13 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leadership method that foments hate and strife, a means of restoring faith in you, a modicum of circumspection, according to their own personal beliefs, anxiety, as flesh within the cauldron, as for my people, as for the pot, be resposnible, been evil in their deeds, behaved themselves ill in the doings, both shall fall into the ditch, break their bones, calamity, cause thee to err, children are their oppressors, chop them in little pieces, christianity, Christians, confusion, corruption is rampant, crying out for God's help, deceitfulness, declare their sin as Sodom, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, destroy the way of thy paths, disaster, don't go overboard with the celebrations, eat the fruit of their doings, egotism, faith, Family day, fellowship, followers, for personal gain, Friday chant, greed, hate the good and love the evil, he will not hear them, heads of Jacob, hide his face from them, holy spirit, if the blind lead the blind, in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, introduce a new flock of believers, is it not for you to know justice, it shall be ill with him, Jesus Christ, keep on our blinkers, lead you astray, LOVE, make sacrifices, male dominance, mercy, misleading the people, no respect for the law, omnipotent help, our only hope, our sinful world, power struggles, princes of the house of Israel, problems are escalating, real change only comes through real sacrifices, return backsliders to your fold, rewarded evil unto themselves, rising up and making godly changes, salvation, say to the righteous it is well with him, show them the error of their ways, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, strip the skin from my people, TGIF!, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the church of Jesus getting together, the current situation in our world, the failure of male leadership, the leaders of this people cause them to err, the look on their faces, the reward of his hands, the throne of grace, the worst set of leaders, their flesh from their bones, their guilty faces reveal their sinful hearts, they be blind leaders of the blind, they do not hide their sin, they shall cry unto the Lord, they that are led of them are destroyed, they which lead thee, trusting faith, truth, use the discontent and dissatisfaction, Valentine's day, wake up and smell the coffee, we are followers like sheep, we are like sheep, wisdom, wise guidance, witness against them, woe unto the wicked, woe unto their soul, women rule over them, your faithful believers set
Isaiah 9:16. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.
So friends, we’ve finally come to Friday, the day we’ve all been looking forward to! And it’s sunny though cold…but who cares…it’s Friday! (smile) And obviously our Friday Mantra was offered up early and loud: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last! And is this ever a big weekend in Canada. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and Monday is Family Day, a civic not federal holiday in most provinces, apparently created on the third Monday in February to provide a mid-winter break for families to spend time together.
So, you know the partying will be in full swing from today. But let’s all remember those important cautionary words of Jeeves: ‘a modicum of circumspection please.’ Yes, we don’t need to go overboard with all the celebrations, for our world is already overboard with all the strife and power struggles it faces. And let’s remember too, in the middle of all the celebrations, to fellowship with other believers on Sunday, so that we can be refreshed and renewed to face a new work week on Tuesday. End of Sermon! (smile)
And today we’ll look at an interesting passage of scripture from the prophet Isaiah that very much resembles the situation in our current world. Isaiah was talking to the people about their sins and refusal to repent and turn back to the God of their forefathers, and commented thus: ‘For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.’ (Is. 9:16) Oh friends, it’s the very same crime that can be thrown at today’s world leadership! Why? They are misleading the people according to their own personal beliefs and for their own personal gain.
Now that’s a method of leadership that does nothing but foment hate and strife, deceitfulness and power struggles. There’s no respect for the law, thus corruption is both rampant and flagrant. No one even considers hiding their corrupt souls any longer. It’s something to boast about. And right now I believe we have the worst set of leaders our world has seen in a very long time. Greed and egotism are their forte; not proper leadership. And remember, most of us are like sheep, mere followers, not given to do anything but what the corrupt, power hungry leaders do. So what can we expect then but a world filled with evil and ungodliness.
And it’s not the first time that Isaiah made that claim of misleading management. In chapter 3 where he talks about the Lord Pleads and Judges, he writes: ‘The shew of their countenance (the look on their faces) doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded (brought) evil unto themselves.
Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands given him (done to him). As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err (lead thee astray), and destroy the way of thy paths.’ (Is. 3:9-12)
Yes friends, their guilty faces clearly reveal their sinful hearts. And that last verse basically means the utter failure of male leadership over the society. Sadly, the same thing can be said for today’s leadership. The male dominance has driven the world to war and hate and corruption way too often in the last couple of centuries. Unfortunately though, it looks like that male dominance will continue amongst our leaders, so there’s very little change to expect.
And the prophet Micah reveals the same evil doing of the leaders when He declares: ‘And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes (rulers) of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgement (justice)? Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck (strip) off their skin from off them (my people), and their flesh from off their bones; Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and break their bones, and chop them to pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron. Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill (been evil) in their doings (deeds).’ (Mic. 3:1-4)
Now that’s not a pretty picture of leadership, but unfortunately it also correlates to the kind of leadership we have today. And sadly, we Christians who are supposed to improve the situation, too many of us are following the crowd; being OF the world instead of simply being IN it. And the remainder either are afraid or simply don’t care. So how is the world to improve eh? It’s like when the Pharisees complained about Jesus saying that what goes into the mouth doesn’t defile a man, but only what comes out. (Matt. 15:11) Jesus said to the disciples: ‘Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ (Matt. 15:14)
And that’s exactly what’s happening today. Our blind leaders are leading us astray, and if we keep our blinkers on, the eventual outcome will only be more disaster and calamity than we already have. And our only hope is the church of Christ, getting together, rising up and making godly changes. That’s it friends. The evil doers will not willingly destroy their evil empire, so we have to do it for them. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these most crucial and critical times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, things won’t turn around unless we are willing to make the sacrifices for them to happen. So, this long weekend, let’s ponder how willing we are to do that nuh. Much LOVE!
…real change only comes about through real sacrifices…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new week of work, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth, all should come to repentance, apropos for our current situation, as it is written, baptizing them, believers in Christ Jesus, bring glad tidings of good things, buffeted by the enemy's wicked taunts, christianity, Christians, Comforter, Creator of the universe, drawing others to Jesus, eternal separation from Almighty God, even to the end of the world, faith, faith cometh by hearing, faithfully reverence Christ as Lord and Saviour, fierce encounters, further your glorious kingdom, give it our best shot, go ye therefore and teach all nations, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, godly example, Guide, hearing by the word of God, Helper, hold up our end of the bargain, holy spirit, how beautiful are the feet, how shall they believe, how shall they hear without a preacher, how shall they preach except they be sent, how then shall they call on him, how wonderful it is to be a follower of Jesus Christ, humble servants, I am with you always, in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost, in whom they have not believed, in whom they have not heard, incredible aura of LOVE, inroads into the enemy's ranks, Isaiah saith Lord who hath believed our report, Jesus Christ, jobs, keeping lives and families together, live sincerely for Jesus, longsuffering, LOVE, make disciples of all nations, make the godly effort, make worthwhile inroads, many successes, meet the enemy in battle, mercy, now willing that any should perish, of them that preach the gospel of peace, once more unto the breach, our duty, partnerships, pateintly waiting for the right time, repentance is a change of heart, sally forth with confidence, salvation, serves a useful purpose, sharing our rime talent and treasure, show unbelievers, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, suits our purposes, sure conquerors, surrender our all to you, teaching them, Thank you Father, the appointed time, the battleground of the work world, the BIBLE, the evil ungodly world that surrounds us, the Great Commission, the Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, the rejuvenation of Spirit, the renewed vitality and enthusiasm, the second coming of Christ, the throne of grace, the umpteenth time, the world through him might be saved, they have not all obeyed the gospel, to ensure the gospel is preached all over the world, to mix and mingle, to observe all things I commanded you, truth, we are invincible, we're not afraid, wearing your protective spiritual armour, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, wisdom, wrought in our weary souls
Romans 10:15b. as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
‘Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!’ Oh my faithful brethren, those words of King Henry V from the Shakespearian play of the same name, do ring like a familiar battle cry this very cold winter Monday morning, as we return for the umpteenth time, (smile) to the battleground of the work world for another week of fierce encounters, and hopefully many successes.
Yes, my fellow believers in Christ Jesus, my fellow Christians, we must keep on keeping on with the difficult, but very rewarding task of living for Christ, and thus drawing others to Him by the godly example that we set in our everyday lives. That’s the ONLY way others will get to know, believe, and trust in Him for salvation and eternal life. It’s the job, the Great Commission, that Jesus gave the disciples and subsequently all believers to do, when He ascended back to heaven.
Listen to Him declare it. ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18:20)
Oh my people, that’s as clear as it could be! And why did Jesus want us to do that eh? Because it was a part of His major purpose for coming to earth as He told the Jewish leader Nicodemus. ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) But since He could not stay on earth forever as a human being, He recruited us, His followers to assist Him, giving us the Holy Spirit as Guide, Helper and Comforter.
Remember what Peter says: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9) Yes, the Lord did promise the Second Coming of Jesus, but He also desires that all who trust in Him should come to salvation, so He’s patiently waiting for the right time.
Remember though, He can only wait for so long, and when the appointed time comes, all who don’t believe in Christ Jesus will suffer eternal separation from the Lord; the worse fate than can ever befall a human soul. That means we have to get going while the going is good, especially amongst our friends and family members, because we obviously don’t want to be separated from them for eternity. And there are also many others all around the world who have never heard of Jesus and His good news. Therefore, we also must help as many of those people through sharing our time, talent and treasure.
It’s like Bruh Paul says in his letter to the Roman church. ‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias (Isaiah) saith, Lord who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ (Rom. 10:13-15)
Yes my people, we cannot make others believe in Christ, but it’s our duty to ensure that His gospel is preached to all parts of the world. So, although the Monday morning is somewhat chilly (smile) we need to make the godly effort to get out there and mix and mingle and show the unbelievers how wonderful it is to be a follower of Jesus Christ. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid.
And here’s a big surprise; something for our new Scrip-Bit family members; this is the old version of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. I recently found it amongst a pile of papers, and did not even remember it, because it’s been so long ago since we used it. And yuh know what? I like it. (smile) So, since it also admirably suits our purposes, is very apropos for our current situation, let’s use it.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday Morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose, keeping lives and families together.
We also thank You Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm You’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing Your powerful, protective spiritual armour.
We surrender our all to You, and humbly ask that You let Your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all Your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further Your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen!’
Wow! Doesn’t it sound like it was made for today? It surely does! But like in all partnerships, both sides have to do their parts. Christ has already done His, it’s now our turn to hold up our end of the bargain. So, let’s get out there and give it our best shot nuh! Much LOVE!
…the Christian’s duty is to sincerely live for Jesus…and faithfully reverence Him as Lord and Saviour…
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
16 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of joy, a new flock of believers, a tough nut to crack, a way to achieve spiritual growth, after that ye have suffered a while, all things work together for good to them that love God, assurance in times of misfortune, be not overcome of evil, be of good cheer, be perfect and complete, be perfect and entire, bless them that curse you, called us unto his eternal glory, count it all joy, divine aid, do good to them that hate you, don't tkae pleasure in the misfortunes of others, faith, fall into divers temptations, fall into various trials, Friday chant, God offers restoration and eternal hope, God's omnipotent help, God's Sovereignty, grow our faith, he that is glad at calamities shall not go unpunished, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, it is evil in His eyes, Jesus Christ, lacking nothing, lest the Lord see it and it displease him, let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth, let patience have her perfect work, LOVE, Love your enemies, mercy, misfortune builds character, misfotune, not gloating, overcome evil with good, patience thrown in for good measure, pray for them which spitefully use you, problems escalating, purpose in suffering, rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, showing compassion, simmering unrest in our land, sinful world, stablish strengthen settle you, strengthen faith, suffering is temporary, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the example that we faithful believers set, the God of all grace, the throne of grace, the trying of your faith worketh patience, the weekend is here, these things I have spoken unto you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, time of need, to give you a future and a hope, to give you an expected end, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, to them who are called according to his purpose, trusting faith, truth, upgrade our Christian activity, wake up and smell the coffee, wanting nothing, whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his maker, wisdom, wise guidance
Jeremiah 29:11. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you and expected end (a future and a hope).’
Glory be! It’s Friday! And most of the snow has finally been cleaned up in my area. You could hear the equipment working through the late night and early morning hours. Most importantly they cleaned our lane so we could get to the main road, for yesterday one of my neighbours got stuck in the snow in the lane and could not go out. The idea seems to be to clean the main streets before the lanes, but when the area is strictly lanes, how will people reach the main streets if they can’t get out of the lanes eh?
That’s a question I can’t answer, (smile) but the important thing is we put this snowstorm behind us and move on with Jesus, obviously declaring: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is finally here!’ And since the Lord has spared our lives, let’s keep our promise of looking at some scripture verses that offer encouragement and assurance in times of misfortune. Yesterday we looked at scriptures that highlighted acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty (Job 1:20-22), and turning to prayer and community (Ps. 34:17-20)
Now let’s look at another interesting principle, that of finding purpose in suffering. And as this commentary tells us: ‘Misfortune is often presented as a way to achieve spiritual growth and strengthen faith.’ And we all know that’s a tough nut to crack, but it is the truth as highlighted by these verses from the epistle of James. He contends: ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials); Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:2-4)
But that doesn’t sound so reassuring you say. True. However, it is the best way to handle our problems without going crazy in this crazy world. It’s not easy, but with all the help we have from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we can certainly do it. And trying to put a modicum of joy into our misfortune does grow our faith with patience thrown in for good measure. (smile) And as Peter adds: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:10-11)
Then we have this big verse from Bruh Paul in Romans which covers it all: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) That promises that despite all of our heartaches and misfortune, in the long run the Lord will work it all out for our good! Wow! What a mighty promise to hold on to!
Now, let’s turn to a principle about showing compassion and avoiding gloating, for as the commentary reminds us: ‘The Bible warns against taking pleasure in the misfortunes of others, even enemies.’ And that’s ever so true, as the wisdom of Cousin Sol cautions us from Proverbs, when he writes: ‘Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.’ (Prov. 17:5) We certainly need to remember that as our society has reached a sad state of mightily rejoicing over the calamities of others.
Then Cousin Sol bumps it up to another level when he says: ‘Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him (be evil in His eyes), and he turn away his wrath from him.’ (Prov. 24:17-18) Yes friends, when the Lord sees us rejoicing over the calamities of our enemies, He’s liable to dislike it and then not punish our enemies.
It’s also like Jesus taught: ‘But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you.’ (Matt. 5:44) It’s as Bruh Paul also exhorts us in Romans: ‘Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:20) That’s basically the Christian motto.
Now here’s the last principle on our list; that of maintaining hope and an eternal perspective in our misfortune. As the commentary tells us: ‘Scriptures provide assurance that suffering is temporary and that God offers restoration and eternal hope.’ And there are no better scriptures to emphasize that than these two. The first comes from the prophet Jeremiah on the Lord’s behalf: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you and expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11).
Then here’s this most wonderful and reassuring verse of scripture, from Jesus Himself, when He faithfully reassures us: ‘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). Yes my fellow believers, Jesus has certainly done that, so it’s up to us now to believe it and put it into action in our lives. And to help us do just that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant asking for divine aid in this desperate time of need.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now friends, that means if we want to see any divine aid, we need to truly upgrade our Christian activity, because right now it’s not good enough! Much LOVE!
…misfortune is tough…but if handled correctly…it can also build character…
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
09 Jan 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a tug-of -war, all for our benefit, an individual and corporate matter, can ye not watch an hour with me, contrary to one another, crying out for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desires, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, enveloped in, evil yearnings, faith, flooding, for what I would that I do not, forsake the dictates of our flesh, Friday chant, God's omnipotent help, God's defence is stronger than Satan's offence, holy spirit, I am carnal, I don't do what I want to do, if ye be led of the Spirit, Jesus Christ, LOVE, melting snow, mercy, one for all all for one, prayer is indispensable, praying always with all prayer and supplication, problems are escalating, salvation, sinful world, sold under sin, spiritual combat, stand strong and steadfast, struggles against sin, temptation has become more appetizing, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that which I do I allow not, the armour of God, the Christian is a battlefield, the Christian's moral life is governed by the spirit, the devil is a wily beast, the embrace of temptations tentacles, the flesh falls prey to sin, the flesh is weak, the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the flesh seeks to thwart the Spirit, the Garden of Gethsemane, the law is spiritual, the perfect truth, the spirit against the flesh, the Spirit attempts to frustrate the flesh's evil desires, the spirit indeed is willing, the Spirit-filled person is not under the law, the strength of the Spirit, the throne of grace, the weakness of the flesh, trusting faith, truth, uses even the angelic to do his dirty work, wake up and smell the coffee, walk in the Spirit, watch and pray, watching thereunto, what I do I don't understand, what I hate that I do, when the Christian is led by the Spirit, wisdom, wise guidance, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, ye cannot do the things ye would, ye enter not into temptation, ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, you are not under the law
Matthew 26:41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Ah mih people, unfortunately we’ve gone back to the wet, cloudy scenes, after such a nice sunshiny day yesterday. So much so that the usual Friday offertory of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ wasn’t as joyful as it usually is. And if you listen to the weather people they will give you some ominous news about the temperature going into double figures, and even a record high for this time of year, with possible flooding and whatever comes with melting snow. At mid-morning it’s already up to 8 degrees Celsius, so anything is possible. We’re also supposed to get some very strong winds with the increase in temperatures, so if you don’t have to go out, don’t go. And if you do go, please be careful.
And today we’re going to talk about an interesting verse of scripture that Jesus spoke to Peter, James and John in the Garden of Gethsemane while going through some sorrowful times the night before His crucifixion. He left them to watch and pray for Him, while He went a little further into the garden to offer up His private prayer. However, when Jesus came back, He found them asleep, and chided them for not being able to watch for an hour with Him. (Matt. 26:38-40) Then He exhorted them to ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt. 26:41)
Now that’s a monumental scripture filled with perfect truth; for our spirits are indeed willing to follow Jesus, but our flesh is weak, thus we so often end up enveloped in the tight embrace of temptation’s tentacles. And if Jesus thought temptation was bad back then, He would be surprised to see what it’s become in today’s world; the many unique, fascinating, tantalizing and deceitful things we’ve done with it to make it more appetizing and welcoming. That’s why we have to keep such a close watch over the things and people we get involved with, for the devil is a wily or very cunning beast and uses even those who seem angelic to do his dirty work.
Consequently, when Bruh Paul talks about the armour of God, at the end, he emphasizes the importance of prayer, despite all the spiritual armour we might be wearing. He writes: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and the supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:18) That means prayer is indispensable my fellow believers. Even with God’s armour, we still need prayer, for the armour alone is inadequate to achieve victory. And with the Spirit’s help we ought to make such prayer for divine aid, not only praying for ourselves, but also for all the saints of Christ. As the scholars say: ‘spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’ And indeed it is, for we are all one in Christ. As the saying goes: ‘One for all and all for one!’
Then we have some scriptures where Bruh Paul also talks about the strength of the Spirit and the weakness of the flesh. And this first scripture gives us a good idea of how the flesh falls prey to sin. In Romans 7, he makes this statement: ‘For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin. For that which I do I allow (understand ) not: for what I would (want to do), that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.’ (Rom. 7:14-15) Yes friends, even Bruh Paul had his own struggles against sin, however he set some good examples for all of us believers who also struggle with the weakness of our flesh.
Then in Galatians, He advises us thus. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.’ (Gal. 5:16-18) Oh my brethren, as the scholars explain: ‘One’s sinful human nature (flesh) and the Holy Spirit lusteth against one another, that is they have desires and yearnings that are contrary to one another. The Christian, then, is a battlefield, having desires to do good and evil.
The outcome is that ye cannot do the things that ye would: the flesh seeks to thwart the Spirit, who in turn attempts to frustrate the flesh’s evil desires. But that doesn’t mean we’re in a hopeless tug-of-war between the flesh and the Spirit, for when the Christian is led of (by) the Spirit, he yields to Him to turn away from the flesh’s evil yearnings, thus putting sin out of his daily life. The verb “led” indicates voluntary submission: the believer decides by whom he will be led – either by his flesh or by the Spirit. The Spirit-led person is not under the law. The Christian does not need the restraints of the law because his moral life is governed by the Spirit.’
So, we do have two different forces fighting for supremacy in our lives, but as true believers in Christ Jesus, we must forsake the dictates of our flesh and be led by His Spirit which shows us the way He desires us to live. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you.
Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, we too need to wake up and see what’s happening to our world, get ourselves together and make some improvements to it through our Christian behaviour. Remember, it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…Satan’s offence might be strong…but God’s defences are stronger…
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
29 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good attitude, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a sacrifice for mankind, a true reflection of Jesus, all sinned and disobeyed your word, as to the Lord and not unto men, became obedient unto death, being found in fashion as a man, being in the form of God, Christians are too comfortable and fearful, divine aid, do an honest day's work, ease the pain, emptied himself of all his privileges, empty talk about Jesus, faith, having a good attitude every day, he that does wrong, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, humbled himself, if any man will come after me, if you love me keep my commandments, impartiality, in all sincerity and truth, it takes two to tango, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is depending on us, Jesus loved the Father, Jesus put His life on the line for us, keep the Christmas Season going, keep your promise to prosper us, knowing that of the Lord, let him deny himself, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, live for Christ, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, made in the likeness of men, mass confusion, mercy, need to turn things around, New Year's Eve, no respect of persons, not willing to go to bat for Jesus, praise Your Holy Name, pray, promised to hear and answer our prayers, receive for the wrong he has done, receive the reward of the inheritance, salvation, showing the world, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, Stand up Stand up for Jesus, taalk without any worthwhile action, take up his cross daily and follow me, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the death of the cross, the general trend, the God who heals, the many suffering from negative situations, the power to solve our problems, the throne of grace, the trumpet call obey, thought it not robbery, to alleviate our problems, to be equal with God, to do as little as possible, to do the jobs we signed up for as disciples, took upon him the form of a servant, tough consequences for disobedience, treacherous roads, truth, turbulent times, turn from our evil ways, whatsoever ye do do it heartily, wisdom, wise guidance, ye serve the Lord Christ
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
And if you are not one of the smart, blessed or lucky ones who have the day off, (smile) then you would have gone out to work in the bad weather this Monday morning, a few days before New Year’s Eve. Let’s hope you were careful on the roads, for most likely they were very treacherous, what with the combination of rain, snow, freezing rain and sleet we’ve had this weekend.
Now, although Christmas Day has passed, the season isn’t over, so please keep the peace, LOVE and joy going, wherever you may be, for we desperately need to turn things around in our old world for this new year. Jesus is depending on us to do the jobs we signed up for when we became His disciples. It’s like He said: “If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That means getting out there every day with a good attitude, even though life might not be the greatest, and showing the world a true reflection of Jesus.
Obviously it’s not easy, but it’s what is expected of us as true and sincere believers. None of us like the idea of sacrificing anything, but do you think Jesus liked the idea of sacrificing Himself on that rugged cross? No way! But the Father asked it of Him, for our benefit, and since He LOVED the Father and wanted to be obedient to Him, He valiantly put His life on the line for us.
And Bruh Paul puts it very plainly in his letter to the Philippians. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of all his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8)
Yuh see that my fellow believers, Jesus gave up everything He had to come to earth to die in our place. So, please don’t tell me that we can’t suffer and sacrifice a little on His behalf. And that’s exactly why our world is in such an evil and ungodly mess; we Christians have gotten too comfortable and fearful and thus are not willing to go to bat for Jesus as much as is necessary, but we keep crying out to Him for help when troubles befall us and bold facedly expect Him to help us.
But don’t forget that it takes two to tango, and two hands to wash each other, so if we need Jesus’ help, we must do what He desires. Remember His words: ‘If you LOVE me, you will keep my commandments.’ (John 15:15) So all the empty talk we spout about Jesus is just that; talk without any worthwhile action. And please note that Jesus does not expect us to kill ourselves on His behalf, but just to do an honest day’s work, like we would do for our earthly employers.
But then, that brings up the interesting question of how many of us in today’s greedy and selfish society, do an honest day’s work? Hn! Definitely not the majority, since the general trend is to do as little as possible, or as little as we can get away with. But that is not the way Jesus wants His believers to behave.
Bruh Paul also made that quite clear when he said in his letter to the Colossians: ‘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. For he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: And there is no respect of persons.’ (Colo. 3:23-25)
Yes friends, when we live for Christ, we are expected do things diligently and excellently, as though we are doing it for Him, for in the end we will receive the reward for our good attitude from Him. And likewise, if we do wrong, we will also receive the tough consequences for our disobedience, for God is impartial. Now, to help us handle all that is coming and will come against us, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these turbulent 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!’
Now it’s up to us to do what our prayer says; turn from our evil ways, so that God can prosper us. And that in turn means going to God for help in all sincerity and truth…if we truly desire divine aid. Much LOVE!
…it’s high time Christians action what we so lustily sing…Stand up…Stand up for Jesus…the trumpet call obey…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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