Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 March 2024 Matthew 18:35.

13 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 18:35.       So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

‘Sunshine, lollipops and roses…!’ Well, we haven’t really reached the roses part as yet, but we’re certainly having sunshine and lollipops! Ah friends, they’re trying hard to make me believe that spring has actually sprung, and on this 13th day of March with temps already around 15 degrees Celsius, and bright sunshine splays it’s warmth and glorious light all over the neighbourhood, I am getting closer to believing. And yes, during the course of my many years in this climate, I’ve seen strange things happen at strange times, like snow in June, but I’m not quite ready to believe that spring has truly sprung at this early stage of the year. 

In this case, I’m running with the world; I’ll believe it when I see it. (smile) And though I may be able to sit on my porch this afternoon for the first time this year, and watch people pass by, for the walkers will certainly be out today, a stubborn streak of disbelief keeps floating around in me. But I guess them’s the breaks. And I’ll just have to learn to handle it, all the while hoping that climate change proves me wrong (smile) In the meantime let’s see what the Bible has to offer this spring-like Wednesday morning. And it opened unto the parable of the unforgiving servant in the gospel of Matthew. 

Now, unforgiveness is one of the biggest downfalls of our modern society. And in this parable Jesus expands on His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, after He taught them the Lord’s Prayer, which has this seminal statement smack dab in the middle of it. ‘And forgive us our debts (trespasses), as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us.’ (Matt. 6:12) Then Jesus follows that up with these memorable words. ‘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) 

Oh my people, that is so plain and without any subterfuge, that even a fool ought to be able to understand it! If we don’t forgive others their trespasses, the Lord will not forgive us our trespasses. That’s so straightforward, yet so many of us supposed believers still hold unforgiveness, and all that it entails, in our hearts against others, yet go to God and ask for forgiveness of our sins! How foolish and hypocritical is that eh! And in order to reinforce the power and importance of the principle of forgiveness Jesus told the parable of the unforgiving servant. 

This servant, one who handled the Lord’s money, owed him some ten thousand talents, which amounts to millions of dollars in today’s money, and when the Lord called for payment, the servant was unable to pay, so the Lord ordered him and his family and all he had to be sold until payment was made. The Bible tells us then, that ‘The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him (prostrated himself), saying Lord have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him (released him), and forgave him the debt.’ (Matt. 18:26-27) 

Now that’s what you call forgiveness! Forgiving millions of dollars’! Wow! That sure was a big-hearted lord! However, the story continues thus: ‘But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence (approx.10 dollars): and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that (what) thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought (begged) him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.’ (Matt. 18:28-30) 

Now that ought to make us hold our heads and bawl, although it’s exactly what happens in our selfish and unforgiving world today. But before we get further into the story, I want to raise one question of my own, one that has me shaking my head every time I hear about debtor’s prison. To my way of thinking, if you throw the debtor into prison until he pays the debt, how can he pay it locked up in jail, if he couldn’t pay it when he was outside? If you’re locked up you can’t work, there’s no way of making money, at least in the jails they had back then. Wouldn’t it be wiser to leave them out and allow them to work and so earn the money to repay the debt? But that’s just my crazy, eccentric way of thinking. (smile) 

Anyway, when the other servants saw the unforgiving attitude of their fellowman, they went and told it to the Lord. Then the Lord called him and said: ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst (begged) me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth (angry), and delivered him to the tormentors (torturers), till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.’ (Matt. 18:32-35) 

Oh friends, that’s what happens when we are forgiven, and don’t forgive! And the moral of the story? The One to whom the insurmountable debt is owed is our heavenly Father. The debts are the sins of the individual sinner, which none of us can ever repay. But instead of placing us in debtor’s prison, the Lord shows great compassion and forgives or cancels our debts, our sins. And per the scholars: ‘The picture illustrates God’s total forgiveness when dealing with our sins at the point of salvation. The debt has been paid by Christ and we are set free from it forever.’ 

And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Jesus! We LOVE and worship Your Holy Name!’ And if that’s really true, then let’s see us be more forgiving than we currently are nuh. Let’s be big of heart like our heavenly Father. For remember, if you don’t forgive, He won’t forgive you either. Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our marvelous 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!’ 

Then there’s this proviso, the promise that if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s plan to be there at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…forgiveness breeds forgiveness…

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

29 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

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

And on yet another wet and cloudy day, the world shouts ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and another long weekend is here!’ This time though, the grateful reprieve from work is for New Years Eve, which falls on the upcoming Sunday. So you know all the plans for the big party are already in full swing; with costumes, champagne, food, partners and all the other frills we need for ringing out the Old Year and ringing in the New one. 

And then there are the resolutions, most of which aren’t even worth the paper they’re written on, since they will be forgotten by the end of the week in which they were made. Don’t know why we keep on doing the foolishness, even when we know deep down that we won’t keep them. But, I guess that’s a part of the New Year’s Eve tradition, so we need to go with the flow. 

And 2023 has been such a rotten and ungodly year, with many people not even being able to celebrate its departure with their usual festivities because of unpredicted and unexpected strife and disaster in their societies. Let’s hope and pray that the new year of 2024 will bring us to our senses, so that most of the strife will end in peace and the disaster areas repaired so that the people can go about a peaceful and productive life once more. 

For, believe me friends, if we don’t wake up and smell the roses this coming year, and instead persist in all the foolish, unnecessary strife and violence, our world will surely implode or explode, or both, such is the high level of discontent and dissatisfaction currently existing on God’s great earth. That’s why we believers so badly need to get our act together, for the world is depending on us to turn this evil and ungodly time around and bring back the more worthwhile values of peace, LOVE and understanding. 

Sadly, those values are constantly being thrown out the window more and more every day, as another theatre of strife opens and more serious disasters befall us. And some of those natural disasters stem from climate change, from the terribly irresponsible and shortsighted manner in which we’ve treated the earth in the last few centuries, since the dawn of industrialization. So we have no one to blame but ourselves for most of the chaos now existing. 

Thankfully though we have our great, forgiving, merciful and gracious God to help us restore some semblance of sense and responsibility to our world. But it’s ever so necessary for us to seek Him out and throw ourselves on His mercy. Remember His promise 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 and expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13) 

There we have it friends, the first step in returning some sense of peace and responsibility to our world. We have to seek the Lord with ALL of our heart if we desire His omnipotent help. And Jesus said the same thing when the foppish lawyer asked Him what was the greatest commandment. ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with ALL thy heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL of thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)  

Yuh see that mih bredrin, it all hangs on the basic principle of LOVE: LOVE for God and for each other! But unfortunately that oh so important attribute seems to be sadly missing from our world today. And unless we revive it as soon as possible, crapaud going to smoke we pipe – both literally and figuratively. (smile) 

Thus, it behooves us Christians who talk so much about God and LOVE and peace to get up off of our comfortable fannies and make the effort to turn this world around. It’s our bounden duty. Jesus said that we were the salt of the earth and the light of the world, which means we are responsible for adding a godly flavour to it, and bringing light to the darkness and evil of Satan which is now threatening to overpower God’s earth. 

And my fellow believers, I’m not telling us anything that we don’t already know. The problem is to get us to fulfill the duties that have been assigned to us as ambassadors and agents of Christ. And if we truly and sincerely LOVE Him, then we will make the effort, sacrifice whatever is necessary so that our world can be a much better place to live. And to help get us started, let’s now go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant and aske for divine help in this dire time of need. 

Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for 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. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. 

We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. 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. 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!’  

Now it’s time to rise up and do what we promised: set a good example for the unbelievers. That’s the first step in receiving divine help! Much LOVE!

…talk is cheap…but action needs a price to be paid… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   28 December 2023   1 John 4:4b.

28 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

1 John 4:4b.       … greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Brother! Can you believe it’s another wet, drizzly, cloudy day? It’s at least the sixth day in a row that we haven’t had even a hint of sunshine. No wonder SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) takes its toll during such long durations of gloomy, uninspiring weather. I have a light on the deck in my backyard to frighten away animals at night, it runs on solar power, but I haven’t seen it lit for a while now, because there’s been no sunlight to recharge its battery. I believe this is what is known as English weather. (smile) And it’s a sure sign of climate change, if all we’re getting at the end of December is light rain and absolutely no snow. 

Now, it’s highly unlikely that we won’t get any snow at all, but by this time of year, we’ve usually had a few snowfalls. And yet many people still doubt the fact that climate change is occurring. As always though, when we don’t hear, we feel. But that’s also why we have Jesus as Lord and Saviour; to guide and protect us, to lead us in the way everlasting; in the way of truth and righteousness! Without Him, none of that is possible, for we cannot live a righteous and truthful life in our own strength, especially not with the immense pressure being exerted in these evil times for mankind to renounce the presence of Almighty God and bow to the master of darkness, Beelzebub himself! 

And John, in his first epistle explains that though Satan is fighting to gain power over us, we have all the tools to resist him He writes: ‘Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.’ (1 John 4:1) And that last phrase is the absolute truth my people; false teachers and prophets abound in these ungodly and evil times, and thus numerous spirits are flitting about trying to get a foothold in our lives. 

And yes, the Holy Spirit of God does assure us, but with the many spirits that are currently out and about trying to wreak even more havoc and chaos than is already happening, we still need to be very careful what and whom we listen to, and test whatever we hear. So John explains how we can test those spirits. ‘Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.’ (1 John 4:2-3) 

Now we need to make a distinction between  the person of ‘The Antichrist’ who is supposed to reign in terror over the world during the Great Tribulation, and what John is talking about here, more like a group, a body of ‘antichrists’ who are already in the world deceiving people and turning them away from the truth of God. The scholars tell us that ‘John’s opponents may have claimed to follow Christ, but without accepting that the Son who came in flesh was also one with the Father. This position was held by many Gnostics. John says that the Spirit will enlighten true believers to confess that Christ did come in the flesh. Jesus himself speaks of those who call Him “Lord” but are false followers. (Matt. 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)’ 

Yes friends, there are many around who pretend to be Christians, but are not true followers of Christ, just using His name for their own personal purposes. And per the Gnostics spoken of above: It’s said that ‘Gnosticism is a collection of religious ideas and systems that coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized personal spiritual knowledge above the proto-orthodox teachings, traditions, and authority of religious institutions.’ 

And John continues: ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4) And that’s no lie! Christ who indwells believers is greater than Satan who is trying to cause chaos amongst us. But because we are born of God, and Christ has already defeated Satan, we don’t have to be afraid, just make sure that we are diligent in our worldly dealings. ‘They (those ruled by the spirit of the antichrist) are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.’ (1 John 4:5-6) 

It’s obvious that those who are ruled by the spirit of the antichrist will find the world’s teaching more appealing than the truth of God. And the scholars explain verse six thus: ‘Those who acknowledge the truth of the apostolic (New Testament) witness to Christ will recognize and conform to the teaching John is presenting. Those who do not, are animated by a common and unifying spirit of error. John warns the readers against this spirit by contrasting their false views of Christ with the views that he, a personal follower and witness of Christ proclaims.’ 

Oh my people, our world today is full of heresy, blasphemy and outright lies about our faith, but we know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, our Giver of eternal life and all the other wonderful things like grace and mercy, provided through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in each and every believer. Therefore, we do not need to fear what the world says about us, or does to us, we just need to keep on faithfully believing, following the leading of the Holy Spirit, and be careful of whom and what we let into our lives. Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. 

As one voice: ‘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!’ 

And having activated those blessings, we’re now obligated to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…to truly know Christ and be fruitful in Him…one must be obedient to the Holy Spirit… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 October 2023 Genesis 45:26b.

02 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 45:26b.       And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.

Oh my people, I don’t know what’s happening nuh, but it’s forecasted to be warm and sunny all week, with temps in the low to mid-twenties! Wow! And this in the first week of October to booth! I must say I like this climate change business yes! (smile) But the trees have not been fooled, they’re still cautiously changing the colours of their leaves and preparing for the frosty season, because they know that when it comes, as come it must, it will come without any warning. Anyway, let’s say thanks to our God and enjoy the good weather while it lasts. 

Now, let’s see what’s happening in that enlightening and oh so teachable story of Bruh Joseph. When last we saw him, he’d revealed his identity to his brothers, and all of Pharaoh’s house knew that his brothers had come to him. And strangely enough, this pleased Pharoah and his household so much that Pharaoh commanded Bruh Joseph to give his brothers wagons and food to bring down their father and families to Egypt. ‘…for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ Yes my brethren, when the Lord is working on your behalf, you don’t get favour and goodness in small amounts, but He causes even your enemies to like you and bestow their abundance on you! 

Thus, the Bible reports: ‘And the children of Israel (Jacob) did so: and Joseph gave them wagons (carts), according to the commandment of Pharoah, and gave them provision for the way. To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment (clothing); but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses (donkeys) laden (loaded) with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses (donkeys) laden with corn (grain) and bread and meat (food) for his father by (for) the way. So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out (meet with calamity) by (along) the way.’ (Gen. 45:21-24) 

Ah friends, that is the way families should treat each other. In fact, that is the way all Christians, all believers in Christ Jesus should treat each other; be generous with whatever we have to those in need. Unfortunately though, these are greedy and selfish times, and even supposed believers are not being as generous as they can, or ought to be towards the large amount of people who are suffering from dire want. The body of Christ, the church itself is not as involved as it should be with the poor and needy. But that’s one of Jesus’ intentions behind its formation; a certain help to society in times of need. And we certainly need to improve our efforts in that area if we are to fulfill Christ’s demands. 

Anyway, getting back to the story of Bruh Joseph, the Good Library tells us: ‘And they (Bruh Joseph’s brothers) went up out of Egypt, and into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father. And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.’ (Gen. 45:25-26) They were lucky he didn’t just drop dead on them with the surprise of such news. His favourite son, missing and thought dead for twenty years, is still alive and governor of the most prosperous and powerful land on the planet! Brother! That was more than enough to jolt the heart of an old man. 

But that was not in God’s script. (smile) So Jacob simply felt faint with the amazing news. ‘And (in his disbelief), they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he (Jacob) saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. And Israel (Jacob) said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.’ (Gen. 45:27-28) 

And all yuh still thing our God isn’t a great dramatist? No sir! He is the best! For His Word, from Genesis to Revelation, the sixty-six books are filled with all sorts of drama: good, bad and indifferent! So why don’t we pay more attention to God’s Word then eh? Nothing that man has ever written on his own can even come close to the drama filled words of the Bible, which is the infallible and inerrant Word of God written for man’s benefit through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. 

For as Bruh Paul writes to Timothy, describing the unique character of Scripture: ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine (what to believe), for reproof (what is wrong), for correction (how to correct wrong), for instruction in righteousness (how to live): That the man of God may be perfect (proficient, capable), thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works (having all he needs to do what God wants).’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) 

Yes my fellow saints, the Bible is our Instruction Manual for life down here on Mother Earth! And if we don’t follow its directions, we will pay the price, the consequences for disobedience, sooner or later. For as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) used to say: ‘we reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow.’ And that’s the gospel truth! In one form or another, our misdeeds do not go unpunished. And a good example of that is how the evil deeds of Bruh Joseph’s brothers came back to haunt them long after the fact. 

So please, I plead with us, especially in these very evil and ungodly times, let’s read and study that heavenly written Information Manual and put it into sincere and serious actions in our lives nuh, so that we don’t have to pay serious consequences later on. And the first step in that direction is going to the throne of grace in sincere and humble prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, and asking for divine help in time of earthly need. 

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. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but 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. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And before the Lord will keep His promise, we have to keep ours; turn from our evil ways and sincerely seek His face! That’s the ONLY WAY to enlist divine help! Much LOVE!

…our God is good and forgiving…but like a good parent…He doesn’t put with continual disobedience from His people…when we don’t hear…we feel…  

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 August 2023 Matthew 6:27.

23 Aug 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:27.       Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)?

Well friends, in my neck of the woods, Wednesday opened dark, cloudy and drizzly. And at noon time, as I’m writing the Bit, it is still dark, cloudy and drizzly. (smile) However, I’m very thankful that it’s only a constant drizzle and not a constant downpour as places like California have recently had, courtesy of tropical storm Hilary, that’s led to floods, landslides and all sorts of unfortunate disasters. 

Brother! What a world we’re currently living in! We’re not only plagued by manmade strife, economic deprivation and sickness, but also many natural disasters; severe disruptions to our communities, which exceed our capacity to handle them with our own resources. And we’re talking about things like wildfires all around the globe, floods and structural destruction caused by torrential rainfall from major storms and tornadoes, and the reverse of all that; severe heat waves which lead to eventual drought and famine. 

So, couple all the natural disasters with our propensity to create the man-made kind, it’s no wonder that our world is in a catastrophic situation. And the amazing fact is that it’s a worldwide phenomenon, not only one nation or continent is in disastrous uproar, but all of them. I truly don’t know if our world has ever been in such a state of disruption in a supposed time of peace. 

We blame climate change for a lot of it, and it does have its portion of blame, but more than anything else we beastly humans are the ones to shoulder it, because we caused the sudden change in our climate behavior by abusing the sensitivity of the world’s eco-system with our thoughtless and greedy machinations. 

And above all, we have turned away from the God of our forefathers! Now, unfortunately, not many of us are considering that aspect of our disastrous world situation, and many instead of considering returning to the fold of a generous, merciful and forgiving God, instead are trying to remove Him from our society. We’re so foolish and prideful, arrogant and hardheaded that we can’t realize that will NEVER happen, because the Lord will not allow it to! He will put up with a lot of our foolish, childish shenanigans, but turfing Him out of the universe He created…NEVER! 

And why is it so difficult to believe in God or a Supreme Being, more powerful than us, since we cannot control the vicissitudes, the changes and variations of our own lives? We can’t control our births or death. Some of the strongest of us pass away in an instant at a young age, while some weak and sickly seem to live forever. We cannot control all the natural disasters that are occurring, not even keep them in check, much less stop them from happening. So why do we still insist on this foolish cock-of-the-walk attitude we bandy around eh? 

We don’t truly control anything! And until we wake up and realize the truth of that statement, and realize that Almighty God, the Creator and Controller of this universe still sits on His august throne and simply allows us to play our foolish games, we’ll forever be stymied in our lust for power and control. The world didn’t just evolve from nothing to something. No, it’s too ordered and well defined. It had to be created. Someone or something had to set the parameters. 

Why doesn’t the sea overflow the land every time it boils and churns eh? Or who causes day and night to flow into each other without ever a break, with the sun to light the day and the moon to light the night? Who set and controls the birth of a child and the gestation in its mother’s womb? Why do the seasons; spring, summer, winter and fall occur one after the other without hesitation or departure from the regular cycle? Why do the wild animals, the birds, the bees and all the many insects flourish in their own way, when they have no minds or limbs like man to do the toil and labour that it requires to feed man? 

Jesus said it thus ‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed (beautifully dressed) like one of these.’ (Matt. 6:26-29) 

Now that ought to cause us to sit and ponder what all our pride and arrogance is about, when despite how hard we try, we cannot truly control our lives or the world around us. And if you want a good read on the subject, check out Cousin Sol’s words in Proverbs 8:12-29, his soliloquy on Wisdom. And we’ll stop there for today because it’s already late, and if I say all I want to say, it will be surely too long. (smile) Tomorrow, God spares life, we’ll continue with that trend of thought. 

Now 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 if we endure to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s plan to meet there nuh! (smile) Much LOVE!

…mankind might be God’s most important creation…but nonetheless he needs to remember…that he’s still His servant…totally dependent on Him for life and LOVE…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 July 2023 Proverbs 14:34.

24 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 14:34.        Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach (shame) to any people.

Prologue: Yes, it is late and long, but it’s certainly worthwhile reading and putting into immediate action. (smile) 

Aye Monday, come on down, we’re ready for you. We believers in Christ Jesus are no longer afraid of you and your evil patron, Satan, who try to frighten us into having bad Mondays and not witness properly for our Lord and Saviour. But all of that is over now, because we’re getting rid of our fear of Mondays, and instead ramping up our faith, so that we will not be ashamed of the fearful and ungodly way we behave on Mondays. We’re totally embracing the scripture that says: ‘The Lord has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of LOVE and a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

We’ve talked it for a long time, but now we’re finally putting it into action, beginning with our fear and resentment of Mondays! So, you and your evil buddy, Beelzebub, can try all you want to intimidate us, but it won’t work any longer, because we’ve finally seen the light, the awesome light that is our Leader, Jesus Christ of Nazareth! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ 

Now friends, please don’t make me a liar, or a laughingstock after I’ve put myself on the line. Let’s go out this Monday with plenty vim and vigour, confident that we can make a positive difference in this disaster-filled world. And is it ever filled with natural disasters; droughts, famine, earthquakes, forest fires, floods, pestilences, severe heat waves, like many of us have never seen before, volcano eruptions, you name it, our world is filled with it. 

And we now blame climate change for almost everything that happens to us, and some of it is indeed attributable to changing weather patterns, because we have over the years screwed up the fine balance of the Lord’s system, but what about our own sinful and ungodly behaviour eh? Don’t we think that the rampant, runaway sin that’s currently permeating our world possibly has something to do with the disastrous situations that we’re facing on all corners of the globe. 

We have obviously forgotten these wise words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs: ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach (shame) to any people.’ (Prov. 14:34) And he’s not referring to individual righteousness there, but to a nation that adheres to God’s righteous standards as found in His moral law. And this commentary explains: ‘That means that we can declare if we are doing what Jesus told us to do, if we’re acting like Him, LOVING like Him, forgiving like Him, and boldly declaring God’s Word, then we are righteous. If all believers across the world just simply acted like Jesus, then the nation that they live in will be changed.’ 

And, unfortunately, I don’t know of any nation to which that designation can now be applied, for man’s inhumanity to man has skyrocketed way out of all reasonable proportions. Everywhere you turn is either wars or rumours of war, hate and anger abound, with strife from the highest echelons of the society to the lowest. Dire poverty and economic deprivation are widespread in a world of plenty, sickness is endemic in a world that has taken enormous strides in medicine and technological advancements. 

But the power elite still control most of the earth’s wealth and power, and the rich are getting richer while the poor are indeed getting poorer. And you can classify it as a cliché, and it might be trite or somewhat overused, but it’s still true. Meanwhile racism and religious intolerance and nationalism are on the uptake, bringing with it much despotic and dictatorial rule. What a foolish lot we are to be continually falling for the glib promises, or rather lies, of our politicians, who are only interested in their own aggrandizement. Where will it end eh? 

Remember friends, sin, the original sin of our forefathers Adam and Eve, is what began us down the deadly path on which we’re currently trodding. And what the Lord said through the prophet Ezekiel still stands: ‘The soul that sinneth. It shall die….But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live and not die.’ (Ezek. 18:20a, 21) 

And despite the Lord in His grace, mercy and LOVING-kindness  providing a way out of it for us. That’s through believing in His Son Jesus Christ who came to earth and sacrificed His sinless life so our sins could be paid for, we are still mired very deeply in sin. Bruh Paul writes to the church at Corinth: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 1:21). 

That certainly hasn’t done us much good, for there are few places in our world right now where serious strife isn’t taking place or being fomented. We all seem to be unhappy about something, and instead of trying to work it out peacefully with our neighbours, like the Bible wisely advises, the trend is to escalate the situation. Chuh! What a foolish animal is mankind! He can’t see the forest for the trees, and every move he makes, just seems to make matters worse, because selfishness and greed are so prevalent. It’s all about me, myself and I, for those who still use those pronouns. 

These are the words we ought to live by: ‘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 in (depends on) you, live peacefully with all men… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17-18, 21) 

And I know to some of us, that might sound rather simplistic, but friends, the truth is usually simple, it’s we who tend to make it complex, because we wrongly belief that simplicity is not powerful enough for us to live on. But it surely is. Just look at how Leader, Jesus Christ lived down here on earth nuh; it was a quiet, simple but powerful and difference-making life, an example that we His sincere believers ought to follow, instead of the noise, the clamour. strife and complexity that the enemy is gladly feeding into our lives, and we are foolishly sucking up. 

Oh my fellow saints, remember we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, that means we ought to be setting the example for the world, so that they can see Jesus mirrored in our words and actions. So please, please, I plead with us that from today, from this time henceforth we WILL fully embrace the example of Jesus and let our salt and light shine forth and reinvigorate our badly damaged world, so we can begin to heal it. That’s all Jesus is asking of us. Now, let’s lift our heads, hands, hearts and eyes heavenward, and through our Monday Morning battle Hymn, invoke the divine help of our heavenly Father. 

As one sincere 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. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but 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. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And having made all those requests, it now behooves us to change our evil ways, and live a godly and righteous life, if we truly desire to see heavenly help. Much LOVE!

…sin is what drives us away from God…but when it overwhelms us…it’s also what points us back…to the everlasting arms of God… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 July 2023 Psalm 40:4.

21 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 40:4.       Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Then it was Friday, with all its fanfare: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend’s here!’ And though Friday opened a tad on the cool side, it promises great things, like sunshine and blue skies. But beware, the promises of the weather these days are not very trustworthy, what with all the instability and unpredictability that’s showing up in the disaster we term climate change. (smile) 

Promises on the whole in our unfaithful and distrustful society are no longer worth the paper they‘re written on or the wind on which they’re spoken, because most of them are made to serve selfish and evil purposes. They’re not like the promises of Almighty God who faithfully makes them and never breaks them. 

But sadly, even in these trying times, when many things are not what they seem, we still appear to accept the promises of man more than those of God. Even when the biggest human activity today is fraud and deceit, where scams are prevalent in almost everything, where you’re afraid to pick up your phone because the person on the other side is most likely trying to defraud you out of your life savings or some such ungodly act, we still tend to trust humans more than God. 

And then, when we suffer the irreversible damage, we whine and complain about people not being honest and not keeping promises etc. etc. But haven’t we read the Bible, which warns us so often about trusting man and his offspring. Haven’t we read since Moses was a boy, (smile) what Psalm 118 so directly says: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps. 118:8-9) 

Yes friends, man’s trust can, and will waver, be he an important personage or lowly nobody, simply because he is man; a frail, feeble sinful, greedy and imperfect creation. However, God’s trust will never waver because He is the exact opposite of mankind; strong, holy and perfect! And the Good Library repeats it over and over. So, if you don’t believe me, then let’s look at some of those scriptures which deal directly with the wisdom of trusting God and not man. 

Listen to Bruh David as he writes in Psalm 40 – Praise for God’s Deliverance. ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings (steps). And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps. 40:1-4) 

There we have it friends, simple and straightforward. You trust in the Lord and He will see you through, because He has the awesome power to do it, whereas mankind doesn’t! Now hear how Isaiah puts it. ‘Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and stay (rely) on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord… Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen (helped) shall fall (perish) together.’ (Is. 31:1, 3) 

That was the Lord’s rebuke to Israel for going down to Egypt for help to fight their enemies without first consulting Him. Then Jeremiah calls it this way. ‘Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man (man’s strength), and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath (a shrub) in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.’ (Jer. 17:5-6) 

Ah mih people, yuh see how the Lord is mightily displeased when we don’t come to Him first in all our endeavours, when we don’t show Him the amazing trust that He deserves! And these words of psalm 146, serve as a fitting end to our scriptures for today.

 ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah), Praise ye the Lord, O my soul. While I live I will praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (a human being), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever.’ (Ps. 146:1-6) 

Now there’s a perfect picture of the wise man! Please my fellow saints, it’s of the utmost importance, especially in these untrustworthy times, that we don’t put our trust in evil and fragile man, but in the Lord God Almighty who created us and always has our best interests at heart. So, let’s go to the throne of grace now, and through our Friday Chant, ask for divine help to solve our many problems. 

Altogether now: ‘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 as always, the best way to get divine help is by changing our ways and becoming obedient to God’s will. Much LOVE!

…trust should only be placed in the trustworthy…that’s God and not man…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 July 2023 Joshua 1:9.

13 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 1:9.       Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.

And after a late night, early morning of constant drizzle, Thursday has opened sunny and cool, but with some cloudy overtones. The computer is saying it’s going to be windy and humid. But in these days of climate change anything is possible, so we just have to learn to handle whatever comes against us weatherwise, like we have learned to handle whatever circumstances come against us in our regular lives. 

And it all begins with knowing, and even more importantly living like Jesus Christ is our true and enabling Lord and Saviour. As he says, without Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5). But then again, we can do ALL things though Christ who strengthens and enables us! (Phil. 4:13) And don’t forget either that God’s grace is sufficient for all we do, because His strength (power) is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9) 

Wow! What a mighty force is our God! And He ought to be, since He created the earth, the heavens, the seas and all therein, and also controls everything within them, so that all the hairs of our heads are numbered and not even one grain of it falls of and He doesn’t know it. Neither does even one little sparrow, which is a cheap and seemingly unimportant bird die and the Lord doesn’t know it. (Matt. 10:29-32) 

So, taking all of that into consideration, the question then becomes, why are we who claim to be great believers in Almighty God, with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour are so fearful of the things of the world and the evil that lurks therein? Remember Jesus said quite authoritatively: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) 

And, if you didn’t know it, the ONLY One who can destroy both our souls and bodies is the Lord God Almighty! That means, if we’re to fear any Being, it’s Jehovah God we should fear! But since He’s our heavenly Father, having adopted us after Christ died and paid for our sins, (Rom. 8:14-15) and therefore LOVES us with a mighty unconditional LOVE, there’s no need to fear Him in the true sense of the word, but to reverence, to honour and obey Him, like children do their fathers. 

But unfortunately, that is something too many of us on this disaster-filled planet are not doing, that’s why our lives are so pitiable and miserable! If we don’t have the LOVE and reverence of God in us, how can we ever live joyful and successful lives eh? Remember, the Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Neh. 8:10) 

And remember too, these amazing and wise words from the mouth of the Lord Himself to Joshua. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly 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 then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) 

Oh my brethren that’s all we really need to know yes! Read and constantly meditate on God’s Word, then put it into action in our lives! That’s it in a nutshell! But how many of us even read the Lord’s Word, much less meditate on it, and live it? Not nearly enough! And if you didn’t believe what the Lord said to Joshua back there, then listen to what He followed it up with: ‘Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) 

Mama Mia my fellow saints! What else do we need for God to do for us or to tell us eh, before we can live the way He desires of us? He’s told us to read and study His word, then live it. Then to not be afraid but strong and courageous because He’s with us wherever we go. Then to crown it all, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us so that our sin debt could be paid in full and give us the option of spending eternity in His marvellous company…

What else do we need eh? For Him to come and hold each of our hands personally and lead us over the threshold of heaven? Brother! We’ve become such frail, feeble and fearful folks that even when we’ve been given everything we need to live the abundant and successful life that Jesus died for us to have, we’re still mewling and afraid like little children. 

Sorry, I take that back, little children might be afraid, but they have confidence in their parents and elders and follow them anyway. But we obviously don’t have the confidence we’re supposed to have in Christ Jesus, our heavenly Father, neither the Holy Spirit, who all bend over backwards to help us! 

And furthermore, we can’t even stay united as one church, one body of Christ like we should be, but allow the enemy to divide and conquer us with all the foolish divisions and denominations we’ve created and all the petty and selfish things that we foolishly use to keep us apart. When are we going to wake up and realize that unless there is more unity in Christ’s church, that we can never win the war we’re supposed to be fighting? We talk such a good talk, but our walk is woeful in comparison, not nearly as good as it ought to be. 

And though I’m chuckling here at what I’ve written, because I never came out to write it, but apparently was led there by the Holy Spirit, because we definitely do need to wake up and get working for Christ if we ever expect to see positive changes in our world anytime soon. Let’s hope that this will be a wakeup call for many of us, and believers in Christ will begin doing what they need to do: read and study God’s word, then live it with courage and strength of purpose! 

And now, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. As one voice: ‘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, we desperately need to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…we have all the tools for abundant and successful living…why aren’t we using them to enrich our world like Jesus desires… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 May 2023 Luke 18:1.

17 May 2023 Leave a comment

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

Luke 18:1.       He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought to pray and not faint.

Now what’s happening weatherwise eh? Last Wednesday I said that that would be three consecutive days of bright sunshine, and this Wednesday, we’re still counting. (smile) As the old folks would say, beware of what you ask for, for when you get it, you’ll realize that it was not all it was cracked up to be. And so many steady days of sunshine without even a drop of heavenly blessing is definitely not good. Just note the heat and lack of rain that caused the wildfires out in Alberta, that by the way, are still burning. It’s never good to have too much or too little of anything…well, except where sin is concerned – a little is always good. (smile) 

But since we’ve tampered with God’s finely tuned and balanced weather systems with all the pollution we’ve released into the atmosphere and the water, there’s not much we can do about it, except to pray. Some of us are making a rather belated effort to try and clean things up, but climate change didn’t happen overnight, it took some time to get to this stage where we’re feeling the dastardly effects. 

And it’s not that we weren’t warned about the dangers of polluting our atmosphere and water a long time ago, but in the usual high-handed, arrogant manner of mankind, we, or rather those in power and those whose wealth would be affected by any reduction of the pollution, refused to believe that negative stuff could happen if we continued our stubborn, greedy activities. 

Now we’re paying the price for it. And would you believe that there’s a sizeable portion of our population that still don’t believe that climate change is a reality at all, much less a worsening one. And as always, it’s mainly those in a position of power and wealth, who stand to lose the most if cleaner methods of production were instigated. That means, no real improvement can be implemented if those who have the power to make a difference don’t agree to do so. So what do we do eh? 

As I said before, pray. That’s our most powerful weapon. And all of us pray to some God or other, and we claim to believe in prayer, so it’s time for us to shut up and put up! It’s time for us to unite, despite our faith, get down on our knees and pray that the negative and very difficult situations that are already causing calamity all around the globe, would be changed, or at least slowed down or halted by the blessed hand of our powerful and merciful God. Individually, we also need to do whatever we can to lessen pollution. It might just be a small deed like not throwing plastic in the water or the land fill, but each individual act when put together can make some significant difference. 

Although, who knows if we stop all our polluting that our weather systems and the chunk we’ve taken out of our protective ozone layer would return to its original state? Maybe we’ve already gone too far, and we now have to grin and bear the calamitous effects that are coming our way. However, some of us do believe in the God who created the universe and all therein, that’s the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whom we believe can do anything He so desires. And how do we communicate with this magnificent Deity, through the medium of prayer, which is basically talking to Him, expressing our desires and listening to Him as He answers our prayers. 

And there’s no more telling duty or requirement in all faiths than to pray. In the Christiaan faith, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made that very clear when He advised His followers thus. ‘He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought to pray and not faint.’ (Luke 18:1) That’s mankind ought to keep on praying and not lose heart or give up, for prayer is the most important privilege we have, and we must use it. 

And being the honourable kind of man He was, He didn’t give advice and not keep it Himself, like the scribes and Pharisees did. While down here on earth, though being God, a member of the Holy Trinity, He always made time to pray to the Father in heaven, so that He could know the Father’s will, and have His human spirit be replenished to enable Him to fulfill His destiny. And there’s no better example of that than on the night before His crucifixion, when He was filled with anguish and torment over the upcoming ‘sufferation’. He repaired to the Garden of Gethsemane and devoted Himself to prayer. 

Three times He cried out to His Father asking if the cup of ‘sufferation’ could be removed, ending each time with the statement, ‘not my will but thine be done.’ (Matt. 26:39) But He received no answer whatsoever. That’s because He knew, as well as the Father did, that there was no other way to forgive the abominable sins of man righteously and justly without Him paying the high, dehumanizing price it required. The Bible, God’s Word says: ‘For the wages of sin is death.’ (Rom. 6:23) 

That means for sin to be considered paid for, death has to occur. And not any ordinary human being, but someone who was sinless. And since Jesus was the only sinless person available, the awful task fell to Him. And though the Father did not answer Jesus’ prayer, the gospel of Luke tells us that in his time of agony, that ‘He prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was like it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.’ (Luke 22:43-44) 

So, the Father did not leave Him completely hopeless; He strengthened Him so that He could perform the necessary task. And that’s how He often is with us too. We might want to get away from something, but in His will or plan for us, He believes it necessary for us to go through the trial, so instead He gives us the grace, the strength, the anointing to face the problem. And we should also note what Jesus said to the disciples in the Garden when He found them sleeping instead of praying. ‘What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt. 26:40-41) 

And that’s the gospel truth my people, our spirit is willing to keep us praying, but our flesh is weak and doesn’t want to do it. That’s why Bruh Paul in all his missives advised his readers to pray. To the Thessalonians he wrote: ‘Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:17-18)

 Meanwhile to the Ephesians at the end of his treatise on putting on the armour of God (Eph. 6:10-17) he exhorted them: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:18) So although one puts on the protective armour of God, prayer is still essential to making it work. 

Oh my fellow saints, please,  let’s understand that the Christian life is based on prayer, and it’s to our benefit, not God’s, to have a good prayer life. Now, for those of who know and understand that and try to implement it, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) 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 the beauty of it all friends, is that if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious that we can ever ask or imagine! Let’s therefore use that as encouragement and inspiration to stick with Jesus right to the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…prayer is our biggest privilege…and like most things…if we don’t use it…we lose it… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 August 2022   2 Corinthians 12:9a.

30 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 12:9a.        My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.

Well, it seems like today we might at last get some of the rain promised yesterday, after strong winds blew away the rain clouds. The skies are dark outside and a sprinkle of heavenly blessing has already fallen. But who knows, in these days of climate change anything is possible. So many times in the recent past we’ve been promised rain, and did see dark clouds all around, but no rain fell, at least in my area. (smile) 

But just to show how crazy our world has gotten, I recently read that in some eastern European country, two top meteorologists were fired when they forecasted a big storm for some national holiday and thus all the celebrations were postponed. But unfortunately, no storm happened. Imagine the ignorance in that nuh! Weather forecasting is an inexact science, so you can’t hold the forecasters to any rigid details, especially when our weather patterns have recently changed and are still changing as we speak. 

But I guess that’s life in these modern times. That’s why it’s ever so important for us to have Jesus as the foundation, the veritable anchor in our lives, so that those kinds of unfortunate things don’t get us too down and eventually drive us crazy. And to help us handle the madness of today’s world, promises of Jesus, like this one, should be indelibly stenciled in the forefront of our minds: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) 

Now that’s a most reassuring scripture! It won’t always change our circumstances, but it will surely help us to handle those circumstances in a more positive manner, driving away the desire to give up on our faith and our lives. And per the earthly life, that’s one of the major reasons to believe in Jesus. He doesn’t take away all our problems, but helps us to handle them in a positive manner. 

Too many of us supposed believers though, think that as soon as we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour that life will just run as smoothly as a rippling stream. But that’s a total fallacy, for sometimes life gets more complicated with more problems as Jesus allows stuff to enter our lives to test our faith, to see how strong we really are. And whatever comes against us, God will give us all the grace we need to handle the situation. We need to believe that very deeply. 

And we have the perfect example of that in Bruh Paul’s situation in 2 Corinthians 12, where he had some thorn in his flesh, nobody knows for sure what it was, some malady, sickness or affliction that was obviously causing him problems and three times he asked the Lord to take it away but the Lord refused, telling him: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’  (2 Cor. 12:9a) 

So, sometimes when we pray for relief from a problem, that’s the kind of answer we may receive, and then we must do like Bruh Paul did when he received that answer to his problem. He went on to say: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.’ (2 Cor, 12:9b-10) 

Yes friends, though it’s never easy, sometimes we just have to grin and bear our problems, knowing that the grace of God is always with us, even when we seem to be at our lowest and most hurting point. All of us have strengths and weaknesses, and as we glory in the strengths, so should we accept the weaknesses or flaws, knowing that God will not allow them to destroy us, if we are faithful to Him and His word. 

Oh, living the real Christian life was never meant to be easy, a Sunday stroll in the park, but it surely is an interesting life, with all sorts of unexpected adventures, both good and bad. And when the bad ones come upon us, we need to remember these soul-searching words of Peter, as he writes about us being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

But rejoice, inasmuch as (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings: that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.’ (1 Pet. 4:12-14) 

Yes mih bredrin, we will all suffer some kind of reproach or insult on Christ’s behalf, but we need to take it in our stride and not always react in the same manner, but consider it a blessing, because the Spirit of God dwells within us and gives us the power and the grace to handle whatever comes against us in Jesus’ name. Remember how Jesus said it in the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12) 

And yes, it will be difficult to rejoice when you are being persecuted, be it physically or through slander and blasphemy. But the scholars offer this interesting explanation of that last verse. ‘5:12. Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase Rejoice, and be exceeding glad means even more, exult! Great is your reward in heaven focusses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is as real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’ 

Now that’s saying a mouthful, but it’s the awesome truth. If all that we believe is true, then the earthly troubles we encounter are no match for the heavenly rewards to come. And we need to believe that and hold on to it tightly, otherwise we won’t be able to handle the earthly problems properly. And the only way to do that successfully is by constantly delving deep in the word of God, talking to Him through constant prayer, and fellowshipping regularly with other believers! 

Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live that way, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we proudly belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and confident 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!’ 

And now my fellow believers, it behooves us to 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!

…God’s grace is never in short supply…there’s always enough to see us through every problem… 

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

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