20 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dislike of Monday, a job I dislike, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a quandary, a rat race, a sensible option, a warm comfortable bed, all sinned and disobeyed your word, always be the best we can be, become more miserable and disgruntled, Christian behaviour, christianity, Christians, divine aid, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, do it as of the ability which God gives, do it with thy might, done with diligence and excellence, ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, employees becoming less interested and efficient, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, find ourselves in a quanday, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him, God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, good jobs are few and far between, good stewards of the manifold grace of God, grin and bear it, have your cake and eat it, he that does wrong, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, if any man minister, if any man speak, in sincerity of heart, in singleness of heart, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, jobs are much hared to come by these days, keep your promise to prosper us, knowing that of the Lord, lessen the irritation and pain, little loyalty on either side, looking out for their own benefit, LOVE, mercy, monetary compensation, nasty weather, no respect of persons, not as easy as it sounds, not unto men, not with eyeservice as men pleasers, obey in all things your masters, our attitude is always right when we work for God, practical advice, pray, putting on the new man, receive for the wrong he has done, receive the reward of the inheritance, rush hour traffic, salvation, see very little future in my job, servants, show them your awesome grace and mercy, shut up, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek God's face, speak as the oracles of God, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the BIBLE, the God who heals, the mass confusion in our world, the only way to handle uncomfortable situations, the power to solve our many problems, there's no work device knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, to live for Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever, truth, trying to squeeze every last penny, turn from our evil ways, up the ante, whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God, whatsoever ye do do it heartily as unto the Lord, whatsoever ye do in word or deed, whether therefore ye eat or drink, wisdom, wise guidance, working directly for God and not men, ye serve the Lord Christ
1 Corinthians 10:31. ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’
Monday, Monday, how I dislike that day! Why? Because it causes me to get up in the early hours of the morning from a warm, comfortable bed and make my way through the rush hour traffic in all kinds of nasty weather, to a job I dislike, and in which I see very little future. Well then, find another job that you like, one you can see a future in.
Yes, that’s a sensible option, but it’s not as easy as it sounds, with jobs much harder to come by these days, even with a decent education and experience. Then there’s the problem of the salary, the monetary compensation for doing the job. Not all of them pay well, and this one pays better than most. So then just shut up and grin and bear it! (smile)
You want to have your cake and eat it, but very few of us are able to do that in this life. And, unfortunately, that’s a quandary that many of us find ourselves in these days; we don’t like our jobs, but it’s hard to get up and look for one we like, and good ones are few and far between, then that might not pay as well as our current job. So we just stick with what we have, and become more miserable and disgruntled every day. And that’s the story of many people in our work force today. Not only unbelievers, but believers too.
And sadly, the work scene is becoming more and more of a rat race every day. There’s little loyalty on either side of the divide, because everyone’s simply looking out for their own benefit, and seeking where they can improve it. Employers are trying to squeeze every last penny out of their employees, while the employees are becoming less interested and efficient every day.
Now, for us believers, it seems we have forgotten the practical advice that Bruh Paul offered, first to the Corinthians, then to the Colossians. To the Corinthians re food, he says it thus: ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ (1 Cor. 10:31) Then to the church at Colossae, re putting on the new man, he directs them: ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Col. 3:17)
Then in the next passage he advises: ‘Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as men pleasers; but in singleness (sincerity) of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:22-25)
And sometime recently, possibly last week, we considered that same passage of scripture, pointing out that regardless of who we are, whatsoever we do, should be done with diligence and excellence, as though we were working directly for God, and not men. And that’s the only way to handle uncomfortable or unlikeable situations in which we find ourselves. Consider we’re doing it for Almighty God, and that ought to lessen the irritation, pain or dislike, because when we work for Him, our attitude is always right. (smile)
And the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, when talking about living joyfully, says: ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.’ (Eccl. 9:10) And we know that’s true, so we might as well do whatever we do here well and also enjoy it.
Then Peter adds his two cents worth as he talks about how believers ought to behave, ‘as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen.’ (1Pet. 4:10b-11)
Yes mih bredrin, it’s not always easy to do, but in whatever aspect of life we are involved, the glory of God must always be our number one priority. We need to behave as though it’s God we’re directly doing it for, so that no bad stain can be attached to His name through our actions, or inaction. That’s just the way the believer’s life ought to be lived. And to help us do it like we ought to, (smile) let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid.
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 if we truly desire divine aid, then we must up the ante on our Christian behaviour, because right now it’s definitely not good enough! Much LOVE!
…to truly live for Christ…is to always be the best we can be…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a conviction in God's provision, a lifeline to all our needs, a powerful declaration of faith, all sinned and disobeyed your word, all these things shall be added unto you, before many witnesses, believed to see the goodness of God, concrete jungles, confessed a good confession, constantly rising prices, dance the dance of work, divine help, drown men in destruction and perdition, ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, erred from the faith, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, fall into temptation, fight the good fight of faith, follow after righteousness, God should be our first love, God will never desert a righteous man, godliness, godliness with contentment is great gain, havng food and raiment, he delighteth in his way, he shall not be utterly cast down, his seed begging bread, holy spirit, hope in experiencing God's goodness on earth, humble ourselves and pray, humble servants, I had fainted, I have been young and now am old, in our greedy and selfish world, in the land of the living, indisputable truth, into many foolish and hurtful lusts, it all depends on hope faith and righteous living, it is certain we can carry nothing out, Jesus Christ, lay hold on eternal life, let us therewith be content, live the high life, LOVE, making money is not the end all and be all of life, meekness, mercy, money is no respecter of persons, money is not worth tearing asunder our lives and souls, money should not be our first love, no thought for family or self, not seen the righteous forsaken, O man of God flee these things, one more week of work, other high towers for scenery, patience, pierced themselves through with many sorrows, professed a good profession, rat race, ruin and destruction, running down the almighty dollar, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincere repentance, sincerely seeking God's face, some in their greediness, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the gospel truth, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the Lord upholds him with his hand, the LOVE of money, the many suffering from negative situations, the mass confusion in our world, the most important thing in life is seeking God, the necessities of life, the power to solve our many problems, the root of all kinds of evil, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, the throne of grace, the truth is played out everyday, the upright and trusting will not be abandoned, they that will be rich, though he fall, to alleviate our problems, toiling in high towers, truth, turn from our evil ways, using money to boost our ego and power, we brought nothing into this world, what we won't do for the almighty dollar, which some coveted after, wisdom, wise guidance and direction
1 Timothy 6:7. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
One more morning, one more day, one more week of work, heralded by our friend Monday. Yes my brethren, once again, it’s time to dance the dance of work, where we go back and forth to the concrete jungles, and spend our days toiling in high towers, with only other high towers as the surrounding scenery. But that’s okay; we can handle the rushing and pushing of the weekday rat race because the rewards enable us to have a somewhat better standard of living than a lot of the other denizens or inhabitants of our world.
What we won’t do for the almighty dollar eh! (smile) But unfortunately, in this society the dollar is mucho importante; for it’s our lifeline to everything we need and want. Without it, we can’t buy food, find shelter, afford transportation, clothes and several other necessities of life. And yes, we need to make a fair amount of money to live in a decent manner, especially in these times of constantly rising prices.
But let’s stop right here and make this most salient point: making money, accumulating the almighty dollar is not the end all and be all of this world! No sir! It might be very important, but it’s not supposed to be the most important thing in our lives. The most important thing in our lives ought to be seeking God. As Jesus so rightly puts it in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:34)
And that’s the gospel truth my people! When we seek Almighty God first, all our wants and needs are looked after. Remember these amazing words from Bruh David in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (shall not lack anything). (Ps. 23:1) And if Bruh David says it, then there must be a lot of truth to it, for he spent his whole life seeking God and though at times his life was very difficult, he lacked nothing, for the Lord took care of his needs.
Listen to how he corroborates that in Psalm 27. ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13) That means one needs to have hope in experiencing God’s goodness not only in the afterlife, but possibly more so in this earthly one. Yes friends, a lot of it depends on hope and faith and righteous living. For as Bruh David further states in Psalm 37: ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread.’ (Ps. 37:25)
And as this commentary tells us: ‘That’s a powerful declaration of faith, highlighting a conviction in God’s provision, suggesting that those who live uprightly and trust in Him will not be abandoned, nor will their descendants.’ And that’s the gospel truth. God will never desert a righteous man. As Bruh David says earlier on in Psalm 37: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.’ (Ps. 37:23-24) More indisputable truth friends!
So, although we need money to live, and we need to work for it, it should not be our first LOVE. That ought to be God. Therefore, we ought not to spend most of our time trying to get or accumulate money. Sadly though, the world we live in judges you by the amount of money you possess, thus the misfortune where a lot of us are indeed running down the almighty dollar, accumulating it with no thought for self, family or nothing else, using it to boost our ego and power and live the high life.
But let’s remember one thing, money is no respecter of persons, and you must work hard to get it, but it flies away much easier than it comes. Thus, the wisdom of these words from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us be therewith content.
But they that will be rich (desire to be rich) fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction). For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil: which while some coveted after (for which some in their greediness), have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim. 6:6-10)
And though we see the truth of those words being played out every day in our greedy and selfish world, too many of us are still choosing to run down earthly wealth with all our might. When, as Bruh Paul continues to Timothy, this is how we ought to be living. ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim. 6:11-12)
And since it’s not easy to live that way in our current world, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine help to do so. 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 the Lord will certainly keep His promise, if we keep ours…that’s turn from our evil ways, and instead seek Him first and foremost! Much LOVE!
…money and earthly wealth are important…but are not worth…the tearing asunder of our lives and souls…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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
09 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a close relationship with God, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a very difficult working life, after you have suffered a while, all sinned and disobeyed your word, allow the devil to disrupt your spirit, as a roaring lion, be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, be clothed with humility, be sober be vigilant, be subject one to another, be ye angry and sin not, bereft of your joy, called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, casting all your care upon him, Christians, divine aid, don't give an opportunity to the devil, draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you, ease the pain of the many, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, get with the programme, gets us discouraged, God gives grace to the humble, God resists the proud, he may exalt you in due time, he shall lift you up, he that humbleth himself shall be exalted, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, in our best interest, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, learned the lesson of humility, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, LOVE, make you perfect, mercy, neither give place to the devil, one more Monday, praise Your Holy Name, pray, put on the whole armour of God, resist steadfast in the faith, resist the devil and he will flee from you, salvation, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, stablish strengthen settle you, steal your joy, struggle with our faith, submit yourselves to God, suffering from negative situations, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the BIBLE, the devil focuses on stealing our joy, the God of all grace, the God who heals, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the mass confusion in our world, the only way to resist the devil is by keeping close to God, the power to solve our many problems, the same afflictions are accomplished by your brethren, the throne of grace, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, truth, turn from our evil ways, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, wisdom, wise guidance, your adversary the devil
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
One more Monday morning; one more week of work! So, we had better get accustomed to them sooner rather than later because there will indeed be many of them in our lifetimes, possibly too many to count, and if you allow the devil to disrupt your spirit every Monday and thus steal your joy, then you will be in for a very difficult working life.
Yes, the devil focuses on stealing our joy, for when he accomplishes that, we get down and discouraged, and we struggle with our faith in God. That’s why the Bible tells us that ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) For when our faith is strong and our joy is bubbling over, then Satan cannot get to us. And remember he’s always on the lookout for somebody he can inveigle to become down and discouraged and therefore lose their joy.
No wonder Bruh Paul told the Ephesians: ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph. 4:26-27) When you get angry, if you don’t control your anger, you’re liable to sin, and that makes it so much easier for the devil to get an opportunity to steal your joy. Going to bed angry doesn’t help matters either, it will disturb your restful sleep, and most likely you’ll wake up still angry and bereft of your joy in the morning.
Bruh Paul also strongly recommended that they, as well as us, ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11) That’s the basic way to stop the devil from stealing your joy and thus your strength. Meanwhile, James, Jesus’ brother, tells us to ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8a, 10)
There again, to resist the devil, we must be in a close relationship with the Lord, and that can only happen when we humble ourselves before Him. Then Peter also gets into the act with this warning. ‘…all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5b-11)
And the story we get from all of that my people, is that God LOVES us and will fight for us, as well as strengthen and perfect us, but our underlying attribute must always be one of humility, for as Peter tells us, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. And Jesus highlighted the spirit and attitude of humility both in His own walk here on earth, but also with His words. Listen as He tells a parable to the people around him at a wedding, as He watches them choose out the best rooms and places to sit.
He warns them about going to the best or highest places, lest the host comes and tells them to move lower so he can give that spot to someone more honourable or important than them, causing them shame and humiliation. Instead, they should seek out the lowest places, so that the host can come and invite them to sit in a higher position, and then they’ll be more esteemed. (Luke 14:7-10) And Jesus reasons: ‘For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased (humbled), and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.’ (Luke 14:11)
Then, later on, while pointing out the difference in behaviour of the pompous, self-righteous Pharisee and the humble tax collector as they were praying in the temple, Jesus repeated the same warning about exalting oneself, of being proud and arrogant, especially in the eyes of God. (Luke 18:9-14) Let’s hope today friends, we’ve driven home that lesson of humility in all our hearts, so that it will no longer be numbered amongst our shortcomings. (smile) Now, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these evil and ungodly 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 are very blessed, but we don’t truly know it, or else we would not carry on with the foolishness we carry on with in these troubled times, when we are supposed to be ever so focused on Almighty God. And until we learn to do that, all our pleas for divine aid will most likely go unanswered. So, let’s wake up and get with the programme nuh! Remember, it’s all in our best interest! Much LOVE!
…the only way to resist the devil…is by keeping close to God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a confession of sins, a conversation with God, a direct line to the triune God, a personal expression of thoughts, a snow-filled Monday, abide in me and I in you, according to God's will, acknowledging God's sovereignty, all sinned and disobeyed your word, all that are in authority, alter circumstances, an intimate connection between a person and the divine, at the core of every Christian journey, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, become better Christian witnesses, building a relationship with God, changes hearts, confession, desires, direction to alleviate our problems, divine aid, ease the pain, emotions, except it abide in the vine, except ye abide in me, faith, fellowship, first of all, fosters a deepr understanding of God's nature, godlier in our daily lives, grow in grace, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am the vine ye are the branches, in all godliness and honesty, in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour, influences attitudes, intercession, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, lead a quiet and peaceable life, lies a deep and personal element, LOVE, mercy, no more can ye, not returned to normal, pray, prayer, prayer empowers comforts and guides us, prayer has the power to transform, prayer is absolutely necessary for Christians, prayer is the most powerful method of communication, prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God, regular prayer is essential for spiritual growth, salvation, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, spiritual growth, strong faith in Christ, supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, thank you for life, thanksgiving, the BIBLE, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the chief method of communicating with God, the God who heals, the many suffering from negative situations, the power to solve our many problems, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the throne of grace, to him be glory both now and forever, transformation, truth, turn from our evil ways, unexpected storms, used for adoration, wisdom, wise guidance, without me you can do nothing
John 15:4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Another Monday my people, and we’re back out to work, but thankfully it’s only cold and not snow-filled like last Monday, when some 40 to 50 centimeters of snow fell in the Greater Toronto Area. In fact, some people and neighbourhoods still have not returned to normal, as there is still lots of snow to be scraped up and removed. And work has been continuing round the clock, but there’s so much snow, and only so many people and so much machinery to deal with it. Let’s hope and pray that in the next few days, there will be a significant drop in the temperature to below freezing, so that most of the snow now lining our road banks and roofs will melt before any more snow falls. (smile)
And our topic for today is that great privilege believers have called ‘PRAYER.’ Yes friends, prayer is our chief method of communicating with our heavenly Father. That’s how He designed it. And before we do anything else, I think it’s best to have a basic definition of prayer. And the overview of this commentary explains it thus. ‘Prayer is the act of communicating with a higher power, deity, or the sacred, serving as a fundamental, intimate connection between a person and the divine. It is a deliberate, often personal, expression of thoughts, emotions, and desires, used for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, or supplication (requesting help).’
Now that gives us a good basis for a discussion on the subject. And the first point we need to make is that prayer is absolutely necessary for Christians, because, as we said earlier, that’s our main method of communicating with Jehovah God, our Creator and Controller. And I like how this excerpt from the article The Power and Purpose of Christian Prayer by Heather Okuda on the anglicanfrontiers.com website puts it. ‘At the core of every Christian journey lies a deep and personal element: prayer.
It’s a practice as old as the faith itself, a direct line to the triune God that empowers, comforts, and guides us as believers…. Christian prayer is a conversation with God. It’s a way for us to express our LOVE, gratitude, fears, and desires, acknowledging God’s sovereignty in our lives. Prayer can take many forms: it can be a thanksgiving for blessings received, a request for guidance or help, a confession of sins, or a simple conversation expressing our thoughts and feelings to God.’
Then she breaks down the Purpose of Prayer into sub-groups, explaining them thus. (1) ‘Communion with God: Prayer is primarily about building and maintaining a relationship with God. It’s a practice that fosters a deeper understanding of His nature and will.’ And for that she references John 15:4-5, where Jesus talks about our inability to do anything much without Him. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me, ye can do nothing.’
Now that’s truly telling it like it is. And the next sub-group of prayer Ms. Okuda lists is (2) ‘Spiritual Growth: Regular prayer is essential for spiritual growth. It is in these quiet moments that we often find strength, wisdom, and peace that guide our actions and decisions.’ And the reference for that is 2 Peter 3:18, which states: ‘But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.’
Then we come to sub-group (3) titled ‘Intercession: Prayer is also an act of intercession. We pray not only for our needs but also for others, lifting up friends, family, leaders, and even enemies to God’s care.’ And the reference for that is 1 Timothy 2:1-2. And that says: ‘I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty (reverence).’
And sub-group (4) is ‘Transformation: Prayer has the power to transform. It changes hearts, influences attitudes, and can even alter circumstances according to God’s will.’ And Romans 12:2, a scripture we all know quite well, serves as the reference for that sub-group. It wisely advises: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’
Wow mih bredrin! Who would ever have thought that prayer could be broken down into so many different aspects eh? (smile) But now that we have a deeper knowledge of prayer and its basic purposes, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle hymn, seeking divine aid to help us with all those aspects of prayer in these turbulent and confusing times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And friends, all the prayer in the world won’t help us get divine aid, until and unless we become better Chrisitan witnesses, by becoming godlier in our daily lives! Much LOVE!
…the oldest…the greatest…and the most powerful method of communication…PRAYER…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, all sinned and disobeyed your word, all the trees of the field shall clap their hands, at thy right hand, be led forth with peace, break forth before you in singing, bringing his sheaves with him, come again with rejoicing, divine aid, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, found only in communion with Christ, full of glory, go out with joy, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest (quiet you) in his love, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I experience true joy, I will see you again, in thy presence is fullness of joy, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy and happiness are not necessarily synonymous, joy comes from Jesus, joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, joy over thee with singing, joy- a deep sense of comfort and calm, LOVE, major snowstorm, mass confusion in our world, mercy, negative situations, neither be ye sorry, pleasures for evermore, pray, reap a joyful harvest, receiving the end of your faith, rejoice over thee with joy, salvation, shew me the path of life, shouts of joy, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek God's face, sow good seed for God, strong faith in Christ, the deepest layer of satisfaction possible, the God who heals, the Lord God in the midst of thee is mighty, the Lord thy God, the mountains and hills shall break forth with singing, the power of faith in Jesus, the power to solve our many problems, the salvation of your souls, the throne of grace, the trial of our faith, they that sow in tears shall reap in joy, though now ye see him not, though now you see him not yet believing, truth, turn from our evil ways, wherever the Lord's word prospers there is joy, whom having not seen ye love, wisdom, wise guidance, ye now therefore have sorrow, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, your heart shall rejoice, your joy no man taketh from you
Nehemiah 8:10b. …neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Well it’s Monday, the day after the big snowstorm, and almost everything is closed for the big clean up, but the sun is shining brightly. (smile) And it was indeed a mighty storm, falling steadily from around eight in the morning to six in the evening. And yes, it does take time and energy to clean up the large amounts of snow that fell, but my beef is that they cleaned the main street and the sidewalks in my area, but then banked up the snow in the entrance to the lanes. That prevented my snow maintenance person from getting into my lane to clean my driveway. Now if you block up the entrances to a community of lanes, how are the people who live there expected to get out eh?
I sent an email to my City Councilor earlier on and got back an automatic reply with all the official excuses for whatever is happening. But soon thereafter I heard some noise outside and when I checked on it, there were some machines finally clearing the entrances to the lanes and actually plowing them too. God be praised! I don’t think my letter made any difference, but most likely many others in the area must have complained because this is the first time they’ve cleaned the lanes themselves so early after a major snowstorm. Let’s hope they do better next time. And that’s my gripe for today! (smile)
Now, let’s talk about something good, in fact something that’s great for the saved believer; that’s JOY! And like this extract from an article on joy says: ‘Joy doesn’t always look like giggles and smiles. Joy is not necessarily synonymous with happiness.’ That’s for sure! But joy is a deeper sense of comfort and calm in spite of our circumstances, that comes from knowing Jesus. It’s in times like this overwhelming and rather dangerous snowfall that joy rises up and keeps us strong and keeping on. And we all know that seminal scripture on the word from the Book of Nehemiah: ‘neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10b)
And that’s where true joy comes from; the soul and spirit of our wonderful God! And as Bruh Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:22, one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is indeed JOY! So it’s correct to assume that true joy can only be had through communion and sincere interaction with Almighty God; the source and fountain of the attribute. And there are many scriptures that talk about joy and it’s association with the Lord, and not surprisingly many of them are found in the psalms.
So let’s check out a few of them, like this one from Psalm 16, where Bruh David confidently declares of his God: ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps. 16:11) Yes friends, in God’s presence joy is indeed available, and not a li’l bit either, but in a plentiful amount. (smile) Then we have this great assurance from Psalm 126: ‘They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth (to and fro) and weepeth, bearing precious seed (a bag of seed for sowing), shall doubtless come again with rejoicing (shouts of joy), bringing his sheaves with him.’ (Ps. 126:5-6)
Of course my fellow believers, when we take time and sometimes heartache to sow good seed for God, we will always reap a joyful harvest. Now listen to this reassurance from Isaiah. ‘For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all of the trees of the field shall clap their hands.’ (Is. 55:12) What joy there is, wherever the Lord’s Word prospers!
And these words from the prophet Zephaniah only increases that joy. ‘The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest (quiet you) in his LOVE, He will joy over thee with singing.’ (Zeph. 3:17) Now how can you beat that for joy eh, my faithful brethren! And if you complain that all those verses come from the Old Testament, (smile) then listen to this one from Jesus Himself as He talks to the disciples about His ascension to heaven, and consequently to us.
‘And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.’ (John 16:22) So there’s Jesus’ promise of joy for us all in God’s good time. And if you’re a true Christian, then you have to believe it. (smile) And we’ll end with this interesting verse from Peter, as he talks about the trial of our faith and our belief in Jesus. ‘Whom having not seen, ye LOVE; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 1:8-9)
Yes friends, that’s the power of our faith in Jesus, that although we’ve never seen Him in the flesh, like the apostles did, we do know Him in the Spirit and that’s sufficient for us. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us in these troubled times. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world.
Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And since we know that divine aid will not be forthcoming until we turn from our evil ways, let’s get together and do that nuh, so that our joy will also be full. Remember, it’s all for our benefit…not God’s! Much LOVE!
…the deepest layer of satisfaction possible…is that of true joy…found only in communion with Christ Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant battle against, a spiritual battle, a Sunday walk in the park, against principalities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, all for our benefit, all-out war, an opportune time, avail ourselves of God's provision, aware Christians, be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, be able to withstand in the evil day, be strong in the Lord, brings evil schemes to pass, cessation of hostilities, demonic onslaughts, destroy our Christian witness, difficult and discouraging life, disobeyed your word, divine aid, dressed in the spiritual armour of God, eternal destiny, faith, fight the good fight for Christ, fighting for supremacy over human souls, God's impenetrable armour, having done all to stand, holy spirit, humble servants, incomparable rewards, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, living for Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, no cease-fire, no quarter given, powers, pray, put on the whole armour of God, salvation, same ole same ole, sincerely seek God's face, spend eternity with Christ, spiritual wickedness in high places, strong faith in Christ, the enemy of darkness and evil, the fallen angel Satan, the God who heals, the power of God's might, the power to solve our many problems, the spiritual armour of God, the throne of grace, the way of life, truth, turn from our evil ways, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wicked spiritual foes, wisdom
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Here we go again friends, another cold, dreary Monday morning of a new work week. And I know some of us must be tired of them, especially if we’ve been doing the same ole, same ole for many years. But that’s just the way of life on this earth. We’re born, we live and work, and then we die, and hopefully go to spend eternity with Christ. Yes mih bredrin, what makes this life worth living, is living it for and with Christ. It’s not a Sunday walk in the park, but it’s always interesting and the rewards are marvellous and incomparable!
And our Jesus is so thoughtful and considerate He gives us all sorts of protection and equipment to live this, at times very difficult and discouraging life. And one of the things the Lord provides to help us is His protective, impenetrable armour. And you ask why we need armour? Well because we are in a constant battle against the enemy of darkness and evil, with the fallen angel Satan as it’s leader. It’s not a physical but spiritual battle, where each side is fighting for supremacy over human souls.
As Bruh Paul explains it to the Ephesians: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (rulers), against powers (authorities), against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings) in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) That means fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself. So, knowing what we are fighting against, Bruh Paul then warns us: ‘Finally, my brethren be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:10-11)
And the scholars explain that ‘Finally can be rendered “from now on.” In other words, the spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on” until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no cease-fire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities. “From now on’ till the end there is all-out war. The rest of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely by His mighty power.”
So friends, you see how serious this war is. It’s a fight to the death, with no let up on either side. Satan’s trying to turn us around, and we ought to be trying to turn the unbelievers to Christ. And it’s only dressed in the spiritual armour of God that we can even expect to stand strong against our wicked spiritual foes, and their evil schemes and devices, much less win the battle against them. Thus, Bruh Paul continues his warning: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up, put on) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13)
And per the scholars, that verse is explained thus: ‘Wherefore means, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready for the Devil to attack repeatedly.’
And that friends is one thing we can be sure of; the devil will never give up trying to turn us away from God. He will take the occasional break, but he will keep on coming back once the breath of life runs through our bodies. And we have a good example of that when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan. The Bible tells us: ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him (Jesus) for a season (an opportune time). (Luke 4:13)
Now that’s the very same way the devil behaves with us. When we stand up strong to him, he leaves us alone until another opportunity or moment of weakness, presents itself, and like the slithering viper he is, he will strike again. So, we must constantly be on our ps and qs, and also dressed in our full spiritual armour, otherwise he will be able to make footholds, or even strongholds in our souls and totally confuse us. Therefore, let’s hope we have all dressed in all of our spiritual armour before we left home this morning so that we can have its total protection all day long, as we fight the good fight for Christ.
And tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll continue talking about the spiritual armour of God, but this time delving into the specifics, checking to see what it really entails, for if we did that today, the Bit would become way too long, and the information way too cumbersome and plentiful to take in in one sitting. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid to help us in these critical times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And we don’t need to be rocket scientists to know what will bring divine aid, just be aware Christians, and basically humble ourselves before Almighty God, pray and sincerely seek His face. So friends, let’s get with the programme nuh, because it’s all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…spiritual battles might not kill our bodies…but they can certainly decide our eternal destiny…
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
05 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, a flamboyant lifestyle, a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, all sinned and disobeyed your word, alleviate our problems, because strait is the gate, beware of false prophets, burnt out, Christ himself is both the gate and the way, come to you in sheep's clothing, common grind, conformity of doctrine with the scriptures, denied or distorted the truth of the gospel, dissatisfied, divine aid, drama, ease the pain of the many, enter ye in at the strait gate, eternal life, except the father draw him, exceptions rather than the rule, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, few there be that find it, food for thought, good things don't last forever, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, I am the way the truth and the life, impossible to live a life of constant excitement, inwardly they are ravening wolves, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is not a killjoy, keep your promise to prosper us, lead us down the garden path, living for Jesus, LOVE, many go in thereat, mass confusion in our world, mercy, merry-go-round of excitement, narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, no man can come to me, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, only two paths in life, our Father who art in heaven, passion, pray, raise him up the last day, ravenous wolves, reminiscent of the turtle, salvation, season celebrations over, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, social media, suffering from negative situations, take life as it comes, take life quietly, tempting things, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the broad way that leads to destruction, the daily task, the God who heals, the least stress, the power to solve our many problems, the throne of grace, the ups and downs of life, to live for Jesus, truth, turn from our evil ways, walk the straight and narrow path, wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, wisdom, wise guidance
Matthew 7:13. Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Oh friends, the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations have finally petered out, and sadly it’s back to work this Monday morning, despite the snowy weather out there, back to the daily task and common grind. (smile) But good things don’t last forever, so we hope you had a peaceful and LOVING Christmas and a bang-up New Year, that saw you renew your resolution to follow Jesus even more closely in this unknown year of 2026, for He is the ONLY One who can guide us on the straight and narrow path that leads to salvation and eternal life.
And one of the things we must learn and teach the young people as quickly as possible is that life is not a constant merry-go-round of excitement, passion and drama, like so many people tend to, or want to believe. But life is basically a bland, banal, slow-paced affair, reminiscent of the turtle and not the hare. And yes, it does have moments of excitement, drama and passion, but those are the exceptions rather than the rule, for it would be rather difficult, if not impossible to live a life of constant excitement, although some of us try to live it, but soon get burnt out and dissatisfied.
That’s why those who live the longest and with least stress are those who take life quietly, or as it comes, and handles the ups and downs with a peace and calm that comes from living for and with Jesus. Unfortunately though, the world today is trying to make us believe that life is one big, swinging party with lots of fun and excitement happening all the time. And sadly, a lot of us are flocking to that way of thinking through social media and all the other flashy, flamboyant, tempting things that are currently floating around in our world.
Therefore, Jesus warned us thus: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14) And is that ever the absolute truth my fellow believers! And it’s not that Jesus is a killjoy or something like that, and doesn’t want us to have fun, but He knows that if we follow certain behaviour that the world calls appropriate we would be led down the proverbial garden path; that’s the broad way that leads to destruction.
And the scholars offer these explanations on the subject. ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate means that one must come through the narrow gate to reach the path that leads to eternal life. Though many are on the broad … way, that leadeth to destruction (eternal separation from God), the gate that leads to life is so narrow that few there be that find it. Christ Himself is both the gate and the way (cf. John 14:6), and God enables men to find that gate (cf. John 6:44)’
Now, we know that the first reference refers to Jesus’ declaration to the disciple Thomas: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ And the second reference refers to Jesus’ statement: ‘No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ So, with Jesus’ warning about the two paths one can tread in this life, one good and one bad, we need to be very careful about what activities we participate in, as well as with whom we interact.
Thus Jesus continues His warning: ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening (ravenous) wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil (bad) fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil (bad) fruit), neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.’ (Matt. 7:15-18) And that’s the truth of the matter friends!
And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘The warning Beware of false prophets fits appropriately with the concept of the two ways. Since many are being led in the wrong way, they are obviously being led by the wrong people. False prophets were prevalent in the Old Testament, whereas God’s true prophets were often in the minority. False prophets appear in sheep’s clothing but are in reality ravening wolves. This is a perfect description of those preachers who have denied or distorted the truth of the gospel. They look like lambs but act like wolves. Meanwhile, a true test of a prophet was the conformity of his doctrine to the Scriptures (cf. Deut. 13: 1-5; 1 Cor. 14:37)’
And that test is still very important and applicable today, for there are many false prophets currently in our world. Consequently, when you listen to a preacher or teacher, it’s your duty to go and consult the scriptures and see if what they preach or teach actually conforms to God’s Word. That’s why the scholars further explain: ‘Their fruits refer not only to the actions of their lives, but also to the doctrines they proclaim. The two trees are contrasted in relation to the fruit they produce. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit consistently, while a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit continually. Therefore, the normal and consistent production of fruit, whether good or evil, in a person’s life will bear evidence whether or not that life is of God.’
Now that should give us food for thought, (smile) as we go about our daily duties in this new year. So, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in this earthly life. 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 lest we forget, divine aid hangs on us turning away from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…if you want to live for Jesus…then you must endeavour to walk the straight and narrow path…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Guidebook for earthly living, a light that shines in a dark place, a light unto my path, a more sure word of prophecy, all I hoped it would be, all of the time, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, all sinned and disobeyed your word, alleviate our problems, an act of love, an extraordinary passion, ask for help, bind them continually upon thine heart, can't trust that day, could not guarantee, divine aid, ease the pain, eccentric opening, faith, find me crying, folk groups, forsake not the law of thy mother, God is still in control of the universe, God is still in the heavens, God loves us, guides our feet, holy men spake, holy spirit, howling winds, humble ourselves, in dire times, instruction in righteousness, it just turns out that way, it shall lead thee, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, John Phillips, keep thy father's commandment, keep you when you sleep, keep your promise to prosper us, leading a person to repentance, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, mere mortals, Monday Monday, moved by the Holy Ghost, navigate the storms, negative situations, no prophecy or scripture is of private interpretation, no warning, not by the will of man, opens the path of life, pray, profitable for doctrine reproof correction, raging around us, reproofs of instruction are the way of life, salvation, seek God's face, sincere repentance, so good to me, spiritual growth, strong faith in Christ, take heed, talk with you, the BIBLE, the commandment is a lamp, the day star arise in your hearts, the God who heals, the goodness of God, the great value of God's Word, the law is light, The Mamas & Papas, the man of God may be perfect, the power to solve our many problems, the throne of grace, the transfiguration of Jesus, the word of the Lord, thoroughly furnished, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, tie them about thy neck, total surrender, tru faith, truth, turn from our evil ways, unlimited trust, until the day dawn, unto all good works, walk under God's protection, when thou goest, wisdom, wise guidance, you'd still be here with me
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Ah friends, those are the basic words of the hit song ‘Monday, Monday,’ written in 1966 by John Phillips of the Mamas & Papas and recorded by the group. And I just happened to remember the song while searching for an interesting, but somewhat eccentric opening. (smile) Most of you young folks won’t know the song, but it was indeed a big hit in the day when folk groups were popular, and I wonder how many of us experience such an intense and uncomfortable feeling on Mondays?
‘Monday, Monday, oh so good to me, Monday morning, it was all I hoped it would be, Oh, Monday morning, Monday morning could not guarantee, that Monday evening, You’d still be here with me…. Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day, Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way Oh, Monday mornin’ you gave me no warning’ of what was to be Oh, Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me? Every other day (Every other day), every other day Every other day of the week is fine, yeah But whenever Monday comes (But whenever Monday comes), but whenever Monday comes You can find me cryin’ all of the time… Oh Monday, Monday…’
And to be on the safe side, I won’t even offer an answer to that touchy question, (smile) but simply allow the day to play out as it will and thus provide the true answers. But let’s be sure of one thing; however the day plays out, and whatever answer we get to the question, be it good or bad, we must remember that our God is still in the high heavens, still in control of the universe, and still LOVES us with an extraordinary passion, one that mankind can never replicate, but can surely appreciate and be grateful for, especially in these crazy and uncertain times in which we currently live!
Yes my people, it’s only with true faith in Almighty God, unlimited trust and total surrender to His will, can we ever navigate the stormy waters and howling winds that are now raging around us. It’s like the psalmist declares: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And it surely is, for it’s the Word of the Lord that opens the path of life and light to us and guides our feet as we walk along it, under His awesome presence and protection.
Now, listen to how Cousin Sol puts it in Proverbs when he warns against adultery. ‘My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart (mind), and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:’ (Prov. 6:20-23). You cannot get wiser advice than that my brethren! And from the wisest man ever too! (smile)
And what are ‘reproofs of instruction’ you ask? This commentary gives a brief overview: It says, ‘In the Bible, “reproof” means to correct, rebuke, or express disapproval, with the goal of leading a person to repentance and improvement. It involves showing someone their faults and exposing error, and is considered an act of LOVE and a necessary part of spiritual growth. God’s Word provides reproof by revealing sin and guiding believers towards righteousness.’
And that’s exactly why it was written and passed down through the ages. As Bruh Paul says to Tmothy: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect (blameless), thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) What more can we say to encourage and enlighten us as to the great value of God’s Word to the believer eh?
Possibly these words from Peter, as he discusses his eyewitness account of Jesus’ transfiguration, when He was revealed to Peter, James and John in all His glory. (2 Pet. 1:16-18) He then writes: ‘We have also a more sure word of prophecy (the prophetic word made surer); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy or scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of (any) man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ (2 Pet. 1:19-21)
More confirmation that the Bible is God’s Word as directed by the Holy Ghost for holy men to write so that we can have a worthwhile guidebook for living this earthly life. But being mere mortals, we have not followed its guidelines properly, and thus have made all sorts of mistakes, however through the amazing goodness of God, we can go the throne of grace and ask for help in dire times like these. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And is it ever interesting to note, that right in our prayer, we find the answers to our problems: humbling ourselves, praying, sincerely seeking God, and turning from our evil ways. So, if we truly desire divine aid, let’s get to correcting those faults nuh, for remember they are all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…if God did not truly care for us…He would not have given us a guidebook…the Bible…or a Saviour…Jesus Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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