The Amazing and Overwhelming Importance of The Cross of Christ in the Christian Faith!

19 May 2026 Leave a comment

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 May 2026   1 Thessalonians 5:9.

1 Thessalonians 5:9.         For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

And then it was Tuesday; meaning all the Victoria Day celebrations over, and we need to get back to the daily grind and common task, called work. (smile) Let’s hope the celebrations were enjoyable but were not overdone, that we took the sage advice of Cousin Sol and Bruh Paul and exerted a modicum of circumspection, (smile) and also that there weren’t a lot of sick calls to work this morning, for that just spoils the employer’s attitude over public holidays, especially when they have to still pay their employees.

As for me, I didn’t do any real celebrating, but I did get to begin my summer ritual of sitting  on my front porch and watching people go by with their many dogs and few children. Ah Lord eh! Dogs seem to have taken first place over children. And it’s amazing what you can see and hear while people pass by and don’t even notice you, although you’re sitting in full sight. You can only shake your head and wonder what’s happening; what our world will be like some fifty years hence, that is if we haven’t totally destroyed it by then.

Anyway before I came down to write the Bit, I had a breath of fresh air and felt the sun strong on my arthritic bones. Oh what a good feeling that was! As they say, you never know the good things you have until you no longer have them. And sadly, it seems like this spell of summer weather will end sometime this week and we’ll go back to temps in the mid-teens or thereabouts. Hopefully that will be just for a short while though, and we’ll soon get the real heat, when we’ll begin to complain about how hot it is, and how it’s too hot. (smile) We’re never satisfied are we?

However, on this warm, sunny May Tuesday, we’re going to declare a 10th Century African Prayer, found in the Toronto Anglican Diocese 2025 publication ‘Prayers Through the Ages,’ Daily prayers for spiritual renewal. So please pray with me: ‘The cross is the hope of Christians The cross is the resurrection of the dead The cross is the way of the lost The cross is the saviour of the lost The cross is the staff of the lame The cross is the strength of the weak

The cross is the doctor of the sick The cross is the aim of the priests The cross is the hope of the hopeless The cross is the freedom of the slaves The cross is the power of kings The cross is the water of the weeds The cross is the consolation of the bondman The cross is the source of those who seek water The cross is the cloth of the naked We thank you, Father, for the cross.’

And do we ever thank the Lord for the cross, because it’s the basic foundation of our faith, of all that we are and stand for! Yes friends, without the cross of Christ we’d all be lost forever in the darkness of the devil and this evil world. But through the coming of Christ and his death on the cross, our sins have been forgiven and we’ve finally seen the light; Jesus, the light of the world! As He so rightly said: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) And that’s why we Christians have the life of light, as well as the light of life! (smile) 

And isn’t it amazing that the cross is truly the basis of all the prayer states: ‘The hope of Christians; the resurrection of the dead; the way of the lost; the saviour of the lost; the staff of the lame; the strength of the weak; the doctor of the sick; the aim of the priests; the hope of the hopeless, the freedom of the slaves; the power of kings; etc. etc.’ Yes my brethren, the cross of Christ holds the answer to every question and problem our world has or can ever devise. That’s how important it is. We can run to it for whatever we need, whatever ails us or is trying to tear us apart.

At the foot of Christ cross, we can place all our worries and ailments and receive hope for the future. Nothing else in this world has the power to do that! No wonder the cross has become the symbol of Christianity, because it’s everything to us. It’s where the forgiveness of our sins was purchased, with Jesus, even as He hung on that old rugged cross, asking ‘Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do.’  (Luke 23:34) Yes, those who crucified Christ, had no inkling whatsoever of what they were doing. They thought that they were getting rid of an opponent, but the truth was that He came to earth to be crucified and pay our sin debt. So what they were doing was just the playing out of the Lord’s plans.

And Christ’s resurrection on the third day, made our lives even better, for not only were our sins forgiven, but with His resurrection, we also received the totality of salvation and eternal life! All thanks and praise to our wonderful God! It’s As Bruh Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. ‘For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together (encourage each other), and edify (build up) one another, even as also ye do (are doing).’ (1 Thess. 5:9-11)

That’s it in a nutshell, my fellow believers! God, through Christ, made a way for us, where there seemed to be absolutely no way. So please, let’s not abuse or reject it, but gladly grab hold of it, cherish it, and stay with it until the end! Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

And if we truly meant it, then we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…the cross of Christ…the symbol of everything good and true…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 November 2021 Proverbs 13:20.

20 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 13:20.     He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Okay friends, it’s Saturday morning, and like the last few days, we can’t tell whether it’s going to be cloudy or sunshiny because it keeps changing from one to the other. You’d wake up and look outside, like I did this morning, and see bright sunshine and give thanks for a sunshiny day, but a little while later when you again look out, it’s become cloudy. 

Chuh! The day can’t seem to make up its mind, but we don’t have any trouble doing that with Jesus in our lives. So let’s give thanks for our first blessing of the day nuh; that is, we woke up this morning. Praise the Lord! Our heavenly Father was graceful and merciful enough to allow His breath of life to keep flowing through our bodies, and for that we ought to be ever thankful, because from that flows everything else. Without breath we can’t do anything. Consequently, let’s say thank you Lord for waking me this morning, and ask that you stay with me throughout the entire day since I can’t get through it successfully without your help. Thank You Lord! Amen! 

And now that we’ve given sincere thanks, (smile) let’s turn to the ordinary matters of the day, like checking out the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one declares: ‘It’s not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters.’ That’s the indisputable truth! It’s the people around you that make you and your life successful and worthwhile, or not. 

You can have all the wealth and possessions in the world and still be unhappy because you don’t have true and decent people around you. But then, with the right people around you and not a penny in your pocket, you can have a joyful life. Possessions don’t make the man, it’s the people around him. 

That’s why this next quote strongly advises: ‘Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” And do we ever need that kind of companion in these turbulent and deceitful times my brethren. For as Cousin Sol warns in Proverbs: ‘He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.’ (Prov. 13:20) That’s because both wisdom and folly can be transferred by association, so you need to associate with those who are higher up the ladder than you, who can teach you something worthwhile and lift you up to their level, not people who will drag you down to theirs. 

And therein is the reason Bruh Paul warned in his first epistle to the church at Corinth: ‘Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt (bad company corrupts) good manners (habits).’ (1 Cor. 13:33) Or as one translation puts it: ‘Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”  And Cousin Sol tells us on that subject; ‘A man that hath friends must show himself friendly (or may come to ruin): and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.’ (Prov. 18:24) In other words a man with a lot of unreliable friends usually comes to ruin, while a few worthy friends are ofttimes worth more than a brother. 

We see that writ larger than life in all the hangers ons found in the entourages of today’s celebrities. When they are on top of the world, they have numerous people hanging around them calling themselves friends, but as soon as their sun wanes, the so-called friends, drift away, because there’s no more free life left to be had. And in all of that is the implied advice that you need Christian people around you, people who pray, who have the same basic objectives and beliefs like you. 

No wonder Bruh Paul advised the Thessalonians: ‘Wherefore comfort yourselves together (encourage each other), and edify (build up) one another, even as also ye do (are already doing). (1 Thess. 5:11) So in plain today language, he’s saying: ‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing right now.’ And we also see the results of prayer in friendships, for after Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:10)

 Meanwhile, the next quote says: ‘Friendship is when people know all about you but like you anyway.’ More awesome truth there my fellow saints! That’s the backbone of true friendship, liking each other despite our faults and foibles. We all have weaknesses and idiosyncrasies, so if we turn away as soon as we espy some difference, something we don’t particularly like in another, then we won’t have any friends or friendships at all. That’s why it’s ever so important to limit the number of your friends, and also to know them as intimately as possible, and make sure you all are on the same basic page. 

Cousin Sol, in his inimitable, unique manner, describes friendship thus: ‘Ointment and perfume rejoice (delight) the heart; so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel (counsel of the soul).’ (Prov. 27:9) Or as one translation puts it: ‘Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.’ Or more succinctly, ‘A sweet friendship refreshes the soul’ And there’s no doubting the awesome truth of those words, because that’s the whole basis of friendship, to help, encourage and look out for each other. 

And the following quote shows up that contention in spades. ‘You find out who your real friends are when you’re involved in a scandal.’ Now that one takes the cake…because it’s oh so true! We see it blown up in the media every day in the lives of the politicians, the celebrities, the wealthy and the powerful. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t also happen in the lives of the lesser known individuals, it just doesn’t get as much exposure. Right now that kind of stuff is what’s driving the news and social media platforms. 

Those who were supposedly friends before the scandal broke, are now dishing dirt on their earlier relationships, either to extricate themselves from any fallout, or for their own aggrandizement. There’s absolutely no solidarity or having each other’s back in our crazy, angry, deceitful, selfish and totally misled world. And we see that in the exchanges between Job and his supposed friends. They lay grief on him, without knowing the truth of the situation, but he replies. ‘To him that is afflicted (in despair) pity (kindness) should be showed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.’ (Job. 6:14) Or, “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.” 

If you can’t be kind to a friend, then whom will you be kind to eh? That brings us to this last quote. ‘In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips.’ And you better had believe it! Please note, how a cookie isn’t chocked full of chocolate chips, but only a handful, and the few that it contains are spread around, so that you can taste one with each bite. That’s the way friends and friendships are; few and far between, but sturdy and close enough to make a difference in a time of need. 

So, please my fellow saints, let’s concentrate on making a few, good, close, sturdy, long lasting friendships that will uplift our lives and the lives of those around us, with Jesus as the basic foundation of them all. Much LOVE!

…friendship is like the ice cream on a cone…or like the icing on a cake…they complement each other so well… 

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