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.. 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 June 2022   1 John 4:8.

03 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 John 4:8.       He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.

Well check out the bright, sunshiny, cool Friday morning nuh mih people and shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! ‘ Yes, let’s give thanks to the Father for allowing us to see another blessed day on this great earth of His. It’s only right and proper to give our Creator His just due for creating us and then when we had gone astray, for LOVING us so much that He sacrificed His only Son, Jesus Christ that we could find our way safely back to Him! 

Oh my faithful brethren in Christ, there’s no bond as strong as that of the bond we term LOVE! And it’s only when we’re directly connected to the Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit that we can ever fully understand and experience the awesome power, majesty and strength that makes up the godly attribute called LOVE! Remember yesterday we saw where Bruh Paul called it the greatest, and regardless of what else we have, if we don’t have LOVE, in essence, we don’t have anything at all! 

And today we’re going to look at a few other scriptures that show us how important LOVE is to the God’s universe and all therein. And there’s no better verse to begin with than this one from the wisdom of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ (Prov. 10:12) Wow! How truly powerful must that thing called LOVE be eh, if it can cover up all sins! And that’s not only talk because we saw it at work in Christ’s death on the cross for us, where through His awesome LOVE, He took all our sins on His sinless shoulders, so that we could be cleansed, washed white as snow and made righteous with the Father. 

And what did Bruh David say about the Father’s LOVE in Psalm 103: ‘He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 103:10-12) Oh my people, what a wonderful God we serve! And how can we not sincerely revere and worship Him when He casts aways our sins, as far as the east is from the west, forgets them and never brings them up when we come to Him for help and succour? 

God’s LOVE is unconditional. There are no strings attached to it. He might not like what we do, but He will always LOVE and welcome us when we come to Him, for that’s just who He is; a God of LOVE! Listen to how John puts it in his first epistle. ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ (1 John 4:8) It’s as simple as that friends: God is LOVE! And if you don’t know Him, then you don’t know true LOVE, and if you don’t have LOVE, then it’s impossible for you to truly know Him! 

And I like how John describes LOVE later on. ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18) And the scholars explain that verse thus. Fear hath torment: Abject fear of God is based on dread of punishment. But God’s LOVE, for us renders such dread obsolete. Fear is still part of the Christian walk in the sense of profound reverence, the unwillingness to violate God’s trust in us. (Acts 10:35: 2 Cor. 7:1). Believers need not fear eternal rejection as a result of God’s judgement (John 5:24), but this does not mean a Christian’s approach to God is to be casual and flippant.’  

Definitely not my fellow saints! We might not need to be afraid of the Lord, but that doesn’t mean we can just behave as obnoxious and irreverent as we want to. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Roman church about being under grace, not the law. ‘For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid.’ (Rom. 6:14-15) Certainly not my people. The powerful Spirit of grace that we’re living under, the great LOVE we feel for out heavenly Father, ought to make us be very sensitive to sin and what displeases Him. 

Then Peter gives us his two cents worth on the subject of LOVE. ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet. 4:8) Yes, he quotes Cousin Sol, from Proverbs. And so too does James, Jesus’ brother, when he writes to the Jewish diaspora. ‘Brethren, if any of you do err (wander) from the truth, and one convert him (turns him back). Let him know, that he which converteth (turns) the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide (cover) a multitude of sins.’ (James 5:20) 

Yes friends, that powerful thing called LOVE can do amazing things! That’s why we say it’s what makes the world go round. And that’s the awesome truth, for without some amount of LOVE in it, our world would be even more chaotic than it currently is, but we do need much much more to improve the situation, to turn it around. And when we need something, what’s the first thing we ought to do? Pray! So, let’s do that right now nuh, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, asking for divine help, because it’s only the Lord’s omnipotence can help us in these terrible times. 

As one sincere voice then. ‘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 after praying, what ought we to do? Keep the promises we made in our prayer and wait in expectant faith for God’s positive answer. So, let’s do just that nuh. Much LOVE!

…if only we had more LOVE…more of God…our world would be such a wonderful place… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   27 May 2022   2 Corinthians 9:7b.

27 May 2022 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 9:7b.      for God LOVETH a cheerful (joyful) giver.​

It’s a wet and cloudy Friday morning, but nonetheless the populace is still shouting ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is finally here!’ That’s although most of them only had a four-day work week with the Victoria Day holiday on Monday past. But such is the nature of the human animal, that even if we only had to work two days, we’d still be proclaiming the end of the work week. (smile) 

And today the Lord has put it on my heart to talk about how He LOVES a cheerful giver. Bruh Paul said it in His second missive to the church at Corinth. ‘But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully (with blessings, generously). (2 Cor. 9:6) 

Yes friends, as the scholars tell us: ‘One’s return is determined by his investment.’ (Ref. Prov. 11:24, Luke 6:38, Gal. 6:7). While it does not suggest indiscriminate giving , it does denote “unrestrained” giving.’ Meaning that we don’t have to just give away everything we have, but we must give and it must be generously, with a pure and unadulterated heart. As Bruh Paul continues. ‘Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity (compulsion): for God LOVETH a cheerful (joyful) giver.’ (2 Cor. 9:7) 

And yes, my fellow saints, does our God ever LOVE a person who gives with a cheerful heart, because it reminds Him of Himself; of how He’s given to us so generously, right down to the sinless life of His only Son, Jesus Christ. Now the scholars explain that verse by stating that the ‘Cheerful giver: is to have a willing heart and a sincere desire to participate in the offering. Paul is not so much interested in their money. Nor is God for that matter, as the passage from Proverbs 22:9 indicates. Giving is not a joke. It is serious business, but it is a delightful experience all the same.’ 

And it surely is, for when you give with a generous and willing heart a spirit of thankfulness and satisfaction rises up in you, knowing that you have sincerely helped someone else, you’ve done what Christ commanded…LOVED your neighbour, at least to some small extent. Bruh Paul then explains why it’s so important to give and to give with a good heart. ‘And God is able to make all grace abound toward you: that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.’ (2 Cor. 9:8) 

In other words, when you give generously and with a willing heart, God, who’s the source of all things, will make sure that you are never lacking in anything, will bless you bountifully, and thus enable you to keep on doing good works in His mighty name! Like Jesus said in Luke 6:38. ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom (pocket). For with the same measure that ye mete (use) withal it shall be measured to you again.’ 

And that’s the living truth my people! However we give, whatever measure we use to give, the same measure will be used to give back to us. So, if we use a generous measure to give, then a generous measure will be used to return to us. And that’s just the way of God ‘s kingdom; you reap what you sow. As Bruh Paul plainly said to the Galatians. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ (Gal. 6:7) A lot of us foolishly think and believe otherwise though. We think we can sow evil or sparingly and yet reap a bountiful harvest of good. But those who think so will be in for a big surprise come the day of Jesus, if not before. 

And these two verses from Proverbs 22 admirably bring the right perception to the matter. ‘He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity (trouble): and the rod of his anger (wrath) shall fail (perish). He that hath a bountiful (generous) eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.’ (Prov. 22:8-9) Now it couldn’t get any clearer than that! But Cousin Sol tries hard to do so in Prov. 11:24-28. So please read it. That’s your homework for today, (smile) because I want us to go out with these magnificent verses from Bruh Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia, where He continues with the act of sowing and reaping. 

‘For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.’ ( Gal. 6:8) Yes my brethren, when we ‘conduct ourselves by the evil dictates and desires of our sinful nature, thus practicing the deeds of the flesh,’ of carnality, eventually we will be rewarded with eternal destruction. However, when we conduct ourselves with the enabling help of the Spirit, we’ll be rewarded with eternal life. ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). (Gal. 6:9) 

It’s only a matter of time friends before we reap our sure reward, so please let’s not stop doing good, let’s not faint and lose heart. ‘As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal. 6:10) Oh my people, let’s take those wise and wonderful words to heart today nuh, because it’s what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ desires of us, what He died to help us become; Christ-like saints, not evil sinners! So, let’s go to Him right now, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine help, so we can be the kind of people of whom He’s proud. 

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!’ 

The next move is now up to us; to keep our promises so that the Lord can keep His. Much LOVE!

…you reap what you sow…more than you sow…and later than you sow…  (Uncle Charles – Dr. Charles Stanley) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 May 2022 Psalm 130:5.

20 May 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 130:5.      I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

Oh friends, at last, at long last we can shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And this week of work is almost ended.’ So, with the end finally in sight, what are we going to do now eh? Party and party…and party? No! We need to get down on our knees, and let our faith rise up to heaven; give thanks for the days the Lord’s taken us through, the many struggles we’ve come through victoriously this past week, all because of His awesome grace and mercy. 

Yes friends, the proper start to the weekend is to say ‘Thank You Jesus! Without Your divine help I don’t know how I would have made it through this past week! And please keep on holding my hand as I run this earthly race! So I give You thanks, from the very bottom of my heart!’ Oh yes, before we do anything else, it’s of the utmost importance to give Him thanks and praise and ask for His continued blessing as we go through this hell right here on earth. 

We should be saying like the psalmist does in Psalm 130. ‘Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark (take note of) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced with awe). I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.’ (Ps. 130:1-5) 

Ah mih people, what words of wisdom! Words that should be our mantra, always filling our hearts with the joy and faithfulness that is only found in Almighty God! As we said yesterday, waiting on God is probably one of the hardest things to do, but is certainly the most important, and we can’t do so without hope and faith; knowing that He’s a faithful God, who keeps all of His promises, a situation that all of us have experienced at some time or other. 

And I like how the psalmist continues showing his confidence in the God of his forefathers. ‘My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say more than they that watch for the morning.’ (Ps. 130:6) Oh my brethren, yuh see the intensity with which he waits and watches for his God – even more than those whose job it is to watch for the morning. Glory be! Do we have that kind of intensity of watching and waiting for our great God? It doesn’t seem so, else so many of us wouldn’t be as miserable, despondent and hopeless as we are. 

Let’s remember Bruh David’s memorable words on the subject in Psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith) I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:13-14) And we all know that most of Bruh David’s warnings and encouragement didn’t come from hearsay, but from real life experiences. So, he knew exactly what he was talking about when he made those seemingly difficult recommendations. And if the Lord did it for Bruh David, He will also do it for us, if we stop and wait in faith on Him. 

But there’s something else that we must pay serious attention to if we desire to wait in faith on the Lord. And what’s that you ask? The psalmist said it in the second half of our Bit: ‘and in his word do I hope.’ Yes my fellow saints, without the Lord’s Word in our soul, burning like a raging fire in our bellies, it’s not possible to get that hope and the ability to wait. That means we need to read and meditate on the Lord’s Word as much as possible. It needs to be our Number One Priority! For it’s only through the Word constantly bubbling in our souls and spirits can we ever receive the joy of the Lord and the faith, strength and perseverance needed to wait patiently on His sure timing. 

And these marvellous words from Psalm 119, reminds us of the importance of the Word. The psalmist writes: ‘Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me (given me life). The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined (turned aside) from thy law. I remembered thy judgements of old, O Lord: and have comforted myself.’ (Ps. 119:49-52) 

Oh my, my, my faithful brethren! Yuh see the power inherent in the Lord’s Word! It gives us a rejuvenated faith, comfort and truth and helps us to wait on the Lord with a good and faithful attitude. And since we know the Word, and have faith, trust and hope in it, let’s do what we advised right at the beginning of today’s message nuh, that’s give thanks and ask for continued help. So as one strong and confident but humble voice, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Friday Chant. 

‘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 my people, it behooves us to go out and behave like the faithful believers we claim, or promised to be. Much LOVE!

…waiting isn’t easy…but with Jesus percolating in our souls…we can surely do it… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 May 2022 Matthew 25:13.

13 May 2022 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 25:13.     Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

So, it’s one of those Friday the 13th days, but we’re not worried about any evil stuff coming against us and can still shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! That’s because we have the Holy Spirit of Jesus, the most powerful operator in the universe living in our hearts and souls. And He’s faithfully promised that: ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) 

Wow! What a mighty promise from our mighty God! That means nothing the enemy throws at us can harm us, unless the most powerful force in the universe allows it for some reason or other. And that’s why Bruh Paul could write so confidently to the church at Rome: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

…Nay, in all these things we are more conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:35, 37-39) 

And why are we so sure of all of that eh? Because, as Rev. James Cleveland is singing in his song: ‘Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me, to us, and this sinful world!’ Glory Hallelujah! Give Him a bundle of thanks for all that He’s done, is presently doing, and has promised to do for us! Without Him and His selfless sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, we’d all be heading straight for the house of damnation and eventually the lake of fire, with no option for salvation and eternal life with Him in heaven. 

But He gave us that marvellous option, so I don’t understand why more of us, in fact all of us haven’t yet accepted Him as Lord and Saviour, because that’s the only way we’ll ever see heaven. For, as Jesus took such pains to point out to the disciple Thomas, and consequently to us: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) And that’s the indisputable truth friends. Jesus is the ONLY route to the Father, our God and Creator! 

So, if you’re thinking about spending time in heaven in the next life, then you had better get busy and turn to Christ right now, because He’s coming back to take those who believe home to heaven with Him. The problem though, is that we don’t know when He’s going to return. It could be anytime; today, tomorrow or next never, but the fact remains that whenever He returns, if you’re not sincerely rooting for Him, then you’ll be left behind to face the terrible period called the Great Tribulation. 

Now, I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t want to face that horrible period that’s been promised. Today might seem pretty bad, but it’s guaranteed that that period will be even worse than today. And remember that whatever our God promises, He delivers. So, I plead with us, let’s be wise and accept Jesus Christ right now nuh, before it’s too late. Remember Jesus warned the disciples re His coming again: ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.’ (Matt. 24:36) 

Even Jesus Himself didn’t know when He was going to come back and that’s why He warned us to be ready for His return at any time; to be always ready and on the lookout. And these words of His spell it out as plainly as possible. ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman (master) of the house had known in what watch (hour) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:42-44) 

And later on, at the end of the parable of the ten virgins, Jesus also made it quite clear: ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 25:13) Now, if perchance that doesn’t make any impact on you, then listen to Bruh Paul as he wrote to the Thessalonians. ‘But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.’ (1 Thess. 5:1-2) 

Yes people, the next great event in man’s history will happen unexpectedly, and Jesus was and is so concerned for our wellbeing, that He even warned John about it again in the Book of Revelation, when He decreed: ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.’ (Rev. 16:15) 

Oh my fellow saints, that’s an exhortation for us to remain loyal and faithful to Christ in some real rough times, to be watchful and ever alert for His Second Coming, to have on garments rather than be naked, that’s to be spiritually prepared and not found wanting. And through it all, we must never forget the necessity of prayer, because that’s the means established for communicating with our heavenly Father. So right now, when things are so turbulent and unpredictable in our world, when it looks like the beginning of the end times, let’s turn to prayer, to communicating with heaven, letting them up there know what’s happening with us and that we’re seeking their divine help to alleviate the situation. 

Altogether then, let’s offer up our Friday Chant to Almighty God. ‘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 if we are to expect positive answers, then we need to keep those promises we just made. Much LOVE!

…if you’re not ready when the trumpets call…then you’ll be left behind… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 March 2022 Romans 8:28.

25 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:28.      And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Another brand new day friends, a Friday to boot, when our names don’t show up in the obits! Praise the Lord for His goodness! And though the day may begin damp and cloudy, what really matters is that we have Jesus, the awesome Son of God dwelling in our hearts and souls through His Holy Spirit! Nothing can beat that my faithful brethren, because with Christ Jesus in our lives we can undergo and withstand anything that comes against us! 

Yes, sometimes, like in the last couple of years, life can get real rough, but if we truly believe, we know that Christ makes everything all right in His own time. We just have to keep this great and everlasting promise in the forefront of our lives, as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)  

Oh friends, that’s one of the greatest promises in the Good Book, but it’s definitely the hardest to hold on to! Because it often tries our faith, trust and surrender to God right to the very limit. In so many situations we have to conjure up thoughts of peace, LOVE and joy even when it seems impossible. But please remember that when talking about a camel going through the eyes of a needle, Jesus gave us this divine assurance. ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) 

And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers! The Lord God Jehovah who made the earth, heavens and all therein has the ability and power to do anything He desires! He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent! Meaning He is ALL powerful, sees everything and is present everywhere at the same time! Now that’s what you call a mighty God! And if it’s one thing I’m sure about is that our God is indeed mighty… and mighty in all aspects of life, because I’ve seen Him in action, both personally and in the lives of others! 

So there is really no need to fear although the storms of life come against us, for He will always bear us up with His righteous right hand. And I think in these perilous and uncertain times we need to hear some scripture that reassures us of God’s awesome care and concern for us, His most valuable creation. So listen up, pay careful attention, and let these scriptures seep into our hearts and souls and keep us faithful and strong. 

And we’ll begin with this marvellous verse of solid, everyday promise from Psalm 68 – God has gone before his people. Bruh David proclaims without any hesitation whatsoever: ‘Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.  Selah.’ (Ps. 68:19) Now, how reassuring is it to know that every day the great God of our salvation gives us benefits untold to help in our earthly journey! 

And if you don’t believe that, then hear the prophet Isaiah corroborate it. ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:10-11) Oh my brethren, if you are a faithful believer in Jesus that should be all you need to reassure your faith in the mighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! 

But if that isn’t enough, then listen to this other scripture from Isaiah. ‘Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne (upheld) by me from the belly (birth), which are carried from the womb: And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs (gray hairs) will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.’ (Is. 46:3-4) Yes my people, the Lord conceived us in the womb and will take us right through life from conception to birth, to death and then to eternal life! 

And just to reinforce those promises, (smile) let’s listen to the psalmist as he expounds on the subject from Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and fortress. He says: ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place);  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone. 

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (cobra): the young lion and the dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample underfoot. 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 show him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:9-16) 

Oh saints of Christ, what more can we ask or expect from our wonderful God eh? He’s promised us everything there, and we know he keeps His promises because He LOVES us unconditionally! So much so that He sent His only Son Jesus to die for the atonement of our sins! And if He could go to such awesome lengths to save us, why would He refuse us any lesser thing eh? No reason whatsoever! So, on this Friday morning filled with worldwide problems, let’s take the opportunity to do what He says in that scripture above there nuh, call on Him in time of trouble, so He can answer and deliver us. 

As one confident but humble voice, let’s declare our Friday Chant. ‘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!’  

But please note, my fellow saints, that God will only answer us positively if we behave like true faithful believers and our hearts are led by the right motives. Much LOVE!

…when we are faithful…God is faithful… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 March 2022 Isaiah 42:8.

04 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 42:8.     I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

So now it’s Friday…and our spirits are lifted because work will soon be done and the weekend will be open for fun and frolic. But please remember that we are now in the Lenten Season, which means we have cut down some on the fun and frolic, getting a li’l more serious about our life with Christ. Concentrating on opening up our true selves to Him, and getting to know Him better, through prayer, meditation, fasting and sincere brotherly LOVE. 

In this time, we ought to be seriously concerned about the sin in our lives and truly seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness with a sense of purpose, so that we can be liberated by His awesome power and our worldly needs met through His divine intervention. Ah friends, if there’s ever a time when we need to seek God it’s in this season of Lent and the numerous problems facing us worldwide. 

It recalls the words of the prophet Hosea when he entreated Israel to return to the Lord with these prophetic statements. ‘O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thy iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him. Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves (sacrifices) of our lips. Ashur (Assyria) shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say anymore to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.’ (Hos.14:1-3) 

Oh my people, if we ever hope to improve our worldly condition, we ought to pay serious attention to the words of the prophet, because there’s no doubt that we have replicated Israel’s situation from way back then. We have turned away from God, foolishly worshipping the idols of our own hands and minds. Yes, our iniquity has completely overtaken us, like it had done to Israel, no wonder the sad and sorry state of confusion, strife and disaster we are now experiencing. 

And the scholars offer this explanation of those verses above. ‘14: 1-3. Calves of our lips: The word calves (Heb. par, “a young bull or produce”) is best understood metaphorically, referring to the words that the lips produce – in this context praise to the Lord. The nation (of Israel) had used its lips to praise the idolatrous calves, now it will use its lips in praise to the Lord God.’ 

And that’s exactly what we have been doing for the last generation – praising idols, but it’s time now to turn back to the God of our forefathers, who is the Only One who can protect us and keep us save from the wiles and deceits of the enemy. He is the Only One who can provide grace and mercy to us, who are so badly in need of a gracious and merciful Father. Other created men and animals, or our dead self-created idols cannot save or help us; only the One who created us in the first place, can now provide sanctuary and solve our many serious problems. 

And this other verse from Hosea re Israel’s rebellion also applies to our recent folly. ‘Woe unto them (Israel)! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.’ (Hos. 7:13) 

Yes friends, although our good and ever-faithful God has redeemed us through the sacrificial blood of His Son Jesus, we have still turned away from Him and been blaspheming and lying on Him with such a fierceness that many others have also turned away from Him, and now it’s our concerted effort to remove Him completely from our society. 

But as I keep saying, that’s a fool’s wisdom, for it will never happen, because the Lord will never give up His power and glory to any other. He’s said that quite clearly through the prophet Isaiah. ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8) 

That to me is quite plain and straightforward, but so many of us seem to believe otherwise, else we would not be trying to replace the Creator with dead graven images. However, this verse from the Book of Hebrews points us in the direction in which we ought to go if we truly need salvation. It says: ‘By him (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks (confessing to) his name.’ (Heb. 13:15)

Yes my brethren, it’s certainly time to turn back to our Creator and offer our prayers and praise to Him instead of the evil enemy who’s only bent on keeping us in his evil clutches, away from the grace and mercy of our heavenly Father. And the first step in that direction is always sincere prayer. So let’s go there right now nuh, through our Friday Chant and place our desires with confidence before the heavenly throne, knowing that sincere prayer will never be turned away by our Creator. 

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, please remember that we have to keep our promises, if we expect the Lord to keep His. Much LOVE!

…how can dead man-made idols…save living creations of Almighty God…it’s totally impossible… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 February 2022 Ephesians 6:11.

18 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:11.      Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.

Oh my people, it’s as white as snow out there and the brilliant sunshine is just blinding as it reflects off the white surface! (smile) And it’s white as snow because it is snow! Chuh! Last night the rain and freezing rain changed to snow and a few inches of the beautiful stuff was deposited in our area. And you can imagine the problems it created with this morning’s drive to work. Hopefully, we all took care and there were not many accidents, especially with the undercoating of ice that was on the roads before the snow came. 

And we are certainly blessed to have Jesus in our corner to help with all the stuff we experience in this evil world. His promises of negligible fear and strong faith are ever assuring and confidence building. Listen to these two magnificent promises nuh. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) 

Yes friends, the kind of peace Jesus imbues in His followers is a special kind that overcomes fear and the concerns of this world. And He goes even further to reassure us with these marvellous words. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) 

Now that’s how powerful and reassuring is our Lord Jesus! Through His death and resurrection, He’s overcome the evil and darkness of this world, so there is no need for us to fear anything or anyone that comes against us. In fact, it’s been promised that ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) 

And let’s not forget that ‘in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us…and that nothing can separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:37, 39) However friends, it’s essential that we remember all of God’s promises concerning our peace and safety and take them to heart, because it’s only through holding His word securely that we can successfully fight the battles that we will all encounter in this earthly life. 

And in these perilous times, which certainly seem to be the last ones, it’s ever so important to keep our trust and faith strong and not the let the evil and deceitful enemy beat us down through fear and misfortune. Remember that Christ has promised to hold our hands as we go through whatever comes against us. And though He doesn’t make the problems go away, be assured that He walks beside us through them all and brings us out stronger on the other side. 

So, we need to have that trust to walk and not be weary, to walk and not faint. And that’s not always easy to do when the evil wiles of Satan come against us, but as Bruh Paul reminds 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) That means we all have what it takes to overcome the enemy, but we need to bring the tools, the weapons He’s given us to the fight. In other words, it’s necessary to ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph, 6:11) 

And you ask, what’s this armour Paul’s talking about? Well it’s not physical but spiritual armour. ‘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 wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) So it’s spiritual, not physical battle we’re waging, which means we need spiritual armour if we are to be successful in that fight. 

And Bruh Paul describes that spiritual armour thus: ‘Having your loins girt about with truth,’ (that’s girded your waist with the truth found in God’s word), and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts (arrows) of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:14-18) 

So just like a soldier in physical battle puts on armour to protect himself, likewise we believers doing spiritual battle need to have protection as listed above, and then to cover it all with sincere prayer and supplication for all our fellow soldiers in Christ, because prayer is still the number one weapon in our armoury. And since that’s so, let’s offer up prayer right now nuh, through our Friday Chant, taking our problems to Almighty God for His divine assistance. 

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 let’s go and sincerely action those promises we’ve just made so that the Lord can positively answer our prayer. Much LOVE!

…it’s time for all Christian soldiers…to put on their spiritual armour…to stand up strong…and fight the good fight for Christ…                                                                                                                                                                                                         

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

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