The Necessity for Christians to Wake up and Fight the Good Fight of Faith in these Evil Times!

24 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 5:14.       Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

So it’s Wednesday… What’s new in our world eh? Nothing really, just the same ole, same ole; lots of strife, resentment, anger and hatred, but comparatively little LOVE. What a sad situation! But it is what it is, and we believers in Christ Jesus have to learn to deal with it, to go forward with courage, to let our courage overcome our fear and go out into the foul and evil world and do the right thing. As per the Lord’s long ago directive to Joshua. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) 

And that directive has not changed down through the years my fellow believers. Except that we can now add to the mix, Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound or (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) So we have everything we need to get out there and make a difference. But just in case we’re still afraid, or we falter, let’s listen to these ever important words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, which are very appropriate for these times. 

‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.’ (Eph. 5:9-13) 

Yes friends, we were once children of darkness, living in sin and evil and enjoying it. However, having received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, we should now walk as children of light, flooded with the gospel of Christ, knowing truth from lies and wrong from right. And thus constantly trying to discern what is and what is not acceptable to God. At the same time, refusing to indulge in the sins committed by those who still live in darkness, some of which are so disgusting that they should not even be spoken of in decent company. And furthermore, doing our best to expose that ungodly behaviour, so the unbeliever can realize the appalling and revolting nature of their deeds and the terrible consequences they bear. 

And having exhorted us thus, Bruh Paul continues the exhortation: (smile) ‘Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart unto the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:14-21) 

Oh my faithful believers, this is indeed the time for us to put those immortal words of Bruh Paul into action, for we are way too lethargic and inactive in consciously and constantly living out our faith. True faith in Christ demands action, wise action, especially in these evil times, that are only getting worse because of our lackadaisical and lacklustre attitude. Remember, we are supposed to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. But it seems like we’re hiding our light under a bushel (basket), perhaps through fear and/or mere apathy, so that the world cannot see it. 

And our salt… chuh! That looks like it’s completely lost its flavour and is therefore no good but to be trampled underfoot by men, which is certainly what’s happening. Oh friends, instead of being lightless and saltless, we’re supposed to be embracing every opportunity to find out the Lord’s will and do it. That includes staying away from drunkenness where your thoughts and actions are controlled by the alcohol, and only leads to moral intemperance. Instead, we should endeavour to be filled with Holy Spirit, God’s will for us, where we can control our thoughts and actions, hopefully in a godly manner. 

Doing things like singing psalms and hymns, making melody in our hearts to God, and giving Him thanks for all that He’s done for us through Jesus Christ. As well as putting the wishes of our fellow believers above our own, which pleases the Lord. Now, nobody ever said that living for Christ was easy, and in these very evil times it get’s even more difficult because the evil doers are fighting tooth and nail to repress the gospel of Christ and all the good things it entails. But that’s exactly why we followers of the Saviour have to come up even higher, stronger and more determined than ever to do the work He desires of us. 

My people, Christ is depending on us. We are His agents, ambassadors, His legs, feet, eyes and ears down hear on the earth, and as such we have a great responsibility to carry out and live up to, which unfortunately we’re not doing conscientiously or living up to. Remember Christ’s directive in the Great Commission. ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in the earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples) of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19) 

And if we are truthful with ourselves, we will admit that we have not, and still are not doing as good a job as we can or should, else evil would not have the world in such a terrible headlock. End of Sermon! And no, I did not forget about the promise to keep on looking at patience, but this is where I was led today. (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

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!’ 

And if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! See you then at the very end! Much LOVE!

…truly working for Jesus requires…belly and backbone…guts and gumption…nothing else will do…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 November 2023   2 Timothy 2:3.

12 Nov 2023 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 2:3.       Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ.

And a good Sunday morning to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and families! Hope you all have taken the opportunity to visit the Lord’s sanctuary and fellowshipped with others like yourselves. Obviously, I was unable to do so because of my covid condition, but my thoughts and prayers are nonetheless with all those who are wise enough to go and get their souls and spirits refreshed. Today though, in our special celebration, we’re going to open with a song that’s ever so appropriate for these trying and difficult times. It’s an old but still ever popular 19th century English hymn, titled ‘Onward Christian Soldiers.’ 

The words were written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, and the music was composed by Arthur Sullivan in 1871. It was written to encourage Christians in their ongoing battles with temptations within themselves and the evil forces throughout the world. And nothing has changed since then. It’s perhaps gotten worse and we possibly need the words and sentiments of this popular hymn even more than ever before. So, let’s raise our sacrificial voices of praise to high heaven in a rousing, revolutionary version of this most encouraging song. 

Singing: ‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go! (Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!) At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise! 

[Refrain] Like a mighty army moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod; We are not divided; all one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. [Refrain] Onward, then, ye people, join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honor, unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages men and angels sing. [Refrain].’ 

Oh my people, what encouraging sentiments! The way that Christ’s church should be, ONE: both in battle and victory! With all of us marching together in the name of Christ against the evil foe Satan. Unfortunately though, Christ’s church is not one, but split in numerous divisions and directions, with more infighting within it that against the common outside enemy. That obviously weakens the church and what we are able to do in Christ’s name. 

And I just had a sad chuckle at the lines of the song which say: ‘At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee… Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise.’ What a joke that is! Satan’s armies aren’t fleeing anywhere! Hell isn’t quivering in fear. Hell is rejoicing in victory because we believers are not doing as we ought to. We’ve become a soft and comfortable people, who are only interested in the benefits and amenities of this life and no longer desire to make sacrifices or do anything that’s hard in the name of Jesus. 

And that’s why Satan’s having a field day in these modern times. We’ve become more afraid of men, than of God, and thus are not willing to stand up for what we believe is right. But please remember friends, after this life comes the judgement, and when the Lord asks what we’ve done for His kingdom with what He gave us, we won’t be able to make any excuses. We won’t be able to say we were afraid, because He’ll come right back with the many times He’s warned us not to fear, and with this particular scripture: ‘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) 

Please remember too, that to be a true disciple of Christ, one must be wiling to daily take up one’s cross and sacrifice one’s self on His behalf. He won’t necessarily call you to do it every day, but you must nonetheless be prepared for it when He does call. That calls to mind these very appropriate words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) And that ought to be a reminder for all of us my brethren; that we ought to bear our burdens like good soldiers in Christ’s employ! 

Oh my people, I LOVE comfort just as much as the other person, but comfort doesn’t make us what we ought to be. It’s said that the worst kind of Christian is a comfortable one, and that’s the living truth! When we get all comfortable, we no longer desire to make sacrifices for Christ, the way we ought to. And that’s why the Lord sometimes provides some tough times in our lives to wake us up from the comfortable slumber in which we are ensconced. Listen to these earlier words of Bruh Paul to Timothy on the soldier’s responsibility. 

‘This charge (command) I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophesies which went before on thee (were previously made concerning you), that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away (rejected) concerning faith have made shipwreck (suffered). Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.’ (1 Tim. 1:18-20) 

Ah friends, we are expected to stand strong in faith and to grow in it so that we can become better witnesses for Christ. But so many of us are not doing it, that the witness is falling flat. 

And I guess we can’t end with any better words than these of Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:5-8) 

So please friends, let’s get together and seriously run our races, so that in due course of time we’ll be able to say like Bruh Paul did, we ran a good race, and the Lord will crown us with a crown of righteousness. Much LOVE!

…sincerely living for Christ…requires plenty belly and backbone… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 June 2023 Luke 9:23.

23 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

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

Luke 9:23.      If any man will come after me (desires to follow me), let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

And our beloved day of Friday has been greeted all over the globe with glorious shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ But I’m wondering, are we truly thankful to Almighty God for the day, or are we just mouthing something that shows up the selfish lusts of our flesh. I tend to believe it’s the latter, since we are only enamoured of Friday because it means that our work week is almost over. We obviously don’t say ‘Thank God it’s Monday!’ because Monday is the beginning of the bane of our existence; work. (smile) 

Ah friends, because of all the amenities that our advanced society has provided us, we have lost the wonderful elements of belly and backbone that our forefathers had so much of, and needed it to survive each and every day of their lives. Nowadays we’ve become so soft and mamby pamby that we complain about every little difficulty that comes our way. Life has become too easy for us, and that ease has made us frail, fragile, whiny and ever complaining. beings. We give up on a problem way too easily. Remember the parable Jesus spoke unto His listeners, that men ought always to pray and not to faint or lose heart. (Luke 18:1) 

But who’s listening to Jesus these days eh? Not too many of us, because His way entails walking on the straight and narrow path, but we, with our sinful flesh, like the broad and winding road that leads to destruction. No wonder so many of us shy away from being true disciples of Christ in these supposed modern times, we just can’t handle the level of difficulty, and self-sacrifice it might entail. For as Jesus said: ‘If any man will come after me (desires to follow me), let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) 

And in real life, those few words say quite a lot my people! It’s a big undertaking and we should not determine to follow it until and unless we see exactly what it entails. And as one commentator says: ‘To be a disciple of Jesus, He advises us to sit down and calculate the cost to see if we want to truly follow him. Jesus cannot simply be our Savior. He must also be the Lord of our lives. We must devote ourselves to him fully.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth. 

So, the initial stage is to weigh the pros and cons of following Jesus and see if we have the necessary parts to do so. As Jesus says: ‘For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?’ (Luke 14:28) Therefore, we must first do our due diligence. Then, after weighing all the pros and cons, we must make a sure decision to follow Christ. And the first thing that entails is denying oneself. We have to stop focusing on ourselves and focus on God and what He desires of us. 

For ‘Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self-ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing.’ And Bruh Paul tells us in Romans: ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God.’ (Rom. 8:5-8) 

That means if we keep on being selfish and think about the things of the flesh that our carnal mind obviously likes, we cannot serve Christ. And so doing, we die daily to ourselves. Which, as John wrote in his first epistle involves having the LOVE of Christ in us. ‘Hereby perceive we the LOVE of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good (goods), and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion (heart) from him, how dwelleth the LOVE of God in him?’ (1 John 3:16-17) 

So we need to show the LOVE of Christ by daily sacrificing where necessary, offering ourselves on our own cross, like Jesus did, for ‘the cross is an agent of death.’ Then it’s absolutely necessary that we follow Jesus, which means let him direct our lives, show us where He wants us to go and what He needs us to do on His behalf. What did He say when He called the first disciples: ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ (Matt. 4:19) That means to do as He says and as He does, to follow in His footsteps. 

As this commentary tells us: ‘Discipleship is a personal, passionate devotion to a person, not to principles or doctrines or cause. It’s a devotion to Christ first, then devotion to His teaching because of an existing personal passionate devotion to the person of Christ. Surrender and dependence on Christ.’ Yes, it’s all about Christ my people! That’s why Jesus said to those who believed in Him. ‘If you continue (abide) in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:31-32) 

It’s only when we truly abide in, live by His word are we truly His disciples. As He said again: ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE, hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatever I command you.’ (John15:12-14) That means simply doing whatever He commands us to do, which encompasses an overwhelming devotion to Him that shows up in these statements. 

‘If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren (brothers), and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.’ (Luke 14:26-27) Now obviously that doesn’t mean truly hating our family and ourselves, but simply willing to forsake them for His cause. No, following Christ is not easy, but as I keep saying, if you’re sincere, He will help you through the difficult times, and your life will be mucho interesting and adventurous, and worth every bit of the sacrifice. 

And I Hope that gives us a li’l background on what true discipleship in Christ’s ministry entails.(smile) Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help to handle our many earthly problems. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. 

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

And if we expect to receive divine help, then we’ve got to clean up our act, starting…RIGHT NOW! Much LOVE!

…to be a true disciple of Jesus…takes a lot of belly and backbone… 

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

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

31 May 2023 Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 April 2023 Psalm 119:105.

26 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 119:105.       Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

So it’s Wednesday and we’re catching our second wind of this work week. Let’s hope that we made a positive difference in the opening days, that we were salty and bright like Jesus desires us to be, and that today will reenergize us, refill us with the Holy Spirit, so that we can continue the good work we’re doing in Jesus’ name down here on this abused and degenerate planet Earth. 

And it’s of the utmost importance that we realize that if we ever hope to see positive changes in our world, that they will have to come from us, believers in Christ. It will have to be our elbow grease, belly and backbone that stands up against the very prevalent evil schemes and wiles of the devil and his evil cronies. No one else is going to want to, or be able to do it. But if we believe, with Jesus in our corner, then anything is possible, and if He wants us to take over the world then we can do so with His help. Yuh see how much success the first twelve disciples had in spreading the word. 

However, to do that, we need to have the courage and desire to do it, the courage and desire that they possessed. And right now, it’s obvious that not enough of us possess those necessary qualities. And with the total disunity in Christ’s supposed church, it’s becoming a cakewalk for the evildoers, as they divide and conquer us with impunity. Yes friends, as a body, we’re falling down on the job, but that doesn’t mean as individuals we can’t make a decent difference. 

And yes, it’s difficult when you’re fighting in your little corner of the world by yourself, but please, let’s not give up hope, because when Christ gave us the Great Commission, He promised in very positive and certain terms: ‘I am with you always, even until the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20) That means He is always with us when we are doing His work, so there’s no need to fear or lack courage when we sincerely and enthusiastically decide to get out there and witness for Christ. 

But enough of the negative aspects of our spiritual journey, let’s change the tempo. (smile) And I’ve found something in our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, that I don’t think I’ve ever shared before, but it’s truly interesting and rather appropriate in my life right now. It’s simply titled ‘New Bible!’ 

So please read with me: ‘This was an exciting day for me, Lord! This morning I opened my new Bible. Not a single word was circled Not a single phrase underlined. Now with each new day I can circle and underline again I can word-clutter the margins and I know what will happen. Lord – I’ll be asking as I read Why didn’t I see that before? 

But even with the joy of the new Bible I’m going to miss my old one with its tattered pages – Its creased and torn edges. Oh, how many personal notes Are jotted on the margins How many God-whispered secrets. Yes, Lord, I’ll miss it. But thank You for a friend’s reminder: “If your Bible is falling apart Chances are your life isn’t.” 

And that’s the gospel truth my brethren, because the falling apart of your Bible means that you’re in a lot, and thus the Word of the Lord is very prominent in your life, and you’re doing your best to be a good witness and disciple for Christ. And I can personally attest to what is written in the poem because my old Bible that I used to write the Bit, seven days a week for numerous years, was indeed falling apart on me at the end of last year, and I considered taking it to get it rebound because of the familiarity and ease of use. I even called up one binder about it, but never followed it up, and at the beginning of this year, simply bought a clean, brand new version of the old one instead. 

And was it ever strange opening the new one and not seeing any underlining or stuff written in a kaleidoscope of colours. But with the passage of time, I’m getting accustomed to this new one. And although they are the same King James version, just a newer printing, there was something about the old one that I miss. I knew where to find everything I wanted. This one though is set up in a slightly different manner, and I’m still learning how to use it. The old one was also solid and could take the rough handling, but in comparison, this new one seems somewhat flimsy, and I find myself treating it with kid’s gloves 

But I guess it’s like everything else nowadays, from humans to cars, to books, everything in these modern times is much more fragile, not as strong and sturdy, but they cost much more than the old versions though. (smile) And it all reminds me of the ole folks saying: ‘new broom sweep clean, but old broom know the corners.’ Yes, when you become accustomed to something, it’s hard to change to something newer, although the new thing might even function better. 

Anyway, it’s all history right now. I’m into the new Good Library, and it’s telling me the same thing the old one did; ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And so it is indeed my fellow believers! Be it torn and tattered or brand new and unblemished, the Good Library contains the same wonderful information, yesterday, today and forever! It leads and guides us on our earthly journey. It’s the believer’s guidebook for living. And that lamp unto my feet and light unto my path scripture was the verse associated with our poem. 

Ah mih people, our world is slowly, but steadily falling apart, what with all the evil schemes and wiles being perpetrated in it each and every day, but as true believers, we just can’t sit around and allow it to happen. We need to make our voices heard and our actions felt, regardless of how small and infinitesimal they may be. That means continual reading and meditating on the Word, putting our Bibles to good use, letting them become torn and tattered by constant handling, and not allowing them to sit and gather dust, as so many are currently doing is so many Christian households. 

Now, for those of us who are trying our best to live for Jesus, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world 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 it’s been promised that if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Wow! So, let’s use that as encouragement to endure to the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…the Bible is God’s Word…and you can only learn about Him by reading it…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 June 2021 Romans 5:5.

21 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Romans 5:5.     And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); because the LOVE of God is shed abroad (poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Oh praise the Lord, Monday has come around again! And I know that many of us don’t like Mondays, because it means we have to go out to work, to face the drudgery and same old, same old after a relaxing weekend. At least it used to mean that in the pre-pandemic times. (smile) But fellow believers, regardless of what day it might be, in whatever situation we might find ourselves, we should find a joy in just being alive one more day with God’s Holy Spirit leading and guiding us into all truth. 

Remember, once we’re alive, we have hope, that marvelous expectation that rises up in us, that never says die. As one commentator says: ‘Hope is something we can’t live without. Real Hope comes from God and is ours when we put our trust in Him.’ And that hope breeds faith, which keeps us fighting on because we are children of the Most High God Jehovah! We who have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead so that we could be made the righteousness of God in Christ. 

And Bruh Paul tells it thus to the church at Rome. ‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience (produces perseverance); And patience (perseverance), experience (character); and experience (character), hope: And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); because the LOVE of God is shed abroad (poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’ (Rom. 5:1-5) 

Yes friends, as believers in Christ Jesus, we have everything to live for, and everything we need to live through whatever situations we encounter in this cruel, crazy and godless world! The trials and tribulations we encounter down here only build us up, make us stronger in Jesus. Now isn’t that enough to make us come alive, despite whatever problems we’re currently facing? It should be. And if it’s not, then there are a whole lot of other scriptures of hope, faith and promise for us to feast on, scriptures that will strengthen us, give us some much needed belly and backbone for the tough times that will come our way at some time or other in our earthly lives. 

So let’s look at a few of those scriptures nuh, bury them deep in our hearts, minds and souls, so that we can resurrect them in our time of need. First up is that magnificent promise our God made way back when through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) 

And that promise has not changed. In fact, it’s gotten even better, because after that God sent Jesus to die for us, so we could have salvation and eternal life if we believed in Him. Now there’s no hope or future that’s better than that! And God’s children joyfully and gratefully shouted: ‘Thank You Lord for Jesus!’ 

Now listen to this other old, but more easily understood and practical promise; this one through the prophet Isaiah. ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint (weak), and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:28-31) 

Oh my people, how can such a mighty scripture not lift our spirits and renew our faith eh! Now listen to Job, whom we consider the father of patience, of perseverance, on the subject of hope. ‘And thine age (thy life) shall be clearer (brighter) than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid, yea, many will make suit unto you (shall court your favour).’ (Job 11:17-19) 

Mama Yo! What encouraging words my brethren! And we all know that though Job lost all his wealth and family, because he stood strong in the Lord, the Lord replenished him with twice what he lost. And furthermore, listen as he states his faith. ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter (last) day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.’ (Job 19:25-26) Powerful words of hope and faith friends! Words that ALL believers ought to be able to say in all sincerity and truth. 

And the last scripture on hope is very appropriately from Bruh Paul, explaining the reason for Old Testament hope. ‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime (beforehand) were written for our learning, that we through patience (perseverance) and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.’ (Rom. 15:4) Yes my fellow believers, the scriptures were written so that we could have hope. But that means we have to seriously study them, they are not going to simply seep into our consciousness by osmosis. Or as Bruh Paul says: ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (Rom. 12:12) 

And since there’s no doubt that we are currently facing much tribulation, let’s take Bruh Paul’s advice nuh, to rejoice in hope, stand strong in the tribulation, and steadfast in prayer, by taking our troubles to the Lord in sincere prayer right now through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one strong voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank Youthis Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

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

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

Now, we must prove to the Lord that we mean business by changing our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…now may the God of hope…fill you with all joy and peace in believing…that you may abound in hope…by the power of the Holy Spirit… (Rom. 15:13) 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 May 2016 Ephesians 6:11‏‏‏

26 May 2016 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 (schemes) of the devil.

Greetings and salutations my wonderful Scrip-Bit family on this glorious Thursday morning! It’s another most worthwhile opportunity for us to serve our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in this evil and ungodly world. 

In fact, it’s not a choice, but our bounden duty as believers, and we only heap ridicule on Jesus’ holy name if we don’t pursue that challenge as we ought to. 

And there’s no time to lose, so let’s get busy and declare our Thursday Blessings that will feed our faith, uplift us, and give us the wherewithal to go out and face the enemy with much needed belly and backbone. 

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 everyday! Amen!’ 

Oh glory to our wonderful God my precious people, for He has generously gifted us with all that we need to succeed in this sinful world! Now let’s go out and succeed… 

But first we need to do this absolutely necessary thing as directed by our Bit: ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.’ 

Yes friends, without God’s protective armour, we’re just like innocent, naïve, sitting ducks for the enemy. He’d be all over us in no time at all. That’s why Bruh Paul seriously warned us about wearing God’s armour at all times. 

And I’m going to repeat the verses of yesterday about what the spiritual armour of God consists of, because I want to share some very useful info from the scholars on the subject. And don’t get hoighty toighty with me now because you think we’re wasting time by repeating those verses. (smile) 

Friends, we can never hear those verses enough since they are a major part of our basic Christian foundation and the deeper we write them into our souls, the better off we will be. 

Now hear Bruh Paul pontificate. ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, 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 the fiery darts 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) 

Listen to the scholars now: ‘6:14-17. The whole armour of God consists of six pieces. (1) Truth (v.14a) is a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word (cf.4:21). The ancient soldiers loins (waist) were girt about with a leather belt which held most of the other pieces of his armour in place. 

Similarly, the other pieces of the Christian’s armour depend on, and are held in place by his spiritual “belt” or his knowledge of the “truth” of Scripture. 

(2) The breastplate of righteousness (v.14b) may be read “the breastplate which is righteousness.” It represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (righteousness). 

(3) Preparation of the gospel of peace (v15) means “eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.” That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called caligae on his feet, enabling him to advance against his enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of “eagerness” or “willingness” to advance against the Devil and take the fight to him. 

Such “eagerness” to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful opponent. 

(4) The shield of (which is) faith (v.16) means taking God at His word by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan. 

(5) The helmet of salvation (v.17a): Since the readers are already Christians (2:8), they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8 describes this helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is, the certainty (assurance) of salvation. 

(6) The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (v.17b): The Greek term rendered “word” is not logos, referring to the whole Word of God, but rhema, referring to certain portions or selected verses of Scripture.’ 

And that takes care of the basic armour of God. But we’re not done yet my people. Listen to these other explanations from the scholars. 

‘6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks. 

In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’ 

And thus ends this refresher course on the armour of God! (smile) Oh friends, I know that some of the explanations might be somewhat confusing, but if you take your time and concentrate on what you read, you will understand what’s been said. 

And above all, please note the indispensability of prayer! Without it, the armour of God is ineffective. Now may the Lord bless and keep us as we go forth clothed in His protective armour, totally backed up by sincere prayer! Much LOVE!

…no Christian soldier goes out to battle without his godly armour…and prayer…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 March 2016 Psalm 77:13‏‏‏‏‏‏

06 Mar 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 77:13.   Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?

Oh friends, it’s the day of the Lord, as celebrated by a majority of Christians! So I do hope that we have all gotten, or are in the process of getting our weekly celebration, gathering with other believers to worship and praise and give thanks to our great God and receive his encouragement and strength and peace and wisdom to endure the vicissitudes of life for another week! Praise His holy name, for He is indeed a great God! 

Now please note that the Bit is not late. (smile) That’s just the way God planned it. You see I was up early this morning, participating in some devotions, then got ready and went to church. 

And you know on this paradise island of Tobago, like everything else, church is also laid back and does take some time. I read the first reading and I shook my tambourine and sang as loudly as I could, given my current asthmatic condition! Glory Hallelujah! 

Then I came home and had breakfast, some bake and saltfish, and the obligatory nap came after. (smile) Only thing is it turned into a little more than a nap, since I had not had a decent night’s sleep last night.  So you see everything is indeed working out according to God’s plan; I’m up now bright and beautiful and rearing to go! 

And talking about bright and beautiful, I see some dark clouds massing up over the southern horizon, seemingly portents of rain which we desperately need in this continuing dry season. 

But I won’t hold my breath because over the last few days it has been particularly cloudy, but nary a drop of heavenly blessing has fallen. The strong winds seem to blow them away at the last minute. But then again that might just be God’s plan, and indeed His prerogative. 

And this Sunday morning, or rather afternoon, I want to remind us of one thing; it’s a quote attributed to the renowned British playwright and novelist, William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). He reputedly declared that ‘The unfortunate thing about this world is that good habits are so much easier to give up than bad ones.’ 

And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! We all have been plagued by habits, both good and bad, at some time(s) in our lives and unfortunately, or in some cases fortunately (smile) the bad ones were always the hardest to give up. 

Now why is that eh? I suspect that it has something to with our fallen nature, because most of the bad habits are usually associated with the wrong thinking and beliefs of the lustful and deceitful world which we ofttimes seem to cherish more than the good habits of our wonderful God. 

Now that’s just a reminder to be very careful of those bad worldly habits. When they come a calling, or rear their ugly heads in our lives, we need to resist them with every ounce of our beings, through prayer and fellowship, or else they will most certainly lead us down the garden path to more confusion and corruption in our lives than is necessary. End of sermon. (smile) 

Now let’s turn to our Bit which espouses the greatness of our God Jehovah. ‘Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?’ 

And for all true believers, we know that there is NOBODY as great as our God! As I keep asking, how could there be, when He is the one who created the universe and all therein basically through the spoken word. Who, or what, could be mightier than that eh, to just talk the world into existence? 

NOTHING or NO ONE! 

And we’ll continue looking at some scripture that proves our contention, beginning with the patriarch Abraham, who left his family at seventy-five years of age and wandered out into the unknown because of God’s promise to magnify Him if he obeyed His will. (Gen.12) 

And we all know that God did magnify him, because today, thousands of years later, we talk about and worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

And how about the Lord’s promise that Abraham would have an heir out of his own loins with his aged wife Sarah? (Gen.18, 21) Who but a great and mighty God could fulfill such a promise when one party was a hundred years old and the other ninety eh, both way past childbearing age? 

The Lord God Jehovah is His name! 

And again when the prophet Samuel’s mother, Hannah, beseeched the Lord to end her barren womanhood, because she was having a hard time with the mocking of her husband Elkanah’s other fruitful wives, what happened? 

Having promised to give the child into His service, the Lord looked down with favour and granted her her heart’s desire, and made him a great prophet amongst his people. (1 Sam.1) 

And who caused Bruh David to kill the mighty Philistine giant with five small stones and a sling shot (catapult) eh? Nobody else but the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! 

Now listen to these immortal words that Bruh David spoke to Goliath. ‘Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 

This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite (strike) thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 

And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.’ (1 Sam.17:45-47) 

And it happened just as he declared it! 

Oh friends, I have to chuckle at Bruh David’s belly and backbone yes! Wish we all could have a little bit of it. Just imagine this little runt of a shepherd boy, talking to the mighty Philistine warrior like that nuh! 

But as I’ve always said, if nothing else, Bruh David knew on which side his bread was buttered, for despite all his mistakes and disobedience, he never forsook the God of his fathers. 

Oh my people, this Sunday, please let’s take all the stuff we’ve talked about and diligently mould it into our minds, bodies and souls nuh, so that we can have the courage, the chutzpah of Bruh David, to stand up strong and declare our great God, when the enemy comes against us. 

This I pray in Jesus name. Amen! Much LOVE my people!

…a believer’s bread is buttered on only one side…that of the Lord’s…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 December 2015 Hosea 4:6

06 Dec 2015 Leave a comment

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

Hosea 4:6.  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.’ 

‘What the world needs now is love, sweet love, It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is love, sweet love, No, not just for some but for everyone.’ 

Oh Friends, the haunting words of that old Burt Bacharach song made popular by Dionne Warwick, are possibly more relevant today than when they were first written and sung some forty odd years ago! I don’t know if our world has ever been shrouded in such ghastly darkness, evil, hatred and strife, dissipation, licentiousness and sinful lusts of the flesh as it is now. 

But I do know that it is terribly lacking in that wonderful emotion called LOVE! And unless we raise the level of LOVE in it, very soon too, our once beautiful world will continue to crumble and finally disintegrate into the mire of hell and its surroundings. What a sad and ghastly day that would be! 

But my people our world is spinning out of control so fast that it might happen much sooner than we expect. And the only antidote for the wars and rumours of wars and all the other negativity and frightful atrocities taking place in our world is LOVE; the LOVE of Jesus Christ as promoted in His LOVE Revolution! 

That’s the ONLY Revolution we need in our world right now! So won’t you please join with me to promulgate it? We urgently need to turn things around to where godliness reigns supreme instead of the evil that now rules the roost. You know that our current society is just like the one Hosea describes in Chapter 4, re the Lord’s controversy with Israel. 

‘Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with (a charge against) the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out (break all restraints), and blood toucheth blood (bloodshed follows bloodshed).’ (Hos.4:1-2) 

Now doesn’t that sound just like what’s happening in our current world where evil and ungodliness are running rampant? It surely does! And you know what will happen if we continue down this foolish and unwise path?  We will feel the Lord’s wrath; He will destroy and/or punish us just like He did Israel back then. And all because of foolish pride and the wantonness of our sinful souls! 

Listen as our Bit declares the Lord’s contention. ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.’ 

Oh friends, please remember that our God and His law do not change, so if it applied to Israel, then it will also apply to us. Now here is an interesting explanation from the scholars. ‘4:6. The cause of man’s problem is lack of knowledge. It does not stem from a shortage of information, but rather from rejection of information.’ 

Yes my people, our irreverence and ungodliness don’t stem from a shortage of information because we are living in the Information Age; where information is so readily available and widespread as never before in man’s earthly sojourn. So we can’t say that we don’t have the relevant and necessary info about God and His law; it’s simply that we refuse to accept it. 

More Bibles and books based on it are in circulation than ever before, so there’s no excuse to say we didn’t know about it. And even then, as they say; ‘ignorance is no defense.’ So what are we going to do about this very serious problem eh my people? 

The Lord also blamed His priests for being corrupt. ‘And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward (repay) them their doings (deeds). For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom (harlotry), and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord (ceased obeying the Lord).’ (Hos.4:9-10) 

Yes Friends, we do have many false and corrupt priests today, but I don’t think they hold as much sway as the priests back in the days of Hosea. Our biggest culprits today are our leaders, our politicians, our captains of industry and our economic czars. Most of them no longer hold the Lord God Almighty in any kind of reverence. Instead they are trying their level best to have Him removed completely from our society. 

But we simply cannot allow that to happen my fellow believers. We need to stand up strong to the greedy, irreverent, corrupt, iconoclastic and devil- worshipping people who are currently leading us. 

The first step is to drum them out office and replace them with God-fearing leaders. That means encouraging those people to run for office and then electing them, else things will only get worse. And these people will also need to have a lot of manly parts, because the wicked leaders we have now will not go quietly into the sunset. 

As believers, we too also need to have a lot of belly and backbone to stand up to all the nonsense that’s going on, and stop allowing them to take God out of our schools and public places. The Ten Commandments should once again be our hallmark for living, because nothing is wrong with them. Every successful society needs to not have its inhabitants, lie, steal commit murder and adultery and covetousness and the many lustful things that pass for being right today. 

Anyway, today is Sunday, our day set aside for praise and worship and thanksgiving, so please let’s get ourselves to church and offer our sacrifices of praise, as well as ask for strength and wisdom to stand strong in the face of the enemy and be able to make a positive difference in our world, and thus return it to a state of godliness. For that’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!

…LOVE is all we need…all we ever need is LOVE…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 December 2015 Revelation 1:3

05 Dec 2015 Leave a comment

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

Revelation 1:3.     Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Oh Friends, what a beautiful Saturday morning to be alive! Glory to God! Just imagine that in a mere three weeks time nuh, we’ll be celebrating that marvelous, miraculous occasion; the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the manger in Bethlehem! Oh how wonderful and ever-LOVING our heavenly Father has been to us! 

Please remember to acknowledge Him and give Him thanks every time you open your eyes to a brand new day. That is the least we can do for still enjoying the breath of life and the many new blessing and mercies He has promised to rain down on us every day. And we know that He’s ever-faithful, so whatever He promises, He WILL deliver. 

That’s why I can’t understand why so many people refuse to accept Almighty God, the Creator of the universe as the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD, especially after all the wonderful things He’s done over the years for the undeserving children of men. But that’s their loss, and our gain. 

However our God is so wonderful that instead of simply letting the unbelievers fall unnoticed by the wayside, He requires us to tell them about Him, spread His word all over the world, and live a life that shows His word in action. That is our job, our bounden duty as believers, as true and loyal followers of Jesus Christ, as His earthly ambassadors. 

Unfortunately though, it doesn’t seem as though we are doing such a good job because people are turning away from Jesus in droves and the world is filled with untold evil and darkness and war and hate, all the things He doesn’t stand for.  

Now why is that eh mih people? Is it because we are paying too much attention to the things of the world, indulging too much in the foolish lusts of our flesh, plus not having enough belly and backbone to stand up to enemy and his evil cronies?  

In addition to all of that, can it also be that we’re not following the wisdom of our Bit, which so boldly proclaims: ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.’  

Oh friends, I do believe it’s a combination of all those things. But if we want to be faithful believers we have to break the yoke of the enemy in our lives. And the only true and lasting way to do that is to take our Bit seriously; regularly read the Lord’s word, meditate on it, talk about it and put it into action. 

And I didn’t make this up, but it came straight from our God, where He solemnly warned Joshua when he took over leadership of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh.1:8) 

Oh friends, that is one of the most important verses in the Bible, and if we would only take it to heart, sincerely follow it, then as God has promised, we will be prosperous and successful! What’s so difficult in that to understand eh, especially since it’s been proven many a time down through the ages? 

Ah mih breddren, as they say, you can only lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. (smile) Likewise I can only guide us to the Good Book and what it says, I can’t force us to seriously embrace it and put it into action. 

Just remember though, that all the smart money has been placed on Jesus, and when the time comes, if you’re not in His pool, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe! 

Now let’s end up this series of messages with some more scriptures that corroborate our Bit. Listen to Isaiah as he talks about Israel’s unfaithfulness being rebuked by God. ‘Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. 

O that thou hadst hearkened to (heeded, obeyed) my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels (body) like the gravel (grains of sand) thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.’ (Is.48:17-19) 

Oh my people, all yuh hear what the Lord said in those two passages. If you obey, you will prosper and succeed. If you don’t, then you’re going to pay a steep price. And that is exactly what happened to the Israelites, several times too. When they obeyed they prospered, but like us, then they believed it was their own work that brought the prosperity and they foolishly rebelled against God and suffered His wrath.  

Anyway friends, let’s end with these wise words from Psalm 1 – Blessed are the righteous – which most of us know quite well, but obviously don’t pay sufficient attention to. 

‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to oneself) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:1-3)  

There you have it again friends, the formula for success and prosperity in this fallen, sinful world! Now please, I implore us to be wise and use it to the fullest nuh, for that’s what is required of us by our God. Much LOVE!

…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) keeps saying…the best way to live this life…is to obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him… and that’s gospel truth…

 

 

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