that we can get back up later and rejoin the festivities. (smile) But before we laze away the day, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth.
As one strong and heartfelt 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!’
Oh, what awesome desires for more knowledge of and intimacy with our God! How can He not answer a prayer like that with His grace and mercy, His incomparable peace and calm? He has to, because it’s what He desires above everything else… sincere communion with His human creation. But the truth is, we should not just be seeking intimacy with and knowledge of our God on Saturdays, but every day! That way He is ALWAYS an integral part of our lives, not just sometimes! Remember His thoughts and ways are higher than ours, (Is. 55:8-9) so who better to go to, to associate with, if we desire guidance and direction in these confused and uncertain times?
And one of the ways we encounter God is through His Word, which, as the psalmist so wisely and rightly says: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) That means He gave us His Word, the Bible, as a Guidebook for Daily Living. And when you read it, you will find guidance and direction in it’s pages. As the saying goes: ‘The Bible is God’s Word to us, still fresh through the ages, and if we read it, we will find God’s wisdom on its pages.’ That’s the glorious truth friends. And that’s why we are strongly exhorted (smile) to read and study it every day, so that it’s truth and wisdom can fill our souls and spirits and allow us to live the life that God desires we live.
And Bruh Paul further edifies us with his wise words, in his second letter to Timothy. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) But until we sincerely believe the great value of God’s Word and read an study it, then put it into action, our lives will be rudderless and directionless, and we will fall for anything that the evil and ungodly world foists upon us.
And Peter further exhorts as he talks about being an eyewitness at Jesus’ transfiguration, when He was revealed to James and John and himself in all His glory. (Matt. 17:1-8) He writes: ‘We have also a more sure word of prophecy (the prophetic word made more sure); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old (any) time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Hoy Ghost.’ (2 Pet. 1:19-21)
And what does all of that mean? The scholars offer these explanations: ‘A more sure word of prophecy refers to the infallibility of Scripture as the greatest and clearest revelation of God to man. “Prophecy” may be used here as a general term for divine revelation. Private interpretation means “origination.” Thus true revelation does not originate by the will of man. It comes from God Himself through holy men who were godly human instruments of recording God’s message. Moved by the Holy Ghost describes the process of revelation and inspiration. “Moved” means to be “carried along as a sailboat in the wind.” Thus human beings were so moved by the Holy Spirit that what they wrote was God’s inerrant (infallible) Word.’
And we have more confirmation of the Spirit speaking to humans as the prophet Samuel writes about the last words of Bruh David. ‘Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in fear of God.
And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing up out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow (he will not allow it to increase).’ (2 Sam. 23:1-5)
Yes friends, we clearly see through the life of Bruh David that the Lord does speak to his human creation of both heavenly and earthly things, so that they can convey it to the rest of humanity. And on this first lazy-day Saturday in 2026, please, let’s take some time to read and study the wisdom of God found in the pages of His Guidebook, the Bible, so we can get this new year started on the right foot! Remember, it’s all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…if you are a Christian…then the Word of God ought to be your guide for living…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Guidebook for earthly living, a light that shines in a dark place, a light unto my path, a more sure word of prophecy, all I hoped it would be, all of the time, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, all sinned and disobeyed your word, alleviate our problems, an act of love, an extraordinary passion, ask for help, bind them continually upon thine heart, can't trust that day, could not guarantee, divine aid, ease the pain, eccentric opening, faith, find me crying, folk groups, forsake not the law of thy mother, God is still in control of the universe, God is still in the heavens, God loves us, guides our feet, holy men spake, holy spirit, howling winds, humble ourselves, in dire times, instruction in righteousness, it just turns out that way, it shall lead thee, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, John Phillips, keep thy father's commandment, keep you when you sleep, keep your promise to prosper us, leading a person to repentance, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, mere mortals, Monday Monday, moved by the Holy Ghost, navigate the storms, negative situations, no prophecy or scripture is of private interpretation, no warning, not by the will of man, opens the path of life, pray, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, raging around us, reproofs of instruction are the way of life, salvation, seek God's face, sincere repentance, so good to me, spiritual growth, strong faith in Christ, take heed, talk with you, the BIBLE, the commandment is a lamp, the day star arise in your hearts, the God who heals, the goodness of God, the great value of God's Word, the law is light, The Mamas & Papas, the man of God may be perfect, the power to solve our many problems, the throne of grace, the transfiguration of Jesus, the word of the Lord, thoroughly furnished, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, tie them about thy neck, total surrender, tru faith, truth, turn from our evil ways, unlimited trust, until the day dawn, unto all good works, walk under God's protection, when thou goest, wisdom, wise guidance, you'd still be here with me
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Ah friends, those are the basic words of the hit song ‘Monday, Monday,’ written in 1966 by John Phillips of the Mamas & Papas and recorded by the group. And I just happened to remember the song while searching for an interesting, but somewhat eccentric opening. (smile) Most of you young folks won’t know the song, but it was indeed a big hit in the day when folk groups were popular, and I wonder how many of us experience such an intense and uncomfortable feeling on Mondays?
‘Monday, Monday, oh so good to me, Monday morning, it was all I hoped it would be, Oh, Monday morning, Monday morning could not guarantee, that Monday evening, You’d still be here with me…. Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day, Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way Oh, Monday mornin’ you gave me no warning’ of what was to be Oh, Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me? Every other day (Every other day), every other day Every other day of the week is fine, yeah But whenever Monday comes (But whenever Monday comes), but whenever Monday comes You can find me cryin’ all of the time… Oh Monday, Monday…’
And to be on the safe side, I won’t even offer an answer to that touchy question, (smile) but simply allow the day to play out as it will and thus provide the true answers. But let’s be sure of one thing; however the day plays out, and whatever answer we get to the question, be it good or bad, we must remember that our God is still in the high heavens, still in control of the universe, and still LOVES us with an extraordinary passion, one that mankind can never replicate, but can surely appreciate and be grateful for, especially in these crazy and uncertain times in which we currently live!
Yes my people, it’s only with true faith in Almighty God, unlimited trust and total surrender to His will, can we ever navigate the stormy waters and howling winds that are now raging around us. It’s like the psalmist declares: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And it surely is, for it’s the Word of the Lord that opens the path of life and light to us and guides our feet as we walk along it, under His awesome presence and protection.
Now, listen to how Cousin Sol puts it in Proverbs when he warns against adultery. ‘My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart (mind), and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:’ (Prov. 6:20-23). You cannot get wiser advice than that my brethren! And from the wisest man ever too! (smile)
And what are ‘reproofs of instruction’ you ask? This commentary gives a brief overview: It says, ‘In the Bible, “reproof” means to correct, rebuke, or express disapproval, with the goal of leading a person to repentance and improvement. It involves showing someone their faults and exposing error, and is considered an act of LOVE and a necessary part of spiritual growth. God’s Word provides reproof by revealing sin and guiding believers towards righteousness.’
And that’s exactly why it was written and passed down through the ages. As Bruh Paul says to Tmothy: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect (blameless), thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) What more can we say to encourage and enlighten us as to the great value of God’s Word to the believer eh?
Possibly these words from Peter, as he discusses his eyewitness account of Jesus’ transfiguration, when He was revealed to Peter, James and John in all His glory. (2 Pet. 1:16-18) He then writes: ‘We have also a more sure word of prophecy (the prophetic word made surer); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy or scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of (any) man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ (2 Pet. 1:19-21)
More confirmation that the Bible is God’s Word as directed by the Holy Ghost for holy men to write so that we can have a worthwhile guidebook for living this earthly life. But being mere mortals, we have not followed its guidelines properly, and thus have made all sorts of mistakes, however through the amazing goodness of God, we can go the throne of grace and ask for help in dire times like these. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And is it ever interesting to note, that right in our prayer, we find the answers to our problems: humbling ourselves, praying, sincerely seeking God, and turning from our evil ways. So, if we truly desire divine aid, let’s get to correcting those faults nuh, for remember they are all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…if God did not truly care for us…He would not have given us a guidebook…the Bible…or a Saviour…Jesus Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, all that glitters is not gold, all the days of thy life, as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, blessed are the undefiled, blessed are they that keep His testimonies, blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, by the sides of thine house, children are an heritage of the Lord, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, do no iniquity, eat the fruit of their doings, eat the labour of thy hands, faith, favour, fear the Lord, felt the heat of the sun, from the hand of God, fulfillment, futility, God's goodness to the children of men, God's supernatural wisdom, good health, grasping for the wind, happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them, happy shalt thou be, he should eat and drink, holy spirit, in the heart of thine house, it shall be ill with him, it shall be well with thee, Jesus Christ, leads to a healthy holy life, LOVE, make his soul enjoy good in his labour, mercy, more glamour and glitter, negative consequences, negative word, nothing better for a man, one is never truly happy until he is truly holy, peace upon Israel, prosper, reverencing God, righteousness pays while evil does not, round about thy table, salvation, say ye to the righteous, see the good of Jerusalem, see thy children's children, seek him with the whole heart, sovereign of the universe, speak with the enemies in the gate, submission to the Lord and his revelation, succeed, sunshine lollipops and rainbows, talent, that walketh in his ways, the BIBLE, the children of the youth, the devil's enticements, the fruit of the womb is his reward, the fruit of thy labour, the holier than thou righteousness of God, the Lord shall bless thee out of Zion, the reward of his hands, the sinful pleasures of the world, they shall not be ashamed, this also is vanity, thy children like olive plants, thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, truth, vexation of spirit, walk in his ways, walk in the law of the Lord, wisdom, woe unto the wicked
Psalm 128:1. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.
And we’ve rolled into Thursday, the second to last day of this short work week, with more sunshine, lollipops and rainbows! I even felt the heat of the sun on my face when I went outside a short while ago. The sun is still releasing heat in the northern climes in the middle of October? Oh how blessed we are! Let’s hope and pray that when the weather turns negative, as it must at some time, it doesn’t go to the other extreme. But not to worry, we faithful believers in Christ can handle anything that comes against us with the help of our loyal and LOVING Savior who strengthens us in all we need to do! Give Him some thanks and praise for His awesome goodness to the children of men!
That brings us to this short but ever so important and encouraging Psalm 128, so aptly titled ‘Fear the Lord.’ And what wonderful advice that is! Reverencing the Lord God Almighty, Sovereign of the Universe, is always in our best interests. And from the opening verse the psalm gives us wonderful news. ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.’ (Ps. 128:1) Wow! That ought to immediately capture our attention, and have us asking, why is that eh?
But before we get to the answer, here is some more scripture that offers the same wonderful advice, but breaks it down into more practical activity. ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119: 1-3)
Now here is the awesome answer to why we should continually reverence the Lord our God. ‘For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.’ (Ps. 128:2) What more can a man ask eh, than enjoying the fruit of his labour? It’s like Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes: ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good (his soul should enjoy good) in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.’ (Eccl. 2:24)
It’s also like the Lord said to Isaiah. ‘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 shall be given him (done to him).’ (Is. 3:10-11) Yes friends, in every utterance of the Bible, righteousness pays, while evil does not! And the writer of Psalm 128 gives us even more good news when he continues: ‘Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of (in the heart of) thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.’ (Ps. 128:3)
Mama Mia! It gets better with each line my people! A fruitful wife with plenty children. And how is that good? Psalm 127 explains: ‘Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man (warrior); so are the children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.’ (Ps. 127: 3-5) No wonder the inability to have children was such a big deal in the olden times! It was accredited as righteousness and viewed as a reward from God, much more than it is today.
Then the author of the psalm throws in a li’l langniappe or broughta, to sweeten the pot. ‘Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.’ (Ps. 128:4) And in conclusion, he offers a prayer for blessing. ‘The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:5-6) How can it get any better than that eh my brethren? Living to see not only your numerous children grow and prosper, but also your grandchildren and peace in Israel! That last one though might mean you will need to live a very, very long time to see it. (smile)
However, the psalm is so simple and straightforward that I can’t understand how many more of us are not following what it says. It’s like the scholars explain: ‘The message of this psalm is that one is never truly happy until he is truly holy.’ And there are so many scriptures that resonate with that same sentiment. But I guess the sinful pleasures of the world hold more glamour and glitter than the supposed boring and holier than thou righteousness of God. But please, let’s remember that all that glitters is not gold, and furthermore, all of the devil’s enticements are worthless and filled with many negative consequences. Or as Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes: ‘This also is vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind).’ (Eccl. 2:26)
And to further improve on what the psalm says, the Lord has also bestowed on us several undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made such a declaration (steups!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those underserved blessings to help others, just a generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…submission to the Lord and His revelation…the Bible…leads to a healthy, holy and blessed life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a prophet unto the nations, abundance, all things work together for good, as yet was none of them, be not afraid of their faces, before I formed thee in the belly, before thou camest out of the womb, Christians, clear direction for my life, courage, covered me in my mother's womb, creativity, curiously wrought, curse, divine protection, faith, favour, formed my inward parts, frustrating, fulfillment, good friends, he also did predestinate, health, holy spirit, How high Lord, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, I am not eloquent, I am slow of speech, I am with thee to deliver thee, I have put my words in thy mouth, I have this day set thee over nations, I knew thee, I ordained thee, I sanctified thee, I set thee apart, I was made in secret, I will be with thy mouth, I will praise thee, in continuance were fashioned, in thy book all my members were written, it's best to say, Jesus Christ, LOVE, marvellous are thy works, mercy, my soul knoweth right well, my substance was not hid from thee, negative word, of a slow tongue, promotion, prosper and succeed, salvation, say I am not a child, Scrip-Bits Blog, showers of blessing, success, supernatural wisdom, talent, teach thee what thou shalt say, testify to the Lord's faithfulness, the BIBLE, the firstborn among many brethren, the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth, the word of the Lord came unto me, them he also called, therefore go, thine eyes did see my substance, thou hast possessed my reins, time consuming, to be conformed to the image of his Son, to build and plant, to destroy, to pull down, to root out, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose, truth, undeserved blessings, whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak, when the Lord says jump, who hath made man's mouth, who maketh the dumb the deaf the seeing or the blind, whom he did foreknow, whom he did predestinate, whom he justified he also glorified, wisdom, womb, wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, yet being unperfect
Jeremiah 1:8. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
Now, this last Thursday of August, the penultimate day of our work week, is definitely a cloudy one. No sign whatsoever of the morning sun. But that’s okay, cause it might mean we will finally receive some showers of blessing. And we do need it because the earth, at least in my area, is desperately calling out for refreshment. (smile)
So, what’s on the agenda for today? Well I just opened the Good Library and it fell open at the first chapter of Jeremiah, where the Lord called him to be a prophet. Therefore, I guess that’s what the Lord wants us to talk about today. (smile) And it’s a very interesting situation, so applicable to many of our own lives. It seems, as the book opens Jeremiah prophesied under three kings, Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. That means he had a long prophetic career.
But getting to God’s call on Jeremiah. He writes: ‘Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart), and I ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ (Jer. 1:4-5) Yes friends, that’s how the Lord operates. He calls some of us even before we are formed in our mother’s womb.
As Bruh David so eloquently writes in Psalm 139: ‘For thou hast possessed my reins (formed my inward parts): thou hast covered (weaved) me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee: for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right (very) well. My substance (frame, bones), was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously (skillfully) wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect (unformed); and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned (the days fashioned for me), when as yet was none of them.’ (Ps. 139:13-16)
Oh my people, you see the majesty and wonderful works of our great God. He knows everything about us, has a plan for our lives before we’re even formed in our mother’s womb. It’s also like Bruh Paul wrote to the Romans. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and who he justified, them he also glorified.’ (Rom. 8:28-30)
Wow mih bredrin! Our God is so good and great, that when He calls us to do his work, He gives us all we need. But we often respond to His call in a negative manner. We behave similarly to Jeremiah, who after the Lord called him, responded thus. ‘Then said I, Ah Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child (youth). (Jer. 1:6) Now, many of us have behaved the very same way eh, finding some foolish excuse to refuse the Lord’s call.
It’s like when Moses tried to refuse the Lord’s call to lead the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. ‘And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore (before), nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; but I am slow of speech, and of a slow (heavy, dull, stuttering) tongue. And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.’ (Ex. 4:10-12) But Moses persisted in asking for help, then the Lord in His anger finally promised to send Aaron his brother with him as the spokesperson. (Ex. 4:13-16)
And I’m chuckling here because I know exactly how both Jeremiah and Moses felt, for when the Lord initiated a conversation with me, some eighteen years ago, about writing what turned out to be the Scrip-Bits Blog, I also excused myself by saying I didn’t know enough scripture to write such a thing. But just like Moses and Jeremiah, I found out that the Lord does not give up when He wants us to do stuff for Him. Consequently, He kept after me, making my life so difficult, that final I had no choice but to relent and do it. And you’d notice, the first few Bits are merely pieces of scripture, without anything much added.
Now, it wasn’t easy, very time consuming and ofttimes frustrating, and several times I wanted to give up. However, as the years went by, with the Lord’s help, I got more involved with the Word, until now I’ve reached the stage where I write too much. (smile) But through it all, I can certainly testify to the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness in helping me do what He desired.
Thus, when Jeremiah claimed to be a child and unable to do the Lord’s bidding, he writes: ‘But the Lord said unto me, Say not I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down (tear down), and to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant.’ (Jer. 1:7-10)
And we all know that Jeremiah’s life was not an easy one, but the Lord stuck with him through all the tough times, just like He will stick with whoever He calls to do a job for Him. Meanwhile, let’s not forget God’s general goodness in generously bestowing our undeserved Thursday Blessings on us, so that we may do His earthly work. So, let’s declare and thus activate them right now.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made those declarations (yesss!!!), it now behooves us to go out and use those underserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed then on us. Much LOVE!
…when the Lord says jump…it’s wisest to quickly say…Yes Lord…how high…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 24 hour spans of time, a bad habit, a deep abiding joy, a great family, a spiritual strength, a very present help in trouble, an intimate relationship with Jesus, cast into the future, christianity, comes from a relationship with god, curse, despising the shame, divine protection, do what God has assigned for today, don't worry about tomorrow, empowers believers to face challenges, encourage their joyful walk with the Lord, endured the cross, faith, favour, find strength in difficult times, for the joy that was set before him, fulfilment, getting ahead of ourselves, God is our refuge and strength, God's grace is sufficient in our weakness, God's joy, God's supernatural wisdom, good freinds, handle the challenges of each day, holy spirit, is set down at the right hand of God, Jesus Christ, Jesus' selfless sacrifice, knowing God's love and provision, like jelly in his hands, looking unto Jesus, lose sight of what's happening today, LOVE, mercy, negative word, panting for Friday, planting worrisome thoughts in our minds, promotion, propser, rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, reliance on God's prmises, reluctant to endure sacrifice and pain, robbed us of our joy, robbed us of our strength, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, stolen our joy, succeed, success, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, supernatural strength, take one day at a time, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, the author and finisher of our faith, the BIBLE, the devil's plaything -worry, the Feast of the Tabernacles, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the things of itself, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the mountains shake, though the waters roar and be troubled, truth, undeserved blessings, use our blessings to help others, we will not fear, wisdom, worry and fear take over
Nehemiah 8:10b. …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
Then it was Thursday, our second to last day of the work week, and everyone’s panting for Friday and the weekend. However, before we get there, we need to navigate Thursday first, and enjoy the sunshine, with a touch of cloud cover, and the cool breezes it brings, while doing what God has assigned us for today. Yes, we do have a bad habit of getting ahead of ourselves, often to our detriment. (smile)
That’s why God broke up the time into 24 hour spans, with day to work and night to rest, because He knew we could not handle much more than that. Consequently, as the saying goes, we can only take one day at a time, and that’s today, that’s why it’s called the present, not the past or the future.
And Jesus fully understood this problem, that’s why He advised in His Sermon on the Mount: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) And many of us, even believers, ought to take those words to heart and sincerely action them in our lives, because our minds are too often cast into the future, or tomorrow, and thus we lose sight of what’s happening around us today.
No wonder Jesus said we should not worry about tomorrow, for each day has its own challenges and problems, which we need to responsibly handle and not concern ourselves with what might or might not happen the following day. And I’m sure we’ve all concocted possible fearful and disastrous happenings that will come upon us on the morrow, and not even one problem, or one iota of what we’d imagined presented itself on the day. Now, that doesn’t mean we must not make plans for certain possible outcomes, but we’re not to worry about them, especially if, in our own strength we cannot do anything to curtail or prevent the problems.
That’s the thing about worry, the devil’s plaything. It causes you to use up your hard earned energy and joy on things that you have no control over. So why worry about them when you can’t do anything about them eh? But that’s what the devil takes immense pleasure in doing; planting worrisome thoughts in our minds, so that he can steal our joy, for once he has stolen our joy, we are like jelly in his hands. Remember what the Bible says about our joy? ‘…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) That means once Satan has robbed us of our joy in the Lord, then he’s also robbed us of our strength, and that’s something we should strive to never allow to happen!
And I like how this commentary explains ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ It says: ‘This verse (Neh. 8:10) emphasizes that God’s joy, experienced through a relationship with Him, empowers believers to face challenges and find strength in difficult times. It’s not a fleeting happiness, but a deep, abiding joy that comes from knowing God’s LOVE and provision.’
Yes friends, Nehemiah had been speaking to the Israelites after they had lost their joy through the destruction of Jerusalem. However, they had rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in a miraculous fifty-two days through the astute, God-given leadership of Nehemiah, and were just getting to know the scriptures of the Lord through the public reading and explaining of them by the scribe Ezra and his associates, and were about to celebrate the Feast of the Tabernacles. Thus Nehemiah’s exhortation to encourage their joyful walk with the Lord.
And according to the commentary: ‘The joy of the Lord: is not simply a feeling, but a spiritual strength that comes from a relationship with God and reliance on His promises.’ Therefore, if we desire to have that spiritual strength, then we need to build a strong and intimate relationship with Jesus on an ongoing basis.
And there are several other scriptures that talk about the joy of the Lord as a source of strength. For instance these words of the Sons of Korah from Psalm 46 – Our Refuge and Strength. They confidently declare: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available hep) in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3)
Now that definitely shows strong faith and joy in the Lord! That although things are turned topsy-turvy, we will not fear, and keep our joy knowing that the Lord’s faithful in His promises, and will not allow anything untoward to happen to us. Meanwhile, this other scripture from Hebrews 12, tells us about ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher (the originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
Yes my people, for the joy that was to come from His selfless sacrifice, Jesus endured the shame and disgrace and pain of the cross. So why are we so reluctant to endure a little sacrifice and pain for the joy that will eventually be ours eh? And to help us endure the problems we will obviously face in this ungodly and evil world, as well as to do His earthly work, the Lord has generously bestowed on us numerous undeserved blessings, that we call our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that awesome declaration, (chuhhh!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…even if we lose our strength in the Lord’s joy…there’s no need to worry…for we will then find…His sufficient grace in our weakness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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