Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 July 2010 Isaiah 45:5‏

25 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Isaiah 45:5     I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.

Oh Friends, the ways of our God are certainly different to ours; higher, much more complex, intricate and far-reaching than those of His mortal children. And that’s the way it ought to be, for if we were all at the same level, then there’d be no real justification to worship and adore Him. That difference in mental prowess is particularly shown in our Bit today. The message in Isaiah 45 deals with Cyrus, king of Persia. It begins: ‘Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden (held), to subdue nations before him…I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight…And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.’ (Is.45:1-3) Yes Friends, our God called Cyrus by name and promised to lead him to great victories in battle and to secret treasures all for one specific reason; to conquer Babylon and set His chosen people Israel free from captivity so that they could go back to the Promised Land, rebuild Jerusalem and the nation of Israel as he had promised. ‘Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee….That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.’ (Is.44:21-22, 28) Ah mih breddren, what the Lord does for His people eh! But He doesn’t do it in simple, easily understood ways, for He likes high stakes, rich drama. First off, His chosen people, Israel are getting too big for their breeches; rebellious, ungodly, proud and arrogant, so He allows Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and take them away captive to Babylon. After about 70 years in captivity, the Lord figures that Israel has learned its lesson re idolatry, so He raises up Cyrus, the Persian king as His anointed, the saviour of His people. Now Friends, re the scholars, that’s the only place in the Scriptures where a Gentile is so designated. He then causes Cyrus to overthrow Babylon and eventually allows Israel to go back and rebuild Jerusalem, through people like Ezra and Nehemiah. Why do you think those guys had such an easy time and were so favoured by Cyrus? ‘And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.’ (Neh.2:8) Yes people, only because the good hand of the Lord was upon them. Oh Friends, Cyrus was a heathen king, originally worshipping false gods, and might have felt that his greatness was either a combination of his skill and the munificence of his idol gods, but little did he know that it was the One True God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who had pegged him long before to accomplish His purpose. According to the scholars’ this prophecy of Isaiah, re Cyrus, was foretold about 140 years before it actually came to pass. Wow! Isn’t our God magnificent! It’s the same way He used Nebuchadnezzar, another heathen king, to accomplish His purpose, to glorify His Holy Name. When Neb thought that all his success was directly attributable to his own prowess, he soon found out differently, and after going insane, ended up praising the Most High God Jehovah and admitting that he was the One True God. And I like how the Lord says of Cyrus: ‘For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.’ (Is.45:4) That means the Lord purposely named Cyrus long in advance to reassure His chosen people, to let them know that their God was still in control of all human events and occurrences. In support of those statements the Lord then proudly proclaims: ‘I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.’ Now Friends, the crux of the whole matter is whether we believe it or not! Oh my people, that message was originally meant for the Jewish people of long ago, but it still holds true today, except in one respect; Jesus and not Cyrus was our Saviour. The Lord God Jehovah is still on the throne; still the ONLY God; the First and the Last, Alpha and Omega, and still in control of all affairs both in heaven and on earth. And for those who don’t believe that, then things will surely be sad with them. Friends, from the very beginning of time, from Genesis to Revelation, the Lord has been saying that He’s the One and Only True God, and the claims of any others are all false. He’s also proven it over and over through His Word, His promises and His actions. Yet many of us still refuse to believe? Why eh? I really don’t know nuh. I just know that it’s foolish and unwise to believe otherwise. (smile) All through the Good Book we see promises faithfully kept, prophecies fulfilled, and in our own lives miracles have occurred, certainly not through our own will or strength. So how does it happen, if not through some great, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Deity? And the Lord spelled it out to all and sundry through His prophet Isaiah. ‘That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west (to its setting), that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil (calamity): I the Lord do all these things.’ (Is.45:6-7) Oh Friends, the Lord God of Hosts does it all; from light to darkness, peace to war, and everything in between!  Note though that the evil spoken of here is mere physical stuff, like disasters and calamities, not any kind of moral sin, for the Lord is too just and righteous to engage in that sort of thing. The long and short of the story though people is how we handle the Lord’s Word; whether we take it to heart or throw it away? If we believe it and operate under its constraints and responsibilities, obediently serving and worshipping the Lord, then glory, salvation and eternal life will be our eventual reward. However, if we don’t, then after our physical death, our spirits will roam to and fro the ends of the earth in darkness and eternal damnation like Lucifer. And the sad part of it Friends is that Lucifer knows God’s greatness better than all of us since he was once the Lord’s right hand man. But through his foolish lust for power he sought to overthrow the Lord, hence his punishment of eternal damnation. Oh my people, please don’t let Lucifer fool us into joining his evil forces, he doesn’t really care about us, and has nothing but eternal death and damnation to offer. He’s just looking for company so he can thumb his nose at the Lord and boast of numerous followers. Please stick with the wise choice; the Lord God Jehovah, His Son Jesus Christ and their Holy Sprit, the ones who have the true power over the heavens and the earth, plus consistently dole out to their followers, grace, mercy, kindness, forgiveness and unconditional LOVE, then at the end offer salvation and eternal life. Wow! What an unbeatable combination! Please accept it my people. Till we talk again, the Lord willing, Much LOVE!…In the beginning…the Lord created the heaven and the earth…and all therein…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 July 2010 John 10:42‏

24 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

John 10:42     And many believed on him there.

Oh Friends, we’re amongst the select numbers who’ve been divinely granted the chance to experience another beautiful day on God’s bountiful earth. I beg of us, let’s use it wisely. And one of the ways we can do that is by following the inspired words of Albert Schweitzer, who says: ‘We must believe in the conquest of the spirit of the world by the spirit of God. But the miracle must happen in us, before it can happen in the world.’ And that’s no lie my people! Whatever action we envisage on the world through the Spirit of God, it must first take place in our hearts and souls before it occurs in the world, because that’s where the Holy Spirit operates. We can’t truly see external miracles unless we first believe them in our souls through the emotions of faith and trust, otherwise we’ll be like the Pharisees and other disbelievers who saw Jesus do all sorts of miracles and yet refused to believe that He was indeed the Messiah. Today’s Bit concludes the section of scripture where Jesus likens Himself to the Good Shepherd, who faithfully looks after His sheep, and even gives His life for them. He also tells them about His other flock, the Gentiles, whom He will eventually merge with the Jewish flock, making them one in His name. He ends there by saying that He was going to give up His life of His own free will, nobody was going to take it from Him, because the Father gave Him the power to lay it down, then take it up again. (John 10:1-18) This obviously caused some contention between His Jewish listeners. ‘And many of them said, He hath a devil (demon), and is mad (insane); why hear ye him? Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?’ (John 10:20-21) Truly words of wisdom Friends! They were referring to when Jesus spat on the ground, made clay from the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with it, then told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam, which he did and gained sight in his hitherto blind eyes. (John 9)  Then later on, as Jesus walked in Solomon’s porch in the temple in Jerusalem, the Jews accosted Him again saying:’ How long dost thou make us to doubt (keep us in suspense)? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck (snatch) them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.’ (John 10:24-30)  Oh Friends did that ever set them off; they took up stones to stone Jesus. But our Leader was so unflappable, so rock solid, that He stood His ground and simply asked them: ‘Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.’ (John 10:32-33)  But Friends, Jesus was always on the ball, and readily quoted them some of their own Old Testament law. ‘Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are Gods? (John 10:34) There Jesus is referring to Psalm 82, A prayer for righteous judgement, where Asaph, the psalmist, says of the judges: ‘Ye are Gods; and all of you are children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.’ (Ps.82:6-7)  Then Jesus reckoned with them that if one of their own called the judges sons of God, and the scripture can’t be broken, how could they now say that He blasphemed by calling Himself the Son of God, especially since He was sanctified and expressly sent to earth by the Father? ‘If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.’ (John 10:37-38) Oh Friends, I can’t give you any better reasoning than Jesus did. All I can do is offer you the words of the man whose eyes Jesus opened. ‘If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.’ (John 9:33)  Unfortunately though, the ruling Jews didn’t see it that way and tried to arrest Jesus, but He escaped and went away to Bethabara, beyond the Jordan, where John first baptized, and remained there for a spell. ‘And many resorted (came) unto him. And said, John did no miracle (gave no signs) but all things that John spake of this man were true.’ (John 10:41)  Oh Friends, it’s difficult enough to believe what we can’t see, using our belief and faith in Jesus, but when we refuse to believe what we can see, and there’s no doubt about it, what does that say about us eh?  Names like foolish, stubborn, ignorant and hardhearted come to mind. But thankfully not all the people in Jesus’ time were like the ruling Jews, for the Good Book joyfully states that during His stay in Bethabara: ‘And many believed on him there.’ Praise the Lord! Oh my people, let’s not believe everything we see, but by the same token, let’s not be too cynical and sceptical of things we don’t understand. If we’re true believers, true followers of Christ, His Spirit will lead and safely guide us, so we don’t have to worry about whether we’re witnessing miracles or not. It will all be made plain to us, if and when we believe. Much LOVE!…there’s none so blind…as he who refuses to see…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 July 2010 2 Timothy 1:7‏

23 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Timothy 1:7     For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and showers of blessing are falling outside my window, which will make the trek to work this morning even more difficult than usual. But even then, I know plenty of us can’t wait to hear the bell strike five, or whatever time we’ll be set free this evening. The Caribana festivities are swinging into high gear in T.O this weekend, so please be careful with the partying; the drinking and driving, and the ignorance that so easily flares up at such times. Now remember to get some rest, and also to participate in some fellowship with other believers, so that your soul can be rejuvenated and your adrenalin rush ready for work on Monday morning. And I’m hearing the steupsing, the complaining that I’m talking about work on Monday, when Friday not even finish yet. (smile) But that’s only my concern and LOVE showing through there for you my people. I don’t want us to stray too far from the straight and narrow, and yuh know whenever there’s wine, women and song involved, that’s a distinct possibility. Hn, hn! And remember Friends, we dealing with LOVE today, although in these modern times the word’s been bandied about, thrown around so aimlessly and easily, that it’s true meaning has been lost to most of our society. Today it indicates a fleshly lust more than anything else. And even that fleshly lust is diminishing, steadily eroding under the busy, selfish, ungodly dictates of our society. No wonder Cousin Sol wisely declared long ago: ‘Better is a dinner of herbs (vegetables) where LOVE is, than a stalled ox (fatted calf) and hatred therewith.’ (Prov.15:17) And that’s so true mih people! It’s so much better to live a simple, uncomplicated life surrounded by genuine LOVE, than to live in wealth surrounded by anger and bitterness. I know some of you will still opt for the wealth, but Friends, that’s a fool’s wisdom, because as Cousin Sol says again: ‘Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith.’ (Prov.15-16) However, as the old people would say; ‘to each his own, but remember that however you make up your bed, that’s the same way you’ll have to lie down on it.’ Nuff said mih people. Many of us old fogies learned the hard way about true LOVE, both the romantic and spiritual kind, and hopefully, now we’ve figured it out enough so that we don’t make the naive and innocent mistakes we made in our younger days. I guess, as with most things in life, the older and more experienced we get, the better we understand the real meaning of the earth moving, heart beating and rending word LOVE. And as believers, our purpose, our mission on earth is to spread as much LOVE around as we possibly can. Why? Because LOVE is the very essence of our God. It’s what he’s all about. Hear the beloved disciple John, tell it. ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ (1 John 4:7-8) Now that ‘s the living truth my people! If we claim to be followers of Jehovah God, then we must have LOVE, plenty of it, within our hearts and souls, else all our claims are false. Jesus said it thus: ‘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) Oh Friends, Jesus wasn’t asking us nuh, He was telling us that He wants His followers to be known by their LOVE for each other. That means we have to show LOVE in action, not just in talk. And the great thing about LOVE my brethren is that it empowers and encourages us. Both the giver and receiver of LOVE benefit a whole heap. As the writer of the song so truly said: ‘Love makes the world go round.’ It enlightens, inspires, educates, exhorts; all those uplifting and character building things that Bruh Paul talks about. Oh Friends, the very basis of our faith is LOVE! Why? Because God LOVED us so much, He sacrificed His only Son Jesus for us. And Jesus too showed us His immense LOVE by dying a horrific death on the cross to redeem our sins and reconcile us to the Father. He didn’t have to do it. He could have refused. Remember the blood He sweated the night before in the Garden of Gethsemane? But such was His LOVE for the Father and us, and knowing that He was the only one, since He was sinless, who could accomplish the Father’s great plan of LOVE, He went like an innocent lamb to the slaughter. Ah Friends, that one word LOVE, it’s so powerful, that over time it has caused more contention, anger, heartbreak, resentment and strife than even negative words like hate and evil. It’s the most powerful word and emotion in the universe because it’s a reflection of the most powerful Being in the universe, The Lord God Jehovah. And we’ll end with some of the most beautiful and divinely inspired words on the subject. ‘Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the LOVE that God hath to us. God is LOVE; and he that dwelleth (abides) in LOVE dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our LOVE made perfect (among us), that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:15-18) And right there Friends, we have the best antidote, the best conqueror of fear…LOVE! Yes, LOVE is so great that it casteth out fear! So let’s use it wisely and spread it abroad liberally so that our bruised, battered and very troubled world can begin the healing it so badly needs. If believers don’t do it, who else will eh? Certainly not Lucifer and his iniquity workers. I’m therefore imploring and pleading with us again Friends, that we let the true LOVE of Christ dwell richly in our hearts, our souls and minds, for it’s the only way we can successfully fulfill our calling here on earth as Christians. Much LOVE!…remember Bruh Paul’s words…and the greatest of these…is LOVE… 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 July 2010 2 Timothy 1:7‏

22 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Timothy 1:7     For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.
 
Oh Friends, it’s happened at last! I finally wrote a Bit that spoke to one of my children. Wow! Isn’t that special! All I can say is ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Now if I can only write something that will speak to the others, then I can die a happy man. (smile) But I’m not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen, since we all know that one’s friends and family are the least impressed by our doings. But I’m not giving up either, I’m holding on to the faith. So children be forewarned. And I can imagine the pouts and the long faces. But do I really care? No, because I know that the Good Lord is working in and on each of them, though it may only be very subtly. And for that, all we parents who are praying for their children to start walking, or to keep walking godly, we can offer a small prayer on their behalf. ‘Thank you Lord for watching over the fruit of our loins that you have so generously blessed us with. We sincerely pray that you’ll keep them from all harm, and that you’ll speak to their hearts, so that they too will come to know and LOVE You, the way we do. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.’ And moreover Friends, someday I hope that somebody will be able to say to all our children, like Bruh Paul said to Timothy. ‘When I call to remembrance the unfeigned (genuine) faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy Mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.’ (2 Tim.1:5) Yes mih people! What a wonderful day that will be, because it will mean that we’ve done our job, successfully passed down the wonderful faith in Jesus to our children. Wow! There’s nothing better that any parent can do in this earthly life. Therefore my people, we’ve got to stir them up, exhort them to endurance and perseverance, to stand strong and steadfast regardless of what Lucifer and his evil cronies throw at them. And the best way to do that Friends is for us to set a good example. We must first remember and put into practice Bruh Paul’s immortal words: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ Yes my brethren, our offspring will learn that dynamic principle best, if we live it out in our own lives. And one of the first things we must acknowledge and teach them is the verse following our Bit: ‘Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions (share with me in the sufferings) of the gospel according to the power of God.’ (2 Tim.1:8) Oh mih people, it’s so sad that so many self-proclaimed believers talk up a storm when they’re with other believers, but when they’re amongst unbelievers, hn, nary a peep comes out of their mouths about Christ. Why? Because they feel ashamed to talk about Him. But as He declared long ago: ‘But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ (Mat.10:33) And as Bruh Paul proudly proclaimed to the Romans: ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ (Rom.1:16) But getting back to our Bit. Ah Friends, sometimes the Spirit leads me on a merry chase yes. (smile) Yesterday we looked at the fear part of the Bit. Today, let’s talk about the power, the LOVE, and the sound mind. And without further ado, let’s hear from our Leader, Jesus on the subject of power. ‘But ye shall receive power after (when) that 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 1:8) And we all know that promise was faithfully kept on that first Day of Pentecost, two thousand years ago, when the mighty wind blew threw the house where the disciples were gathered and cloven, fire-like tongues sat on them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke various languages. What a powerful day that was Friends; the real beginning of Christ’s Church, where the disciples were mightily empowered to go out and preach the gospel of Christ, tell others about His birth, death, resurrection and ascension that meant salvation and everlasting life for us lowly, unworthy sinners. Wow! Yes mih breddren, the Holy Ghost is indeed the greatest power in the universe! That means it’s the only power we need to accept and cultivate. But remember, it’s only granted to those who truly believe and sincerely try to live the faith. So if you’re not a believer, then you won’t be granted that awesome power. And unfortunately people, without that Holy spirit moving and grooving in you, in this evil, ungodly world, you stand as much chance of success as a snowball in hell. Oh Friends, the Spirit had me on yet another natural high tonight that I’ve rambled through my time and space. (smile) That means we have to leave that greatest of all emotions, LOVE, for tomorrow. So till then, God willing of course: Much LOVE!…it’s not by might nor by power…but by MY SPIRIT…saith the Lord of hosts…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 July 2010 2 Timothy 1:7‏

21 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

2 Timothy 1:7     For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.
 
Oh Friends, oh Friends, our God is a great God! Please never dispute or forget that! The latest example is this: I found a quote on fear that I wanted to share and began searching the index of the Good Book for a suitable Bit; and there were many, both as a noun and as a verb, so it took me some time to go through them. Now time was running out for me to start writing, and though several seemed promising, none really hit the spot, and being a stubborn, hardnosed fool – now all of you don’t smile and agree- I was adamant that I wouldn’t quit until I found the right one. Deep in my heart I knew that it would speak to me when I saw it. Finally I got to 2 Timothy…and voila, there it was! But there was one problem; though it wasn’t highlighted, meaning I hadn’t used it before, it seemed too familiar, so I checked my records, and unfortunately it showed that I’d already used it. But that stubborn streak drove me to check further, where I saw that it was used way back in December of 2008, a year and a half ago. And I went Whoopee! That was long enough for it to be used again. Anyway Friends, this verse is one of the most important in the entire Bible, so it can never be repeated too often. It’s possibly the most encouraging and edifying verse Bruh Paul ever wrote, because it focuses on the basic aspect of our faith, the emotion that keeps us solidly grounded, that keeps us trusting in and holding on to the will and power of Almighty God. And having written such a long intro, (smile) here at last is the quote. It’s from John Kennedy, the former U.S President assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963. He says that ‘We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes.’ Now isn’t that an awesome truth mih people! But unfortunately it’s something too many of us allow to happen. We let our fears keep us back from pursuing our hopes and dreams by either using false reasoning or other people’s negative talk to make us feel that we can’t accomplish those goals and dreams the Lord’s placed in our hearts. Truthfully though, as some astute person once said, there’s nothing to fear, but fear itself. But what’s fear, this dreaded, unpalatable emotion we’re talking about? The dictionary defines it as ‘a painful emotion caused by impending danger or evil; a state of alarm; a state of dread, of anxiety for one’s safety.’ And Friends, all of these are genuine possibilities, but the problem is that many of us live in a state of CONSTANT fear. We are afraid of almost everything. Sadly, what ever shows up on our mental radar or in our hearts, produces immediate fear, which results in us fearing to do anything at all. Now that’s what we have to fight against my brethren. That’s what Bruh Paul is talking about in this exhortation of endurance. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ Wow! What a neat scripture! However my people, it’s that element, that spirit of fear that the heathen, the criminal element amongst us, in association with many of our governments are trying to force on us, to inculcate into our tired, misfortune filled lives. And sadly, too many of us are buying into the lie. In the last decade or so, the world has been consumed with threats of doom and abundant fear mongering. But my Friends, I’m here to remind us today that the true followers of Jesus Christ do not have to live in fear. In fact, we are definitely not supposed to live fear-filled lives. Why? Because to quote again those immortal words of Bruh Paul!’ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ Oh mih people, please make sure to etch those words deep in your hearts, minds and souls, because they are the lifeblood of the believer. They are words that give purpose and meaning to our lives, to our faith, belief and trust in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and in His Son Jesus, and also in the Holy Spirit, the guiding light and enabling power that dwells within us and keeps us keeping on. Bruh Paul put it thus to the Romans: ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.’ (Rom.8:14-15) Yes my people, our God is definitely not in the fear business. And if you don’t believe me or Bruh Paul, then listen to the words of the Master Himself on fear. Our Lord and Saviour, Prince of Peace, High Counsellor and Advocate, Jesus Christ said them to His disciples, and consequently to us too. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Oh Friends, what a promise! A promise that all of us can safely and faithfully accept in these wicked, ungodly and fearful times. And mih people, I certainly hope that what I’ve written here today makes sense, because the Word has the ole fella on such a natural high, yes it’s natural (smile) that the pen can’t write fast enough to keep up with the mind. And if it doesn’t make sense, then hopefully, you all are wise enough to pick sense from nonsense. (smile) So till next time, the Lord willing of course, when we’ll continue this topic, Much LOVE! …fear is a normal human emotion… but the LOVE of God conquers it…EVERY TIME…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 July 2010 Jeremiah 32:27‏

20 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 32:27     Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?
 
Yes Friends, today we’re going to look at that verse from Jeremiah again, because it highlights two very notable and significant aspects of our God; He is the God of all flesh, and nothing’s too hard for Him to do. Now in concert with our God’s mysterious, contrary, unique and eccentric ways, yesterday, I chose to do the last part first. (smile) So today we’ll look at the first part: ‘Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh.’ And that’s the living truth my people! Believers shouldn’t have to be reminded of that most significant fact, but it’s strange how so many of us do indeed forget it. And not only is the Lord the God of all flesh, but of everything that exists in the universe, because He is its creator. He spoke the world into existence then bowed Himself to the earth, the dry land He’d made and LOVINGLY moulded man from its dirt, then gently blew the breath of life into us. And all God’s people joyfully shouted: ‘Thank you Lord for making us in your Holy image, and being so good to us, though we are totally undeserving of your awesome mercy!’ Oh Friends, judging by our rebellious, disobedient lifestyle, we are truly undeserving of the Lord’s awesome grace and mercy. But thankfully, He’s such a patient, long-suffering and LOVING Deity, giving us plenty of time to right our wrongful lifestyle, to embrace His easy yoke, His righteous way of living. In that action though Friends, there is also enough rope to hang our selves. We can look at it from two angles. The first is that He gives us so much time to turn our lives around, that we get complacent and don’t do it, always thinking we’ll do it tomorrow. Then suddenly, without any warning, we’re pulled up short, there are no more tomorrows, our earthly lives are over and we face eternity with Beelzebub. On the other hand, we can see that we’ve been given ample warning, through sickness or some death sentence. We know that our time is short, yet we ignore the warning until it’s too late and we again end up with Beelzebub for company throughout eternity. Oh mih people, the safest way is to consider that our time is very short, so let’s turn to Him right NOW, because this might just be the last sunrise we ever see. We might not even see today’s sunset. And as the old people would say, better safe than sorry. But enough of my rambling, let’s look at some scripture that says it better than me. (smile) And our first example is when Moses and Aaron faced the rebellion of Korah. (Num.16) At one stage, Korah gathered all the people against them at the door of the tabernacle, but the Lord in His righteous anger said to Moses and Aaron: ‘Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?’ (Num.16:21-22) Yes my Friends, Moses and Aaron prostrated themselves before the Lord and invoked His Holy title: ‘O God, the God of the Spirits of all flesh.’ And if we look at it closely, we’ll see that that’s what our God really is; the God of our spirits, since our flesh is terminal while our spirits are eternal. We are truly spirits, merely existing for an instant of time in a fleshly body. Later on, when God led Moses up to Mount Abarim, to show him the Promised Land and sadly inform him that he wouldn’t set foot there, Moses used the same term: ‘Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation.’ (Num.27:16) So Friends, the term is nothing new. The Old Testament people knew it better than we do. Like it was popular in Job’s time too. Here are three instances from his Book. The first is during his retort to his friends’ spurious, unfounded accusations. He acknowledges the Lord’s omnipotence: ‘In whose hand is the soul (life) of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind (all flesh of man)?’ (Job 12:10) Again, when he talks about his truthfulness, he proudly proclaims: ‘All the while (as long as) my breath is in me, and the spirit (breath) of God is in my nostrils; My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.’ (Job 27:3-4) And the last example in Job comes from his friend, Elihu, when he tries to reason with Job. ‘The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.’ (Job 33:4) Now that’s the gospel truth mih breddren! God the Spirit made us; both in flesh and spirit, and gave us life from His breath. So why don’t we appreciate that rather important and significant fact more than we do eh, and consequently pay Him the proper homage, respect and reverence He’s due? And we’re not even talking about all the other things He’s done for us, just that act of creation alone. Ah mih people, I don’t know why. Can it be possibly because He’s a Spirit, not a physical entity that we tend to ignore Him in an evil, ungodly world that’s focused more on inanimate, physical objects, things we can see and touch? Oh Friends, all I can say is that we’re making a big mistake if we follow the world’s lust for physical possessions and objects. And we’ll end today, rather appropriately, with a verse from the New Testament, where the writer of Hebrews is talking about God’s discipline and very wisely asks this million dollar question: ‘Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence (respect): shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?’ (Heb.12:9) My personal answer is a resounding YES! But it’s a question that each individual has to answer for his or her self. Lets sincerely hope and pray that all God’s creation will also answer it with an exuberant, heartfelt YES! More time, and Much LOVE, mih people!…as for me and mine…we’ll honour and revere…the God of the spirits of all flesh…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 July 2010 Jeremiah 32:27‏

19 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Jeremiah 32:27     Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?
 
Oh Friends, I know that you all know it’s Monday, and you’re not too thrilled because it means going back to work and all the hardship and inconvenience contained therein. But there is a good side to it all; you’ll make a few dollars to help keep life and limb together, and if you’re all dressed up in your spiritual armour, then you’ll have the wherewithal to repel Lucifer’s evil attacks. And for that gracious benefit, we can all declare: ‘Praise the Lord! For His grace and mercy endures forever!’ Here’s a quote from St. Therese of Lisieux, the Saint of the Society of the Little Flower. She reputedly said: ‘I will spend my heaven doing good on earth…I will let fall a shower of roses.’ But Friends, my question is why wait till we get to heaven to do good on earth? Let’s distribute that shower of roses NOW! If there’s ever been a time when our world very badly needs to see, hear of and also experience good deeds, it’s NOW! In spite of all the plenty, the humongous abundance of our world, the majority are still suffering; can’t get sufficient food, clean water, medical care, accommodation and jobs. When so few have so much and so many so little, it only breeds negativity and negative situations. Our world today desperately needs hope through good deeds, and we believers, we followers of the Good Shepherd ought to be at the forefront of that movement. If we’re not, then we’re false, pseudo Christians, full of talk and bluster, but empty of the real Christian Spirit Jesus died to initiate. And that’s my rant for today. Oh my people, I was I was going to put a smile at the end of the last sentence, but decided not to, because our world is in such a dire negative state, that it’s nothing to smile about. I guess the sad condition of our world is closely akin to that of Jeremiah’s Israel, when iniquity and ungodliness ruled the roost. A time when poor Jerry was bruised and battered, both literally and figuratively by his fellow Jews because he rebuked them for their ungodliness. He was even imprisoned by King Hezekiah when the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem and he prophesied that Jerusalem would fall and its people, including the king, would be taken captive to Babylon. But Friends, the promises, the power and actions of our God are so overwhelming that they befuddle the ordinary mind. While in prison, the Lord spoke to Jerry about buying his cousin Hanameel’s property, and would you believe, Hanameel did show up to sell it to him. He bought it, then gave the deed to Baruch to put in an earthen vessel that would last a long time. He did that as a symbolic action or gesture of the Lord’s promise: ‘For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields, and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.’ (Jer.32:15) Our Bit comes at the end of the section when Jerry thinks about what happened earlier; when he contemplates the Lord’s power and faithfulness in His promises. He had had some doubts, but the Lord challenged him: ‘Behold, I am the Lord; the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?’ Oh my people, it’s the same way our God challenges us every day. If, as we claim, He is the great Creator, Provider, Guide and Protector, then we should have no doubts whatsoever about Him being able to do anything that He puts in our hearts and minds. Right from the very start, when he approached Abraham and Sarah and promised them a child in their old age, which they doubted, He declared: ‘Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.’ (Gen.18:14) And we all know that He fulfilled that promise, blessing them with Isaac. And what did He tell Moses when He instructed him in the appointment of judges for Israel? ‘Ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgement is God’s: and the cause (case) that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.’ (Deut.1:17) Yes my people, that command still stands. Anything we find too difficult for us to do, we need to take it straight to God. Why? Because Jeremiah said it in his prayer: ‘Ah Lord God! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.’ (Jer.32:17) And whenever possible Friends, we like to end on an authoritative word from Jesus. After disappointing a rich, young ruler; re the way to get eternal life, telling him to go and sell all his possessions then take up his cross and follow Him, the ruler went away sad because he was quite wealthy. Jesus then made the profound statement that it was easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter heaven. This shocked all His listeners and had them wondering who could be saved. But in His usual unflappable manner, Jesus simple replied: ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.’ (Mark 10:27) And that my Friends is the gospel truth! Please remember that; let’s write it deep in our souls, hearts and minds for it’s one of the foundation pillars of our faith. We worship an omnipotent God who can do ANYTHING. A God to whom NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! So when times get rough and everything seems difficult, let’s not worry and complain too much, for we’ll always be able to stand strong and steadfast in faith, knowing that with our God, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. Much LOVE!…all things are possible…only believe…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 July 2010 Psalm 57:1‏

18 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Psalm 57:1    Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

Greetings my faithful Friends in Christ, divinely chosen to awaken to another beautiful day on God’s great earth! For that generosity, let’s offer Him some praise and grateful thanks nuh. ‘Oh Father in heaven, we your unworthy children gratefully thank you for the privilege and honour of experiencing one more brilliant sunrise, and hopefully one more glorious, colourful sunset on this formidable planet earth, which you designed, created and still control. We sincerely praise you and humbly ask that you continue to safely guide and protect us, and fulfill our every need. We pray this in the holy name of your Son Jesus. Amen!’ Oh my Friends in Christ, what extremely lucky people we are to have such a merciful and LOVING Deity looking after us! Those who don’t know and trust Him don’t know what they’re missing; they have no idea of the bountiful and abundant life that they’re passing up. But as I keep saying, Bruh David surely knew which side his bread was buttered on. That’s why he composed this Michtam, this contemplation on his problematic life. The Lord had anointed him king from since his youth, but it didn’t seem as though that would ever happen, for all he seemed to do was run from his many enemies. He’d just escaped from the Philistines in Gath, having run there from Saul, now he’s ensconced in some caves, hiding from Saul again. (1 Sam.22:1) Psalm 57 is a Prayer for Deliverance from his enemies. And because of his absolute faith and trust in the God of his fathers, he was able to cry out in despair at his current problems, but with a heart full of hope: ‘Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.’ And Friends, if we think we have calamities now…Hn! They are a joke to what Bruh David suffered. But the beauty of the whole thing my people, is that when problems beset us, we too can cry out in despair to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. If we sincerely trust and believe in Him, then we can also cry out for mercy and hide under the shadow of His wings. Resting under God’s wings seems to have been a popular term in the Old Testament. Boaz said it to Ruth when he showed her favour in the wheat field. ‘The Lord recompense (repay) thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.’ (Ruth 2:12) Originally, Ruth wasn’t a believer, but a Moabitess who moved to Judah with her mother-in-law Naomi, after all their men folk died. But the Lord must have stirred something deep in her soul, for unlike her sister-in-law, who returned to her own people, Ruth followed Naomi to her Israelite relatives. And Friends, we all know how that story ends up: Ruth became Bruh David’s great grandmother, thus one of Jesus’ fore parents. And who says the Lord doesn’t have well laid plans eh? He made His only Son a descendant of a Jew and a Gentile, so that He could have the proper credentials to bring them together as one, under the umbrella of His Church. Wow! But getting back to the shadow of God’s wings. It certainly appears to be one of Bruh David’s favourite terms and places, for he uses it several times. We’ll just quote a couple here. In Psalm 17; A prayer for protection against oppressors, he fervently pleads: ‘Keep me as the apple (pupil) of the eye; hide me under the shadow of thy wings, From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about (surround me).’ (Ps.17:8-9) Meanwhile, in Psalm 63; God satisfies the thirsting soul, where he was adrift in the wilderness of Judah, he ardently declares: ‘Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.’ (Ps.63:7) Oh my brethren, there’s absolutely no better, safer, more secure, happier, more joyful, more peaceful and more fulfilling place to dwell than under those almighty wings of the Lord God Jehovah! Whatever problems or calamities we’re going through, that’s the proper place to be, to wait them out, for we know that this too shall pass eventually. And if you don’t believe Bruh David and me, then listen to Isaiah. ‘Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.’ (Is.26:20) Yes my people, when we accept the Lord as our God, our shield and protective covering, then can we cry out with all authority and surety, like Bruh David did: ‘I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up (snap at or hound me). Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.’ (Ps.57:2-3) And all God’s people shouted: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Oh Friends, there are way too many hurting people in this world who don’t know our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ not His heavenly Father, and who are unsuccessfully searching for peace, solace and an end to their problems through man made solutions, when it’s only the Holy Trinity who can help and save them for any long lasting period of time. Let’s rev up our efforts and go out into the evil, violent world full of unfortunates and try and bring them under God’s everlasting wings of LOVE nuh. That’s what our Leader Jesus desires of us. So let’s show ourselves to be His true followers and get a move on with it. He’s depending on us to bring all the unbelievers to Him. And we certainly don’t want to disappoint Jesus now, do we? Much LOVE!…under His wings will I rest…will I take refuge…until all my calamities be past…and even after that…will I yet abide under His wings…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 July 2010 Romans 1:8‏

17 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 1:8     First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

 

‘And to all you beloved of God, out there in Scrip-Bit land, whatever your physical location, surely called to be saints; Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus.’ Oh Friends, that’s my reworked version of Bruh Paul’s standard greeting to the various churches, and it just shows the great mind he possessed since the scholars claim that ‘grace’ was the usual Greek greeting, whereas ‘peace’ was the traditional Hebrew salutation. Most likely Bruh Paul combined them to appeal to both sets of people. And as promised, we will continue looking at some of his greetings to the various churches. Usually, after his opening remarks, he would  offer thanks and prayer, in an effort to encourage them, to lift up their faith, and/or keep it strong. Let’s look at two examples, beginning with the Ephesians, in a prayer for knowledge and understanding. ‘Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and LOVE unto all saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set (seated) him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world (age), but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.’ (Eph.1:15-23) That’s Bruh Paul at his most fervent, trying to explain Jesus’ authority; how he came by it and what it means to believers. Meanwhile, to the Philippians, he wrote re thanksgiving and prayer; ‘I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ. Even as it is meet (right) to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds (chains), and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers (sharers) of my grace. For God is my record (witness) how greatly I long after you all in the bowels (affection) of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement (discernment); That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.’ (Phil.1:3-11) Oh Friends, how can you not LOVE Bruh Paul eh! His language might be a bit highfalutin but he certainly knew how to stir up a believer. He might also have had a special place in his heart for the Philippians because from the very start of their conversion they shared their all, both financially and in spreading the gospel with him. Lydia opened her house to him and his associates, (Acts 16:14-15) and later on her home became a church, (Acts 16:40) while the jailer who found Christ after the earthquake wrecked the prison, fed them and looked after their injuries (Acts 16:19-34). The Philippians were also one of the first to help him financially, sending him money in Thessalonica (4:16), Corinth (2 Cor.11:9), and at Rome (4:14-18) And the purpose of all this you ask? Nothing spectacular my Friends, but simply to educate, exhort, uplift, and edify fellow believers, especially those who were fairly new to the faith. Oh my people, I’m sure all of us are very aware of the fact that Christianity is a hard road to follow -what with LOVING your enemies, turning the other cheek and giving generously of your time, talents and money – and when the problems, the vicissitudes of life come against us, every believer, mature or babe in the woods, needs those things to keep them strong and well grounded in the faith. Remember our faith is a spiritual and mental thing, not physical, so it’s not something we can easily manipulate. And furthermore, we need to keep working at it all the time to strengthen it, just the way we do our muscles with physical exercise, and our brains with studying. It’s not something that just comes easily Friends, so one of the most important things we can do is to encourage and lift up a fellow believer. We can never get too much encouragement because Lucifer never stops trying to steal our peace and joy, which is only found in being faithful and steadfast in the Lord God Jehovah, surrendering our will to Him and letting Him guide us safely on this earthly journey. Ah mih people, I certainly hope this little glimpse into Bruh Paul’s mind set will have a positive effect on us all, in the way we react to believers, as well as unbelievers, for our God’s character is based on caring for all and sundry, based on LOVE, that wonderful and most powerful emotion in the universe. So let’s get out there and practice it nuh; let’s put that LOVE Revolution we’ve been talking about in high gear nuh, for that’s the only thing that will bring back our evil-filled world from the brink of disaster where it’s currently poised. Remember LOVE conquers all. Much LOVE!…it’s time for all believers to rise up and seriously…LOVE our God…LIVE our Faith…and SPREAD His Word…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 July 2010 Romans 1:8‏

16 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living

Romans 1:8     First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and I know some of us are constantly thinking, if not mouthing, ‘TGIF, TGIF!’ We can’t wait to get home from the week’s work and begin to party. But please don’t go overboard with the fun stuff, remember the rest and fellowship parts too, cause they are also essential aspects of your weekend rejuvenation. You cannot be fit enough to face Beelzebub and his cronies on Monday if you don’t get enough physical rest and spiritual reinvigoration. And now that I’ve said that, let me apologize for something I should have done long ago; that’s thank the Lord for all of you faithful Scrip-Bit readers, plus those who get it, but don’t read it and are too ashamed to tell me to take them off the list. However, I’m also thankful for that, because with the way our Lord moves, one day some of them might just be driven to read it and discover a new and superior aspect of life; that of sincerely serving the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m sorry if I took you all for granted. It surely wasn’t intentional, but I guess between my excitement of researching, writing and getting the Bit out at a reasonable time, while also involved in other things, I just never paid that part sufficient attention. Anyway, as our God is wont to do at times, He pulls us up, wakes us up to certain realities of life that we’ve either been ignoring or over indulging in. Oh Friends, today He brought me to the realization that I’ve never properly thanked you all for participating in this most worthwhile endeavour that I’m endeavouring to do in His Name. (smile) And He did this by drawing my attention to Bruh Paul’s greeting to the Roman church: ‘First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all.’ I was then led to his epistles to the other churches, subsequently noting that as soon as possible in all of them, he gave thanks to God for those faithfully being a part of the Church of Jesus Christ. Now to show how our God does move in mysterious ways, once I decided on the Bit, my intention was to simply show Bruh Paul’s thankful attitude for and to each group of believers spread far and wide. I never planned on apologizing for my dereliction of duty. Truthfully mih people, it never even crossed my mind, but as I began writing the Bit, the Spirit just seemed to slip it, more like sneak it into my consciousness, obviously causing me to chuckle, hence my long overdue apology. But don’t worry Friends, there is some redeeming grace yet in the ole fella. I might not say thank you on paper, but I surely do pray for you all every day, even those who receive the Bit but don’t read it. And I have to laugh here, because those who get it but don’t read it, probably won’t be aware of my apology, or of my praying for them, though I can safely bet that at least one of those non-readers, through the Lord’s power and His mysterious workings will choose to read Today’s Bit, chuckle at the coincidence, then begin taking the Lord more seriously. Wow! What a marvellous and mysterious God we serve eh mih people! Let’s give Him some thanks and praise nuh. And all God’s people joyfully sang, ‘Praise Him, Praise Him, Glory Hallelujah, He is LOVE! Yes, He is LOVE! Hn, hn! The Holy Spirit surely is something else too yes! I wasn’t planning to ramble on so either, but to give you some examples of Bruh Paul’s greetings to the other churches. So enough of me now. Let’s get to the words of a more worthy brother; one of the most divinely inspired, gifted and guided men of faith. Now all his letters begin in a general format, where he identifies himself then blesses and bestows the Lord’s grace on them. Here is his intro to the Corinthians: ‘Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf (concerning you), for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind (fall short) in no gift; waiting for the coming (revelation) of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor.1:1-9) Oh Friends, I’m chuckling again because I didn’t plan on writing all those verses, but after reading it, I couldn’t find any natural cut off point until I came to the end of that section. Everything he says there just seemed to be part and parcel of the whole greeting and therefore important enough for me to convey to you. And the Holy Spirit seems to agree, cause He did not raise any red flags. (smile) However, that has just brought us to the end of our rope for today, so we’ll most likely continue in the same vein tomorrow; God willing of course. No more apologies though, (smile) just Bruh Paul’s words. Till then, may the Lord bless us all, and also keep us strong in body, mind and soul, so that we can walk worthily in the footsteps of His Son Jesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen. Much LOVE mih people!…it’s right and proper for us to give thanks to God…for all things…for all people…and in all situations…
 

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