31 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a two-way relationship, after all these things do the Gentiles seek, after weeks and months of, all day long, all these things shall be added unto you, answered our prayers, bearing precious seed, bringing his sheaves with him, carrying seed to sow, Christians must become more actively involved, come again with rejoicing, crapaud smoke we pipe, Day of Rejoicing, endure to the very end with Christ, faith, glad to be alive, grow in spiritual maturity, he that goeth forth and weepeth, holy spirit, I am the good shepherd, it is happening to us, Jesus Christ, Jesus gave his life for the forgiveness of sins, keep God first place in our lives, laughing and singing, LOVE, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, New Year's Eve, new years have gotten worse than previous ones, noise makers, not turning back, One Year Book of Bible promises, only one resolution needed, our hearts are filled with unspeakable joy, our society encourages reaping without planting, put your trust and faith in Jesus, rain on the parade, reap the rewards of joy and plenty, reap with songs of joy, reaping the rewards of their toil and tears, return with songs of joy, riotous parties, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, Sermon on the Mount, sheaves, shouting and praising, shouts of joy, sow in tears, take no thought, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Good Shepherd - Jesus, the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep, the good shepherd knows his sheep, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, there must be a planting before a harvest, they that sow in tears shall reap in joy, to a glorious future with Jesus, to live for Jesus more fully, toil and labour through the tough times to sow good seed, truth, waiting and pleading, weeping tears of sorrow, what shall we drink, what shall we eat, whatever we need can be found in Jesus, wherewithal shall we be clothed, who goes out weeping, wisdom, your heavenly Father knows you need all these things
Psalm 126:5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Awright friends, it’s party time! New Year’s Eve is finally here and the party preparations are in full swing; food, music, clothing and noise makers are being prepared for the biggest party of the year! Some of us are looking at our lives and considering what would be good resolutions for the new year. But my people, there’s only ONE resolution we need to make, that’s to LOVE and sincerely follow Jesus; to grow in spiritual maturity and faith as we live for Him.
Remember what He says in the Sermon on the Mount? ‘Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:31-33)
Yes my brethren, our God knows exactly what we need, and if we keep Him first place in our lives, then He will make sure we don’t lack them. It’s like Bruh David says so simply, but awesomely in Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) It’s a proven fact that when you put your trust and faith in the Good Shepherd Jesus, you never lack for anything you truly need.
And how do we know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd? Because He said so: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that’s exactly what He did; give His life so that we could be forgiven of our sins! And again He says: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:14) So there we have it; Jesus, as the Good Shepherd gave up His life for us, and knows those who belong to Him, and those who belong to Him, also know Him. It’s a beautiful two-way relationship, that you can never improve on!
Now, being in a somewhat humorous mood, I decided that for the last day of the year, we should also consider the last poem in our One Year Book of Bible Promises. (smile) And it turns out to be a rather interesting one, that I’ve possibly never shared before, but is aptly titled ‘Day of Rejoicing.’ So please read with me: ‘Lord, all day long we’ve been laughing and singing. We’ve been shouting and praising. After weeks and months Of waiting and pleading You have wonderfully answered our prayers. Our hearts are filled with unspeakable joy. You promised that those Who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. It is happening, dear Lord To us… to us!’
And yes, it is definitely happening to some of us, although relatively speaking to only a handful, for many are still weeping tears of sorrow. However, this season of Christmas and New Years is indeed a joyful one, where some who have shed tears all year long are now reaping the rewards of their toil and tears.
And what’s the Bible Promise for our poem? It comes from Psalm 126:5-6, which says: ‘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 to sow), shall doubtless come again with rejoicing (shouts of joy), bringing his sheaves with him.’ Meanwhile the book gives us the (NIV) New International Version, which says: ‘Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy carrying sheaves with him.’
And if you didn’t know it, sheaves are bundles of grain stalks laid lengthwise and tied together after reaping. So, basically we’re talking about those who toil and labour through tough times to sow good seed, both literally and figuratively, will eventually reap the rewards of joy and plenty. For remember there must be a planting before a harvest can be reaped, although many of us in this selfish and greedy society try to reap without planting.
And I guess tonight there will be much joy and singing as the parties welcoming in the New Year of 2026 become full blown, and some even become riotous. And I don’t want to rain on the parade, (smile) but every year we go through the same motions, and so far the years have gotten worse than the previous one. Let’s hope that this one will be different, because as I believe I said yesterday, if it gets any worse than 2025 was, then crapaud smoke we pipe.
But the important thing is that for it to get better, we believers in Christ Jesus must become more actively involved, pouring out our salt and light on a dark and flavourless world! And that’s the ONLY way it will improve. So if we desire improvements, let’s get up and make them! End of Sermon!
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And for those who stick with Jesus right to the very end, there’s a promise that the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So please, let’s stick to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…be it the old year or a new one…whatever we need can be found in Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a piece of pottery, as the heavens are higher than the earth, be continually surprised by your vastness, be of good cheer, begun a good work in you, being confident of this very thing, but of power love and a sound mind, combat the forces of evil, come to know and love him like we do, December Prayer, do away with every limit, duty bound, dwell in your higher and better ways, enjoy the good life, every moment of my life, faith, fearful, forever find myself amazed, God has no limits, God has not given us a spirit of fear, greed, holy spirit, humbled in your presence, humbling ourselves before God, hurry, I fully understand you, i have overcome the world, I try to impose on you, improve our ways and thoughts, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the Master Potter's hands, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer to our every need, light of the world, LOVE, man-made disasters, mercy, my desire for certainty, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, natural disasters, neither are your ways my ways, new theatres of conflict, our job is to go about in faith, perform it until the day of jesus, plundering our world, poverty, promises, resolutions, resting and rejoicing in them, ring in the New year, salt of the earth, salvation, shaping us as closely as possible into the image of Jesus, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, so are my ways higher than your ways, stop putting God in a box, strife, tempted to think, the beloved of God, the gospel truth, the Prince of Peace, the Third World War, these things I have spoken unto you, trust my friend Jesus, trusting in god's faithful promises, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, with my whole heart, worry, your uneding wisdom kindness and grace
Isaiah 55:9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
And then it was Tuesday… the Eve of New Year’s Eve, and everyone’s trying to get ready for the big party, that will ring in the new year of 2026, with all sorts of new resolutions and promises etc. etc. But will the new year be any different from this one just past? Oh friends, I certainly hope and prayer that it is! Because 2025 has been one of unspeakable natural and manmade disasters, as well as enormous greed and poverty, where the powerful few have been busy grabbing more power and wealth, while leaving a large part of the population to suffer.
Not to mention the worldwide strife that’s been occurring, where instead of hearing of the end of conflicts, a new theater of conflict seems to be opening up almost every day. The world has become more ungodly and evil with Christians not doing much to help matters either, as we either enjoy the good life with no cares for what’s happening around us, or are too fearful to do anything to combat the forces of evil that are plundering our world.
We keep forgetting, or refuse to remember that we are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and most importantly that ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) So with all of that happening in 2025, it’s hard for it to get worse, unless there is all-out war; the third and last World War. Consequently, let’s hope more of us choose to remember and action those wise words of God above this coming year.
And to help us turn things around in the new year, this prayer from the December In Touch Devotional is a very good place to start. So please pray with me: ‘Lord, when I’m tempted to think I fully understand You, do away with every limit I try to impose on You in my desire for certainty. Let me be continually surprised by Your vastness and dwell in Your higher and better ways, resting and rejoicing in them with my whole heart. May I forever find myself amazed by your unending wisdom, kindness and grace – humbled in Your presence every moment of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my people that prayer contains so many of the things we ought to be doing in this coming new year to better our world and uplift our great God! For instance, let’s stop putting God in a box, trying to know what He plans for or doesn’t plan for. In other words, stop limiting Him, when He has no limits. If He had limits then He would not be God. Our duty is to go about this earthly life in faith, trusting in His faithful promises to look out for us in all circumstances.
And then, it would be so wonderful if we could dwell and rejoice in His higher ways, and not our mediocre or devilish ones. Remember the scriptures tell us very clearly of God’s position as opposed to ours. The prophet Isaiah spells it out in plain language. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) And that’s the gospel truth! That’s why He is God and we are His creation.
However, although we will never reach to the level of ways and thoughts of God, it doesn’t mean we cannot try to improve our ways and thoughts, and thus come up higher than we are right now. And that’s exactly what the Lord desires of us, that’s why He is in the process of making us more like His wonderful Son Jesus every day. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6)
Yes my fellow believers, until the day that Jesus returns, or the Lord takes us home, we will be like a piece of pottery in the Master Potter’s hands, being shaped as closely as possible to the image of Jesus Christ! And if we take God out of the finite box many of us have Him in, then as the prayer says, we will be amazed by His unending wisdom, kindness and grace, and thus wanting to do what we’re supposed to; that’s humbling ourselves before Him for the rest of our lives.
Oh my faithful brethren, living faithfully for God in this evil world is not easy, especially when Satan makes it his duty to tempt us to turn away from God, but if we’re sincere in our faith, God will help us to get through it, despite all the many setbacks we will face. Remember what Jesus said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And that my fellow believers is the ONLY way we can ever have true peace in this ungodly and strife-filled world. Yes, for Jesus is indeed the Prince of Peace!
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having declared that prayer, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…how often must we say it before we truly believe it…Jesus IS the answer to our EVERY need…hopefully we will finally believe and action it in 2026…
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
28 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, a refusal to quit, about the tough rows that I've hoed, all at once, all things work together for good, always get up one more time, amass a lot of earthly wealth, called according to His purpose, courage to go on living, defining characteristic, don't worry about that much, Drinking from my Saucer, eternal life, faith, fall seven times stand up eight, falling isn't the end, fellowship, go along life's journey, God's love never fails, going through some rough times, grateful for God's grace and mercy, grin and bear our burdens, haven't got a lot of riches, holy spirit, I pronounce a blessing on your life, I'll not ask for other blessings, I'm already blessed enough, I'm happy anyhow, I've got a friend in Jesus, I've never made a fortune, if God gives me strength, in the name of Jesus, Jabez, Jesus Christ, keep drinking from my saucer, keep on fighting the good fight, Lord help me not to grumble and complain, LOVE, make the dark clouds disappear, make the sun to shine again, may I never be too busy, mercy, my cup has overflowed, my faith wore somewhat thin, never give up, nothing to complain about, our cup is still overflowing, perseverance through life's trials, persistence, prosper and be in good health, reaping better than I sow, reconciliation, resilience, rising is what matters, salvation, setbacks are temporary, sometimes the going's rough, thank God for all his blessings, that makes me rich enough, the dark clouds broke, the greatest gift ever given to man, the just recover from setbacks, the key to overcoming life's challenges, the mercies he's bestowed, the modus operandi of christians, the pilgrim's life, the sacrifices Jesus endured for us, the storms of life, the sun peeped through again, the wicked shall fall into mischief, the wicked shall stumble into calamity, the wicked succumb to calamity, there is no giving up in Jesus' kingdom, times when things went wrong, to help others bear their loads, to them that love God, too late now, truth, we worship you Lord, when the way grows steep and rough, wisdom, with all of our hearts souls bodies and minds
Proverbs 24:16. For a just (righteous) man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).
So it’s the first Sunday after Christmas and many of us are tired from all the preparing and celebrating, but please, let’s not forget the necessity for going to the Lord’s house today to thank Him for all He’s done, is doing and has promised to do for us, especially sending us the greatest gift ever; Jesus, to live and die and bring us salvation, eternal life, and wonderful reconciliation with Himself. Nothing can be better than that my people!
That’s why today we’ll sing this most appropriate song, Drinking From My Saucer, letting the Lord know how grateful we are for His grace and mercy. And we’ll do the song in the slow, soulful, heartfelt manner as that done by the Jamaican Gospel Artist, Jabez. First, we pray: ‘We Worship You Lord, we worship You with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds.’
Then we offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise, singing: ‘I’ve Never Made A Fortune, And It’s Probably Too Late Now, Oh but I Don’t Worry About That Much, Cause I’m Happy Anyhow. And As I Go Along Life’s Journey, I’m Reaping Better Than I Sow. I’m Drinking From My Saucer, Because My Cup Has Overflowed. I haven’t Got A Lot Of Riches, And Sometimes The Going’s Rough, But I’ve Got a friend in Jesus, And That Makes Me Rich Enough. I Thank God For all His Blessings on me, And The Mercies He’s Bestowed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed.
I Remember Times When Things went Wrong, And my Faith Wore Somewhat Thin, But All At Once The Dark Clouds Broke, And the Sun Peeped Through Again, (Monologue) You know, right now you may be going through some rough times in your life, but I’m here to encourage you today, not to give up. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! I pronounce a blessing upon your life, upon your family. You must prosper and be in good health in the name of Jesus. I believe it with all my heart’ (singing:)
So Lord, Help Me Not To Grumble and complain About The Tough Rows That I’ve Hoed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. And If God Gives Me Strength And Courage to go on living, When The Way Grows Steep And Rough I’ll Not Ask For Other Blessings Jesus, For I’m Already Blessed Enough, And May I Never Be Too Busy, To Help Others Bear Their Loads, Then I’ll Keep Drinking From My Saucer Lord, Because My Cup Has Overflowed! Yes, I’ll keep drinking from my saucer Lord, Cause my cup has overflowed, Oh my cup has overflowed…. Yes My cup has overflowed…’
And yes my fellow believers, did our cups ever overflow that Christmas night two thousand years ago when Jesus Christ was born in that smelly barn in Bethlehem. And what’s even better, is that our cup is still overflowing with the great sacrifices He’s so selflessly endured for us. As the song so rightfully says, most of us will never amass a lot of earthly wealth, and in any case, it might just be too late for some of us to do that, but the good thing about it all is that we’re not worried, because we’re still happy, and as we go along life’s journey, we’re reaping better than we sow; so much so that our cup is overflowing, causing us to drink from our saucer.
Now what else can we ask for eh friends? When one’s reaping more than one sows, and your cup is overflowing so that you are forced to drink from the saucer, then there’s nothing whatsoever to complain about. And even though the going ofttimes gets rough, we don’t question it, because we know that we have a wonderful friend named Jesus, who will look after us through all the storms of life, and will eventually make the dark, stormy clouds disappear and the sun to shine again.. And that makes us rich enough! Glory be!
And the monologue is very encouraging, exhorting us to NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! Now that is a veritable no-no for believers in Christ Jesus, for in His kingdom, there is NO giving up whatsoever! It’s as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘For a just (righteous) man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) And that’s the modus operandi of the Christian believer.
As this commentary explains: ‘The verse signifies that while good people face hardships and failures (falling), their defining characteristic is their resilience and persistence to get back up (rise again), contrasting with the wicked who collapse in disaster. The phrase “fall seven times, stand up eight” is a common interpretation, emphasizing that no matter how many times you’re knocked down, you must always get up one more time.
The core message is about perseverance through life’s trials, emphasizing that falling isn’t the end; rising is what matters. It highlights the difference between the just, who recover from setbacks, and the wicked, who ultimately succumb to calamity. In essence, this proverb serves as a powerful reminder that setbacks are temporary and that faith, persistence, and a refusal to quit are key to overcoming life’s challenges.’
Oh my faithful brethren, I could not have said it any better! So, let’s not grumble and complain about the tough times nuh, for it’s all a part of this pilgrim’s life we’re living down here on earth for Jesus, who is always blessing us, even when we don’t deserve it. That means we must grin and bear our burdens, hard though it may be, while helping others to bear theirs, for we have the greatest promise of all to look forward to, that from the book of Romans: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Yes friends, we must believe that God will eventually work everything out for our good as He’s so faithfully promised. Until then, we must keep on fighting the good fight, while drinking from our saucers, as our cups overflow with His grace, goodness and mercy. Much LOVE!
…it’s a proven fact…that GOD’s LOVE NEVER FAILS…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cardinal sin, a just world without perpetual poverty, a river of giving, a stop gap measure, all who receive physical sustenance, bringing us closer to God, caring for the needy is a continuous duty, charities, comfort the poor, contemplating on Jesus, cool down the Christmas excitement, deepen my breath, ease suffering in your name, enjoyed so much of God's goodness, eradicate poverty, faith, flooding our spirits, grateful for everything you've given me, he that hath pity upon the poor, help me make sacrifices, holy spirit, homeless people, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to share what I have, in all sincerity and truth, In Touch Prayer Cards, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lendeth unto the Lord, lends to the Lord, let christ's love flow through you, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn, mercy, multiply it to bless many, negate the importance of Christ's presence, New Year's Eve celebrations, one who is gracious to a poor man, open thine hand wide unto thy brother, others will have enough, pave the way for change, ponder what we have and how we can share it, pray for the poor and hurting, quiet my soul, recognize your love. come to know you as their Saviour, relax my muscles, repay him for his good deed, salvation, show me how, slow my thoughts, take what I give, thank you for this tenderness, that which he hath given, the peace and calm of God's presence, the poor, the poor shall never cease out of the land, to the poor and needy, too few have too much, too many have too little, too many poor with so much abundance, too many suffering from lack of the basics of life, truth, will he pay him again, wisdom, you can't be contained, your heart will be blessed in the flood, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Proverbs 19:17. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
And then it was our lazy-day Saturday! Oh what a wonderful way to relax and let all the Christmas excitement cool down, before it rachet’s back up for the New Year’s Eve celebrations next week. Yes, we do an awesome amount of celebrating between Christmas and New Years, and we do need to get a li’l break in between, contemplating on Jesus, so that we can handle it all properly.
So, before we get too lazy, (smile) let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. With all sincerity and truth: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, if we were sincere in our prayer, the peace and calm of God will soon be flooding our spirits, bringing us closer to God, and putting us in a better place today. However, let’s not only think about ourselves, but also a class of people in which our world sadly abounds when there’s absolutely no need for so many. We’re talking about the poor. And yes, Jesus noted that we would always have the poor with us, after Mary anointed Him with an expensive bottle of fragrant oil, and His disciples complained that it was a waste of money. (Matt. 26:11)
And I like what this commentary says about the verse. ‘It’s often used to highlight that while caring for the needy is a continuous duty, it doesn’t negate the immediate importance of Christ’s presence or God’s ideal of a just world without perpetual poverty, referencing Deuteronomy 15:11 as a source for His command to care for the poor.’ And what does that verse say? ‘For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thy hand wide (freely) unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in the land.’ (Deut. 15:11)
Oh my people, the commandment to look after the poor could not be made any clearer, but the problem today is that we have too many poor when we also have such an abundance of wealth. It just doesn’t sync up. It means that we are not opening our hands as freely as the Lord desires, and that’s a cardinal sin, for all through the Bible the Lord warns the people, to look after, the widows, orphans, strangers and the poor, because at one time they were in those positions. And the truth is that many of us who are now wealthy or fairly well-off, were once poor, but we apparently forget those times and refuse to do more than we’re currently doing.
But please, let’s remember these wise words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs per the topic. ‘He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given will he pay him again.’ (Prov. 19:17) Or, according to this translation: ‘One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.’ There again, we see how wise and important it is to look after the poor and hurting in our society. And as we said earlier on, the hurtful part is that we currently have so much wealth in our society that the billions of people who are poor and hurting should not be that many.
Most likely we will never eradicate poverty until Jesus comes back and sets up His kingdom, but right now there are way way too many suffering from want and lack of the basics; food, shelter and clothing. Even in the big, supposedly rich metropolitan areas of our world there are countless homeless people, living in the streets, in parks, and some lucky few in shelters. And all are not just lazy wastrels, many of them have had jobs and families but due to circumstances beyond their control, their fortunes have slid to where they are no longer able to support themselves. And this is a sad situation made even worse by the worldwide strife currently engulfing our world.
Then there are the numerous charities, supposedly set up to help the poor and hurting, constantly begging for money and food. To tell the truth, sometimes I don’t even want to go to the post box and collect my mail, because I know the majority of it will be entreaties from several charities for donations, some of them I don’t even know. And I do my best to share my treasure, but even if these charities are helping some, this should just be a stop gap measure, not a permanent way to solve the problem.
A problem which stems from too few having too much, and too many having too little, and which continues to assert the truth that man’s inhumanity makes countless millions mourn. But all we can do is share what we have and then pray for those who are poor and hurting. So, in closing, let’s put that last aspect into action, using this prayer from the Prayer Cards issued earlier this year by the In Touch Ministries.
Please pray with me: ‘Lord, please comfort the poor in this world, and pave the way for change. I’m grateful for everything You’ve given me, and I want to share what I have. Show me how I can ease suffering in Your name. Help me make sacrifices so others will have enough. Please take what I give and multiply it to bless many. Above all, may each one who receives physical sustenance recognize Your LOVE and come to know You as their Saviour. We Pray this in Jesus’ name! Amen!’
And having offered up that prayer, let’s take a moment on this lazy-day Saturday after Christmas, having recently enjoyed so much of God’s goodness, to ponder what we have and how we can share some of it with others who are much needier than us. Remember when we give to others, we lend to the Lord, and He will repay us eventually. Much LOVE!
…the prayer card wisely advises…let Christ’s LOVE flow through you in a river of giving…your heart will be blessed in the flood…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a joyful time, a means of restoring faith in you, a positive mental attitude, a way that displeases God, all whose works are truth, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, an open mind on all subjects to all people, as it is this day, be responsible, be your best for Jesus, boast in the Lord not yourself, Boxing Day, by the example that we faithful believers set, complete self-discipline, continue down the road to destruction and eternal death, crying out for your help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, disrupt the workings of their souls, do your best, donkey's years, Dr. Charles Stanley, embrace your love and compassion, engaged in a labour of love, establish His covenant, faith, fervently pray, financial security, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, freedom from fear, Friday chant, God is first and foremost in our lives, godliness, harmony in human relationships, He sware unto thy fathers, he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord, his ways of justice, holy spirit, hope of future achievement, I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the king of heaven, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, learned his lesson, look your best, LOVE, material wealth, mercy, money is the last aspect of true wealth, more of us live sincerely for Christ, my power, Nebuchadnezzar's boast, omnipotent help, our bounden duty, our sinful world, play our cards right, poor emotionally and spiritually, problems are escalating, remember the Lord thy god, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, show them the error of their ways, sound physical health, stand strong and steadfast, tattooed on our faces, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the capacity for applied faith, the economics of the situation, the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth, the presence of God, the throne of grace, The Twelve Aspects of Wealth, these ungodly times, those that walk in pride He is able to abase, thou say in thine heart, true wealth, true wealth is what you are not what you have, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, use the discontent and dissatisfaction, wake up and smell the coffee, willingness to share one's blessings, wisdom, wisdom with which to understand people, wise guidance, without God's presence in your soul
Deuteronomy 8:18a. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth,
Ah mih people, it’s Friday, Boxing Day, and most of the hoopla over Christmas Day has now died down. Hope that you and yours had a joyful time, me and mine certainly did. Sadly though, instead of Boxing Day continuing with a high degree of the Christmas Spirit, it’s now mostly about sales and returns of Christmas presents. The economics have taken over right away. But what to do eh? As Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) says: ‘Look your best, do your best, and be your best as always for Christ.’
Now, I don’t know if some of us even know that it’s Friday, but just that it’s Boxing Day and a holiday for many people. So some of us might not even have offered up our usual prayer of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ We just know that it’s a long weekend, and if we play our cards right we can be off work off almost a week, (smile) what with the New Years Celebrations in the offing.
Anyway, the most important thing is that the birth of Jesus was celebrated, and He occupied a place in many hearts that He never occupied before, or not to such a great extent, and let’s hope and prayer that that Christmas spirit will continue right into the New Year and all though it; that 2026 will be a year when many more of us live sincerely for Christ! End of Sermon! (smile)
And today I’ve been led to a quote from my ‘I LOVE YOU’ Poster, which says; ‘True wealth is what you are, not what you have.’ And that makes a lot of sense, for despite all of your material wealth, if you don’t have the presence of God and godliness running within you, then you’re still poor where it counts the most; emotionally and spiritually. That’s why so many supposedly wealthy people are so unhappy and miserable. They allow their material wealth to disrupt the workings of their souls in a way that displeases God. And without a true sense of God, without His presence in your soul, you can never be truly happy, despite your vast amount of material wealth.
That brings us to this very important scripture where Moses warned the people of Israel about not forgetting the Lord when they got wealthy, not forgetting all the good things that He had done for them while they were struggling to survive in the wilderness. (Deut. 8:11-16) ‘And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:18)
So we need to remember that it’s God who causes us to get wealth, be it material or emotional. And that ought to remind us of the story of the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel, who boasted of building his great palace through his own might, and before the words were out of his mouth the Lord had decreed that he would go mad and eat grass like the animals for seven years. And it all happened as decreed. (Dan. 4:28-33) Blessedly for Neb though, at the end of the seven years of madness, he gained back his mental faculties and his kingdom and praised God with a marvellous testimony for his miraculous recovery. (Dan. 4:34-36)
Then, in conclusion he stated with all sincerity: ‘Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the king of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways of judgement (justice): and those that walk in pride he is able to abase (humble).’ (Dan. 4:37) Now, there we can see that Neb learned his lesson, but so many of us don’t, and unfortunately continue down the road to destruction and eternal death. We forget the scripture that tells us; ‘But he that glorieth (boasts), let him glory (boast) in the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 10:17) And in this boastful and selfish society we should all have those words tattooed on our faces so that we can remember it.
And now, something else pertaining to true wealth, it’s a list of ‘The Twelve Aspects of True Wealth,’ that’s been on the wall on the opposite side of my office for donkey’s years, but do you think I see it. No way! Just like I don’t see the many other reminders I have all over the office. But for our information, here are those 12 aspects of true wealth.
(1) A positive mental attitude. (2) Sound physical health. (3) Harmony in human relationships. (4) Freedom from fear. (5) Hope of future achievement. (6) The capacity for applied faith. (7) Willingness to share one’s blessings with others. (8) To be engaged in a Labour of LOVE. (9) An open mind on all subjects to all people. (10) Complete self-discipline. (11) Wisdom with which to understand people. (12) FINANCIAL SECURITY.
And the whole point of that exercise is to show us that lots of money is the LAST aspect of true wealth, not the first, as so many of us make it. Hope we learn that lesson well for the upcoming New Year, seriously concentrating on the first eleven, rather than the twelfth. (smile) Now, it’s time go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid for all that ails us.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Yes friends, along with the sinful world, let’s truly wake up and smell the coffee this upcoming year nuh. It’s our bounden duty which we have been sadly neglecting. And the world is crying out for our help! Much LOVE!
…true wealth is what we have…when God is first and foremost in our lives…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a census, a feed trough, a multitude of the heavenly host, a Saviour which is christ the Lord, born that we no more may die, born to give us second birth, born to raise us from the earth, by peaceful waters, Caesar Augustus, Charles Wesley, Christ by highest heaven adored, Christ is born in Bethlehem, faith, fear not, feeding on green pastures, find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger, for unto you is born this day, Glory to god in the highest, glory to the new born king, God and sinners reconciled, hail the heaven born Prince of Peace, hail the incarnate Deity, Hail the Sun of Righteousness, Hark the herald angels sing, holy spirit, I bring you good tidings of great joy, in the city of David, Jes sus born to be a servant, Jesus Christ, Jesus our Emmanuel, join the triumph of the skies, joyful all ye nations rise, late in time behold him come, light and life to all he brings, LOVE, meditiating on the reason for the season, mercy, Merry Christmas, mild he lays his glory by, offspring of the virgin's womb, on earth peace goodwill toward men, peace on earth and mercy mild, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, pondering the purpose of our lives, praising God, providing salvation and eternal life to the lost, risen with healing in his wings, salvation, shepherds were the first ones to hear the news of Christ's birth, sore afraid, suddenly, sweet sacrifices of praise, the Big Day, the cockle's of the Father's heart, the everlasting Lord, the glory of the Lord shone around them, the gospel truth, the hustle and bustle, the weak to confound the mighty, there was with the angel, things that are not to confound things that are, this shall be a sign unto you, to bring light and eternal life to this dark and evil world, truth, use fools to confound the wise, veiled in flesh the Godhead see, wanting nothing, watching their flocks by night, which shall be to all people, wisdom, with angelic hosts proclaim
Luke 2:10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Merry Christmas To One And All!
At long last, it’s the Big Day friends…Yes Christmas Day is finally here after all the hustle and bustle. Let’s hope that we all can enjoy a joyful and peaceful Christmas with friends and families, as we remember that Jesus was born on this day some two thousand years ago to bring light and eternal life to this dark and evil world. And today we wish all our Scrip-Bits friends and families a joyful Christmas Day, and let’s remember to spend some time pondering and meditating on the reason for the Christmas Season…Jesus Christ! (smile)
And we all know the story of Christ’s birth, where the Emperor Caesar Augustus sent out a decree for a census to be taken, which meant that people had to go to their original homes to be registered. Thus it was that Joseph and Mary, pregnant with Jesus, found themselves on the road to Bethlehem, Joseph’s hometown, for he was of the lineage of Bruh David. And it so happened that on this particular night when Mary was ready to give birth, they could find no decent place to stay and ended up in a smelly barn with all sorts of animals, and there she gave birth to baby Jesus. (Luke 2:1-7)
Now, while some of us may be wondering why God caused His Son to be born in a smelly old barn, with a manger (feed trough) for His cradle, when He was omnipotent and could do anything. I guess because God wanted to show that Jesus was not born to be a ruler, at this time, but more a servant and thus a barn suited His purpose. Plus the fact that the Lord likes to take fools to confound the wise, and the weak to confound the mighty, and things that are not to confound those that are. (smile) (1 Cor. 1:27)
Anyhow, on that starry, starry night when Christ was born, an angel from on high came to earth to break the good news to the people. And who were the first ones he shared it with? A group of unimportant, sidelined people, shepherds who were in the fields watching their flocks. There again, the Lord was showing the importance of the lowly man in His estimation, by first telling the shepherds of Christ’s birth.
And the Bible tells us: ‘And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon (stood before) them, and the glory of the Lord shone about them: and they were sore (greatly) afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. and this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes (cloths), lying in a manger (feed trough). And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:8-14)
Yes mih bredrin the heavenly host came to earth to celebrate the birth of Jesus, serenading the earth with beautiful heavenly music. And if the heavens could come and sing on Jesus’ birthday, why can’t we too eh? (smile) No reason whatsoever. So let’s offer up sweet sacrifices of praise on this Christmas day singing that old but always marvellous hymn from the pen of that wonderful hymnist, Charles Wesley, one which reminds us of that amazing night two thousand years ago, and aptly titled, ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing.’
So, with heartfelt, sincere voices, let’s offer an up-tempo version that heaven will find worthy. Singing: ‘Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King: peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with the angelic hosts proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” (Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King”) Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold him come, offspring of the Virgin’s womb: veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the ‘incarnate Deity, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel. [Refrain]
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth. [Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King”, Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King”.’
And yes my fellow believers, this is indeed a day when we need to give much glory to Christ, our Lord and Saviour, born, as the song says, ‘that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth.’ And is that ever the gospel truth! For those were the express purposes that the Father sent Him to earth; to be a light to a world living in darkness, while providing salvation and eternal life to all of us who were lost.
And we pray that on this Christmas Day of 2025, that Jesus has found us and has brought us home to His flock, where we shall remain forever, feeding on green pastures, by peaceful waters, wanting nothing in His awesome LOVE, PEACE, and JOY!
Now that would certainly bring a trill of joy and warmth to the cockles of the Father’s heart, and a bright smile to His face, because that was His intention from the very beginning! So let’s enjoy the day, the season, and do our best to live sincerely for Christ! Much LOVE!
…Christmas…a time of joy and peace…but also a time of pondering the purpose of our lives…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a land with no hungry children, a time of joy peace and love, a world where men are free, all our dreams will come to be, be careful for nothing, catch our second wind, celebrating Christ's birth, christmas eve, don't get anxious and irritable, don't sweat it, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fellowship, found what life's really worth, friendship, Glorious Light, halfway home, hands on the plough, hate will be gone, holy spirit, in a world where men are free, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, Jesus Christ, joy, learned what Christmas is for, let not your heart be troubled, let your request be made known unto God, like kids play with toys, LOVE, love will prevail, loving-kindness, Magnificent Redeemer, man will not fail, mar it with evil influences, men won't be boys, mercy, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, no empty hand, no man has fears, no more wars, no tears, not as the world giveth give I unto you, not in time for you and me, not looking back, one happy morning, one prayer away from our world today, one shining moment, one warm Doecember, our hearts will see, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our motto for Christmas, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, Peace and Love, Peace i leave with you, peace on earth, playing with bombs, salvation, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, share a world where people really care, so glad to be alive, someday a new world, Someday at christmas, someday at christmas time, start with hope in every heart, strife-filled earth, thank God, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the glorious promise, the joy of the season, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the rush is on, the undeserving children of men, the unsurpassable peace of Jesus, to a glorious future with Jesus, to fellowship and give thanks God's greatest gift to mankind, truth, visit the Lord's sanctuary, when all men are equal, wisdom
John 14:27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
And then it was Wednesday… a bright and sunshiny Christmas Eve my fellow believers! And it’s also a good day to catch our second wind, because the rush is on to get everything ready. But even if everything is not ready, please don’t sweat it and get anxious and irritable. Remember Bruh Paul’s wise words to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
Yes friends, the one thing we definitely need this Christmas season is PEACE, with a li’l LOVE thrown in for good measure, for that’s what Christ came to bring to our strife-filled earth. So don’t lose the joy of the season because everything’s not as you’d like it to be, just make sure to appreciate the time of Christ’s birth in the next twenty four hours, and both Christ and your family and friends will understand that you tried your best but you simply could not get everything you wanted done in time.
Remember, it’s the occasion of Christ’s birth we’re celebrating, and that doesn’t necessarily mean food or gifts; but simply joy and friendship, peace and LOVE on this marvellous occasion. And don’t forget to MAKE TIME to visit the Lord’s sanctuary at some stage in the next couple of days, to fellowship and give thanks for God’s greatest gift to mankind; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
And all of God’s people said a loud, joyful and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord for giving us Your only Son Jesus Christ to be our Glorious Light and Magnificent Redeemer! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name for Your wonderful LOVING-KINDNESS to the undeserving children of men!’
And that reminds us of this marvellous and ever so appropriate song written many years ago by Bryan Wells and Ronald Miller, then made popular by Stevie Wonder in 1967. It’s aptly titled, ‘Someday at Christmas.’ So please sing with me: ‘Someday at Christmas men won’t be boys Playing with bombs like kids play with toys One warm December our hearts will see A world where men are free Someday at Christmas there’ll be no wars When we have learned what Christmas is for When we have found what life’s really worth There’ll be peace on earth
Someday at Christmas we’ll see a land With no hungry children, no empty hand One happy morning people will share A world where people care Someday at Christmas there’ll be no tears When all men are equal and no man has fears One shining moment one prayer away From our world today Someday at Christmas man will not fail Hate will be gone and LOVE will prevail Someday a new world that we can start With hope in every heart, yeah Someday all our dreams will come to be Someday in a world where men are free Maybe not in time for you and me But someday at Christmastime…Maybe not in time for you and me, But someday at Christmastime…’
Yes friends that ought to be our fervent hope, prayer, wish, supplication, whatever; that at some Christmastime there’d be true peace and LOVE in our world, with all the hate and anger, and the many other numerous evil influences no longer supreme, or better yet existing, just like our Saviour meant it to be when He came to earth on Christmas Day. And though life seems to be getting rougher and more uncertain with each passing day, we must never forget these wonderful and most encouraging words of Jesus: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
And my fellow believers, that ought to be our motto for this Christmas season; not being troubled or afraid, because we have the unsurpassable peace of Jesus and the joy which comes with it, steadfast and strong within our hearts, souls, bodies and minds! Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And please don’t forget the promise that those who endure with Jesus right down to the very end will enjoy a future even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. That therefore means we must be wise and strong in faith to endure to the end, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…the birth of Christ is a time of joy, peace and LOVE…so let’s not mar it this year with evil influences and behaviour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all thy commandments are righteousness, all we like sheep have gone astray, as thy custom is, be merciful unto me, come to know and love him like we do, deliver me according to thy word, deliver me from the oppression of man, depend on Almighty God, duty bound, emphasizing our inherent vulnerability, everyone needs spiritual guidance and redemption, faith, find true direction, follow personal desires, give me understanding according to thy word, gone astray like a lost sheep, he shall direct thy paths, holy spirit, humanity's universal tendency, hurry, I do not forget thy commandments, I have chosen thy precepts, I have longed for thy salvation, I longed for thy commandments, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in god's eyes, it giveth understanding to the simple, Jesus came to bring light to those living in darkness, Jesus Christ, Jesus comes to rescue and lead people back to God, justice, let my cry come near before thee O Lord, let my soul live and it shall praise thee, let my supplication come before thee, let not any iniquity have dominion over me, let thine hand help me, let thy judgements help me, lock stock and barrel, look thou upon me, LOVE, make thy face to shine upon thy servant, mercy, my lips shall utter praise, my tongue shall speak of thy word, need plenty action, order my steps in thy word, redemption, regardless of their intentions, righteousness, rivers of waters run down my eyes, salvation, seek thy servant, share His love with my neighbours, so will I keep thy precepts, spiritual guidance, teach me thy statutes, the beloved of God, the entrance of thy words giveth light, the eve of Christmas Eve, the Good Shepherd - Jesus, the gospel truth, the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, the need for a Saviour, therefore doth my soul keep them, they keep not thy law, thy law is my delight, thy testimonies are wonderful, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to overcome sin, to those that love thy name, to wander from God's path, trust my freind Jesus, truth, trying times, Tuesday Mantra, turned every one to his own way, understanding only comes from God, wisdom, worry, you have taught me your statutes
Psalm 119:176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
And it’s Tuesday friends, Tuesday of Christmas week, the eve of Christmas Eve. (smile) That means there’s only today and tomorrow to get all your preparations in order before the big day falls upon us on Thursday. And I guess when I said yesterday that there were only two more days left for Christmas shopping, I must not have counted Monday, but in these modern times we shop right up to Christmas day. We can even by stuff on Christmas day, which shows how far we’ve moved past that long ago time when everything was closed on the day of Christ’s Birth. But it is what it is, and once Christ is truly celebrated, we cannot complain.
And yuh know what my brethren? I just opened the Good Library, and it opened unto Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, and as I perused it, I was taken by two interesting passages, scriptures that are very appropriate for this time and place. So that’s what we’ll deal with today. And, as you know, each passage of the psalm falls under a letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, thus, our first passage comes from that translated ‘PE.’
So please read with me. ‘Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments. Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do (as thy custom is) unto those that LOVE thy name. Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver (redeem) me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.’ (Ps. 119:129-136)
And I truly wish that rivers of waters would run down our eyes because so much of the world is not keeping the Lord’s law. But unfortunately it doesn’t seem to matter to a great many of us believers, since we too are not keeping the Lord’s law as we ought to. And a couple of those verses really caught my attention. Like this one: ‘The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.’
And that’s the gospel truth my people. As Jesus said He came to bring light to those living in darkness, and that’s exactly what His word does to anyone who hears it and takes it to heart. And to the simple, it gives understanding. Now, judging by the non-understanding state of our world, many of us need to become simple (smile) and allow God’s word to give us that marvellous attribute called understanding, that ONLY comes from Him.
This verse is also one we should take seriously: ‘Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.’ It reminds me of the famous words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs chapter 3. ‘In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:6) Yes my fellow believers, if we need our earthly paths to be fairly smooth, we need to depend on Almighty God to help us. It’s as simple as that.
And the next passage comes from the Hebrew letter translated ‘TAU.’ Please read with me. ‘Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word. let my (prayer of) supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word. My lips shall utter praise, when thou has taught me thy statutes. My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.
Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts. I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgements help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.’ (Ps. 119: 169-176)
And sadly, that last verse is oh so true my people. So many of us have gone astray, like lost sheep that the Lord’s word is of little or no account in today’s ungodly world. We might claim not to forget His commandments, but remembering them is of no importance unless we put them into action, and that’s where we’re continually falling down. But thankfully, if we sincerely cry out to the Lord for help, like the first verse of the passage declares, then the Lord will surely do as we ask, and bring us back to His fold.
It’s like Isaiah says of Christ, as the lamb being led to the slaughter. ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:6) And that’s exactly what the Lord did; lay all of our sins on the shoulders of Jesus, making Him pay for them, so He could forgive us with justice and righteousness.
And per that verse from Isaiah, I like how this commentary explains it. ‘Highlighting humanity’s universal tendency to wander from God’s path and follow personal desires (sin), a state from which Jesus, the Good Shepherd, comes to rescue and lead people back to God. It signifies that everyone, regardless of their intentions, needs spiritual guidance and redemption, emphasizing our inherent vulnerability and need for a Savior to overcome sin and find true direction.’ And with so much truth flooding our hearts and minds today, let’s hope a lot of it will become deeply rooted in those reservoirs (smile) and lead us to sincere and serious action.
Now, it’s time to go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in these trying times…we don’t need much talk…just plenty action…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a benevolent ruler, a God-like King, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, all sinned and disobeyed your word, all who believe in him, an anticlimactic end, an attribute of Jesus, blessed with eternal life, call his name Immanuel, Christ birth was foretold to give Israel hope, Counsellor, divine aid, encouragement from Isaiah's prophecy, encouragement from Jesus' words, endure to the end with Christ, Enormous Rewards, eternal peace on earth, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, Father of Eternity, focus on Jesus Christ, For unto us a child is born, from henceforth even for ever, fulfill God's requirement, give us hope, God incarnate, God with us, he hat shall endure unto the end, Hero, holy spirit, humble ourselves, humble servants, Immanuel, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, live up to your expectations, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, miraculous counsel, of the increase of his government and peace, persevere in faith, pray, salvation, show this evil world, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, spiritual insight, strong faith in Christ, thank you for life, the everlasting Father, the Gift-Child, the God who heals, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the Lord himself shall give you a sign, the mighty God, the Prince of Peace, the promise of Christ's Second Coming, the same shall be saved, the worst feeling ever, The zeal of the Lord will perform this, there shall be no end, to alleviate our problems, to establish it with judgement and with justice, to stand strong in faith, truth, turn from our evil ways, unto us a son is given, upon his kingdom to order it, upon the throne of David, wisdom, wise guidance, Wonderful
Isaiah 9:6a. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
Only two more days friends…and then it’s Christmas Day! Let’s hope that the excitement and anticipation don’t have an anticlimactic end, leaving you with a less than jolly, merry Christmas, (smile) for that can be the worst feeling ever, when a moment you put so much energy and time into doesn’t live up to your expectations. But I’m sure if you keep your focus on Jesus, that won’t happen.
So, what shall we talk about on this Monday of Christmas week eh? Well… let’s see what the Bible suggests… And after looking through the Word and seeking spiritual insight we’ve been led to this familiar passage from the prophet Isaiah, where he declares the prophecy of the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord will perform this.’ (Is. 9:6-7)
You see friends, centuries before Christ was born, His birth was foretold by the prophet Isaiah to give the people of Israel hope in their tough lives. And the zeal of the Lord indeed began the process through His birth at Christmas. Likewise, today, the promise of Christ’s Second Coming ought to give us hope to stand strong in faith with Him, so that all who believe in Him and endure to the end, can be blessed with eternal life, as He so clearly says in the gospel of Matthew while talking about the end times. ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:13)
So just like the Israelites of old were given encouragement by Isaiah’s prophecy, so we today are meant to take encouragement from Jesus’ words. But getting back to Isaiah’s prophecy, the scholars offer some interesting explanations on that passage. They say: ‘The Gift-Child in this passage is the same divine Child as Immanuel (God with Us). (Is. 7:14) Again, using the prophetic perfect, the prophet sees Him as though He were already born.
Wonderful, Counsellor is actually one term in Hebrew. A wonder is indicative of a miracle. Counsellor is often used in parallel with King (cf. Mic. 4:9) Thus miraculous counsel is given by this God-like King. The mighty God (El Gibor) is the strongest of these titles. In Isaiah, El is always used of God and never refers to man. Gibor means: “Hero.” Together they describe One who is indeed God Himself. (A most definite attribute of Jesus!)
Everlasting Father literally means Father of Eternity. He alone is the source of eternal life. (Another attribute of Jesus.) Prince of Peace (Sar-Shalom) indicates that the mighty God will be a benevolent ruler bringing eternal peace on earth through the establishment of His kingdom. Thus, the obscure figure of Immanuel is now brought to clear light: He is Himself God Incarnate!’ And everybody shouted: ‘Jesus, God Incarnate!’ (smile)
And I do hope that those explanations improved our understanding of the terms and how they were used back in the Old Testament. But, as per the reference to ‘Immanuel,’ let’s check out Is. 7:14. The situation existed where two nations were plotting war against Judah, and the Lord sent Isaiah to warn King Ahaz that the attack would not be successful. And though Ahaz was told to ask for a sign, He piously refused to ‘tempt God.’ But Isaiah nonetheless informed him: ‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God be with Us).’
Another prophecy of Christ’s birth. So, it wasn’t like the Israelites didn’t know of Christ’s coming, they just didn’t know when. Similarly, we know of Christ’s Second Coming, but we don’t know when either. That means we must persevere in faith until whatever time the Father chooses to send Him back, because the rewards for those who persevere until the end will be enormous and most worthwhile. And to help us do that on this Christmas Monday, 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!’
Ah friends, our prayer is very touching, but there’s only one problem; we must first fulfil the requirement for God to prosper us, that’s turn from our evil ways. So, let’s concentrate on doing that nuh, if we indeed desire divine aid! Much LOVE!
…Jesus’ coming to earth…was never a secret…it only called for persevering faith to believe it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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