a new commandment I give unto you | SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 June 2023 Romans 12:21.

20 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, abhor that which is evil, African enslavement, as I have loved you, be not overcome of evil, bless and curse not, by this shall men know that ye are my disciples, Christian living in a nutshell, cling to that which is good, fight the good fight, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in God's eyes, international hatred, Jewish Holocaust, let love be without dissimulation, little godliness, living for Jesus is a lifelong activity, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make heads or tails of our predicament, makes countless thousands mourn, Man was made to Mourn, man's inhumanity to man, overcome evil with good, recompense to no man evil for evil, share the amazing Love of Christ, so few have so much, so many have so little, that ye love one another, the imbalance of God's provision, trials and tribulations, Tuesday Mantra, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, wars and rumours of wars, we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us, worry

Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Prologue: I want to apologize right up front for the lateness of the Bit. I got up late, and not feeling up to scratch either. It took me a while to catch myself. And yes, the Bit’s long, but I think it’s good. (smile) So please read, inwardly digest and action it. Much LOVE!

So Monday has fled into the night, and Tuesday has come to take its place… a warm and somewhat sunny but windy day. But life still rolls along like it did on Monday, still full of wars and rumours of wars, untold disasters both natural and man-made, along with many evil doings and comparatively little godliness. Man continues to be unkind to his fellow man, heralding the saying ‘man’s inhumanity to man, makes countless thousands mourn,’ first made popular by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in his poem, the dirge, ‘Man was made to Mourn’ published in 1784.

The relevant stanza says: “Many and sharp the num’rous ills Inwoven with our frame! More pointed still we make ourselves Regret, remorse, and shame! And man, whose heav’n-erected face The smiles of LOVE adorn, Man‘s inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn!”

And, unfortunately, that statement still stands as a testimony to our cruelty and callousness to each other down through the years. Two of the main examples of that atrocious and barbaric behaviour in the last couple of centuries are the Jewish Holocaust in Germany and other parts of Europe and the brutal and ruthless enslavement of African people in the supposed New World of the Americas. And although those two atrocities have now ended in physical form, they are still being enforced through mental and emotional means.

The level of international hatred, rebelliousness and evil doing, poverty, sickness and economic malaise are so ramped up, that the saying should now be replaced by ‘man’s inhumanity to man makes countless millions mourn.’ And if we continue like we’re going, it will soon need to be changed to countless billions, because instead of a growing LOVE and compassion for each other, we seem to be drifting even further apart, with hate, evil doings and resentment growing stronger every day.

And all of that in a world filled with plenty, more than enough to satisfy us all, but because so few have so much, and intend to retain it by any means necessary, while so many have so little, and are intentionally kept from acquiring more, the imbalance of God’s provision and wealth continues to get worse each and every day. I pray that Almighty God will help us before it’s too late, because He is the ONLY ONE who can make heads or tails of our current predicament.

Whatever happened to Jesus’ declaration (steups!!!) ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another.’ (John 13:34) That’s a very good question, because in these very turbulent and unsettled times, even supposed believers in Christ Jesus are showing immense hatred and resentment for each other, often because of the branch of Christianity or religion they follow. So, if the supposed root of LOVE, Christianity itself is withering, instead of growing and manifesting itself strong in the land, then what hope is there for us eh?

And it’s not like Jesus said it once that we should LOVE each other, but several times, and even more importantly, that the act of LOVING each other would be the distinctive modus operandi that showed who we truly are. Listen to Him elucidate this. ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:35) LOVE is supposed to be the guiding principle of our world, but sadly, right now hate and evil have a strong hold on our reins.

And unless we supposed believers are willing to get up and fight the good fight, like we ought to, the hands of evil will get even stronger and more despicable, for there’s no level at which evil will not stoop to get its own way. We must realize that Jesus is placing, in fact, has placed all His bets on us to overcome the evil of Satan with His LOVE. Now, we can’t go letting him down after all the ‘sufferation’ He endured on our behalf. And LOVE is more powerful than evil, we just have to put it into action.

That’s the problem; we don’t radiate LOVE to each other, so how then can it spread to unbelievers eh? Bruh Paul said it quite practically in his letter to the church at Rome. ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned (affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE; in honour preferring (giving preference to) one another….Bless them which persecute you: bless and curse not…

Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest (have regard for good things) in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire (shame) on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:9-10; 14; 17-21)

Ah mih people, that’s practical Christian living in a nutshell! And sadly, too many of us believers are not living thus. And no, it’s not easy to turn your head and not repay evil for evil, especially in these evil and advantageous times. But it’s how Jesus wants us to live, and it’s the only way that unbelievers will ever want to come to Christ. We cannot live the old eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth vengeful lifestyle. God says that He will repay the wrongdoing done to us. And if we believe Him, then we have to stop trying to forward vengeance for ourselves, as seems to be the current standard of our world.

Remember Jesus never said following Him was easy, in fact He said that it would be tough, we’d see trials and tribulations, and we must be prepared to take up our cross daily and follow Him, as well as sacrifice on His behalf whenever necessary. (Luke 9:23-24) If we can’t do that, then we cannot be His disciple. But the wonderful thing about it all is that if we sincerely try, Jesus will help us to overcome any of our human frailties and weaknesses. Remember Bruh Paul says that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil 4:13)

And that’s one of the basic differences between a sincere believer and an unbeliever. We can do whatever Jesus wants or expects us to do, because He will give us the strength, the anointing, the grace, or whatever it takes to do His will. And that’s what too many of us supposed believers are not taking advantage of, so that we can live for Christ. We all want the easy, the safe way of life, without any difficulties, but life itself means difficulties; trials and tribulations, and it’s ONLY with the help of Jesus can we successfully overcome them.

And that’s why we have His Holy Spirit dwelling in us; to lead and guide and strengthen us. But unfortunately, many of us ignore the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. How then do we expect to live the abundant Christian life eh? It’s simple, without the power of the Holy Spirit, we can’t. And I do hope that these few words of mine (smile) will help wake us up to the reality of the situation and get us going, so that we can fight the good fight for Christ! Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel.

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

And having made that declaration (awright!!!) we now have to go out into the evil world and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus, so that others will come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!

…living for Jesus is a lifelong activity…that takes courage and belief…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 May 2023 James 2:8.

02 May 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, as I have loved you that ye also love one another, as touching brotherly love, bear any grudge against the children of thy people, being born again, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, convinced of the law as transgressors, God first loved us, have respect to persons, heirs of the kingdom, hurry, if ye fulfil the royal law, in God's eyes, it's easier for man to hate than to love, Jesus' Millennial kingdom, love one another with a pure heart fervently, man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, obeying the truth trough the Spirit, purified your souls, share His love with the world, taught of god to love one another, the beloved of God, there is nothing new under the sun, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, thou shalt not avenge, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unfeigned love of the brethren, worry, ye do well, ye love one another

James 2:8. If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.

And isn’t it strange that on this Tuesday morning the second of May 2023, after celebrating Labour’s victories over the establishment down through the ages, that we’re still embroiled in one of the biggest labour battles and strikes, in Canada, that between the Federal Government and it’s hundred thousand plus public employees, a strike now moving into its second week. It’s affecting all the stuff that the Federal Government is responsible for, like visas and passports, food inspection, and even income tax.

And by the way, yesterday was the last day for submitting your 2022 income tax filing without being hit with the onerous interest that the Revenue department charges on late filings. Hn! What a joke! Filing tax returns without anybody to deal with them! But the high possibility of earning interest from the government’s poorer base must not be negated. NO! And believe me, it is the poorest classes that do pay the majority of the Income Tax, since the government employees are either afraid to touch the rich and powerful, or that class has a phalanx of lawyers at the ready to dispute any tax arguments, and thus avoid paying their fair share.

And, in a way, I’m glad that the Tax department people are feeling the heat now, because they are the worst people to deal with, for they don’t give an inch, are always eager to get their pound of flesh from the ones least able to pay it. They are worse than the bad-mouthed moneylenders. I can tell from hard experience that as soon as you can’t pay their exorbitant demands, they are quick to threaten to garnishee your wages and sell your house for the few dollars you supposedly owe them.

But what else is new eh? Nothing! For as Cousin Sol says so wisely in Ecclesiastes: ‘The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.’ (Eccl. 1:9) Yes friends, the more powerful has always taken from the less powerful, and that’s the way it will be until Jesus returns and sets up His Millennial kingdom. No wonder this saying unfortunately exists and is gospel truth. ‘Man’s inhumanity to man, makes countless thousands mourn.’

None of God’s other creations behave in such a warlike and greedy manner towards each other as human beings do. And would you believe that we are supposedly God’s greatest creation! But I beg to differ, for in reality, we’ve become lower than the supposedly lowest with the inhumane and ungodly manner in which we react to each other. Why do you think the Father sent Jesus to die on the cross for us eh? So that our heinous sins could be forgiven and we could have a new start.

And Jesus pleaded with all His heart to us, when He said: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) But have we taken Him seriously and tried to do His will. No way! Even supposed believers are amongst the most inhumane and ungodly in these evil and ungodly times!

Now, to tell the truth, Jesus’ command there was not really new nuh, because as far back as Leviticus, Moses warned the wandering Israelite’s of God’s desire: ‘Thou shalt not avenge (take vengeance), nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.’ (Lev. 18:19) But we’d been doing the opposite thing for so long that Jesus realized that they had to be a new way for us to show others that we belong to Him, thus His commandment to LOVE each other, following His example of unconditional LOVE for us.

And all through the Bible, the Good Library, that theme of LOVE for each other has been repeated time after time, because it’s the greatest attribute of our Triune God, and thus ought to be one that we show in spades. Please listen to a few of the verses we’re talking about nuh. Bruh Paul wrote this to the church at Ephesus. ‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in LOVE, as Christ also hath LOVED us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour (aroma).’ (Eph. 5:1-2)

Oh my people, Jesus gave His sinless life as a LOVING sacrifice for us. How can we do anything less than follow the example that He set us eh? Meanwhile to the Thessalonians, Bruh Paul wrote: ‘For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth (rejects), despiseth (rejects) not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. But as touching (concerning) brotherly LOVE ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to LOVE one another.’ (1 Thess. 4:7-9)

What else can I say eh friends? It’s God who teaches us to LOVE each other, and if we don’t listen to Him, whom then are we going to listen to? And James, Jesus’ brother, adds his two cents worth, when he writes to the believers. ‘Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich (to be rich) in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that LOVE him?

But ye have despised (dishonoured) the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgement seats (into the courts)? Do they not blaspheme that worthy (noble) name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. But if ye have respect (show partiality) to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced (convicted) of the law as transgressors.’ (James 2:5-9)

Yes my brethren, the royal law is to LOVE another as thyself, and we’re doing well, only if we are fulfilling it. And Peter rightly and wisely exhorts us: ‘Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned (sincere) LOVE of the brethren, see that ye LOVE one another with a pure heart fervently. Being born again not of corruptible (perishable) seed, but of incorruptible (imperishable), by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.’ (1 Pet. 1:22-23)

And last but not least, John tells us in his first epistle: ‘He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that LOVETH his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of (no cause for) stumbling in him.’ (1 John 2:9-10) Ah mih people, what’s so difficult to understand in all those scriptures eh? The main purpose for us being on this earth is LOVE! God first LOVED us, and He expects and deeply desires that we would LOVE Him back, as well as to LOVE ourselves and our neighbours. That’s the ONLY way that our world will flourish the way He intended it to.

And, for whatever it’s worth, the outcome is all in our hands now my brethren! So, for those who are doing our best to follow that royal law, lets’ go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

Now let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…why is it so much easier for humans…to hate each other…than to LOVE each other…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 April 2023 John 13:35.

08 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a day of mourning and reflection, a new commandment I give unto you, a time of hope, a time to remember the suffering of others, actions are expensive, an Easter promise, as I have loved you ye also love one another, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, cracks in our Christian façade, death has been defeated, different denominations, disagreement and disunity, disdain, Easter Vigil, glorify your Father which is in heaven, Holy Saturday, I am the resurrection and the life, if ye have love one to another, Jesus lies buried in a borrowed tomb, Let your light so shine before men, new life is possible through faith in Christ, resnetment, the descent of Jesus into hell, the promise of eternal life, the resurrection of Christ, the salt have lost his savour, they may see your good works, trampled under foot of men, whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, words are cheap, work towards a more unified church, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth, ye love one another

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

And then we come to Saturday, our lazy, relaxing day. But today is Holy Saturday, the day after Good Friday when our Lord and Saviour was crucified, so there’s a pall of sadness and silence hanging over the land after the tumultuous affairs of the previous day. The disciples are scattered and in hiding, having fled Jesus’ side, through fear of what might happen to them if caught by the authorities. The women less fearful than the men, have bought spices to go and anoint Jesus’ body on the next day, Sunday.

No one knows what will happen next, but all are resting and respecting the Sabbath, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Meanwhile Jesus lies buried in a borrowed tomb. The authorities however are rejoicing as they believe they’ve rid themselves of the instigator once and for all. Yet there is an air of expectancy in a few hearts that can’t believe that the whole movement surrounding Jesus would simply disband and die because of His unforeseen and unexpected death. All though were waiting with bated breath to see what would happen after the Sabbath ended.

That was then…in Jesus’ day, but now, in our time, we know and behave differently. For modern day Christians, Holy Saturday is a significant day in the Christian faith, commemorating the time when Jesus lay buried in the tomb. It is a day of mourning and reflection, as we contemplate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross; His death and burial. It is a time for introspection and self-examination, as well as a time to remember the suffering of others. In some traditions, Holy Saturday is also associated with the descent of Jesus Christ into hell.

And after sunset we have what we call the Easter Vigil, as we prepare for Jesus’ resurrection. Yes, along with the sadness on Jesus’ horrific demise, there is also a confident air of waiting for something good to happen… for the triumphant resurrection of Christ! It is also a time of hope, as Christians remember that death has been defeated and that new life is possible through faith in Jesus Christ.

On His resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the promise of eternal life that He spoke to Martha, the sister of Lazarus before He raised him from the dead. ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet he shall live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this?’ (John 11:25:-27)

Now that’s a very good question, and one I believe that each of us should take a moment to seriously consider on this Holy Saturday, the day before we celebrate Christ’s resurrection. And hopefully, we will all come up with an answer like Martha’s. ‘She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.’ (John 11:27) And if we made an answer that agreed with Martha’s, then let’s hope we’re not only paying lip service, like so many are doing, but are truly engaged in living for Christ, reading and meditating on His Word, then living a life that is in concert with it and pleasing to Him.

Oh my people, in this overly talkative society of ours, words are cheap, but actions and true intentions are expensive and thus few and far between. And with the evil, the selfishness and ungodliness that currently permeates it, we believers in Christ need to be very strong and steadfast in living for Him. It’s imperative that we maintain His desires, for instance when He says: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith should it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp) and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand): and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:13-16) Right there we have two important duties my people; to be flavourful and bright as we go about our earthly life, and we need to do them diligently because we are the only replica or likeness to Christ that many people will ever see.

And that’s not all that Jesus desires of us, my faithful brethren. Listen to this requirement, as He tells the disciples and all His followers down through the ages. ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) Yuh see that friends, one of the easiest ways to know Jesus’ disciples is if they have LOVE for each other.

Unfortunately though, I don’t believe that attribute is as widespread in the church as it ought to be. In the first place, we have so many different denominations, cliques and groups, all pertaining to be disciples of Christ, but are constantly in disagreement and disunity with each other, and over many selfish and petty things too. Now, if Christ’s supposed people can’t agree, and we show each other so much resentment and disdain, how in heaven’s name do we expect the unbeliever to believe in Christ and want to become a member of His church? It just won’t happen.

And that’s what’s killing a lot of our testimony and witness; people are seeing the many cracks and holes in our Christian façade and are turning away from Christ instead of coming to Him. So, on this Holy Saturday, as we contemplate Christ’s death and resurrection, let’s also consider seriously mending the fences in His church nuh, because we’ll always be less than we ought to, until we do so. It should be our Easter promise to work on having a more unified body, one that the heathen can look at and truly see the salt, light and LOVE of Christ in it, and desire to become a part of it. Then, and only then, will we be fulfilling our Christian duties! Much LOVE!

…Christ walked His talk when He died for us…we ought to do the same…by sincerely living for Him…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 February 2023 Psalm 133:1.

06 Feb 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, all baptized by one Spirit in one body, as I have loved you ye also love one another, aw shucks, by this shall men know that ye are my disciples, celebrate Monday, Christ is love, consider Jesus in all our endeavours, embrace the new week's potentiality, for brethren to dwell together in unity, forgive us, go to God in prayer, good intentions are just that, heal our land, hear our prayer, hook actions to good intentions, how good and pleasant it is, humble ourselves, Jehovah Rapha, let brotherly continue, let there be no strife between me and thee, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situations, sincerely seek your face, take the bull by the horns, the body is not one member but many, the God who heals, the unity of Jesus' is essential, we be brethren, wise guidance and direction

Psalm 133:1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

Aw shucks friends, it’s Monday again! But you know what: ‘Today I will celebrate Monday. I will embrace the potentiality of the new week!’ Glory to God! By Jove, that’s how we ought to do it! And that bit of wisdom comes from a cutting of the comic strip ‘Between Friends’ that I recently found in my old Bible. No doubt I’ve shared it before, but it’s never too old for a rerun. But here’s the clincher, the last panel spoils it all by grumpily saying: ‘tinged by the aftershocks of the old week.’

And sadly that’s how many of us behave; desiring to be strong in the new week, but allowing the negatives of the past week to intrude on our good intentions. But please, let’s remember that good intentions are just that, they don’t pay the bills or cook the food. It’s only when we hook actions to those good intentions that things truly begin happening. Therefore, I’m asking us this week to secure positive actions to our good intentions, so that we can make it a great week for our Lord and Saviour Jesus, because that’s to whom all our efforts ought to be directed.

And here’s why we must consider Jesus in all our endeavours and actions. Just before telling Peter about His upcoming denial, where Peter would deny Him thrice, before the cock crowed twice, Jesus informs His twelve main followers: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another; By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35)

Yes friends, showing LOVE; that’s compassion, kindness, mercy and forgiveness to each other is a mighty good way for people to know that we are sincere followers of Christ Jesus. Too often though, the way we treat fellow believers doesn’t show that distinction at all. I don’t know what it will take for us to truly believe that regardless of our race, class, colour or creed, that once we hold up Jesus as Lord and Saviour, then we’re all in the same boat and we should not allow petty differences to cause us to give Christ a bad name, like the uncalled for strife and unwise disunity amongst us are currently doing.

When you are in the same boat on a rough and tumultuous sea, any unwise behaviour will mean the ruin of all. And yuh better believe that our world right now is indeed a rough and tumultuous sea; a raging storm like we’ve probably never seen before. Consequently, if we want to ride out this raging storm and come out as the chief survivors, then unity of Jesus’ people is absolutely essential. Because we all know the enemy’s favourite tactic is to divide and conquer.

But we have to conquer that divisive action with a strong and steadfast togetherness in Christ, despite our differences. It’s as Bruh David acknowledges in Psalm 133: ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.’ (Ps. 133:1) And that’s the glorious truth my people! It’s one of the greatest blessings we can ever have! There’s nothing as wonderful and precious in this world as unity; people dwelling together in good faith and being kind and forgiving to each other!

Here’s how Bruh David describes it nuh. ‘It is like the precious ointment (oil) upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts (edge) of his garments; As the dew of Hermon (Mt. Zion), and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing; even life for ever more.’ (Ps. 133:2-3) That’ how it is when people dwell in unity; God blesses them! Remember Abraham’s wise plea to his nephew Lot when disunity disrupted their lives. ‘And Abraham said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.’ (Gen. 13:8)

Yes my fellow believers it couldn’t be said any simpler or clearer! And let’s not forget what Bruh Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians, re the body or church of Christ. ‘For as the body is one, and hath many members (parts) and all the members of that one body, being many are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond (slave) or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.’ (1 Cor. 12:12-14)

And that’s the indisputable truth! We are indeed all a part of one body, that’s Christ church, but like our human body, the church has many members, and also like the human body, if it doesn’t work together in harmony, the whole body falls into disrepute and disrepair. That’s it in a nutshell. All aspects and parts of the church of Christ must work together in unity if it wants to stay alive and of good enough account to make a significant difference in our divided and upended world.

Now, let’s take the bull by the horns and go to God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn asking for His help to come together in unity and uplift Christ’s church. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.

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

It’s obvious now that our next move is to pray and turn from our evil ways, if we want to see positive help from heaven. Much LOVE!

… let brotherly LOVE continue…for Christ is LOVE…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 January 2023 Hebrews 10:23.

05 Jan 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a compassionate heart, a lot of blarney, a new commandment I give unto you, abundance, as I have loved you that ye also love one another, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, consider one another, courage, creativity, curse, deceptive and misleading talk, faith, favour, good health, He is faithful that promised, hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, Jesus our intercessor, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, LOVE, negative word, our hearts are lightened, our souls gush with joy, rain rain go away come back some other day, sitting at the father's right hand, the awesome reaction of Jesus' presence in us, the Prince of Peace, the way the truth and the life, Thursday Blessings, to provoke unto love and to good works, we have a great high priest, with Jesus we have peace, ye love one another

Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Well, although my computer tells me it’s going to be above freezing again, and partly sunny, I have my doubts, because the day’s opened wet and cloudy and ugly. It’s been constant rain for the last couple of days. Makes you want to sing that old ditty; ‘Rain, rain, go away, and come back some other day.’ But you know what, although the last few days have been dark and ugly, once we have Jesus dwelling in us, everything seems beautiful! That’s the awesome reaction His presence gives us. We can just go about singing and dancing and giving thanks and praise despite our prevailing circumstances.

Awright, so that might be laying it on a bit too thick, (smile) we do have concerns, and every day is not a walk in the park, but when we hold on tightly to Jesus, we do have peace, our hearts are lightened and our souls gush with joy, simply because He’s with us. The One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, The Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Mighty Warrior, Wonderful Counsellor, The Prince of Peace, who’s kingdom shall never end. The One who’s name is above every other, that all knees must bow to and acknowledge God’s glory in and through Him!

Wow! Can One body really be all those wonderful things? Oh Yes! Our Jesus can…and He is, because He is the Son of God, our Lord and Saviour: the One who sacrificed His sinless life for us on the cross of Calvary, so that our sins could be forgiven, and we be reconciled to God the Father. The One who’s blood flowed from His side, His hands, His feet and washed our sins clean, washed them white as snow. How could He not be our ALL in ALL eh? Especially now that He’s also our High Priest and heavenly Intercessor, sitting at the right hand of the Father pleading our cases, being able to empathize with our earthly problems because He too experienced them while here on earth.

That’s possibly one of the greatest reasons why we can place our trust in Jesus; He understands from personal experience! As the author of Hebrews puts it so elegantly: ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)

Oh my fellow believers, that says it all! Or, you might say it puts the icing on the cake! (smile) For there’s no better place to seek help than in one who’s already experienced our kind of problems. When we are sick, we go a doctor; to build a house, to a carpenter; to fix our teeth, to a dentist, to help us with prayer, to a pastor, because they are more informed and experienced in those fields. We won’t go to a pastor to help us build our house, or a carpenter to help us when we’re sick.

However, the beauty of Jesus is that He’s experienced in EVERYTHING! That’s why He should always be the FIRST ONE we go to when we encounter problems, and not the last, like so many of us supposed believers do. He might send us to other mortals for help, but His ear, through sincere prayer, should be the first one to hear of our predicament, or our praise and thanksgiving. And yuh know what amuses, surprises but mostly saddens me, is that we talk so much about Jesus and all the marvellous things He is, has done and can do, but we don’t truly believe them, otherwise we’d revere and worship Him so much more, place every trust in Him, surrender our lives to Him without a doubt in our souls.

It’s all a lot of blarney, deceptive and misleading talk, because we don’t live out our faith, we don’t hold fast to our profession (confession) of faith like the author of Hebrews advised in that passage above. But that holding fast to our faith is the most important thing we possess, for without our faith we are lost, lost in the darkness and doubt of this evil and ungodly world

And the author of Hebrews revisits the problem in greater detail later on in his writings, where he admonishes: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25)

And believe me my brethren, that day is fast approaching, the signs are there, and can, or rather, will come upon us like a thief in the night, unexpectedly, so we had better be ready. And that can only happen if we get serious about our faith in Christ Jesus and do the things we know we ought to do; like prayer, praise, thanksgiving, assembling with each other in holy fellowship, encouraging each other, and above all, LOVING each other like Jesus LOVED us.

And that’s not merely my admonishment, but His. His own words were: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) The question now my fellow saints is whether or not the world, the unbeliever recognizes us as disciples of Christ? And the general consensus is NO! Because we do not LOVE each other as Jesus LOVED us!

Can we call what’s happening in Christ’s church LOVE? All the petty bickering, backbiting, resentment, cliques, false teaching, divisions and scandalous behaviour that’s corrupted it, is not LOVE by any stretch of the imagination. His satanic majesty is overjoyed when he looks at the church and sees it so weak and ineffective. He knows then that he has divided and conquered it. But not forever, if we faithful are willing to get serious, to rise up, put on God’s armour and fight tooth and nail to save it.

And please don’t say we can’t, for remember with Jesus in and with us, everything is possible; we just have to believe and live out that belief. And our God is so wonderful and generous that He’s bestowed many powerful blessings on us, blessings we don’t deserve but are needed to fight the good fight. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s activate them now by sincerely declaring (yesss!!!) them.

Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’

Now, having activated those blessings, let’s go out and use them nuh, put them to work, as the Lord desires, as we fight the good fight in Jesus’ name! Much LOVE!

…2023 must be the year Christ’s church…like the phoenix…triumphantly rises from its ashes…and once again…makes a worthwhile difference…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 December 2022 John 13:34.

07 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, a warm-blooded animal, bright lights, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, fiftieth anniversary in Canada, glad to be alive, halfway home, hands on the plough, if ye love me keep my commandments, impatience, in all these things we are more than conquerors, iniquity workers, lack of love, love one another as I have loved you, not looking back, plenty love, plenty saltiness, resntment, roll over and play dead, the best big country in the wrld, the breath of life, the new norm, to a glorious future with Jesus, ungodly quagmire, Wednesday Wail

John 13:34. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another.

So, Wednesday has turned out to be damp and cloudy, but I’ll take that any time over the cold and snow. And today marks my fiftieth anniversary of being in this blessed country called Canada. Yes, it’s been fifty long years of snow and cold, but by nature I’m still a warm-blooded animal! (smile) Can’t get the tropics out of me, because I was born and bred there. But that doesn’t mean we can’t handle the icy climate, just that we don’t like it. For remember we can handle anything at all with the help of Jesus who strengthens us.

And who do you think enabled me to handle the last fifty winters eh? Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And I can’t believe how quickly those fifty years have gone by. It seems like it was just yesterday I landed at Toronto airport, not yet renamed Pearson, on a cold, dark evening, coming directly from hot, tropical sunshine, with very little money in my pockets…and I still have very little. (smile)

I remember the next day, getting up around eight a.m. and still seeing it dark outside, then walking to the subway in freezing rain in a thin, borrowed spring coat and dry-weather shoes, going downtown to Simpson Sears, the big, cheap store at the time, to buy winter clothing. And my first memory on entering the subway was wondering how all the white people in the cars looked so frigid and cold and wrinkled. I definitely wasn’t accustomed to seeing so many supposedly normal people looking unhappy and prune-like.

I believe I asked my mother what was wrong with them, and she most likely just smiled at me in my ignorance. Then to make matters worse, my mother, bless her departed soul, made a mistake and took us off the streetcar at the wrong stop, which meant we had to walk a whole long block back to where we should have gotten off. It surely was an eventful welcome to what has become my home for the last half-century.

And there were obviously times I wanted to go back to the sunshine and saltwater, but it’s difficult to pull up stakes once one is settled with family and other responsibilities. I must admit too, that though it wasn’t easy, it surely was interesting and adventurous, and I learned to do a lot of stuff for myself, that might not have been the case if I had remained in T&T.

Now, I believe without a doubt, that Canada is the best big country in the world! Oh, like everybody else, we do have our problems, but we tend to be a li’l more understanding than most. Although that seems to be changing with the new generation, as all over the world impatience, resentment and lack of LOVE is becoming the norm. But that’s why we of the old generation ought to be ramping up our efforts in Jesus’ name to stop that negative turn from becoming more prevalent than it already is.

Remember what Jesus said: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) And what’s His commandment? He said it loud and clear: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another.’ (John 13:34) How could it get any clearer than that eh my people? No way! But knowing how fickle and faithless we could be Jesus repeated the commandment later on. ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you.’ (John 15:12) And why did He harp on us LOVING each other? As He says: ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:35)

Yes my friends, the world will only recognize us as followers of Jesus if we not only have, but more importantly, show LOVE to each other! It’s the litmus test for Christians! But unfortunately, for whatever reason(s), many of us are failing it every day, and that’s why our world is in such an ungodly uproar. There isn’t enough LOVE in our world to quiet the raving hearts of men. And ONLY LOVE will ever conquer hate. So, if we want to get rid of the hate that’s sadly consuming us, we need to replace it with the LOVE of Jesus as quickly as possible, otherwise our world will just continue sinking into the evil and ungodly quagmire that’s the devil’s greatest desire.

And we simply cannot allow that to happen my faithful brethren. It would be a huge injustice to Christ after He’s given His all, sacrificed His very life for us to be set free from the chains of sin and ungodliness. That means we, the faithful believers, have to make a big, bold move in Jesus’ name, if we want to right the wrongs that are being currently done in our world. And it won’t be easy, but if we are sincere and true disciples of Christ, with His help, we can certainly turn things around.

But it’s going to take a great effort from all of us believers, for the devil is not going to roll over and play dead when we attack his strongholds. No! He’s going to have his iniquity workers ramp up their evil and ungodly efforts and try to keep us at bay. But they won’t be successful if we are determined. Remember what Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome. ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37)

Oh my fellow saints, anytime we step out to do Christ’s bidding with a true and sincere heart, nothing or no one can stop us from achieving victory! But the problem is we need to develop the hope and faith to do it! And for those of us who are sincerely working towards that goal, let’s go home now declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.

As one strong voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’

And my fellow believers, if we endure to the end with Jesus, then I can guarantee that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So please, let’s use that as an incentive to keep working for Jesus nuh, shining like bright lights, and being as salty as ever, showing the world our LOVE for each other, like He desires of us! Much LOVE!

…living for Jesus…means bright lights…plenty saltiness…and plenty, plenty LOVE…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 October 2022 1 Corinthians 13:8a.

05 Oct 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a clanging cymbal, a new commandment I give unto you, ambassadors of Christ, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, catching their second wind, endure to the end, faith hope charity (love), forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, have not Love, I am become as sounding brass, I'm not turning back, LOVE, love covers a multitude of sins, love does not brag on itself, love is like a blanket, LOVE is of God, Love never fails, love one another as I have loved you, love rjeoiceth in the truth, love suffereth long, love the Lord with all thy heart soul and mind, Love thy neighbour as thyself, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the greatest of these is love, to a glorious future with Jesus, unique traits, Wednesday Wail, without love I am nothing

1 Corinthians 13:8a. Charity (LOVE) NEVER FAILETH…

Now, today being Wednesday, some of us are having the mid-week blues, while others are catching their second wind, readying themselves for the homestretch journey, down to the finish line of Friday. It’s interesting how people can have different approaches to the same work week. But I guess that’s because the Lord made us all with the same outward kind of body, but different and unique traits within it. So, although we may look the same, we don’t necessarily think or behave the same.

However, in two important aspects the Lord expects us to be in total agreement and therefore similar behaviour. That’s in our LOVE for Him and our LOVE for our neighbours. Remember when Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment in the law, how He broke them down to just two basic ones: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto the first, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)

Yes friends, LOVE for God, ourselves and our neighbours encapsulate all the other stuff that we’re supposed to do or not do. Meaning that true LOVE will always lead us to do what is right, so we don’t have to worry about the individual commandments like stealing, adultery, covetousness, murder, taking God’s name in vain, etc. etc. And why is LOVE so wonderful eh? Because it’s like a blanket, it covers everything we do. For as Peter says: ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet. 4:8)

Now there, Peter was quoting Cousin Sol in Proverbs, where he wisely declared: ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ (Prov. 10:12) And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! LOVE is indeed a mighty tool, used first of all for not committing any wrongdoings against God, and also our fellow man. However, when that inevitably happens, (smile) LOVE should also be invoked in the forgiving of those wrongs. We go to God with repentance, asking for His forgiveness. Then we forgive those that do us wrong. That’s when we behave the most like God; when we forgive others of any wrongs they’ve committed against us.

And believe me friends, that act of FORGIVING is just as important as LOVE. Why? Because it shows, it manifests LOVE. And Jesus made it quite clear in what we call ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ when He taught us: ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt. 6:12) Then, a couple of verses later He spelled it out in black and white, so that there could be no misunderstanding. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15)

It’s as simple and straightforward as that my people. You forgive, and the Lord will forgive you. You don’t forgive, you won’t be forgiven. It’s not rocket science. And you won’t believe how many of us supposed believers refuse to forgive each other, but are quick to run to God for forgiveness. Hn! The Lord must shake His head in amazement whenever that happens.

Anyway, let’s get back to how LOVE works, or is supposed to work in true believers. As John so wisely says in his first epistle: ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE. In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that He LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4: 7-11)

Wow! What an argument for LOVE! But it makes complete sense. God LOVED us so much that He sent Christ to die for us, so that we could be saved from our sins, therefore we have a responsibility to LOVE God and each other, just the way the Father and Christ LOVE us. And Jesus said it to us in no uncertain terms. ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35)

So you see my fellow saints, the defining trait of discipleship is LOVE for each other. Unfortunately though, that trait is sadly lacking throughout the world, and more sadly within the church of Christ, with all its divisions, disunity and scandalous behaviour. No wonder the world isn’t taking supposed Christians seriously, and many are turning away from God because of the bad examples that we are setting. And all I can do is plead with us, that if we truly LOVE Jesus, to wake up from our slumber, or whatever is causing our blasphemous behaviour and do better. Because that’s the ONLY way others will come to Him. We are His agents and ambassadors on this earth, and as we show our colours, others will respond accordingly.

And we can’t end this talk on LOVE without sharing this other great treatise on LOVE, this time by Bruh Paul to the Corinthians. He writes: ‘Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (LOVE), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling (clanging) cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity (LOVE), I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (LOVE), it profiteth me nothing. Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (LOVE) envieth not; charity (LOVE) vaunteth not itself (does not brag on itself), is not puffed up (arrogant). Doth not behave itself unseemly (rudely), seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil (keeps no account of evil); Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity (LOVE) NEVER FAILETH…’ (1 Cor. 13:1-8)

Yes friends, there is more, but I chose to stop there because those two simple words, in a nutshell, tells the entire story about LOVE: it NEVER FAILS! Why? Because it is of God; it’s His greatest attribute, and our God, like His amazing LOVE, NEVER FAILS! So please, let’s remember that nuh, let’s remember the overwhelming importance of LOVE in our faith, our world, and our lives, and begin showing it more in our actions.

And for those of us who are sincerely trying to show LOVE for God and each other, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. So, as one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’

Now here’s an important reminder: if we endure right to the end with Jesus, then that future we’ve just talked about will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. Wow! What encouragement to endure! See you then…at the end! (smile) Much LOVE!

…and now abideth…faith…hope…charity (LOVE)…these three…but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE)… (1 Cor. 13:13)

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 September 2022 Romans 13:10.

30 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a liar, a new commandment I give unto you, bring backsliders back to your fold, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, conceited, embrace your love and compassion, enjoy the pleasures of the earth, error of their ways, evil cesspool, Friday chant, if ye love me keep my commandments, it is high time to awake out of sleep, LOVE, love is the fulfilling of the law, love one another as I have loved you, love worketh no ill to his neighbour, now is our salvation nearer, omnipotent help, party time, rioting drunkenness, selfish, sit on our fannies, strife and envying, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the breath of life, the christian way, the cross of Calvary, the day is at hand, the night is far spent, the truth is not in us, the way of the world, trusting faith, verily is the love of God perfected, walk honestly, whoso keepeth his word

Romans 13:10. LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law.

And the communal shout on this last day of September 2022, was heard all around the world this morning: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Thank God that the weekend’s here and party time is nigh!’ Yes friends, it’s all well and good to thank God for some relief from work and some time to party, but how many of us also thanked Him for the breath of life that’s still flowing through our bodies this sunshiny morning eh?

How many of us thanked Him for the new mercies and compassions that He’s sowing anew today in our miserable lives, for the jobs, the families and the many other blessings which He’s bestowed upon us undeservedly, or asked Him to bless the unfortunate ones that don’t have half as much as we do, or to help us share what we have with them? Not many of us, certainly not enough, because we’re so selfish and conceited, only interested in ourselves and what’s good for us.

Oh, we know that me, myself and I, is the current way of the world, but that’s not the Christian way my brethren. The Christian way is to share and be unselfish like Jesus was when He gave His sinless life for us on the cross of Calvary. As we keep reminding us, if we’re to be Jesus’ disciples, ambassadors, agents or whatever we choose to call ourselves, we must endeavour to walk as closely as possible to the way He did, as John tells us so clearly in his first epistle. And to keep it all in context, we’ll read the whole passage of scripture, the test of true knowledge and discipleship.

Now, in the book of John, we have Jesus saying: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) John then uses this in his epistle as a test of true commitment, saying: ‘And hereby we do know that we know him (Jesus), if we keep his commandments. He that saith I know him , and keepeth not his commandments , is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the LOVE of God perfected (matured): hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked.’ (1 John 2:3-6)

Oh my people, it’s obvious that because of our naturally sinful nature, we won’t’ ever walk as perfectly and sinless as Jesus did, but it’s our duty, as His representatives, to do our best, to come as close to perfect as humanly possible. That means being diligent and excellent in all we do, be it work or play, for God or for man. That means having a great devotion to God and compassion for others. Walking in truth and light, the way Jesus walked in them. Forsaking darkness and evil as much as we can.

And please remember these most memorable words of Jesus to the disciples. ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) It’s a simple but very profound statement my fellow saints. If we LOVE each other, then people will recognize us as disciples of Jesus.

But unfortunately, that word titled LOVE is not to be found much in our lives, at least not the way Jesus meant it. Showing care and compassion for each other, helping one another even if means sacrificing our time, talent and treasure. Thinking of and praying for each other, encouraging and comforting one another. That’s how Jesus walked amongst us.

Now, are we doing those things to a sufficiently great extent? Certainly not! Otherwise, our world would not be the evil cesspool that it’s quickly becoming, with supposed Christians not showing up enough, not standing up steadfast and strong enough to make a substantial difference like we need and ought to. Yes, I know that I’m getting on our case, but how else are we to make a serious and substantial difference eh, when most of us are either afraid to stand up for Jesus, or want to just sit on our fannies and enjoy the pleasures of the earth?

Somebody has to awaken us because time is running out. Every day, we believers delay in taking a stand for Jesus, the devil and his cronies get stronger and more boldfaced. Is that how we desire things to be, is it what we promised Jesus to do? Obviously not. So please, please, let’s take these warning words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome on walking in LOVE, very seriously nuh mih bredrin.

‘LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law. And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly (properly), as in the day; not in rioting (revelry) and drunkenness, not in chambering (licentiousness) and wantonness (lewdness), not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.’ (Rom. 13:10-14)

Oh my people, I couldn’t put it any clearer or better. The time for Jesus’ return is nigh, that will be the day, and now while He is out of the world is the night, so to be prepared for that day when He returns, it behooves us to wake up asap, because we can’t afford to be sleeping, or in darkness, we need to be dressed in the armour of light. And to do that, we have to stop gratifying or satisfying the lusts of our fleshly nature, and instead walk honestly, without strife and envy, in LOVE like Jesus did.

And to help us do that, we need to turn to the Lord in sincere prayer. So, as one voice, through our Friday Chant, let’s go to the throne of grace, baring our hearts and souls, throwing ourselves on His everlasting mercy. ‘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 viruses 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 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!’

But please note, that all those prayerful words and pretty phrases mean nothing unless we change our ways, unless we truly wake up and begin living and walking the way Jesus did! Much LOVE!

…walking like Jesus…it’s all about manifesting the fruit of the Spirit…LOVE, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness and self-control…

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

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

20 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now that’s a very good question. Why call Jesus Lord when we don’t do as He desires of us eh? I’ll leave that for us to ponder and answer in our own time and manner though. (smile) Instead, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.

Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’

And if by chance you’ve forgotten, let me remind you that if we endure to the very end, then that promised future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s hold on to that nuh, and endure right down to the very end! The rewards will be well worth it! Much LOVE!

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

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

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

19 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And with all those enlightening and reassuring words (smile) let’s go home now declaring (Yess!!!) our Tuesday Mantra letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’

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

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

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

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 April 2023 John 13:35.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 February 2023 Psalm 133:1.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 January 2023 Hebrews 10:23.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 December 2022 John 13:34.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 October 2022 1 Corinthians 13:8a.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 September 2022 Romans 13:10.

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

Pages

Categories

Archives