30 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined mind, a piece of pottery, as the heavens are higher than the earth, be continually surprised by your vastness, be of good cheer, begun a good work in you, being confident of this very thing, but of power love and a sound mind, combat the forces of evil, come to know and love him like we do, December Prayer, do away with every limit, duty bound, dwell in your higher and better ways, enjoy the good life, every moment of my life, faith, fearful, forever find myself amazed, God has no limits, God has not given us a spirit of fear, greed, holy spirit, humbled in your presence, humbling ourselves before God, hurry, I fully understand you, i have overcome the world, I try to impose on you, improve our ways and thoughts, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the Master Potter's hands, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer to our every need, light of the world, LOVE, man-made disasters, mercy, my desire for certainty, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, natural disasters, neither are your ways my ways, new theatres of conflict, our job is to go about in faith, perform it until the day of jesus, plundering our world, poverty, promises, resolutions, resting and rejoicing in them, ring in the New year, salt of the earth, salvation, shaping us as closely as possible into the image of Jesus, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, so are my ways higher than your ways, stop putting God in a box, strife, tempted to think, the beloved of God, the gospel truth, the Prince of Peace, the Third World War, these things I have spoken unto you, trust my friend Jesus, trusting in god's faithful promises, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, with my whole heart, worry, your uneding wisdom kindness and grace
Isaiah 55:9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
And then it was Tuesday… the Eve of New Year’s Eve, and everyone’s trying to get ready for the big party, that will ring in the new year of 2026, with all sorts of new resolutions and promises etc. etc. But will the new year be any different from this one just past? Oh friends, I certainly hope and prayer that it is! Because 2025 has been one of unspeakable natural and manmade disasters, as well as enormous greed and poverty, where the powerful few have been busy grabbing more power and wealth, while leaving a large part of the population to suffer.
Not to mention the worldwide strife that’s been occurring, where instead of hearing of the end of conflicts, a new theater of conflict seems to be opening up almost every day. The world has become more ungodly and evil with Christians not doing much to help matters either, as we either enjoy the good life with no cares for what’s happening around us, or are too fearful to do anything to combat the forces of evil that are plundering our world.
We keep forgetting, or refuse to remember that we are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and most importantly that ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) So with all of that happening in 2025, it’s hard for it to get worse, unless there is all-out war; the third and last World War. Consequently, let’s hope more of us choose to remember and action those wise words of God above this coming year.
And to help us turn things around in the new year, this prayer from the December In Touch Devotional is a very good place to start. So please pray with me: ‘Lord, when I’m tempted to think I fully understand You, do away with every limit I try to impose on You in my desire for certainty. Let me be continually surprised by Your vastness and dwell in Your higher and better ways, resting and rejoicing in them with my whole heart. May I forever find myself amazed by your unending wisdom, kindness and grace – humbled in Your presence every moment of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my people that prayer contains so many of the things we ought to be doing in this coming new year to better our world and uplift our great God! For instance, let’s stop putting God in a box, trying to know what He plans for or doesn’t plan for. In other words, stop limiting Him, when He has no limits. If He had limits then He would not be God. Our duty is to go about this earthly life in faith, trusting in His faithful promises to look out for us in all circumstances.
And then, it would be so wonderful if we could dwell and rejoice in His higher ways, and not our mediocre or devilish ones. Remember the scriptures tell us very clearly of God’s position as opposed to ours. The prophet Isaiah spells it out in plain language. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) And that’s the gospel truth! That’s why He is God and we are His creation.
However, although we will never reach to the level of ways and thoughts of God, it doesn’t mean we cannot try to improve our ways and thoughts, and thus come up higher than we are right now. And that’s exactly what the Lord desires of us, that’s why He is in the process of making us more like His wonderful Son Jesus every day. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6)
Yes my fellow believers, until the day that Jesus returns, or the Lord takes us home, we will be like a piece of pottery in the Master Potter’s hands, being shaped as closely as possible to the image of Jesus Christ! And if we take God out of the finite box many of us have Him in, then as the prayer says, we will be amazed by His unending wisdom, kindness and grace, and thus wanting to do what we’re supposed to; that’s humbling ourselves before Him for the rest of our lives.
Oh my faithful brethren, living faithfully for God in this evil world is not easy, especially when Satan makes it his duty to tempt us to turn away from God, but if we’re sincere in our faith, God will help us to get through it, despite all the many setbacks we will face. Remember what Jesus said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And that my fellow believers is the ONLY way we can ever have true peace in this ungodly and strife-filled world. Yes, for Jesus is indeed the Prince of Peace!
Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having declared that prayer, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…how often must we say it before we truly believe it…Jesus IS the answer to our EVERY need…hopefully we will finally believe and action it in 2026…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all thy commandments are righteousness, all we like sheep have gone astray, as thy custom is, be merciful unto me, come to know and love him like we do, deliver me according to thy word, deliver me from the oppression of man, depend on Almighty God, duty bound, emphasizing our inherent vulnerability, everyone needs spiritual guidance and redemption, faith, find true direction, follow personal desires, give me understanding according to thy word, gone astray like a lost sheep, he shall direct thy paths, holy spirit, humanity's universal tendency, hurry, I do not forget thy commandments, I have chosen thy precepts, I have longed for thy salvation, I longed for thy commandments, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in god's eyes, it giveth understanding to the simple, Jesus came to bring light to those living in darkness, Jesus Christ, Jesus comes to rescue and lead people back to God, justice, let my cry come near before thee O Lord, let my soul live and it shall praise thee, let my supplication come before thee, let not any iniquity have dominion over me, let thine hand help me, let thy judgements help me, lock stock and barrel, look thou upon me, LOVE, make thy face to shine upon thy servant, mercy, my lips shall utter praise, my tongue shall speak of thy word, need plenty action, order my steps in thy word, redemption, regardless of their intentions, righteousness, rivers of waters run down my eyes, salvation, seek thy servant, share His love with my neighbours, so will I keep thy precepts, spiritual guidance, teach me thy statutes, the beloved of God, the entrance of thy words giveth light, the eve of Christmas Eve, the Good Shepherd - Jesus, the gospel truth, the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, the need for a Saviour, therefore doth my soul keep them, they keep not thy law, thy law is my delight, thy testimonies are wonderful, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to overcome sin, to those that love thy name, to wander from God's path, trust my freind Jesus, truth, trying times, Tuesday Mantra, turned every one to his own way, understanding only comes from God, wisdom, worry, you have taught me your statutes
Psalm 119:176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
And it’s Tuesday friends, Tuesday of Christmas week, the eve of Christmas Eve. (smile) That means there’s only today and tomorrow to get all your preparations in order before the big day falls upon us on Thursday. And I guess when I said yesterday that there were only two more days left for Christmas shopping, I must not have counted Monday, but in these modern times we shop right up to Christmas day. We can even by stuff on Christmas day, which shows how far we’ve moved past that long ago time when everything was closed on the day of Christ’s Birth. But it is what it is, and once Christ is truly celebrated, we cannot complain.
And yuh know what my brethren? I just opened the Good Library, and it opened unto Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, and as I perused it, I was taken by two interesting passages, scriptures that are very appropriate for this time and place. So that’s what we’ll deal with today. And, as you know, each passage of the psalm falls under a letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, thus, our first passage comes from that translated ‘PE.’
So please read with me. ‘Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments. Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do (as thy custom is) unto those that LOVE thy name. Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver (redeem) me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.’ (Ps. 119:129-136)
And I truly wish that rivers of waters would run down our eyes because so much of the world is not keeping the Lord’s law. But unfortunately it doesn’t seem to matter to a great many of us believers, since we too are not keeping the Lord’s law as we ought to. And a couple of those verses really caught my attention. Like this one: ‘The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.’
And that’s the gospel truth my people. As Jesus said He came to bring light to those living in darkness, and that’s exactly what His word does to anyone who hears it and takes it to heart. And to the simple, it gives understanding. Now, judging by the non-understanding state of our world, many of us need to become simple (smile) and allow God’s word to give us that marvellous attribute called understanding, that ONLY comes from Him.
This verse is also one we should take seriously: ‘Order (direct) my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.’ It reminds me of the famous words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs chapter 3. ‘In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:6) Yes my fellow believers, if we need our earthly paths to be fairly smooth, we need to depend on Almighty God to help us. It’s as simple as that.
And the next passage comes from the Hebrew letter translated ‘TAU.’ Please read with me. ‘Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word. let my (prayer of) supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word. My lips shall utter praise, when thou has taught me thy statutes. My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.
Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts. I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgements help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.’ (Ps. 119: 169-176)
And sadly, that last verse is oh so true my people. So many of us have gone astray, like lost sheep that the Lord’s word is of little or no account in today’s ungodly world. We might claim not to forget His commandments, but remembering them is of no importance unless we put them into action, and that’s where we’re continually falling down. But thankfully, if we sincerely cry out to the Lord for help, like the first verse of the passage declares, then the Lord will surely do as we ask, and bring us back to His fold.
It’s like Isaiah says of Christ, as the lamb being led to the slaughter. ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:6) And that’s exactly what the Lord did; lay all of our sins on the shoulders of Jesus, making Him pay for them, so He could forgive us with justice and righteousness.
And per that verse from Isaiah, I like how this commentary explains it. ‘Highlighting humanity’s universal tendency to wander from God’s path and follow personal desires (sin), a state from which Jesus, the Good Shepherd, comes to rescue and lead people back to God. It signifies that everyone, regardless of their intentions, needs spiritual guidance and redemption, emphasizing our inherent vulnerability and need for a Savior to overcome sin and find true direction.’ And with so much truth flooding our hearts and minds today, let’s hope a lot of it will become deeply rooted in those reservoirs (smile) and lead us to sincere and serious action.
Now, it’s time to go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in these trying times…we don’t need much talk…just plenty action…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fulfillment of those things, a performance of those things told her from the Lord, according to the custom of the priest's officet, all nations shall call me blessed, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him, be filled with the Holy Ghost, blameless, blessed art thou among women, blessed is she that believed, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, both righteous before God, both were now well stricken in age, Christ is the reason for the Christmas season, drink neither wine nor strong drink, duty bound, Elisabeth was barren, Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, entered into the house of Zacharias, even from his mother's womb, exalted them of low degree, faith, faith is God's handiwork, fear fell upon him, fear is the devil's handiwork, fear not Zacharias, filled the hungry with good things, from generation to generation, from henceforth, go before him in the spirit and power of Eliajh, great in the sight of the Lord, Hannah's promise to God, he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden, he that is mighty hath done to me great things, helped his servant Israel, his lot was to burn incense, his mercy is on them that fear him, holy is his name, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, in remembrance of his mercy, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist jumping for joy in his mother's womb, John the Baptist's father, LOVE, many of the children of Israel, many shall rejoice at his birth, Mary greeted Elisabeth, mercy, my soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, others can come to know and love Christ like we do, put down the mighty from their seats, salvation, scattered the proud, share His love with my neighbours, showed strength with his arm, spake to our fathers, standing on the right side of the altar of incense, the babe leaped in her womb, the babe leaped in my womb for joy, the beloved of God, the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, the imagination of their hearts, the Magnificat, the rich he sent empty away, the voice of thy salutation, there appeared unto him, thou shalt call his name John, thou shalt have joy and gladness, thy prayer is heard, thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son, to Abraham, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to his seed for ever, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, turn to the Lord their God, walking in all the commandments of the Lord, well advanced in age, went into the hill country with haste, when Elisabeth heard the greeting, when Zacharias saw him he was troubled, why should the mother of the Lord come to me, wisdom, worry, Zacharias, Zacharias did his priestly duties
Luke 1:46-47. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
And then it was nine… Yes friends, nine more days to Christmas Day from this cold and somewhat cloudy Tuesday. Hope you are getting all your stuff done, while keeping uppermost in your minds that the amazing incarnate birth of Jesus Christ is the reason for this glorious season, and make it known to all with whom you come into contact. Today, I want to continue with the story of Mary, Jesus’ Mother, after she courageously and faithfully accepted the offer from God to bear His Son, despite knowing the serious consequences such an undertaking would cause in her young life.
Now, after Mary had agreed to bear Jesus, the Bible tells us: ‘And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted (greeted) Elisabeth. And it came to pass that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation (greeting) of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
An whence is this to me (why is it) that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon the voice of thy salutation (greeting) sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. and blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance (fulfillment) of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:39-45)
Ah mih people, our God does move in mysterious and interesting ways. Here, through the Holy Ghost, He allows Elisabeth to understand that Mary would be the mother of the Messiah, the long awaited Saviour of Israel. And I like how He adds the little part of John the Baptist jumping for joy in His mother’s womb when she hears Mary’s voice.
Oh friends, there’s no better playwright than our God! He knows when to add all the little nuances, subtleties, and variations with different shades of tone, light etc., to grab our attention. And the Lord wrote one of His best works on that day, for after Mary heard Elisabeth’s moving and godly greeting, she broke out in joyful song, what we know today as the Magnificat, which the scholars tell us is based on the first word of the Latin translation (the Vulgate.)
The Bible continues: ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maidservant): for, behold, from henceforth all nations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degrees (the lowly). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever.’ (Luke 1:46-55)
Wow mih bredrin! Mary must really have known her scripture for she has interwoven stuff from all different places in the Old Testament. And her soliloquy sounds like that of Hannah, the prophet Samuel’s mother when she thanked the Lord for breaking her barrenness and giving her a son, (1 Sam. 2:1-11) whom, as she had promised (1 Sam. 1:11) she gave back to Him to do His work with Eli, the priest. (1 Sam. 1:24-28)
And if you don’t think that Mary possessed great faith as a young girl, then compare her scenario to this one with Zacharias, the priest, who eventually became John the Baptist’s father. The Bible tells the story thus: ‘There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia (one of the divisions of Jewish priests): and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken (advanced) in years.
And it came to pass that while he (Zacharias) executed the priests office (did his priestly duties) before God in the order of his course (division), According to the custom of priest’s office, his lot (he was chosen by lot) to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without (outside) at the time of the incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness: and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias (Elijah), to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ (Luke 1:5-17)
Oh friends, right there we see the difference between Mary and Zacharias; she was troubled by Gabriel’s greeting, but apparently not afraid, while Zacharias was both troubled and afraid. And we’ll see what happens to Zacharias because of his fear tomorrow, when we continue with the story, obviously if God spares life. (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…fear is the devil’s handiwork…while faith is God’s…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 24 hours to do good work in Jesus' name, a brand new day, a little while and ye shall not see me, a replica of Jesus, abide with you forever, according to the will of God, all my desire is before you, all the things the Father hath are mine, come to know and love jesus like we do, could not put two decent words of prayer together, dead on my feet, difficult to think coherently, divine omniscience, faith, from cover to cover, God's awesome power boosted me, guide you into all truth, He makes intercession for the saints, he shall glorify me, he shall not speak of himself, He that searcheth the hearts, holy spirit, hurry, I go to the Father, I trust so, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, knows the mind of the Spirit, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, my worst praying is really my best, new insights into our lives, O God, One Year Book of Bible promises, perhaps to your ears, pray the Father to give you another Comforter, put our hands on the plough, put our heads and hearts together, receive what's mine, Ruth Harms Calkin, share His love with my neighbours, show it unto you, show you things to come, so fragmented, so weary, so worn, the action arm of the Holy Trinity, the beauty of knowing the Lord's promises, the beloved of God, the gospel truth, the Lord rules our lives, the Lord who searches our hearts, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, the Spirit makes intercession, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit's interpretation of the believer's innermost feelings, to pray with any kind of sequence, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wake up this dark and evil world for jesus, we know not what we should pray, when the Spirit of truth is come, wisdom, with groanings which cannot be uttered, worry, Worst - Best
Romans 8:26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (weaknesses): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
It’s a brand new day friends, Tuesday, that means we have another twenty four hours to do good work in Jesus name. And you know, when you’re walking with and working for Him, any and everything is possible. So let’s put our heads and hearts together, and our hands on the plough and wake up this dark and evil world for Jesus!
And today we’ll look at an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin simply titled ‘Worst – Best.’ And as always, we’ll note that I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, because I don’t keep a record, but for sure they are all worth hearing over and over again, because they bring such fresh and new insight into out thinking and lives.
So please read with me. ‘O God It is difficult for me to think coherently To pray with any kind of sequence today. I am so weary, so worn, so fragmented. But, Lord, perhaps to your ears Sometimes my worst praying Is really my best. I trust so … I trust so. One thing I do know: All my desire is before you.’ And my friends that’s always the most important thing; that all our desire is before the Lord! That He is the one ruling our lives from cover to cover.
Now, I don’t know about you all, but last week for a couple of days when the cold was really getting me down, that’s how I felt; like I couldn’t put two decent words of prayer together. But yuh know what? That’s when the Lord really and truly reaches down and pick us up. For as He says in that marvellous scripture when Bruh Paul asked three times for a thorn to be removed from His flesh: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a)
And that is the gospel truth friends, which I had the fortune or misfortune (smile) to call up a couple times in the last month, when I was dead on my feet, and the Lord faithfully responded by giving me the wherewithal to continue; His awesome power boosted me and carried me through. So how can I ever doubt that scripture eh? Even if I doubted it before, I can’t now, because it’s been performed in my life at least a couple of times.
And that’s the beauty of knowing the promises that the Lord has given us in His Word, for we don’t know when, in a moment of weakness or surprise, a time might come when we need to use it, and if you don’t know it, then you obviously can’t use it. Thus it behooves us to get familiar with those wonderful promises, for our world is getting more evil and ungodly every day, which means we might now have much more use for those promises than before.
And the Bible Promise for our poem comes from that most interesting and moving chapter of Scripture, Romans 8, where it says: ‘Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (weaknesses): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.’ (Rom. 8:26-27)
Oh friends, that’s also such a timely and important scripture, for when we are so weak or lost and don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with “groanings” much like ours. Or as the scholars explain it: ‘The Spirit also groans along with creation and the believer. The reference is to the Spirit’s interpretation of the believer’s innermost feelings, which cannot be put into words.’ Then through divine omniscience the Lord who searches our hearts, reads the Spirit’s mind, and thus understands what’s truly happening with us.
So, you see, that’s another very important aspect of the Holy Spirit; interceding for us when we can’t help ourselves. No wonder we’re advised to pay great attention to the Holy Spirit, for He performs a number of important jobs in our lives; leading, guiding, reminding, comforting, interceding etc. etc. Unfortunately though, many of us supposed believers don’t take the Holy Spirit as seriously as we ought to, and thus don’t make use of all the purposes and benefits He can offer.
Remember how Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (helper), that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.’ (John 14:15-17) That was the promise that eventually all believers would eventually be imbued, be filled internally, with the Holy Spirit, which happened at the first Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension. (Acts 2:1-4)
And later on Jesus again tells the disciples about the Holy Spirit. ‘I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine (what’s mine), and shall shew (declare) it unto you. All the things the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.’ (John 16:12-16)
Oh my people, all of that simply shows how important the Holy Spirit is to us! It’s like a replica of Jesus living and working within us, while Jesus Himself sits on the throne beside the Father interceding on our behalf. So please, let’s wake up and see how important the Holy Spirit is in the lives of believers, and begin using Him to greater benefit!
Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the Holy Spirit is…the action arm of the Holy Trinity…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Dec 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new creation, a tough row to hoe, acknowledge God is working everything out for our good, all things are become new, anger, apropos for these trying times, as you promised, be of good courage, both young and old men together, by faith, comfort them, developed a cold, did not appreciate God's goodness and mercy, discipleship, do a brand new thing in me, emotional fatigue, enable me to praise you, faith, give me rest from my sorrow, go through the trials of life, God knows best, God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours, grow spiritually, He is faithful that promised, hold fast the confession of our hope, holy spirit, hurry, I will do a new thing, if any man be in Christ, If any man will follow me, in god's eyes, in these crisis days, it takes time and experience to build strong faith, it's not easy walking with Christ, Jesus Christ, let him deny himself, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make a way in the wilderness, mercy, moving lethargically, my cross to bear, not a Sunday evening stroll, now it shall spring forth, old things are passed away, on the late bus, one more thing, one of the most difficult things to do, One Year Book of Bible promises, ought not to lose faith, paid a high price for rebellion, piercing pain, praise is just so hard to come by in trying times, praise is the hardest thing of all, praise lifts our spirits, ravages your body and mind, rejoice from their sorrow, resentment, rest from my feaf, rest from the bondage that binds me, rivers in the desert, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, self-centredness, separate the sheep from the goats, shall ye not know it, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, streams in my desert, strengthen thine heart, take up his cross daily and follow me, the beloved of God, The Hardest Thing, the Promised Land, the virgin rejoice in the dance, through all my lifetime, tied up in knots, to whom we belong, trials and tribulations, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn their mourning into joy, wait in faith I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, waiting on God's timing, water in the wilderness, wisdom, without wavering, withstand tough circumstances, worry, you promised to be my God, you will keep your word
Isaiah 43:19a. ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
Ah friends, it’s Tuesday, and we’re on a somewhat late bus because the ole fella has developed a cold that has me moving slowly and rather lethargically. (smile) Like it wasn’t enough for me to be running around in T&T in the rain etc., but now to be doing it in the snow and get this flu, which causes a runny nose and ravages your body and mind like a cancer, and has you feeling lousier than ever. It’s a good thing I only get them once or twice a year. But right now it’s my cross to bear, and I will do my best to bear it valiantly. (smile)
And today we’ll look at a poem from Our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that is very apropos for these trying times in which we’re currently living. It’s simply titled ‘The Hardest Thing.’ So please read with me. ‘O God In these crisis days Of piercing pain And emotional fatigue Do a brand new thing in me. Give me water in the wilderness And streams in my desert. You have promised to be my God Through all my lifetime. Surely You will keep your word! As You promised Give me rest from my sorrow And from my fear And from the bondage That binds me. One thing more, dear Lord: Enable me to praise you when to praise is the hardest thing of all.’
And believe me friends, that last request is a tough but oh so necessary one, for when we are going through the many trials and tribulations of life, praising God doesn’t often seem like an option. Sometimes we feel that He’s let us down, not with us as He promised, and praise is just so hard to come by in those trying times. But yuh know what; it’s in those trying times that we need praise the most, because it lifts our spirits and brings us back into our sturdy and faithful relationship with God. We acknowledge that His thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Is. 55:8-9) and thus He knows best and has good reason(s) for allowing whatever hardship has come against us.
Most of the time, we don’t or won’t understand it, but by faith we must acknowledge that He is working everything out for our good, otherwise we will just get ourselves tied up in knots of resentment, anger, worry and self-centredness. And no, it’s not easy walking with and working for Christ. That’s one of the first things we ought to learn as believers. Following Christ was never, and will never be a Sunday evening stroll in the park. By it’s very nature, it’s a tough row to hoe, as Jesus indicated when He set out this definition of discipleship. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
Now that certainly doesn’t evoke or bring to mind any Sunday evening strolls in the park. No! It’s all about sacrifices and DAILY taking up our crosses and walking in whatever direction Jesus chooses for us. And in all of our trials and tribulations, there is one thing we must hold on to if we are to survive them; it’s as this scripture from Hebrews reminds us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).’ (Heb. 10:23)
And that’s where the power and strength of our faith comes in. If we truly believe that God will fulfill all of His promises, in His own time, then we won’t’ be as worried and dismayed as if we don’t believe it. And right there is where we separate the sheep from the goats; those who sincerely believe and thus can withstand the tough circumstances, and those who’s faith is still too small to handle them. The real crux of the problem though is that it takes time and experience to build strong faith. Faith doesn’t just come overnight, so we will only grow spiritually when we go through the trials in our lives.
Now, in the poem we also ask God to do a new thing in us with water in the wilderness and streams in the desert. But haven’t you heard, don’t you know that the Lord promised that very thing a long time ago. Listen as Isaiah tells us about it. ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:19) And that is exactly what the Lord did as He carried the children through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
The problem though is they did not appreciate His goodness and mercy and subsequently rebelled, then had to pay a high price in the consequences of said rebellion. The same goes for us today; we want everything quickly, but God does not move quickly unless it’s absolutely necessary. And that’s something we very badly need to learn. Nothing’s wrong in calling out for help, but when the Lord doesn’t answer right away we ought not lose faith, for in His mind there’s a good reason for not moving quickly. And remember we already said that His mind and ways are higher than ours, so we must learn to wait in faith.
And the new thing the Lord does begins when we come to salvation. As Bruh Paul writes: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) Yes friends, when we come to Christ, we are completely changed into a new person with Christ-like behaviour and urges. We forget about, give up our past lives, all for the new one that Jesus gives. And as the Bible Promise for our poem today tells us: ‘Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.’ (Jer. 31:13)
Yes my people, that’s what the Lord will do for us, but we have to do like Bruh David says in Psalm 27: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait(in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:17) Now that’s not always easy to do, but until we learn to do it, we will constantly be beset by numerous fears and worries that will substantially limit our faith. Now let’s go home declaring (chuh man!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we are now bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…waiting on God’s timing…is probably the most difficult thing for Believers to do…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a soggy mess, a steady presence, apologize, bend down and pray, bits and pieces of pitch, come to know and love christ like we do, Debe, dinner engagement, done the experience justice, East Indian delicacy, extenuating circumstances, faith, falling asleep, he said unto me, holy spirit, houses built on stilts, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, La Brea, live this life, LOVE, memorable adventure, mercy, my grace is sufficent for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, pockmarked, put it to shame, real success, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, shut eye, sincere faith, stood in the drizzle, the doubles capital, the Lord's awesome power, the penultimate day of our work week, the Pitch Lake, the truth of the matter, the wilds of the lake, to get to heaven, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Manrta, two hellish days, wisdom, worry
2 Corinthians 9a. And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.
Ah friends, the ole fella is here once again. Let’s see if we can get something done today, because it’s been …what …5 days without a Bit. That’s the longest break there’s ever been in all the years I’ve been writing it. And it’s not like I did not try to write any, because I did begin one on Thursday as well as Saturday, but unfortunately certain extenuating circumstances prevented me from finishing them.
Now let’s see if we can catch up all those days in one… no, it’s very doubtful with all the stuff that’s gone down. (smile) So we will just see how far we can get. Now this is how Thursday’s Bit began: And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of the work week, which for many of you will be almost finished by the time you receive this, and you’d be looking forward to Friday.
But first things first; let me apologize for the real lateness of yesterday’s Bit. The truth of the matter is, I was falling asleep on myself by the time I finished writing it around seven o’clock T& T time, and thought I’d sent it then, so I dragged myself over to the bed for some much deserved shut eye.
But was I ever surprised to get up around ten p.m. and discover that it hadn’t been sent out. Obviously the ole fella was not thrilled with himself, but as they say, that’s life. Sad fact of the matter is I don’t know if this one is going to be any earlier, because as I am writing now around five thirty, I have a dinner engagement with some family for seven p.m. which means that I might have to stop and leave it till I come back later.
But friends, if I thought yesterday was somewhat rough…well…today put it to shame. (smile) As the ole people would say, what a bam bam! We started out around 8.40, heading for South, that’s southern Trinidad, with plans to stop at Debe, the doubles capital of Trinidad, to get some doubles that the young ladies craved. That’s an East Indian delicacy with curried Channa between two small round pieces of baked dough.
After doing that we headed to the famous Pitch Lake, where for a few hundred years pitch has been excavated from a portion of the land in the La Brea area. And would you believe that’s it a vast area, covering a lot of land on which the community is built, and since the lake is constantly moving some of the houses are built on stilts, while the road to the visible lake is filled with all sorts of humps and hollows where it’s reared its ugly head or sunk some.
Oh, I forgot to mention that coming down the highway the rain began falling, and for most of the day thereafter it kept up a steady presence. This means when we got to the Pitch Lake it was wet and muddy, but we still took the tour that we had booked. And was it ever an interesting exercise, both mentally and physically.
However, since it was raining and thus the ground a soggy mess we decided to leave the Duchess at the station, while the guide, my two daughters and I set out with umbrellas. And I can laugh now, but my bredrin it was tough slogging all the way for the ole fella.
And what made it worse we had a guide, Gavin, who knew exactly what was happening with the Pitch Lake and was thus able to answer all the scientific questions my young daughter the scientist posed to him. Then the trail was pockmarked with bits and pieces of pitch and water flowing all over, and the shoe I had on was not bult for such rugged terrain, but give it full marks, because, much to my surprise, it held up, although now it’s soaking wet. (smile)
Now, when we were halfway through the tour, my guide and children wanted to leave me behind at a li’l hut in the wilds of the lake, but I refused and went along with them out on the area that is actively mined for the pitch. And believe me, it was more tough slogging, but I kept on going, sometimes behind them, sometimes alongside them, all the time Gavin the guide, spouting stuff about the Lake.
Finally, half way to the middle of the lake, I decided to call it quits and let them go on without me. At one stage I even closed the umbrella and just stood in the drizzle because the wind was trying to blow the umbrella away. I even considered turning back by myself, but after looking around, and only seeing bushes in every direction, I could not figure out the way back to the hut. So I just stood up there and waited for them to come back.
And brother, the walk back was more difficult than going out, and a couple of times I had to bend down and pray, and remind the Lord that He says that in my weakness I would find strength in Him. As Bruh Paul wrote when he entreated the Lord three times to remove the thorn from his flesh. ‘And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a)
And ever true and faithful to His Word, in my weakness, the Lord’s awesome power enabled me to make it back safely to the hut, and then to our original starting point. I don’t know if I’ve done the experience justice with my description of the place itself, but it was one of the many tough but memorable adventures in my life, and at this late stage of my life too.
But again, with the Lord’s help, we finally returned to Port of Spain, and if I remember rightly, there was little or no rain on the way back. So after getting back to the hotel and having a short nap, I began to write the Bit, but as I said earlier on, halfway through it, I had to leave to go to dinner with some family members, and by the time I returned about 11 p.m. I didn’t have the strength nor the inclination to continue writing it. So I simply went to bed.
And that friends is the truth of the matter. And it was just like I began Saturday’s Bit, saying, I had to go through two hellish days to get to heaven in Tobago. (smile) But more on that part of the story tomorrow. Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like do! Much LOVE!
…without strong and sincere faith…it is impossible to live this life…with any real success…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thousand years as one day, all filled with the Holy Ghost, as of a rushing mighty wind, as the spirit gave them utterance, be witnesses unto me, began to speak with other tongues, bring all things to your remembrance, cloven tongues like as of fire, come to know and love christ like we do, faith, guide you into all truth, he shall glorify me, he shall not speak of himself, he shall receive of mine and declare it unto you, he shall testify of me, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, it is not for you to know the times or the season, it sat upon each of them, Jesus Christ, let not your heart be troubled, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mercy, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth give I unto you, one day with Lord is as a thousand years, Peace i leave with you, Pentecost day, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, show you things to come, suddenly there came a sound from heaven, teach you all things, the beloved of God, the Comforter, the eternal procession of the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, the Holy spirit is the promise of the Father to every believer, the Holy Trinity, the Spirit of truth, there appeared unto them cloven tongues, three in one and one in three, toto guide and comfort us, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unto the uttermost parts of the earth, when he the Spirit of truth is come, when the Comforter is come, whom the Father will send in my name, wisdom, worry, ye shall receive power when the Holy ghost is come upon you, you shall also bear witness
John 16:13a. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
Ah mih people, Monday has come, and gone and Tuesday is here, just like the Lord designed it. (smile) Let’s hope that your Monday was good, and that your Tuesday will be even better, since we’ve now gotten into the swing of things of this new work week. And if you’re not feeling comfortable with this new week as yet, then simply turn to the Holy Spirit and ask for help, because that’s what He’s there for; to help and guide and comfort us in our trying times.
Yes friends, it’s just like Jesus said to the disciples. ‘These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter (Helper), which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:25-27) What a wonderful gift Jesus gave us when He returned to heaven! And since He could not be with us in person, He gave us the next best thing, His Spirit, to act just as He would, were He in the flesh with us.
Now, to show how very important the Holy Spirit was in Christ’s eyes, listen again to what He tells the disciples about it. ‘But when the Comforter is come, whom I shall send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye shall also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.’ (John 15:26-27)
And the scholars offer an interesting explanation of that passage. They say: ‘The action of the word translated “proceedeth” is “in the process – “continually proceeds.” The eternal procession of the Spirit means that He continually proceeds from beside, not out of, the Father. If the Holy Spirit came out of God, He would be less than God. To be more specific, the Holy Spirit not only proceeds from the Father, but also from the Son. This means the Father and the Son continually send the Holy Spirit.
This in no way suggests that the Spirit is less in deity than are the Father or Son. Instead it explains the relationship among the three eternal persons of the Trinity. Illustration: Just as Jesus came to do the will of His Father, so the Holy Spirit is sent to speak not of Himself, but of Jesus. (John 16:13) Application: In this sense the Holy Spirit is the Promise of the Father who has been given to every Christian. (Acts 1:4; 2:39).’
And I do hope that explanation clears up whatever misgivings we had about the relationships between the three figures of our Godhead. Sometimes I think about it with the Father as the General who gives the orders, then Christ comes and does the dirty work and the heavy lifting, and the Holy Spirit comes to clean up after Him. They all have their roles, but are separate persons.
And Jesus continues talking to the disciples about the Holy Spirit, when He warns them of what would happen to them for His names’ sake. ‘I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine (what is mine), and shall shew (declare) it unto you.
All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.’ (John 16:12-16) Ah friends, Jesus’ “little while” is certainly a long one, for it’s been some two thousand years, and we still haven’t seen Him come again. I guess it’s like Peter says: ‘one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet. 3:8)
And even right before Jesus returned to heaven, He again mentioned the importance of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. They wanted to know when he would restore the kingdom again to Israel. ‘And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power (authority). But ye shall receive power, after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto then uttermost parts of the earth.’ (Acts. 1:7-8)
And we all know that that happened on the Pentecost Day after Jesus’ departure. The Bible tells us: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (purpose, mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts. 2:1-4)
And from that day to this one, every believer is filled with the Holy Spirit when they receive Christ as Lord and Saviour. So the Holy Spirit is no joke; He is the One who acts on behalf of Jesus in our lives, and we ought to listen to His guidance very carefully if we want to live for Jesus. Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…three in one…and one in three…that’s our Godhead…the Trinity…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a trajectory of peace, acceptable to God, ane times, approved of men, Armistice Day, as much as it depends on your, as much as lieth in you, behold the upright, between the crosses, Blessed are the peacemakers, called the children of God, Christians, come to know and love christ like we do, commemorate the end of the first world war, depart from evil and do good, duty bound, faith, felt dawn, follow after things which make for peace, forget no my law, Happy Remembrance Day, holy spirit, how beautiful upon the mountains, hurry, I will give peace in the land, if it be possible, In Flanders Fields, in god's eyes, in the name of peace, in the sky, inhu, Jesus Christ, John McCrae, joy in the Holy Ghost, keep him in perfect peace, keep the fires of freedom burning, length of days, let not your heart be troubled, let thine heart keep my commandments, live peaceably with all men, lock stock and barrel, long life and peace, LOVE, loved and were loved, mankind's warmongering ways, mark our place, mark the perfect man, mercy, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, none shall make you afraid, not as the world giveth give I unto you, now we lie, Peace i leave with you, people of peace and unity, proclaims peace, proclaims salvation, reflect of the cost of war, righteousness, row on row, salvation, saw sunset glow, scarce heard amid the guns below, seek peace and pursue it, share His love with my neighbours, short days ago we lived, still bravely singing, the beloved of God, the dark ages, the end of that man is peace, the feet of him that bring good tidings, the larks, the poppies blow, the Prince of Peace, they shall add unto thee, things wherewith one may edify, to go out and share the love and friendship of Christ, to honour those who sacrificed their lives, to promote peace, to redeem people from sin, trust my friend Jesús, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we are the dead, whose mind is stayed on thee, winter came in like a lion, wisdom, worry
Romans 14:19. Let us therefore follow after things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.
HAPPY REMEMBRANCE DAY!
And as is expected, after Monday comes Tuesday, and thankfully the snow has stopped falling, there’s more sunshine than cloud and it’s warm enough for the snow to begin melting. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ Yes, winter came in like a lion over the weekend and most of us were not prepared for it, but I’m sure we will be prepared for the next snowfall. (smile) Anyway, today is also a special day in the annals of Western History, it’s the day we celebrate Remembrance Day. And what’s that about?
This commentary explains: ‘Remembrance Day is a day of remembrance in the Western Hemisphere, celebrated on November 11 to commemorate the end of World War I and to honor all those who have served and sacrificed in the armed forces. At 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918, the armistice was signed. It is a day for us to pause in a moment of silence, wear a poppy, and remember those who have fought in times of war, conflict, and peace. The day is also a time to reflect on the cost of war and to promote peace.
It was originally called Armistice Day to mark the armistice agreement that ended World War I on November 11, 1918. However, in 1931, the Canadian Parliament officially designated the day as Remembrance Day, to be observed on November 11, and separated it from the Thanksgiving holiday.’ And so it is friends, that today we are able to live in relative peace and freedom, although many are trying to push us back into the dark ages, but we will not allow it to happen, even if it’s only on behalf of those who gave their lives and services to stop it a century ago.
And on this day, we also stand strong in the words of a special poem written by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I. The poem’s titled ‘In Flanders Fields.’ So please read it with me: ‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, LOVED and were LOVED, and now we lie, In Flanders fields.’
How can we ever go back to those barbaric and inhumane times, especially when so many of our young people sacrificed their lives for us to be free? No! It would be a huge blemish on our honour and character, especially after we also fought World War II to keep the fires of freedom and humanity brightly burning. But as always, mankind is never satisfied with the status quo, and there are always some who want to rule the roost so badly that they will stop at nothing, stoop to any means to do it.
That’s why, right now there are numerous areas of serious strife in our world, as if within the last hundred years we’ve not fought two major wars, and several smaller ones, killing millions of innocent people, all in the supposed name of peace and freedom. But mankind’s warmongering ways and blatant inhumanity to his fellow man continues undiminished. It’s obvious that mankind does not hold these words of Bruh David from Psalm 34 sacred. ‘Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it.’ (Ps. 34:14) But that’s what we followers of Christ ought to be doing, because one of the many awesome names of our Leader is the Prince of Peace!
And I like how this commentary from the website bibletolife.com/resources explains it. ‘God wants peace for His people and His creation. It’s at the core of why Christ came to the world—to redeem people from their sin and set creation on a trajectory of peace. As a result, Christians are called to be people of peace and unity, so that many may come to know the peace and LOVE we find in Jesus. What does the Bible say about peace?’ And there are ever so many scriptures pleading with us to do just that. Let’s take a look at a few of them nuh, to sort of awaken our peace motivation and kill our warlike desires.
It begins as early as Leviticus, where the Lord promises the Israelites: ‘And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid (eliminate) evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.’ (Lev. 6:26) Now tell me how many lands are there like that to day? Not many! And only a few psalms later, Psalm 37, Bruh David again advises us: ‘Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. (Ps. 37:37) Meanwhile, Cousin Sol reminds us: ‘My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:1-2)
And what sweeter words of peace can we get than these from the prophet Isaiah: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee.’ (Is. 26:3) Now listen to this other gem on peace from Isaiah. ‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings (good news), that publisheth (proclaims) peace; that bringeth good tidings (good news) of good (things), that publisheth (proclaims) salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth.’ (Is. 52:7)
Then there’s Jesus own proclamation in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt. 5:9) Followed by this exhortation from Bruh Paul in Romans: ‘If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men.’ (Rom. 12:18) And since time and space have run out on us, we’ll end with this other inducement from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat (food) and drink; but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.’ (Rom. 14:16-19)
Oh my people, we could not get any better advice than that on this Remembrance Day where we remember all those who fought on our behalf. So lets’ go home now declaring (chuh man!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Peace I leave with you…my peace I give unto you…not as the world giveth give I unto you…let not your heart be troubled…neither let it be afraid… (John 14:27)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a stranger, alive and kicking, as being yourselves also in the body, as bound with them, as chained with them, be hated of all nations, be not forgetful to entertain strangers, Christians are an easy target, deliver you up to be afflicted, dire straits, even in persecution, faith, for my name's sake, give them words of witness, harrassed, help them hold firmly to the truth, holy spirit, hurry, I have chosen you out of the world, I was hungry, I was sick and ye visited me, I was thirsty, in god's eyes, in prison, in prison and ye came unto me, Jesus Christ, kill you, let brotherly love continue, live in fear of persecution, look forward to the day, LOVE, mercy, naked and ye clothed me, open the eyes of their accusers, persecution of Christians, pray for fellow believers, protect the imprisoned, rejected, remember them that are in bonds, retaliate with violence, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, sincere communion with Jesus Christ, some have entertained angels unawares, suffering for their faith, surround them with your comforting presence, the beloved of God, the gospel, the gospel truth, the world hated me before it hated you, them which suffer adversity, they know not him that sent me, they might also be saved, to vent anger and hatred on, trust my friend Jesus, truth, when one believer hurts all hurt, wisdom, worry, ye are not of the world, ye shall be hated of all men, you are glorified, you gave me drink, you gave me food, you took me in, your peace covers the whole earth
Hebrews 13:3. Remember them that are in bonds (in prison), as bound (if chained) with them; and them which suffer adversity (are mistreated), as being yourselves also in the body.
And the days keep rolling along, just as the Lord programmed them long ago. Thus, after Monday comes Tuesday, a bright and sunshiny but a tad windy day. We’ll take it though, because it means we’re still alive and kicking, and in sincere communion with our heavenly Father. There’s nothing better that a created human being can ask or desire! And all of God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord for all that you’ve done for us, for all that you’re still doing, and for all the amazing things you’ve promised to do!’
And today we’re going to talk about a subject that ought to be very near and dear to our hearts; that’s persecution of Christians. So let’s begin with this prayer on the subject from the recently published Prayer Cards by the In Touch Organization. Please pray with me: ‘Jesus, I pray for fellow believers who are suffering for their faith. Please protect those who are imprisoned, harassed, or rejected. Surround them with your comforting presence. Help them hold firmly to the truth. Give them words of witness for You. Open the eyes of their accusers to the gospel so they might also be saved. Thank You that even in persecution, You are glorified. I look forward to the day when Your peace covers the whole earth. This we pray in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.’
Ah friends, the truth of the matter is that even in these supposed liberal and enlightened times many of our fellow believers are suffering serious persecution simply because of their faith. It’s just like Jesus said when he sent the disciples out as sheep amongst wolves to spread the gospel. He warned them: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ (Matt. 10:22) And He warned them again when they asked Him for signs of the end times. ‘Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted (to suffer tribulation), and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.’ (Matt. 24:9)
Then there was also this extended warning. ‘If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would LOVE his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you, for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.’ (John 15:18-21)
And all of that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! For we see it happening right before our very eyes in so many countries, where believers are persecuted simply because of their faith and trust in Jesus. And we’d better be careful, because it’s beginning to happen right in our Western World countries as times get harder and people become more angry and strife-filled, Christians are an easy target to vent their anger and hatred on. So we don’t only have to pray for those in unchristian countries, but also those like ourselves who supposedly live in Christian ones.
That brings us to these poignant and very important words of Hebrews, where the writer warns: ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds (in prison), as bound (if chained) with them; and them which suffer adversity (are mistreated), as being yourselves also in the body.’ (Heb. 13:1-3)
Ah mih people, from the beginning of our faith Christians have been singled out for persecution because we don’t retaliate with violence as so many others do, but bravely endure the persecution for Christ’s sake. And sadly, we must make preparations for such an event, while doing our best to prevent them, for the world is in such an angry frame of mind that any little thing can trigger persecution against us because of our faith. And it’s like the Prayer Card states: ‘When one member of Christ’s body hurts, All hurt. Your prayers do matter.’
Yes friends, our prayers for our hurting brethren certainly do matter In fact they are very important, because knowing that they are being prayed for, helps the persecuted brethren to bear up some under the persecution, and our prayers also draw the Lord’s eyes to their sorrowful cries in those untenable situations. And these words of Jesus ought to drive us to do our best for those who find themselves in dire straits. ‘For I was an hungered (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food), I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’ (Matt. 25:35-36)
Oh my brethren, that is how we ought to react to suffering if we are true believers. For as Jesus later says: ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt. 25:40) So let’s keep thinking about, praying for, and helping those unfortunate ones who cannot help themselves, for that’s what Jesus is all about. Remember He came to save the sick and the suffering, the lost and the lonely, and then gave us that job when He returned to heaven. (smile)
Now it’s time to declare our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock, and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship od Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Christians are continually being persecuted…but we don’t need to live in fear of persecution…because we have the faithful promises of Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a worthy walk of faithful believers, after God, alienated from God, alive and kicking, all efforts to obtain happiness end in failure, as God for Christ's sake forgave you, assume a new character and life, be separated from God, be ye angry and sin not, be ye kind one to another, being past feeling, Christian teaching, come to know and love christ like we do, corrupt according to deceitful lusts, created in righteousness and true holiness, darkened understanding, do whatever feels right, evil speaking, faith, forgiving one another, foul language, futility of their mind, Gentile obstinacy against the divine will, given themselves over unto lasciviousness, godly perseverance, gone so deep in sin, gracious speech, grieve not the holy Spirit of God, having become calloused, he may have to give to him that needs, holy spirit, honest work, Hurricane Melissa, hurry, I am the beloved of god, immoral attitude, in god's eyes, in the vanity of their mind, insensitive to moral right and wrong, into line with God's viewpoint, Jesus Christ, let all bitterness, let him labour, let him that stole steal no more, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth, let not the sun go down on your wrath, living for Jesus, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, meet the needs of others, mercy, minister grace unto the hearers, neither give place to the devil, practical advice, pray for Jamaica, put off the former conversation, put off the old man, put on the new man, putting away lying, renounce our pre-conversion life, resentment and wrath, righteous indignation, running rampant, salvation, sealed unto the day of redemption, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, sinful anger, sins to be discarded, speak every man the truth with his neighbour, tenderhearted, that which is good to the use of edifying, the blindness of their heart, the hardening of their hearts, the right motives, the thing which is good, the truth is in Jesus, theft, through ignorance, to give way to kindness and forgiveness, to work all uncleanness with greediness, trust my friend Jesus, truth, truth-telling, Tuesday Mantra, walk not as other Gentiles walk, we are members one of another, we can do anything through Jesus who strengthens us, wisdom, with all malice, without proper purpose, working with his hands, worry, wrath clamour anger be put away from you, ye have not so learned Christ
Ephesians 4:24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Ah friends, the chilly days, or rather the chilly nights, seem like they are now here to stay, for the daytime temperature still isn’t too bad when there’s sunshine. Unfortunately though, today the sun is not as powerful as we would like it, thus it’s somewhat cloudy. But as we keep saying, regardless of the weather conditions, once we’re alive and kicking, and living for Jesus, we’re all right! In fact better than all right, we’re wonderful, filled with His LOVE and peace! We can’t ask for anything better than that!
However, our fellow believers in Jamaica are surely not so well off, as Hurricane Melissa batters their beautiful island paradise. Please, let’s pray for them, that the loss of lives and property will not be too bad, and that godly recovery will begin right away. For a serious hurricane is no matter to joke about, as I can tell from personal experience in 1963, when Hurricane Flora which blew down Tobago much earlier than forecasted and caused enormous damage.
And today we’re going to talk about believers putting on the new man, as Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians. ‘This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity (futility) of their mind. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through (because of) the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness (hardening) of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness (licentiousness), to work all uncleanness with greediness.’ (Eph. 4:17-20)
Yes my brethren, Bruh Paul there continues to spell out what constitutes a worthy walk of faithful believers in Christ. And the scholars further explain that ‘since each Christian is divinely enabled with some spiritual gift, he must walk not as other Gentiles walk, lest his much-needed contribution to the church’s growth be sorely missed. Unbelieving Gentiles live in the vanity of their mind, without proper purpose, causing all their efforts to obtain happiness to end in failure.
The blindness of their heart refers to the hardness of their will. Gentiles’ obstinacy against the divine will has caused them to be separated from God’s life. Being past feeling means “having become calloused.” These unbelievers have gone so deep in sin that they are insensitive to moral right and wrong.’
And we see that immoral attitude running rampant all over our world today. Very few of us care about moral right and wrong nowadays. The current fashion is to do whatever feels right to us. However that does not apply to true believers in Christ Jesus. As Bruh Paul continues: ‘But ye have not so learned Christ;’ (Eph. 4;20) In other words, we didn’t learn that behaviour of the unbelieving Gentiles in our Christian teaching.
Instead, ‘If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus. That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph. 4:21-24)
Now that’s what we’ve been taught in our Christian teaching; to put off the old man, or ‘renounce our pre-conversion life and sins; to be renewed in … your mind, or be constantly changed, being brought more and more into line with God’s viewpoint, as well as to put on the new man, which is to assume a new nature (character) and conduct (life) at conversion.’
And it’s all well and good to tell us to do that stuff, but how do we do it in real life? But that’s the beauty of most of Bruh Paul’s writing; after giving you some doctrine or task, he usually gives you some practical advice on how to accomplish said task. And here, he does give some practical advice on how to take off the old man and put on the new one.
‘Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:25-32)
Yes mih people, that’s what our world ought to look like. As the scholars tell us: ‘This section gives practical guidelines as to how “the old man” can be laid aside and how “the new man” can be assumed in daily living. The passage specifies five sins to be discarded, the virtues that are to replace them, and the motive for such exchange: (1) Lying is to be replaced by truth-telling, since Christians are fellow members. (2) Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the Devil may not be given an opportunity.
(3) Theft is to be replaced by honest work, so that one may have the means to meet the needs of others. (4) Foul language is to be replaced by gracious speech, that it may edify others and not grieve the Holy spirit. (5) Resentment and wrath are to give way to kindness and forgiveness, since God has forgiven us through Christ’s sacrificial doings.’
Now, putting those actions into daily practice will surely take a lot of energy and perseverance, but let’s not forget we have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. The long and short of the story though is that we sincerely want to make the changes Bruh Paul describes. If we do, then we will succeed, because we will make the effort, and we can do anything through Christ who strengthens us. So, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…with the right motives…and godly perseverance…we can do anything that’s in God’s will…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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