weeping may endure for a night

The Absolute Necessity of Holding On to God in Strong Faith to Endure Evil and Ungodly Times!

14 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, a song of praise and encouragement, abject misery, after the rain comes the sunshine, all things work together for good, bad times don't last forever, be not dismayed, behind each cloud there's a silver lining, better must come one day, Christians must get tough, clouds all over the land, delivered of a child when she was past age, disobedient children, don't give up, encourage each other, faith, fear thou not, fear thou not for I am with thee, forgotten them, from the very core of our beings, George Banton, giving God thanks and praise, go to the Lord's sanctuary, God is not a man that he should lie, hath he said and shall he not do it, Hold On Better must come, hold on for dear life, hold on until the end, holy spirit, I am thy God I will strenthen thee, I thanked the Lord for another day, I woke up this morning, I've been there, in each life a little rain must fall, Jesus Christ, Jesus will fix it for you, joy comes in the morning, judged him faithful who had promised, keep on keeping on, know that the sun will shine again, like the clouds give way to the sun, looked through my window, LOVE, mercy, no relief in sight, praising and worshipping God, refresh our spirits, remember this song, right from our hearts, salvation, sometimes I get a little weak, strong faith, sweet sacrifices of praise, tell your friend, tell your mother and father, telling you to be strong, the darkest night is just before the dawn, the gospel truth, the Hall of Fame, the Lord does not lie, the sun will shine, there was sunshine everywhere, they acknowledged him faithful who promised, though times and things look bad, through faith also Sarah received strength to conceive seed, to see these tough times through, toiling in the boiling sun, tough times don't last but tough people do, truth, uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, weeping may endure for a night, when I opened my eyes, when you're down and out, who are called according to His purpose, wisdom, with no one around, with sunshine on my mind, with the soul of our forefathers, without faith it is impossible to please God, your change is going to come

Psalm 30:5b. …weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) comes in the morning.

Another Sunday has rolled around warm and fairly sunny friends, and thus it behooves us to go the Lord’s sanctuary and have our souls, bodies and minds renewed and refreshed, through hearing His Word and giving Him thanks and praise for His goodness to His wayward and disobedient children whom He still LOVES so dearly. And is it ever to our great benefit that we experience His unconditional LOVE! That’s for sure!

So, today, in appreciation for God’s great compassion, we will open with a song of praise and genuine encouragement for all of us who are finding it difficult to keep our faith strong in these terrible strife-filled times. And the title of the song is ‘Hold On, Hold on (Better Must Come One Day).’ It’s a song done by Jamaican Canadian Gospel Artist, George Banton from His 2002 Album, ‘Jesus will fix it for You.’

Now, there’s also a ska version of the song, but for our purposes today we need to get really soulful, to allow the music and the words to come up right from our hearts, from the very core of our beings, with the soul that our forefathers felt when they were toiling in the boiling sun, but praising and worshipping a God who seemed to have forgotten them in their abject misery. But their faith was strong, they acknowledged Him faithful who had promised, and so they stood strong and held on, just like we’re doing today, because we know that better must come. The Lord promised it, and He doesn’t lie.

So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a truly soulful and sincere version of the song. Singing: ‘You know in each life, a little rain must fall, and sometimes the darkest night is just before dawn. I’m here to tell you, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Oh let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. I woke up this morning, with sunshine on my mind, but as I looked through my window, there were clouds all over the land. Then I thanked the Lord for giving me another day.

And when I opened my eyes, there was sunshine everywhere, telling me to hold on, hold on, better must come someday. The clouds were all rolled away, yes they did, And I’m here to tell you, Oh I just can’t keep it to myself now, I’ve gotta tell somebody else, to hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Hold on till the end, and don’t give up now, I know your change is going to come, like the clouds give way to the sun.

And sometimes when you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, and happiness is nowhere in sight. But I’m here to tell you that trouble don’t last always, behind each dark cloud there’s a silver lining. Yeh, let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day, better will come, I know, Oh I know it will, Hey, hey, you’d better hold on, hold on, for better must come one day.

I’d like to share this with every man, every woman, with every boy and every girl. Let me tell you, you’d better hold on. I don’t know about you nuh, but sometimes I get a little weak, yes, I’ve been there, and know that the sun will shine again, so I’m holding on, and you’d better hold on too, hold on, for better must come one day, Yes hold on, hold on, for better must come one day…better must come one day…’

Oh friends, the Lord promised it, and He doesn’t lie. It’s as the prophet Balaam said to King Balak who wanted him to curse Israel, but the Lord would not allow it. ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ (Num. 23:19)

Of course! If He said it, He will indeed do it! That’s why in the Hall of Fame chapter 11 of Hebrews; the author could write: ‘Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of (bore) a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who hath promised.’ (Heb. 11:11) And that’s one of the necessities of faith. As the author of Hebrews earlier wrote: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6)

Consequently as believers in Almighty God, we need to hold on faithfully to the promises He’s given us in His Word, as well as those given to us individually, or we’ll never see them come true. That’s why we need to steadfastly hold on, though things and times look bad, for bad times don’t last forever. For as Bruh David says in Psalm 30: ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) comes in the morning.’ (Ps. 30:5b)

And that’s the gospel truth friends. The nighttime might bring fears and worries, but when the daylight appears, our fears and worries don’t ever seem half as bad. And we know that after the rain comes the sunshine which makes everything look so much brighter. As the song says: ‘trouble don’t last always, behind each dark cloud there’s a silver lining.’ And that means better must come, so we cannot afford to give up, especially since there’s no giving up in Jesus’ vocabulary.

No! We need to keep on keeping on in faith, for as this magnificent promise of God tells us: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Yes friends, that says it all! Life is not all comfort and good times; that’s just the way of the world. However, when times get rough and there seems to be no relief in sight, if we hang in there in faith, the Lord will eventually see us through them all, because that’s His promise and as Sarah found out, he who promised is faithful.

So, in these tough and uncertain times, let’s hold on, hold on for dear life, and also encourage each other, for as the Lord God Jehovah said so long ago: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) Now that ought to keep us strong and steadfast in our earthly work for Christ! Much LOVE!

…in the words of Dr. Robert H. Schuller…tough times don’t last…but tough people do…therefore, Christians must get tough…if they want to see these tough times through…

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

The Importance of Holding On tightly to One’s Faith in Tough Times!

26 Jan 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a shout of joy comes in the morning, a silver lining, abject misery, Abraham, anchor, barren deserts, be strong, behind each dark cloud, being fully persuaded, believe on him that raised Jesus, better must come one day, Bible, bread of life, christianity, Christians, clouds were all over the land, dark and uncertain times, delivered for our offences, don't give up now, faith, falling down on God's job, fear thou not for I with thee, for our justification, fully convinced, George Banfon, giving glory to God, go tell your freind, God could perform His promise, God is not a man that he should lie, God will do whatever He says, he wavered not at the promise of God, held on, His anger endures but a moment, Hold On Better must come, hold on till the end, holy spirit, I am thy God, I thanked the Lord for another day, I will help you, I will strengthen you, I woke up this morning, I've been there, I've been weak, imputed to him for righteousness, in each life a little rain must fall, in his favour is life, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our answer for everything, joy cometh in the morning, like the clouds give way to the sun, like we're doing today, living water, long and short of the story, looking through the window, LOVE, mercy, neither the son of man that he should repent, on safari in South Africa, pilot, praising and worshipping God, raised again, remember to hold on, salvation, share it with every man woman boy and girl, stood strong, storms of life, strong in faith, tell your brother and sister, telling me to hold on, the better must come one day, the core of our beings, the darkest night is just before the dawn, the Father of righteousness, the gospel truth, the Lord promised it in His word, the Lord's Day, the only sure thing is Jesus, the soul of our forefathers, the sun will shine again, the sweetest gospel music is West Indian gospel, their faith was strong, there was sunshine everywhere, they acknowledged him faithful who promised, they toiled in the burning sun, through unbelief, trouble doesn't last for always, truth, unexpected things happen unexpectedly, uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, weeping may endure for a night, West Indian Gospel Music, when I opened my eyes, when you're down and out, wisdom, with no one around, wo seems to have forgotten them, woke up with sunshine on my mind, work for Jesus, written as an example for us

Psalm 30:5. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) cometh in the morning.

Ah mih people, this life isn’t easy nuh, and what makes it even harder is when unexpected things happen unexpectedly. That happened to me yesterday. The hospital called and said they needed to see me for more tests. So there I was at ten in the morning, unable to enjoy my lazy-day Saturday, waiting for a test that could have been done on Thursday when I was there. But nobody thought to do it then. Now that first test didn’t take too long, but then I had to wait for the results, and there were other tests to follow up on those results.

The long and short of the story is that I didn’t get out of the hospital until four o’clock in the afternoon, only an hour earlier than the first day. And by the time I got home I was in no fit shape to write a sensible bit. (smile) That makes one more time I must apologize for missing a day. But yuh know what, before this, I believe I’ve only missed about four days in the eighteen years I’ve been doing it. And two of those days were when I was in South Africa some years ago on safari (smile) and the internet went down. Even when I’ve had surgeries or was laid up in the hospital for one reason or the other, I’ve always managed to put out something.

Let’s hope this is the end of missing days, because we can’t keep on falling down on the Lord’s job; we have to keep on keeping on. And with that in mind, this Sunday morning, as we gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to celebrate His day, we’ll open our celebration with this wonderful piece of West Indian Soul Music, performed by Jamaican Canadian Gospel Artist, George Banton from his 2002 Album, ‘Jesus Will Fix It’, a song most appropriately titled ‘Hold On, Hold On (Better Must Come One Day.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth? It certainly is, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ.

And today we’re going to get real soulful, allowing the words and the music to rise up from the very bottom of our hearts, from the very core of our beings, with the soul that our forefathers felt when they were toiling in the boiling sun, but praising and worshipping a God who seemed to have forgotten them in their abject misery. But their faith was strong, they acknowledged Him faithful who had promised, and so they stood strong and held on, just like we’re doing today, because we know that better must come. The Lord promised it, and He doesn’t lie. So, let’s sing, show them why West Indian Gospel is the sweetest gospel music ever! And there’s no bias in that, because it’s the indisputable truth. (smile)

So, singing: ‘You know in each life, a little rain must fall, and sometimes the darkest night is just before dawn. I’m here to tell you, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Oh let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. I woke up this morning, with sunshine on my mind, but as I looked through my window, there were clouds all over the land. Then I thanked the Lord for giving me another day. And when I opened my eyes, there was sunshine everywhere, telling me to hold on, hold on, better must come some day.

The clouds were all rolled away, yes they did, And I’m here to tell you, Oh I just can’t keep it to myself now, (I’ve gotta tell somebody else, to hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Hold on till the end, and don’t give up now,) I know your change is going to come, like the clouds give way to the sun. Whenever you’re down and out, and you have no one around, remember this song, telling you to be strong. Let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. The sun will shine, yes it will! So, go tell your friend, go tell your mama, tell your sister about it, tell your daddy, to hold on, hold on, better must come one day.

Let me tell you, you’d better hold on. I don’t know about you nuh, but sometimes I get a little weak, yes, I’ve been there, and know that the sun will shine again, so I’m holding on, and you’d better hold on too, hold on, for better must come one day, Yes hold on, hold on, for better must come one day…better must come one day…’

The Lord promised it, and He doesn’t lie. As renegade prophet Balaam said to the Moab Prince Balak on the Lord’s behalf: ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ (Num. 23: 19) So anything God says, we can believe. And He’s solemnly and faithfully promised that all things will work together for good to those who LOVE Him, to those who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)

Now that means that everything will not be always hunky dory, and there will be problems, but in the end the Lord will make it alright. As Bruh David so rightly says in Psalm 30: ‘For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) cometh in the morning.’ (Ps. 30: 5) As the song tells us: ‘trouble don’t last always; behind each dark cloud there’s a silver lining.’ And you need to believe that if you want to work for Jesus.

And the Lord’s promised His grace and favour and faithfulness all through His Word like this example from Isaiah, when He declares (chuh man!!!): ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) Now that’s why Abraham is called the Father of righteousness; because he fully believed God without knowing Him, or anything about Him. Especially when the Lord promised him a son, and it took twenty-five years to happen; when he was a hundred years old, and his wife Sara was ninety.

The Bible tells it thus: ‘He staggered (wavered) not at the promises of God through unbelief; but was strong (strengthened) in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded (convinced) that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed unto him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Who was delivered for (because of ) our offences, and was raised again for our justification.’ (Rom. 4:20-25)

Yes friends, it’s all been put there as an example for us. If we sincerely believe in Jesus and are obedient to His will like Abraham believed God and was obedient to His will, then we also will be called righteous. And we all know that life is filled with numerous ups and down, many rainy days, dark nights, and unknown paths to tread, but if we do like the song says, and hold on, hold on tightly to Jesus, our Lord and Saviour in the this world of sin, our Anchor and Pilot in the storms of life, our bread of life and source of living water in the barren deserts, then we will come through it alright in the end, because that’s His awesome and faithful promise, and He does not lie.

So please, whatever we’re going through right now, let’s hold on tightly to our Answer for Everything – JESUS! And yuh better believe that’s exactly what I’m doing in these dark and uncertain times…holding on…holding for dear life to Jesus! Much LOVE!

…the only sure thing in this crazy world…is JESUS…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 August 2023 Psalm 30:5b.

19 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a pathway that led directly to God's presence, a simple heartfelt prayer, blessings can both be bestowed and taken away, brought up my soul from the grave, despise not the chastening of the Lord, get too big for our britches, give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness, hast not made my foes to rejoice over me, health to your navel, hear O lord and have mercy, humble and obedient, I will extol thee O Lord, I will give thanks unto thee for ever, increase my awareness of you today, joy cometh in the morning, kept me alive, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lord be thou my helper, LOVE, marrow to your bones, not too proud to beg, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, quiet my soul, shall the dust praise thee, sing unto the Lord O ye saints, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, that I may know you all the more, the Lord is no respecter of persons, thous hast lifted me up, turned my mourning into dancing, weeping may endure for a night, what profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth

Psalm 30:5b. …weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

And it’s a cool and windy but sunshiny lazy-day Saturday! So there’s nothing to complain about; just oodles of time to laze around in good weather. (smile) Unfortunately though, some of us don’t have that luxury, we have to be about our Father’s business. And since my lazy time has been cut short, I’ll be selfish and take you along with me. So please accompany me as we declare (yesss!!!) our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.

Altogether now. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’

And without fail, that simple, heartfelt prayer touched something in me, opened up a pathway, as it were, that led directly to God’s awesome presence. It’s the kind of thing that happens when you open up your heart to the Lord and pour out all that’s in it. When you pray for things like God’s unceasing nearness, His awesome LOVE and peace, and the ability to know Him more, His presence just naturally shows up and quietens our hearts. It’s like Bruh David cried out in Psalm 30 – Praise for God’s Holiness.

He unashamedly proclaims: ‘I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave (Sheol, the place of the dead): thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit (grave).’ (Ps. 30:1-3) Yes friends, it’s the Lord who keeps us and our souls alive and refreshed, and not mired in the pit of unrighteousness.

Therefore, as Bruh David continues: ‘Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness (His holy name). For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ (Ps. 30:4-5) And how wonderful is that eh my fellow believers? It certainly is, for there’s no other god like our God, who doesn’t retain His anger at us, or hold our sins over our heads for ever and ever. But for that very reason we have to be humble and not boast or be prideful when we receive the Lord’s favour.

As Bruh David said: ‘And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved (shaken). Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit (grave)? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord be thou my helper.’ (Ps. 30:6-10)

Ah my fellow saints, you see how quickly the Lord can take away His favour if we allow His goodness to make us become proud and haughty. Regardless of how much favour and LOVING-kindness our God pours out on us, He expects us to remain humble and obedient to His every word, not get too big for our britches and stop considering or forget where our prosperity came from.

But sadly, that’s something way too many of us do. The Lord blesses us, and we are joyful at the moment, but soon forget it, or become so accustomed to His blessings that they longer move us the way they ought to. But please remember that just as blessings can be bountifully bestowed, they can also become non-existent if our behaviour becomes inappropriate. Remember too that the Lord is no respecter of persons; be we big or small, weak or strong, our positions in life doesn’t matter. It’s all about how we react to Him and His favour.

So, apparently Bruh David got a li’l too big for his britches and the Lord removed His favour, which troubled him, and he came back crying for help, for mercy. But even that shows the kind of person Bruh David was. He wasn’t too proud to beg when he’d done wrong. But some of us are so proud and arrogant, that even when we know we’ve done wrong, be it before the Lord or our fellow man, we refuse to apologize and/or ask for mercy. We’re just so full of ourselves and our supposed importance that apologizing or asking for mercy and help are beneath us. But that’s why we suffer so many setbacks and disappointments.

Meanwhile those who drop the false pride and ask for forgiveness and help, usually receive it, because our God is a forgiving and merciful God when He sees the sincerity of our hearts. Consequently, Bruh David could afford to write: ‘Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth (the ragged clothes of my mourning), and girded me with gladness. To the end that my glory (my soul) may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.’ (Ps. 30:11-12) And that’s how it ought to be my people!

Now the scholars tell us that there’s no certainty of when and for what purpose the Psalm was written, but ‘In later Judaism the psalm was used in the celebration of Hanukkah (the Jewish festival at Christmas) and at the presentation of firstfruits. The main idea of the psalm, in any case, is clearly expressed: Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing (vs.11). The joy and thanks voiced in the final two verses, however, are only the aftermath of David’s thanks (vs. 1-5) for the Lord’s chastening hand on a boastful servant (vs. 6-10).’

Please friends, let’s remember God’s awesome truth this lazy-day Saturday. ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons). My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6)

Now that’s a most appropriate scripture for us to end on today. So, I implore us to spend some of our lazy-day Saturday meditating, contemplating and pondering on it. ‘It shall be health to our navels (bodies), and marrow (strength or refreshment) to our bones.’ (smile) (Prov. 3:8) Much LOVE!

… as our dear departed Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) would say…the best way to live this life…is to obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2023 Romans 8:28.

13 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a covenant with Christ, abject misery, all things work together for good, be not dismayed, better must come one day, called according to His purpose, fear thou not, George Banton, God rested on the seventh day, God's faithfulness, his anger endureth but for a moment, Hold On Better must come, hold on till the end, I am thy God I will strenthen thee, in each life a little rain must fall, in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, Jesus will fix it, joy cometh in the morning, like the clouds give way to the sun, like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, LOVE, sacrificial praise, the darkest night is just before the dawn, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, this too shall pass, to them that love God, toiling in the boiling sun, weeping may endure for a night, woke up with sunshine on my mind, your change is going to come

Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

And it’s Sunday once again friends! That marvellous awakening we call the Lord’s Day, when we rest from our labours and gather together to praise and worship our great God! Why is that you ask? Because as His Word, the Holy Bible tells us: ‘For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.’ (Ex. 20:11)

And furthermore, just in case we couldn’t figure it out on our own, (smile) He specifically instructed: ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work…’ (Ex. 20:8-10) So we have no excuses whatsoever for misunderstanding His intentions. Therefore, be it Sunday, or whatever day we choose, we must keep one day of the seven in each week holy before our great God, as His Sabbath.

And as is our custom, we open the day’s festivities with a song of praise and thanksgiving. Today’s offering of worship is aptly titled ‘Hold On, Hold On, (Better Must Come One Day).’ And if you’re a true believer in Jesus Christ, then you will know and acknowledge that awesome fact, that one day better must come, if we hold on to the end with Jesus. The song is taken from Jamaican Canadian Gospel Artist, George Banton’s 2002 Album, ‘Jesus will fix it for You.’ And He most certainly will, if we allow Him to.

Now today we’re doing a slow version of the song, and thus we need to get really soulful, let the music and the words come up right from our hearts, from the very core of our beings, with the soul that our forefathers felt when they were toiling in the boiling sun, but praising and worshipping a God who seemed to have forgotten them in their abject misery. However, their faith was strong, they acknowledged Him faithful who had promised, and so they stood strong and held on, just like we’re doing today, because we know that better must come. The Lord promised it, and He doesn’t lie.

So, in all sincerity, let’s send up our sweet, harmonious voices to heaven in sacrificial praise to our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Singing: ‘You know in each life, a little rain must fall, and sometimes the darkest night is just before dawn. I’m here to tell you, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Oh let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. I woke up this morning, with sunshine on my mind, but as I looked through my window, there were clouds all over the land.

Then I thanked the Lord for giving me another day. And when I opened my eyes, there was sunshine everywhere, telling me to hold on, hold on, better must come some day. The clouds were all rolled away, yes they did, And I’m here to tell you, Oh I just can’t keep it to myself now, I’ve gotta tell somebody else, to hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Hold on till the end, and don’t give up now, I know your change is going to come, like the clouds give way to the sun.

Whenever you’re down and out, and you have no one around, remember this song, telling you to be strong. Let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. The sun will shine, yes it will! So, go tell your friend, go tell your mama, tell your sister about it, tell your daddy, to hold on, hold on, better must come one day. And sometimes when you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, and happiness is nowhere in sight. But I’m here to tell you that trouble don’t last always, behind each dark cloud there’s a silver lining. Yeh, let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day, better will come, I know, Oh I know it will,

Hey, hey, you’d better hold on, hold on, for better must come one day. I’d like to share this with every man, every woman, with every boy and every girl. Let me tell you, you’d better hold on. I don’t know about you nuh, but sometimes I get a little weak, yes, I’ve been there, and know that the sun will shine again, so I’m holding on, and you’d better hold on too, hold on, for better must come one day, Yes hold on, hold on, for better must come one day…better must come one day…’

And that’s the God awesome truth my people! The Lord promised it, and He doesn’t lie. Listen to this eye-opening and full of God’s promise scripture that encompasses all that we’ve spoken about. Bruh Paul writes to the Roman church to encourage them to stand strong and steadfast in their faith. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) And that is a monumental scripture that we all need to take to heart, especially in what seems like the last days, when the whole world is topsy turvy and there are no true strongholds, no place of real refuge besides Jesus.

Then there are these most meaningful and encouraging words of Bruh David from Psalm 30. ‘Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness (His holy name). For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ (Ps. 30:4-5) Yes friends, though the Lord may get angry with us for our disobedience, He will not stay angry for long, and though things look rough, they will only be rough for a season, but eventually the good times will appear again, if we have the faith and cling steadfastly to Christ.

As the old saying goes: ‘this too shall pass.’ And everything certainly passes away at some time or other. It’s been promised that even this earth and heaven will eventually pass away, and a new earth and heaven will take its place, (Rev. 21) so nothing but our God is everlasting and eternal. And this promise proclaimed by Isaiah epitomizes God’s faithfulness. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded (disgraced): they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.’ (Is, 41:10-11)

Now friends, if we can’t believe God’s words and promises, whose can we believe eh? But please note all that stuff doesn’t happen automatically just because we claim to believe. No, since we are in a covenant relationship with Christ, a two-way operation, we need to keep our part of the bargain and live the way He desires us to live, be obedient and faithful, etc. etc. for all those promises to come to pass. But please have no doubt that if we live sincerely for Christ, that He will take care of us! Much LOVE!…one can only hold on successfully…if you’re holding on to Christ…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 July 2023 1 Corinthians 3:11.

09 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: become the head of the corner, by water and the word, charter of salvation, false sons in her pale, for her life he died, for other foundation can no man lay than Jesus, from heaven he came and sough her, God gave the increase, greetings, I have planted and Apollos watered, Jesus is our foundation stone, joy cometh in the morning, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, Samuel Stone, Samuel Wesley, she is his new creation, the author and finisher of our faith, the chief corner stone, the church shall never perish, the church's one foundation, the collective Christian fellowship, the great church victorious, the night of weeping, the song of morn, the stone set at nought, there be those who hate her, to be his holy bride, to hope she presses, weeping may endure for a night, with God the three in one, with His own blood he bought her

1 Corinthians 3:11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Sunday greetings friends! It’s sure good to be in the Lord’s sanctuary once again, preparing to worship Him, to give Him much thanks and praise in the company of other believers. There’s nothing like it! And today we’ll begin our celebrations with a wonderful old favourite written in the 1860’s by the English Anglican Parish Priest, Samuel John Stone and put to music by Samuel Sebastian Wesley. This Christian hymn is ever so important to our faith, one might call it the foundation on which our faith is built. (smile)

So, with sincere, heartfelt, sacrifices of praise, let’s raise our voices in sweet harmony as we let Jesus know, that we know, appreciate and are ever grateful that He is ‘The Church’s One Foundation.’ Singing: ‘The Church’s one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord, She is His new creation By water and the Word: From Heav’n He came and sought her To be His holy bride, With His own blood He bought her And for her life He died. – She is from every nation, Yet one o’er all the earth; Her charter of salvation, One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy name she blesses, Partakes one holy food, And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued. –

The Church shall never perish! Her dear Lord to defend, To guide, sustain, and cherish, Is with her to the end: Though there be those who hate her, And false sons in her pale, Against both foe and traitor She ever shall prevail. – Though with a scornful wonder Men see her sore oppressed, By schisms rent asunder, By heresies distressed: Yet saints their watch are keeping, Their cry goes up, How long? And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song! – ’Mid toil and tribulation, And tumult of her war, She waits the consummation Of peace forevermore; Till, with the vision glorious, Her longing eyes are blest, And the great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest! –

Yet she on earth hath union With God the Three in One, And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won, With all her sons and daughters Who, by the Master’s hand Led through the deathly waters, Repose in Eden land. O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we Like them, the meek and lowly, On high may dwell with Thee: There, past the border mountains, Where in sweet vales the Bride With Thee by living fountains Forever shall abide!’

Oh my people, that was indeed a rousing version of that wonderful hymn filled with marvellous sentiments of truth and faith upon which Christianity is built! And I find it strange that several versions that I listened to took out the verses which say: ‘The church shall never perish! Her dear Lord to defend…. And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.’ Now that to me is possibly the most important verse in the song, because it lets us know in all certainty that the church will last forever under Christ’s leadership, and the watchful eyes of all the saints, with the promises of a night of weeping that will end with a joyous morn.

Bruh David says it in Psalm 30:5: ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) cometh in the morning,’ meaning that our sorrows and problems are only temporary, they will eventually end; this too shall pass. But I guess to each his own. And what’s the purpose or message of the hymn, you ask? ‘It describes the church’s relationship to its “foundation” being Jesus Christ. The church is represented as the collective Christian fellowship of the earth as it is wholly united by its Savior, the son of God.’

And the song was written as a direct response to the schism within the Church of South Africa caused by John William Colenso, first Bishop of Natal, who denounced much of the Bible as untrue. When the bishop was deposed for his teachings, he appealed to the higher ecclesiastical authorities in England and thus Rev. Stone became involved in the discussion. And how do we get the idea that Christ is the foundation of the church eh? Simple. He founded it!

Hebrews tells us about ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.’ (Heb. 12:2) Jesus undoubtedly began the New Testament Church of which we are a part! And if you don’t believe that, then listen to Bruh Paul as he explains the situation to the church at Corinth in his first letter.

‘For we are labourers (fellow workers) with God: ye are God’s husbandry (field), ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 3:9-11)

Yes friends, we can build, but our foundation must be on Jesus and His good news gospel. Even the masterbuilder Bruh Paul must use Christ as his foundation. As he pointed out earlier in the chapter. ‘I have planted, Apollo watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but that God giveth the increase.’ (1 Cor. 3:6-7) So whether we plant, water, build or whatever concerning our faith, the increase or prosperity always comes through God’s grace and mercy. That’s because He is the One behind everything we do, including the One who sent Jesu to die for us, to provide the foundation for our Christian faith.

The psalmist wrote: ‘The stone which the builders refused (rejected) is become the head stone of the corner (chief corner stone, the foundation stone). This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:22-24) And Jesus repeated those very words regarding His triumph over hell, death and the grave. (Matt. 21:42-44) As this commentary explains: ‘He on whom the stone falls will be crushed.” Matthew 21:42-44 By rejecting Jesus’ authority over their lives / “the cornerstone,” they lost all of the blessings God desired for them. The death and resurrection of Jesus is “the capstone / cornerstone,” the “beginning and the end” for all of us.’

And when Peter and John healed the lame man in the temple and were brought before the Jewish elders, ‘Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them… Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of (rejected by) you builders, which is become the head of the corner (chief corner stone). Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:10-12)

Now my fellow saints, that is something we cannot dispute, because it is the gospel truth! So please, with all the evil and tribulation in our world, I’m pleading with us to get together and begin living seriously for Jesus, our foundation stone, instead of just talking it. He so deserves our serious and faithful witness. Much LOVE!

…to be a true disciple of Christ…is to live with Him for eternity…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 April 2021 John 3:16.

02 Apr 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: atonement, be responsible and safe, born of that fateful act, but you can't make it drink, Covid-19 virus, crucifixion of christ, Easter Sunday soon come, eternal damnation, faithful believers, for God so loved the world, Friday chant, Good Friday, handling the situation in a godly manner, have everlasting life, havoc, he gave his only begotten son, Hosanna to the son of David, I have power to lay it down, I have power to take it up again, I lay down my life, inhumane abuse, Jesus selflessly gave His life, joy comes in the morning, LOVE, omnipotent help, Palm Sunday, province wide lockdown, refused to talk to us, salvation, sin debt relief, stubborn sinners, the emblem of suffering and shame, the old rugged cross, the ordinary workingman, them's the breaks, to save a world of lost sinners, trusting faith, weeping may endure for a night, whoever believeth in him should not perish, wise guidance, you can lead a horse to water

John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

So friends, we have at last come to that sorrowful day of mourning in the lives of Christ’s followers! A day that we contrarily call Good Friday. But the truth is, that day, two thousand years ago, was one in which a most horrific crime was committed, the inhumane abuse and eventual crucifixion of Jesus Christ on an old, rugged cross on the hill of Calvary on the outskirts of Jerusalem. And the unbelievable thing is that this took place, less than a week after they had welcomed Him in such a wonderful manner on Palm Sunday, hailing Him as their Saviour, their Immanuel, with Hosannas to the Son of David!

And it’s not so much the crucifixion itself that was most hurtful, but the shameful manner in which the dastardly act was perpetrated. As the song, ‘The Old Rugged Cross’ puts it, that Cross was and still is ‘the emblem of suffering and shame.’ But the most important point of that day is the purpose behind Christ’s crucifixion, why He allowed Himself to be so abused and demeaned. Hear His fateful words on the subject as He talks about there being one fold and one shepherd in His kingdom.

‘Therefore doth my Father LOVE me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it up again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.’ (John 10:17-18) Yes friends, as Jesus said, they didn’t take His life from Him, He gave it to them, willingly, so that a world of lost sinners could be saved, so that our horrible sins could be forgiven by a just and righteous God the Father, otherwise we would be heading directly to eternal damnation!

But Christ’s sacrifice on that old, rugged cross gave us another option, a most wonderful one, that of reconciliation with our Creator! And all God’s children declared a loud and grateful: ‘All praise to Jesus and His atoning death on our behalf!’ And what’s so great about Jesus’ sacrifice, is that the Father didn’t force Him to do it, but He did it willingly, because of His LOVE for the Father, and knowing the Father’s great LOVE for us! And that’s why we call it Good Friday, because the good of salvation, of atonement, of sin debt relief in full was embedded in, and born of that fateful act!

Oh, glory be mih people! What a mighty and unselfish act! And that’s why we cherish that old, rugged cross, though it’s the ‘emblem of suffering and shame,’ the manifestation of an act that could only be described as ‘sufferation!’ And yuh know what friends? We ‘LOVE that old cross with the dearest and best, for a world of lost sinners were saved.’ And we’ll keep cherishing that old, rugged cross ‘till my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the old, rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.’

Oh my fellow saints, what a wonderful Saviour Christ is! Who else would have spilled His divine blood on a rugged, man-made cross for a bunch of ungrateful sinners eh? NOBODY! In fact, nobody else possessed the ability to pay for the sins of a lost and fallen world, just the sinless Son of God. And God LOVED us so much, despite the bunch of disobedient ingrates we had become, that He broke His own heart and sent His Son to earth to sacrifice His life on our behalf, so that we could have an opportunity to be reconciled to Him. Now if that isn’t real, true LOVE,I don’t what is nuh.

As Jesus so graciously puts it. ‘For God so LOVED the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Yes precious people, all we need to do is believe in Christ, and we become saved, sanctified, justified, forgiven, indwelt by His Holy Spirit, with our name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that means eternal life with Christ! Now what could ever be better than that eh? Absolutely NOTHING!

So those of us who simply refuse to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour are just fooling ourselves, laying down a most unwelcome path to eternal damnation with that ole fool Satan, when we could have a most excellent journey through eternity with Christ. But as the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. And that’s the same way with us hard-headed, stubborn sinners, who believe in the now pleasures of sin, and don’t think of the serious then consequences of our ungodly behaviour.

Oh yes, there are always consequences to sin, because our righteous and just God can’t stand sin, can’t stand disobedience, and the pleasures of sin only last for a fleeting moment, while the consequences can last a lifetime, even an eternity. So my people, there’s no better day to embrace Christ and all that He stands for, than on this Good Friday, when He selflessly gave His life, His all for us, so that we could be filled with new and eternal life.

And do we ever need His saving grace in this time of pandemic and strife that’s engulfing our entire world. So please, let’s go to Him in prayer nuh, the medium that He’s set out to communicate with us. So as one strong, sincere, but humble voice, let’s offer up our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help.

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

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

Now let’s go out and show the Lord that we are indeed faithful believers nuh, by handling the situation in a godly manner! Much LOVE!

…weeping may endure for a night…but joy comes in the morning…Easter Sunday soon come…

P.S. I didn’t forget the ordinary workingman’s spiel, but he was so angry today because the province wide lockdown that starts tomorrow, has cancelled his long awaited return to work, and he bluntly refused to talk to us. Them’s the breaks! (smile) Much LOVE!

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

SCRIP-BITS

The Absolute Necessity of Holding On to God in Strong Faith to Endure Evil and Ungodly Times!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 August 2023 Psalm 30:5b.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 August 2023 Romans 8:28.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 July 2023 1 Corinthians 3:11.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 April 2021 John 3:16.

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