The Overwhelming Importance of Having Unshakeable Faith in Almighty God!

23 Jun 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 33:20.        Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and shield.

And we’ve been so desirous of summer, let’s hope that we like it now that it’s here. I hope you detect the note of sarcasm there, because yesterday Sunday, was as hot as that proverbial place down below, (smile) with temps in the thirties, and wind that was just as hot. It’s also predicted that today Monday, and tomorrow Tuesday will be just as hot, with possible health problems to children and old folks, as well as a high U.V Index that can cause skin problems to all.

So, if you can’t stand that earthly heat then I’d strongly advise you to  make sure that you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, so you will be in paradise with Him, and not in that fiery place down under with Satan. As the saying goes, if you can’t stand the heat, then stay out of the kitchen. Some of us might also remember the august warnings from our parents; be careful what you ask for, because there’s a high possibility that  when you get it, you’ll be very disappointed.

Therefore, let’s hope and pray that the summer won’t be as hot for too long, since it will probably set off more forest fires, and cause even more health problems. But yuh know what, let’s do what we’ve been taught by our faith to do, lay all those problems in the hands of Jesus. And what better words can we use for reassurance than these from Psalm 33 – Praise for God’s Goodness.

The Psalmist confidently declares: ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike (individually); as he considereth (understands) all their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing (false hope) for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.’ (Ps. 33:12-17)

Now that tells us something about the Lord’s power, that He is overseeing all that happens in the universe He created, and is controlling it as He sees fit, with neither man nor beast able to overcome Him or His desires. Then the psalmist continues with even more assurance: ‘Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him (have a reverential awe of Him), upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.’ (Ps. 33:18-22)  

Yes friends, the wisest decision we can ever make on this earth is to put our hope and trust in Almighty God, for as Bruh David so assuredly proclaims in Psalm 18 – A Call for God’s Deliverance: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord my strength. The Lord is my rock , and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3)

And that’s how we ought to consider our God: strong, fortress-like, a shield to protect us, as well as to deliver us from our enemies, be they man, beast or nature. And when we think of Him thus, it allows us to put our total and sincere trust in Him, because we know that He will not let us down. No! NEVER!

And it’s all covered by the protective umbrella of Jesus’ Great Invitation, where He sincerely offers: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)

Wow friends! What a magnificent invitation! And the truth of the matter is that ONLY Jesus was and is able to make such an invitation and have the awesome power to keep it. And we would not only be unwise, but rather foolish to turn down such an exceptional offer, especially in these uncertain, very difficult and fearful times. So without further ado, let’s show Christ that we’ve accepted His wonderful offer by going to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid for our many earthly problems.

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!’ 

But, having said all of that, we now have to begin doing the things that will cause divine aid to start flowing. That’s turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face. So please, let’s get right to it nuh, because we cannot afford to waste even one more day without heavenly help! Much LOVE!

…for who is God…save (except) the Lord…who is a rock save (except) our God… (Ps. 18:31)

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Necessity for Courage in a Believer’s Life!

06 May 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 18:2a.       The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

Prologue: Please accept my apologies for the lateness of the Bit, but I had an appointment with the dentist this morning, and spent longer than I expected. Thanks for understanding. (smile) 

Now, what began as a somewhat wet and cloudy Tuesday morning, has thankfully turned into a dry one of more sunshine than cloud. Thank the Lord! And it’s certainly amazing and amusing that we are already into the sixth day of May, when the month only began a few days ago. But time is not waiting for lazy procrastinators, it’s moving forward on its own merry way, like a stream bubbling down to the open sea, and who doesn’t get on the train to glory, then they’ll be simply left behind. (smile) 

Ah friends, there’s a lesson in there for all of us, we either get with Christ or get left behind to suffer the pangs, the consequences of disobedience and disbelief. And we know that living for Christ is not always easy, but it’s certainly doable if we use all the props the Lord has given us. And today we’ll focus on one of those props, that of Courage; the ability to stand up strong in the face of seemingly unbeatable odds. Now, to help us in this exercise, we’ll offer up a prayer on the subject from the Prayer Cards recently put out by the In Touch Ministry. 

So, please pray with me. ‘God, thank You for giving me courage. If I were to focus on the problems before me, my heart would fail. But when I fix my gaze on You, I am strong. Help me remember that You surround me in every challenge. With You to steady me, I can face anything. You’re my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. Nothing takes You by surprise, and Your plans never fail. I will look to You with confidence through all the twists and turns of life. You are a great God!’ 

Words of wisdom, truth and encouragement, my fellow believers. But it all begins with our belief, our confidence in the strength and faithfulness of God! However, that belief and confidence doesn’t come without a price, that’s the experience of going through difficulties and crying out to God for help, and that struggle between faith and courage in one’s problems are shown most readily in the psalms, especially those of Bruh David. He went through many unfortunate trials and tribulations, through no fault of his own, but the confidence he developed with the Lord while out in the fields shepherding his father’s sheep, gave him the courage to keep on keeping on, even when crying out to the Lord for help. 

When king Saul refused to let him go out and fight Goliath, Bruh David calmy informed him that while keeping his father’s sheep a lion and a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, ‘And I went out after him, and smote (struck) him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.’ (1 Sam. 17:34-37) 

Oh friends, what more could Saul say to Bruh David after making such a good argument on God’s help and strength. But sadly, that kind of courage and confidence only comes from experience. And yes Bruh David went out and defeated Goliath, but he never realized that one day he would be up against a greater and more persistent enemy, the same king Saul, who spent many years trying to kill him. And although Bruh David was still confident and believed in God’s promise that he would be king of Israel, he never thought he would have to face so much adversity over such a long period of time, before it happened. 

But that’s how our God works. He gives you a promise of greater things to come, then He puts you through a time of testing, to see if you can handle the promotion. And many of us fail the test simply because we’re not persistent enough; we don’t hang in there till God judges that we can handle the promotion. One thing our God does not encourage is giving up. And we see that in Bruh David’s life, where although Saul harassed him from pillar to post, he never gave up, even foregoing a chance to kill Saul. 

And finally with deliverance from the hand of his enemies, including Saul, Bruh David wrote thus in Psalm 18: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength (lit. my rock)), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3) 

Now friends, those are sentiments that we also should be putting forth, but it takes much more than just mouthing the words, although sincerely mouthing them might give us a smidgen of courage. (smile) We have to sincerely believe them and then act upon them. And we have to do it over and over, until it becomes second nature. That’s the only way to get that courage and strength that our Lord provides, to sink deep into our souls. So please, when the trials and tribulations of life come upon us, before we do anything else, let’s turn our minds to Almighty God, then cry out to Him for help. As Bruh David writes later in Psalm 18: ‘In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of (from) his temple, and my cry came before him, even unto his ears.’ (Ps. 18:6) 

Unfortunately, we don’t have time nor space to review all that Bruh David said then, but the gist is that the Lord moved heaven and earth to save him. (Ps. 18:7-16) And at the end of it all, he joyfully proclaims: ‘He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented (confronted) me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay (support). He brought me forth also unto a large (broad) place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.’ (Ps. 18:17-19) And that’s what the Lord will do for all of us if we hold Him close to our hearts and sincerely acknowledge His Lordship. 

Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE  and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…God’s presence is a powerful fortress around you…rejoice in His might…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 February 2024 Proverbs 18:10.

04 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Proverbs 18:10.        The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and are safe.

Sunday blessings my fellow believers in Christ Jesus! It’s the day the Lord God Jehovah rested from creating the universe. We call it the Sabbath, wherein we also rest from conventional toil and instead gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to offer up praise and worship with thanksgiving and receive spiritual strength and confidence in return. And as always, we open with a song of praise. Today’s hymn is an old and very popular one titled, ‘How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds.’ It was written in the 18th century by John Newton (1725-1807). He of the famous background of slave trading, then abolition and ministry. And also the writer of many hymns, including that other famous one called ‘Amazing Grace.’ 

However, today, the limelight shines on ‘How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds.’ So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, mid-tempo version, sincerely meaning every word we sing. Singing: ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear! It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear. It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast; ’tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary, rest. Dear name! the rock on which I build, 

My shield and hiding place, My never-failing treasury, filled, With boundless stores of grace. O Jesus, shepherd, guardian, friend, my Prophet, Priest, and King, my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, accept the praise I bring. How weak the effort of my heart, how cold my warmest thought; but when I see you as you are, I’ll praise you as I ought. Till then I would your LOVE proclaim with every fleeting breath; and may the music of your name refresh my soul in death.’ 

Wonderful friends, wonderful! And believe me, the name of Jesus does sound mighty good in a true believer’s ear. And what does that really mean? One commentary says: ‘“How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” describes the power of the name by likening faith in Jesus to listening to music.” And the last line of the song exemplifies it. ‘Till then I would your LOVE proclaim with every fleeting breath; and may the music of your name refresh my soul in death.’  

Now, according to the hymnary.org website ‘This hymn was based on Song of Solomon 1:3, “Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out.” (NIV). Following a long tradition of reading the Church as the Bride and Christ as the Bridegroom in Song of Solomon, John Newton elaborated on the theme of the bride adoring her bridegroom’s name.’ And Christ is certainly referred to as the bridegroom of the church in several scriptures. But let’s see what scriptures we can find to relate to some of the sentiments Newton wrote in the song. 

For the first verse, I guess we can quote Psalm 147, which says: ‘The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds (sorrows). (Ps. 147:2-3) And then we have these great verses of scripture that Jesus read in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:18-19) but which originally come from Isaiah 61. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek (poor); he hath sent me to bind up (heal) the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.’ (Is. 61:1-2) 

What a powerful scripture, but Jesus in reading to His home towners stopped after ‘the acceptable year of the Lord.’ And the scholars ponder if that was done because ‘the day of vengeance of our God’ relates not to Jesus’ first, but second coming. They feel though that what Jesus read sufficiently made His point, per the promise-laden context of Isaiah 61. 

And when we start talking about the Lord being our rock and shield and hiding place, we can’t think of a better scripture than those words of Bruh David from Psalm 18. ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (small shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).’ (Ps. 18:1-2) Meanwhile, Moses said it thus in his song: ‘He (God) is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut. 32:4) 

Now, Moses, like Bruh David was speaking from personal experience. And it’s great too when we can talk about the things of God from personal experience, but it doesn’t come cheaply, and in this world of amenities and entitlement, not many of us are willing to make sacrifices to get that experience. But as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and are safe.’ (Prov. 18:10) 

And per the Lord being our shepherd, Bruh David takes care of that very nicely in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) And Jesus also refers to Himself thus: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) Then as regards Jesus being our High Priest, listen to Hebrews. ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb. 4:14-5) 

And per being King and Lord, Jesus declared it after His resurrection, when He said to the disciples: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.’ (Matt. 28:18) Then in 1 Timothy, when Bruh Paul tells Timothy about fighting the good fight, he says of Jesus: ‘Which in his times he shall shew (manifest), who is the blessed Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.’ (1 Tim. 6:15) 

Then Revelation settles the matter with these prophetic words. ‘These (the beast with ten horns, representing ten kings) shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is the Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.’ (Rev. 17:14) Meanwhile, later on in Revelation it speaks of Jesu thus: ‘And he hath on his vesture (robe) and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’ (Rev. 19:16) I guess that settles that question. (smile) 

And we’ll end with one more scripture, per Jesus being the Life, the Way and the End. He said it Himself: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) And friends, on this first Sunday in February of 2024, I’m strongly exhorting us, to take Jesus’ words very seriously…that is, if we expect to see heaven’s pearly gates and commune in person with the Father through eternity. Much LOVE!

… looking for answers…look to Jesus…for He is the answer…to EVERYTHING…

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ                  

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 December 2023 Psalm 18:1.

07 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 18:1.       I will LOVE thee O Lord, my strength.

And, due to a somewhat snowy Wednesday night, we have ended up with a snow tinged Thursday morning. (smile) Yes, some snow, not a whole lot, just enough to cover everything, fell during the night hours, but by the time the day opened the roads were mostly clear and the white intruder had begun melting. But we still need to be careful as we go out today, because it’s still wet and possibly slippery. In other words, welcome to a damp and cloudy day! And as always, possibly a li’l more so today because of the wet, gloomy weather, before we step out of the house, we have to ask our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for His protection and guidance as we go about our business. 

For He is the ONLY sure thing we have in this evil and ungodly world! And we have these strong and sure sentiments of Bruh David from Psalm 18, to prove it. He uttered these words in song when the Lord delivered him from all his enemies, especially King Saul. ‘I will LOVE thee O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3) 

We can’t get any stronger or more faithful sentiments than those my brethren! And let’s hope that those are words we all believe, that we have written indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, for without that strong trust in Almighty God, who knows what will happen to us at any given time, on any given day! Only when we have surrendered our all, placed our complete trust in Christ Jesus can we walk in comparative safety. For Jesus is the able pilot of our good ship Life, and He, and He alone can pilot us safely through the storms that most certainly will come upon each of us. 

Remember these word of His: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And yes, I know that’s easier said than done, for when the unexpected troubles and tribulations suddenly come upon us, sometimes we don’t even have time to think before we need to respond to them. But if we walk faithfully with that peace that comes from a strong and intimate relationship with Christ, then He will ensure that we have whatever time we need to think, before responding to our unfortunate situation. 

Yes my people, it’s all about building the kind of faith in Jesus that will allow us to go about our business and His, with a type of peace that only comes from Him. as He says in the gospel of John: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And it’s ever so important to note that Jesus’ peace is way different to what the world touts as peace. His peace is that peace which passes all human understanding. It’s so far above our understanding, so powerful and refreshing, that we who posses it don’t understand it either, but we know that it’s there, indwelling us through the awesome power of the Holy Spirit! 

Wow! And it doesn’t mean that we won’t feel fear, anxiety or any of the other negative emotions when tough times invade our souls, but that we will have the peace of Jesus to handle them without them taking us under. However, in those rough times, we need to stand strong in faith, by remembering all that Jesus has already done for us, and His promise never to leave nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5) otherwise, all our talk will be in vain. He’s also promised that we won’t ever be faced with spirit-crunching fear because as Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

So you see, we have all the tools to handle the world’s attempts to drive us into the evil arms of Satan. That’s the peace of God which passes all human understanding; the promise of God never to leave nor forsake us, and God’s indomitable, invincible Spirit of power, LOVE and a sound mind! But unfortunately they don’t work unless and until we put them together in that big ball of strong faith required to defeat the enemy and his many attempts to overcome us. That brings to mind this added scripture of promise; the encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. 

He writes: ‘Who will separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:39) 

Mama Mia! What powerful words my fellow saints! Words that we should all be able to truly espouse in our hearts, bodies and souls, if we want to live the abundant life that Christ died for us to have. Jesus said it thus: ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) There we have it friends, Jesus died so that we can have an abundant life down here as well as in heaven, but unfortunately it doesn’t happen automatically, we have an important part to play in the process: that’s putting all the tools we’ve been granted together to make the whole come right. 

But yuh know what, in addition to those tools, our God is so generous and forthcoming, that He’s also bestowed a number of undeserved blessings on us to use in our advancement of His kingdom. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare (yesss!!!) them now that they can be activated in our lives. As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! 

I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And having activated those blessings, we’re now responsible to go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…God’s given us all we need to succeed in life…it’s up to us how we use His gifts… 

                                                                                                                                                                                                             Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ        

Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 September 2022 Deuteronomy 31:6.

23 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Deuteronomy 31:6.        Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee. 

Well friends, at long last the cool weather seems to be creeping in, and the summer-like temps we’ve been having into late September will soon disappear. For example, today, as we declare ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ our temperature is around ten degrees Celsius, and is not expected to get higher than 16. And we really can’t complain nuh, because in these northern climes, this September has been awfully good to us weather wise. I can’t remember seeing such summer-like weather in September in a long, long while. 

But as they say, an end to all good things must be, so let’s say ‘Thank You Lord!’ It was good while it lasted, and let’s now proceed to get ourselves ready for the big chill, which will eventually come…as it always does. (smile) And the good thing about being a follower of Jesus is that we can handle whatever situation we face in this life, because He is always there with His Holy Spirit to protect us, to lead and guide us safely through any storm that comes against us. And in God’s Word, the Holy Bible, there are numerous promises of protection and safety. 

However, it’s not just carte blanche protection, without any problems whatsoever. And I believe this qualification on God’s protection from an article on the subject on the website biblestudytools.com gives us a good foundation for what to and what not to expect. ‘The Bible informs us about the protection of God. As humans, we want to see God’s protection as a magic force field that keeps us from all harm. Yes, God can prevent any evil or destruction, but we must remember that we live in a fallen world where we have free will. 

Many times, God works in ways that we do not understand. Sometimes God’s protection comes in the form of peace and strength in the middle of despair. Other times God’s protection comes as an ending because he sees something more on the horizon that we cannot see. As a believer in Jesus, we are promised a new life covered under the protection of God in which NOTHING can separate us from His love. Rest knowing that no matter what hardship you face, God is your provider and protector!’ 

And that’s the gospel truth! Now let’s look at some Bible verses that extol and support that contention. And there’s no better place to begin than in Psalm 18, where Bruh David offers thanksgiving for deliverance from his many enemies. He begins by declaring (yesss!!!): ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3) 

And my faithful brethren, we all know Bruh David’s story; the unfair treatment he received at the hands of many enemies, chief of them being King Saul, his unfortunate dalliance with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah, and the many other tough times he went through. But the Lord brought him safely through them all, though not without tough consequences for his disobedience. But that was because throughout it all, he never faltered from the faith of his forefathers, and kept on trusting and communicating with God despite all his misfortune. 

As I like to say, Bruh David knew on which side his bread was buttered, and never wavered from it. That’s why the Lord called him a friend and a man after his own heart. Now do we know on which side our bread is buttered, and do we stick with Christ, like white on rice, despite the many unfortunate and unfair things that happen to us, as well as the many wrongs we do? That’s a most necessary provision for receiving God’s protection my people! You can’t be jumping from pillar to post and back again, or sitting on the fence and expect to receive God’s protection. With Him, it’s ALL or Nothing at ALL! 

We can’t be wishy washy. For remember what James says: ‘A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ And that person who wavers and doubts will not receive anything from the Lord. (James. 1:6-7) Yes friends, we need to be like Moses told the Israelites a long time ago: ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) 

Now that my brethren, that ought to be the basic foundation of our faith, one upon which we stand strong and steadfast, all armoured up with God’s spiritual protection. Namely: ‘the belt of truth around our waist, the breastplate of righteousness around our chest, our feet shod with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith to protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, that’s the mighty word of God, which is sharper than any two-edged sword. And on top of all that we add prayer, supplication and perseverance! (Eph. 6:14-18) 

Mama Mia! Nothing can beat us when we are thus ensconced in God and His spiritual armour! So you see, we just can’t sit and wait for God’s protection, there are things we also need to do to enable it in this fallen and sinful world. And I’m chuckling here, because I wanted to include more scripture verses on the subject, and now we’re out of time and space. But that’s how I was led. And looking back on what we’ve said, I believe it’s all good. And just for good measure, (smile) we’ll offer some of those scriptures we had in mind. ‘Psalms 23, 121, 91, 34:19, 46:1. Isaiah 41:10. Joshua 1:7-9. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9. 

And finally, the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, found in John 10: ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck (snatch) them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck (snatch) them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.’ (John 10:27-30) Please note my fellow saints, that there, Jesus showed His total belief in the strength and power of His Father and so should we, if we expect to receive His awesome protection. 

Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking the divine help, which we so badly need. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the viruses and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the viruses and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And now, my people, if we desire to see positive results from our prayer, we need to do what we promised, namely turn from our evil ways and be faithful and trusting servants, good examples to those around us, with good motives filling our hearts. Much LOVE!

…our walk with Christ…is not a one way…but a two way street… 

P.S. Yes, it’s long…but good…and you like it, just as I do. (smile) Much LOVE! 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​       

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 September 2022 Matthew 7:24.

04 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 7:24.       Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his home upon a rock. 

It’s time friends, to gather at the Master’s place to celebrate another Sunday of abundant life with praise, thanksgiving and worship! And do these Sundays ever come around quickly. (smile) But we do enjoy the awesome fellowship and togetherness they engender, as we meet and greet and encourage each other in the Lord God Almighty. There’s nothing like a group of sincere believers singing, praising and worshipping our Creator! It’s so filled with LOVE, joy and peace that unbelievers can’t believe their eyes when they see us worship. 

So, without further ado, let’s begin the celebrations with this wonderful song of praise and thanksgiving written way back around 1837, by the English pastor Edward Mote, (1797-1874) titled ‘My Hope is built on Nothing Less.’ It must be a wonderful song to have stood the test of time. (smile) Oh yes, it is! Therefore, let’s raise our voices in sacrificial praise, with heartfelt sincerity, in a harmonious, scintillating up-beat tempo, because it’s a joyful song. 

‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. (Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.) When darkness veils his lovely face I rest on His unchanging grace In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil. (Refrain) His oath, his covenant, his blood Supports me in the ‘whelming flood When all around my soul gives way He then is all my hope and stay. (Refrain) 

Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move; I rest upon unchanging LOVE. I trust his righteous character, his counsel, promise, and his pow’r. [Refrain] When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand… Oh thank You Lord…You solid rock…’ 

That was most excellent my faithful brethren! It left heaven with no doubt that we truly believe in and appreciate our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, using Him as the foundation stone, ‘the corner stone that the builder refused’ upon which to build our lives. I don’t think we can pay Him a greater compliment than that, especially after He gave up His life so that we could be saved from eternal damnation. And it’s obvious that Pastor Mote had the awesome words of Jesus re the two foundations that one can build upon in this world, at the forefront of his mind when he wrote the song. 

Please read with me, what Jesus taught His followers. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his home upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.’ (Matt. 7:24-25) 

Yes friends, that house was founded upon THE rock called Jesus, so no wind, rain or flood could destroy it, because Jesus is also the Master of the wind, rain and flood. Note how He calmed the storm out on the Sea of Galilee, when the disciples were so afraid that the boat would capsize because of the stormy sea and they would drown, while Jesus was napping unconcernedly in the stern of the boat. 

In answer to their frightful pleas of ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish?’ Jesus got up, no doubt somewhat annoyed that His peaceful nap was disturbed by a bunch of wimps, who hadn’t really learned anything about Him, despite the time they spent with Him. The Good Book says: ‘And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And He said unto them, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:38-41) 

Now, if they had been paying serious attention to Jesus’ words and deeds they would have realized that He created the winds and the seas, so they would naturally obey Him! In any case, I like these two explanations that the scholars offer re verses 40 and 41. As per 40, where Jesus asks the disciples why they were so afraid and had no faith, they say: ‘Jesus constantly questions in order to spur people to deeper trust. See 2:8, 19, 25, 26: 3:4, 23, 33; 4:13, 21, 30.’ Please look up those references, they are rather interesting and enlightening. 

And as per verse 41, where the disciples were deathly afraid, the scholars say: ‘The fear must have been a mixture of reverential awe and real fright – it would be chillingly eerie to witness the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm.’ And is that ever the truth. I believe that even today, even with all that we know about Jesus powers, if we saw Him talk to a storm and it quietens right away, we too would be somewhat scared. So we can’t be too harsh and condemning on the young disciples. 

But let’s get back to our major topic, Jesus’ discourse on the two foundations. He continues by saying: ‘And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt. 7:26-27) Please note friends, that the house didn’t just fall, but great was its fall. That means more important negative stuff happened when the house fell. 

And the scholars offer this interesting explanation on Jesus’ words. They say: ‘In drawing his concluding illustration of the two foundations, Jesus begins with the word therefore. On the basis of all that He has taught and illustrated, He concluded that all who both hear and do His sayings shall be saved. As a great Master Counsellor, Jesus reminded His listeners that hearing His message alone will not change his life. he must both hear and do what Jesus has said. 

The elements of the closing illustration are drawn from the simplicity of nature itself, the rock, the rain, and the winds. The man whose house collapsed was at fault not because he failed to labour, but because he did not lay the proper foundation. The shifting sand represents human opinion and the doctrine of men as opposed to “these sayings” of Jesus.’ 

So it’s obvious friends, that although we may labour long and hard to build our spiritual lives, if we build them on human opinions and the doctrines of men, instead of the strong foundation rock-like sayings of Jesus, our lives will eventually take a big tumble, all because of our unwise actions in building on insecure and shifting sands, as dictated by the prince of darkness and this world. 

And we’ll close today with these fitting words of Bruh David from Psalm 18, sub-titled – Thanksgiving for Deliverance- when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies, including Saul. Bruh David opens the psalm with this joyful proclamation: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3) 

Oh friends, if it’s one thing you cannot say about Bruh David, is that he had little faith. (smile) So please let’s get ourselves together and build our faith, so that we can proudly declare like Bruh David did, and live the way Christ desires of us. Much LOVE!

…only two options…build on Satan’s shifting sand…or on the solid rock of Jesus…it’s your choice… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​         

Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 September 2021 Psalm 18:2.

26 Sep 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 18:2.     The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust, my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). 

Oh my fellow believers, once again it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day! So please, let’s heed the call to worship nuh, be it in the newfound freedom of His sanctuary, (smile) as some of the restrictions of the pandemic have been lifted, or through the miracle of modern technology. But come Sunday, worship is a must! And as always, we begin each Sunday session of worship with a song of praise. 

Today’s song is a favourite Christian hymn authored by the Reverend Augustus Toplady in the latter half of the 18th century. And though there is no evidence to back up what’s since become a legend, the story goes that the Reverend ‘drew his inspiration from an incident in the gorge of Burrington Combe in the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. Toplady, a preacher in the nearby village of Blagdon, was travelling along the gorge when he was caught in a storm. 

Finding shelter in a gap in the gorge, he was struck by the title and scribbled down the initial lyrics. The fissure that is believed to have sheltered Toplady is now marked as the “Rock of Ages”, both on the rock itself and on some maps, and is also reflected in the name of a nearby tea shop.’ By now you must know that today we are singing the definitive Christian hymn ‘Rock of Ages.’ And such a moving and powerful song does need such a miraculous background to help us keep the faith. 

So, let’s sing it in harmony and sincerity, in a soulful, up-tempo riddim, because it’s not a sad song, but one of encouragement and safety, one that brings joy to the human soul and spirit. As one strong voice raised to heaven in sacrificial praise: ‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labours of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone. 

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Saviour, or I die. Wash me, Saviour or I die. While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee…Let me hide myself in thee…let me hide myself in thee….’ 

And believe me friends, there is no better place to hide in this universe than in Christ Jesus! For He is indeed our refuge and place of safety. Bruh David says it best in Psalm 18 – His prayer of Thanksgiving for deliverance from all his enemies. ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust, my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3) 

And that’s exactly what the song ‘Rock of Ages’ is saying to us. Jesus is our strength, our Saviour, the one to whom we can turn in any situation and receive comfort and safety, encouragement and resuscitation. And the Hymnary.org website lends a valuable insight into the song. It says: ‘While evidence to support that story (of Reverend Toplady’s adventure) is lacking, it does provide a vivid image through which to understand the hymn. Christ and His redemptive work on the cross are like that cleft in the rock, where we can find shelter from the deluge of sin’s guilt and power.’ 

Wow mih bredrin! What gospel truth that is! And not only Bruh David uses the rock as a metaphor for God; His strength, staying power and comfort, but listen to Moses in his song to the children of Israel. ‘Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine (teaching) shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: because I will publish (proclaim) the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut. 32:1-4) 

And if any human being should know of God’s strength, truth and righteousness it’s surely Moses who had so many miraculous dealings with the Lord! The prophet Isaiah, another great man of God, also described the Lord in rock-like terms. In his hymn of praise, he declares: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength (the Rock of Ages).’ (Is. 26:3-4) 

Now friends, if godly men like Moses, Isaiah and Bruh David could consider the Lord as being the Rock of Ages, who are we to say them nay eh? We should be shouting it even louder than them, because we now have Jesus fulfilling the Lord’s promises of safety, succour, refuge and comfort! 

And we’ll close with these uplifting words from the website Godtube, which say: ‘Even when we may feel like we are all alone, remember that God is always by our side and will never abandon us. He is truly our light in the dark and our rock that we can stand upon always. What an amazing feeling to be LOVED by such a kind Father and to give praise to His name with the beautiful hymn ‘Rock Of Ages.’ Hearing the story behind the hymn made this classic song even more powerful. What a way to worship!’ 

Yes my people, it is indeed a wonderful way to worship! So please, let’s allow all the good things we’ve said today to stir us up nuh, to raise the level of our passion for Christ, so that we can do justice to His name and bring glory to the Father as we ought to. Much LOVE!

…to God the Father be the glory…through Jesus Christ, the Son…                                                                                                                          

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8