06 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big occasion in the Christian faith, a modicum of circumspection, a time to be sensible and responsible, all sinned and disobeyed your word, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, be willing to sacrifice every day for Christ, become discouraged, blow up in our faces, bring victory to the love revolution, clean on the outside but dirty inside, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, deny ourselves, despising the shame, direct one's eyes to the finish line, do a commendable job, do as I have done to you, ease the pain, Easter Monday, ecsessive body weight, endured the cross, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, for the joy that was set before him, heed the warning, heroes of faith, holy spirit, humble ourselves, hypocrites like the Pharisees, I have given you an example, if I have washed your feet, impediments that weigh us down, increase our Christian witness, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus has already blazed the trail and finished the course, Jesus set a direct example, Jesus washing of the disciples' feet, Jeus' followers ought to serve one another, lay aside every weight, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, like a turtle in no hurry, like Jesus, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mankind is never satisfied, mass confusion in our world, mercy, not many Christians are truly humble, operate in humble servanthood and love, performing the role of the lowliest servant, perseverance, pray, put our noses to the grindstone, rally round the cross, rise up, run with patience, salvation, seeing we are compassed about, servant leadership, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, show our undying love for Christ, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek God's face, strong faith in Christ, surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, take their own sweet time, take up our crosses daily, the author and finisher of our faith, the day of celebration, the days of work, the diligent runner, the faithful Christian, the foundation of Jesus' philosophy, the God who heals, the gospel truth, the many suffering from negative situations, the passion of Easter, the power to solve our many problems, the race of faith is to be run with endurance, the race that is set before us, the sin that defeats a Christian, the sin which doth so easily beset us, the supreme example of endurance is Jesus, the throne of grace, the world is hanging by a thread, therefore endure hardness, to be a disciple of Jesus, to demonstrate humility, truth, turn from our evil ways, well done thou good and faithful servant, whitewashed tombs, wisdom, wise guidance and direction, ye also ought to wash one another's feet, zip by like a windstorm
Hebrews 12:1a. Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us,
And isn’t it amazing how the days of celebration can zip by like a windstorm, while the days of work, take their own sweet time, like a turtle in no hurry whatsoever to get wherever he’s going. (smile) Yes, friends, we’re already down to Easter Monday in this season of Easter celebration, meaning tomorrow is a day of work. Chuh! We’re never satisfied eh, even when many of us had a four-day weekend, from Monday to Sunday, and some were even smart enough to wangle five days, from Thursday to Monday.
And although yesterday was somewhat cloudy and blustery, the celebrations seemed to be fairly large, for in my area alone, the streets were chocked full of cars of visitors to friends and families in the neighbourhood. And most likely today, the same thing will be happening in many neighbourhoods around the world, for the passion of Easter is indeed a big occasion in the Christian faith. But please, let’s remember not to overdo it, and thus institute a modicum of circumspection into the celebrations, for we already have enough problems in our world, and this is a time to be like Jesus; sensible and responsible. (smile)
That reminds us of some sensible and important things Jesus asked us to know and do. Like, if we want to be His disciple, we must deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily and follow Him. (Luke 9:23) That means being willing to sacrifice on His behalf every single day. Then there’s the unexpected washing of the disciples’ feet that Jesus humbly performed. He did that as this commentary tells us, ‘To demonstrate humility, servant leadership, and LOVE. By performing the role of a lowliest servant, Jesus set a direct example for his followers to serve one another.’
Then He gently but seriously admonished them. ‘If I then, your Lord and Master, 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 13:14-15) Now that’s the very foundation of Jesus’ philosophy and the way He desires His kingdom to operate, in humble servanthood and LOVE, for that’s exactly how He carried Himself while here on earth. In truth though, how many of us supposed Christians are truly humble and take servanthood in our stride, while showing sincere LOVE to all we meet?
Not as many as ought to. And that’s a crying shame, for most of us talk the talk but don’t walk the talk, meaning we’re simply a bunch of hypocrites, like the Pharisees, whitewashed tombs, clean on the outside, but dirty inside. (Matt. 23:27-28) That’s why the author of Hebrews penned these most encouraging words for us to meditate on, and then follow. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:1-3)
Yes my fellow believers, we have all the bygone heroes of faith watching us as we now run our own race here on earth, and we cannot afford to let them down. And to successfully run this race of faith, the scholars tell us; we must first ‘lay aside every weight. This refers to impediments that weigh us down, whether clothing or excessive body weight. These things are not inherently wrong, but for the diligent runner or the faithful Christian they must be removed. Secondly, it is to be run by putting off the entangling sin. This seems to refer to the one sin above all others that defeats a Christian. This may be a different sin for everyone. Thirdly, the race of faith is to be run with patience, or endurance.’
And the scholars continue: ‘Just as verse 1 establishes some qualities for the entrance into the actual running of life’s race, so verse 2 directs one’s eyes to the finish line. Jesus is the author and finisher in that He has already blazed the trail and finished the course. And though there are many champions for believers to emulate, the supreme example of endurance is Jesus Himself.’ And that’s the gospel truth! Nobody does it like Jesus!
And He is by no means an easy example to follow, but if we do as Bruh Paul tells Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2 Tim. 2:3) In other words, if we put our noses to the grindstone, we will do a commendable job, with the Lord eventually greeting us, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ (Matt. 25:23) And having said all of that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help in these perilous times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Oh friends, we desperately need to use this time of increased passion and faith to increase our Christian witness, because our world is hanging by a thread, and if we don’t make the most of the time, then it’s liable to simply blow up in our faces, both literally and figuratively! It’s as simple as that! So please, let’s heed the warning and show our wonderful gratitude and amazing, undying LOVE for Christ in spades. Much LOVE!
…Easter is the time when Christians rally round the cross…and rise up to bring victory to the LOVE Revolution…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future we cannot imagine or comprhend, a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, a lack of mountain-moving faith, a lesson for all of us, a motivator, a small amount of living faith, a small beginning with massive God-given potential, a small seed that grows into a very large plant, achieve monumental spiritual feats, All Fools Day, appraise opportunities intellignetly, April Fool's day, be wise and endure, because of your unbelief, catch my second wind, christianity, Christians, communicating continually with God, conservative and cautious attitude, discipleship requires forward-focused undivied devotion, discouragement is rampant in our soicety, do not be discouraged, do not expect to succeed, doing God's will with diligence and excellence, don't accomplish everything you set out to do, Don't Get Discouraged, dontrust in the size of our faith, Dr. Robert H. Schuller, endure to the end with Christ, eyes fixed straight ahead, fail to move forward with an expectant confidence, faith, fall into calamity, get cold feet, grab the opportunity, guide you into all truth, halfway home, hands on the plough, he shall glorify me, he shall not speak of himself, he shall receive of mine and declare it unto you, help you move on to victory, hold back your full power, holy spirit, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, indecisive people, is fit for the kingdom of heaven, it shall move, Jesus Christ, looking back, looking back after gripping the plow, looking back compromises one's service and spirtual progress, lose nerve, LOVE, mercy, never give up attitude, no man having put his hand to the plough, not looking back at the past, nothing shall be impossible unto you, produce significant results, promote opportunities confidently, receive what is mine, remove hence to yonder place, run a few errands, salvation, say unto this mountain, second wind day, seize opportunities swiftly, shall not speak on his own authority, shew you things to come, sincere trust placed in God, small authentic faith can grow and accomplish great things, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the evil and ungodliness permeating our society, the fast moving opportunity, the gospel truth, The Hour of Power 50th AnniversaryBook of Daily Motivation and Inspiration, the wicked shall fall into mischief, these dark and dangerous times, to a glorious future with Jesus, total commitment to following Jesus, trust in the power of God, truth, want to be a success, Wednesday Wail, when he the Spirit of truth is come, wisdom
Matthew 17:20a. If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move);
And then it was Wednesday, our second wind day, but unfortunately we’re on the late, late bus, no I won’t deceive you on this 1st of April, April Fools Day. (smile) But I went to my church group, then I ran a few errands, which always take longer than planned, and by the time I got home the ole fella was tired, and therefore had to rest a spell to catch his second wind. What a great excuse for All Fool’s Day, as we call in the West Indies. But it’s the truth and I’m sticking to it. (smile) And since we’re running late, I’ll endeavour to keep the Bit short and sweet… although I sometimes wonder if the word short exists in my vocabulary. (smile) Yes, it’s a smiley kind of day!
Anyhow, in my attempt to keep things short and sweet, here is an encouraging passage from The Hour of Power 50th Anniversary Book of Daily Motivation and Inspiration by Dr, Robert H. Schuller. The passage is aptly titled ‘Don’t Get Discouraged,’ and that’s a wonderful motivator for us today in these very dark and discouraging times. I’m sure I shared this already, but as with so many other things, this is worth sharing again and again. So please read with me, as Dr. Schuller advises us.
‘Do not be discouraged if you do not accomplish everything that you set out to accomplish. Surely if you do not expect to succeed you will hold back your full power, investment and enthusiasm. Immediately, the kind of people who would help to move you on to victory begin to draw back. Your conservative and cautious attitude will reflect itself in an anxious look on your face that will disturb and discourage people from helping you. There are two major reasons why people fail. Both stem from a lack of mountain-moving faith.
(1) People who fail are often people who are indecisive. They cannot make decisions swiftly and surely. The fast moving opportunity is past before they decide – too late – to take hold. (2) Then some decisive people fail because after making the decision, they fail to move forward with an expectant confidence. They grab the opportunity only to lose nerve, get cold feet, and begin to wonder if they have done the right thing. They have gripped the plow but now they are looking back. Want to be a success? Develop the ability to appraise opportunities intelligently, seize opportunities swiftly, and promote these opportunities confidently.’
And in there somewhere is a lesson for all of us, because discouragement has become so rampant in our society because of the evil and ungodliness that’s permeating it. But the first thing we all need to have is as Dr. Schuller calls it, is ‘mountain-moving faith.’ It’s like Jesus said to the disciples who could not cure an epileptic boy. When they asked why? ‘Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you.’ (Matt. 17:20)
Yes friends we need to start with faith, not necessarily plenty, but strong. And I like how this commentary explains it. “Faith the size of a mustard seed” is a metaphor from Jesus in the Gospels (Matthew 17:20) indicating that even a tiny amount of genuine, living faith can achieve monumental spiritual feats, such as moving mountains or uprooting trees (Luke 17:6). The mustard seed represents a small beginning with massive, God-given potential.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people!
For, as the commentary continues: ‘The mustard seed was considered one of the smallest seeds, yet it grows into a very large plant, symbolizing that small, authentic faith can grow and accomplish great things. However, the message is not to trust in the size of our own faith, but in the power of God, with whom nothing is impossible. The metaphor encourages believers to trust God even in the face of massive, insurmountable obstacles (mountains). In essence, having faith the size of a mustard seed means having a small amount of sincere trust that, when placed in God, can produce significant results.’
And after having the faith to do whatever we want to do, then we must act decisively on it, expecting it to be successful, not being luke-warm and non-enthusiastic about the outcome. And we can only do that properly if we communicate with our heavenly Father through the auspices of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. For as Jesus told the disciples: ‘Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority), but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of (what is) mine, and shall shew (declare) it unto you.’ (John 16:13-14)
Oh my people, living this life successfully is a matter of having faith, communicating continually with God, then doing what He says with diligence and excellence, keeping our hands on the plow and not looking back, for as Jesus says: ‘No man having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven.’ (Luke 9:62) That means, as this commentary tells us: ‘Luke 9:62 is a profound biblical proverb emphasizing total commitment to following Jesus. It signifies that discipleship requires forward-focused, undivided devotion, warning that looking back at past comforts, sins, or regrets compromises one’s service and spiritual progress.’
And above all friends, it means never giving up, for in Jesus’ vocabulary ‘giving up’ does not exist. It’s as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘A just (righteous) man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity.’ (Prov. 24:16) And that’s as short as we could make it, (smile) so let’s go home now declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we’re faithful and endure to the very end with Jesus, then we will also enjoy a more than glorious future, one we cannot comprehend or imagine, promised to those who stick it out! So let’s be wise and endure nuh! Much LOVE!
…Christians have enough tools and support from Christ…to not give into discouragement…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a breakneck intensity, a new flock of believers, a partnership with Almighty God, a time of desperate need, be a church mem, be a church member, believe and receive, biblical cliches, children of the Most High God Jehovah, christianity, Christians, come boldly before the throne of grace, communicate with god through prayer, crying out for God's help, discipleship is a daily ocurrence, discontent and dissatisfaction, divine aid, faith, fellowship, find grace to help in time of need, Friday chant, gain spiritual benefits from hardships, gift of salvation through grace, God expects us to do our part in our partnership with Him, God is faithful, God searches our hearts, God will give you the strength to resist the temptation, God will make a way of escape, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, good motives, holy spirit, if any man will come after me, in all these things, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour, Jesus our Redeemer, Jesus rose majestically from the dead, let him deny himself, listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, LOVE, mercy, no need to worry, not just victorious over hardships, omnipotent help, our sinful world cn wake up, problems are escalating, put our faith to work, relying on Christ's power not personal strength, restoring faith in God, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, signifies a triumpant state, simmering unrest, snow storm, stand strong and steadfast, stand the strain, study God's Word, such as is common to man, super conquerors, take up his cross daily and follow me, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the error of their ways, the example we faithful believers set, the gospel truth, the Lord will help us bear whatever burden He tests us with, the rewards are certainly worth it, the weekend is here at last, the world spinning out of control, them's the breaks, there hath no temptation taken you, through him that loved us, to obtain mercy, trials and enemies are turned into tools for good, trusting faith, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, we are more than conquerors, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, wisdom, wise guidance, with the temptation, with unexpected sacrifices, ye may be able to bear it, you won't escape all temptation
Romans 8:37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.
Well then, it’s the day we’ve all been looking forward to; Friday. And we’ve offered up our Friday Mantra; ‘Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Now, fortunately, the morning commute was precipitation free, although we’d been promised snow by eight o’clock. However, I don’t know if the evening commute will be precipitation free because the snow began around 11 o’clock and it looks it means serious business. Some minutes before eleven, I was upstairs in my bedroom getting ready to come downstairs and looked outside and there was nothing. But by the time I came down to the living room a few minutes later, the place was white and the snow was tumbling down with a breakneck intensity. (smile)
Now I understand why we recently had that spring-like period; so the snow could melt and make room for more. But as I keep reminding us, we can handle anything that comes against us, for we are the children of the Most High God Jehovah, with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, the One who rose majestically from the dead to take rulership of this evil and ungodly world! So we are not afraid of anything or anyone, for He’s vowed to protect us, and besides that, as this scripture tells: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37)
And I like how this commentary explains that verse. “More than conquerors,” from Romans 8:37, refers to believers in Jesus Christ who, through His LOVE, are not just victorious over hardships, but “super-conquerors” who gain spiritual benefits from them. It signifies a, triumphant state where trials and enemies are turned into tools for good, relying on Christ’s power rather than personal strength.’ And is that ever the gospel truth, for we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! (Phil. 4:13)
Therefore, there’s no need to worry, just put our faith to work, believe and receive. Well, in truth, it’s not as easy as all that, but you do have to believe before you can receive. You also have to ask and knock and seek. (Matt. 7:7-8) So being a disciple or a true follower of Jesus is not an easy job, although it’s a very rewarding one. Remember how Jesus characterized discipleship: ‘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)
Yes friends, we need to remember that following Jesus is a daily occurrence, with sacrifices thrown in where we would prefer them not to be. (smile) But them’s the breaks! If you want in, then you must stand the strain, even when it seems impossible to bear, for the Lord won’t give us more than we can bear…now that’s not completely true. He will give us more than we can bear in our own strength, but by the same token, He will help us to bear whatever burden He tests us with.
That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Corinthians. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Now that doesn’t mean you’ll escape all temptation. Certainly not! In other words, God will oftentimes give you the strength to resist the temptation rather than take it away completely.
And that’s one of the problems with today’s church, we mouth all these biblical clichés without fully understanding how they truly work. But beneath each statement that God makes there is usually something for the believer to do to receive it. Even the greatest gift, salvation through grace, although it’s free, one must believe and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour to receive it. So Christianity is not a something for nothing spree, it’s a partnership with Almighty God, and as in all partnerships, both partners have responsibilities, and God expects us to do our part of the partnership.
And the corollary to that is that you cannot know what you are expected to do in this partnership with God until you read and study His Word, listen to the guidance of His Holy Spirit that dwells within you, be a church member, so you can fellowship with other believers, and communicate with the Father Himself through the system of prayer. Don’t worry, the Father has it all well worked out, you just have to get serious, buckle down and do your part. He will do His. In fact, He’s already done most of His work, by giving us Jesus as our Redeemer, and plenty of what’s left to do is now in our hands.
And one of God’s great promises comes from this scripture in Hebrews: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently but humbly) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) And are we ever in a time of desperate need, with our world quickly spinning out of control. So let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these lawless times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now friends, praying for help is fine, but remember God searches our hearts first before responding to our prayers, so let’s hope that all of our hearts were, and still are filled with good motives, otherwise divine aid will not be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…the Christian’s walk is not a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park…but the rewards are certainly worth it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a call to contentment and courage, a cheerful hearth fire, a glorious future with Jesus, all should come to repentance, alone in a huge computer universe, as some men count slackness, be content with such things as ye have, bet your bottom dollar, But God commendeth his love toward us, called thee by thy name, cast down, christianity, Christians, claim God's unlimited resources, die such a horrible death, does it really matter to God about me, endure to the very end with Christ, even to the end of the world, eyes straight ahead, faith, fear not, fear not neither be dismayed, get the feeling, glad to be alive, God doesn't seem personal, God has passed me by, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, God will never pass us by, God's guidance, governed by our Father, halfway home, hands on the plough, Has God Passed Me By, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, heartbreaking measures, holy spirit, I am the Lord thy God, I am with thee, I don't really matter, I gave Egypt for thy ransom, i have loved thee, I have redeemed thee, I will be with thee, I will give men for thee, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, I will not fear what man shall do unto me, Jesus Christ, learn to trust, let your conversation be without covetousness, listening to the wind beat against the house, lo I am with you always, looked pensive, LOVE, mercy, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, not a guessing game, not goverened by chance but God's choice, not governed by fate, not looking back, not willing that any should perish, One Year Book of Bible promises, our second wind day, our sinful souls could be saved, people for thy life, prone to ask questions. why life's tragedies, regardless of circumstances, relevant to our times, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, save us from sin, sitting in our living room, sound morbid, tested, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the doubts of a seventeen-year old, the gospel truth, the Holy One of Israel, the intensity of the promise, the Lord he it is that doth go before thee, the Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, The Lord is my helper, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, the Lord will never pass us by, the universe in in God's control, the world through him might be saved, thou art mine, thou hast been honoured, thou shalt not be burned, thou wast precious in my sight, thy Saviour, truth, we may boldly say, Wednesday Wail, what better evidence than the cross, what better evidence than the Lord's promise, when thou passest through the waters, when thou walkest through the fire, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, why disease pain and heartache, why life's tragedies, why the sense of futility, wisdom, wisdom to the nth degree
Romans 5:8. ‘But God commendeth his LOVE (demonstrated his own LOVE) toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’
Then it was Wednesday, our second wind day, but it’s wet, cloudy and chilly! The recent sunshine and spring-like warmth have faded away. However, we do know that it will come again, for that’s how the Lord decreed it. So, a li’l more winter won’t hurt, for spring will soon be back, you can bet your bottom dollar on that! (smile)
And today we’re going to look at a very interesting and rather appropriate poem for many of us, from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘Has God Passed Me By?’ And as always, I don’t know if I’ve shared it before because I don’t keep a check on them. The beauty of these poems though is that they are very relevant to our times, and thus can be shared over and over.
So please read with me: ‘We were sitting in our living room before a cheerful hearth fire, listening to the low March wind beat against our house. My pretty seventeen-year old friend looked pensive. She said finally, “You’ll probably think I sound morbid, but sometimes I just get the feeling that God has passed me by. He just doesn’t seem personal. It’s like being all alone in a huge computer universe where I don’t really matter.” The doubts of a seventeen-year old? If we’re honest we’ll all confess that we’re prone to ask questions: Why life’s tragedies? Why disease and pain and heartache? Why the sense of futility so often? Does it really matter to God about me?
What better evidence than the cross? What better evidence than the Lord’s promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Our vast universe is in God’s control. We are not governed by fate, but by our Father. Not chance, but His choice. Not a guessing game, but His guidance. He chose us to be the object of His lavish LOVE. Cast down, perhaps – that we might learn to trust, regardless of circumstances. Tested, that we might claim God’s unlimited resources. Passed by? Never!’
Now that my friends is the gospel truth! Our God has never and will never pass us by? Why would He do that eh, after all the trouble He’s been through to first create us, then save us from the sin we so foolishly embraced? As the poem asks: ‘What better evidence than the cross?’ And that’s another most important fact. If the Lord didn’t care very much about His human creation, do you think He‘d send His only Son to earth to die such a horrible death so that our sinful souls could be saved?
No! That doesn’t make any sense. Remember what Bruh Paul says in Romans – one of my favourite scriptures: ‘But God commendeth his LOVE (demonstrated his own LOVE) toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now why would He take such drastic, heartbreaking measures if He didn’t care deeply for us eh? It’s very obvious that He did, and does care for His most remarkable creation. Remember what Peter says: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9)
Yes friends, that’s possibly one of the reasons Christ hasn’t returned as yet; the Lord’s patiently giving as many of us time to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour and thus receive salvation and eternal life, because He doesn’t want to lose anybody to hellfire and damnation. And there are several verses in the Bible where God has promised to never leave nor forsake us. As the one that’s the Bible Promise for the poem. ‘’Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Heb. 13:5) And consequently, when we add the next verse, we get a call to contentment and courage. ‘So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.’ (Heb. 13:6)
And right from the very beginning the Lord, through Moses, also made that promise to the Israelites who were about to enter the Promised Land. ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8) What more can I say eh friends? How much more encouragement do we need eh? But if you need more, then listen to these words of the Lord though the prophet Isaiah. ‘But now, thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee: and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place). Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable (honoured), and I have LOVED thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee:’ (Is. 43:1-5a)
What more can our God say or do to make us understand our importance to Him eh? He redeemed Israel in olden times, gave men for them, and He’s done the same for us under the New Covenant; He gave the life of Jesus to redeem us. As Jesus stated so clearly to Nicodemus and also to us: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world though him might be saved.’ (John 3:16) Now what’s there not to understand eh?
And I like how this commentary describes God’s promise never to leave nor forsake us. ‘The Intensity of the Promise: In the original Greek, this phrase uses multiple negatives, translating to an emphatic “I will never, ever, under any circumstances, desert you, nor give you up nor leave you without support”. That’s how strong God’s promise of never deserting us is! And Jesus gave us His final assurance when He said: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
Now that’s certainly good enough for me! Let’s hope it’s good enough for many more people out there who still have doubts and fears about the Lord by passing us. And to help with that, let’s declare 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!’
Now, that leads to an even greater promise: those who endure to the very end with Christ, will enjoy an even more glorious future than the one mentioned above; one we cannot comprehend. So, why don’t we all endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together eh? That seems to be wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
…The Lord might refuse our requests…but He’ll NEVER pass us by…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Jew would be degraded by feeding swine, a means of restoring faith in you, a mighty famine arose in the land, a repentant sinner, a woman having ten pieces of silver, be responsible, began to be in want, calls her friends and neighbours together, crying out for God's help, discontent, dissatisfaction, divided unto them his living, easy money, faith, flock around for handouts, for our benefit, Friday chant, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me, God has concern for all of His creations, God's omnipotent help, holy spirit, I have found the piece I lost, ice patches, if the Lord grants life tomorrow, if there's delight in recuing one sheep or finding one coin, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus came to earth to save sinners, Jesus Christ, Jews were not allowed to keep or feed swine, joined himself to a citizen of that country, licentious living, lights a candle and looks for the lost coin, likewise I say unto you, LOVE, mercy, moral obligation, no man gave him anything, our sinful world, over one sinner that repenteth, problems escalating, rejoice with me, rescued from being lost to sin, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, seeks diligently till she finds it, sent him into his field to feed wsine, show them the error of their ways, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, stand up and improve it, stay safe, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example we faithful believers set, the gospel truth, the Lord will knock on your heart, the Lost Coin, the lost sheep, the Lost Son, the money's gone in two twos, the salvation of a sinner, the simmering unrest in our land, the weekend is here at last, the younger son gathered all together, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God, took his journey into a far cointry, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and see the chaos around us, wake up and smell the coffee, wasted his substance with riotous living, wisdom, wise guidance, with the husks that the swine ate, would fain have filled his belly
Luke 15:10. Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
And then it was Friday, the day we’ve all been looking forward to! But it’s not such a nice day, wet, cloudy with patches of hidden and dangerous ice in unseeming places. So if you go out, please tread carefully, for you know not what looks like solid ground might be hidden ice. But that has not stopped us from sending up our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ Now, yesterday we said that the Lord had guided us to look at the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son, however we only managed to look at the one pertaining to the Lost Sheep. So let’s take a look today at the Lost Coin.
After talking about there being more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety nine who don’t need it, (Luke 15:7) Jesus continues by saying: ‘Either what woman having ten pieces of silver (a drachma – a valuable silver coin), if she lose one piece (coin), doth not light a candle (lamp), and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me: for I have found the piece (coin) which I had lost. Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.’ (Luke 15:8-10)
Yes friends, that’s how much a repentant sinner is treasured in the heavenly realms. And the scholars offer this explanation of those verses. ‘If a woman and her neighbours delight in recovering a solitary coin, and if a shepherd takes joy in rescuing a single sheep, how much more praiseworthy is the salvation of a sinner? While some portray God as impersonal or aloof from human affairs, Jesus here teaches of His concern for every individual.’
And that’s the gospel truth! The Lord is interested in the affairs of every one of His creations. And why wouldn’t He be eh? He made us so that He could LOVE us and we could LOVE Him in return, and LOVE means being involved with, and concerned about those we LOVE. And since Jesus came to earth specifically to save sinners, it must mean that a repentant sinner is very important to the heavenly kingdom, and thus rejoicing is called for when even one sinner repents, or is recused from being lost to sin. So, let’s not belittle the act of repentance and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, for it’s the most momentous moment in a person’s life.
Then Jesus began talking about the Lost Son. ‘And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them, said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.’ (Luke 15:11-12) Now, the father given the son his inheritance before He died was something that would hardly happen in that society. And the scholars tell us: ‘According to Deuteronomy 21:17, the older of two sons was entitled to a double portion of a father’s estate. Here the younger son would have received one-third. He was probably under a moral obligation to use the inheritance in a way pleasing to the father, but he ignores this.’
Then Jesus continues: ‘And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance (possessions) with riotous living (wasteful, prodigal or reckless living).’ (Luke 15:13) And the scholars play hardball on that verse, by saying: ‘Gathered all together means that he turned his assets into hard cash. Not many days is Luke’s understatement. The lad wasted no time getting ready to waste money.’ And we see also that very often in our society, where those who come into easy money, blow it on licentious living, and in two twos, the money’s gone.
And that’s exactly what happened to this lost son. Jesus tells us: ‘And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his field to feed swine. And he would fain (gladly) have filled his belly with the husks (carob pods) that the swine did eat: and no man gave him anything.’ (Luke 15:14-16)
That’s another regular occurrence. When you have money or wealth, a lot of people flock around you looking for handouts. But when your money or wealth runs out, everyone stops coming around, none of those who previously flocked around for your largesse, ever remember your goodness to them. But even more importantly in this case, as the scholars explain: ‘A Jew would have been unbearably degraded by feeding swine. Also, the owner would have had to be a Gentile, since both keeping and feeding swine were forbidden to Jews.’
That tells you how low the prodigal son had fallen, even to the thought of eating the pig’s food. Unfortunately though, we need stop there for today because there’s much more to say on the Lost Son. But if the Lord grants us life tomorrow, we’ll continue looking at that parable. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these terrible times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And that’s exactly what we need to do my fellow believers; wake up and see the chaos around us, then stand up and do something to improve it. Remember, it’s not for God’s benefit but for ours and our descendants! Much LOVE!
…don’t worry…if you’re lost…the Lord will find you…by knocking on your heart…until you open it to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all it takes is for you to know, also go to God in peaceful prosperity, as for me I will call upon God, as your problems overflow, ask and it shall be given you, ask anything according to his will, attend unto me and hear me, believe that you receive what you pray for, believe those things which he saith, cast thy burden upon the Lord, Chrisitanity, Christians, Da Flame, don't give up, don't go to God only in times of problems, don't say you're done, evening and morning and at noon, every trial every mountain and sea, experience with God, faith, feel battered, feeling like an outcast, fellowship, forgiveness is key for answered prayer, get together at the Lord's sanctuary, give ear to my prayer, giving thanks for life and love, glad to be above ground, God answers prayer, God is always there ready to listen, God is the answer, have faith in God, he hath delivered my soul in peace, he heareth us, He sees every teardrop, he sees every weakness, he shall hear my voice, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, he shall save me, he shall sustain thee, He wipes them for me, hide not thyself from my supplication, holy spirit, I get down on my knees, I mourn in my complaint, I say Saviour help me please, I will hearken unto you, I will listen to you, if you're ever feeling down, in the midst of all your heartache, Jesus Christ, knock and it shall be opened unto you, LOVE, mercy, my God answers prayer, one thing is for certain, persistence, pray regardless of our situations, prayer is communicating with Almighty God, prayer is one of our greatest privileges, prayer must be in God's will, prayer should alwyas be our first response, pride and arrogance don't belong in prayer, remember in the hard times, remember there's someone, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek and ye shall find, shall not doubt in his heart, singing from our hearts, sweet sacrifices of praise, thanking Him for his goodness and mercy, the BIBLE, the cursed fig tree, the gospel truth, the parable of the repentant tax collector and the self-righteous pharisee, the power of prayer, then shall ye call upon me, this is the confidence that we have in Him, truth, we always have the option to go to God in prayer, we know we have the desired petitions, when the living is good, will come to pass, will I pray and cry aloud, wisdom, ye shall go and pray unto me, ye shall seek me and find me, you have nowhere to go, you may be broken, your battles are already won, your strength will surely come
Jeremiah 29:12. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you (listen to you).
Oh my fellow believers, another Sunday has come around, this first day of March, another bright and sunshiny but chilly day, and are we ever glad to be above ground! So, let’s get together at the Lord’s sanctuary and give thanks and praise for life and LOVE, amongst the many other good things that our wonderful God has so generously provided!
And to get us started today, we have a beautiful and popular modern-day Christian song from the R&B/Hip Hop Artist, Da Flame, titled ‘God Answers Prayer.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth! Once it’s in His will, God will certainly answer our prayers. We may not like His answer, but we won’t be able to say He never answered. (smile) So, let’s get down to business, offering up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, mid-tempo version of this most encouraging and energizing song.
Singing: ‘If you’re ever feeling down and like you have nowhere to go. If you’re feeling like and outcast as your problems overflow, just remember there is someone, and all it takes is for you to know, is that God is the answer, and God answers prayer. (Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer.)
You may be broken and feel battered, but your strength will sure come, in the midst of all your heartache. Your battles are already won. Just remember in the hard times, don’t give up, don’t say you’re done, because God is the answer, and God answers prayer. (Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer. Oh, He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. So, let’s get down on our knees, and say, Saviour, help us please. Because one thing is for certain… our God answers prayer.’
That was wonderful friends! All who heard us know that we were singing from our hearts, because we do know that God answers sincere and heartfelt prayers that are within His will. And one important thing to note from the words of the song is that whatever our problem, we ALWAYS have an option to go to God in prayer, for He’s ALWAYS there ready to listen.
However, we should also point out that we are not only to go to God in prayer when we have problems. No sir! When our lives are rolling along in peaceful prosperity it’s also necessary to go to God in prayer, but this time thanking Him for His goodness and mercy. Unfortunately though, many of us only remember prayer when we have serious problems, and not when the living is good. The truth is, that prayer should be made to God, regardless of our situations.
Now, let’s talk about a few scriptural references to prayer. And there are so many, that I had a hard time choosing a few to highlight how important prayer is in the life of a believer. But we’ll begin with this scripture from the prophet Jeremiah to the exiled Israelites in Babylon. The Lord Himself, after saying He has good thoughts of hope and peace and not calamity for them, (Jer. 29:11) urges them, and subsequently us to pray. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you (listen to you). And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer, 29:12-13)
Right there my brethren, we see the importance of seeking God with all our hearts, with the utmost sincerity. It doesn’t matter so much how we couch the prayer, once it’s not filled with pride and arrogance like the example Jesus gave in Luke 18:9-14 of a proud Pharisee and a repentant tax collector praying in the Temple. The Pharisee boasts of his righteousness and fasting, while the tax collector humbly beats his breast, asking for mercy. Jesus declares the tax collector, not the Pharisee, goes home justified, teaching that humility earns God’s grace.
Next, comes this wise and welcome advice from Jesus: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) That means we must be diligent in asking, seeking and knocking.
Then there’s more wise advice from Jesus to the disciples, when they asked about the withered fig tree He had cursed the day before for not bearing fruit in season. (Mark 11:11-14)The Bible says: “Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought (anything) against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.’ (Mark 11:22-26) There friends, we learn the importance of strong faith and also of forgiveness in prayer.
Then we have this awesome scripture from the gospel of John, where he declares: ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him (Jesus), that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of him.’ (1 John 514-15) Oh my people, even more confirmation of the power of prayer in our lives!
It’s therefore no wonder then that Bruh David prayed thus in Psalm 55: ‘Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn (wander) in my complaint, and make a noise (moan noisily)… As for me, I will call upon God; and he shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with (against) me… Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 55:1-2, 16-18, 22)
Yes my fellow believers, we can see in those words of Bruh David, faith, persistence, assurance and experience with God. So, please let’s follow his example and pray constantly and faithfully to God, for communicating with Almighty God through prayer is one of the greatest privileges we have! Much LOVE!
…whatever the situation…prayer should always be our first response…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a major part of our lives, after ye have done the will of God, are you in the dark, believe to the saving of the soul, cast not away your confidence, cause our faith to doubt, christianity, Christians, confidently live life resting in God's faithfulness, consistently rely on God's immutable Word, deepen your understanding of Gods' faithfulness, despair, dig down deep and find the faith to trust, discover God's promises in new ways, disregard the darkness, don't understand God's timimng, don't' understand why life is topsy-turvy, endure to the end with Jesus, every promise of God has come true, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faith is all about trusting God, feeling or no feeling, God can be trusted, God keeps His promises, God waits for us to trust Him, God will give you a very precious message for someone else, God's immutable word, God's intention, God's promise remains certain through our deepest trial, God's promises, God's promises do not suddenly disappear, going the way of all the earth, great recompense of reward, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that shall come will come, he will not tarry, holy spirit, if any man draw back, if we stand strong in faith we will receive the promises, increasing joy, it stands firm, Jesus Christ, listen, loneliness, looking to Jesus, LOVE, mercy, my soul shall no pleasure in him, negative situations, not turning back, One Year Book of Bible promises, our courage fails, our fears become overwhelming, our second wind day, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, regardless of negative circumstances, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, sincerely and humbly ask for divine help, so glad to be alive, testify to the truth of that statement, thank God, the author and finisher of our faith, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the gospel truth, the just shall live by faith, the Lord always helps us to stand strong, the privilege of prayer, the truth of God's promises to be foundational in our lives, times of questioning, times of saadness, to a glorious future with Jesus, trusting seems the most difficult thing to do, truth, we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, weather the tough times, Wednesday Wail, when God gives a promise that speaks directly to our need, when you are in the light, wisdom, ye have need of patience, you have need of endurance, you might receive the promise
Hebrews 10:36. For ye have need of patience (endurance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Round three of our workweek fight is up today friends, that’s Wednesday. And it’s a good day, because it allows us to catch our second wind. So let’s do just that nuh, then keep on fighting the good fight for Jesus, as we are expected to do. (smile) And today we’re going to check out one of the amazing poems in our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled, ‘God’s Promises.’ And we all know that God’s Plentiful Promises are supposed to be a major part of our lives, but many of them don’t happen automatically, we have to seek them and then action them.
So please read with me: ‘With increasing joy I am discovering that God’s promises do not suddenly disappear when our courage fails and our fears become overwhelming. Feeling or no feeling, when God gives a promise that speaks directly to our need, it stands firm regardless of negative circumstances. There may be times of questioning, and we may not understand God’s timing, but His promise remains certain through our deepest trial.
If we consistently rely on His immutable Word, we can disregard the darkness. Oswald Chambers says, “Are you in the dark right now regarding your circumstances? Then listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you are in the light.’’ God waits for us to trust Him when trusting seems the most difficult thing of all.’
Oh friends, most of us can testify to the truth of that last statement, because it’s in our very dark, or our darkest times that the Lord expects our faith to rise up and trust Him. And that’s not always easy to do, but if we truly believe, then we dig down deep and find that faith to trust whatever promise He’s made to us, even if it seems most unlikely to come true.
And the unfortunate part is that we all go through times of sadness, of despair, of loneliness and all those negative situations that cause our faith to doubt, to stumble, to wonder what it’s all about. However, that’s why we have the Holy Spirit, God’s unchangeable Word and the privilege of prayer to help us weather those tough times. And believe me, the Lord will always help us stand strong when we sincerely and humbly ask for His divine help.
Now, the Bible passage that is attached to today’s poem is certainly an interesting and encouraging one for the hard times. The Book uses the New Living Translation (NLT), which says: ‘Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.’ (Heb. 10:35-36) And that’s oh so true: if we stand strong in faith we will receive the promises.
But yuh know what, I’m chuckling here because as I opened Our One year Book of Bible Promises just now, I stumbled across a very appropriate passage for this poem. It’s actually the Introduction to the Book. I don’t remember ever seeing it before, but in the Lord’s mysterious ways of working, (smile) He obviously intended me to see and use it today.
So, please read with me: ‘God keeps His promises. You’ve heard it; in fact, you’ve probably even said it a few times. But how well do you know it? God’s intention is for this great truth to be so foundational in your heart that you confidently live life resting in His faithfulness. God can be trusted. Discover His promises in new ways this year and deepen your understanding of His faithfulness.’ And it ends with this NLT translation of Joshua 23:14. “Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!”
Now isn’t that a marvellous intro my faithful brethren! Indeed it is! And it’s just what we’ve been talking about. The Lord desires us to live confidently in the truth of His faithfulness throughout all of our lives, despite the negative situations we will encounter from time to time! And that’s what faith is all about: trusting God, even when you don’t know or understand why your life is all topsy-turvy.
And for our information, that passage from Joshua, is actually Moses, on his death bed telling the Israelites about the faithful promises of God. ‘And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.’ (Josh. 23:14) And that’s the gospel truth my people! Not one of God’s promises have ever failed. When we interpret them properly, they all come true.
That brings us back to the scripture passage for our poem today, and we’ll look now at the King James Version. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry (delay). Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition (destruction); but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.’ (Heb. 10:36-39)
Yes friends, I thought we needed to hear the last few verses of that scripture, because they help to raise our level of faith and keep us strong, and remind us that we are not of those who turn away from Christ and end up in ruin, but those who believe and thus save our souls! Now let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we really want to see a more than glorious future, then we’ll endure to the end with Jesus, because then, a future so amazing that we cannot comprehend it will shine forth. And I do hope that we’ll all be there to enjoy it together! Much LOVE!
…true Christian faith…is found only by looking to Jesus…the author and finisher…the originator and perfector…of that faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of love, according to all that I command thee, and now abideth faith hope love, call them to mind, deepen my breath, embrace the Love Revolution, faith, fall the marvellous colours of God's artistry, for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, for Jesus' sake, foundational truth, gather thee from all the nations, God gives grace and mercy to those who seek Him with sincere hearts, God's love showing through, God's soothing peace, hang all the law and the prophets, have compassion on you, he is a liar, he who loveth God love his brother also, holy spirit, how can he love God whom he hath not seen, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if a man say I love God and hates his brother, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, last day of January, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, love for God ultimately leads to love for others, love is God's greatest attribute, Love makes the world go round, love the Lord with all thy heart soul and mind, Love thy neighbour as thyself, loving God with one's entire being, mercy, nothing as beautiful as bright sunshine on clean snow, obey God's voice, on these two commandments, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, responsibility to god, responsibility to man, return unto the Lord thy God, salvation, selfless love, slow my thoghts, spring rebirth of trees in green, summer the total resurgence of life, thank you for this tenderness, the blessing, the curse., the first and great commandment, the foundation for all spiritual life and obedience, the gospel truth, the greatest of these is love, the Lord will turn thy captivity, the prescription for god's compassion, the second is like unto it, the true level of our love meter, total unselfish devotion to God, truth, we all have room for improvement, when ye shall search for me with all your heart, wisdom, wishy-washy lip service, with all thine heart, with all thy soul, ye shall seek me and find me, your love both surrounds and fills me
Jeremiah 29:13. And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
And it’s still pretty cold, around minus 11 Celsius on this lazy-day Saturday, the last day of January, so the snow on the banks of the roads and rooftops can’t melt, but it’s also another glorious sunshiny day. And you know there’s nothing as beautiful as bright sunshine on clean, unadulterated snow; it just gleams like a precious jewel! (smile)
No, I’m not crazy. If you really enjoy God’s creations, you will notice that in every season, He’s made something beautiful and amazing in it. In the spring it’s the beautiful rebirth of the trees in green, in the summer it’s the total resurgence of life in nature, strong and sturdy, while fall shows off the marvellous colours of God’s artistry, and in winter it’s the beauty of the sunshine reflecting off the white snow. That’s God’s LOVE showing through. Although seasons change, and life becomes more difficult, He still graces us with wonders in each one.
But enough talk of the weather and the seasons, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And, as always, if our prayer was heartfelt, the Lord will soon respond with His soothing peace and calm overwhelming our spirits, for He’s ever glad to give His grace and mercy to those who seek Him with sincere hearts. And He’s said that so often in the Bible that I can’t understand why more of us don’t do it. As this foundational truth from Jeremiah reminds us, where the Lord clearly states: ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) That statement is as clear as day. If you want to find God then you have to seek Him with all of your heart. Not with wishy-washy lip service.
Now, that wasn’t something new to the Israelites, for Moses had long ago warned them: ‘And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind (remember them) among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the Lord will turn thy captivity (bring you back from captivity), and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord hath scattered thee.’ (Deut. 30:1-3)
There you have it friends; the prescription for God’s compassion! Obey the Lord and LOVE Him with all thy heart and soul! And it’s exactly what Jesus says when the arrogant, smart-aleck Jewish lawyer tries to tempt Him into an argument by asking about the great commandment. ‘Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)
And as the scholars explain, Jesus outsmarted the lawyer by simply summarizing ‘the two tables of the law: (1) responsibility to God; and (2) responsibility to man, by paraphrasing Deuteronomy 6:5, and Leviticus 19:18, LOVE the Lord thy God and LOVE thy neighbour as thyself.’ And I like the overview from this commentary. ‘This commandment serves as the foundation for all spiritual life and obedience, requiring total, unselfish devotion to God.’
That’s for certain sure! It necessitates LOVING God with one’s entire being—heart, soul, mind, and strength. It then explicably leads to the second commandment, to LOVE your neighbour as yourself, as true LOVE for God ultimately leads to LOVE for others. For you can’t LOVE God and hate His human creation. As John so rightly tells us in his first epistle. If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God, whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.’ (1 John 4:20-21)
And when we truly focus on LOVING God, then we are better able to LOVE our neighbours with divine, selfless LOVE. And it’s as Jesus says, all the laws and the teachings of the prophets depend on those two commandments; LOVING God with everything you have and then LOVING your neighbour the way you LOVE yourself. Yes my faithful brethren, it’s all about LOVE, God’s greatest attribute. Remember how Bruh Paul puts it in that famous verse in his first letter to the Corinthians? ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three: but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor, 13:13)
And that’s the gospel truth! LOVE is indeed the greatest! And we all notice the great difference in our hearts and spirits when we’re filled with LOVE instead of hate. For as we say, though sometimes in jest, it’s very real: ‘LOVE makes the world go round!’ Now, on this cold lazy-day Saturday, it’s a good time to take a look at ourselves and see how we’re truly doing in the LOVE Department, ascertain the true the level of our LOVE meter.
Now, although some of us might be doing okay, we all have room for improvement, and I don’t need to tell us that our world is currently suffering from a serious lack of LOVE, and it’s our job as disciples and followers of Jesus Christ to embrace the LOVE Revolution and move it forward, so that when Jesus returns, He will find much hope, faith and LOVE here on earth! So, let’s put our hands, heads and hearts together and do it nuh…for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…all we do…should be done out of a sense of LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, anxiety, arise and go down to the potter's house, as the clay is in the potter's hand, be proactive, being confident of this very thing, blasphemous, cannot I do with you as this potter, cause thee to hear my words, changing our spiritual shape, children of Almighty God, Christian witness, confusion, confusion of these ungodly times, crying out for God's help, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, do a better job for Jesus, faith, Friday chant, God is moulding us into the image of Christ, God is our Creator, God's divine sovereignty, God's greatest desire, God's power to reshape and redeem, growing closer to christ, hath not the potter power over clay, he made it again into another vessel, he which hath begun a good work in you, holy spirit, improve our discipleship, insulting, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, like the potter moulds the clay, LOVE, make hay while the sun shines, mercy, O house of Israel, O Lord thou art our father, pleading for mercy, problems are escalating, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, saw the light, shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, show them the error of their ways, simmering unrest, so are ye in mine hand, surrendered to God, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the annals of history, the created to question the right of the creator, the example we faithful believers set, the gospel truth, the need for human submission, the unexpected storms, the vessel that he made was marred, the weekend is here at last, thou repliest against God, to make one vessel into honour and another unto dishonour, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, we all are the work of thy hand, we are the clay and thou our potter, who art thou, why hast thou made me thus, will perform it until the day of Jesus, wisdom, wise guidance
Jeremiah 18:6b. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
Oh boy, it’s another bright and sunshiny day, this last Friday in January, as we offer up our Friday Mantra; ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last! And it’s certainly been a trying week for many of us who had to go out to work amidst all the madness invoked by last Sunday’s snowstorm. But we’ve survived, like the hardy lot that we are. (smile) It takes much more than a few inches of snow to keep us bowed down, especially when we are children of the most omnipotent God Jehovah!
And can you imagine that in another couple of days we’ll be talking about February, while the month of January 2026, is confined to the annals of History. So let’s remind ourselves again, that the days, months, and years are not waiting for us, they are moving along very quickly, so we have to be proactive and make hay while the sun shines, otherwise we’ll just get left behind. Therefore let’s up the ante, and do a better for job Jesus in the coming month of February. Remember our New Year’s resolution was to simply be a better Christian, a better disciple, daily growing closer to and more like Christ.
As Bruh Paul reminds us in his letter to the Philippians. ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) Yes friends, each day that the Lord allows us to draw breath on this confused and crazy earth, He is working on us to mould us into the image of His Son Jesus Christ, for His earnest desire is that ALL His children be the living image of His first born. That means some of the pressures we might feel are simply the Lord changing our spiritual shape like a potter moulds the clay he works with. And in several passages of the scriptures God is indeed referred to as a potter.
But before we get into some of those scriptures, listen to how this commentary explains that situation. ‘The metaphor of God as a potter and humans or nations as clay is a prominent biblical illustration used to convey divine sovereignty, the need for human submission, and God’s power to reshape and redeem.’ And as the scripture from Philippians above indicates, God is constantly on His potter’s wheel reshaping and reforming His rebellious children. Now let’s check out some of those scriptures that refer to us as clay and the Lord as the potter, the most obvious one being that from Jeremiah 18, where the Lord explains the analogy to Jeremiah, inviting him to go down to the potter’s house and see how he works.
The Bible tells it thus: ‘The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels (the Potter’s wheel). And the vessel that he made (was making) of clay was marred (ruined) in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.’ (Jer. 18:1-6)
And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! We are like clay in God’s hands. So, as the ruined clay is reformed or transformed into something else by the potter, so can the Lord form or transform us into anything He chooses. For remember, He is our Creator, who first formed man from the dust of the ground, and then woman from the rib of man, so He has the power to do anything with us. He’s just being nice and generous by telling us what He has in mind, whether we be good or evil. (smile) So as He tells Jeremiah, He can do what He wants with a nation, or consequently an individual.
Then there’s this scripture from Isaiah, where he says: ‘But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Be not wroth very sore (don’t be very furious), O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.’ (Is. 18:8-9) Yes friends, Isaiah saw the light and surrendered to God, pleading for mercy, on the basis that they were all His people. He acknowledged that God was both the Creator and heavenly Father.
Finally, we have these verses from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Romans, where he talks about God showing His mercy as He wills. ‘Nay but, O man, who art thou that thou repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?’ (Rom. 9:20-21) And so He has. It’s insulting and blasphemous for the created to question the right of the Creator to make whatever He desires, with whatever He has. Therefore God does have the authority and right to assign purposes for each one of us.
And to summarize it all, the commentary closes thus: ‘The metaphor conveys God’s total sovereignty and authority over our lives. It also implies the clay’s responsibility to remain submissive. The analogy shows God’s power to rework even a “marred” vessel for a new purpose. God shapes us, often through trials.’ And that’s a fact! Many of the trials we go through in this life are basically God shaping us into the image He desires. Now let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us withstand those trials and temptations that befall us.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, we’re asking for plenty from the Lord, but don’t seem willing to give what He asks for; that’s better Christian witness. However, until we improve our discipleship, divine aid will not be forthcoming. It’s as simple as that! And we cannot complain, because we already have all the tools to do it! Much LOVE!
…God’s greatest desire…to make us all into the image of His Son Jesus Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all actions have consequences, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, bodily exercise profiteth little, carnal pleasures, Christian service, diligent in prayer, disobedyed your word, divine aid, eternally separated from God, eternity with the Godhead, even as I am not of the world, evil wiles, exercise thyself rather unto godliness, faith, fellowshipping with others, followers of Christ, given them thy word, godliness is profitable unto all things, have my joy fulfilled in themselves, holy spirit, humble ourselves and pray, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus and his righteousness, Jesus Christ, keep them from the evil one, life is moving on, live for Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, no precipitation, obedience, pray, promise of the life that is now, prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God, reforming our thinking, refuse profane and old wives fables, resist being poured into the mold of the world, s avowed purpose, salvation, same old same old, Satan, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincerely seek your face, spiritual exercise has unlimited value, spiritual life, spiritually dead, stop thinking like the world does, strong faith in Christ, take as many people as possible to eternal death, temptations, the bells of toil have tolled, the BIBLE, the God who heals, the gospel truth, the life Jesus upholds, the life of the secular world, the life that is to come, the power to solve our many problems, the throne of grace, the world hath hated them, they are not of the world, this is a faithful saying, truth, turn away from God, turn from our evil ways, what kind of life wre we moving on with, wisdom, worthy of all acceptance
John 17:16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
And the bells of toil have tolled once more this Monday morning, to begin a new week of the same old, same old work! And it’s dark, cloudy and cold, but thankfully dry, with no kind of precipitation making it messy like last Monday. Ah friends, life’s moving on, and if we don’t move on with it we’ll get left behind. The problem though is what kind of life are we moving on with? Is it the one that the secular world proposes, or the one that Jesus desires us to participate in?
And though we’re in the same world, the two ways of life are very different. One looks to the world and all it’s carnal pleasures, while the other looks to Jesus and His righteousness. And just like our everyday actions have consequences, so too do our long term actions in terms of the type of life we live. If we live like the secular world does, we’ll end up spiritually dead and eternally separated from Almighty God, our Wonderful Creator. If you live for Jesus, then you’ll enjoy spiritual life and eternity with the Godhead.
And Jesus specified the difference He expected from His followers when He prayed for the disciples: ‘And now I come to thee (Father); and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.’ (John 17:13-16)
That means as followers of Jesus we must live in the world but not as the world lives. And that’s much easier said than done, but that’s why He has provided the Holy Spirit, His Word, the Bible, and whatever else we need to help us do it. And we know that once we claim to be followers of Christ that the evil one, Satan, will do his very best through all sorts of evil wiles and temptations to get us to do wrong and eventually turn away from God, thus ending up in hellfire and damnation with him. That is his avowed purpose; to carry as many as possible to eternal death with him.
But we do have some reassuring and encouraging scriptures, like the one above there from Jesus, which helps us not to fall for the temptations of the evil one. Then we have encouraging words like these from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) Yes friends, to stay out of the world’s evil clutches we must stop conforming to what the world thinks is right.
The scholars say: ‘They are to resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems and conduct of this world.’ And the only way to do that is by reforming our thinking, stop thinking like the world does, and think like Jesus would have us. Which is to ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Yes my people, God has faithfully promised to look after all our needs if we place Him first and foremost in our lives.
And I like how Bruh Pul puts it to Timothy when he tells him about false teachers. ‘But refuse (reject) profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.’ (1 Tim. 4:7-9)
In other words, as the scholars explain verse 7: We need to reject all the false doctrines propagated in the myths and fables, because they promote ungodliness. ‘Not only must Timothy avoid false teaching, he must spare himself no pain and effort to be pious. Godliness does not come automatically. To attain holiness he must be diligent in prayer, Bible study, obedience, fellowshipping with other believers, and Christian service.’ Now that does not only pertain to Timothy but to all believers! We have to get involved in all those activities to the extent possible if we are to attain some form of godliness down here on earth.
And per verse 8, they paraphrase it to read: ‘For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness, the result of spiritual exercise, has unlimited value, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Godliness is good for both now and forever! So with that in mind let’s go to the throne of grace, though our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid to help us become and stay godly.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And right there in our prayer, we see what it takes for us to get divine aid: ‘humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek God’s face.’ So please, let’s get serious about doing that nuh…if we truly desire divine aid! Much LOVE!
…the only thing truly worth seeking in this world…is GODLINESS…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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