Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 September 2022 John 8:32.

02 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

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

John 8:32.       And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Oh friends, today as the rising of the sun begins, as that magnificent orb makes its daily journey around the world, many different voices in many different languages will loudly and harmoniously chorus: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Thank God for the weekend and all the freedom it brings!’ 

Ah Lord eh, do we ever like and fantasize about that thing called freedom. And down through the ages, so many of us have died shouting out its name, but we don’t really know the heavy price that supposed elixir of the human spirit demands. For to be truly free, one needs to be responsible, not lawless like so many of us believe. Freedom carries with it an inherent need for responsibility, loyalty, self-control, self-discipline and level headedness. It calls for mercy, LOVE, grace, forgiveness, goodness and godliness. 

It doesn’t give us the right, as so many of us believe to do exactly what we want, when we want, regardless of the consequences to those around us. It doesn’t mean chaos, selfishness and disregard for our fellow man. In fact, it demands just the opposite; a healthy and responsible care and compassion for our fellow human beings. 

And I guess that’s why all the revolutions and wars and other negative circumstances that have occurred in the name of freedom have never succeeded, because in the end, those at the forefront of those uprisings, end up doing exactly what their oppressors and suppressors were doing; oppressing and suppressing somebody in the supposed name of freedom! But yet, we still constantly hear the battle cry for freedom: freedom from this, freedom from that, freedom from responsibility, freedom from paying taxes, freedom from God and His law. 

Hn! Yet we still desire all those things that a responsible freedom bring. But in reality, freedom is only, and will always be a figment of our imagination, for as the song so truly says: we all must bow to somebody; to either God or Satan. And once you’re bowing to someone, you’re never free. Bowing to Satan will never make you free, because he is only interested in keeping his selfish claws in you, restraining you from rising to the level for which you were created, and thus making hellfire and damnation your eternal home. 

The closest we can ever get to that thing called freedom is by reverently bowing to our Maker, Our Creator and Provider, our Way-maker and Forgiver, the enabler of Eternal Life. And that can only happen when we sincerely embrace His majestic Son, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Yes, friends, only through the intervention of the Son, can one get to all the magnificent benefits and freedoms that the Father provides. Listen up as Christ enlightens us on the subject. 

First off, He sets us straight by imparting this startling, but ever so true information: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) Oh my people, unless we believe that, and act seriously upon it, we will never see the bright lights of heaven and enjoy the promise of eternal life! That’s the truth, and nothing but the God-awesome truth! Only sincere belief in Christ Jesus will enable us to enter through those pearly gates we all talk and dream about so much! 

And likewise, the only source of true freedom is Christ Jesus. And why do we know this? Listen as He taught in the synagogue of His hometown of Nazareth. On that momentous Sabbath day in the temple, Jesus read thus from the Book of Isaiah. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised (oppressed). To preach the acceptable year of the Lord….This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (hearing)’ (Luke 4:18-19, 21) 

Oh my people, Jesus was letting His hometown know that He was the chosen One, the Messiah, the One sent to set the captives free, to heal their broken hearts, souls and spirits. But, as it so often happens, when someone close to us, just like us, rises up to another level, we tend to offer derogatory comments rather than gladly accept their new status. And that’s exactly what happened to Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth. 

They didn’t believe that the lowly carpenter’s son of Joseph and Mary, who grew up amongst them could ever be the Messiah. His words so annoyed them that they eventually forced him out of the city and tried to throw Him down a hill. Thankfully though, as the Good Book says: ‘But he passing through the midst of them went his way.’ (Luke 4:30) And the scholars offer this explanation on the verse. ‘It is not clear whether this is a miraculous deliverance, or whether Jesus, by dint of His imposing presence, was able to stare His opponents down and then walk away untouched.’ I like to think it was the latter, just to show the unbelieving fools that He was not scared of them. (smile)  

Now, this final word from Jesus re freedom. He said to a crowd of Jews that supposedly believed in Him. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:31-32) And when they claimed they were never in bondage, so how could they be made free, Jesus explained to them that they were in bondage to sin. However, ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free; ye shall be free indeed.’ (John 8:36) 

And is that ever the glorious truth my brethren! Only through the work of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, His shed blood, His death and resurrection, can we be truly made free. Free from sin, free from our most noted enemy, Satan and the sinful life that he espouses and tries to get us to also espouse, so that we can eventually end up like him, in the lake of fire. But thankfully, we’re wiser than that! We’re following Jesus! Glory Hallelujah! So, let’s go to Him in prayer, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine help in our troubled world. 

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

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

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

Now friends, if we truly expect positive divine help, then it’s up to us keep the promises we’ve just made, and show right motives in our hearts. Much LOVE!

…ONLY  through belief in Christ Jesus…can we gain whatever freedom is possible in this earthly life… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 August 2022   1 Timothy 4:8.

19 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Timothy 4:8.       For bodily (physical) exercise profiteth little: but godliness (the result of spiritual exercise) is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

TGIF friends! TGIF! Yes, thank God it’s Friday and another arduous week of work is almost over, and a glorious weekend is imminent. (smile) And sadly, instead of living for Christ, a lot of us simply live for the weekend, that’s rest from our earthly labour and enjoyment of the worldly pleasures available. No wonder our lives seem so arduous and out of our control. But when we live for Jesus, our lives are never arduous. They might be hard, difficult, even very trying, but never arduous, because arduous implies a lot of our own energy and strength is put into our daily living. 

However, when we make Jesus our number ONE companion, He enables us to work smart, to work with wisdom and not as laboriously as we do on our own. As the song says: ‘With Jesus I know I can make it. No matter what may come my way, I know that I can make it, My life is in your hands.’ And that’s the only way to live this earthly life; with Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, Good Shepherd and Comforter! 

When we surrender our lives to Him, His goodness runs after us. He breaks whatever chains of sin and sadness in which we are entangled. We no longer have to run down life or anything in it, because He provides everything we need. He said it very clearly in His Sermon on the Mount. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

Yes my people, just as the Lord looks after all the other things He created in Mother Nature, He will likewise look after His greatest creation, the human being. And why wouldn’t He eh, when we’re made in His image, and are filled with His breath of life, and He controls all that we are and do? It just wouldn’t make any sense to just ignore and abandon us to the evil enemy Satan, after taking so much time, energy and pride to create us. The problem though is that in this fallen and sinful world, the enemy wields much power and influence and thus wants to frighten us into doing his ungodly will. 

But there again, when we give our lives to Jesus, He imbues us with His Holy Spirit that then fills us with spiritual power to do His will. As Bruh Paul so confidently said to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7). 

Oh my fellow believers, that verse of scripture should be one we hold right at the front of our minds and hearts because in these days of constant fear, where fear seems to be bombarding us from all sides, we need it to keep reminding us that fear is not something that we deal in, that we have a spiritual power in Christ Jesus that overcomes fear. And we do need to exercise that spiritual power just like we exercise our bodies. 

Why, you ask? Listen to Bruh Paul again as he advises Timothy on the subject. ‘For bodily (physical) exercise profiteth little: but godliness (the result of spiritual exercise) is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.’ (1 Tim. 4:8) And that’s the awesome truth my brethren. Spiritual exercise or godliness ‘has unlimited value, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’ And who doesn’t want to have a good life now and in the hereafter eh? 

That’s what we all want, but it only comes through strong association with Jesus. However, for any number of reasons, most of them foolish and prideful, and thus sinful, many of us choose not to have an association with Christ Jesus. But that’s the worst decision any human being can ever make, for it deprives them of so many wonderful benefits available under Jesus’ all-encompassing umbrella. 

I don’t like to keep harping on it, (smile) but it’s my job to keep reminding us that without Jesus as the mainstay of our lives, neither the abundant life on earth nor salvation that leads to eternal life in heaven are possible. The only other option we have is that of spending the afterlife with Satan in total damnation and death in hell and eventually the lake of fire where all the damned will be destroyed forever. Now, if you believe that the sinful pleasures of the world are worth that kind of end, then go right ahead and enjoy them. 

But if you don’t like that kind of ending to your life, then you need to put your trust in Jesus Christ right now, for later might be too late. The grim reaper might just come calling sooner than you expected, or Christ might choose to come back today, and if any of those situations occur without you accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe. In other words, it’s too late and Satan’s place is where you’ll automatically be headed for. That’s why it’s ever so important to accept Christ as soon as possible. And that’s the end of today’s sermon! (smile) 

Now, let’s turn to the most important and powerful weapon in our arsenal; that of prayer, or communication with our Creator. We’ll do that by declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Friday Chant. As one strong and confident, but humble voice. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

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

And now it’s time for us to get serious and show the Lord that we are truly faithful believers by our words, deeds and motives, so that He can positively answer our prayer. Much LOVE!

…Jesus…the only wise and sensible choice in this life… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 August 2022   Matthew 7:24.

12 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 7:24.       Therefore whosoever heareth these saying of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock.

Awright! So we’ve finally crossed the finish line and everyone’s shouting: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And this glorious summer weekend is here at last!’ And we’d better enjoy it too, because we don’t have many more summer weekends left on the calendar. (smile) 

Now, I was just led to our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin to seek a suitable writing for today. And it didn’t take long for me to find this most appropriate gem. I don’t know if I’ve ever shared it before, and if I’ve never, then I can’t understand how I could have missed such a beautiful and inspiring piece. And if I’ve shared it before, then it’s certainly worth sharing again, (smile) especially in these unfortunate and troubled times when the very foundation, the bastion of our society, the family, is sadly falling, or been torn apart. 

It’s aptly titled ‘A Family Pledge.’ And we definitely need more stuff like this in our lives. So please read with me. ‘We will permit God to use our conflicts and mixed emotions as lessons in quiet growth. With LOVING patience, without ridicule or judgement, we will support each other in the gradual untangling of built-in defenses. We will focus on each other as persons made in the image of God. We will seek to please rather than pressure, to delight rather than to demand, to give rather than to get. 

We will share the humdrums as well as the highlights, the tears as well as the laughter, the defeats as well as the victories. We will not insist on perfection – rather we will anticipate growth. We will not compete for the mountaintop, rather we will climb the mountain together. We will wait for each other if one of us gets behind. We will lift our hearts in a celebration of gratitude for God’s amazing LOVE, which makes our family LOVE possible. We will LOVE each other as we do these things.’ 

Wow mih bredrin! What a marvellous pledge, not just for individual families but for all of society! Can you just see families practicing that stuff, coming together, and working together the way the Lord desires His people to gel and be One under His awesome majesty! Heaven would have a heyday, it would turn over, go mad with joy if something like that should ever happen! 

Okay, so I’m daydreaming a tad, because it most likely will never happen until Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom, but that’s what our faith, Christianity is all about – everlasting hope; believing in dreams and promises that though improbable, are definitely not impossible with our omnipotent God! And until, and unless, we bring some semblance of that pledge to pass in our families, they, along with our society will continue to fall apart, to sink deeper into the evil and ungodly mire that our world has become. 

Oh my fellow believers, we’re not only in a foolish situation with all the current infighting amongst families, but a very dangerous one. For if we continue on this unwise path, the darkness will befall us even in the midst of the noonday sun, while brother continues fighting brother, father against son, and mother against daughter. Now, that Family Pledge, we just read, could be a marvellous and vital beginning to a resuscitation of our family values, and could eventually bring a semblance of peace amongst the many warring families that currently exist. 

And it’s interesting to note that the Bible Promise allocated to that pledge is Jesus’ opening statement on the ‘The two foundations,’ in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these saying of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock.’ (Matt. 7:24) 

Oh friends, that’s indeed what we need to build our lives and thus our families on, on the rock! On the rock that’s Jesus, where no rain, flood or earthquake or any negative thing can destroy it! Yes, living for each other, having each other’s backs, looking out for each other, and helping each other as we travel this rough and rocky road of life, is the ONLY way to make it at least palatable, if not pleasurable. It’s the only way we’ll ever enjoy the abundant life that Christ sacrificed His holy and sinless life for us to have. 

And I simply can’t understand why we keep on fighting each other, when it benefits us nothing whatsoever! It just keeps us sinking ever further into the mire, the quicksand that the devil has prepared for us, and thus elicits a big smile on his satanic majesty’s ugly face! Oh my fellow saints, is that the kind of life we truly desire to live, when Jesus has provided a much better one? I very much doubt it! But if we are to escape Satan’s evil clutches, we must rise up and accept the teachings of Jesus. Build on the solid, rock-like foundation He has established, not on the shifting sand that Satan desires us to build on. 

That means, it’s of the utmost importance that we not only hear Jesus’ words, but even more importantly, put them into action in our lives, for words are useless until they are actioned! And it all begins with prayer; reaching out to our wonderful God in sincerity and faith, knowing that He’s a keeper of His promises, if we live the way He desires. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Friday Chant. 

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

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

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

Now, we’ve got to give the Lord good reason to positively answer our prayer, by cleansing our hearts and hands and keeping our promises. Much LOVE!

…he who builds his life on Jesus…will stand strong forever…but he who builds on Beelzebub…will eventually perish with him… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   29 July 2022   1 Corinthains 13:11.

29 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 13:11.      When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

Well, it’s here at last…so let’s shout it out nuh: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the long Caribana weekend has begun!’ And this evening I’m going to attend the only function on the calendar that I do nowadays, that’s the Steelband competition. Yes friends, that’s what it’s finally come down to. (smile) As they so truthfully say, after one time is two. But the fact of the matter is that the ole fella can no longer handle the long walking and the pushing and shoving of the young people. 

In my time, we knew how to party, but these days that wisdom seems to have gone by the bye. And the costumes and music are not as nice as before. Like life, and so many other things nowadays, the standards have fallen and it all seems watered down now… at least in my opinion. (smile) So, since I can’t handle it physically and emotionally, I just keep myself to myself, and only check out the pan competition which is always a blast; you see people you haven’t seen in ages, plus you make new friends, and don’t forget the numerous arguments and controversies, especially over the judges’ decisions at the end. 

If you’ve ever been to a Steelband competition, you’ll understand what I’m talking about. (smile) And strangely enough, I find that one occasion satisfies my Caribana weekend. Once upon a time, if I didn’t get down to the Saturday parade early, I’d be rather unmannerly to those who kept me back. My family could certainly tell you about that. (smile) But thankfully, along with age comes that very important thing called reason. That reminds me of the scripture in 1 Corinthians that says it so wisely. ‘When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.’ (1 Cor. 13:11) 

Ah friends, that’s exactly what a lot of us need to do in these uncertain, disastrous and turbulent times; give up our childish behaviour and act like the adults we’re supposed to be. We certainly don’t need all the resentment, strife, evil-doing, back-biting and scandalous behaviour that has become so much a part of our current society. And those ungodly actions are not only running rampant in the outside world but unfortunately also in the church of Christ! Obviously, that’s not welcome behaviour in the body of Christ, but who’s going to change it eh? 

Only we, the supposed believers in and followers of Christ can do that. The problem though, is do we really want to change our unchristian ways? Some of us do, but others don’t. So what’s going to happen eh? Christ’s church obviously cannot be allowed to continue being as sinful and ungodly as the world. And the sad part is that a lot of this behaviour comes from the leaders not from the basic congregations. In fact, some leaders consciously promote that behaviour. It’s obvious that they are not obeying the words of Bruh Paul to Timothy: 

‘This is a true saying, If a man desire (aspires to) the office of a bishop (overseer), he desireth a good work (a noble task). A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant (temperate), sober (sober-minded), of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to (able to) teach. Not given to (addicted to) wine, no striker (not violent), not greedy of filthy lucre (for money); but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity (reverence); For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? (1 Tim. 3:1-5) 

Now that’s a very good question? If a man cannot run his own house in a godly manner, how then can he run Christ’s church properly eh? And the scholars tell us this about the Pastoral Office. ‘The pastor, who shepherds’ today’s church, also fulfills the New Testament role of elder and bishop (overseer), and is responsible to God for the spiritual welfare of the church (Acts 20:28). When Christ returns, He will judge and reward these pastors (elders) according to their faithfulness in leading the church to accomplish God’s will (1 Pet. 5:4).’ And I do hope that some of those leading Christ’s flock today would read that and understand it and change from their evil ways. 

But let’s look at some deeper explanations of the duties Bruh Paul associated with a godly leader. ‘Blameless means irreproachable, that is, impeccable in reputation. The husband of one wife, faithful to his wife. Vigilant means temperate. This speaks of spiritual sobriety; not intoxicated or controlled by fleshly passions and sensual appetites. To be sober is to be of sound mind; that is, not of frivolous disposition, but serious and possessing good judgement. Of good behaviour means orderly in life, habits, and work. One who is given to hospitality receives strangers warmly and treats guests generously. 

To be apt to teach is to be skillful in teaching Scripture. Not given to wine means not addicted to wine. No striker means not physically violent. Not greedy means not fond of dishonest gain. Patient means not quarrelsome, peaceable; that is does not argue over minor matters or always seeks to have his own way, but defers to the wishes of others when no cardinal doctrine or policy is sacrificed. Not covetous, literally, “not a lover of money.” His main priority is not the acquisition of money. Materialism ill befits one called above to care for the spiritual welfare of souls.’ 

And that’s the gospel truth! However, unfortunately many of our current leaders do display too many of the ungodly traits described above. Now, it must be stated that a lot is expected of them, and since they are mere men like us, they do have human drawbacks and frailties, and will have occasional lapses in godly behaviour, but the unfortunate truth is that too many of our leaders have poor leadership qualities and are thus leading Christ’s church astray, that’s why it’s in such bad shape today. 

But we cannot put all the blame and responsibility on our leaders, we the congregation also need to take some of it, for both allowing the leaders to do some of the ungodly stuff they do, and also for following them when we full well know that their actions are wrong and totally ungodly. And the only way for the church to get cleaned up is by both congregation and leaders deciding to clean it up. That’s seriously looking at themselves and doing the things they know that ought to be done. This will have to be an internal cleansing, coming to terms with our misdeeds and deciding to change our ways, with God’s help obviously. 

And there’s no better time to start than right now. So, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Friday Chant, laying our cards sincerely before Him. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. 

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

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

And now that we’ve pleaded for divine help and made promises, let’s go out and keep those promises, otherwise we won’t receive that divine help. It’s as simple as that. Much LOVE!

…promises are not made to be broken…but to be kept with a sincere and honourable heart… 

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

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

15 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 July 2022 Proverbs 29:18.

01 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 29:18.      Where there is no vision (prophetic vision), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.​

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Oh mih people, the caffeine is hot, strong and sweet this Friday morning, this sunshiny, cloudy, first day of July 2022! Can you imagine that June is finished already! But that’s okay, because today in this blessed land we’re celebrating and shouting two things: The first is the usual ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ And with that comes the added incentive of no work today, because it’s a holiday, as we celebrate the birthday of our beautiful land, and shout ‘Happy Canada Day!’ 

Yes, on July 1. 1867, the separate Provinces came together to form the Confederation of Canada, and since then we’ve been plowing forward regardless. Oh, we’ve had misfortunes, done wrong things and displeased others, but yuh better believe right now we are the best big country in the world, despite our many problems! Yes, like all other countries we have problems, some of our own making, others because of our close association with the richest and one of the most volatile countries in the world right now, the U.S. of A. 

They want to spread their dissent abroad, and we want to play monkey see, monkey do. But hopefully, we will stand upon our own two feet and not allow them to further corrupt our already corrupt land and drive out the little decency we still have. We certainly don’t need any help to do that, because we do a good enough job on our own. That brings to mind the poignant and powerful words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) 

The scholars tell us that ‘Vision refers to the divine revelation received by the prophet. Morality is based on adherence to God’s revealed will.’ And that’s what sadly lacking in our world today, a prophetic vision from Almighty God, why we have cast off restraint and are doing what we want, which is so much evil, immoral and ungodly stuff. But how can we ever have revelation from God when we are doing our best to remove Him from our society eh? No wonder our world is indeed perishing from lack of God’s word and adherence to His law. 

And we have a perfect example of that back in the days when the prophet Samuel came on the scene in Israel. The Good Book relates it thus. ‘And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious (rare) in those days, there was no open vision.’ (1 Sam. 3:1) And to show how bad it was back then, the last verse of Judges says: ‘In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.’ (Jud. 21:25) Now any fool can see that’s exactly where we are headed in this modern generation, which is downward to catastrophe and disaster like all the other societies which turned away from the Great I AM! 

But let’s go back and listen as the scholars explain the above verse from Samuel: ‘The severity of Israel’s apostasy, (turning away from God) (cf. Jud. 21:25) caused a dearth of God’s revelatory work. The condition was perpetuating and self-defeating (cf. Prov. 29:18). By God’s grace, the prophetic institution would receive renewed impetus and standardization in the person of Samuel. (cf. 3:21; 19:20)’ You can read those verses on your own, but they are basically telling us about the Lord appearing to Samuel and thus the increasing revelation in the society. 

Now, that calls up the second part of the proverb: ‘but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ Yes friends, when we keep God’s directives we are blessed. And I like how this commentator on the gotquestions.org website puts it. ‘Lest anyone be confused, this is not a call to legalism. Life is not found in our ability to obey a list of dos and don’ts. Within Psalm 19 we see indications of relationship with God. David talks about the fear of the Lord being pure (verse 9), he calls himself God’s servant (verse 13), and he calls God his “LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” (verse 14). When Jesus named the greatest commandment, He referred to the command to LOVE God. (Mark 12:28-34) Our obedience to God and our keeping of His Word flow from a relationship in which we are LOVED by God and we LOVE Him in return (1 John 4:7-10).’ 

Oh my brethren, there must indeed be a few dos and don’ts like the Ten Commandments, if a society is to be stable and not continually chaotic, but generally speaking what a society needs, what we need to live a blessed and abundant life is a feeling of LOVE, of care and compassion to Almighty God and to each other! With LOVE being the basic essence of our existence, a society flourishes, shines bright like the noonday sun, gives God all the glory and honour, and is a perfect example to others. 

And we’ll enlist more of the interesting and true words of the commentator from the gotquestions.org website to aid in our offence against the enemy. So please read and take serious note. ‘Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” Jesus has come into the world as the living Word of God (John 1:1, 14). God has also given us the written Word, the Bible. When we fail to read God’s Word and live it out in our lives, we become people “without vision.” 

When we ignore God’s Word, we begin to live without restraint to our own peril. Conversely, when we heed God’s Word, we are blessed. Jesus said, “As the Father has LOVED me, so have I LOVED you. Now remain in my LOVE. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my LOVE, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his LOVE. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:9-11). God has given us His Word, and He calls us to be faithful to it. In keeping God’s Word, we will find joy in Him.’ 

And is all of that ever so true my fellow saints! Now let’s go to our heavenly Father in prayer, through our Friday Chant, seeking grace and mercy, forgiveness and help to improve our individual lives and our society. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

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

And with those words of prayer flowing from our lips, we now need to keep our promises and show the Lord that we are indeed serious about changing our evil ways and coming back to His safe and blessed refuge. Much LOVE!

…the time to turn to Jesus is NOW…tomorrow may be too late…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 June 2022 Ephesians 6:12.

24 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:12.       For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.

So friends, we’ve come to the end of another work week, another Friday, with a host of people, good, bad and indifferent joyfully shouting: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ Yes, even the ones who don’t believe in God, or don’t even know Him, shout it. It’s like a universal mantra, where a great load is unburdened and the supposed weary slaves, many of whom are thoroughly lazy and do as little work as possible, (smile) are set free for a couple of days. And believe me, that also applies to Christians, for we do talk a good talk, but can be rather unchristian in our walk. And that’s why so many unbelievers refuse to listen to us, we don’t practice what we preach, as much as we ought to. 

All over the globe, Christians have a reputation for being hypocrites, and in a lot of cases the name is well-deserved. So, unfortunately, the many are tainted by the deeds of the few, and that is definitely not the character trait Christ wants the world to have of His church, of those who profess faith in His name and all that He’s done for mankind. And we all know how difficult it is to correct a bad reputation, even one that is untrue. Therefore, those of us who try to do the right thing are often faced with an uphill battle, not of our making. 

But let’s remember that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is omnipotent, and gives us the tools to do whatever He desires of us. So, if He desires us to evangelize the world, then there’s nothing the world can do to stop us. We just have to faithfully believe and get up the gumption to do Christ’s work, because we have all the necessary tools to otherwise do it, backed up all the way by the awesome power of the Holy Spirit! That means fear of failure should be a no-brainer. Remember what Bruh Paul told Timothy about fear? ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

Consequently, Christ’s followers ought to be positive, optimistic, powerful and fearless. Yes, it’s a lot to ask in this scary, turbulent and deceitful world. And though none of us will ever be perfect, because it’s not in our DNA, for only Jesus is perfect, I know that we can all come up higher than the level we are currently at. It all depends on our state of mind, our state of maturity, and if we truly want to be good soldiers for Christ. The battle is not easy, and is not one we can see, for it’s being fought in the spiritual realm, but believe me, it is still as real as if we could see it. 

Bruh Paul explained it thus to the Ephesians. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) So we really are in a battle, and one to the death, for the forces of evil will not give up, and neither should we. 

Meanwhile, here’s how the scholars explain that verse. ‘6:12. Wrestle, used of hand to hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world-rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer (Satan) himself.’ 

It is therefore an all-encompassing war that will not end until Jesus comes back and sets up his kingdom. These words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth also highlight the kind of warfare in which we are continually engaged. ‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according to) the flesh. (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the flesh), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations (arguments), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 10:3-5)  

Yes my brethren, the scholars tell us that ‘Though we walk (live) in the flesh (in a body), we do not war (fight) after (according to) the flesh (human standards): The first phrase of verse 5 looks back to verse 3 and expresses the manner in which believers conduct spiritual warfare. It is by casting down (destroying) imaginations (false arguments) such as Paul’s opponents have raised.’ 

Oh my people, please remember that it’s in our minds that spiritual warfare is being fought; the devil tries to invade our minds with evil, ungodly thoughts, but we need to fight him mano-a-mano, taking every thought into captivity, that’s checking it out, using the Holy Spirit to make sure that it lines up with the word and desires of Christ. And if it doesn’t, then kicking it out! 

That’s why James warns us to ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10). 

And Peter strongly advises, ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 5:8-9) 

Oh my fellow saints, it’s time for us to truly get serious about the battle in which we are engaged. Once you call yourself a believer in Christ Jesus, there’s no getting away from it. So please, let’s raise our level of passion, of faith and sincerity and thus put up a better fight in Jesus’ name nuh. He’s depending on us. There’s no one else to fight for Him and His church and kingdom but us. Now let’s take the first step in that direction, prayer, and through our Friday Chant, approach the throne of grace with confident humility. 

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

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

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

And, as always, after prayer, you keep whatever promises you’ve made, then wait patiently, with expectant faith for God to answer…in His own time. (smile) Much LOVE!

…the battlefield of the spiritual world is our mind…so please ensure we have on our spiritual armour… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 June 2022 Deuteronomy 8:18a.

17 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Deuteronomy 8:18a.      But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth,

Finally friends, it’s that day we’ve all been waiting for, and a bright, sunshiny, warm one too. (smile) So let’s all shout it together nuh. After three; one, two, three: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Surprisingly, it’s one of the few things we don’t have to beg our fellow beings to thank God for, they just seem to do it automatically, even non-believers utter the slogan, as though coming to the end of the work week is such a heavy load off our shoulders. 

And yes, sometimes it can be, but generally speaking we should be thankful for seeing every day, for having jobs to go to, and all the other good things that the Lord has granted us, for many didn’t wake up to see today, many don’t have jobs to go to, or enjoy all the other benefits we enjoy in our prosperous society. 

But there’s one thing we ought never to forget, as Moses said to the children of Israel when they would come into their prosperity in the Promised Land. ‘And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (test) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:17-18) 

Yes friends, it’s only through the goodness and mercy of the ever-living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that we have the ability to amass wealth and become prosperous! And why is that you ask? Simple. It’s because as Bruh David writes in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2) 

And that’s the gospel truth my people! That is if you believe in the one God Jehovah. But yuh know what? Even if you don’t believe in Him, it makes no difference whatsoever, for He did speak the world into existence and formed us puny, fragile and finite humans from the dust of the earth, where we shall all eventually return when our short sojourn on this earth is done. 

The only difference is that the spirits of some of us who believe in and walk according the dictates of His Son, Jesus Christ, will go to dwell with the Lord until eternity, while the spirits of those who don’t believe will end up in the lake of fire ‘prepared for the devil and his angels,’ to be damned and destroyed forever! 

That’s where Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats; with goats on the left hand and the sheep on the right, and welcome those on the right hand saying, ‘Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ And all of that can be found in Matt. 25:31-46. Please read it asap, so you can grasp the seriousness of the situation. 

But it’s time to go all the way back to Moses talking to the Israelites, so we can get the true gist of what it entails to be living for God. After telling them about the Lord being the one who allows them to get wealth, Moses continues: ‘And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord hath destroyed before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God.’ (Deut. 8:19-20) 

Oh my people, Moses didn’t mince words, and whenever they strayed from the God of their forefathers, they suffered greatly, just like every other nation down through history that became great through God’s empowerment, then forget about Him when they reached the pinnacles of their glory. Just like we are doing in our society today; foolishly trying to rid it of its Creator and Provider. 

No wonder our world is going to hell in a handbasket, filled with hate, strife and all the other negative things of the demonic enemy. That’s what happens when you refuse to obey the voice of the living Lord God Jehovah and follow dead man-made idols that can’t do a solitary thing to change your life for the better, only for the worse. 

But then again, the Lord God Jehovah is so wonderful, so merciful and gracious that He’s made a way for us to come to Him if we ever change our minds. That’s through the awesome option of prayer. So please, let’s take a hold of it right now nuh and through our Friday Chant go to Him for help in these terrible times of apostasy and lack of LOVE! 

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

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

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

Now, we keep the promises we’ve just made, and then wait on the Lord’s response. That’s the ONLY way! Much LOVE!

…how can you disobey your Creator…and expect to prosper eh…for there are serious consequences to disobedience…just ask the Israelites… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 June 2022 Colossians 3:2.

10 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:2.      Set you affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth. 

And then, finally, it was Friday… and numerous shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ rise to heaven. Sadly, many of us don’t acknowledge God or His presence except on Fridays when our work week is winding down. But that’s just why our lives are in such a sad state, for without our Creator guiding our lives, in total control of them, we can never have real prosperous, peaceful and LOVING earthly sojourns. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Colossians about the new life in Christ. ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.’ (Col. 3:1) 

Yes friends, if we have found Jesus, have suffered, died and risen with him, then our lives ought to be headed in a different direction than that of the world. If we’ve been freed from sin, through His sacrificial payment of our sin debt, then a new life must be in our future, with all the old ways, habits, values, vices, interests and sins left behind. And it’s also the reason Bruh Paul said to the church at Corinth: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) 

And the scholars explain ‘that when a man comes into vital union with the risen and glorified Lord, he is a “new creation” (cf. John 3:3; 15:5; Rom. 8:1,9; Gal. 6:14-15) and perceives Christ in a new way.’ And that new way ought to be a continual way until one sees Jesus in person, because if we continually abide in Him, He will continually abide in us. As Jesus so plainly said to the disciples. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5) 

And that’s the indisputable truth my people! Without Christ playing a significant part in our lives, we are unable to do very much. But with Him in our lives, ALL things are possible through His omnipotent power and strength! Yes my brethren, we can conquer sin when, and because Christ lives in us. But first, there are a few things we need to do. Like Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Colossae. ‘Set you affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.’ (Col. 3:2-3) 

That means, as the scholars tell us, ‘not to be preoccupied with things on the earth, such as current heretical philosophies (2:8), legalistic practices (2:16, 21-23), and vices (3:5); nor are they to dwell on things that are not wrong in themselves (houses, jobs, careers, ambitions, etc.), but can be wrong should they become priorities above Christ.’ 

Ah mih people, anything or anyone that takes priority over Christ in our lives causes problems. And believe me, we are being bombarded with so much stuff right now, that it’s not very difficult for something or things to rise up and replace Christ as NUMBER ONE in our lives. The sad part is that it can happen unconsciously too, that’s why we have to be very careful of what we think on and what we do. And since our life now belongs to Christ, having bought us with His precious blood shed on the cross of Calvary, and who now sits in heavenly places, our concerns should be more about heavenly than earthly things. 

That doesn’t mean earthly things are not important, but we are not to put greater emphasis on them than the things that relate to Christ and heaven. As Jesus said: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:16-21) 

And that’s the gospel truth friends! As an article on the subject on the website gotquestions.org rightly explains. ‘Whatever we focus on dictates our actions. When we focus on earthly success and wealth, we will expend our energies on earthly matters. However, when we focus on God’s priorities, our actions will reflect different priorities—and our reward in heaven will last forever.’ 

That’s more gospel truth! And no wonder our world is in such a confused and strife-filled state; our priorities have been out of focus, with a greater concentration on the things of earth rather than those of heaven. So let’s see if we can correct some of that poor focus nuh, by going to God in prayer through our Friday Chant, asking for divine help to get twenty-twenty vision. 

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

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

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

Now it’s up to us to keep our promises so that God will help us to change our focus. Much LOVE!

…focus on earthly treasure means total eventual loss…focus on heavenly things…means treasure safely stored up for eternal life.. 

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