Daily Devotion | SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 July 2022 1 Thessalonians 5:6.

24 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: an intellectual accommodation, be sober, children of God, children of light, climate change, evil and calamitous times, for a helmet, God hath not appointed us to wrath, heaven help the black man if he struggles one more day, heaven help the boy who never had a home, heaven help the girl who walks the street alone, heaven help the roses if the bombs begin to fall, heaven help the white man if he turns his back away, Heaven help us all, hold on to the trappings of our faith, immense poverty and starvation, in high fashion or low style, keep hatred from the mighty, keep the mighty from the small, let us not sleep as do others, let us watch and be sober, Lord hear us when we call, natural disasters, offer up sacrifices of praise in sweet harmony, poor economic outlook, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, Ron Miller, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, Stevie Wonder, taught by the precept of men, the hope of salvation, they labour in vain that build it, to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, turn back to the God of our forefathers, unless the Lord builds the house, worldwide sickness and disease

1 Thessalonians 5:6. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober (self-controlled).

Come on friends, it’s time to gather for another Sunday session of praise, worship and thanksgiving! Glory be! Sometimes I just can’t wait for Sunday to come around so we can get together to celebrate the Lord’s Day in high fashion, or low style, (smile) which ever one is more appropriate to our circumstances.

Yes, there is just something unique and wonderful about a bunch of people from different creeds, cultures and races gathering in one place to enjoy fellowship with each other in the holy presence of our great God Jehovah. And while we give Him thanks and praise, He blesses us, gives us the strength and confidence to go out and face the world like what we truly are – children of God!

Now, the song to open today’s proceedings is a fairly new one, written in 1970 by Ron Miller and first performed by Stevie Wonder. We’re talking about that soulful number, ‘Heaven Help Us All’, which was very appropriate back then and sadly, is still relevant to our times today. So, let’s get soulful and sincere as we offer up our sacrifices of praise in sweet harmony, in a mid-tempo version, a la Ray Charles and Gladys Knight.

Singing: ‘Heaven help the boy who never had a home Heaven help the girl who walks the street alone And Heaven help the roses if the bombs begin to fall Lord, won’t you help us all? Heaven help the black man if he struggles one more day Heaven help the white man if he turns his back away Heaven help the man who kicks the man who has to crawl Heaven help us all. (Chorus: Heaven help us all, Heaven help us all, help us all. Heaven help us, Lord, hear our call when we call)

Oh, yeah Heaven help the boy who won’t reach twenty-one And Heaven help the man who gave that child a gun And Heaven help the people with their backs against the wall Lord, won’t you help us all? (Chorus: Heaven help us all…when we call) Gladys – monologue: “I want everybody within the sound of my voice this evening to fall down on their knees and say a prayer; asking for His guidance, His grace, His mercy. You might want to say: Lord, Lord, Lord, have mercy!”

Now I lay me down before I go to sleep In a troubled world, I pray the Lord, the Lord to keep. Keep hatred from the mighty and the mighty from the small, Heaven help us all, Heaven help us all, help us all. Heaven help us, Lord, hear our call when we call. We need You Jesus so won’t you hear us when we call. We can’t do without You, so please hear us when we call. Heaven help us all, Heaven help us all, help us all, Heaven help us, Lord, hear our call when we call… Heaven help us all…’

And my faithful friends, do we ever need a lot of help from heaven in these very evil and calamitous times! Without help from heaven we certainly won’t make it through the dismal and disastrous days that our world is currently undergoing. What with the unprecedented amount of strife and warfare all over the globe, the immense poverty and starvation of billions of people, the poor economic outlook, made even worse by worldwide sickness and disease…

And that’s just some of the manmade stuff. When you add the natural disasters like serious drought and famine, floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes that seem to be more prevalent than before, possibly because of climate change, it’s easy to see why we need heavenly help…and quickly too.

However friends, I don’t believe we will get that heavenly help as quickly as we need it unless we quickly turn back to the God of our forefathers and give up the idols and foolishness that the world sees as valuable. Remember Jesus words, His memorable advice from the Sermon on the Mount? ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)

Yes my bredrin, the only way to get heaven’s help is by sincerely seeking God and His righteousness. We can’t go worshipping the things of the world and doing the ungodly things the world wants us to do, and expect godly help. But that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re only paying lip-service to God. It reminds me of what the Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah re Israel’s blindness. ‘Wherefore the Lord said, For as much as this people draw me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear (reverence) toward me is taught by the precept of men.’ (Is. 29:13)

Ah mih people, it’s the same thing we’re doing now that Israel did back then; simply honouring God with our mouth and lips but not our hearts. And our reverence is being ‘taught by the precept of men,’ meaning, as the scholars tell us, it’s ‘merely an intellectual accommodation. For true worship must begin with a proper reverence for God and His Word.’

And if we don’t do that, if we don’t wake up to the realities of life asap…then crapaud smoke we pipe. The Lord’s not going to put up with our dalliance with the devil for ever. He might be long-suffering and all that, but at some stage He’s going to say enough is enough, like He did with Israel when they became unfaithful and with so many other proud and foolish nations, who in their prosperity, turned away from Him unwisely believing that their prosperity was their own doing.

That’s totally wrong my people. It’s the Lord’s goodness and mercy that causes a nation to prosper. And the psalmist tells us in no uncertain terms. ‘Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; Except the Lord keep (guards) the city, the watchman waketh but (stays awake) in vain.’ (Ps. 127:1) And I believe these words from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians when he talks about Jesus coming as a thief in the night might just be a good wake up call for us.

Listen closely please. ‘But ye brethren are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober (self-controlled). For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that are drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and LOVE; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Thess. 5:4-9)

Oh my fellow saints, if we are the children of light, then we must behave as such; wake up and seriously and sincerely hold on to the trappings of our faith, and do our best to encourage others to do the same. We already have all we need to do the job, and if heaven sees that we’re serious, heaven will certainly help us. But we need to take the first step to help ourselves. Much LOVE!

…heaven won’t help us…until we start helping ourselves…that’s for sure…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 July 2022 Psalm 27:14.

23 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a balancing act, a gung-ho attitude, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, baptizing them, be of good courage, belief in Jesus expands our horizons, enthusiasm produces positive energy, go ye therefore and teach all nations, good things come to those who wait, habit is what keeps you going, he shall strengthen thine heart, in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost, it makes a difference when you stay positive, lazy Saturday, LOVE, meditate on God's Word, motivation is what gets you started, no better example that our Christian faith, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, the straight and narrow road, the wide and crooked road to hell, wait patiently for the Lord

Psalm 27:14. Wait (in faith, patiently) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith, patiently), I say, on the Lord.

A good lazy Saturday to you my Scrip-Bit friends and family. I’m afraid that I’m beginning to make a habit of this lazy Saturday thing yes, because I woke up at a reasonable hour this morning but resisted getting out of bed because it was Saturday and Saturday is a day to do as you please. (smile) And I did that, despite knowing the Lord’s work awaited my diligent perusal and pursuit.

Anyway, I’m finally here, and as we do every Saturday, let’s see what interesting quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Now this first one aptly fits our current bill. ‘Motivation is what gets you started; Habit is what keeps you going.’ Yes friends, considering Saturday to be a lazy day was the original motivation that laid the groundwork for lolling the time away in bed on a Saturday morning, and since I’ve been doing it for a few Saturdays now, the habit, that’s doing something over and over, is what kept me going. (smile)

So the quote is basically true. We need to be motivated by whatever it is to initially get up off our fat fannies and do something, but it’s the constant doing of whatever it is that keeps us going, keeps us keeping on. And there’s no better example than our Christian faith and walk. It’s our LOVE for and gratitude to Christ Jesus that originally brings us to faith, then as we consistently walk our talk and our faith grows, we just keep doing it through force of habit.

That brings us to this next quote: ‘It makes a big difference in your life when you stay positive.’ That’s very true, for even if you are not a believer in Christ a positive attitude will certainly make your life a li’l better than if you stay negative. But just think about what your life could be if you have a positive attitude and are a believer in Christ Jesus?

Wow! Jesus is the most positive person who’s ever lived! He came to do a job, bring salvation to those in bondage to sin, and He did it with diligence and a sure sense of purpose. He also did miracles, and promised that those who believed in Him would do even greater things than He did. (John 14:12-14) But could we truly do greater things than Jesus? Most likely not. So what is He saying then?

As one commentator, Don Carson, in an article on the subject on thegospelcoalition.org website offers: ‘Might “greater” mean “more numerous” or “more widely dispersed”? In that sense, Christians have indeed done “greater” things than Jesus did. We have preached all around the world, seen millions of men and women converted, dispensed aid, education, and food to still more millions. The “greater” works may therefore be the gathering of converts into the church through the witness of the disciples (cf. John 17:20; 20:29), and the overflow of kindness that stems from transformed lives.’

The fact is that when we sincerely believe in Jesus, our horizons are expanded to limits our frail and finite minds cannot even conceive. And this next quote illuminates all that we’ve spoken about so far. ‘When you are enthusiastic about what you do, you feel this positive energy. It’s very simple.’

Yes my brethren. Enthusiasm plays a very big part in the rising up of positive energy in our souls and spirits. If we are not enthusiastic about something we don’t usually feel the need or the energy to do it. But when we are enthused, brother, we develop this gung-ho attitude, we just want to be up and doing whatever it is that causes our burgeoning enthusiasm.

There’s one problem here though, not enough of us supposed believers are truly enthused about Jesus, otherwise we’d be out and about in the world doing a much better job on His behalf than we are currently doing, and the evil and evildoers would not be having the heyday they are now having. Ah mih people, that’s a sad commentary on our efforts to evangelize the world for Jesus. As I keep saying, we talk an extremely good talk, but we don’t put our talk into action as much as we ought to.

Because of fear, shame, distaste, laziness or whatever, we simply seem to acquiesce to the ungodly doings of the world. Thus we don’t follow the good advice that our next quote provides. ‘It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.’ Now that’s the gospel truth! It’s when things are pretty bad, like right now, that we need to focus the most on Jesus, who is the Light and the Life, so that we can use His restorative power and energy to stand strong and come to our senses.

Oh friends, right now our world is in a very dark place and only our total focus on Jesus and the resultant light that we cause to shine will enlighten its darkness. Remember Jesus considers us the light of the world and the salt of the earth. (Matt. 5:13-14) That means He expects us to provide a lot more energy, enthusiasm and guidance to the world than we’re currently doing. So let’s get with it nuh. The world very badly needs the stuff that Jesus brings to the table, and we are the conduit through which He expects it flow. So please, let’s not disappoint Jesus no further and do what He asks of us.

Now here is our last quote. ‘Good things come to people who wait, but better things come to those who go out and get them.’ That’s definitely a fine balancing act that we believers need to perform in this life. The Good Book does tell us to wait. Bruh David says it thus in Psalm 27. ‘Wait (in faith, patiently) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith, patiently), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) But Jesus also gave us the ‘Great Commission,’ where He desires us to ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ (Matt. 28:19)

Yes my fellow saints, we need to do both things; wait patiently on the Lord and go out into the world and do stuff. And to help us do that successfully, the Lord gives us His Word, His Holy Spirit, sometimes the advice of others, and sometimes the force of circumstances surrounding us. It’s not easy to pull it all together, but if we diligently meditate on the Word and listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to successfully navigate the straight and narrow path that leads us directly to Jesus and cause others to want to come to Him. Much LOVE!

…only two roads to follow…the straight and narrow one to heaven…or the wide, crooked one to hell…the choice is ours…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 July 2022 Matthew 12:37.

22 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a gift of God's grace, a means of restoring faith in you, a wise materbuilder, absent from the body present with the Lord, after this the judgement, appear before the judgement seat of Christ, be revealed by fire, bring backsliders back to your fold, by thy words thou shalt be condemned, by thy words thou shalt be justified, combustible materials, Covid-19 virus, every idle word that men speak, faith without works is dead, faithful believers, for other foundation can no man lay than Jesus, Friday chant, hypocrites, incombustible materials, introduce a whole new flock, it is appointed unto men once to die, LOVE, our own indulgent purposes, show them the error of their ways, talk without action is useless, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, they shall give account of on judgment day, trusting faith, unrest in the streets, wake up and smell the coffee, whether it be good or bad

Matthew 12:37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

And although many of us have not done much for the entire week, we are still boldfaced enough to raise our voices in insincere thanks today, saying ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ What a bunch of hypocrites we really are! There is no real thanks in our declaration, just mere selfish desires that the work week is almost over and then we can do as we please; party, over-indulge, etc. etc. It’s surprising how we can call God’s name, use it for our own indulgent purposes, but not seriously and sincerely talk to Him about the things that truly matter in this mish-mash life and ungodly world in which we’re currently living.

But please remember friends that one day we will all be called to account for our life, for the words we spoke and the actions we took or did not take. Jesus told us quite plainly: ‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt. 12:36-37) Yes my brethren, come the judgement day we’ll answer for a lot of stuff that in the world view, we now think is quite all right, but it really isn’t.

So, for argument’s sake, (smile) crying out ‘Thank God it’s Friday,’ and not really meaning it, might be words you’ll be called to give account for. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus in his second missive to the church at Corinth. ‘We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour (make it our aim), that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him (be well pleasing to him). For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done; whether it be good or bad.’ (2 Cor. 5:8-10)

Oh my fellow believers, as Bruh Paul already pointed out in 1 Cor. 3:10-15, all our works will be judged by fire, and rewards handed out based on those that survive the flames. And though we’re not under condemnation, nor fear being thrown out of heaven once we get there, we must be aware that God will still hold us responsible for the deeds done in the body. Now don’t think we can get away from that judgement either, (smile) because there are two certainties in this life, as the author of Hebrews puts it. ‘And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.’ (Heb. 9:27)

So, all of us will die, and all of us will face the judgement seat of Christ! It means that if want to have less face time with Christ at the judgement and earn more rewards, then we need to ensure that our words, deeds and motives down here on earth are well-pleasing to Him. It’s as simple as that. And remember, no one is going to answer for us, neither are we going to answer for anyone else. It will be just the individual and Christ. So, please stop concentrating and worrying about what others are saying and/or doing and concentrate on what you are saying and doing.

And I guess the best way to make us understand is by quoting Bruh Paul’s words from 1 Cor. 3:10-15, about building our individual ministries and Christians being co-labourers. He says: ‘According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay that that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble (straw); Every man’s work shall be made manifest (become evident): for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try (test) every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide (endures) which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved: yet so as by (through) fire.’ (1 Cor. 3:10-15)

Therefore my brethren, it’s imperative that we build our lives, our ministries, whatever we build, on the one true and solid foundation of Christ Jesus, the Rock! And that we build with gold, silver or precious metals which are incombustible and thus cannot be burned or consumed by the figurative fire or judgement. However, if our buildings are constructed of cheap, combustible materials like wood, hay, stubble or straw, they will obviously be consumed by the fire and we will lose any rewards we might have expected, which are all a gift of God’s grace.

The good thing though, is that we will not lose our salvation. But as the scholars point out: ‘The stress in this entire passage is not on a person’s relationship to Christ, but on service to Christ.’ So, although we believe, and are saved, we are still expected to do some useful work to build the kingdom. How would you feel if you are one of those in heaven who don’t have any rewards eh, because your service to the kingdom didn’t survive the judgement, while all around you are others displaying their gracious gifts for their worthwhile service?

None of us will be pleased, although I suppose jealousy and envy won’t be a part of our character then. (smile) To avoid that kind of situation then, let’s think about doing more worthwhile service now nuh. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace in sincere prayer, through our Friday Chant, laying all our wants and needs before the feet of our Creator.

As one confident but humble voice. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.

And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’

Now, if we want to see positive results, it behooves us to go out into the evil world and truly behave as faithful believers! Much LOVE!

…faith without works is dead…talk without action is useless…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 July 2022 Matthew 7:7.

21 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a compassionate heart, abundance, ask and it shall be given to you, ceasing to pray for you, curse, find the right antidote, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord, He's promised never to leave nor forsake me, hope thou in God, knock and it shall be opened, LOVE, man's sinful nature, negative word, prayer is talking with God, prayer is the basis of the successful Christian life, seek and ye shall find, self-control, talent, that ye may consume it upon your lusts, the health of my countenance and my God, the Lord will help me in my weakness, the more things change the more they stay the same, Thursday Blessings, to strengthen me through Christ, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss, ye lust and have not, yet ye have not because ye ask not

Matthew 7:7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

So it’s Thursday now…one of those days in the life when things seem all topsy-turvy. First of all, I got up later than usual, only to further find that a couple things I thought I had done, successfully yesterday were actually unsuccessful, so I have to go and do them over again today. It’s frustrating to say the least. And now I’ve got to put that aside and get my head around to writing the Bit.

But I’m not really worried, just a tad concerned, (smile) because I know in my weakness the Lord will help me, especially since it’s His work I’m trying to do. He’s promised never to leave nor forsake me, and to strengthen me through His most awesome Son Christ Jesus, so that I can do all things that need to be done. Therefore, I ask myself? ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.’ (Ps. 42:11)

Glory be my people! That’s the beauty of scripture: we can always find a word to uplift our spirits regardless of what we’re going through. The problem though is that we need to seek it out. Sometimes, if we know enough scripture, it might come to us, but generally speaking we need to actually dive into the Good Book and find the right antidote for whatever ails us. That’s what I just did. I didn’t know what I needed, but knew that I needed something to refresh my fallen spirit. The search wasn’t long, but I did have to look for it. And that’s what so many of us refuse to do, actively look for the Lord and His redeeming power.

Remember the words the Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah? ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:13) Yes, friends, we need to actively seek the Lord if we truly want to find Him and His restoration. It reminds us that Christianity is an active faith, one of plenty action, not mere talk. And Jesus himself encouraged us to stay active, to stay persevering in prayer, when He declared (chuh!!!):

‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt. 7:7-11)

Oh my people, Jesus could not make it any clearer than that! But for our benefit, the scholars try to do so. (smile) They say: ‘Jesus illustrated His point by comparing the willingness of a human father to give his child a gift, with our heavenly Father who will gladly give us what we need. The term evil (vs. 11) is used here of man’s sinful nature. Even sinful men are kind to their children; therefore, how much more shall your heavenly Father delight to answer your prayers.’

However, the scholars also say, that though ‘Prayer includes asking and getting answers from God… It is more than just asking; it is confession, adoration, thanksgiving, and fellowship with God. By its nature, prayer is talking with God. It is the basis of the successful Christian life, and is so important that not praying is considered a sin. (1 Sam.12:23)’ And I do hope that all of that ramps up the importance of prayer in our individual and corporate lives, for without prayer we’re nothing, our communication with our heavenly Father will be non-existent.

Now, let me spoon feed us with that verse above from 1 Samuel that indicates that not praying is sin. Samuel was appealing to his people Israel to serve God and be His people, when he said: ‘Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way.’ (1 Sam. 12:23) In other words, Samuel would not give up the fight to teach Israel the right way. He would consistently do his divine duty.

And so should we all today my faithful brethren. It’s our bounden duty to do right and to teach those around us what is right. Unfortunately, we are not doing such a good job of it, that’s why there’s so much evil and evildoing in our world. And though we are doing some praying, I guess we might not be praying for the right things as James, Jesus’ brother says in his epistle.

‘From when come wars and fightings (conflicts) among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts (desires for pleasure) that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill (murder), and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war (battle), yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (desires of pleasure). ‘ (James 4:1-3)

Yes friends, a lot of what we ask for is not in God’s will for us. Our prayers are often pleasure driven not God centred. And thus, as the scholars point out. ‘James emphasizes the strife so common among his readers, stemming from their unsatisfied, selfish, desires. Instead of wrestling with God in prayer, these believers are striving with one another.’ And sadly, nothing has changed today, for instead of going to God in prayer we are still striving with each other over selfish and sinful desires. It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

But thankfully, some of us, though certainly not enough, have decided to stick with the Lord through thick and thin, and thus He has bestowed on us several blessings to enable us to do His earthly work. So, let’s activate what we term our Thursday Blessings right now nuh, that we can be refreshed and maintain our sincere witness for Christ.

As one voice: ‘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, let’s get out into the evil world and use those heavenly blessings to raise up the name of Christ in all the earth, as He expects us to do! Much LOVE!

…it’s okay to ask…but we must ask for the right things…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 July 2022 John 13:35.

20 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, broken work system, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, fight Satan mano-a-mano, going great guns, he that despiseth despiseth not man but God, heifer dust, I am halfway home, I'm not turning back, if ye have love one to another, if ye love me keep my commandments, increase more and more in love, Jesus' trademark is love, LOVE, masquerading under the façade of Christ, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, no group can survive chaos without obedience, our world will never be the same again, power-hungry dictators, that ye love one another as I have loved you, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the devil is strong in the world, the master template of love is obedience, the poor keep getting poorer, the rich keep getting richer, this is love that we walk after his commandments, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, work with your own hands

John 13:35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE to one another.

Come get to Wednesday friends, the leveller of our work week. Yes, by Wednesday we ought to be in full swing, in total work mode, going great guns! (smile) Ah, but how many of us really get into full work mode these days eh, with the broken work system caused by the pandemic and all the other problems we’re currently facing?

Not as many as it ought to have, for the fairly steady world that we knew a few years ago, no longer exists. Everything is now in upheaval, fragmented, one isn’t sure whether one is coming or going., we’re all trying to figure out where our future lies. Some of us are even standing still, notwithstanding those of us who have disastrously fallen through the many holes and cracks in the system. One thing is sure though; our world will never be the same again.

And what’s interesting and very disturbing is that throughout the worldwide pandemic, greed, selfishness and warfare never took a break, in fact they have intensified. The rich keep getting richer, the poor keep getting poorer, our world keeps falling apart, and more power-hungry dictators are being exalted every day! Instead of the pandemic bringing us together, it sadly forced us apart, brought out some of our worst traits.

I tell you friends, the devil is strong in this world, and if we don’t get up and fight him mano-a-mano, with all the tools, all the armour of our Christian faith, he will eventually have all of us eating out of his hands. Now, that’s not to frighten us, but to warn us. For when all over the world we have the same basic problems and we keep drawing further apart, rather than coming closer together to try and solve them, when supposed Christians are fighting supposed Christians, then things surely are in bad shape.

Note, I said supposed Christians, for if we are constantly fighting each other then we don’t belong to Christ and don’t deserve His name. We obviously have forgotten, or simply chosen to ignore His very important words. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) And what was His commandment, you ask? ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have loved you, that ye also LOVE one another.’ (John 13:34)

Yes my people, those who LOVE each other aren’t constantly at war with each other. And some of us might be wondering why Jesus even bothered to give us that commandment, but it was very important, because as He further says: ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE to one another.’ (John 13:35)

It’s simple friends, Jesus’ trademark is LOVE, and if His supposed followers don’t show LOVE, especially to each other, then they are not truly His followers. We’re just a bunch of ingrates, hypocrites and iniquity workers, parading, or rather masquerading under the façade of Christ! And that’s totally unacceptable.

Oh my bredrin, not only did Jesus teach us that LOVE for God and each other are the main priorities in our lives, but so did others. Like Bruh Paul and John. In Bruh Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, when talking about immoral conduct and the purity necessary in a Christian’s walk, he said: ‘For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth (rejects), despiseth (rejects) not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit.

But as touching (concerning) brotherly LOVE ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to LOVE one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; And that ye study to be quiet (aspire to live a quiet life), and to do (mind) your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly (properly) toward them that are without (outside), and that ye may have lack of nothing.’ (1 Thess. 4:7-12)

Yuh see there mih people, although the Thessalonians were doing a decent enough job of showing LOVE in action, Bruh Paul was still encouraging them to get even better at it. To mind their business and develop a work ethic that would allow them to earn a decent living. All of those virtues are sadly lacking in today’s society. With the advent of almost instantaneous communication, we’ve become the biggest liars and gossipmongers the world has ever seen. And don’t talk about the work ethic aspect, because that’s almost non-existent. But yet we claim to be Christians! Heifer Dust!

And if you don’t believe me, then listen to John in his first epistle. He writes: ‘And hereby we do know that we know him (Jesus), if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the LOVE of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk, even as he walked.’ (1 John 2:3-6)

And how did Jesus walk, you ask? Listen to Him. ‘If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my LOVE; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his LOVE.’(John 15:10) Jesus only did what His Father commanded. And if by now you have not realized that the master template of LOVE is basic obedience, then let me tell you, IT IS!

Now listen to John from his second epistle, where he writes to a lady and her family: ‘And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we LOVE one another. And this is LOVE, that we walk after (according to) his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.’ (2 John 5-6)

And I like how the scholars explain that last verse. ‘For some, LOVE has little to do with obedience. Yet John, following Jesus, stresses that to LOVE is to obey. As one of Jesus’ closest disciples, John would have heard the Master raise the question, “And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)’

Now that’s a very good question. Why call Jesus Lord when we don’t do as He desires of us eh? I’ll leave that for us to ponder and answer in our own time and manner though. (smile) Instead, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry 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 if by chance you’ve forgotten, let me remind you that if we endure to the very end, then that promised future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s hold on to that nuh, and endure right down to the very end! The rewards will be well worth it! Much LOVE!

…no group of God’s creations…be they man, beast or organism…can survive chaos…without obedience to a central tenet…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2022 Lamentations 3:26.

19 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, blessed are all they that wait for him, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, cease from anger forsake wrath, delight thyself also in the Lord, happy is he that trusts in the Lord, he shall give thee the desires of thine heart, hell is not life but death, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, hurry, I am the beloved of god, if ye have love one to another, if you love me keep my commandments, in god's eyes, it is good that a man, LOVE, love one another as I have loved you, Monday's gone bye bye, new mercies and compassions, only one option for life - heaven, share His love with the world, suffer the consequences, the Lord is a God of justice, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him, trust in the Lord and do good, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, walk the talk of faith, worry

Lamentations 3:26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Ahhhh! We open our eyes to a bright sunshiny day with a grateful sigh and say ‘Thank You Lord, it’s Tuesday! Monday’s gone bye bye, and a brand new day is here with all Your new mercies and compassions, which Your Word assures us are new every morning because of Your everlasting faithfulness to those who sincerely LOVE and serve You.’ Lam. 3:22-23) And that’s no lie friends, for the Good Book also assures us that ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.’ (Lam. 3:25) And why wouldn’t He be eh, if He’s such a wonderful and generous God?

Now Isaiah said it a long time ago when he appealed to his people Israel to turn to the Lord for help. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice); blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18)

Oh my fellow believers, I would like to say the same thing to us today. In this time of dire need and trouble, the Lord God Almighty is the ONLY One who can save us from the hurtling fall down to the depths of hell in which we’re currently enveloped. And there are so many scriptures that warn, advise and encourage us to wait on the Lord. Let’s look at a few of them today nuh, and hopefully it will brighten and enlighten our day. (smile)

And this first one from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked, we all know. Bruh David says it loud and clear. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:3-9)

Now my brethren, that says it all! Once we read those wise and inspiring verses our spirits ought to be lifted right back up, soar to the highest point possible. But since I know how stubborn and hard-headed we are, we’ll continue with some more verses on the subject, for some of us can only be moved by a bombardment of scripture. (smile) So listen to Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.’ (Prov. 16:20)

Meanwhile Jeremiah, when talking about the blessedness of trusting the Lord, emphatically declared: ‘Blessed is the man that trusted in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8)

Wow! What more can we ask for eh my bredrin? We get it all when we put our sincere trust in the Lord God Almighty and wait for Him to lead and guide us in His wonderful plan to give us a hope and a future! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord for His unceasing and faithful goodness to the undeserving children of men!’ Yes, we don’t deserve any of what He blesses us with, but because of His marvellous LOVE and compassion for us, He nonetheless bestows on us the blessed fruit of His Holy Spirit. That’s just the kind of God He is!

But by the same token, He does expect some common sense and reverence from us. He’s not just a doting grandfather that does or gives us whatever we want. We have a part to play, and if we don’t play it, then we’ll suffer the consequences. And believe me, some of those consequences can be downright painful and long-lasting.

Now Jesus, in His ultimate wisdom, said it quite simply but in no uncertain terms. ‘If you LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) There’s nothing to dispute in that simple but very powerful statement. If you claim to LOVE me, then I expect you to do as I say. That’s how you will show if your LOVE is truly true!

And again, Jesus said in very plain and simple but serious and powerful language to the disciples: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) It’s oh so simple friends: we can’t just talk the talk; we must also walk the walk.

How did James, Jesus’ brother put it? ‘Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.’ (James 2:17-18) Yes my people, we can’t only claim to believe and trust in the Lord God Jehovah, but we must even more importantly show that we do, for remember actions speak louder than words.

So, as Jeremiah says so poignantly in his Lamentations: ‘It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:26) But that hoping and waiting doesn’t mean just sitting on our laurels and doing nothing! No, it means doing what we can, doing our part, while eagerly and expectantly waiting for the Lord to do His.

And with all those enlightening and reassuring words (smile) let’s go home now declaring (Yess!!!) 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 the world. Amen!’

Now, let’s go out and share that awesome LOVE and friendship, so that others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…there is only one option for life…heaven…for hell is not life…but death…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 July 2022 Psalm 18:32.

18 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: abide in me and I in you, being spiritually refreshed, engage in the battle of wits and spirit, fellowship with other believers, for by grace are ye saved, give the enemy a run for his money, God maketh my way perfect, he is my light my strength my song, he maketh my feet like hinds' feet, hearing the word of God, I am come that they might have life, I am the vine ye are the branches, In Christ Alone my hope is found, it is God that girdeth me with strength, it is the gift of God, Jehovah Rapha, labour as unto God, lest any man should boast, life and strong faith in Christ, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nay in all these things, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, our sufficiency is of God, sincere repentance in our hearts, the foolishness of God is wiser than men, the God who heals, the Greeks seek after wisdom, the Jews require a sign, the shield of thy salvation, the weakness of God is stronger than men, they might have it more abundantly, through him that loved us, turn from our evil ways, unto the Greeks foolishness, unto the Jews a stumbling block, wait with eager expectation, we are more than conquerors, we preach Christ crucified, wise guidance and direction, without me ye can do nothing

Psalm 18:32. It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

One more time around the block friends! Yes, if you didn’t know, it’s Monday, time to get out there and labour, labour as unto God. (smile) And I do hope that we are all ready, willing and able to handle our nemesis, our constant opponent, this first day of the work week, who consistently upsets our apple carts, simply because we are not ready to handle it.

We have not made the necessary preparations to engage in the battle of wits and spirit that Monday always throws up at us, meaning too much partying and worldly things; not going to church and being spiritually refreshed through fellowship with other believers and hearing the Word of God, also not enough physical rest. But those are both essential if we want to present a good, strong front on Mondays and give the enemy a run for his money.

And that is only possible when we acknowledge these facts that Bruh David lays out in Psalm 18 – Thanksgiving for deliverance, when he confidently proclaims: ‘It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.’ (Ps. 18:32) Oh friends, that is the absolute truth, and until we sincerely believe it and put it into action, we will not be able to conquer anything the enemy sends against us.

Why do you think we can make the authoritative boast of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors: through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) Yes, it’s only through the wonderful LOVE of our great and wonderful God that we are made strong, made conquering heroes in Christ!

And Bruh David ramps it up even more when he continues: ‘He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet (the feet of the deer), and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms (a bow of bronze can be bent). Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden (held me) up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.’ (Ps. 18:33-35) That’s more absolute truth my people! It is indeed the Lord God Jehovah who enables us to first resist and then defeat the enemy.

And Jesus reiterates that truth when He says to the disciples. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 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 15:4-5) Now that says it all my fellow believers: without Jesus we can do nothing! And if you don’t believe Him, then try doing stuff without Him nuh, and see how far you’ll get. (smile)

Then Bruh Paul puts it very nicely in his second letter to the church at Corinth. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) Glory be, ye saints of Christ! And remember what Bruh Paul also said to the Ephesians. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph. 2:8-9) Oh my people, until we realize, recognize and understand that who we are, most of what we have come from the goodness of God, we’ll never live up to the plan He has set out for us, or reach the pinnacle that He desires us to reach.

Remember what Jesus said: ‘I am come that they might have life; and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b) That means if we don’t live for Jesus, abide in Him, and have Him abide in us, then we won’t live the abundant life He died for us to have, thereby negating His sacrificial death, making all His pain and ‘sufferation’ of no use. And what I can’t understand is why in tragic and disturbing times like these, we aren’t turning back to God in greater droves than we currently are, since our own efforts are not helping to diffuse the evil and ungodly situations we’re now facing.

In fact, our efforts are only making them worse. One would expect in a time like this a revival of God-fearing proportions would be taking place. People would be waking up, like the Israelites used to do, when they found themselves between a rock and a hard place after turning away from the God of their forefathers. But it seems the contrary thing is happening; people are turning away from God, more than they are turning to Him. Unfortunately though, there’s no wisdom in that. Wisdom dictates that if all our efforts are failing, then we try something, or somebody else…like Jehovah God.

And I guess these words of Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, echo the sentiments that populate our world today. ‘For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men: and the weakness of God is stronger than men.’ (1 Cor. 1:22-25)

It couldn’t be said any better my friends! That’s why, for those of us who believe, it’s essential to go to God in prayer asking for divine help and guidance. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one sincere 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 what must we do after we pray? Wait with eager expectation, while keeping whatever promises we’ve made. Much LOVE!

… In Christ alone my hope is found…He is my light, my strength, my song…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 July 2022 John 3:16.

17 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: behind each cloud there's a silver lining, everlasting life with Jesus, fear thou not for I am with thee, George Bnaton, God is not a man that he should lie, God so loved the world, hath he said and shall he not do it, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, health to thy navel, Hold On Better must come, hold on till the end, I know that the sunwill shine again, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I thanked the Lord for another day, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, in each life a little rain must fall, Jesus will fix it for you, lean not unto thine own understanding, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the best will eventually come, the darkest night is just before the dawn, the God awesome truth, to give you an expected end, toiling in the boiling sun, trouble don't last always, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, when you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders

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

Well, it’s gathering time once again for praise and worship my fellow believers in Christ Jesus! Sunday is the day we put everything else on hold and join together to acknowledge our wise and wonderful God; He of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. And per our custom, we open the proceedings with song, with beautiful, throaty, harmonic praises (smile). Today’s song comes from the 2002 album titled ‘Jesus Will Fix It for You,’ performed by the Jamaican Canadian Gospel Artist, George Banton. But the name of the song we are going to sing now is called ‘Hold On (Better Must Come).

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

So, let’s raise those sweet, soulful, harmonious voices in sacrificial praise to high heaven, letting our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ know that we staunchly believe in Him, and totally trust Him to keep all the promises He’s made to us. Altogether now: ‘You know in each life, a little rain must fall, and sometimes the darkest night is just before dawn. I’m here to tell you, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. Oh let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day.

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

Whenever you’re down and out, and you have no one around, remember this song, telling you to be strong. Let me tell you children, hold on, hold on, better must come one day. The sun will shine, yes it will! So, go tell your friend, go tell your mama, tell your sister about it, tell your brother, tell your daddy, to hold on, hold on, better must come one day.

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

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

And that’s the God awesome truth my brethren: better will come one day! As we said earlier on, Jesus promised it, and He doesn’t lie. And right off the bat, here is a scripture that says it all. From way back in time, the prophet Balaam said unto Balak, king of Moab: ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’ (Num. 23:19)

Yes friends, whatever our God promises He will make come true. But just to refresh our memories and offer some encouragement and reassurance, let’s look at a few of the many promises of good tidings in God’s word. Hear this one from Isaiah, re the final restoration of Israel. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10)

And if that doesn’t move you, then try this one from Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Now we all know that, and if you don’t believe it, then you’re in the wrong club. (smile)

Or perhaps you prefer how Bruh Paul puts it to the Roman church. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Oh friends, if we sincerely LOVE God and are called to do His will, then we ought to know and believe that eventually all things will work out for our good, or as George Banton puts it, ‘better must come one day.’ Otherwise we’re just wasting our time and God’s.

And here’s another scripture that we all know. This one from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol. He writes In Proverbs: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:5-8)

And we could continue all day (smile) because there are many more promises of the good times to come at the end if we endure as faithful believers, so that when Christ returns, He finds us faithful, ready and waiting; eagerly expecting His coming. That’s because we truly believed His most important words down here on earth. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)

And that’s exactly why we need to hold on in faith my fellow saints! Please remember that the whole purpose of this earthly life is to end up in heaven with Jesus. Yes, let’s hold on, because better… no the BEST, will eventually come in the form of everlasting life with Jesus! Much LOVE!

…only true faith in Jesus…will cause us to see heaven with Him…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 July 2022 Luke 18:27.

16 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a grain of mustard seed, advocating on our behalf, burst my bubble, I am meek and lowly in heart, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, insight of Jesus to discern fruitful opportunities from difficulties, Jesus did it all for our benefit, live for Jesus, LOVE one another, our attitude, our friend Anselm, our lazy day Saturday, positive thinking is more than a tagline, reality intruded, rise again on the last day, sitting at the father's right hand, the difference between obstacles and opportunities, things which are impossible with men are possible with God, your positive mindset includes Jesus

Luke 18:27. The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

And then it was Saturday – our lazy day! And boy oh boy, did I ever feel like being lazy all day! And in keeping with that feeling, though I was already late waking up, I nevertheless lay there in bed, awake, thinking all sorts of delicious lazy thoughts. But then, as always, reality intruded, it burst my lazy bubble; the Lord’s work needed to be done, and I needed to get my lazy self, up and about to do it! Ah brother, no rest for the wicked nor the righteous! And I muttered an insincere: ‘Thank you for the reminder, Lord!’ (smile)

So, as we do on Saturdays, let’s see what interesting quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says: ‘Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.’ Yes, that’s quite true. We can’t just talk positive thinking, but like everything else we must put it into action for it to bear fruit. And when we do that, it not only makes us better, but also rubs off on those we encounter.

But let me make one proviso here: positive thinking as the world proposes can’t make miraculous changes to your life. Oh yes, it will help you some, but the real test comes when your positive mindset includes Jesus! Oh glory be mih people! When Jesus is actively in our lives, miracles happen all around us all the time, we become doers of seemingly impossible stuff, because as He said. ‘The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.’ (Luke 18:27) And once you believe that, even if your faith is only as big as a small grain of mustard seed, you too can move mountains, do miracles, (Matt. 17:20)

So, it’s not simply positive thinking we need to improve our lives and situations, but more importantly strong belief in Jesus and the fact that all things are possible through and with Him. As Bruh Paul said so confidently to the Philippians: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phill. 4:13) And that’s the glorious truth my faithful brethren! We can do anything that Jesus wants us to do, because He empowers us to do whatever He desires of us!

That brings us to this next quote that’s in a similar vein to the first one. It tells us that ‘An attitude of positive expectation is the mark of the superior personality.’ Now in the world that might be true to a certain extent, but as we just saw, mere positive thinking doesn’t move mountains, it’s only when Jesus is involved in that positive mindset that things truly begin to happen.

And then, with Jesus, we never have issues of superiority, for as He says, ‘I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble)’ (Matt. 11:29) That means we don’t think we’re better than anybody else, so we wouldn’t say we have a superior personality, but possibly more wisdom, we’re wiser than most because we have the good sense to choose Jesus above all the foolish, perishable trappings of the world.

Now, isn’t it just wonderful to have Jesus in our lives? It certainly is, for it enables us more than the unbelievers to handle the next quote, which says: ‘What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity.’ Yes friends, our attitude towards life in general and our individual circumstances in particular is what sets us apart from the unsuccessful throng, or multitude. As the quote so truly specifies: ‘Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity.’

And do we ever know about that. For though simple opportunities may seem to abound, every one of them will present some difficulty at some stage of the game. It very seldom ever runs smoothly all the way through. And it’s only when we have the belly and backbone that comes from knowing Jesus that we can fight through those difficulties and not give up.

Likewise, in most difficult situations there is usually an excellent opportunity for us to get hold of and pursue to a successful end. But there again, we need the perspicacity, the insight, the shrewdness inspired by our walk with Jesus to discern those fruitful opportunities within those difficult situations, and purposefully go after them. Oh, what would we do without Jesus eh? I don’t know nuh. (smile)

And all of it culminates in this last quote which advises us to: ‘Cultivate an optimistic mind, use your imagination, always consider alternatives, and dare to believe that you can make possible what others think is impossible.’ Now all of that is obviously good advice, whether or not you believe in Jesus. But the crowning glory of it all is that when you sincerely believe in Jesus, then you can indeed make those things that others think impossible, possible, because ALL things are possible to and through Him!

And please don’t think that Jesus isn’t all for positive thinking and optimism, because He is. He is the most positive thinker and greatest optimist that ever lived! Just check out these facts about Him nuh. Who else would think that His dying, His shed blood could pay for all the sins of mankind eh, from beginning to end? He had to be a powerful positive thinker and optimist.

And likewise, who else but a major optimist and positive thinker would think to only leave a dozen, mostly uneducated men to evangelize the world eh? And that’s exactly what Jesus did. And look at how far we’ve come in doing that. Most of the known world now know about Jesus, and the number of those who don’t Him are getting fewer each day with the marvellous advances we’ve recently had in communication technology. And neither should we forget that in Jesus’ vocabulary and kingdom, the words ‘quit, give up, and can’t do it’ don’t exist…and never will!

Now, let’s go out into the cruel, evil and ungodly world and just live for Him, because He not only died for us, to wash and make us clean from our abominable sins, but He also rose for us, so that we too could rise again on the last day and be with Him in heaven, where He is right now, sitting at the Father’s right hand, advocating on our behalf!

Oh my fellow saints, all that Jesus has done, and is still doing, is strictly for our benefit. So please, let’s remember that nuh, and show some gratitude by sincerely living for Him! Much LOVE!

…if there’s only one word and/or thought that should guide our lives…it’s JESUS…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 July 2022 Matthew 28:20b.

15 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a future and a hope, a lack of work ethic, a means of restoring faith in you, a positive answer from heaven, and lo I am with you always, approach the throne of grace, avoid more serious setbacks, be responsible and stay safe, bring backsliders back to your fold, divine help, embrace your love and compassion, fallen into sin, Friday chant, God created us in His own image, God's most precious creation, gotten too big for our britches, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, introduce a whole new flock, lack of brotherly love, living in disharmony with God and man, LOVE, more equitable sharing of our prosperity, pay our sin debt in full, ruled by entitlement, show them the error of their ways, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that's it in a nutshell, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, too few have too much, too many have too little, turning back to God, wake up and smell the coffee, we have tossed God aside, we've improved because of our own strength

Matthew 28:20b. … and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

So, another week has rolled by, pretty quickly too, and once more we hear that raucous shout: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ We’re so thankful that it’s Friday, even though we might not have done a lick of work for the week. (smile) But that’s just how we are these days; ruled by entitlement, a lack of work ethic, lack of brotherly LOVE, but ever so filled with greed, selfishness, and ungodliness.

For many of us, God doesn’t even exist…and even if He does, it’s like some ghost-like figure somewhere far, far out in the universe, and He doesn’t have any real connection to man. Now there’s nothing that’s further from the truth than that, for God is with man, dwelling within those who revere Him and desire Him in their lives. And why would He not want to have anything to do with us eh, when He purposely created us in His own image, to have beautiful communion and fellowship with Him?

And when we’d fallen so badly into sin, God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die on our behalf, to take all of those sins on His own conscience and pay our sin debt in full by shedding His sinless blood on the cross at Calvary, giving us His righteousness for our sinfulness, making us righteous, justified and reconciled with the Father. Now if God didn’t want a relationship with us, why do all those things eh?

The truth of the matter is that we have forgotten God, tossed Him aside, gotten too big for our britches, foolishly believing that we no longer need Him since our society has evolved so much, become so enlightened, so modern and prosperous. To make matters even worse, the enemy has also goaded us into falsely believing that the improvements in our society happened through our own strength and not through God’s grace and mercy.

That leads me to wonder why some of us with all our money, power and the great medicinal achievements of our current world, still fall sick and die of simple diseases? Why we even die at all? It means that we are not in full control of our lives. Never were, and never will be! That there is indeed a greater power than us, One we call God, who created us and still controls all our goings and comings, and who still desires a warm and friendly relationship with us, because He doesn’t even want to lose one of His most precious creations to the enemy.

God is right there, just waiting for us to acknowledge Him and ask for His awesome help in ALL our doings. Why do you think the Lord made the promise as far back as the Israelites release from bondage in Egypt, to never leave nor forsake us. (Deut. 31:6, 8) Why did He tell Joshua in no uncertain terms when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses: ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’(Josh. 1:5)

Jesus also promised the disciples and all those who followed and believed in Him: ‘… and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) The author of Hebrews also resurrects God’s old but not extinct promise of never leaving nor forsaking us. (Heb. 13:5) And if God wasn’t interested in us, why would he make this awesome statement though the prophet Jeremiah eh? ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you and expected end (a future and a hope.’ (Jer. 29:11)

Now please tell me, if we were living in harmony with God and with each other do you think there would be as much calamity, disaster and evil doings as there currently is in our world? Surely not! But because we are out of sync, living in disharmony with God and our fellow man, our world is in a terrible mess. Just look around…every day there are more disasters, both natural and manmade; fires, floods, famines, more evil dictators and power-hungry politicians, claiming to work for the people, but in truth only filling their own pockets while the people suffer.

Why is there still so much poverty and sickness in a world that’s never been as prosperous and enlightened? Because too few have too much and too many have too little, and the few are too greedy, selfish and godless to share with the many. That’s it in a nutshell folks. There’s enough wealth and prosperity in our world for most of us to live comfortably, if that wealth and prosperity were shared just a tad more equitably. Sermon done! (smile)

But please, let’s never forget that turning back to God is an option, in fact our best option, and in doing so, we will always have the power of prayer to call on Him for His divine help. And there’s no better time for that than right now. So, through our Friday Chant, let’s confidently, but humbly, approach the throne of grace.

As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.

And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’

And now, if we desire a positive answer from heaven, it behooves us to keep those promises, turn our lives around and live like God desires. Much LOVE!

…mankind might be God’s greatest creation…but he’s still only a created being…with all the inadequacies that that state entails…let’s not forget it…

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

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 July 2022 1 Thessalonians 5:6.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 July 2022 Psalm 27:14.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 July 2022 Matthew 12:37.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 July 2022 Matthew 7:7.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 July 2022 John 13:35.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 July 2022 Psalm 18:32.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 July 2022 John 3:16.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 July 2022 Luke 18:27.

Pages

Categories

Archives