05 Jun 2026
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: an incorruptible crown, anger, anxiety, be disqualified, be renewed and refreshed, blasphemy, bring it into subjection, but one receiveth the prize, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christian faith, christianity, competes for the prize, confusion, covetousness, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desire, discipline my body, divine aid, encompassed about with, every man that striveth for mastery, faith, filthy communication, fornication, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, help us to be responsible, heroes of faith, holy spirit, I have preached to others, I keep under my body, I myself should be a castaway, idolatry, if God spares life, if you want to eat you must work, imperishable, is temperate in all things, Jesus Christ, lack of a strong work ethic, lackadaisical attitude, lay aside every weight, lay aside whatever impediment that weighs us down, lie not one to another, lighten our load, LOVE, malice, mercy, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, not as one that beats the air, our faith keeps us rooted and grounded in God, out faith is being seriously challenged, passion, persihable, poor witness for Christ, problems are escalating, put off the old man with his deeds, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, run our faith race with endurance, run that ye may obtain, run with patience, salvation, self-control, stand strong and steadfast, successful in our race of faith, surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the children of disobedience, the end of the work week, the endurance of a long distance runner, the race set before us, the race that is set before us, the sin which doth so easily beset us, the sin which so easily beset us, the sinful world, the weekend is here at last, the wrath of God, they which run in a race run all, to obtain a corruptible crown, trusting faith, truth, undisciplined, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, withstand the constant temptation, witnesses, wrath, you can't win if you're not prepared
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2026 Hebrews 12:1b.
Hebrews 12:1b. let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.
And then it was that blessed day of Friday, another hot and sunny one, and all the shouts of the Friday Mantra gloriously rose up to heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ Our society has become so obsessed with Friday that we don’t give much thanks for any other day. I guess it’s because Friday has become associated with the end of the work week, and our society does not have a great work ethic, so working is not something we like to do.
But as the saying goes; if you want to eat, and have a roof over your head, you have to work. Bruh Paul even went so far as to tell the Thessalonians, that the busybodies and gossipmongers among them, who refused to work, should not be given food. (2 Thess. 3:10-11) Now, that seems a fair reckoning, but doing it is an entirely different story. (smile)
And today we’re going to talk about one of the most precious things we have, but also one of the hardest to keep on the right trail. That’s our Christian faith, which in this evil and godly world of today is being seriously challenged at every turn, but needs to be strong enough to endure and withstand the constant temptation and bombardment that’s thrown at it. For it’s our faith that keeps us rooted and grounded in the goodness, mercy and LOVE of our ever-faithful God.
And this passage in Hebrews 12, gives us an interesting explanation and path to follow. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are encompassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.’ (Heb. 12 :1) Ah friends, that’s a tough requirement, but it needs to be done, if we are to be successful in our race of faith.
There are a lot of heroes of the faith, witnesses, who have gone before us and who are looking on at our progress. We also need to stand strong like they did, but there’s only one way to do that. As the author of Hebrews says; we need to lay aside every weight, or whatever impediment that keeps us weighed down, the scholars suggest stuff like clothing and body weight. But for the diligent runner or the faithful Christian, those things must be removed, so it can lighten our load.
We also need to put aside every sin which so easily ensnares us. And what sins ensnares us eh? The scholars seem to think that refers to the one sin that is uppermost in our lives; the one sin that defeats us above all others. And there are numerous sins that ensnare us. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote the Colossians: ‘Mortify therefore (put to death) your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection (passion), evil concupiscence (desire), and covetousness, which is idolatry:
For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds:’ (Col. 3:5-9) Now that gives us some idea of the kinds of sins we ought to put aside as we run our faith race.
Then the author of Hebrews states that we should run our faith race with patience, that’s perseverance, or better yet endurance. We need to have the endurance of a long distance runner because our faith race is indeed a long one, and those short of breath will never win it. And we have another good example of how we should run that race from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He writes: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.
And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown, but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run , not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified).’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Yes mih bredrin, this race of faith that we’re running is one for our very life, therefore we need to be serious about it, have discipline and self-control, while working hard to keep our endurance going strong, for endurance and self-discipline are two important aspects of our race, that we badly need if we hope to win that imperishable crown promised to us by the Lord.
But sadly, endurance and self-discipline are two of the least recognized and practiced attributes in today’s society. Not many of us can stick with anything or project for a long time, or have the discipline to do the tough things needed to accomplish success. No wonder our society has become lackadaisical and undisciplined, wild and unruly. Unfortunately though, time and space have run out on us, so if God spares life tomorrow, we’ll continue looking at this race of faith that we are required to run.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us run our race. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good 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 we Christians also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our work and witness for Christ is definitely not good or strong enough, otherwise our world would not be in the terrible state it’s currently in! Much LOVE!
…everyone who runs a race…runs to win…but you can’t win if you’re not prepared…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 May 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a prayer we can all testify to, accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, appreciating the good times, at the end it shall speak and not lie, be of good courage, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Chrisitans, christianity, confused, contentment is a learned behaviour, contentment is learned through the ups and downs of life, contentment is not learned in the classroom nor overnight, count myself not to have apprehended, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, ended up somewhere unexpected, escalating problems, forgetting those things which are behind, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, fully knowing God, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, God doesn't waste detours, God gently and slowly guided me along the way, God will change us when we come to Him, God will never lead us astray, God's omnipotent help, God's generous help, God's mysterious and intriguing aspects, God's teaching mesomething I might never have learned, he may run that readeth it, he shall strengthen thine heart, help me, help us to be responsible, I have learned, in this place, in this season of my life, IN Touch Devotional Prayer, in whatsoever state I am, it will surely come, Jesus Christ, keep looking back, lack of sufficient Biblical knowledge, learn to be contented, LOVE, make it plain upon tables, meeting me where I am, mercy, motivated to do God's will, move forward with the Lord, my life took a strange turn, need to navigate Friday's challenges, Not that I speak in respect of want, on another path, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, Praise the Lord, press toward the mark, reaching forth unto those things that are before, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, see the good things happening here, stand strong and steadfast, stop trying to get back to my plan, surrender our all to God, teach me to be content, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the goal, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, the Lord infused the leaves with new life, the Lord tries to teach us on whatever path we're on, the Lord will always meet us where we are, The Lord's promises wll all eventually come to pass, the throne of grace, the vision is yet for an appointed time, the weekend is here at last, therewith to be content, this one thing I do, though it tarry wait for it, to trust you're at work, trusting faith, truth, undeserved blessings, unexpected closures of doors, unexpected storms, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, wisdom, wise guidance, wondering what happened, write the vision
Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 May 2026 Ephesians 3:13b.
Ephesians 3:13b. but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead),
Wow! It’s Friday! And many sing ‘Praise the Lord!’ Yes, we ought to give him much thanks and praise for allowing us to see another day, a bright and sunshiny fairly hot one. And you can be sure that our Friday Mantra went up with much gladness. ‘TGIF! Thank the Lord it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last.’ Yes, the weekend is come, but let’s not forget we still need to navigate the many challenges that Friday will undoubtedly throw at us.
And by the way, that tree in my neighbour’s backyard that had the light brown leaves that survived during the winter, I recently looked for them and could not find them, for all the leaves are now green. They must have either finally dropped off, or by some miracle the Lord infused them with new life and turned them green again. And I like to think the latter idea is what happened, because it shows the miraculous, mysterious and intriguing aspects of our great God.
And that mysterious, intriguing aspect of God also applies to the prayer we’re going to read today. Why, you ask? Because this is the third day that I’m bringing the May In Touch Devotional downstairs to write about the prayer, but surprisingly, the first two days the Lord guided me elsewhere. But today seems to be the day for the prayer.
So let’s pray: ‘Lord, my life took a strange turn, and I ended up somewhere unexpected. I keep looking back – confused and wondering what happened. But You don’t waste detours. You’re teaching me something I might never have learned on another path. Help me to stop trying to get back to what I had planned and instead to see the good things happening here – how You’re meeting me where I am. Teach me to be content, to trust You’re at work in this place and season of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh friends, that’s certainly an interesting prayer, one that all of us can testify to at some time or other in our lives. I know I can. And writing this Bit is certainly one of those times. When the Lord came calling with the idea, I laughed and told Him my lack of sufficient Biblical knowledge made it impossible. But as is His custom, He persevered, and finally I agreed and began with small steps, as He gently and slowly guided me along the way. That’s what happens when you accept Christ as Lord and Saviour; you are motivated to do His will, sometimes by gentle leading, or by sudden, unexpected closure of doors in your face.
However, let’s remember that when the Lord closes one door He is planning to open another, but in His own good time. That means we have to be patient and trust Him completely. And in Psalm 27, Bruh David wisely advises us to; ‘Wait (in faith, patiently) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith, patiently), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14)
Then there’s this promise of God through the prophet Habakkuk, when He directs him to; ‘Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables (tablets), that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ (Hab. 2:2-3) Yes my people, whatever the Lord promises, will come eventually, but we need to have enough faith to wait patiently for it.
And when the Lord’s leading is different to our plan, we always try to go back to our original plan, instead of looking forward to what God has in store. But I guess that’s human nature, which points to an important aspect of our faith; the fact that the Lord will always meet us exactly where we are. We don’t have to change before He comes to us . No. He will change us when we come to Him. And the Lord certainly doesn’t waste detours, for He teaches, or tries to teach us something on whatever path we’re on. That means we have to learn to be contented and move forward with the Lord on any path He chooses to lead us.
It’s as Bruh Paul says to the Ephesians: ‘Not that I speak in respect (in regard) of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.’ (Phil. 4:11) Now contentment is no easy ability to develop. Certainly not! For as the scholars tell us: ‘Contentment is a lesson learned neither in a classroom, nor overnight, but through many practical experiences in life.’ In other words, contentment is only learned through the many ups and down of life, through trusting the Lord’s goodness and mercy during our many difficulties, as well as appreciating the good times.
And Bruh Paul’s earlier words to the Philippians, is a most worthwhile example of how we ought to conduct our own lives. He writes: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (fully knowing God): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead), I press toward the mark (goal) of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14) That’s the attitude we must adopt my people, especially in these dark, gloomy and chaotic times. Let’s forget what’s behind us, forget out past mistakes and /or accolades, while looking and moving forward to the future God has planned for us.
Now, none of that is easy to do, but our God is so wonderful that He never asks to do anything without giving us the tools to do it. And in times of trouble, He invites us to come to the throne of grace for divine help to do His will. So let’s do that right now through our Friday Chant.
Altogether: Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good 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, it pays to remember that we supposed Christians also need to wake up from our slumber and smell the coffee, so that we can do a better job for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…God will never lead us astray…but we must surrender our all to Him…for it to work…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strange sight, a surrendered heart, always say thank you to god, an angry and discourteous manner, an underhanded approach, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, appropriate for these times, be renewed and refreshed, be responsible, be the children of your Father in heaven, bless them that curse you, by the good example we your faithful believers set, called according to His purpose, Christian behaviour need improving, christianity, Christians, climate change, courtesy, curse God and die, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine aid, do good to them that hate you, don't waste the weekend in fun and frolic, dost thou still retain thine integrity, faith, for those who love God, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, get sufficient fun fellowship, God will work everything out for good, God's omnipotent help, he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, holy spirit, I made it through, in a courteous manner, in all this, in our opinion, in soul body and mind, innate trust in God, Jesus Christ, Job did not sin with his lips, living just like the rest of the world, LOVE, Love your enemies, many reject the Lord's offerings, mercy, more delighted with your trust, no matter how good you are there's going to be some rain in your life, no thank you Lord, omit the first word. delighted with your courtesy, One Year Book of Bible promises, our sinful world, our trusting faith, pray for them which spitefully use you, problems are escalating, regardless of your good Christian behaviour, rest and relaxation, right motives, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, seems difficult or unfair, sendeth rain on the just and the unjust, separates the sheep from the goats, shall we not receive calamity, shall we receive good at the hand of God, smiled and said, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, Thank You Lord, the BIBLE, the Lord never reneges on His promises, the remarkable promise of God, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, total surrender to God, tough to accept calamity, tried to be very courteous, truth, unexpected storms, use the weekend for rest and rejuvenation, wake up and smell the coffee, when you honour God you'll still be standing after the storms, wisdom, wise guidance, with your generous help
Job 2:10a. What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) calamity?
And then it was the day we all long for, Friday, which causes our Friday Mantra to rise to high heaven: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last!’ And that’s all well and good, but let’s hope we use the weekend to its best advantage, for rest and rejuvenation, and don’t simply waste it away in fun and frolic, as so many of us tend to do.
Oh, by the way, remember that tall tree in my neighbour’s backyard that I recently told you had leaves that made it through both the fall and winter? Well, yesterday I looked out my bedroom window and saw it budding with new leaves, but lo and behold, the old leaves were still there! I can’t wait to see what happens when all the new leaves come out, if the old ones will finally fall off, or remain for the rest of the summer. They will certainly be a strange sight, for the new leaves will be green while the old ones are a light brown. Anyhow, that’s between the Lord and climate change! (smile)
And, today, I have a rather interesting poem to share from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s simply titled ‘Courtesy.’ And I don’t believe I’ve ever shared this one because it even seems new to me, but as always, they are very appropriate and informative for the times we live in. So please read with me: ‘I tried to be Very courteous. I smiled and said “No thank You, Lord.” You smiled back and said “Omit the first word And I’ll be delighted With your courtesy – And more delighted with your trust.” “Thank You Lord.”
I got a chuckle from that when I first read it, because it does sound like how the Lord might behave, with that sort of underhanded approach. But the truth is that many of us do reject the Lord’s offerings, sometimes in a courteous manner, and sometimes in an angry, discourteous one, especially if He’s offering some thing we don’t like or in our opinion, seems rather difficult or unfair. However, at all times, we do need to remember that remarkable promise of scripture where the Lord assures us that He will work everything out for good in the end, for those who LOVE Him and are called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28)
That means we need to accept both the good and bad which comes into our lives with that promise at the back of our minds. Or, as the Bible verse for the poem which comes from Job’s discourse with his wife, when complete disaster befell him, and he was sitting in the ashes after scraping away the many boils that Satan had inflicted on his body. She said to him: ‘Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God and die. But he said unto her, thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) calamity? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.’ (Job 2: 9-10)
Yes friends, it’s sometimes tough to accept calamity as though it comes from God, but that’s the best way to handle it, because then we will know that He will make it right in the end. It’s like Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, when teaching about LOVING one’s enemies. ‘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; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.’ (Matt. 5:44-45)
In other words, the Lord causes the sun and rain to fall on everyone, however, as this commentary says; “Rain falls on the just and the unjust.” Means no matter how good of a person you are, no matter how much you honor God, there’s going to be some rain in your life. The difference is that when you honour God, the storms may come, but when it’s all said and done, you’ll still be standing.’
Glory to God my brethren! Again, we fall back on that marvellous promise from Romans, that in the end, all will be right with us, because our faithful God promised it, and He never reneges on any of His promises. That’s why saying ‘no thanks’ to God is not a good idea, and why He’s always more interested and delighted by our courtesy and more so by our trust. For that’s what separates the proverbial goats from the sheep, or sheep from the goats; (smile) that innate trust, the total surrender to His Word and ways.
And God knows it’s not always easy for us to do what’s right, but He does expect us to make the attempt, even if we fail in so doing. Because then he will see and know that our heart’s in the right place. And that’s all He really expects from us in our frail and finite selves; right motives in a surrendered heart! Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to stand strong when the storms of life batter us.
Altogether! Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good 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 unfortunately, it’s not the sinful world alone that needs to wake up and smell the coffee, but also a large portion of we supposed believers, because we’re living just like the rest of the world, and our Christian behaviour needs improving in the worst way! Much LOVE!
…whatever comes against…we should always say…Thank You God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a directive to perform every task wholeheartedly, a mindset designed to replace stress and people pleasing, a sense of purpose and integrity, all things that are reproved, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, approach the throne of grace, arise from the dead, as if Christ himself were the direct employer, awake thou that sleepest, blasphemers, boasters, brutal, but rather reprove them, by the good example we your faithful believers set, Christ shall give thee light, Christ the light of the world, christianity, Christians, coasting through the work week, covetous vultures, currying favour, deeds are wrought in God, deeds made manifest, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, denying the power thereof, despisers of those that are good, disobedient to parents, divine aid, do a decent day's work, do as little as possible for as much as possible, do it heartily as unto the Lord, doesn't come to the light, doing just enough to get by, doing their best to muddy the waters, elevates daily tasks into acts of worship, encourages action motivated by love and service to christ, every one that does evil hates the light, exposed sin becomes light, faith, false accusers, fearing God, fellowship, fraud artists, Friday chant, from such stay away, further your glorious kingdom, God's omnipotent help, gossips, greedy saps, haughty, have no fellowship, having a form of godliness, he that doeth truth cometh to the light, he that doeth wrong, he that hath ears to hear let him hear, help us to be responsible, highminded, holy spirit, in accordance with Jesus' desire, in singleness of heart, in the last days perilous times shall come, irreconcilable, it is a shame, Jesus Christ, keep our world sinking into the mire of ungodliness and evil doing, lest his deeds be reproved, light is come into the world, LOVE, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, made manifest by the light, make their deeds manifest, men loved darkness rather than light, men shall be lovers of their own selves, mercy, money lovers, mundane or significant, no respect of persons, not with eyeservice as men pleasers, obey in all things your masters, offering your best in everything, problems are escalating, proud, receive for the wrong he has done, receive the reward of the inheritance, reckless, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, resist the pull of evil, rest and relaxation, ridiculed by co-workers, salvation, scandal mongers, shine our light on thier darkness, slanderers, spiritually enlightened, stand strong and steadfast, stoop to such low levels of decency, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the focus being on God's will, the lowest of the low, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the way of today's world, the weekend is here at last, their deeds are evil, this is the condemnation, this perspective brings a spiritual reward, to speak of those things done in secret, traitors, true repentance, trusting faith, truth, turn from our sin, turning away from our sin, unexpected storms, unholy, whatsoever ye do do it heartily as unto the Lord, wisdom, wise guidance, with diligence and excellence, with the unfruitful works of darkness, work as though we're working for jesus
Ephesians 5:11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them.
So we’ve come to Friday; another rainy night and cloudy morning, but that doesn’t stop us from somewhat tiredly declaring our Friday Mantra: ‘Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at long last! Some rest and relaxation are long overdue!’ And some of us do deserve the rest and relaxation because we do a decent days work, in accordance with Jesus’ desire that we work for our bosses as though we’re working for Him, that is with diligence and excellence. However, far too many of us are just coasting through the work week, doing just enough to get by, which is definitely not what Jesus expects from His followers.
It’s as Bruh Paul puts it to the Colossians: ‘Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart (with sincerity), fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as unto the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:22-25) Yes friends, even slaves are to obey their masters with all diligence and sincerity, just as though they are obeying God, and we free believers are expected to do even better than that.
And this overview explains it very nicely: “Do all things as though unto God” is a directive to perform every task—whether mundane or significant—wholeheartedly, as if working for God directly rather than people. It advises against working only for human approval or “eye-service,” encouraging action motivated by LOVE and service to Christ. We are to work heartily and enthusiastically, putting our full effort and soul into every task. With the focus being on doing God’s will, which elevates daily tasks into acts of worship. And while not seeking human praise, this perspective brings a spiritual reward, described as an inheritance from the Lord. It means offering your best in everything—even daily chores or work—as if Christ Himself were the direct employer. This mindset is designed to replace stress and people-pleasing with a sense of purpose and integrity.’
I could not put it any better than that my brethren. But unfortunately too many of us supposed believers don’t follow that directive, we go along with the sinful and fraudulent method of seeing how little we can do for the most we can get. Sadly, that’s the way of today’s world, and it’s so bad, that those who try to do a good job are even derided, ridiculed by their co-workers for …. Sorry, that’s a term I can’t use here, (smile) but let’s put it nicely and say for currying favour with the boss, for seeking promotion, or whatever extra perks, their diligence might bring.
Oh my people, when we did stoop to such low levels of decency eh? Many of us have never been diligent workers, but to ridicule a co-worker who wants to do a good job, is the lowest of the low. The problem there is that we are afraid the diligent co-worker will show us up, show us up for the lazy, greedy saps we truly are. But doesn’t it make sense that if we all work diligently together, the organization will be better for it. In theory it will be. But unfortunately our world has become so littered with scandal mongers, gossips, fraud artists, heifer dust disturbers (smile) and various other types of evildoers that doing good work to day is often frowned upon.
It reminds us of Bruh Paul’s warning to Timothy. ‘This know also, that in the last day perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors,, heady (reckless), highminded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more than (rather than) lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such stay away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-6)
And that’s some of the best advice we can get these days my fellow believers, because whether or not these are the last days, all those types of people that Bruh Paul mentioned back then are not only on the scene right now, but are very prevalent and doing their best to muddy the waters as much as possible, so that our world will keep sinking into the mire of ungodliness and evil doing. And Christ is depending on us, His faithful followers to resist their evil pull, and instead shine our light on their darkness and so make their deeds manifest.
It’s like Jesus says: ‘And this is the condemnation, that light (the light) is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds be reproved (exposed). But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.’ (John 3:19-21)
It’s also like Bruh Paul says when he warns the Ephesians and consequently us, to walk as children of light. ‘And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.’ (Eph. 5:11-14)
Yes friends, whenever sin is exposed, it becomes light, and many are still caught up in their sin and unbelief, that’s why’ve been invited to turn from our sin, with the promise that we’ll be spiritually enlightened and helped through the auspices of Christ Jesus; the light of the world. 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 another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good 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, let’s remember that though we repent and pray for forgiveness, divine aid will not be forthcoming until there is true repentance, which means actually turning away from our sin! Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a new commandment I give unto you, anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, as I have loved you that ye also love one another, as it pleased God, as the body is one and hath many members, be disciples both in word and deed, be renewed and refreshed, been all made to drink into one Spirit, believers though diverse in gifts and roles are united in Christ, brought to desolation, by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, by the good example we your faithful believers set, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, championing goodness and godliness, Christ's Church, christianity, Christians, Christians are united in Christ, Christians divide themselves, clouding its spirit, correct the disunity in the church, daunting week of work, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, desire for comfort and earthly pleasure, different parts with different duties, different responsibilities, divine aid, divisions and dissensions within Christ's church, every city or house divided against itself shall not stand, every kingdom divided against itself, every one members one of another, evil and ungodliness is running rampant all over our world, faith, follow Christ's example, Friday chant, further your glorious kingdom, get much needed rest after the Easter celebrations, get our act together right now, get sufficient fun fellowship, God set the members everyone of them in the body, God's omnipotent help, have the same care one for another, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, if the whole body were an eye where were the hearing, improved Christian witness, Jesus Christ, LOVE, LOVE FOR EACH OTHER, loving each other the way Christ loves us, make a positive difference, many members yet one body, mercy, only unity moves an organization forward, our sinful world can wake up, problems are escalating, rest and relaxation, salvation, seeking excess in everything, smell the coffee strong and sweet, so we being many are one body in Christ, stand strong and steadfast, tenet of our faith, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that ye love one another, the BIBLE, the body is not one member but many, the church is one body, the church is rife with strife jealousy and backbiting, the church requires cooperation, the crowning glory of discipleship, the road to certain destruction, the shed blood of Christ, the throne of grace, the weekend is here at last, there should be no schism in the body, to avoid dysfunction and ensure growth, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, vim and vigour, welcome the weekend, whether we be bond or free, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, wisdom, wise guidance
Matthew 12:25. ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.’
And then it was Friday; a cloudy and rainy day, but that didn’t stop us from shouting out our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ And many of us are indeed overjoyed to welcome the weekend, be it rain, sleet or snow, so that we can get some much needed rest after the exhausting Easter celebrations and this daunting week of work. (smile)
But as usual, we don’t listen, we never introduced a modicum of circumspection in our celebrations, so when the work week hit us, shortened though it might have been, we still were not prepared to meet it with the necessary vim and vigour. Thus, we had to labour, drag ourselves through it, desperately hoping that we could make it until that day of release called Friday. Hopefully, one day we will learn though, not to behave like the world, seeking excess in everything, for that’s the road to certain destruction. End of Sermon. (smile)
Now, since I had nothing to say in particular, I opened the Good Library for some inspiration, and lo, and behold, it opened at a rather interesting scripture in the gospel of John. It’s where Jesus declares to the disciples: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35)
Yes friends, the crowning glory of discipleship in Christ is our LOVE for each other. At least it ought to be. But unfortunately, too many Christians today don’t share that attribute with each other. Just look at the numerous divisions, disputations and dissensions in Christ’s church nuh, even within the same religion. How can true LOVE flow from a group of supposed similar faith, when there is so much strife, envy, jealousy and backbiting clouding it’s spirit eh?
Let’s remember that the church of Christ is supposed to be one body, as specified by Bruh Paul in Romans: ‘For as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office (function): So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one (individually) members one of another.’ (Rom. 12:4-5) And this commentary explains it thus: ‘The church as “one body” is a central biblical metaphor (1 Cor 12:12-27, Romans 12:4–5) indicating that believers, though diverse in gifts and roles, are united in Christ. Christ is the head, leading the organism, while individual members function as interdependent parts, requiring cooperation to avoid dysfunction and ensure growth.’
Yes my fellow believers, we are indeed supposed to be one body under the marvellous umbrella of the shed blood of Christ and His amazing resurrection. That tenet of our faith is so important that Bruh Paul again explained it to the church at Corinth. ‘For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond (slaves) or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.’ (1 Cor. 12:12-14)
Oh my people, Christ’s church can never be victorious if it’s filled with as much dissension and disunity as it now contains, for the ONLY thing that moves any body or organization truly forward is unity. That’s why in any war, the enemy always tries to disunite its foe, so they can be more easily routed. But sadly, the devil, our arch enemy, doesn’t even have to do that with us, because we do it ourselves. Why do you think there’s so much evil and ungodliness running rampant all over our world eh?
Because the body, Christ’s church, that is supposed to be championing goodness and godliness has apparently lost the will to fight the enemy, through fear or the desire for comfort and enjoyment of earthly pleasures, but it doesn’t stop them from fighting amongst themselves. Just look at the state of our world and of Christ’s church, and tell me if any visitor to earth would be able to differentiate the godly from the ungodly by their LOVE for each other, as Christ desires? Certainly not! They would most likely think that we’re all one ungodly, unrighteous bunch, because that’s the way we behave.
That’s why Bruh Paul, after saying: ‘For the body is not one member, but many,’ broke it down finely for the church in Corinth. ‘If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body (where would the body be)? But now are they many members, yet one body.’ (1 Cor. 12:15-20)
Yes my brethren, just as the Lord made man with one body, but many different parts with various duties, so has Christ has set many members in His body, the church, each with different responsibilities. ‘That there should be no schism (division) in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.’ (1 Cor. 12:25) Sadly though, Christ’s body is terribly divided, and until that division is mended, the church will not be able to perform the way it ought to.
For as Jesus Himself said: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.’ (Matt. 12:25)So let’s take serious heed of those words nuh, and do our best to correct the disunity in the church, so that we can follow Christ’s example and be His disciples both in word and deed, by LOVING each other, the way that He LOVES us. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking help to do just that!
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good 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 though the Lord might acknowledge our prayer, He’s definitely looking for improvement in our Christian witness, before dispensing divine aid. Much LOVE!
…Christians badly need to get their act together…if they truly desire to make a positive difference in our world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man who sowed good seed, a warning to labourers in the filed, an enemy hath done this, anxiety and confusion, be renewed and refreshed, bind them in bundles to burn them, brought forth fruit, by the good example we your faithful believers set, cast them into the furnace of fire, christianity, Christians, didst thou not sow good seed, divine aid, easier in the church age to have counterfeits, escalating problems, faith, faithful believers, false converts produce no lasting fruit, fellowship. rest, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, gather the wheat into my barn, gather together first the tares, get sufficient fun, good example, he that soweth the good seed is the Son of man, help us to be responsible, I made it through, ignorance of the law is no excuse, in the kingdom of their father, in the time of harvest, is likened unto a man, Jesus Christ, lest while ye gather up the tares, let them both grow together until the harvest, LOVE, mercy, omnipotent help, practice lawlessness, refeshed in body soul and mind, relaxation, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, shall we go and gather them up, tares bear no fruit, tares look almost identical to wheat, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thanks for getting me safely though another week of work, the BIBLE, the enemy is Satan, the enemy sowed tares among the wheat, the field is the world, the good seed are the children of the kingdom, the harvest is the end of the church age, the meaning of the parable's gone over our heads, the parable of the wheat and the tares, the reapers are the angels, the righteous shine forth as the sun, the sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, the Son of man shall send forth his angels, the tares are false converts, the throne of grace, the time for serious christianity is right now, them which do iniquity, then appeared the tares also, true converts produce fruitful lives, truth, unexpected storms, ungodly times, wailing and gnashing of teeth, when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, while men slept, who hath ears to hear let him hear, wisdom, wise guidance, with your generous help, ye root up also the wheat
Matthew 13:43b. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Oh mih people, Friday, that long awaited day, is here at last! Therefore, we can offer up our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is finally here!’ What would we do without the weekend eh? I don’t know. Our forefathers must have had it really hard when they were forced to work six and seven days a week, but thanks be to their fighting spirit, we’ve cut it down to five, and some are blessed enough to have only a four day work week. But let’s remember the hefty price our forefathers paid for reducing the work week, and truly appreciate it, and thus work diligently and efficiently as unto Jesus.
And today, we’ll look at an interesting parable of Jesus, that of the Wheat and the Tares (weeds), one we don’t hear a lot about. Jesus said to the multitude: ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade (grain) was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.’ (Matt. 13:24-26)
Now, according to this commentary, ‘Tares are weed plants (specifically darnel,) that look almost identical to wheat in their early stages, acting as a poisonous, bitter choking weed in grain fields. In appearance, they are incredibly similar to wheat, making them difficult to identify until the wheat bows down with grain and the tares remain upright.’
And Jesus continues the parable. ‘So the servants of the house-holder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while we gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.’ (Matt. 13:27-30)
And it’s obvious that Jesus’ audience back then would hardly understand what He was talking about. Oh, they knew about wheat and tares because it was an agrarian, or agricultural society, but Jesus’ hidden meaning would have gone over their heads, much like it would go over ours. (smile) So what does He mean?
The scholars offer these explanations. ‘24-27. This parable serves as a warning to the labourers in the field (the world, vs. 38). Unlike the Jewish form of the kingdom in the Old Testament, where citizens could easily be recognized, during the church age, converts will be made from all over the world and received upon their profession of faith. Thus, it will be easier to slip in some counterfeits who profess the church, which is the subject of these parables.
The enemy is Satan and the tares (darnel) are false converts. The darnel, although it resembled the wheat did not come to fruition (didn’t bear fruit). Thus Jesus words: The good seed …sprung up, and brought forth fruit, again, emphasizing that true converts produce fruitful lives. By contrast, false converts produce no lasting fruit.’
Then, as per verses 28-30, the scholars note: ‘The servants asked what could be done with these tares. To uproot them would be to damage the entire crop. Root up…the wheat with them: The implication seems to be that too much scathing (caustic criticism) of people’s genuineness of faith may damage the saved before it exposes the lost. Let both grow together indicates that there will always be some false professors among true Christian believers until the time of harvest or judgement. Note that the tares are gathered, bound, and burned first, whereas the wheat is gathered into my barn (heaven).’
Now, that’s a tough parable to break down, and not surprisingly, even the disciples didn’t understand it, and later asked Jesus for an explanation. ‘He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world (age); and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world (age).
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity (practice lawlessness); And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ (Matt. 13:37-43)
Oh friends, none of that needs further explanation. Jesus explained it fully, and if we don’t receive it, then that’s our problem. As He says, ‘Who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ So it’s all up to us now. We cannot say we didn’t know. Remember, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant for divine aid in these crucial times. And you’ll notice that I’ve reworked it with an older version, and made it a little shorter. (smile)
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. 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. So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example that 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 to receive that divine aid, it now behooves us to go out and set the good example that we were talking about! Much LOVE!
…the time for serious Christianity…is RIGHT NOW…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a common occurrence, a contrast between outward appearance and inward reality, a cultural thing, a heavenly reward, a shortcoming of Christians, appear beautiful outward, as a service to God not for human approval, as unto the Lord and not unto men, as your Father in heaven is perfect, be responsible, be the children of your Father in heaven, be ye therefore perfect, bless them that curse you, by the example we faithful believers set, Christian behaviour, Christians, confusion of these ungodly times, crying our for help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, do good to them that hate you, do not even the publicans the same, dress down Fridays, faith, Friday chant, full of dead men's bones, God sends rain on the just and the unjust, God's omnipotent help, greedy and deceitful times, greet only your brethren, he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, he that doeth wrong, holy spirit, hypocrisy has become rampant in today's society, hypocrites, if ye love them which love you, improve our motives and sincerity, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, knowing that of the Lord, lazing around, LOVE, love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy, Love your enemies, mercy, no respect of persons with God, our sinful world can wake up, performing all tasks wholeheartedly, pray for them which spitefully use you, prayer for divine aid, prejudices, receive the reward of the inheritance, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, serious problems are escalating, shall receive for the wrong that he hath done, show them the error of their ways, slacking off from work, smell the coffee, stand strong and steadfast for Christ, stay safe, talk a good talk about Jesus, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, The Bible - God's divine word, the norm not the exception, the sincerity and motives of our hearts, the throne of grace, trusting faith, truth, unbelievers doubt our witness, unexpected storms, we work as for man not as for God, what do ye more than others, what reward have ye, whatsoever ye do do it heartily, white washed sepulchres, wisdom, wise guidance, woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, work in an efficient and diligent manner, work should not be shirked, ye serve the Lord Christ
Colossians 3:23. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
So it’s finally Friday! Yes the day we’ve all been looking forward to since Monday. (smile) And though it’s dark, cloudy and rainy, we still lifted up our voices in our Friday Mantra with much enthusiasm. ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is hear at long last!’ But friends, just because today is Friday, the entry day to the weekend, it doesn’t mean that we can laze around and not do what needs to be done in an efficient and diligent manner, just like Jesus desires.
For some of us mistakenly think that Friday is a lazy day, but that is Saturday. Friday is another working day, it’s just that on Friday we can look forward to Saturday, the truly lazing day. But all five days of the work week ought to be taken seriously and not slacking off on Friday. I know it’s become a sort of cultural thing, with dress down Fridays, and Friday after work gatherings, but there’s nothing that says work should be shirked. And sadly, if some of us were paid on the work we actually did, we’d get very little in our pay packets.
However, as believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, we ought to follow this golden rule that Bruh Paul wrote 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. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:23-25) Yes friends, whatever we do down here on this earth it must be done as to God and not unto man.
As this commentary tells us, ‘”Do everything as unto the Lord,” means performing all tasks—work, chores, or relationships—wholeheartedly, with enthusiasm, and as a service to God rather than for human approval. This mindset shifts the focus from seeking recognition from others to serving Christ, which provides peace, purpose, and a heavenly reward.’
I could not put it any better my people! And that’s one of the shortcomings of many of us Christians, we work as for man, and not as for God. But remember that last verse from Bruh Paul’s letter above, warns us that wrongdoers will pay for their wrong doing, and we all know that the Lord is no respecter of persons, regardless of who you are, you will pay.
And unfortunately, that’s one the things that causes the unbeliever to doubt our witness. We talk a good talk about Jesus, but then they see us lazing around and slacking off from work. That either makes them feel that you can do that as a Christian, or we are just a bunch of hypocrites. Which again, unfortunately, many of us are.
It’s like Jesus describes the Jewish leaders of His time. ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres (whitewashed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)
Now, sadly, that can be said of many supposed believers. Like this commentary explains: ‘”Like whitewashed sepulchres” (or tombs) is a metaphor used by Jesus in Matthew 23:27 to condemn hypocrisy, describing people who appear righteous, beautiful, or holy on the outside but are inwardly corrupt, full of “dead men’s bones,” and moral uncleanness. It signifies a stark contrast between outward appearance and inner reality.’
And that’s such a common occurrence in these greedy, deceitful, evil and ungodly times, not only amongst Christians, but in our entire society. Consequently, because of the kind of society in which we currently dwell, hypocrisy has become rampant and more the norm than the exception. And yes, we all have our likes and dislikes, our prejudices and whatever, but that doesn’t mean we have to encourage or action them, especially when Jesus says we should not.
So let’s remember these words of Jesus: ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 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. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5: 43-48) Yes my brethren, as disciples and ambassadors of Jesus, we’re expected to do a tad more than the ordinary unbeliever.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant for divine aid to help us do just that! 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!’
Oh my people, you know we can talk a good talk, but the Lord doesn’t listen to our talk, but instead looks at the sincerity and motives of our hearts, and if our motives weren’t right and our prayer sincere, then we won’t be receiving any divine aid. It as simple as that. That means we need to improve our motives and our sincerity! Much LOVE!
…Christian behaviour is expected to be serious and sincere…not hypocritical…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Jew would be degraded by feeding swine, a means of restoring faith in you, a mighty famine arose in the land, a repentant sinner, a woman having ten pieces of silver, be responsible, began to be in want, calls her friends and neighbours together, crying out for God's help, discontent, dissatisfaction, divided unto them his living, easy money, faith, flock around for handouts, for our benefit, Friday chant, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me, God has concern for all of His creations, God's omnipotent help, holy spirit, I have found the piece I lost, ice patches, if the Lord grants life tomorrow, if there's delight in recuing one sheep or finding one coin, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus came to earth to save sinners, Jesus Christ, Jews were not allowed to keep or feed swine, joined himself to a citizen of that country, licentious living, lights a candle and looks for the lost coin, likewise I say unto you, LOVE, mercy, moral obligation, no man gave him anything, our sinful world, over one sinner that repenteth, problems escalating, rejoice with me, rescued from being lost to sin, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, seeks diligently till she finds it, sent him into his field to feed wsine, show them the error of their ways, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, stand up and improve it, stay safe, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example we faithful believers set, the gospel truth, the Lord will knock on your heart, the Lost Coin, the lost sheep, the Lost Son, the money's gone in two twos, the salvation of a sinner, the simmering unrest in our land, the weekend is here at last, the younger son gathered all together, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God, took his journey into a far cointry, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and see the chaos around us, wake up and smell the coffee, wasted his substance with riotous living, wisdom, wise guidance, with the husks that the swine ate, would fain have filled his belly
Luke 15:10. Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
And then it was Friday, the day we’ve all been looking forward to! But it’s not such a nice day, wet, cloudy with patches of hidden and dangerous ice in unseeming places. So if you go out, please tread carefully, for you know not what looks like solid ground might be hidden ice. But that has not stopped us from sending up our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ Now, yesterday we said that the Lord had guided us to look at the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son, however we only managed to look at the one pertaining to the Lost Sheep. So let’s take a look today at the Lost Coin.
After talking about there being more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety nine who don’t need it, (Luke 15:7) Jesus continues by saying: ‘Either what woman having ten pieces of silver (a drachma – a valuable silver coin), if she lose one piece (coin), doth not light a candle (lamp), and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me: for I have found the piece (coin) which I had lost. Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.’ (Luke 15:8-10)
Yes friends, that’s how much a repentant sinner is treasured in the heavenly realms. And the scholars offer this explanation of those verses. ‘If a woman and her neighbours delight in recovering a solitary coin, and if a shepherd takes joy in rescuing a single sheep, how much more praiseworthy is the salvation of a sinner? While some portray God as impersonal or aloof from human affairs, Jesus here teaches of His concern for every individual.’
And that’s the gospel truth! The Lord is interested in the affairs of every one of His creations. And why wouldn’t He be eh? He made us so that He could LOVE us and we could LOVE Him in return, and LOVE means being involved with, and concerned about those we LOVE. And since Jesus came to earth specifically to save sinners, it must mean that a repentant sinner is very important to the heavenly kingdom, and thus rejoicing is called for when even one sinner repents, or is recused from being lost to sin. So, let’s not belittle the act of repentance and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, for it’s the most momentous moment in a person’s life.
Then Jesus began talking about the Lost Son. ‘And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them, said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.’ (Luke 15:11-12) Now, the father given the son his inheritance before He died was something that would hardly happen in that society. And the scholars tell us: ‘According to Deuteronomy 21:17, the older of two sons was entitled to a double portion of a father’s estate. Here the younger son would have received one-third. He was probably under a moral obligation to use the inheritance in a way pleasing to the father, but he ignores this.’
Then Jesus continues: ‘And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance (possessions) with riotous living (wasteful, prodigal or reckless living).’ (Luke 15:13) And the scholars play hardball on that verse, by saying: ‘Gathered all together means that he turned his assets into hard cash. Not many days is Luke’s understatement. The lad wasted no time getting ready to waste money.’ And we see also that very often in our society, where those who come into easy money, blow it on licentious living, and in two twos, the money’s gone.
And that’s exactly what happened to this lost son. Jesus tells us: ‘And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his field to feed swine. And he would fain (gladly) have filled his belly with the husks (carob pods) that the swine did eat: and no man gave him anything.’ (Luke 15:14-16)
That’s another regular occurrence. When you have money or wealth, a lot of people flock around you looking for handouts. But when your money or wealth runs out, everyone stops coming around, none of those who previously flocked around for your largesse, ever remember your goodness to them. But even more importantly in this case, as the scholars explain: ‘A Jew would have been unbearably degraded by feeding swine. Also, the owner would have had to be a Gentile, since both keeping and feeding swine were forbidden to Jews.’
That tells you how low the prodigal son had fallen, even to the thought of eating the pig’s food. Unfortunately though, we need stop there for today because there’s much more to say on the Lost Son. But if the Lord grants us life tomorrow, we’ll continue looking at that parable. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in these terrible times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And that’s exactly what we need to do my fellow believers; wake up and see the chaos around us, then stand up and do something to improve it. Remember, it’s not for God’s benefit but for ours and our descendants! Much LOVE!
…don’t worry…if you’re lost…the Lord will find you…by knocking on your heart…until you open it to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Mar 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend of the world is the enemy of God, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, all sinned and disobeyed your word, ask in God's will, be afflicted and mourn, be in the world but not of the world, but where sin abounded, cannot obtain, cleanse your hands ye sinners, clinging steadfastly to Jesus, concrete jungles, consume it upon your lusts, covet, desire to have, desires for pleasure, divine aid, don't behave like the world behaves, don't lust after the things of the world, don't sell your soul for silver and gold, draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you, earn a dollar, eternal life, eternal separation from Almighty God, even of your lusts, every imagination was evil continually, faith, fighting mode, from whence come wars and fighting among you, get into labouring mode, giveth grace unto the humble, go with the flow, God is by fat the better choice, God resisteth the proud, God saw that the wickedness of man was great, grace did much more abound, he giveth more grace, he shal lift you up, holy spirit, humble servants, humble yourselves in the sight of God, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, let your laughter be turned to mourning, like the day follows the night, like the sun follows the moon, LOVE, mercy, mourn and weep, negative situations, only one way to live this life right, our duty in partnership with God, pray, pull up our socks, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, resist the devil and he will flee from you, salvation, selfish and unsatisfied desires, sin can never outshine God's grace, sincerely seek your face, stand a fighting chance, striving with each other, submit yourselves to God, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the best rewards available, the friendship of the world is enmity with God, the God who heals, the law entered that the offence might abound, the material things of the world, the power to solve our problems, the scripture saith in vain, the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy, the way the working world is set up, the worst thing that can happen to a human soul, to keep life and limb together, truth, turn from our evil ways, unexpected storms, wisdom, wise guidance, wrestling with God in prayer, ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss, ye have not becuse ye ask not, ye kill, ye lust and have not, you cannot love both god and the world, your joy to heaviness
James 4:7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
And now that Sunday has passed into the history Books, this new day must be Monday, for Monday follows Sunday like the sun follows the moon and the day the night. That therefore means, after a couple of days of rest, we must get back out into the crazy world. Yes, once again on this bright and sunshiny but cold day, we need to get into labouring mode, sometimes more like fighting mode, with all the pushing and shoving that occurs while commuting numerous miles, through various modes of transportation to the concrete jungles, where most of the work is located, so we can earn a dollar to keep life and limb together. (smile)
Then suffer the same commuting fate to get back home at the end of the workday. No, it certainly doesn’t seem like the best of systems, but unfortunately that’s the way the working world is set up, and if you want to stand a fighting chance, then you need to go with the flow and over time enhance your situation as best as possible. But while doing that, please don’t sell your soul to Beelzebub for silver or gold, or the nice-looking material things of the world, for, when you do that in an effort to get ahead, you’re only making matters worse, because then you’ll be heading straight for eternal separation from Almighty God, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul.
The only way to live this life right, is by clinging steadfastly to Jesus, and then you’ll be headed for salvation and eternal life, the best rewards available. And James, Jesus’ brother, possibly says it best when he writes to his readers, who instead of wrestling with God in prayer, were striving with one another. He rightly asks: ‘From whence come wars (conflicts) and fighting among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts to have (desires for pleasure) that war in your members (bodies)? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill (murder), and desire to have (covet), and cannot obtain: ye fight and war (battle), yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (pleasures).’ (James 4:1-3)
And that’s exactly what’s happening all around our world today! For most, if not all of the strife permeating the world stems from selfish and unsatisfied desires to get what we want, as well as what the world has to offer. Remember what we said about prayer yesterday? Nothing’s wrong with asking, if you’re asking for stuff that falls into God’s will. That’s the basic qualification; it must be in God’s will. Then James continues with these words of wisdom. ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will (wants to) be a friend of the world is the enemy (makes himself an enemy) of God.’ (James 4:4)
That’s an indisputable fact, since Jesus spoke about His followers being IN the world but not OF the world. (John 17:14-16) That means we must not lust after the things of the world, or behave like the world behaves, because it brings us into wrong standing with our heavenly Father. And James rolls on: ‘Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to (yearns) to envy (jealousy)?’ (James 4:5) There he’s referring to this scripture from Genesis. ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts (intentions) of his heart was only evil continually.’ (Gen. 6:5)
Yes back then, just like today, most of what man thought, plotted or did was strictly evil all the time. Then James gets to the solution of the problem. ‘But he giveth more grace, Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’ (James 4:6) And per the scholars, that means ‘God gives greater grace than the world’s attraction of verse 4 and the inner lust of verse 5, and so can withstand both.’ There, James is quoting from Romans where Bruh Paul writes: ‘Moreover the law entered, that the offence (sin) might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.’ (Rom. 5:20)
So wherever sin is, grace abounds there even more. In other words, sin can never outshine God’s grace! Thus, James dictates: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10) And all of what James says there makes sense. It’s high time we get serious, forget our foolish pride and turn sincerely to God, for that’s where our hope and future lie. (Jer. 29:11)
And the scholars offer these explanations. Therefore: The exhortations that follow logically result from the conditions in verses 1-6. Resist the devil means: Do not submit to, fear, or flee from Satan, but stand against him (1 Pet. 5:8-10). Satan cannot lead into sin against one’s will. As per Draw nigh: God will not be unmoved. His welcoming response is always near. (cf. Deut. 4:7; Lam. 3:57; Luke 15:20). Hands and hearts mean the cleansing of one’s life must involve both outward and inward deeds and inner thoughts (cf. Ps. 24:3).’
Ah friends, it certainly seems like we have our work cut out for us, but if we want to have victory over Satan and the world, then those are some of the things we need to do. And to help us do them, let’s now go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid 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!’
Now let’s remember, despite God’s help, we still have our duty to do in the partnership, and He will not do our part. That means we have to pull up our socks and get moving asap! Why? Because it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…you cannot LOVE both God and the world…it’s either one or the other…and God is by far the better choice…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
27 Feb 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 zeppo, above the highest heavens, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, be exalted O God, be responsible, be strong and of a good courage, blessed be God, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, by the example your faithful believers set, Christ has given us the victory, come boldly to the throne of grace, comforts us in all our tribulation, crying out for God's help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, discontent and dissatisfaction, divine aid, every ounce of emotion is drained, faith, fear not nor be afraid of them, feel and extra connection with God, find grace to help in time of need, Friday chant, God intuitively provides information, God sent not his son into thte world to condemn the world, God's love is everlasting, Gods' word is unquestionable, guide thee with mine eye, he hath not believed, he that believeth not is condemned already, he that believeth on him is not condemned, he will not fail thee nor forsake thee, holy spirit, humbly with confidence, I give them eternal life, I will instruct thee, I will not leave you comfortless, in the name of Jesus, in the name of the only begotten Son of God, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus Christ, lifted to peaks of delight, LOVE, loved you with an everlasting love, may your glory shine over all the earth, mercy, my future is secure, my heart is a brambled desert, my past is forgiven, my sheep hear my voice, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand, never leave me comfortless, obtain mercy, omnipotent help, one body of Christ, One Year Book of Bible promises, our sinful world can wake up, Rare Moments of Delight, rare mysterious momnets, return backsliders to your fold, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, serious problems are escalating, show them the error of their ways, smell it sweet and strong, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, teach thee in the way thou shall go, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the ecstacy of feeling, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the Holy Trinity, the Lord hath appeared of old unto me, the Lord thy God doth go with thee, the world through him might be saved, these ungodly times, they shall never perish, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee, you add to my knowing
Psalm 108: 5. ‘Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.’
So finally it’s Friday; the day we’ve all been looking forward to, and although it’s somewhat cloudy, we really don’t care, and have offered up our Friday Mantra: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here!’ But please note, that doesn’t mean we can laze around at work today. No! It means we still have to be diligent and do whatever is needed in the name of Jesus, because that’s what He expects of us.
And today we’ll look at an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one doesn’t sound familiar to me, but who knows, I might have shared it before. The fact is that they are all worthy to be shared again and again for they are inspiring, encouraging and tell lots of truths about our situations. This one is titled ‘Rare Moments of Delight.’
So please read with me: ‘Because you are God And Your Word is unquestionable There are things I assuredly know Even when my heart is a brambled desert And every ounce of emotion is drained: I know Your LOVE is everlasting I know You will never forsake me Nor will you leave me comfortless I know I can come to You boldly I know you will teach and instruct me You will guide me with Your eye I know my past is forgiven And my future is secure. But, oh, dear God How I praise You for the marvel Of those rare, mysterious moments when suddenly, without a flash or a sound You add to my knowing The ecstasy of feeling and I am lifted to peaks of delight!’
Oh friends, the poem doesn’t only gives us some of the many promises that our great God has made, and what we know from reading His Word, which keeps us safe and secure, but there’s an even greater feeling, one where He just intuitively flashes us some information that we were not expecting, which brings us even closer to Him. It’s what we sometimes call receiving a Zeppo. That sudden intuitive feeling that something is right, or it’s what we should do. It’s like when I was looking through the book today for a poem to offer, when I came to the one we just read, there was this feeling like the Lord was saying that’s the right one. So I just used it. At times like those we feel and extra connection with our God, renewing our convictions that He is indeed real and looking out for us.
And all I want to do now is remind us of some of the scriptures that we spoke of in the poem. For instance God’s everlasting LOVE. The Bible says it in different ways in several scriptures, but this one from Jeremiah probably says it the best. ‘The Lord hath appeared of old (from afar) unto me, saying, Yea, I have LOVED you with an everlasting LOVE: therefore with LOVING-KINDNESS have I drawn thee.’ (Jer. 31:3) And as per never leaving nor forsaking us, there are again several scriptures that point out that promise, but Moses said it quite early to the children of Israel. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6)
Then as per never leaving us comfortless, there’s this great scripture from Bruh Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, where he talks about the Comfort of God. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Wow! What a magnificent scripture! God comforts us so that we can comfort others with the comfort we receive from Him. And don’t forget the Holy Spirit that dwells within us is also know as the Comforter. (John 14:16; 15:26) And Jesus also promised, ‘I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:18) So there’s lots of comfort to be had from our Holy Trinity!
Then, as per going boldly to God, we all know the scripture from Hebrews that says: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) Now, boldly there doesn’t mean proudly or arrogantly, but humbly with the confidence that God will not turn us away. And as per His teaching and instructing us, Bruh David says it quite clearly in Psalm 32: ‘I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.’ (Ps. 32:8)
And finally, as per our forgiven past and safe futures, there are many scriptures that address those points, but for time’s sake we’ll only check out a couple of statements from Jesus. The first is one we all know: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:17-18) Then later on Jesus declares to His accusers: ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck (snatch) them out of my hand.’ (John 10:27-28) You cannot get any safer or more secure than that my faithful brethren!
And lest we forget, (smile) the Bible Promise for today’s poem comes from Psalm 108. ‘Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.’ (Ps. 108:5) That’s the NLT (New Living Translation). Meanwhile the KJV (King James Version) says: ‘Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;’ (Ps. 108:5) And though we are King James people here, (smile) I like the NLT version, and we’ll use it as our Bit. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, confidently, but humbly, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid to help in these very troubled 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 though we pray good prayers, friends, the truth is that until we come together as the supposed one body of Christ, and begin seriously living for Him, getting divine aid will always be a problem for us. Much LOVE!
…Christ has given us the victory…we now have to make sure we don’t lose it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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