13 Nov 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: another week of work, breakdown of the Microsoft Server, buy a bed but not sleep, buy a book but not knowledge, buy a clock but not time, buy a house but not a home, buy a position but not respect, buy blood but not life, buy medicine but not health, buy sex but not love, by the good example we your faithful believers set, cash is fine, causes pain and suffering, crooks wanting to take your money, death comes to us all, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine aid, don't allow our lives to be all about the acquisition of money, drown men in destruction and perdition, earn respect, enhance your chances, erred from the faith, everybody want so be your friend, everything we have is left behind, exercise, faith, fall into temptation and a snare, foolish superstitions, fraud, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, Friday the 13th, further your glorious kingdom, generous help, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give our leaders wise guidance, godliness with contentment is great gain, godly and moral conduct, greedily and covetously pursue money, harmful lusts, having food and raiment, having money doesn't make you wise, help us handle money wisely, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, how you handle money makes you wise, hurt us more than we can imagine, I am your friend, I will suffer for you, improve our witness for Christ, in the long run, in whom there is no help, insignificant to believers, into many foolish and hurtful lusts, it is better to trust in the Lord, it is certain we can carry nothing out, Jesus Christ, let us therewith be content, looked down uopn, looked up to, LOVE, mercy, money, money is very important but it's not everything, money isn't everything, need your help to fix our problems, nobody wants to be your friend, nor in the son of man, of no account, omnipotent help, our sinful world, pierced themselves through with many sorrows, preying on older folks, problems are escalating, proper food, pursue money greedily, put not your trust in princes, put our lives so deeply into the hands of modern technology, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, ruin and destruction, salvation, seems like a joke, send me all your money, stand strong and steadfast, sufficient rest, take away your pain and suffering, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, than to purt confidence in princes, than to put confidence in man, the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, The Attributes of money, the gospel truth, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, the meausring stick, the price we sometimes have to pay, the sun deserted us yesterday, the things that money can't buy, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, they that desire to be rich, things you earn with your attitude and behaviour, this evil and ungodly world, to earn good health, to handle these unexpected storms properly, trusting faith, truth, unpredictable behaviour of modern technology, wake up and smell the coffee, we brought nothing into this world, whatever man makes is liable to breakdown, while some coveted after money, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 November 2026 1 Timothy 6:10a.
1 Timothy 6:10a. For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil:
Ah friends, the unexpected, unpredictable and uncontrollable behaviour of modern technology eh! Especially when the technology is in worldwide use, and it breaks down at a most inopportune time, like yesterday’s breakdown of the Microsoft Server. And what mostly annoyed was I had finished the Bit early yesterday and was about to send it, when everything just went kaput. But since we’ve put our lives so deeply into the hands of unpredictable modern technology, then that’s the price we have to sometimes pay, because whatever man makes can break down..
And on this Friday 13th of November, thankfully the sun has come back to us after deserting us yesterday for a wet and cloudy Thursday. And yes, all of our foolish superstitions for Friday the13th are out in full force today. Hn! But for those of us who truly believe in Jesus all those superstitions are insignificant, and we still sent up our Friday Mantra to high heaven with a great shout: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Oh mih people, there isn’t much that can stop us from celebrating the imminence of our two days off from work. (smile)
And today, we’ll repeat most of what we said yesterday because it deals with a very important subject; money. Remember that yellow foolscap page I discovered last week with two articles printed on it? The first one spoke about success, this one refers to money. It didn’t have a title either, so I called it ‘The Attributes of Money.’ And what does it say?
Please read with me: ‘It can buy a house, But not a Home. It can buy a Bed, But not Sleep. It can buy a Clock, But not time. It can buy you a Book, But not Knowledge. It can buy you a Position, But not Respect. It can buy you Medicine, But not Health. It can buy you Blood, But not Life. It can buy you Sex, But not LOVE. So you see money isn’t everything. And it often causes pain and suffering. I tell you all this because I am your Friend, and as your Friend I want to take away your pain and suffering… So send me all your money and I will suffer for you. Cash is fine.’
Well, I know the last line seems like a joke, but unfortunately there are numerous crooks and criminals out there in this evil and ungodly world trying to do just that – take away your hard earned money. Fraud is possibly our biggest crime right now, and the monsters are preying on the older folks who either have some mental deficiency or are so trusting that they believe whatever they are told, even from people they don’t know. And what makes it even sadder, is that a lot of fraudulent crime is also being perpetrated by those we know, and know very well too.
Consequently, we have to be oh so careful about all who we deal with, because we never know who will lead us astray or betray us. That’s why the Psalmist so wisely advises: ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.’ (Ps. 146:3) As well as: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps. 118:8-9) So, having decided we won’t put our trust in man, but in God, let’s go back and look at those attributes of money, that we just listed.
And we see that money is important, very important in this life, but it’s not everything. It can buy you a lot of things, but not the important things like a home, sleep, time, knowledge, respect, knowledge, health, life and LOVE. No, those you have to earn with your attitude and behaviour, showing forth godly and moral conduct, and doing the things that will enhance your chances of acquiring the things that money cannot buy. For instance you have to earn respect, and look after yourself with basic things like proper food, exercise and sufficient rest, if you want to have good health.
Unfortunately though, in our current world, money has become the measuring stick for too many things. If you have it, you’re looked up to and everybody wants to be your friend. But if you don’t have money, then you’re looked down upon, and considered of no account, and obviously no one wants to be your friend. That’s why these awesome words of advice from Bruh Paul to Timothy are even more important today than they were back then.
Bruh Paul writes: ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content. But they that will be (desire to be) rich, fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction). For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim. 6:6-10)
And we all know that’s the gospel truth, for we all have either seen it happen, or have had it happen to us as we pursue money greedily and covetously. And what many of us don’t realize is that like so many other disciplines in our lives, money is something you have to learn how to use. Having money doesn’t make you great or wise; how you handle that money makes you great and/or wise. So please friends, let’s not do like the world advises and let our lives be all about money and it’s acquisition, for in the long run it will hurt us more than we can ever imagine. And to help us handle money wisely, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, we believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, so we can improve our witness for Christ! Much LOVE!
…death comes to us all…and everything we have is left behind…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Nov 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of life, a dreaded task, a good soldier of Christ, a song of worship, against principalities, and having done all, anti-slavery stance, be a light in this dark world, be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, be able to withstand in the evil day, be brave, be never wanting there, be strong, be strong in the Lord, Carlene Davis, Christ is Lord indeed, cower with fear, danger, despite our many failings, Dudley A Tyng, each piece put on with prayer, evangelical revival, faith, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, finished my course, finished my race, forth to the mighty conflict, fought a good fight, from victory unto victory, George Duffield Jr, God loves us, God's faithfulness, his army he shall lead, holy character, holy spirit, in the power of his might, in this evil and ungodly world, it must not suffer loss, Jesus Christ, Jesus' disciple, kept the faith, knowledge of the truth of God's Word, let courage rise with danger, lift high his royal banner, loins girded with truth, LOVE, mercy, moral conduct, more importantly, our duty, our world would not be plagued with, plenty prayer, put on the Gospel armour, put on the whole armour of God, putting it into action, quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, quit you like men, refuse to become uncomfortable, refuse to sacrifice for Christ, reggae riddim, reign eternally, rocking good, salvation, salvation and eternal life, serve him against unnumbered foes, sincere appreciation, so many evil and ungodly actions, soldiers of the cross, spiritual armour, spiritual wickedness, spread the good news of Christ's gospel, stand fast in faith, stand in his strength alone, stand up for Jesus children stand up, Stand up Stand up for Jesus, standing on Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour, Standing on the promises of God, standing up for Christ is an honour, standing up steadfastly for Christ, strength to strength oppose, take unto you the whole armour of God, take up our cross daily, tell them to stand up for Jesus, the arm of flesh will fail you, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel truth, the helmet of salvation, the Lord's sanctuary, the next the victor's song, the rulers of darkness, the shield of faith, the spiritual battle is real, the strife will not be long, the sword of the Spirit, the trumpet call obey, the Word of god, this day the noise of battle, this his glorious day, thou therefore endure hardness, till every foe is vanquished, to give thanks and praise, to him that overcometh, to stand, to stand strong for Jesus, truth, warlike imaagery, watch ye, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, where duty calls, wisdom, with the king of glory, ye dare not trust your own, ye that are men
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 November 2026 Ephesians 6:11.
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.
Here we are again my fellow believers, gathered in the Lord’s sanctuary on this sunshiny autumn day in November, to give thanks and praise for His wonderful kindness and faithfulness to us, the ofttimes rebellious and disobedient children of men. But that’s the wonderful God we serve; He LOVES us despite our many failings, because He created us and knows what we are capable of. So, let’s show some sincere appreciation by opening with a beautiful song of worship, titled ‘Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus!’
The song was written by American preacher George Duffield, Jr. (1818 – 1888). One commentary tells us that ‘Duffield was apparently inspired to write the song after hearing the dying words of a Presbyterian colleague, Dudley A. Tyng, who having been ousted from his own congregation for his strong anti-slavery stance, preached to large crowds in weekday meetings sponsored by the YMCA. His work spearheaded an evangelical revival in Philadelphia early in 1858.
At Tyng’s deathbed, caused by a farm accident in which he lost an arm, Duffield and others asked if he had any final message. Tyng replied, ‘Tell them to stand up for Jesus!” At Tyng’s memorial service on April 25, 1858, Duffield preached on Ephesians 6:14 and concluded his sermon by reading his new hymn text, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.” Several lines in that original text referred to Tyng’s words and ministry.’
And having heard of the remarkable origins of the song, let’s now offer it up with sweet sacrifices of praise in an easy rocking sincere, heartfelt, reggae riddim version, as per that done by the renowned Jamaican Gospel Artiste, Carlene Davis. Singing: ‘Stand up, stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross; lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss: from vict’ry unto vict’ry his army he shall lead, ’til ev’ry foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey; forth to the mighty conflict in this his glorious day: ye that are men now serve him against unnumbered foes; let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose. (Chorus: Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up. Yes we are standing on Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my saviour, standing on the promises of God.)
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in his strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own: put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with pray’r; where duty calls, or danger, be never wanting there. Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long; this day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song: to him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; he with the King of glory shall reign eternally.
(Chorus: Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up. Yes we are standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my saviour, standing on the promises of God. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up.)’
That was rocking good my people! However, we shouldn’t be only singing it, but more importantly putting it into action in this evil and ungodly world. Remember, as Jesus’ disciple it’s our duty to take up our cross and follow Him every day. To stand strong for Him, to be a light in this dark world and spread the good news of His gospel which offers salvation and eternal life. Unfortunately though, not enough of us supposed Christians are standing up steadfastly for Christ, otherwise our world would not be plagued with so many evil and ungodly actions.
We obviously are not following Bruh Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians. ‘Watch ye, stand fast in faith, quit you like men (be brave), be strong.’ (1 Cor. 16:13) Neither the one to Timothy. ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) That’s very obvious when so many of us cower with fear, or refuse to become uncomfortable or sacrifice anything for Christ. But nonetheless, here’s how we begin standing up for Jesus.
As Bruh Paul says 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 (schemes) of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (rulers), against powers (authorities), against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings) in high places. Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:10-13)
Yes friends, putting on our spiritual armour is the first action necessary in standing up for Jesus, for you cannot defeat any enemy unless you are first secured from personal attack. And why after doing all, do we still have to stand? Because the devil will keep on attacking us, and if we’re not armoured up, then we have no chance of defeating him. And there’s no time to get into a full description of the spiritual armour, but here’s a quick basic breakdown of our spiritual armour.
They are our loins or waist girded with truth (a knowledge of the truth of God’s word); the breastplate of righteousness protecting our upper bodies (holy character and moral conduct), our feet shod with the preparation of peace, (special shoes allowing an eagerness to advance against the enemy), the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy (believing God’s promises and thus limiting doubt), the helmet of salvation (the certainty of salvation), the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, and finally prayer. Yes my people, all that spiritual armour is of little use unless it’s accompanied by plenty prayer.
So, now that we know what it takes to be able to stand up for Jesus, let’s get out there and do that nuh! It’s imperative that we do something to quell the terrible negativity that’s spreading all around us, for as this commentary so wisely states: ‘The challenge of “Stand Up for Jesus” is proclaimed through the military metaphors Paul uses in Ephesians 6:10-18. Although some decry the warlike imagery, the spiritual battle that Christians must fight is very real. Christ’s victory is assured even if we do not always move “from victory unto victory” in our earthly lives.’
And that’s the gospel truth. We must stand and fight, so that at the end, we can all say like Bruh Paul: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (run my race), I have kept the faith:’ (2 Tim. 4:7) Now that’s how we all ought to go out! Much LOVE!
…for all Jesus has done for us…standing up for Him should be an honour…not a dreaded task…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Nov 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an inspiring ballad, another day of bright sunshine, be able to comfort those in trouble, beats so imperfectly, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, bow down and worship God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, chicken feed for our great God, come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, comforts us in tribulation, Daylight Savings Time, disturbs sleeping patterns, each restless heart, Elijah on Mt. Horeb, emotional weariness, empowerment gained from being lifted up, empowers someone to overcome adversity, faith, faith waivers under tough circumstances, fellowship, find rest unto your souls, finding inner strength and hope, finding strength hope and perseverance, gentle and humble in heart, God showers us with grace mercy and divine power, holy spirit, hope thou in God, human hearts created to be hungry for God, I am filled with wonder, I am still, I am strong, I can stand on mountains, I glimpse eternity, I shall yet praise him, I will give you rest, in these evil and ungodly times, Jesus Christ, Jesus is always right there to restore our strength, Jesus' great invitation, Josh Groban, joyfully fellowship with each other, learn of me, LOVE, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, Moses standing on Mt. Sinai as God passes before him, my heart burdenend be, my soul so weary, my yoke is easy and my burden light, no life without its hunger, o thou of little faith, offering encouragement and support, our faith can stand strong, overcme challenges, Peter walks on water with Jesus, realize our full potential, rest under God's awesome wings, salvation, Secret Garden, stay hungry for God, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, the Father of mercies, the first and great commandment, the first Sunday in November, the full picture of eternity, the God of All Comfort, the gospel truth, the health of my countenance and my God, the heathen god Baal, the Holy Trinity, the Lord renewed Elijah's strength and faith on Mt. Horeb, the mournful plea, the presence of a loving you, the sons of Korah, the support of another person, the Ten Commandments, times of adversity, to heights never dreamed possible, to walk on stormy seas, truth, until you come and sit awhile with me, wait here in the silence, when I am down, when I am on your shoulders, when troubles come, when you come, wherefore didst thou doubt, who comforts us in all our tribulation, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, wisdom, with all our hearts souls and minds, worship the Lord, You Raise Me Up, you raise me up to more than I can be
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 November 2026 2 Corinthians 1:3.
2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Come on down to the Lord’s sanctuary on this first Sunday in November, my fellow believers, so that we can worship the Lord and joyfully fellowship with each other, offering encouragement and support in these evil and ungodly times. And it’s another awesomely bright and sunshiny, warm day. Hope they never end! (smile) Now please ensure that you’re not too early (smile) because the clocks have gone back one hour in the Province of Ontario so we can get in tandem with daylight savings time.
Now that’s a very controversial subject, something more than a mere annoyance because, it disturbs the sleeping patterns and life rhythms of many people, but Ontario continues to follow it. And there’s no doubt it will briefly inconvenience us, but it won’t kill us, so let’s get with today’s program, starting with the singing of this wonderful ballad, You Raise Me Up, first recorded by the duo Secret Garden in 2001, but then made famous worldwide by Josh Groban in 2003. So, without further ado, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a rich, slow, soulful, heartfelt version, that leaves no doubt as to our sincerity.
Singing: ‘ When I am down and oh, my soul so weary When troubles come and my heart burdened be Then I am still and wait here in the silence Until You come and sit awhile with me (Chorus: You raise me up so I can stand on mountains You raise me up to walk on stormy seas I am strong when I am on Your shoulders You raise me up to more than I can be: You raise me up so I can stand on mountains You raise me up to walk on stormy seas I am strong when I am on Your shoulders You raise me up to more than I can be.)
There is no life, no life without its hunger Each restless heart beats so imperfectly But when You come and I am filled with wonder Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity You raise me up so I can stand on mountains (You raise me up, I can stand on mountains) You raise me up to walk on stormy seas (Walk on stormy seas) And I am strong when I am on Your shoulders Oh, you raise me up to more than I can be You raise me up to more than I can be.’
Now that was a beautiful rendition my people! No one can ever doubt our sincerity. But then someone asks, what’s the song all about? Well, this overview gives an excellent explanation. ‘It’s an inspiring ballad about finding strength, hope, and perseverance through the support of another person, often interpreted as God or a spiritual source, especially during difficult times. The lyrics describe a person’s emotional weariness and how the presence of a LOVING “you” empowers them to overcome adversity, “stand on mountains,” “walk on stormy seas,” and achieve more than they could alone.’
Yes friends, that’s what it’s basically about; finding inner strength and hope in times of adversity, with someone aiding you to ‘stand on those mountains, and walk on those stormy seas,’ and thus overcome the challenges. For our Christian purposes though, that someone who encourages us, is none other than Almighty God, showering us with grace, mercy and divine power so that our faith can stand strong. And there’s no one better at lifting us when we’re down than our God, as Bruh Paul describes Him in his second letter to the Corinthians.
He writes, ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4) Wow! That shows how great and compassionate our God is. He comforts us, and also gives us the ability to comfort others with the comfort received from Him. Now let’s not forget that He’s also ‘the Father of mercies;’ meaning that He offers us things like blessings that we don’t deserve.
So how could He not be a wonderful God eh? And how could we not be grateful and thankful for all His LOVE and compassion and bow down and sincerely worship Him with all our souls, hearts and minds eh, like the first and great commandment says? (Matt. 22:37) And as the song opens with a weary soul and burdened heart, it reminds us of the mournful plea of the sons of Korah, found in Psalm 42: ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health (strength) of my countenance, and my God.’ (Ps. 42:11)
Now that’s the kind of reaction our God brings out in us, even though we’re worried and burdened. And if you don’t have that kind of strong faith, then simply look to Jesus’ Great Invitation, where He compassionately declares: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Oh my people, only from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ can we get such a wonderful invitation! Nowhere else!
And standing on mountains and walking on stormy seas…well that is chicken feed for our great God. Look at how He had Moses standing on Mt Sinai and passed by before him, when he came to get the second set of the Ten Commandments. (Ex. 34:1-9) Then there’s the great prophet Elijah, who, after killing hundreds of the prophets of the heathen god Baal, got a death threat from Queen Jezebel and eventually ran to Mt Horeb in fear. But the Lord accosted him up there and renewed his strength and faith. (1 Kin. 19:1-15)
And we all know about Peter’s walking on water with Jesus during a fierce storm, but began sinking after becoming afraid, and cried out for Jesus to save him, which He did, and afterwards admonished Peter: ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt.’ (Matt. 14:33) Unfortunately though, under tough circumstances, our faith also waivers, but remember that Jesus is always right there to catch us and restore our strength.
Another good thing about the song is that it suggests some sort of empowerment gained from the person that’s raising you up. As per the lyric ‘You raise me up to more than I can be. ‘ That support ostensibly enables you to achieve bigger things and to realize your full potential. There again, there’s no one better at that than our amazing God. Just look at how he enabled people like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Bruh Joseph, Bruh David and Bruh Paul to rise to heights that they never dreamed possible.
And we’ll close with this interesting excerpt from the song: ‘There is no life, no life without its hunger Each restless heart beats so imperfectly But when You come and I am filled with wonder Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! Human hearts were created to be hungry for God, and when we do find Him, we’re so filled with wonder, that it looks like we’ve been given a glimpse of eternity. The important thing though is for us to stay hungry for God and rest under His awesome wings, so that at the end of this life, we’ll experience not a glimpse of eternity, but the full, real picture with the Holy Trinity! Much LOVE!
…because of God’s LOVE and compassion…He will raise us up…both in this life and the next…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable transgressions, alive and kicking, all the gods of the nations are idols, and on my worst, as far as the east is from the west, as the heaven is high above the earth, believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, divine aid, every hour you watch over me, eyes have they but they see not, faith, Father You see me on my best days, Friday chant, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give our leaders wise guidance, God commendeth his love toward us, God demonstrated his LOVE for us.', God gives us new grace and mercy every morning, God is LOVE, God so loved the world, God's generous help, God's heartfelt love and compassion for humanity, great is thy faithfulness, have ears but hear not, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he hath not dealt with us after our sins, he the loveth not knoweth not God, help us to be responsible, his compassions fail not, holy spirit, human flaw, I want my life to show others the great love you shown me, in Jesus' name, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, neither is there any breath in their mouths, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, plenteous in mercy, real love and compassion, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rewarded us according to our iniquities, salvation, scriptures that proclaim God's undying love for man, serious problems are escalating, slow to anger, smell it sweet and strong, so far hath he removed our transgressions, so great is his mercy to them that fear him, stand strong and steadfast, take time from our busy schedules to communicate with God, teach me to reflect your faithfulness, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the beginning of the weekend, the breath of life only comes from God, the gifts of salvation and eternal life, the gospel truth, the idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the joyful shout, the judgemental hand of God, the Lord is merciful and gracious, the Lord made the heavens, the prayer from the October In Touch Devotional, the supreme sacrifice of both Father and Son, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, the work of men's hands, therefore have I hope, they are new every morning, they have mouths but speak not, this I recall to mind, to handle these unexpected storms properly, trusting faith, truth, two dyas to do what we want, unconditional LOVE, went up to heaven, what a wonderful God we serve, when I stumble you don't condemn me, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, whosoever believeth in him should not perish, wisdom, with your omnipotent help, worthwhile ambassadors for Christ, you love me the same through it all, you reach out your hand and lift me up, you see my victories and my failures
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 October 2026 John 3:16.
John 3:16. ‘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.’
‘It’s Friday, it’s Friday! TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ Yes mih bredrin, that was the joyful shout that went up to heaven from numerous workers this last Friday morning in October 2026. And why not eh? We’re alive and kicking, it’s a warm, sunshiny, autumn day, and much to our surprise, the cold weather has not seriously weighed in on us as yet. And above all, it’s the beginning of the weekend, when we get two whole days to do whatever we want to do, not what some fuddy-duddy old boss tells us to do! No wonder we’re so excited that it’s Friday! (smile)
Anyhow, despite all the happiness we’re currently experiencing, we still need to take some time from our busy schedules to communicate with Almighty God, our Creator and Controller. And today we’ll do that through the prayer from the October In Touch Devotional. So please pray with me: ‘Father, You see me on my best days – and on my worst. And You LOVE me the same through it all. Every hour You watch over me. You see my victories and my failures. When I stumble, You don’t condemn me. You reach out Your hand and lift me up. Teach me to reflect Your faithfulness. I want my life to show others the great LOVE You’ve shown me. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
What a wonderful God we serve my fellow believers! He’s constantly watching over us, so He knows all about us; both the good and the bad, but yet He still LOVES us with a fiery, undeniable, unalterable LOVE! And there are so many scriptures that proclaim God’s undying LOVE for us, that we can spend the whole day looking at them, and still not cover them all. (smile) But let’s cover a few of the more well known ones, to stir up our own LOVE. And I have to put my favourite here first, as stated in the words of Bruh Paul. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Now if that doesn’t show real LOVE and compassion, I don’t know what does. As one overviews explains: ‘It highlights unconditional LOVE given even before human flaw was removed.’ And that’s the gospel truth, because the Lord didn’t wait for us to become as sin free as possible under our own strength, He went right ahead and gave us the opportunity to do so through His awesome LOVE and power. That brings us to this next awesome scripture that emphasizes God’s great LOVE for His human creation.
Words from the mouth of Jesus Himself, the one who put the Father’s amazing LOVE into action. He said to Nicodemus the Jewish leader who came to him by 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) Ah friends, that shows the supreme sacrifice of both the Father and the Son, who were willing to forego their own pleasure to enable us to have the gifts of salvation and eternal life.
Now it could be nothing else but LOVE that caused them to make such an amazing, very much needed sacrifice. For as John says in his first epistle: ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ (1 John 4:8) And that’s the glorious truth! If you don’t know LOVE, you cannot know God, because that’s His major attribute! Now listen to these verses which show that although we are not perfect and make mistakes, ofttimes too many unnecessary ones, the Lord doesn’t denigrate or belittle us for them, but instead helps us to get up and do better the next time around.
The prophet Jeremiah, remembering the tough times he faced under the judgemental hand of God, (Jer. 3:1-20) solemnly declares in his Lamentations. ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:21-23) Yes friends, if the Lord so desired, He could wipe us out every day for our abominable transgressions, but because of His compassion and overwhelming faithfulness, we’re still around. Instead, He gives us new grace, and mercy ever morning that we are alive.
As Bruh David says in Psalm 103: ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS)… He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-KIDNESS) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 103:8, 10-12) Wow! What other God have you ever heard about that’s so generous to his subjects like ours eh?
There’s none! For as the psalmist says in Psalm 96 – God’s Greatness: ‘For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.’ (Ps. 96:5) That’s for sure! And as it so rightly says in Psalm 135 -Praise the Lord. ‘The idols (gods) of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.’ (Ps. 135: 15-17) And how could they ever have breath eh, when they are made by human hands, and the breath of life ONLY comes from Jehovah God?
And although many of us desire to show or reflect that amazing faithfulness of God in our lives, it’s not an easy task, but we can certainly do better than we’re currently doing, by going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, for divine aid to do it. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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.
So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, please note that it’s not only the heathen, but also we believers, who need to wake up and smell the coffee, if we want to be worthwhile witnesses and ambassadors for Christ! Much LOVE!
…there is nothing greater in this world…than God’s heartfelt LOVE and compassion for humanity…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a froward man soweth strife, a gossip separates best friends, a late bus day, a perverse man sows strife, a whisperer separateth chief friends, above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, ambassadors of Christ, apply the mind set of a true believer, are not able to kill the soul, be more afraid of God than man, beareth all things, believeth all things, charity doth not behave itself unseemingly, charity envieth not, charity is not puffed up, charity never faileth, charity shall cover a multitude of sins, charity suffereth long and is kind, charity vaunteth not itself, Christianity is not a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park, Christians, christians are either afraid or too comfortable to make a difference, come to know and love him like we do, counteract the evil influences of the devil, dem's the breaks, dominating the wolrd with negative actions, don't heed Christ's warning, endureth all things, faith, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell, fear not them which kill the body, filled with wealth and power, from the error of his way, God's greatest attribute is love, grin and bear them, hatred stirreth up strifes, he that covereth a transgression seeketh love, he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends, he that repeats a matter separates the best of friends, he which converteth a sinner, hide a multitude of sins, holy spirit, hopeth all things, hurry, if any man will come after me, if any of you do err from the truth, in god's eyes, is not easily provoked, Jesus Christ, keeps no account of evil, let him deny himself, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, love covereth all sins, love does not boast, love is action not just talk, love is not arrogant or rude, love is real not abstract, Love never fails, love rejoices in the truth, love shall cover a multitude of sins, mercy, one converts him, one turns him back, painful repercussions, personal expereince, rejoiceth in the truth, rejoiceth not in iniquity, sacrifice whenever necessary, salvation, satisfy the government's demands, save a soul from death, seeketh not her own, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, take up his cross daily and follow me, the bearers of hatred, the beloved of God, the devil and his evil cronies, the Good Book, the gospel truth, the proponents of love, the resource of wisdom, the world is in a strife-filled state, thinketh no evil, threatend with serious repercussions, to accomplish love in action, to stand up and make some noise for Christ, too much hatred and not enough love, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wake us from our unwise slumber, wisdom, with the Lord's help, work on our love actions, worry
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 October 2026 Proverbs 10:12.
Proverbs 10:12. ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’
Ah friends, this sunshiny and cloudy autumn Tuesday is unfortunately a late bus day, because I had to go out and look after some government business; trifling stuff really, but nonetheless necessary to satisfy the government’s demands, or else be threatened with serious repercussions. But dem’s the breaks, you just have to grin and bear them with the Lord’s help.
Anyway, the Good Book opened today at that wonderful resource of wisdom, Proverbs, and the first words my eyes beheld were some very appropriate and important ones for these times. Cousin Sol rightfully declares: ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ (Prov. 10:12) And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! It certainly is! No wonder our world is in such a strife-filled state, because there is way too much hatred and not enough LOVE prevailing in it right now! All around the world are wars and rumours of war, serious repression, oppression and a whole set of negative actions that all lead to strife, economic deprivation, unhappiness and poverty.
And although Cousin Sol talks about LOVE being the catalyst for better things and times, I don’t know if we we’ll ever see the results of LOVE overcoming our world until Jesus comes back and sets up His kingdom. That’s because the devil and his evil cronies, the bearers of hatred, are currently riding high, filled with wealth and power, dominating the world with their negative actions, while the proponents of LOVE, we Christians are not doing very much to counteract the evil influences of the devil and His evil cohorts. The problem there is that we are either afraid of what man can do to us, or we’re too comfortable in our own little space to get up and make some noise for Christ.
But please remember Jesus’ warning: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) That means we should ne more afraid of God than man, because God can destroy both our bodies and souls in hell, while man can only kill our bodies. However, not too many of us supposed believers are apparently paying attention to that, for we still go about our own comfortable and fearful way. Anyhow, the Lord will be the judge of our actions at some point in time, and the repercussions could be very painful, if we don’t heed Christ’s warning.
But enough lecturing and sermonizing, (smile) let’s look at some scriptures that corroborate Cousin Sol’s point. And we’ll begin with this corroborating scripture from James, who in writing about LOVE, admonishes us thus: ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins.’ (James 4:8) That just goes to show how important LOVE is in our Christian faith! It’s so important that it can cover a number of sins…but only if it is actioned in our lives, not just talked about. A lot of us talk about LOVE as though it’s some abstract thing, but LOVE is real, and can only be shown by LOVING actions, not by plenty talk.
And to strengthen Peter’s point, listen to James. He writes to the church: ‘Brethren, if any of you do err (wander) from the truth, and one convert him (turns him back); Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.’ (James 5:19-20) Yes friends, that’s the amazing power of LOVE!
And in Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he lists a number of wonderful attributes possessed by LOVE. He says: ‘Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself (does not brag on itself), is not puffed up (arrogant), Doth not behave itself unseemly (rudely), seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil (keeps no account of evil); Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth:’ (1 Cor. 13:4-8a)
Oh my people, you see the number of things that LOVE covers, does and doesn’t do! And yes, it seems like it’s too much for our fragile human minds and bodies to handle, but with God’s help, it’s not. We simply have to apply the right mind set, that of a true believer and decide to sincerely work on our LOVE actions. That brings us to these last two scripture verses, both from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. The first one says: ‘A forward (perverse) man soweth strife: and a whisperer (gossip) separateth chief (best) friends.’ (Prov. 16:28) We all know that from personal experience.
And the last verse offers us even more wisdom, when it declares: ‘He that covereth a transgression seeketh LOVE; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends (the best of friends).’ (Prov. 17:9) More gospel truth! Ah mih bredrin, I know it’s not always easy to spread LOVE in this evil and ungodly world, but as ambassadors and disciples of Christ, that’s what we’ve promised to do. Remember what Jesus says He expects from those who follow Him. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
So you see we didn’t sign up for a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park, inhaling the sweet perfume of the flora therein. No, we signed up to sacrifice whenever necessary to accomplish LOVE in action on Christ’s behalf. And hopefully, all we’ve said today will prod us, wake us up from our unwise slumber, so we can get up and do a better job of showing true LOVE in action! 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 expected 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!
…God’s greatest attribute is LOVE…and it should also be ours…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cry for help, a long weekend, according to His abundant mercy, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, another beautiful autumn day, as good as some but better than many, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be joyful O earth, better than an ox or bullock, blessed be God, blossomed up to heaven, break forth in singing O mountains, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, come into deep waters, covered on all sides by our wonderful God, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine aid, don't let your hair down too much, end of sermon, faith, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship rest and relaxation, give our leaders wise guidance, God will have mercy on the afflicted, God will save Zion, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, horns and hoofs, I am poor and sorrowful, Jesus Christ, keep our faith strong, kept by the power of God, let the heaven and earth praise him, let thy salvation O God, LOVE, mercy, mine eyes fail while I wait for my God, my throat is dried, neck deep in problems, no leaves fell off the trees, no need to worry, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, our trusting faith, preparation for the upcoming celebrations, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, requirements of our daily walk with christ, reserved in heaven for you, salvation, save me O God, serious problems are escalating, set me up on high, sing o heavens, sink in deep mire, stand strong and steadfast, tall trees caught up in an exhilarating dance with the wind, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that fadeth not away, that's when serious problems occur, the crazy moments of the dance, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the floods overflow me, the God of All Comfort, the good example that we your faithful believers set, the gospel truth, the humble shall see this and be glad, the Lord hath comforted his people, the Lord hears the poor, the only one who can solve our problems, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the seas and everything that moves therein, the seed of his servants shall inherit it, the strong wind that's cavorting through the area, the throne of grace, the trees endured the dance quite well, the trees stood resilient, the waters are come in unto my soul, the weekend is here at last, they that love his name shall dwell therein, through faith unto salvation, to be revealed in the last time, too comfortable Christians, truth, underperfoming Christians, unexpected storms, ungodly times, we're never short of mercy or comfort, weary of my crying, where there is no standing, who comforts us in all our tribulation, who gives us life and health, wisdom, won't concentrate on our hurts, your heart shall live that seek God
Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 October 2026 Psalm 69:30.
Psalm 69:30. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Oh my people, it’s another beautiful, sunshiny autumn day in my neighbourhood, though with seemingly a little less heat from the sun, (smile) possibly caused by the strong wind that’s again cavorting through the area. But surprisingly, I just watched some tall trees in my neighbour’s backyard caught up in an exhilarating dance with the wind, however they endured it quite well, with no leaves dropping off in the crazy moments of the dance. The trees stood resilient, like we believers in Christ ought to stand when strong provocation and temptation from the enemy comes our way.
And is this kind of weather ever so welcome as we celebrate our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. Yes, this is the big weekend of thanks in our wonderful country of Canada. We’re not perfect, possibly as good as some, but certainly better than many. No wonder our Friday Mantra blossomed like it did up to heaven earlier this morning. ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ And a long weekend to boot! So you know the busyness that’s taking place in preparation for all the upcoming celebrations. And I would be amiss if I didn’t warn us to be careful in those celebrations, don’t let our hair down too much, because that’s when serious problems occur. End of sermon! (smile)
Now what does the Lord want us to talk about today? Well the Good Book opened at Psalm 69, Bruh David’s cry for help: ‘Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul (neck). I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.’ (Ps. 69:1-3) Yes my fellow believers, many of us are now in a situation like Bruh David was back then, but we won’t concentrate our hurts today, no, not on this Thanksgiving weekend.
Instead, we’ll go to the end of the psalm where Bruh David, despite his sad and sorry state, decides to offer thanksgiving and praise to our great God. He solemnly declares: ‘But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. The humble shall see this and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.
For the Lord heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners. Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein. For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. The seed (descendants) also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that LOVE his name shall dwell therein.’ (Ps. 69: 29-36)
Yes friends, though we are neck deep in problems, we must never forget our great God who gives us life and health and the many other benefits we enjoy, and who oftentimes is the only One who can solve our problems. Thus, thanks and praise are necessary requirements of our daily walk with Christ. And on this Thanksgiving weekend when the world is in such a topsy-turvy state, with strife, hate and anger being so prevalent, it’s of the utmost importance that we give thanks and praise to our Creator. It’s like the prophet Isaiah said so long ago to his people Israel. ‘Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy on the afflicted.’ (Is. 49:13)
And that’s the gospel truth my faithful brethren! Our God will indeed be merciful and comfort us in time of need, because, as Bruh Paul writes to the Corinthians in his second letter. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4) Meaning that God is not only merciful, but also comforts us, and furthermore, enables us to comfort others with that same comfort He bestows on us. So we’re never really short of mercy or comfort.
And, as Peter in his wisdom reminds us: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5) That means, though we suffer tribulation in this evil and ungodly world, we’re covered on all sides by our wonderful God, and there’s no need to worry, but let our faith keep us strong.
And for divine aid to do that, let’s go confidently, but humbly to the throne of grace. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, let’s remember that it’s not only the ungodly who need to wake up and smell the coffee, but also we underperforming, too comfortable Christians! Much LOVE!
…thanks and praise are essential…in our walk with God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a house divided against itself won't stand, a little fire sets ablaze a large forest, a more glorious future than we can ask or imagine, a snowball's chance in hell, a world of iniquity, adders' poison is under their lips, an unruly evil, be able to bridle the whole body, boasteth great things, can a vine bear figs, can the fig tree bear olive berries, children of the living God, Christ's church is too divided and disunited, Christ's church must stand up and be counted, Christians, does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter, doth a fountain send forth at the same place, driven of fierce winds, endure to the very end with Christ, everything has been tamed by man, eyes fixed staight ahead, faith, full of deadly poison, go missing when it's time for action, great ships are turned about by a small rudder, halfway home, hands on the plough, hate, holy spirit, if any man stumble not in word, impossible is such an irresponsible word, in all these things we are more than conquerors, in Jesus' name, in many things we offend, Jesus Christ, keep us keeping on, LOVE, made after the likeness of God, mercy, no fountain can yield salt water and fresh, not focusing on the past, not turning back, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, nothing is impossible to God, our second wind day, our very talkative society, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, out of the same mouth, proceedeth blessing and cursing, put bits in the horses' mouths, receive greater condemnation, salvation, seek for glory and honour and immortal life, Selah, set on fire by Satan, sets on fire the course of nature, sets on fire the whole course of life, sharpened their tongues like a serpent, small things can make big changes set on fire of hell, so glad to be alive, straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus, stricter judgement, sure conquerors through Christ, talk a good talk, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the cold weather draws closer, the gospel truth, the last day of September, the main culprit is our tongue, the perfect man, the power of the tongue, the similitude of God, the tongue can no man tame, the tongue causes war and oppression, the tongue defiles the whole body, the tongue is a fire, the tongue is a little member, the tongue is a system of iniquity, the tongue is small but hard to control, the tongue prevents peace and love, these things ought not so to be, they may obey us, through him that loved us, too many tongues are preaching evil instead of good, truth, turn about their whole body, violent recriminations, we all stumble, we bless God and curse man with the same tongue, Wednesday Wail, wherever the pilot wants, who by patient contiuance in well doing, why can't we conquer the tongue, wisdom
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 September 2026 James 3:8.
James 3:8. But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Aye mih people, it’s Wednesday, our second wind day, hope we catch that second wind to keep us keeping on in Jesus’ name. Unfortunately though, it’s also the cloudy last day of September, meaning that the cold weather draws closer with each passing day. And although most of us don’t like the chilly times, we all know that we can handle it because we are sure conquerors through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As Bruh Paul so wisely writes in Romans when talking about nothing can separate us from God’s LOVE: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37)
And that’s the gospel truth my faithful brethren! Nobody or nothing can separate us from Christ, nor conquer us, unless we allow them to. And it’s interesting to note, that if we’re such great conquerors, why can’t we conquer our little bodily part called the tongue? Yesterday we saw how our words can cause all sorts of problems according to the way in which we use them, and the main culprit is our tongue, because that’s what enables us to speak. That brings us to this very important treatise of James on the power of the tongue, where he writes.
‘My brethren, be not many masters (let not many of you be teachers), knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation (stricter judgement). For in many things we offend all (all stumble). If any man offend (stumble) not in word, the same is the perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet they are turned about with a very small helm (rudder) whithersoever the governor listeth (pilot wants).
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire). And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (existence); and it is set on fire of hell.’ (James 3:1-6)
Oh my brethren, small things can indeed make big changes, and one of the worse of those small things is our tongue. As the scholars explain about that last verse: ‘The tongue is a system (world) of iniquity that sets on fire the whole course of life, and is even set on fire by Satan (cf. 3:15).’ And we see that every day in our very talkative society. It’s the tongue that causes war and oppression, and prevents peace and LOVE.
And James continues: ‘For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith we bless God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude (likeness) of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.’ (James 3:7-12)
That’s more gospel truth my people! So why do our tongues both curse and bless eh? We bless God, but then turn back and with the same tongue, curse our fellow human beings who are made in God’s image. Doesn’t something seem wrong with that picture? It surely does! But for some unknown reason we can’t seem to control our tongues, one moment we allow it to be peaceful and LOVING, while the next, we allow it to go berserk with hate and violent recriminations. It’s like the psalmist says of evil, war-like men. ‘They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ (asps) poison is under their lips. Selah.’ (Ps. 145:3)
And sadly, that’s the way too many of us behave; no wonder we have so much strife, war, hatred, oppression and anger in our world. Too may tongues are preaching evil instead of good. So how are we to turn this around eh? By Christ’s church standing up and being counted. But that seems impossible when that church is so divided and disunited. However, as Dr. Robert H. Schuller, one of the great Possibility Thinkers liked to say: ‘Impossible is such an irresponsible word.’ And it certainly is for children of the Living God Jehovah, to whom nothing is impossible. But it certainly won’t be easy.
Oh friends, as I keep saying, until Christ’s church unites and acts as one, our world isn’t going to change very much in the direction of godliness, for right now the separated and divided parts of the church are working against each other. And as Jesus so rightly said, a house, church or any organization divided against itself, won’t stand. No, it won’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell! So why do we keep staying divided, making it so easy for the enemy to continue doing his evil deeds without much resistance? We talk a good talk, but when it comes down to critical action to make a stand for Jesus and godliness in our world, too many of us go missing.
But let’s remember that we’ll all be judged on that fateful day, for our own works, not the works of others. So let’s do our best, be like Bruh Paul declares when talking about God’s righteous judgement: ‘To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortal life.’ (Rom. 2:7) Please let that be our motto. Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And for those who endure to the very end with Christ, a more glorious future than we can imagine with our finite minds is promised. So let’s be wise and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the tongue…it’s small…but oh so hard to control…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a chance to prove my faith in a big God, a compassionate heart, a daily source of irritation, a great family, a man's goals will always make the man, a possibility of failure, a value system that will please God, accomplish whatever we need to, an important question, as generously as God bestowed them on us, at odds with Jesus' practice, be servant of all, bring the best out in me, Chrisitanity, Christ's Spirit lives within you, come to know and love christ like we do, Conside the Values You Live By, courage, creativity, cursenegative word, dem's the breaks, divine protection, do as I have done to you, Dr. Robert H Schuller, duty bound, enamoured of problems, especially for those of the Christian faith, evil and ungodly times, exercise authority them over, faith, favour, followers of Christ must follow His example, for He is good, fringe benefits, give his life for a ransom for many, gives Jesus a bad name, good friends, good health, help hurting people, his mercy endureth for ever, holy spirit, I have given you an example, if I then your Master and Lord have washed your feet, inspired to plot an ubelievable holdup, instead of worrying about our problems, Jesus Christ, Jesus washed the disciples feet, know ye what I have done to you, let's enjoy this day, live by the Service Value system, lord it over them, LOVE, make me a more beautiful person, man may not always make his goals, mercy, money and material objects as your chief value, Possibility Thinking, Praise the Lord, problems, promotion, prosper and succeed, salvation, security as your chief value, small problems are usually the most irritating, so shall it not be among you, success, supenatural strength, talent, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the Hour of Power Devotional, the Lord's strenght and patience feeding our souls and spirits, the son of man came not be ministered unto, the stretch of good weather will end, the value system you choose to live by, the wrong kind of possibilties, to minister (serve), truth, undeserved blessings, unselfishly serving your fellow man, use those blessings to help others, value systems are important in setting goals, want to be served and not to serve, whosoever will be chief among you, whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister, wisdom, ye also ought to wash one another's feet, you call me Master and Lord
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 September 2026 Mark 10:45.
Mark 10:45. For even so the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (to be served), but to minister (serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.
‘Problems, problems oh la la!’ Yes friends, problems are a daily source of irritation. And yuh know what, the small problems are usually the most irritating ones, especially when they ought to be easily fixed, but aren’t. And the reason I’m so enamoured of problems today (smile) is that I had a couple of the small, irritating ones earlier this morning, that took up more time than I expected and thus had me getting to the Bit later than I wanted. But as we say, ‘dem’s the breaks,’ and with the Lord’s strength and patience feeding our souls and spirits, we will accomplish whatever we need to accomplish.
And all the Lord’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of’ Praise the Lord, for He is good and His mercy endureth forever!’ And that’s the gospel truth! So instead of worrying about our problems, let’s enjoy this Thursday, that’s fairly warm and sunny, for we know not when this stretch of good weather will end. And today we’ll consider a most interesting and important subject from the Hour of Power Devotional by the late Dr. Robert H. Schuller the founder of the Hour of Power Ministry. And the topic he deals with today is ‘Consider the Values You Live By.’
Now, in these very evil and ungodly times that is surely an important question for all people, especially those of the Christian faith. Dr Schuller begins by saying: ‘I was shocked to learn that an ex-convict read my book on Possibility Thinking and was inspired to plot an unbelievable holdup! He was thinking possibilities, but the wrong kind. What is all important in setting goals is to consider the value system you choose to live by.’
But let’s pause there for a moment and ponder the value system that we live by. Are we living by a value system that will please God, or one that will please the world.? If we claim to be Christians, then our value system must be one that pleases God, or else we’ll not be true believers and thus spoil our witness for Christ.
Anyway, getting back to Dr. Schuller, he then describes some of the available value systems. He writes: ‘If money or material objects are your highest values, the questions you ask before you set your goals will be: How much will it cost? How much money will I make? What are the fringe benefits? If security is your chief value, you’ll ask these questions before you set your goals: Can I be sure of success? Is it risky? Is there a possibility of failure?’ Let’s hope that those none of those are the value systems that we’re currently living by.
However, as Dr. Schuller continues: ‘If Christ’s Spirit lives within you, then you’ll live be the Service Value System, which is placing enormous values on unselfishly serving your fellow man, and the first questions you’ll raise in your goal setting will be: Will this help people who are hurting? Will this make me into a more beautiful person? Will this bring the best out of me – or the worst? Will this be a chance to prove my faith in a big God? Man may not always make his goals, but his goals will always make the man.’ And that’s the awesome truth! You might not decide what you want to do, but whatever you do will have a great impact on you!
And since we’re supposed to be filled with Christ’s Spirit, it’s safe to assume that our goals are based more on helping others than helping ourselves, because that’s what Jesus Himself preached and did. Jesus said it loud and clear after James and John’s mother came to Him and asked that they sit on His right and left hand in his glory. (Mark 10:35-38)
And after the other ten heard about the situation and became displeased, Jesus called them all to Him and said: ‘ Ye know that they which are accounted to rule (considered rulers) over the Gentiles exercise lordship (Lord it) over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great (desires to be great) among you, shall be your minister (servant): And whosoever of you will be the chiefest (desires to be first), shall be servant of all. For even so the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (to be served), but to minister (serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:42-45)
And that’s exactly what He did. And perhaps the best example of Jesus’ servanthood was in His washing of the disciples feet on the night of the Passover. He said to them: ‘Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master (Teacher) and Lord: and ye say well: for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master (Teacher), have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.’ (John 13:12-15)
You cannot beat that friends! As followers of Jesus, we ought to follow His example. Unfortunately though, too many of us are not doing so; we only want to be served and not to serve. But that’s at odds with Jesus’ practice and gives Him a bad name when we only clamour for service and refuse to serve. So let’s try and change that attitude nuh. And we can begin doing that today by declaring our Thursday Blessings; undeserved blessings generously bestowed on us by the Lord 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 use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…you cannot be a true Christian…and not live by the values Jesus displayed…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: christianity, Christians, confidence in God's faithfulness, do serious work for Jesus, establish you and keep you from evil, faith, filled with wonder, for thou art with me, from Genesis to Revelation, God comes through in amazing ways, God will never leave nor forsake us, god's ever-faithful promise, great is thy faithfulness, he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, He is faithful that promised, his compassions fail notthey are new every morning, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, holy spirit, I praise God's name, I remember all God's done in the past, I will fear no evil, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord, if we be dead with him we shall also live with him, if we believe not, if we confess our sins, in god's eyes, In Touch Prayer Card on God's Faithfulness, it is a faithful saying, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jeremiah's lament, Jesus Christ, keep his commandments, keepeth covenant with them that love him, lift up my heart to you in trust, lock stock and barrel, look forward with joy, LOVE, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, nothing is too hard for God, our bounden duty, our faith grows when we remember God's faithfulness, our trust in God deepens, refresh our hearts minds and souls, run and not be weary, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, summer time freedom over, take stock of our spiritual maturity, thank you for your perfect works, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the faithful God, the gospel truth, the Lord is faithful, the Lord thy God He is God, the Lord will take care of me, the lord will take me up, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they too can come to know and love Christ like do, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds, thy faithfulness shalt thou esteblish in the very heavens, thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to a thousand genearations, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, to seeing your plans fulfilled, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk and not faint, when I don't understand an outcome, when my father and mother forsake me, when things look impossible, wisdom, with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness, with the whole wide world, you are faithful, your ways never fail
Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 September 2026 Psalm 36:5.
Psalm 36:5. ‘Thy mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.’
So the Labour Day partying is over and done with now. That means the summer time freedom and frolicking is also done, and it’s time to get down to some serious work for Jesus; contemplating, who He is, what He’s done and is doing, and how we are reciprocating His awesome LOVE and compassion. It’s time to take stock of our spiritual maturity; see whether we’re growing, regressing, or just standing still, marking time, for who knows what. And to help us do that, today we’ll take a look at God’s faithfulness, starting with the information on the In Touch Prayer Card on the subject.
Please pray with me: ‘I’m filled with wonder, God, when I think of Your great faithfulness. When things look impossible, You come through in amazing ways. Truly nothing is too hard for You. I remember all You’ve done in the past and praise Your name! When I don’t understand an outcome, I will lift up my heart to You in trust. You are faithful, and Your ways never fail. I look forward with joy to seeing Your plans fulfilled. Thank You for your perfect works.’
Ah friends, those are perfect sentiments for us to consider in our own lives. Do we feel and also remember God’s faithfulness in our own lives? If we are true believers then we certainly ought to! And that’s one of the great things about our faith. When we remember God’s faithfulness, all the times that He’s shown up when things seemed impossible, but He came to our rescue just in time, then our faith grows, our trust in Him deepens, because we know that we can depend on Him in the tough times. He will never leave, forsake nor fail us, it’s is ever-faithful promise, and He keeps repeating it in His Word from Genesis right through to Revelation.
So let’s see if we can find some scriptures that reflect God’s faithfulness to refresh our hearts, minds and souls. And we’ll begin with this one where Moses reminds the Israelites of God’s faithfulness, as they are about to enter the Promised Land. ‘Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that LOVE him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.’ (Deut. 7:9) And I believe that scripture will do some of us a world of good if we sit and ponder it for a moment or two; the important thing there being the keeping of God’s commandments.
Then we have this verse from Psalm 36, that the In Touch Prayer Card uses as its resource. Bruh David writes: ‘Thy mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.’ (Ps. 36:5) Meanwhile in Psalm 89, which speaks of the Mercies of God, Ethan the Ezrahite contemplates God’s faithfulness and writes: ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.’ (Ps. 89:1-2)
And we all know Jeremiah’s famous lament on the subject: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) What more can we ask eh? Now here’s another magnificent verse re God’s faithfulness, one we all spout, but don’t truly pay much attention to. It’s from Bruh David’s famous Psalm 23, where he declares in no uncertain terms: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) What assuredness in God’s faithfulness! Do we have that confidence in God’s faithfulness? Let’s hope so.
Then in 2 Thessalonians, Bruh Paul tells them: ‘But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil (the evil one).’ (2 Thess. 3:3) And to Timothy, Bruh Paul writes: ‘It is a faithful saying: for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer (endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he will also deny us: If we believe not (are faithless), yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim. 2:11-13) And that’s the gospel truth friends! God cannot deny His attributes.
Then we come to this scripture from Hebrews that strongly and wisely advocates: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is fateful that promised;) (Heb. 10:23) And that’s great advice for us to follow, especially in these deceitful and untrustworthy times. And what about this amazing verse from John’s first epistle, where he states with all certainty: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 John 1:9) Now that’s a wonderful scripture for us to know and keep at the forefront of our minds!
And here’s another awesome verse displaying God’s faithfulness, another one we know but don’t truly action in our lives. The prophet Isaiah shouts it from the mountaintop: ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31) Yes friends, waiting on God is never in vain, for He will always be faithful to those who are faithful to Him. And we’ll close with this very reassuring verse from Psalm 27, when Bruh David declares: ‘When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up (take care of me).’ (Ps. 27:10)
Now isn’t that wonderful assurance of God’s faithfulness! It certainly is! And there are plenty more scriptures that address God’s faithfulness, but unfortunately time and space prevent us from quoting anymore. So let’s go home now declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, it’s become our bounden duty 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!
…take time to remember God’s faithfulness in your life…then let it lift your trust and faith in Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a standing invitation, abundance, abundant in goodness and truth, according to his divine power, all my days, all my life you have been faithful, always sing of your goodness Lord, an overflowing declaration of God's goodness, an uprightness of heart and life, assurance in knowing that God is always good, be fruitful in the knowledge of Christ, be partakers of the divine nature, before the sons of men, christianity, close like no other, connects us with God's nature, declare His works with rejoicing, ever faithful, faith, fellowship, for his wonderful works to the children of men, for the sake of being virtuous, from the moment that I wake up, getting our souls refreshed with god's word, give good things to them that ask him, given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, God is good, God's goodness can never be matched, God's goodness is present during challenges and harships, God's goodness to the children of men, God's promises are a pipeline, God's promises are exceedingly great and precious, goodness in action, grow in spiritual maturity, guidance, guidance., hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, having escaped the corruption in the world through lust, healing, held in your hands, his mercy endureth for ever, holy spirit, hope, how do we experience God's goodness, how great is thy goodness, how much more shall your father in heaven, I give you everything, I had fainted, I have lived in the goodness of God, I love you Lord, i love your voice, I surrender now, I will sing of the goodness of God, if ye then being evil, in my darkest night, in our best interests, Jenn Johnson, Jesus Christ, joyful singing, know how to give good gifts to your children, known you as a father, known you as a friend, laid up for them that fear thee, led me through the fire, let God's goodness reflect in our lives, longsuffering, LOVE, mercy, my anchor in the wind and waves, my joy every day, my provider, offer comfort, Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, peace, prociding us with strength, profound meaning for many people, protection, recognizing God's love, sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, salvation, shepherd of my soul, so wonderful in all your ways, songs born in unique circumstances, strive to be good, that is God, the BIBLE, the blessed day of Sunday, the blessings God provides every day, the goodness of God, the gospel truth, the joy of knowing you God, the joy that comes from giving God thanks and praise, the knowledge of him that called us to glory and virtue, the Lord God merciful and gracious, the promises of God's word, the Sermon on the Mount, the spiritual meaning of the goodness of God, the Ten Commandments, there is none good but one, through faith we can find peace, to join other believers in Christ's sanctuary, to praise and worship Christ, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, truth, understanding God's goodness, unless I had believed, until I lay my head down, victory, we partake of God's nature, what a joy to know you, why callest thou me good, wisdom, with every breath that I am able, with my life laid down, wrought for them that trust thee, you are my joy, you have been so so good, you lead me in glory, you lead me in glory by your Spirit, you're everything to me, your goodness is running after me, your mercy never fails me
Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 August 2026 Mark 10:18.
Mark 10:18. ‘And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’
And that blessed day of Sunday is here once again, with the standing invitation to join other believers in Christ Jesus in His sanctuary, to praise and worship Him, while getting our souls refreshed with His word and the joy that comes from giving Him thanks and praise. And today’s song of worship is one that does just that; gives God much thanks and praise for His wonderful goodness to the undeserving children of men. And it’s appropriately titled, ‘The Goodness of God.’
This is one of those great songs that are born in unique, unexpected circumstances. The story goes that in 2018, the author Jenn Johnson, a member of the worship team of the Bethel church in Reading, was driving on a long country road in northern California, freshly home from adopting her fourth child, a son, when she felt the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, picked up her phone and began singing into it. What came out was ‘a raw, grateful, overflowing declaration of God’s faithfulness in her life’ which eventually became the foundation of “The Goodness of God.” And after being refined with the assistance of other members of the Bethel worship team, it was released in 2019 and immediately became a popular worship song.
So now, having some background on the song’s history, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a scintillating, heartfelt, up-tempo version, evoking the very sentiments that we sing. Singing: ‘I LOVE You, Lord, for Your mercy never fails me All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head down Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God. (Chorus: All my life You have been faithful. All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.)
I LOVE Your voice, You have led me through the fire In my darkest night, You are close like no other I’ve known You as a Father, I’ve known You as a Friend Oh I have lived in the goodness of God (Chorus: All my life…) Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me With my life laid down, I surrender now I give You everything, cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me Your goodness is running after, it keeps running after me.
(Chorus: And all my life You have been faithful All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able Oh, I will sing; yes, I will sing of the goodness of God. For all my life you have been faithful, all my life you have been so good. Oh you lead me in glory … ever faithful, you are my anchor in the wind and the waves…you are my provider…Oh yeah, and you lead me in glory by your Spirit…you are my joy…my joy…every day…Oh shepherd of my soul…what a joy to know you…Oh the joy of knowing you God…you’re everything to me…so wonderful…so wonderful in all your ways…in all your ways. That’s why I will always sing of your goodness Lord…always sing of your goodness Lord.’
Oh friends, that was wonderful! And if we sang it, then we should mean it and consequently let it reflect in our lives! Now, before we go further, let’s ascertain a couple of definitions. The first one is what’s the spiritual meaning of the goodness of God? One article defines it as: ‘Goodness in action; it’s not something we do only for the sake of being virtuous. When we strive to be “good” only for our own benefit, it is not truly goodness that we possess. In Greek, the word goodness, means “an uprightness of heart and life.’
And second question is how do we experience the goodness of God? And the same commentary as above, claims ‘It’s through the promises of God’s Word that we partake of His nature – a nature that is peace, abundance, healing, victory, guidance and protection. His promises are a pipeline that connects us with His nature. And His promises are exceedingly great and precious.’ And they reference these two verses from Peter’s second epistle, where he is urging his readers to be fruitful in the knowledge of Christ, to grow in spiritual maturity.
‘According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to (by) glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’ (2 Pet. 1:3-4)
Ah friends, there’s so much I’d like to say about this song, but time and space don’t allow it, so we’ll have to content ourselves with a few scripture verses on God’s goodness. Beginning with this one from Exodus: ‘And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’ (Ex. 34:6) That’s when Moses went back up Mt. Sinai the second time to get the Ten Commandments.
Then in Psalm 27, Bruh David made this very poignant but true statement: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13) And in Psalm 31, Bruh David again talks about the Lord’s goodness. ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust thee before the sons of men!’ (Ps. 31:19) Meanwhile in Psalm 107, the psalmist strongly advises: ‘Oh that men would praise (give thanks to) the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing (joyful singing).’ (Ps. 107:21-22)
And all through the Bible we hear this verse: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (1 Chr. 6:34) Then Jesus, when talking about asking and receiving in the Sermon on the Mount, says to the multitude: ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt. 7:11) And last but least, this verse from the story of the rich young man who is seeking direction for eternal life, and calls Jesus ‘Good Master.’ ‘And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.’ (Mark 10:18) And friends, if Jesus says it’s so, then it’s so! No doubt about it. (smile)
Now, let’s go home with some interesting comments about God’s goodness, from an article on the website globaldisciples.ca, that declares: ‘God is good. This simple statement holds profound meaning for many people around the world. Understanding God’s goodness can offer comfort, guidance, and hope. It’s about recognizing His LOVE and the blessings He provides every day. God’s goodness isn’t just evident during happy times. It’s also present during challenges and hardships, providing us with strength. Even when things don’t go as planned, His LOVE and support can often be felt if we look closely. Through faith, we can find peace and assurance in knowing that God is always good.’
And that’s the gospel truth! So, it’s in our best interest to concentrate on God’s goodness today, and every day, as we step out to do His work! Much LOVE!
…God’s goodness…can never be matched by any other being…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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