Spiritual Living | SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 June 2023 Proverbs 18:21.

07 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a fool's lips enter into contention, a fool's mouth is his destruction, a talebearer revealeth secrets, death and life are in the power of the tongue, endure to the end, get a business, gossip factories, halfway home, he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth matters, his lips are the snare of his soul, his mouth calleth for strokes, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth, looking straight ahead, LOVE, lying more than to speak righteousness, meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips, not turning back, o thou deceitful tongue, our words can either make or break us, plead thy cause with thy neightbour himself, so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue, stop minding other people's business, thank God, that which is good to the use of edifying, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the north wind driveth away rain, the words of a talebearer are as wounds, they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof, thou lovest evil more than good, thou shalt not bear false witness, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail

Proverbs 18:21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Brother! Is it really Wednesday already? The days sure are moving quickly. And it’s already the 7^th of June. If we don’t look sharp and pay attention to our business the year will finish and we would not have done anything worthwhile. As 3 Canal rightly said: ‘If you don’t have a business, then you’d better get a business and stop minding other people’s business.’ And is that ever the truth in these times of social media and plenty minding of other people’s business. Minding other people’s business has now become big business where some of us are making big money for tattling on others, calling them entertainment shows, but in actual fact are just gossip factories.

And it’s sad, but somewhat amusing that everybody has an opinion on everything, even when we don’t know a blooming thing about anything! But I guess that’s life in these supposed modern times. And as usual we’ve forgotten one of the Ten Commandments; ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.’ (Ex. 20:16) But false witness is exceedingly popular and rampant in these last days. And there are many other scriptures about gossiping and slander and false witness. Let’s check out a few of them nuh.

Cousin Sol is amongst the forefront of those who warn against the deadly virus. Listen to him from Proverbs 18: ‘A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes (blows). A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer (gossip or slanderer) are as wounds (tasty morsels), and they go down into the innermost parts (chambers) of the belly.’ (Prov. 18:6-8)

Yes friends, our mouths get us into plenty trouble, especially when we carry news and we’re not sure if it’s true or not. The words of a gossip might be tasty morsels to some who are hearing it, but to the one whom it’s about, it’s like an internal wound; it hurts them, especially if it’s not true. And unfortunately, that’s what our world seems to be about in these turbulent and vitriolic times.

Then in Proverbs 20, Cousin Sol tells us that ‘He that goeth about as a talebearer (gossip) revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not (don’t associate) with him that flattereth with his lips.’ (Prov. 20:19) And is that ever wise advice, for whoever gossips to you about someone else, will also gossip about you to someone else. And unfortunately, very few of us seem able to keep a secret nowadays, what with the way our mouths are constantly running with no real thought to what we’re saying.

That’s why Cousin Sol also wrote: ‘A talebearer (gossip) revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth matters.’ (Prov. 11:13) Now how many of us around right now are of a faithful spirit eh? Not too many, for we all like to blather and prattle about what we know, as well as what we don’t know. And listen to this one from the man of Proverbs. ‘Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from trouble.’ (Prov. 21:23) And isn’t that the glorious truth! And how I wish that many many more of us would pay attention to that scripture and put it into practice. Our world and lives would be so much the better for it.

And Cousin Sol apparently wasn’t joking when he wrote about gossips and slanderers for here is some more of his infinite wisdom on the subject. ‘Debate (plead) thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not (don’t disclose) a secret to another. Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away (the evil report that follows your gossiping doesn’t go away.)’ (Prov. 25:9-10) Yes my people, let’s not reveal the secrets of others, for those things usually get back to the owners of the secrets and they can really put us to shame by bad-mouthing us to others.

And furthermore, according to Cousin Sol: ‘A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul (club), and a sword, and a sharp arrow.’ (Prov. 25:18) Yuh see friends, gossip and false witness are very dangerous things, that can cause untold damage to both the victim and the one who spreads it. That’s why Cousin Sol further says: ‘The north wind driveth away (brings forth) rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.’ (Prov. 25:23)

And I like this commentary on that verse. ‘Proverbs 25:23, the verse that specifically uses the word backbiting, paints a vivid picture of how people respond to a gossip. Just as a cold north wind brings rain, so a tongue given to backbiting will bring angry looks from the victims of the gossip.’ And sometimes it will bring more than angry looks according to the nature of the gossip.

That brings us to these words from Bruh David found in Psalm 52. ‘The tongue deviseth mischiefs (delights in evil); like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou LOVEST evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou LOVEST all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him.’ (Ps. 52:2-6)

In other words, as this commentary describes the passage. ‘3 You love evil more than good, you call black white. 4 You love malicious gossip, you foul-mouth. 5 God will tear you limb from limb, sweep you up and throw you out, Pull you up by the roots from the land of life. 6 Good people will watch and worship.’ That’s some of what we have to look forward to if we continue being gossips and false witnesses.

And what’s the solution to all of those warnings and promises, you ask? Listen to what Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus. ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.’ (Eph. 4:29) Oh my people that’s the way it should be. Instead of gossiping about others, we can talk words of kindness and truth to those we meet, LOVE them, by speaking words that will build them up rather than break them down.

For remember that Cousin Sol again has the answer: (smile) ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ (Prov. 18:21) Yuh better believe it my people, those of us who LOVE to indulge our tongues will most certainly bear the consequences of our words. So please, let’s stop and think before we talk nuh. That’s wisdom for the ages. Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus.

As one voice: ‘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 we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s use that as incentive to endure all the way with Jesus nuh! Much LOVE!

…the words we speak…can either make or break us…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 June 2023 Psalm 23:1.

06 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: all the days of my life, chickens have finally come home to roost, claiming God's help through the wilderness, climate patterns compromised, excessive amounts of rain causing floods, for His name's sake, God come through all the time, God is never late, God will never leave you in the lurch, goodness and mercy shall follow me, he leadeth me beside still waters, he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, help me not to despair, hurry, I am weak weary and worn, I shall not want, I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, I will fear no evil, in the presence of mine enemies, LOVE, man should pray and not faint, no heavenly blessings of rain, share His love with my neighbours, stop climate change from getting worse, the 23rd Psalm, the beloved of God, the faint of heart, The Lord is my shepherd, the promise, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through the valley of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Tuesday Mantra, waiting with bated breath, wildfires from coast to coast, worry, you are true to your word

Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Welcome to Tuesday my people, more sunshine, cool weather and polluted air, but no heavenly blessings. Several times yesterday, the skies darkened as though getting ready to release some precipitation, but nothing happened; those dark clouds eventually drifted away with the promise of rain unfulfilled. Our once steady and reliable climate patterns have been thoroughly compromised, so much so that nowadays we don’t know what to expect weatherwise.

And the wildfire season has certainly began with a bang, all over North America. I thought it was somewhat early for that to start, but apparently not, (smile) as they are burning from one coast of the continent to the other. However, in some other places there’s a plethora, excessive amounts of rain, that’s causing deadly flood situations. As they would say, it’s either feast or famine.

The fine balance of God’s weather setup has eventually been thrown out of sync by mankind’s selfish and greedy methods of living and producing. Hundreds of years of putting carcinogens and other deadly stuff in the atmosphere, the earth and the water, those chickens have finally come home to roost, as we were warned that they would. But man’s stubborn pride and greed, particularly those of the rich and powerful class, made him ignore those warnings, and now we’re all paying the price.

And unbelievably, some of us are still denying the existence of climate change, when its many tentacles are showing up all around our world. Thankfully though, some of that message is finally getting through to some of the rich and powerful as they suffer the consequences, and at last, they are trying to do something to clean up the sordid mess we’ve made of God’s wonderful planet. Let’s hope it’s not too late, and even if we cannot reverse the situation, that we can at least prevent it from getting worse.

But thankfully, as with all the troubles and calamities that we believers in Christ Jesus are forced to go through on this evil and sinful earth, we are assured that we ought not to fear. Yes, we ought to pray and not faint or give up, because we have the many faith-filled promises of our omnipotent God to hold on to. And though that’s not always easy to do, most of us find a way, with God’s help obviously to do it. Today, I want to share a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that’s associated with our faith and trust in Almighty God, and most appropriately, it’s simply titled ‘The Promise.’

So please read and inwardly digest with me. (smile) ‘O dear God, I continue to believe Your personal promise still stands Though every quivering emotion within Shouts that it will be broken. I am claiming Your help through the wilderness Despite every frightening shadow and vale. Often You do the most When You seem to do the least. Sometimes secretly Sometimes quietly Often slowly But always most certainly You are true to Your word. And so, my Lord Though I am weak, weary, and worn Help me not to despair. You see me, You hear me. You know I am depending utterly Upon Your unblemished integrity Surely You will keep Your word.’

Most assuredly He will my faithful brethren! The Lord has not failed one person as yet who has put their unmitigated trust in Him…and He NEVER will! The problem usually lies with us, we either don’t fully trust Him, or because we don’t see quick and obvious results, we figure He’s not around and not working. But as the poem says, when God seems to be doing the least, He’s actually doing the most, but we just can’t see what He’s doing in the background to set up the answers to our prayers and petitions.

And, as He sometimes works secretly, He also moves quietly, with no fanfare, and we all know that He very often moves slowly. That’s the bane of our existence, the plague and ruination of many of our best laid plans and desires. (smile) Waiting on God’s timing is possibly the biggest drawback that many of us believers face. And I can tell from personal experience that as the time is drawing near for the bottom to drop out the bucket and the Lord hasn’t shown up as yet, it’s one of the worst feeling we can ever go through.

But, until you believe that He’s NEVER late, and will NEVER leave you in the lurch, you’ll always be plagued by His less than early entrances. Sadly though, you can only learn that most important lesson by going through the fire of waiting with bated breath several times, until you see that He comes through EVERY time. It’s like most things in this life, you only learn by experience, by going through them more than once, until you get accustomed to them. And strong faith in our great God is one of those things we can only learn by experiencing the hard times and seeing Him come through for us, though often right at the very end.

That’s the Lord’s style, and unfortunately we can’t do anything to change it. I guess He just likes to test our faith to see if we’re truly the believers we claim to be. And what’s the Bible Promise for today’s poem you ask? You won’t be surprised to know that it’s none other than these marvellous sustaining and reassuring words of Bruh David found in the 23^rd Psalm. Let’s say them together to give our faith a big boost. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps. 13:1-3)

Yes friends, that’s as far as the promise for the poem goes. But even in those three short verses oodles of wonderful promises are to be found. For example, the wise guidance of the shepherd, and lack for nothing under His careful watch. And what about lying down in green pastures beside quiet waters eh? Wow! I could certainly use some of that right now! Then the restoration of one’s soul, and the leading of one in paths of righteousness. Where can we ever find better promises than those eh? NOWHERE!

And that’s not the end of it either, there’s much more to come. So, let’s read the rest of that most invigorating and uplifting psalm. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:4-6)

Oh mih people, what wonderful words of reassurance in God’s bountiful kingdom! Yuh know if Bruh David had never written another word, that poem, that mantra to the faithfulness of God would have been sufficient to make his name great, for I believe it’s the most well-known and prayed prayer after the Lord’s Prayer. And now, having had our faith replenished and renewed, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, proudly letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

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

…believing in Christ is not for the faint of heart…but if you believe…He will strengthen your heart…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2023 1 Corinthians 6:20.

05 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a brand new work week, a lamb without blemish, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a spirit of power love and a sound mind, all work dn no play makes Jack a dull boy, bought with the blood of Jesus, control our basic instincts and dsires, glorify in your body and in your spirit, God paid a high price for our salvation, grace and peace be multiplied unto you, hits the nail on the head, in the knowledge of God, Jehovah Rapha, lack of disciplne, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situation, promote God's kingdom, remember who and whose we are, sincere repentance, strong faith in Christ, the Father can kill both body and soul, the God who heals, we need God more than he needs us, wise guidance and direction, ye are bought with a price

1 Corinthians 6:20. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

And it’s a brand new work week friends, five days long, no holiday to start it off. Sometimes I think we get spoiled when Monday is a holiday yes. But as they say, all work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy. (smile) So it is good that every so often we have a four-day work week, although some of us cannot handle it. We tend to overdo the celebrations and end up of no use to ourselves or anybody else for the rest of the week. That just shows our lack of discipline, of self-control. Instead, as a believer in Christ Jesus, who has given us a spirit of power, LOVE, and of a sound or disciplined mind, (2 Tim. 1:7) we ought to have better control of our baser instincts and desires.

And thus, these words of greeting from Peter ought to help us lift our heads high and square our shoulders as we go out to labour this Monday morning, proud to be servants of the Most High God Jehovah. He writes to his Christian brethren, that includes us: ‘Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through (in) the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.’ (2 Pet. 1:2) Please, let’s keep that thought uppermost in our minds today and all during the week, so that we can remember who and whose we are and the work we need to promote His kingdom.

As Bruh Paul informs us: ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Yes friends, we were bought by God, with a very high price, so that we could experience salvation.

And Peter explains: ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest (revealed) in these last times for you. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.’ (1 Pet. 1:18-21)

Oh my people, all that we are and have comes from God, through the amazing and obedient work of Christ. That’s why we ought to glorify Him with all that we have. We were indeed bought by the precious, sinless blood of Christ; the blood of a pure, sacrificial lamb.. It was the ONLY thing that could pay the price for our abominable sins. One commentary tells us: ‘The blood of Christ was shed so that we might have a relationship with God. That relationship is only made possible because Jesus was willing to die for us on the cross.’

Therefore, as this other commentary strongly advises: ‘We must choose to act as those who are God’s own people, rejecting the evil desires that drove our actions before we knew better. Our choices matter. Our God placed a high value on our lives, paying for them with the blood of Christ. Since God has made us able, we must now strive to earnestly give LOVE to each other.’ And that hits the proverbial nail right on its proverbial head my faithful brethren!

Having been bought by the blood of Christ on Calvary’s rugged hill on God’s behalf, our actions, desires, our very lives, must now be filled with the things that demonstrate, that resonate the characteristics and attributes of our heavenly Father. Otherwise, Christ would have died in vain. And I’m not so sure that that’s not the case, because so many of us are simply lacklustre Christians, lacking in enthusiasm and true faith, scared of what man can do to us, instead of what the Father can do to us.

Remember what Jesus said, that man can only kill our body, but the Father can kill both body and soul in hellfire. (Matt. 10:28) So I put it to you, if you have to be scared of one of them, it’s the Father you should be scared of, because He can do much more damage than man can. But the good news is that although the Father’s wrath can be great, we don’t need to fear it, if we react to our world with LOVE, His main attribute. The same attribute that He reacted with to our sinful behaviour, and instead of destroying us, as He had every right to do, He used LOVE and saved us. What a wonderful God we serve my fellow believers!

Unfortunately though, many of us don’t seem to think so, otherwise our godliness would be much greater than it is. Anyhow, let’s hope that what we’ve said above, lights a spark in our souls, that grows into a big, burning fire, and we get serious about living for Christ. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking help in these times of desperate need.

Altogether now: ‘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 as always, if we want to receive divine help, then we’ve got to clean up our act. Much LOVE!

…it’s time for mankind to wake up…and realize that we need God …much much more than He needs us…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 June 2023 Psalm 37:5.

04 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a crown of righteousness, afraid of sacrifices, as ye see the day approaching, commit thy way unto the Lord, elbow grease, even as your Father in heaven is perfect, exhorting one another, fulfill the Great Commission, gathering in the Lord's sanctuary, get with the programme, give diligence and be zealous, he shall bring it to pass, He will always be there, He'll take your hand and lead you on, I am Committed, I am not ashamed, I am your destiny, I have committed my life to Jesus, I have finished my course, I have fought a good fight, I know He cares, I know whim I have believed, I know who, in the dark He revealed Himself to me, interpretation of God's word, Jesus knows what you're going through, joyful time, let your heart be perfect with the Lord, lonely nights, LOVE, Maxine Duncan, not a dry eye in heaven, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, raise our level of commitment, sacrificial voices of praise, trust also in him, you will always be strong

Psalm 37:5. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

It’s that joyful time again my faithful brethren! I’m talking about gathering in the Lord’s sanctuary on His day to fellowship with other believers and give our great God much wonderful thanks and praise! There’s no other time like that in our busy, mundane lives, (smile) and besides it’s something we’ve been strongly advised to do, so that we can also stir up and encourage each other. The author of Hebrews tells us: ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:25)

And the day of Jesus’ return is fast approaching my people, so we need to get with the programme and gather together regularly, so that we can raise each other’s faith and spirit. And one of the best ways of doing that is by joining together in sacrificial praise to Almighty God. And today, we open with a marvellous song that highlights exactly what we need in these turbulent times in much greater amount from those who call themselves believers; that’s strong, true, sure, undefiled commitment to Christ Jesus The song is called ‘I Am Committed!’ originally done by the popular Jamaican Evangelist and Gospel Singer, Maxine Duncan.

Yes friends, there’s nothing that Jesus needs more from us right now than our sincere commitment to His most worthy cause. So, let’s raise the roof of the sanctuary with our sweetly flavoured sacrificial voices of praise, in a sincere, heartfelt, scintillating, soulful rendition of this beautiful song. Singing: ‘Hn, hn, hn! Dear Lord! Thank You Jesus! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Early this morning, I woke from my sleep I heard His voice speak softly to me He says my child you have had some lonely nights That’s why I am here to comfort you if you only believe

(Chorus: That’s when I committed my life to Him Cause I know that He cares for me Yes I have committed my life to Him I know he cares, He’ll always be there That’s why I am committed.) It was in the dark, He revealed Himself to me He said my child I am your destiny Lonely nights I spent in agony As I prayed secretly, I started to cry I am committed [Yes I have committed my life to Him I know that he cares for me Yes I have committed my life to Him I know he cares, He will always be there That’s why I am committed)

When Trials come and they seem so hard to bear Yes Jesus knows what you are going through Your circumstances, He will fix it for you He’ll take your hand, he’ll lead you on You will always be strong. (Yes I have committed my life to Him Cause I know that He; cares for me Yes I have committed my life to Him I know he cares, He will always be there That’s why I am committed. I know he cares He will always be there That’s why I am committed. I know he cares He will always be there That’s why I am committed’

Oh my people, that was wonderful! There wasn’t a dry eye in heaven, because they heard the sincerity in our voices. That means we can’t let them down now, we have to actually show that serious commitment in our daily walk with Christ. And since the last days seem to be on the horizon, this is a time when true commitment is badly needed so we can get as many people as possible under Christ’s umbrella of salvation before it’s too late for them. And there are so many scriptures in the Good Library that deal with commitment that we can only highlight a few here.

Now, possibly the most widely known one is that penned by Bruh David in Psalm 37: ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37: 5) Then there’s this one by Cousin Sol, when he dedicated the temple to the Lord, that most of us don’t know. He told the congregation of Israel: ‘Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments as of this day.’ (1 Kin. 8:61)

And I like how the scholars explain that verse. They say, Cousin Sol ‘closes his prayer with a challenge to Israel to be perfect with the Lord, that is, fully and wholly (completely) committed to His person and standards (cf. Matt. 5:48) for a growing spiritual maturity.’ And my fellow saints, that is the challenge that I’m throwing out to all of us this day. We need to be fully and completely committed to Jesus and rise to the occasion to fulfill His Great Commission in whatever way we can. Time is of the essence and we cannot afford to dilly dally any longer or just talk a good talk, we desperately need to walk the walk, right now!

And by the way, the reference above there to Matthew 5:48, just happens to be Jesus teaching on LOVING one’s enemies, and He ends on this note. ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ That means possessing a complete LOVE like God’s. and we can only get close to that goal by being truly committed to walking in His ways. Meanwhile, there are some scriptures that Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy in his second letter about being committed.

Listen up: ‘Wherefore I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:11-12) And therein lies a major problem with why more believers are not fully committed to Jesus: they are afraid of the sacrifices they might be called on to make, and they are also ashamed of Jesus and what He stands for. How then can we ever get real kingdom work done when so many are not committed eh?

Then there’s this advice Bruh Paul gave to Timothy: ‘Study (be diligent) to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’ (2 Tim. 2:15) And the scholars explain that thus: ‘The command to study means “give diligence and be zealous.” It involves a total effort of mind, emotion and will. Rightly dividing (lit., “cutting straight” the word of truth. The apostle appeals for effort to be made to properly interpret the word of God.’ And do we ever need proper interpretation of God’s word in these deceitful and treacherous times!

And when it’s all said and done friends, we ought to be able to truthfully say words like Bruh Paul did. ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race). I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8)

Oh my people, not all of us can be as zealous as Bruh Paul in Christ’s cause, but we can all be more zealous than we currently are. So, please, let’s raise our level of commitment today nuh, if we truly LOVE Jesus! Much LOVE!

…no cause can be won or accomplished…unless its devotees are truly committed to it…and are willing to input the necessary elbow grease…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 June 2023 Jeremiah 29:13.

03 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a future and a hope, allergy problems, ask and it shall be given to you, be with him in trouble, crying out for water, feel out of place, God has promised to bring us home, he hath set his love upon me, increase my awareness of you today, knock and it shall be opened, lack of heavenly blessings, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, like exiles, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, Mother Earth, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, seek and ye shall find, set him on high, shew him my salvation, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, that's life, the presence of God, tough love, unconditional LOVE, when ye shall search for me with all your heart, ye shall seek me and find me, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present

Jeremiah 29:13. And ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Well friends, it looks like this lazy-day Saturday is going to be another hot, dry, sunshiny summer’s day. Mother Earth is crying out for some water, for some respite from the lack of heavenly blessings, and I’m crying out for an end to the allergy nonsense that’s been harassing me all week. I haven’t had any allergy problems like this for years, and the sneezing, weepy eyes and runny nose are rather inconvenient and positively annoying. (smile) And the medication only seems to relieve it for such a short time. Chuh! But as they say: that’s life! And we just have to grin and bear it as best we can.

And by the way, I have decided to use that prayer I shared last Saturday from the In Touch Devotional as our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, since it seems appropriate for a quiet, lazy, relaxing, God-filled day. (smile) However, unlike our other Scrip-Bit Prayers, this one will come at the beginning rather than at the end. So, without further ado, let’s pray our Lazy-day Saturday Prayer.

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

Yes mih people! I like it, because it’s calming and soothing and takes us into the presence of God, where we diligently seek to find and know Him, which is exactly what He says He desires of us. And we can find one instance of that scripture in Jeremiah 29, where the Lord promises the Israelites their captivity in Babylon will only last for seventy years, then they will return home.

‘For I know the thoughts that 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). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13)

Yes my fellow believers, our God desires us to seek and search for Him with all our heart, that’s diligently. And what does diligently seeking God mean? ‘It means we keep seeking God until we find Him, not resting until we hear from Him in our situation or circumstance. Doing something “diligently” means doing it energetically and persistently.’

Now, how many of us can truly say that’s how we are seeking God eh, if we are seeking Him at all? Are we truly seeking Him with all of our heart, or diligently, in these evil and trying times eh? It’s certainly not as many as ought it to be, otherwise our sway and power, that’s God word in the world would be much stronger.

And why do we need to seek God, besides His command? This commentary tells it nicely. ‘You long to be noticed, understood, and valued – to feel at home. When we feel out of place – like exiles – God is listening to us. He reminds us of his presence and his promise to bring us home.’

Oh, that’s for sure my fellow believers! And it’s just a reflection of our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, where we’re in an uncomfortable, unsure frame of mind, and need assurance of our worth and value, that someone out there truly LOVES and desires the best for us…and that someone is God Almighty! He is the ONLY One that LOVES us in that understanding and unconditional manner. All those others who claim to LOVE us have conditions attached to their LOVE, but not our heavenly Father.

That’s why we can behave unseemly, inappropriately and His LOVE for us will not change. Oh, we will pay a price for our disobedience, but that doesn’t change His LOVE one iota. Our heavenly Father practices what I believe we call tough LOVE. That’s means His LOVE is steadfast, but you won’t get away with nonsense, you will pay for your disobedience. And oh, how I wish that more of us earthly parents had practiced tough LOVE on this current generation, for they would certainly not have been as irresponsible, entitled and ungodly as they are. But that’s another sermon for another time. (smile)

And as always, Cousin Sol has something to cover every scripture. For our scripture of diligently seeking God, he says: ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’ (Prov. 8:17) There’s no doubt about that my people!

And the psalmist in Psalm 91, concurs with all that we’ve been saying, when he wrote these marvellous words of reassurance in our wonderful God. ‘Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life (length of days) will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:14-16)

Mama Mia! That’s what we get for seeking God diligently and sincerely my faithful brethren! We all want honour and safety and long life and salvation, and we go about seeking it either on our own or through man’s unfaithful help, but the surest way to get that is by sincerely and diligently seeking God. It’s the gospel truth friends! And there’s no better way to end this lazy-day Saturday, than with these astounding words of truth and faith from Jesus as He winds down His Sermon on the Mount.

He sincerely advises: ‘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)

That says it all friends! And I’m pleading with us, on this lazy-day Saturday, let’s take some time to ponder our relationship to our heavenly Father, consider whether we are truly seeking Him diligently and sincerely, in other words, with all of our hearts, because the quality of our lives depend on it, as that’s what we were made for! Much LOVE!

…God created man…to seek Him…above everything else…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 June 2023 2 Chronicles 33:13b.

02 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: built again the high places, built altars in the house of the Lord, but they would not listen, can wake up and smell the coffee, caused his children to pass through the fire, consulted mediums, Friday chant, he did that which was evil in the Lord's sight, if yuh don't hear you will feel, introduce a new flock of believers, like unto the abominations of the heathen, LOVE, made groves, omnipotent help, our sinful world, parents must communicate godliness to their chiildren, places for pagan worship, practiced soothsaying, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, provoked the Lord to anger, reared up altars for Baailim, return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Lord hates pride, the Lord spoke to Manasseh and the people, the reign of Manasseh, the throne of grace, the wicked will be destroyed, then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God, turn on the A.C., witchcraft, worshipped all the host of heaven, you make the children but not their minds

2 Chronicles 33:13b. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.

And then it was Friday… and the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ reverberate around the world. But in my neck of the woods there are also shouts of ‘Summertime! True summer weather at last!’ Then in the background comes another shout of a somewhat different nature: ‘O Lord, it so hot! Turn on the A.C! Please turn on the A.C!’ And that last one was my shout yesterday as the summer heat descended upon us with a vengeance. By yesterday afternoon all the A.Cs in the neighborhood were merrily humming along.

I was amazed that the temperature in the family room was 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which meant it was even hotter in the bedrooms upstairs, where I intended to relax for a spell. Meanwhile the basement is as cool and comfortable as ever. One would think that the higher you went, the cooler it would become, but apparently not. Thank goodness the Duchess wasn’t at home then, because turning on the A.C is one of the things we bicker over a lot of the time.

Yuh see, she spends a lot of her day on the main floor, which is never as hot as the bedrooms upstairs where I spend most of my afternoons, and which for whatever reason, are always hotter than downstairs. And surprisingly, she never uttered one word of dissent when she came home. Perhaps after being out in the hot sun, she was thankful to come home to a cool house. (smile) But enough of my marriage peculiarities, let’s see what the Lord wants us to talk about today.

And the Good Library opened unto the Book of 2^nd Chronicles, where it talks about the reign of certain kings of Israel, in particular that of Manasseh. It says: ‘Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem (the longest of any king). But did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. For he built again the high places (places for pagan worship) which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baailim, and made groves (wooden images), and worshipped all the host of heaven (the gods of the Assyrians), and served them.

Also he built altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times (practiced soothsaying), and used enchantments (witchcraft), and used witchcraft (sorcery), and dealt with a familiar spirit (consulted mediums), and with wizards (spiritists): he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house (temple) of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever.’ (2 Chr. 33:1-7)

Can you imagine Manasseh engineering that complete turning away from God, even to the desecration of God’s house, after the godly reign of his father Hezekiah. The scholars explain it thus: ‘The wickedness of Manasseh, the son of the godly Hezekiah, emphasizes the need for parents to communicate personal godliness to their children. Children must make their own personal choice for God and not depend simply on their parents’ relationship to God.’

And that’s the gospel truth! But unfortunately, not every child who sees a godly relationship in their parents, will naturally follow that path. As the ole people would say, you make the children, but you don’t make their minds. And it’s obvious that Hezekiah didn’t influence Manasseh’s mind as per the relationship with God. The Book of Chronicles then continues: ‘So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.’ (2Chr. 33:9-10)

Oh friends, that is exactly what’s happening in our world today. We have gone astray from God, even to the point of trying to remove Him completely from our society, which of course will never happen, and He’s desperately trying to bring us back to His fold before even more disastrous disasters befall us, because disaster always befalls the disobedient and ungodly. It’s just a matter of time. The Lord’s promised it all throughout His word. The wicked will be destroyed.

Why can’t we believe him eh, and turn from our evil ways? Is it because of obstinate and stubborn pride? But remember too, that the Lord hates pride with a passion, because it means you think you don’t need Him. The saying that pride goes before a fall, is also gospel truth. And if you don’t believe me, just listen to what happened to the wicked Manasseh and his people. ‘Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns (with nose hooks), and bound him with fetters (bronze chains), and carried him to Babylon.’ (2 Chr. 33:11)

Yes friends, we all get our comeuppance eventually. But why is it that we can’t listen to the many warnings, but have to go through all the tribulation before we wake up to the reality of the situation like Manasseh did eh? The Bible tells us: ‘And when he (Manasseh) was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.’ (2 Chr. 33:12-13)

I don’t understand it. There’s so much proof that the wicked suffer and are eventually destroyed but yet we still turn to evil, that is until the truth of God’s word hits us where it really hurts. It’s like the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar, in the Book of Daniel, who thought he was so great, walking in the wonderful palace that he built, until the Lord pulled him down, drove him crazy, and had him eating grass for seven years until he woke up and smelled the coffee, and said: ‘Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgement (justice): and those that walk in pride he is able to abase (humble).’ (Dan. 4:37)

Now, if a pagan king can make such a statement and apparently mean it, why can’t we supposed believers do the same eh, and live it? I don’t know, but please, wisdom dictates that we go to the throne of grace right now, through our Friday Chant and ask for divine help and understanding to deal with our current untenable situation.

As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks.

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

And if we truly want to receive divine help, then we’ve truly got to change our evil ways and become obedient to God! Much LOVE!

…if yuh don’t hear…you will certainly feel…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 June 2023 Ephesians 2:8.

01 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: faith, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, salvation

Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.

Come Thursday, everything will be all right! Yes friends, it’s Thursday, and all’s right with the world, it’s moving along as it should. (smile) And just for your information, it’s also the first day of June 2023. Wow! Have we already reached the middle of the year? Yes! And in record time too! (smile)

Ah mih people, the days certainly seem to be flying along like there’s no tomorrow. I guess we’re so busy with our many problems that we don’t have time to pay attention to the individual days, as they go sailing by, which brings us to a different problem. If the days are going by quickly, that means the time for Jesus’ return is also coming up quickly and will most certainly come as a thief in the night, that’s unexpectedly, without warning. We then have to ask if we’re ready for such a momentous occasion, because if He returns and we’re not ready, then things will be really bad with us.

We’ll be facing eternal separation from our Maker and eternity in hellfire with Satan. And I’m sure however you look at that situation it cannot be an encouraging one. And the ONLY way to avoid such a terrible situation is by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and thus be entitled to salvation and eternal life with Him in heaven, or wherever He chooses to be. And that life with Him will be extraordinary; one of peace, LOVE and joy.

Now here’s a little insight into what life with Jesus will be like in the days of eternity. John writes it thus in the Book of Revelation. ‘And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:3-4)

Mama oh Mama! What a wonderful life that sounds like it will be! With Almighty God dwelling right there with you, and no more pain, death, tears, etc. etc. Wow! You can’t beat that my brethren! Furthermore, John informs us: ‘And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle (lamp), neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light : and they shall reign for ever and ever.’ (Rev. 22:5)

Oh my people, it couldn’t get any better than that! No long, dark, arduous nights to go through…and the light of Almighty God constantly shining around you! Wow! Yes, that’s all I can say! (smile) Life with Jesus through eternity is obviously going to be a good, blessed life, the best there can be. But the only way to be there to enjoy it is to accept Him as Lord and Saviour before you die or He returns, for if either one of those things happen and you’re not ensconced in His LOVING arms, your name’s not written in His Book of Life, then you’ll be S.O.L.

You won’t see heaven and spend eternity with Him. And I’m sure none of us want to miss the good things and times slated to happen with Jesus during that long time called eternity, because the only other option is hellfire and damnation with Satan. And I don’t think that really compares to heaven any which way you shape it. That’s why it’s of the utmost importance that we get ready RIGHT NOW since we don’t know the time of our death, or that of Jesus’ return, either of which could happen at any time without any warning.

Therefore, like the old people would say, make hay while the sun shines, for you can’t do it when it rains. Meaning we have to come to Jesus NOW while we’re alive and He’s yet to return. And how do we do that, you ask? It’s a simple process. You confess that you’re a sinner and ask the Lord to come into your life and make you what He wants you to be, and promise to be obedient to His will and word.

And once you accept Him as Lord and Saviour His Holy Spirit, the third member of our Triune God will come to dwell in you to lead and guide you along the narrow pathway that’s the Christian life. It’s not necessarily an easy life with so many people and things coming against believers, but it’s always interesting, adventuresome and very worthwhile, especially the ending of heaven, with eternal life and good times with Jesus.

It’s important to note though, that your big part in the process of salvation is accepting it. That’s because, as Bruh Paul 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.’ (Eph. 2:8) Salvation is God’s gift to mankind. He LOVED us so much and saw that we were headed inexorably to hell through our disobedience and idolatrous ways, that He wanted to provide us with another much better option.

It meant Him breaking His own heart by sending His Son Jesus to die to pay the price necessary to wash away our sins. But that’s how much He LOVED us, His most precious and favourite creation. The Bible puts it thus: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)

That’s the wonderful kind of God we serve my fellow saints. So, I don’t understand why we can’t respond with the same sort of LOVING reaction to Him. But that’s why He gave us free will, to make our choice whether we want to dance with Him in heaven or with Satan in hell. It’s all the individual’s choice. End of sermon!

Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Thursday Blessings so that they can be activated and become available to us to use in God’s great work here on earth. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’

It now behooves us to go out and share those blessings just as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…there are only two eternal options…heaven or hell…the choice is ours…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 May 2023 Luke 18:8.

31 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a new and living way, according to his riches in glory, as ye see the day approaching, assembling together, belly and backbone, Christians need to step up to the plate, DETERMINATION, direct access to god, encouraging each other, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, glorify our heavenly Father, hands on the plough, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, lacking in faith and good works, LOVE, make a difference, my God shall supply all your needs, not looking back, not putting in the faith and effort needed, only a poser, see our good works, shall he find faith on the earth, taking no prisoners, talk the scriptures but don't truly believe them, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the ingredient missing from our Christian walk, the king of glory, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, to a glorious future with Christ, to provoke unto love and to good works, transform hopes and beliefs into actions, we are not of them who draw back into perdition, Wednesday Wail, when the Son of man cometh

Luke 18:8. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

And the week’s moving ahead very quickly; taking no prisoners whatsoever! (smile) Yes friends, it’s already Wednesday, mid-week, the day we try to catch our second wind. But the way the week’s galloping along, we might not be able to do that. That’s just for the unbelievers though, for with Jesus by our side, at our helm, all around us, we can do anything. Wow! What a scripture: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) And if you don’t believe that, then you’re no true believer, only a poser.

Ah mih people, I believe that’s the major ingredient that’s missing in our Christian walk these days; we talk the scriptures, the many promises and scenarios that make up our faith, but we don’t truly believe them, otherwise our church and our individual lives would not be so lacking in faith and good works. We are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world now that Jesus no longer walks the earth, but are we truly those things? Does the heathen see our good works and thus want to glorify our God that is in heaven?

Hn! I don’t think so, or there wouldn’t be the great exodus from the church that’s currently taking place and Beelzebub and his evil cronies wouldn’t be the powerful force in our world that they currently are. And by the way, they seem to be getting stronger every day, while Christ’s church seems to be getting weaker, because it’s supposed devotees are not putting in the faith, effort and perseverance we need to see it prosper.

Recently I heard a preacher consider Jesus’ question: ‘Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?’ (Luke 18:8).Those are the closing words of Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow, found just before that scripture, and I began seriously considering it myself. Will He, my fellow believers, or will our faith have sunk to such a low level that it might as well be non-existent?

And thankfully I was able to find one commentary that throws a somewhat positive light on the situation. It says: ‘Perhaps, as members of the Church trust with all their hearts, transform their hopes and beliefs into action, and seek to align themselves with the will of the Lord, the answer to the question the Savior asked 2,000 years ago will be a resounding “Yes, He will find faith.’

And oh, how I do hope and desire with all my heart, that before it’s too late, that we, the members of Christ’s Church will come to that high level of trust and transform our hopes and beliefs into action, for that’s the ONLY way, Jesus will ever find faith when He returns to earth. Yes my fellow saints it’s only if we get up off of our fat, lazy, well-fed, entitled fannies and do what we’re supposed to do, that’s stand up strong for Jesus and spread the good news of His wonderful gospel all around the world, that faith will ever be found when Jesus returns to earth as the King of Glory!

That’s why we have to listen to the author of Hebrews when he exhorts us, re holding fast to the faith. ‘Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to great works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:19-25)

Yes friends, the shed blood of Christ which makes Him the eternal sacrifice and therefore our High Priest forever, allows us to go into the holiest of holies, right to the throne of God, that’s to say a new and living way by which we have direct access to God, and don’t have to wait for the priest to make atonement for us once a year. And with that new and living way made available through Christ’s breaking the veil of the holies, we need to come close to Him with pure hearts, baptized with His Holy Spirit, washed in His blood, and assured of the promises He made us.

But it all takes a strong and assured faith to do so; a faith that should lead us to stirring up each other to do the good works that’s required of us. And one of the best ways to do that is by gathering together regularly, and encouraging each other, especially in these troubled and evil times, when it seems the last days are upon us.

And as the author of Hebrews says a little later on: ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance, perseverance), that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry (delay). Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition (destruction): but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.’ (Heb. 19:35-39)

There you have it my people: we need to stand strong in faith and do the works we are supposed to do, thus breaking the stranglehold that the evil body has on our world. And as the scriptures say, we are not shirkers of our duty, we don’t draw back. But it takes plenty belly and back bone, guts, perseverance, determination and strong belief in the promises of Christ to stand up strong for Him against the wily and evil enemy. And don’t forget that Christ will come in due time and reward those whom He finds standing in faith.

So, let’s write these two scriptures indelibly in our hearts, so that we can raise them up when necessary. The first is the one we began with: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ And the second is like unto it (smile): ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) That says it all! Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus.

As one strong, confident and sincere voice: ‘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 yuh better believe, that if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. Wow! So please let’s use that as encouragement to endure down to the very end nuh mih bredrin! Much LOVE!

…Christians need to step up RIGHT NOW…and LIVE their faith…if they hope to make a difference in this world….

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 May 2023 Job 13:15.

30 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: addicted to good weather, an hypocrite will not come before him, and not receive evil, be secure in our faith, belief, comforts us in our troubles, curse God and die, feared God and eschewed evil, God is a place of refuge, God will work all things out for our good, He also shall be my salvation, hope, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I will maintain mine own ways before him, in god's eyes, Job was perfect and upright, Lead me in thy truth, live a successful life in Christ, LOVE, our bounden duty, shall we receive good at the hand of God, share His love with my neighbours, shew me thy ways O Lord, the enemy playing with our minds, the God of All Comfort, Though he slay me, trust, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, why God allows bad things to happen to good folks, worry

Job 13:15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust him: but I will maintain (defend) mine own ways before him.

Then it was Tuesday – more sunshine and warm weather. And if we’re not careful, we might just get addicted to such beautiful weather yes! But let’s remember, like Job said to his wife, when she wanted him to curse God and die after the terrible losses they suffered: ‘What, shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil (accept calamity)?’ (Job 2:10)

Now that’s something many of us are guilty of; we jump for joy and praise God to the high heavens when we receive good things, but when the opposite happens, we are totally distressed and ready to make all sorts of disparaging comments about Him; wondering where He is, what kind of God He is to allow such calamitous things to happen to such righteous folks.

But God never promised that there’d be no hiccups, or disasters or distressing circumstances in our lives just because we believe in Jesus. A lot of us get the wrong idea, that belief in Jesus and all the talk of salvation, abundant and eternal life means easy street for the rest of our lives, with no problems. However, what God promised was to work all things out for our eventual good, if we hold on to our belief in His Son Jesus and do His will. (Rom. 8:28) That’s a horse of an entirely different colour.

Our world is full of evil things, people and circumstances, and therefore, at some time or other some unfair, unwarranted, unexpected, unfortunate, undeserved stuff is going to happen to us. And the big difference between us believers and the unbelievers is that when unfortunate things happen to us, we have Jesus to turn to for help and comfort.

Remember as Bruh Paul said to the church at Corinth: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves were comforted of God.’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4)

Now that’s a very important scripture for to us to bury deep in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls and not be afraid to use whenever needed. Who do you think comforted Job in his distress? It wasn’t his wife, his family or his friends, who came and taunted him about the sins they thought he’d committed for such calamity to befall him. But the Bible tells us that: ‘There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect (blameless) and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed (shunned) evil.’ (Job 1:1)

So Job obviously was no big time sinner like some of us, and his friends and family must have known that, but they had the mindset set that many of us still have, that tough times only befall you when you commit some sin or the other and God is therefore punishing you for it. But that is the furthest thing from the truth. God does meet out punishment for wrongdoing in His own way and time, but not every mishap that occurs to us means it’s because of sin.

And like Job, if we know that we have not committed any terrible sin, why should we think that God is punishing us for it? That’s just the enemy playing with our minds, one of his many deceitful pranks, hoping we’d blame God for our misfortune and thus turn away from Him. But again, like Job, we need to be secure in our faith, and whatever happens, even when it doesn’t make sense, and we don’t understand it, don’t blame God, but surely turn to Him for comfort and solace, because He is the God of all comfort, and He can make things right.

That should be one of our strongest beliefs, if we hope to live a successful Christian life, for in this evil and ungodly world, we are constantly bombarded by all sorts of wrongdoings and hurtful circumstances, and if we don’t have a place of refuge to turn to, when those things happen, then we’re in big trouble. And the Lord God Almighty is the ONLY One who can address such hurts in a compassionate and caring manner.

Bruh David in his many trials and troubles said it thus in Psalm 25. ‘Unto thee. O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait (in faith) on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress (deal treacherously) without cause. Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation: on thee do I wait all the day.’ (Ps. 25:1-5)

Now that’s how we ought to be thinking my fellow believers! Take it to God in prayer and ask for divine help, rather than blame and abuse Him for causing our problems, like so many of us tend to do. Very few of us will ever undergo the trials and tribulations Bruh David went through, or commit the magnitude of sins that he committed, but he never wavered in his faith, because he knew who was on his side, the God of his forefathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And thus, he did not fear or worry, just kept taking all his problems to Him.

Likewise Job, in all his calamity, never once blamed it on God, though I’m sure he wondered why such misfortune had befallen him when he was trying his best to live right. And in the midst of all his problems and the castigation by his friends, his faith was strong enough that he could make these most memorable statements. ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust him: but I will maintain (defend) mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall come before him. Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration (yesss!!!) with your ears.’ (Job 13:15-17)

Wow! What awesome words of faith my brethren! Do we have such faith? Not many of us do in these tough, ungodly and evil times, but that is exactly the measure of faith we need, if we intend to successfully navigate through this turbulent world. And for those of us who are sincerely trying to develop such amazing faith, let’s go home now declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.

Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…without strong hope, trust and belief …strong faith is impossible…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 May 2023 Matthew 24:13.

29 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: divine help, eke out a miserable existence, faith, he that shall endure to the end, hold on to Jesus, impending doom, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, Memorial Day holiday, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, old time pilgrims, salvation, wisdom

Matthew 24:13. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Prologue: Ah friends, I know it’s long and late, but life happened to the ole fella… and is it ever so good. (smile)

And the unbreakable cycle of our working lives continues its everlasting journey, revolving once more to park for a brief moment of time on the day we call Monday; the day we all LOVE to hate. (smile) Unfortunately though, it’s all a part of the Creator’s great plan for our universe, and unless we want to live it despondently and without the joy we were meant to have, then we’d best learn to grin and bear it, making the best of our earthly days, which, though sometimes rather short, can be very enjoyable, especially if we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

In fact, Christians ought to be the most joyful people on the earth, with all the many promises of our faith, like salvation and eternal life with Christ through His earthly ministry, where He died on the cross to pay for our sins and set us free from the impending doom in hellfire with the evil Satan. But sadly, many of us who consider ourselves believers, tend to eke out a miserable existence, always sour and unhappy with life, whether it’s because of our unfortunate circumstances and not trusting God to help us fix them, or because of the false belief that Christians should always be poor and metaphorically dragging themselves in the dirt, the picture painted of the old-time pilgrims.

But if that’s true, then Christ wasted His time in dying for us. Why die, if we would still be the scum of the earth? On the contrary, Jesus said: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) And I’m sure the abundant life is not one of just getting by in a continuously troubled and unhappy frame of mind. But as they say, to each his own, and I’m going to make sure I enjoy my life to the fullest, making Jesus my Number One priority, for I know that with Him at the helm of my good ship Life, I’ll be as safe and comfortable as heavenly possible. (smile)

And while we in Canada and many other parts of the world go out to work today, the U.S will be commemorating their Memorial Day Holiday. ‘That’s a holiday dedicated to those who died while serving in America’s wars. To commemorate the day, which falls on the last Monday in May, people flock to Washington to decorate the graves of fallen military service members, attend parades and visit national monuments.’ And it’s certainly sad and disheartening to think that despite the many who have fallen unnecessarily and uselessly in the wars over the years, that wars and rumours of wars are still such a big part of our human existence.

Like the human animal is not satisfied unless he is constantly clashing swords with his fellow man. And now, at the height of our intelligence, technology and prosperity, instead of using those tools to work towards peace, LOVE, understanding and godliness in our world, we are still trying to outdo each other in building a bigger, better and more reprehensible weapon of mass destruction; one that will most likely annihilate everything within many, many miles of the eye of its atomic explosion, like the force of a hurricane radiates outwards from its eye, from its centre.

And that’s the kind of foolish, short-sighted, greedy, egomaniacal, evil and ungodly world that’s highlighted in our 21^st century. But then again, we might only be fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus found in Matthew 24, where He expounds to the disciples re His Second Coming and the end of the world. ‘Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers (various) places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.’ (Matt. 24:4-8)

So, when the many wars and natural disasters begin occurring in our world, it’s not yet the end of the world, but just the ‘beginning of sorrows’ or the beginning of the end. And I doubt that anyone currently alive will doubt that all those things Jesus spoke about are happening with alarming frequency and heightened tension right now in our world. That brings us to Jesus’ continuation of the prophecy. ‘Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted (for tribulation), and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity (lawlessness) shall abound, the LOVE of many shall wax (grow) cold. But he that shall endure unto the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come.’ (Matt. 24:9-14) And all of God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Amen!’

So there we have it friends, the decline in goodness and godliness and the rise in evil and hatred, that will preface the end of this church age. And we have seen all of those sad happenings down through the last years; the many false prophets and messiahs that have arisen and are still arising, preaching false doctrines, and leading many astray into false religious cults. Then there’s the increasing frequency and devastation of famines and pestilence and natural disasters all over, as well as worldwide tribulation, with an increase in hatred, as well as the abounding lawlessness that now has our world in its evil grip.

And there’s absolutely no doubt that the LOVE of many, have indeed waxed or grown cold. I don’t know that there’s ever been a time when LOVE has been so absent from and so badly needed in our world. But the two most important aspects of it all my brethren are that the gospel of Christ will be preached all over the world. The missionary expansion of Christ’s church must first be accomplished to all the inhabited world, and we’re steadily getting there with all our new technology, so it shall not be too long before we also reach that prophesied goal.

However, the clincher in all of that rhetoric my people, are these few but life-saving and life-giving words of Jesus. ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:13) Now those are the words we should be most concerned with, for we cannot do anything much about the condition of our world, but we can certainly save our souls by hanging on tightly to Jesus, like white on rice. And to help us do that, let’s go, right now, to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking wisdom and guidance during this upcoming week.

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.

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

Now, its’ time for us to step up to the plate, change our evil ways and endure right down to the very end with Jesus! Much LOVE!

…the ONLY hope for man…is embracing Jesus…and NEVER letting Him go…

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

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 June 2023 Proverbs 18:21.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2023 1 Corinthians 6:20.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 June 2023 Psalm 37:5.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 June 2023 Jeremiah 29:13.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 June 2023 2 Chronicles 33:13b.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 June 2023 Ephesians 2:8.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 May 2023 Luke 18:8.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 May 2023 Matthew 24:13.

Pages

Categories

Archives