Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 May 2023 Acts 1:9.

21 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Acts 1:9.        And when he (Jesus) had spoken these things, while they beheld (looked), he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Well, a good Sunday morning to all you my faithful Scrip-Bit readers. Isn’t it just a joy to gather together in worship on the Lord’s Day, to sing His praises and glorify His Holy Name? It most certainly is! For it not only gladdens His heart but also lifts up our spirits and gives us the confidence we need to keep on fighting the good fight of faith in this evil and fallen world. 

And another of our faithful celebrations of Jesus’ life took place this past week, His ascension back to heaven. But before we get into that, let’s sing this amazing song, written in the second half of the 19th century (1873) by blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby and musician Phoebe Knapp, simply but most appropriately titled, ‘Blessed Assurance.’ 

And I like this commentary which says: ‘Each and every day we sing praises to His name. We are thankful for all of the blessings that He bestows upon us. The lyrics of the classic hymn ‘Blessed Assurance’ is the perfect way to worship. And when you hear the story behind the hymn, you will be even more in awe of His amazing grace. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for our sins!’ 

Yuh better believe it friends, because if He hadn’t done that most selfless and LOVING deed, then crapaud would have certainly smoked we pipe! And having acknowledged that, let’s sing a rousing, up-tempo, scintillating, heart-felt version of Blessed Assurance. 

Singing: ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood (Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.) Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels, descending, bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of LOVE. 

(Chorus…) Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest, Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His LOVE. (Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long…. Praising my Savior all the day long )’ 

Ah mih people, what beautiful and meaningful lyrics, and we indeed did justice to the song, raising all heaven with our sincere and heartfelt sacrifices of praise. And the story behind the hymn that we mentioned above, is indeed an interesting one. The story goes that: ‘One evening, Fanny’s friend and composer Phoebe Palmer Knapp was visiting and played a tune on the piano, asking Fanny what it sounded like. Fanny responded, “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine!” Phoebe and Fanny then continued to sing the melody and write the lyrics together.’ 

Wow! That’s just another instance of how our wonderful God works in mysterious ways, to bring us closer to Him and all the marvellous things He has to offer. And talking about all that God has to offer, this past Thursday we celebrated the ascension of Jesus, from the Mount of Olives, near Bethany, some forty days after His resurrection. 

Luke tells the story in the first chapter of Acts. He says: ‘And (Jesus) being assembled with them (the disciples), commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence.’ (Acts 1:4-5) That was a foreshadowing of the marvellous things that would take place on the Day of Pentecost shortly thereafter. 

But apparently the disciples didn’t quite understand Jesus’ meaning, for Luke tells us: ‘When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom 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 (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 the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts 1:6-8) 

There you have it again friends, the directive of the Great Commission! However, the disciples did not yet have the power to fulfill that commission, so they had to wait in Jerusalem until they were baptized by the Holy Ghost. And as the scholars explain: ‘The disciples were to be concerned with world evangelism and discipleship. The Great Commission still applies today since the promise underlying it, the Holy Spirit, still applies (Matt. 28:20).’ 

And so it does my fellow believers, perhaps even more urgently than it ever did, since our fallen world is in great turmoil and the peace, LOVE and salvation of Christ is absolutely necessary, if we are to avoid the total destruction that we are currently racing towards. But getting back to Christ’s ascension. The Good Library further tells us. 

‘And when he (Jesus) had spoken these things, while they beheld (looked), he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.’ (Acts 1:9-11) 

Can you imagine that scene friends? The disciples talking with Jesus on the Mount of Olives, then all of a sudden, He just rises up into the air and is gone from their sight? That must certainly have boggled their young, uneducated minds, as it would most certainly have also boggled our old, educated minds. (smile) But what I LOVE about Jesus is that despite the circumstances, He never does, or goes anywhere without giving us a promise, or a foreshadowing of what is to come. 

And that’s what the men in white, most likely angels did. They promised that the same way Jesus left, He would come back to earth again. He wouldn’t leave them alone forever. But He would no longer appear to them like He had done after the resurrection; suddenly appearing, then suddenly vanishing again. The next time they saw him would be at His Second Coming as the conquering Hero, when He visibly (Rev. 17) and bodily sets His feet on the Mount of Olives. (Zech. 14:4)’ 

Ah my fellow saints, that is indeed a joyful day that we have to look forward to. So please, let’s keep it at the forefront of our minds, and live this life with joy, LOVE and peace in Christ Jesus, knowing that we will soon see Him again! Much LOVE!

…Jesus in Jamaican style said …soon come…and come He will…we just don’t know exactly when…   

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 May 2023 Romans 8:37.

20 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Romans 8:37.       Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us.

Ah friends, we finally got some of what we‘ve been praying for; some rain. Yes, heavenly blessings began falling yesterday evening and continued through the night until around lunch time, when it stopped, and a watery sun shone through. (smile) Thank God! Now I tend to believe that that’s because I washed my old chariot the evening before, and the devil just hates to see a child of God driving around in a clean vehicle. (smile) 

And it would have been an excellent lazy-day Saturday for me too, if I didn’t have some time sensitive business to transact. So, there I was, out in the rain, doing my Father’s business, instead of lazing around at home. And by the time I returned home, I was too tired to do justice to the Bit, so that’s why it’s only now being written. 

Oh, and by the way, the computer server did me the same thing yesterday; refused to send out the Bit in bulk, and I had to break it down again. And unfortunately, it will not tell me why it’s doing that. All it says is’ Message can’t be sent right now. Try Later. More details.’ But when I press for more details, I simply draw a blank screen. 

Ah Lord eh! The devil does find ways to try and disrupt our peaceful spirits. But He just can’t get it through His thick skull that he’s a defeated foe, merely a defanged lion, with a big bark, but no bite, and despite his roaming around trying to find whom he may devour, (1 Pet. 5:8) the children of God can overcome any of his evil wiles and schemes. 

Why? Because as Bruh Paul so eloquently and truthfully wrote to the church at Rome: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:35-37) 

Yes my fellow believers, though the devil and his evil cronies try to put us under, to kill and conquer us, they are unable to do it because we are indeed more than conquerors through Christ Jesus who LOVED us so dearly that He gave His sinless life so that we could be considered the righteousness of God through Him! Glory Hallelujah my faithful brethren! Like the old reggae tune proclaimed: ‘Yuh trying to conquer me…But you never will conquer me…’ 

And that’s ever so important for us Christians to believe. Remember, all we do, we do by faith; by undeniable and irrevocable faith in Christ Jesus, who’s powerful LOVE, a LOVE that’s been sealed in us by the holy Spirit of promise. Which is the earnest of (down payment on) our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.’ (Eph. 1:13b-14) 

Yes friends, once we believe in Christ as Lord and Saviour, we receive His Holy Spirit and are sealed as Hs own forever and ever! ‘The sealer is Jesus and the seal is the Holy Spirit.’ And it’s a seal that cannot ever be broken, and a seal that shouts out loud and proud, that we are children of the Most High God Jehovah. 

Please, let’s never forget that, and all the rights, privileges, responsibilities, power and authority that it confers on a believer. For that’s what makes us more than conquerors. As one commentary puts it: ‘That means we face the trials of life with the certainty that we are not alone. We have a mighty Father who fights for us.’ 

And that’s certainly the glorious truth! Now, Bruh Paul felt that so strongly that he further enthused: ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:38-39) 

Oh my fellow saints, is our faith strong enough so that we can also make that declaration (yesss!!!)? I certainly hope so, for until we do, we will not reap all the many privileges and benefits that accrue to us as a child of Almighty God, a joint heir with Christ in His Father’s kingdom. 

And that’s the goal of this earthly life, to begin enjoying heaven, by allowing the fruits of the Spirit to flourish through us, down here on earth, for as  Christ so loudly declared (awright!!!): ‘The thief cometh not, but (except) for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) 

So my fellow saints, let’s get on with the real and true living of life in Jesus’ name nuh. He died that we could enjoy it, not merely scrape through until whenever we are called home to heaven. But unfortunately, that’s the way a lot of us supposed believers are living this earthly life, as if there’s supposed to be no joy in it. That’s the furthest thing from the truth, for heaven begins right here on Planet Earth! And that’s the end of the Sermon! 

Wow! That’s certainly the shortest Bit we’ve had in many a year. (smile) But that’s where the Holy Spirit guided me. And I am obedient, if nothing else. (smile) Now, let’s see how I can distribute this late, and ever so short Bit to all you beautiful readers. Much LOVE!

…once you believe in Christ…there’s no turning back…it’s strictly a One Way Road… leading all the way to Heaven… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 May 2023 John 3:16.

19 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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.

Let me open this warm but partly sunny Friday morning with an apology for the late arrival of yesterday’s Bit, but it was not my fault. For whatever reason, when I went to send it out around 12.30 p.m., the server told me it could not be sent at that time, to try later. And I did try later, up until six p.m. But the story was still the same for sending it by bulk messaging. So I tried sending it in small groups, and it worked. Then I increased the size of the groups, until I sent one with twenty-one names… and it worked. Now, I have no idea why it refused to send the bulk ones earlier on. We’ll see what happens today though. (smile) 

Anyway, it’s obvious that the global shout of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ has already gone out, for we don’t make joke with that at all. I wish we could be as serious about giving God thanks for keeping us alive so we could shout that out, or give Jesus much more thanks than we do, for dying on our behalf, bearing the awful pain, the utter dehumanizing ordeal of being nailed naked to a wooden cross and made the ‘Sin Bearer’ of an evil, and ungodly world. Because that’s exactly what He did; took the weight of all the world’s sin on His shoulders and paid the terrible price of being punished, of being put to death by His own Father to pay for our abominable sins. 

For that was the price of freedom from sin; the death of a sinless soul, and fortunately or unfortunately, Jesus was the only one in that category. Yes friends, like I send out the Bit in bulk, so Christ died for us in bulk; for all of us in one fell swoop. There’s no more dying to be done, just living the abundant life in His kingdom. The thing we most need to realize and understand though, is why he did it? Yes, why did the Father send the Son to the cross to die on behalf of a bunch of disobedient ingrates? 

And there was only ONE reason: it was LOVE! Oh my people, it was simply LOVE for His most precious creation that drove the Father to that unseemly plan to save us from eternal separation from Him. For as John says in his first epistle: ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ (1 John 4:8) 

And Bruh Paul writes thus in his letter to the church at Rome. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely (barely) for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) 

Yes, my fellow believers, that was the measure of God’s LOVE for us: strong and powerful enough to make Him break His own heart and suffer His only Son’s death to pay for our sins. That’s why there’s no greater LOVE, than God’s LOVE for mankind! And Jesus corroborated that claim when He proclaimed: ‘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) 

Now that says it all! Jesus died so that we could have another option other than simply ending up in damnation and hellfire, but we have to believe that He is the Son of God and through His death and awesome resurrection, can save our sinful soul. Listen to Jesus further explain the situation nuh. ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And that’s a very big deal, but it all hinges on our belief, our trust and faith in Christ. For as He continues: ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son.’ (John 3:18) 

That’s the long and short of the story friends; believe and be saved – spend eternity with God in heavenly places, don’t believe and be condemned to eternal separation from Almighty God in the company of Beelzebub and his evil cronies. The choice is ours…completely ours. The Father and Jesus have already done their parts, now it’s left entirely up to us to believe or not believe. And the Lord will not intrude on our free will, our options to believe or not believe. But Jesus through the Holy Spirit will always give you the opportunity to come to Him. 

Note how He says in Revelation to the church at Laodicea: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in (on) my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in (on) his throne.’ (Rev. 3:20-21)  And that’s the beauty of Jesus my fellow saints, He will not force His way on to us, but He will always be around knocking on our hearts, seeking for those who are willing to let Him in, like a travelling salesman who goes around knocking on doors seeking sales for his product. 

And it’s up to us, if we are wise we will let Him in, because He is the answer to ALL of our problems. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant asking for heavenly help to solve those many problems we have down here on earth. As one sincere voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so 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 the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And as always, to receive divine help, we need to be more obedient, and clean up our evil ways. So, let’s get to doing that nuh, if we sincerely want God’s help. Much LOVE!

…instead of mankind having only one option for eternity…hellfire…Jesus died so we could also have the option of heaven… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 May 2023 Ecclesiastes 5:5.

18 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ecclesiastes 5:5.        Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

And having opened our bleary eyes to another bright and sunshiny Thursday morning, I believe that it’s only right to acknowledge the Lord’s part in such an amazing occasion, by offering Him some thanks and praise for His new mercies and compassions provided specifically for today. 

Yes friends, being alive and kicking today is most certainly an amazing and memorable occasion, for please remember the many who did not have the opportunity to awaken from restful slumber today, but have instead gone home to be with the Lord. And yes, in some instances that might have been better than waking up to this evil and ungodly world, but seeing as we are still here, it means that the Lord God Almighty has more work for us to do down here on His behalf. 

Now, finally, after all that rambling, (smile) let’s pray. ‘O Lord, thank You for allowing us to see another glorious day on planet earth and we praise Your holy name for all that You’re doing for us. Today though Lord, as our world spirals out of control, we specifically ask that You sustain us with Your Holy Spirit. Please give us an inquiring and discerning heart; the courage to do Your will and to persevere in whatever You lead us to. And please give us a spirit to know and to LOVE You, along with the gift of joy and wonder in all Your works. We promise to LOVE and obey You as best we can. Amen.’ 

And please believe me, my faithful brethren, that last part of our prayer was the most important: our promise to LOVE and obey God to the best of our ability. For none of the other things will happen until we keep that promise. The Lord did not ask us to make that promise, but we took it upon ourselves to do so, therefore it’s of the utmost importance that we fulfill it. Why is it so important you ask? Well, let’s allow Cousin Sol to tell us why, as the Preacher from the book of Ecclesiastes, where he offers this discourse on honouring vows made to God. 

‘Keep thy foot (walk prudently) when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready (draw near) to hear, (rather) than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through a multitude of business (effort or activity); and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.’ (Eccl. 5:1-3) 

Oh my people, Cousin Sol must still be alive and writing about our current society, for using his logic, our society indeed overflows with fools, because the multitude of words that flow forth from us is simply mind-boggling. I don’t believe there’s ever been another generation that talks as much as ours. And the sad part is that in this era of rampant social media, most of what we’re talking is utter foolishness, idiocy, many outright lies, overwhelming deceit and treachery and misinformation like never seen before. 

Unfortunately though, too many of us get away with the lies and deceit, hiding behind the tight walls of anonymity that the social media apparatus provides. But let’s remember though as Cousin Sol says, that God is in His high heaven, and we are on the evil earth and who knows what can or will happen to us when we engage in folly. But here’s the clincher of the whole story. (smile). He says: ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:4-5) 

And that’s certainly the gospel truth my people! But it’s something we do all the time, make empty promises to God when we pray and ask if He will do this or that, we will do such and so. And when He does it, we completely forget our promise, until the next time we need something else from Him. But that’s pure foolishness my brethren. How long or often do we think we’ll get away with that insincere behaviour eh? Not long at all, for God knows what’s in our hearts better than we do. And He knows the insincere promises before they even are uttered out of our deceitful mouths. 

No wonder so many of us see our prayers go unanswered and wonder why. It’s because of the deceitfulness and dishonesty that the Lord sees in our hearts when we come so penitently, piously and innocently before Him. We can fool ourselves, but we can never fool God. And furthermore my fellow saints, as children of God, we should also only make vows to our fellow man if we intend to keep them. That’s another unpleasant aspect of our society, for it’s teeming with deceit and dishonesty. 

There’s never been as many fraudulent schemes as they currently are. You can’t answer the phone without someone trying to defraud you. The same goes for social media and internet applications. There’s no one you can safely trust these days. Even close family are selling out each other for a few lousy dollars. That’s why we need the wisdom and discernment of the Holy Spirit that we prayed for earlier on. Otherwise, the many crooks, both in high and low positions will eat us up without us even knowing what happened. Such is the great evil that exists in our society today. 

And the best way to avoid most of that evil is by taking this advice of Cousin Sol’s to heart. ‘Suffer not (do not let) thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel (messenger), that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice (excuse), and destroy the work of thine hands?’ (Eccl. 5:6) Yes, don’t go making silly excuses when you break your vows, admit your mistakes and take your punishment. ‘For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities (futility abounds).’ (Eccl. 5:7) 

And that’s oh so true my friends. The more we dream and speak, the more mistakes and trouble we are liable to experience. So please, let’s be careful about how much we say, and about what we say. For remember, God in heaven, sees and knows all, but we down here on earth, don’t have a clue about what’s really going on. And for those of us who are sincerely trying to practice godliness, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, that have been so generously bestowed on us by our heavenly Father, so that we can successfully do His earthly work. 

Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! 

I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings to do the Lord’s work, just as generously as they were shared with us. Much LOVE!

… words are very powerful…they can make or break us…so please…let’s think carefully before we talk… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 May 2023 Luke 18:1.

17 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 18:1.       He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought to pray and not faint.

Now what’s happening weatherwise eh? Last Wednesday I said that that would be three consecutive days of bright sunshine, and this Wednesday, we’re still counting. (smile) As the old folks would say, beware of what you ask for, for when you get it, you’ll realize that it was not all it was cracked up to be. And so many steady days of sunshine without even a drop of heavenly blessing is definitely not good. Just note the heat and lack of rain that caused the wildfires out in Alberta, that by the way, are still burning. It’s never good to have too much or too little of anything…well, except where sin is concerned – a little is always good. (smile) 

But since we’ve tampered with God’s finely tuned and balanced weather systems with all the pollution we’ve released into the atmosphere and the water, there’s not much we can do about it, except to pray. Some of us are making a rather belated effort to try and clean things up, but climate change didn’t happen overnight, it took some time to get to this stage where we’re feeling the dastardly effects. 

And it’s not that we weren’t warned about the dangers of polluting our atmosphere and water a long time ago, but in the usual high-handed, arrogant manner of mankind, we, or rather those in power and those whose wealth would be affected by any reduction of the pollution, refused to believe that negative stuff could happen if we continued our stubborn, greedy activities. 

Now we’re paying the price for it. And would you believe that there’s a sizeable portion of our population that still don’t believe that climate change is a reality at all, much less a worsening one. And as always, it’s mainly those in a position of power and wealth, who stand to lose the most if cleaner methods of production were instigated. That means, no real improvement can be implemented if those who have the power to make a difference don’t agree to do so. So what do we do eh? 

As I said before, pray. That’s our most powerful weapon. And all of us pray to some God or other, and we claim to believe in prayer, so it’s time for us to shut up and put up! It’s time for us to unite, despite our faith, get down on our knees and pray that the negative and very difficult situations that are already causing calamity all around the globe, would be changed, or at least slowed down or halted by the blessed hand of our powerful and merciful God. Individually, we also need to do whatever we can to lessen pollution. It might just be a small deed like not throwing plastic in the water or the land fill, but each individual act when put together can make some significant difference. 

Although, who knows if we stop all our polluting that our weather systems and the chunk we’ve taken out of our protective ozone layer would return to its original state? Maybe we’ve already gone too far, and we now have to grin and bear the calamitous effects that are coming our way. However, some of us do believe in the God who created the universe and all therein, that’s the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whom we believe can do anything He so desires. And how do we communicate with this magnificent Deity, through the medium of prayer, which is basically talking to Him, expressing our desires and listening to Him as He answers our prayers. 

And there’s no more telling duty or requirement in all faiths than to pray. In the Christiaan faith, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made that very clear when He advised His followers thus. ‘He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought to pray and not faint.’ (Luke 18:1) That’s mankind ought to keep on praying and not lose heart or give up, for prayer is the most important privilege we have, and we must use it. 

And being the honourable kind of man He was, He didn’t give advice and not keep it Himself, like the scribes and Pharisees did. While down here on earth, though being God, a member of the Holy Trinity, He always made time to pray to the Father in heaven, so that He could know the Father’s will, and have His human spirit be replenished to enable Him to fulfill His destiny. And there’s no better example of that than on the night before His crucifixion, when He was filled with anguish and torment over the upcoming ‘sufferation’. He repaired to the Garden of Gethsemane and devoted Himself to prayer. 

Three times He cried out to His Father asking if the cup of ‘sufferation’ could be removed, ending each time with the statement, ‘not my will but thine be done.’ (Matt. 26:39) But He received no answer whatsoever. That’s because He knew, as well as the Father did, that there was no other way to forgive the abominable sins of man righteously and justly without Him paying the high, dehumanizing price it required. The Bible, God’s Word says: ‘For the wages of sin is death.’ (Rom. 6:23) 

That means for sin to be considered paid for, death has to occur. And not any ordinary human being, but someone who was sinless. And since Jesus was the only sinless person available, the awful task fell to Him. And though the Father did not answer Jesus’ prayer, the gospel of Luke tells us that in his time of agony, that ‘He prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was like it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.’ (Luke 22:43-44) 

So, the Father did not leave Him completely hopeless; He strengthened Him so that He could perform the necessary task. And that’s how He often is with us too. We might want to get away from something, but in His will or plan for us, He believes it necessary for us to go through the trial, so instead He gives us the grace, the strength, the anointing to face the problem. And we should also note what Jesus said to the disciples in the Garden when He found them sleeping instead of praying. ‘What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt. 26:40-41) 

And that’s the gospel truth my people, our spirit is willing to keep us praying, but our flesh is weak and doesn’t want to do it. That’s why Bruh Paul in all his missives advised his readers to pray. To the Thessalonians he wrote: ‘Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:17-18)

 Meanwhile to the Ephesians at the end of his treatise on putting on the armour of God (Eph. 6:10-17) he exhorted them: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:18) So although one puts on the protective armour of God, prayer is still essential to making it work. 

Oh my fellow saints, please,  let’s understand that the Christian life is based on prayer, and it’s to our benefit, not God’s, to have a good prayer life. Now, for those of who know and understand that and try to implement it, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And the beauty of it all friends, is that if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious that we can ever ask or imagine! Let’s therefore use that as encouragement and inspiration to stick with Jesus right to the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…prayer is our biggest privilege…and like most things…if we don’t use it…we lose it… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 May 2023 Philippians 4:13.

16 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Philippians 4:13.        I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.

Well, like it’s apparently going to be another warm, dry and sunshiny day. I’ve lost count of how many of them we’ve had in a row now, but it sure does feel as though we need a li’l rain to parch the earth’s thirst. And I can tell that’s the case because the duchess has started to water her lawn.(smile) So Lord, please send a li’l rain to ease up on the summer water bill. 

Brother, what a life we live! During the summer it’s the water bill that drives us crazy, constantly watering the little patch of grass we so foppishly call a lawn, while at Christmas, it’s the electricity bill, with all the lights we have going on. And during the rest of the year, there’s always some bill that comes unexpectedly, or comes in so high that we get rather anxious over paying it. But that’s the way the enemy has our society programmed; to keep us in constant debt and fear. It’s all about bills: we live to pay our bills. 

I think the deceased Soca maestro, Arrow, put it best, when he sang: ‘So much bills to pay, man can’t see their way. As yuh done pay one, ah next bill come. Bills, bills, every day. Bills, bills, man can’t pay. Water bill to pay, light bill to pay, grocery bill to pay, pickney bill to pay. Wo-yo-yo, wo-yo-yo ah going crazy, House rent to pay, doctor bill to pay, gas bill to pay, phone bill to pay. Salary man get, can’t pay their debts, pay and pay for years, still yuh owe arrears. 

Bills, bills, every day. Child support to pay, income tax to pay, transport to pay, alimony to pay…Wo-yo-yo, wo-yo-yo ah going crazy, so much bills to pay. Mortgage to pay, insurance to pay, credit cards to pay, laundry bills to pay. Bills like a cancer, a money killer. No use complain, pay the bill again. Bills, bills every day, bills, bills man can’t pay. Wo yo-yo, wo-yo-yo, ah going crazy, wo-yo-yo, wo-yo-yo, ah going crazy.’ 

Yes my brethren, the endless bill paying is certainly driving a major portion of our society crazy, because they fret and worry about paying the constant stream of bills which have deadlines to pay them, and serious consequences if they are not paid. And please note that Arrow sang that song at least twenty years ago, and if it was that bad then, can you imagine how much worse it is today with the overwhelming materialism prevalent in our current society, where it’s only normal, in fact, we’re encouraged to buy things on credit, things that we don’t need and certainly cannot afford. 

Then you’re held in the debt trap forever, and the creditors have you in a chokehold that’s almost impossible to break free from. But please notice I said, almost impossible, because if you have Jesus living in you and running your life, then any and everything is possible, so you will either not fall into that debt trap, or if you have already fallen, He will be able to help you extricate yourself from it. But two basic things are necessary for that to happen, you must allow Jesus to control things, and you must stop getting yourself into unnecessary debt. 

Obviously, it won’t be easy, but with patience and perseverance under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is possible to get out of the debt trap. And the first practical move is to get yourself under control. Stop the fretting and worrying, for that will only cause more harm than good and it certainly won’t get you out of your predicament. So, like Bruh Paul advised in his letter to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) 

Yes friends, that’s always the first move in any situation; stop worrying and take it all to God in prayer. Unfortunately though, we sing and talk about it a lot, but don’t truly put it into practice. Like we forget about it when the problems arise. But we need to take those problems to our heavenly Father, for it’s the only way to acquire ‘the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, and which shall keep and guard our hearts through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7) 

And we definitely need the peace of God flowing through us, if we’re to wisely consider how to successfully extricate ourselves from untenable situations. You cannot do that if you’re all uptight, afraid and worried. And along the way, you need to keep your spirit boosted with a couple of very important and necessary scriptures, which we all know and sometimes use, but not as sincerely as we ought to. The first one is ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13). And the other is like unto it. (smile) ‘But my God shall supply ALL my needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) 

Oh my people, those two scriptures sustained Bruh Paul through some of his roughest times, and if they could sustain him, then they can definitely sustain us too. But we have to believe them truly and sincerely and then live as though they are true, and they will eventually become true. In God’s kingdom we don’t believe when we see, but we believe before we see. That’s because of the faith, trust and hope we have in the power of our wonderful, gracious, merciful and ever-LOVING God! 

And now, here are a few supplementary scriptures to back up those primary ones. As per the first one, remember these true and telling words of Jesus. ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 5:15) That’s something we ought always to remember: without Jesus we’re mostly useless. Then there’s this verse from Bruh Paul in his second letter to then church at Corinth. ‘And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency (adequacy, abundance) in all things, may abound to every good work.’  (2 Cor. 9:8) 

In other words, God will always give you all you need to do His work. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of our selves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) Oh my people, please listen to this commentary on that verse. ‘The adequacy of the provisions of the Lord God Almighty can never be exhausted or run dry. He is the God who is more than enough to adequately handle all the needs of all His creatures without running short of supply.’ Yes, for certain sure, He is the God of not just enough, but of more than enough. And until we truly believe that, we will always be in need. 

And we’ll end with this simple, well-known, but ever so amazing and true scripture. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) It’s never been said better than that my fellow saints! Now, for those of us who try to live by it, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) 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!’ 

Now, let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!

…only by living for Jesus…can we fulfill our destiny… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 May 2023 Matthew 17:20a.

15 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 17:20a.          if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, 

Then it was Monday…yes, Monday, the nemesis of my working life! Oh, and come to think of it, Monday was also my nemesis, my adversary and foe during my school life, because for some reason or other, I could never awaken early on Mondays, so, on many of those days I arrived either late or just in time for school. The other four days of the week were fine, just Monday had my number. (smile) Now it’s not as bad in my working life because I can’t afford to be late for work too often or their will be no work, but I still have problems getting up on a Monday, regardless of how hard I try to do otherwise. 

That’s because you haven’t sincerely asked Jesus to help you, and if you think you have done it, but without any success, then maybe it’s because your faith is too weak. Remember Jesus’ words to the disciples after they asked why they were unable to cast out a demon from a young boy. ‘And Jesus said unto them because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.’ (Matt. 17:20-21) 

Ah my people, it’s all about faith, but mustard seeds are amongst the smallest of plant seeds, and if indeed faith that small can move a big mountain, then it’s not really the quantity of our faith that matters, but more importantly the quality that makes the big difference. One commentary reminds us of it with this explanation. ‘As small as a mustard seed’ was a common expression in Jesus’ day. It had become a proverbial saying used frequently by Rabbis to indicate the smallest amount. Jesus is telling his disciples they don’t need an abundance of faith, just a little bit of faith. Remember the emphasis is on the quality, not the quantity.’ 

Yes friends, very little faith is required to accomplish great things. And Jesus reiterated this philosophy later on after He cursed the fruitless fig tree and the disciples wondered how quickly the fig tree had withered after He cursed it. ‘Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt. 21:21:22) 

Now that’s a big scripture my brethren! Notice Jesus specified – ALL THINGS.  Not just some things. But the crux of the problem is that one has to pray and then have the faith to believe that you will receive whatever you’re praying for. Note though, that it doesn’t say when you’ll receive whatever you’re praying and believing for. (smile) You also need patience and perseverance to wait for God’s marvellous timing. And that’s what often dooms our ability to receive our prayers and heart’s desires. 

Now, it’s time for us to take a look at how faith, which can apparently move so many mountains, truly operates. The Bible says: ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) That simply means faith is hoping and believing for something that you don’t yet see. The opposite of that is why hope and believe for something that you already see or have? And that’s what our Christian faith is all about; believing in Jesus, whom we’ve never seen, but hoping that one day soon, we will see Him coming in the clouds in all His majesty and glory. 

As Jesus told Thomas when he doubted that He was the resurrected Christ. ‘Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen (me), and yet have believed.’  (John 20:29) That’s us friends. Those who have faith to believe that Jesus exists and is who He says He is, and has done what He says He’s done. That’s true faith; believing without seeing! 

But listen as the scholars add some depth to our knowledge on faith. They say: ‘Two truths concerning its activity are stated here. First, faith provides substance or assurance. Second, faith provides evidence. It is evidence in the sense of proof that results in conviction. The difference between assurance and evidence would be minimal were it not for the phrase qualifying each: of things hoped for and of things not seen. 

The first involves future hope; the second involves present realities that are unseen. The first includes the hope of the resurrection, the return of Christ, and the glorification of the saints. The second involves unseen realities, such as forgiveness of sin through Christ’s sacrifice and the present intercession of Christ in heaven. Hope is faith relating to the future; conviction is faith relating to the present.’ 

Now that’s insightful and a tad deep, but it’s time for us believers to go deep into the Word of God if we expect to make any serious headway against the enemy. We can’t be drinking milk or eating desert all the time, but need some heavy food, meat and spuds to make a difference. So, if you don’t understand what the scholars say above there, then read it again, meditate on it, until you do get the gist of it. That’s the only way to know and understand scripture. 

Remember what the Lord said to Joshua on the subject? ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) Now if the Lord said that Joshua, whom am I to say otherwise eh? (smile) So let’s go to Him right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and ask for divine grace and mercy to help in these oh so troubled and dangerous times. 

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And the only way to be assured of divine help is to have faith in God’s Word and change our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…the aim of the Christian…is to have plenty, strong faith in Christ Jesus… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 May 2023 Romans 12:12.

14 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Romans 12:12.       Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation (always persevering); continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.

 HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! 

Well, a Happy Mother’s Day to all you beautiful Mothers out there! Yes, I know that some of you don’t deserve the term beautiful, because your motherly behaviour hasn’t been up to scratch, in fact, some of you have behaved downright unmotherly, but the truth is that you bore the pain and anguish to bring children into this crazy world, and for that alone, you deserve to be feted. So, please take a day to enjoy yourself; don’t think too much about anybody else but you, because this seems to be the one day in the year that we truly show mothers our deep appreciation. 

We should really show them our deepest appreciation every day, but the reality is that we don’t. And as we gather in the Lord’s Sanctuary on this beautiful Mother’s Day Sunday, we’re going to open with a wonderful song written especially for Mothers, titled ‘MY MOTHER’S LOVE!’ by Janice Kapp Perry, the accomplished and prolific American Composer. In an interview about the origins of the song, she says that some ten years ago, she was thrilled when Mack Wilberg, the Music Director of the Tabernacle Choir, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, asked her to write a new Mother’s Day song. 

She continues: ‘And of course you can only think of your own mother. If you had a good mother, she’s your inspiration for the song. My mother’s LOVE was the basis of everything good in my life. She was always there for me. My mother Ruth was a very enthusiastic person, energetic, she LOVED projects, played in a dance band with our father and wrote musicals for the community. As far as her children were concerned, she was just a cheerleader. She LOVED everything we did. Made us feel like we could do things.’ And that’s the beauty of a mother my people; a cheerleader, an encourager, a spreader of Christian joy and good cheer! 

Now let’s sing the slow and soulful song, a hauntingly beautiful melody, ever so rich and scintillating. We might not do as good a job of it like the Tabernacle Choir does, but we surely going to give it a good try. (smile) Singing: ‘My mother’s voice, the power of her teachings, Live in my soul and guide me still today. Her caring ways, her timeless words of wisdom Come forth to help me through each day. In each challenge, each choice, Above the world’s noise, I hear my mother’s voice. 

My mother’s faith, her prayers of earnest pleading, Turned me to God in moments of despair. Her calm assurance of His tender caring Taught me to turn to Him in prayer. Through my darkest of days, I reach to feel His grace. Such was my mother’s faith. My mother’s hands that lifted and protected, Those LOVING hands that soothed my fevered brow Were as a shield from every earthly trial, And still, the memory helps me now. And my heart is aware, the strength that I now share Came from my mother’s hands. 

My mother’s voice will live in me forever. A steady anchor for my reaching soul, As generations climb the path together to sweet eternities untold. My mother’s LOVE, the essence of her being, Flows in and through me every waking hour. A quiet strength grew from her constant caring, A legacy of saving power. By her words and her touch she strengthened me so much. I felt my mother’s LOVE… I felt my mother’s LOVE.’ 

Oh friends I doubt we can ascribe to our mothers any better sentiments on this Mother’s Day of 2023! The song says it all! The power of her teachings that still live in our souls and guide us every day. That takes me back to the words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Train up a child in the way he should go; and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Prov. 22:6) Now that could be taken two ways; either as if you raise them properly, even when they are old they will follow the Christian guidelines you instilled in them, or as a warning to parents that if they allow their children to have their own way, they will not depart from that foolishness when they are old. 

But it shows that however children are raised, that’s how they usually carry on through life. And the fact is that mothers are the basic caregivers of the family; they carry children in their wombs for nine long, trying months, go through hell to birth them, (smile) then they also have the great responsibility to train them up in a proper manner. And it’s usually at the breast or the feet of our mothers that we learn about life. I like these words: ‘My mother’s faith, her prayers of earnest pleading, Turned me to God in moments of despair. Her calm assurance of His tender caring Taught me to turn to Him in prayer.’ 

They remind me of my own mother, Molly, who never took an easy step in her life, but was always joyful and God-fearing. And I know a lot of what I experienced from living with her through some rough times has made me the person I am today. I saw how she handled lack and never complained; out of a job for a couple of years and still remained hopeful. I learned these words of Romans 12 through the experiences I shared with her. ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation (always persevering); continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (Rom. 12:12) 

As a young lad, I often did not understand what she was doing, especially when the times were extremely difficult, and yet she always had a smile and a kind word to offer, always ‘Distributing to the necessity (needs) of saints; given to hospitality.’ (Rom. 12:13) I remember that whoever was at our table, always got the best of what we had. And I could never understand it, but she always said that’s how it ought to be, and she was doing it for me. 

Now I understand it all Molls sugar, because through your goodness and kindness to others, wherever I’ve been in this world, people have always been kind to me. They don’t know me from Adam, (smile) but are always reaching out a helping hand to me. And that’s the same way I try to live. Yes my people, a Mother’s hands and faith are ever so important in a child’s life, to protect and guide them along the right path. As the song says: ‘My mother’s voice will live in me forever. A steady anchor for my reaching soul.’ How true that is for all of us. 

It’s so easy to see that a mother is the most important person in a child’s life, for they set the tone and direction that child will take. So please let’s respect and honour our mother’s nuh. The Lord thought it so important for us to respect our parents, that He put it in His Ten Commandments. ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex. 20: !2) 

And yuh know what friends, the closest thing to God on this earth is a kind and godly mother, for they exhibit much more of God’s goodness and His attributes than we men. That’s another reason right there to LOVE, honour and respect them and not abuse them, or treat them like second class citizens, the way that so many cultures are still doing these days. 

And we couldn’t get a better ending for today than these words from the end of the song: ‘My mother’s LOVE, the essence of her being, Flows in and through me every waking hour. A quiet strength grew from her constant caring, A legacy of saving power. By her words and her touch she strengthened me so much. I felt my mother’s LOVE… I felt my mother’s LOVE.’ 

Now, if we are truthful to ourselves, we will all acknowledge the great debt we owe to our mothers. So, let’s get out there and repay what little of it we can! Much LOVE!

…the epitome of motherhood…Mary…the mother of Jesus…as she quietly bore His terrible suffering…for that’s what mothers do… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 May 2023 Matthew 5:14a.

13 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 5:14a. Ye are the light of the world.

I don’t like it friends. It’s a lazy-day Saturday and yet I’ve been up and about for a while now. What’s happening eh? Why didn’t I just lie in bed and laze around? And it’s not like I went to bed so early that I could afford to get up early. But unfortunately, that’s how the cookie crumbles. I guess the Good Lord figured I should be up and about His business early on such a beautiful sunshiny day. And if the sunshine holds, it will be the fifth day straight of pure, unadulterated sunlight. 

That brings us to the message of Christ’s followers being lights in this dark, evil and ungodly world. And after forgiving the adulterous woman (John 8:1-11) Jesus said in no uncertain terms: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) Yes my brethren, Jesus came into the world to give us light, so that we can see in the darkness, and resuscitated life that we could live in His light. 

One commentary states: ‘We can’t see our future, direction, or destination, but Jesus can. Like the lighthouse guides the ship, Jesus directs us toward God’s light. The light of Christ guides us through the darkness of sin, life, and struggle both spiritually and literally.’ And is that all ever so true! That’s exactly what Jesus does for us when we dedicate our lives to Him, trust and fully surrender to His guiding light. 

Then later on, after healing a blind man, Jesus again claims to be the light of the world, saying: ‘As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ (John 9:5) Now, that raises an interesting question: while He is on earth, He is the light of the world, but what happens when He isn’t here on earth eh? 

Don’t worry about that, for Jesus in His awesome wisdom also made allowances for it by saying in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Ye are the light of the world.’ (Matt. 5:14a) Meaning, that when He leaves Mother Earth, His followers will then be the light of the world. So yuh see, he has all the bases covered. (smile) 

Now, being the light of the world is an enormous task, one that we are not doing so well at, because our light is not shining as brightly as it ought to. Jesus said that: ‘A city set on a hill cannot be hid.’ (Matt. 5:14b) And that’s the indisputable truth. But unfortunately, too many of us supposed believers are not set on a hill, so that whatever light we are exuding is not being seen far and wide. And that’s a major problem, for the light is only valuable as far as it can be seen. 

That means friends, we have to do much better in our lighthouse work. That’s climb higher up that proverbial hill and shine even brighter than we’re currently doing, because the light of Jesus is very critical in today’s dark, unbelieving and evil world. And Jesus further explained about the purpose of light. ‘Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt. 5:15) 

That tells us we’re not supposed to be hiding our light, like so many of us are doing,  instead of spreading it forth, so that as many people as possible can see it and thus come in from the darkness of Satan’s evil world into the bright light of Jesus’ magnificent kingdom! Wow! That’s our bounden duty! Consequently, Jesus exhorted His followers. ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16) 

Now that’s exactly what is so badly needed from Christians today; showing the world their light through their good works and true Christian living; not the half-hearted, lacklustre and lackadaisical attitudes and efforts we are actually putting forth. The fact is that too many of us are either afraid of what the world will say if we totally engage in the will of Jesus, or are simply lazy and uninterested in doing His will. 

And that’s why so many unbelievers are not turning to Jesus, and many former believers are turning away from Him. Too many of us are walking around with dirty lampshades, full of black soot, that only keep the light contained within the shade. But my people, we desperately need to clean our lampshades so that they can allow the brightness behind them to explode into this dark, ungodly world! That’s the only way the unbeliever will see the benefits of following Jesus and thus desire to know Him. 

Now let’s not forget either that in Jesus’ eyes, we are also the salt of the earth. Yes, my faithful brethren, we’re also supposed to act like that marvellous substance that provides taste and flavour, as well as be a preservative, melt coldness and heal wounds. Jesus advised us thus in the same Sermon on the Mount. ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13) 

And that’s the truth in spades! But sadly, it also applies to too many supposed believers today. Too many of us have lost our tasty flavour, our zest for life, for Jesus and His kingdom work, and are now mere caricatures of our former selves. But thankfully there is always hope in Jesus, and in these cruel and evil last days, it is imperative that ALL believers renew their commitment to Jesus and His kingdom work, so that all over the world, we can forward His Name and the good news that He brings. 

It’s ever so necessary that we begin a spiritual revival, put new oil in our lamps, clean up our lampshades, and get back our salty taste so that we can add the marvellous flavour and light of Christ to this dark and  tasteless world! Oh friends, it’s high time to reimplement Christ’s Great Commission, so that we can further His LOVE Revolution! And that’s my fervent prayer for us today! Much LOVE!

…what’s the purpose of living life…if it’s dark and tasteless…none whatsoever…so let’s make it bright and tasty nuh… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 May 2023 Psalm 128:1.

12 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 128:1.        Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

Oh friends, this Friday morning, as we declare (yesss!!!) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ we also have to consider having five straight days of wonderful sunshine, because that seems like a distinct possibility! Wow! My trusty computer tells me it’s 23 and sunny. In that case, we might just need to think about praying for a li’l rain to cool things down if the weather keeps being so wonderful in my neck of the woods. (smile) As we would say, it’s either feast or famine. 

But here’s an interesting angle on it all. I just opened the Good Library and it opened unto the Book of Psalms, and my eyes were led to this particular psalm, Psalm 128, one that I’ve never paid much attention to, but it does contribute a wise and wonderful message in its title which simply says: ‘Fear the Lord.’  Now that’s certainly a tidbit of wisdom if there ever was one! 

And why is that you ask? Well, first off, the fear he’s referring to is not the emotion of fear or fright, but one of reverence, of respect, of worship, although we should also fear the Lord in the other respect, because the only thing as powerful as His LOVE is His wrath, and we certainly don’t want to feel the latter. Just look at what the Israelites suffered for their stubborn disobedience. And Jesus did say that we should fear the Lord and not man, because He is the only one who could destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt. 10:28) 

However, let’s listen to the psalmist as he declares: (wow!!!) ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (the fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of (in the heart of) thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.’ (Ps. 128:1-3) 

Mama oh Mama! Yuh hear that mih people? If we fear the Lord then our house will indeed be blessed, enjoying the fruits of our labour, with a fruitful wife and wonderful children! Now what more can a man ask of this life eh? Nothing really! But the important thing is that only happens when we reverence the Lord and walk in His ways. And that’s something so many of us in these evil and unfortunate times can’t seem to understand, otherwise we’d be doing just that. 

But instead so many of us are turning away from the Lord to other insecure and worthless ventures, and many of us who claim to still believe are not truly walking in His fear and commandments, but have one foot in the world and one in the kingdom, trying to keep our chances alive by playing both sides against the middle. But friends, I ‘m here to tell you that doesn’t work. You must choose either one or the other and go after it wholeheartedly. And remember Jesus said it so plainly: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

And that’s no lie! When you seek God first and foremost, He will indeed give you all that you need. Why do you think Bruh David wrote: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want?’ Because he knew for a fact, from personal experience, that if he sincerely sought the Lord above all else, He would look after him, both physically and spiritually. And the Lord will do the same for anyone who sincerely seeks and reverences Him. He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us, and He is faithful to keep His promises. 

And if you still don’t believe me, then listen as the psalmist continues: ‘Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:4-6) Oh my people, why are we so foolish and adamant about turning away from God eh, or not paying Him His proper respect and due, since in so many places of His Word it says that’s necessary to have a good life. 

Look at Psalm 1, which pointedly tells us: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to himself) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-3)  

Now that’s not rocket science my brethren, so why can’t we simply accept and live it eh? Where’s the faith in Jesus Christ we’re supposed to have? Obviously it’s sadly lacking, otherwise we wouldn’t be living the sub-standard and mediocre Christian lives we’re living. Now listen to these opening verses of Psalm 119: ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119:1-3) 

There again friends, it says we will be blessed if we walk in the way of the Lord. Simple common sense my brethren! But sorry, I forgot that common sense no longer exists in our society, we just have a herd mentality, and foolishly run with the foolish crowd.  But there’s hope for us yet, because with the Lord, there’s always hope, so let’s go to Him now, through our Friday Chant and ask for His divine help with our problems. 

Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so 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 the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Now let’s wake up nuh friends, and do what we know we’re supposed to do, if we expect the Lord’s help. Much LOVE!

…it takes two to tango…the Lord won’t help…unless we’re obedient… 

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

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