Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 December 2023 Colossians 3:23.

08 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:23.       And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men.

And then it was Friday, that magical day we all long for and pray to see, so that we can joyfully declare: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ And we don’t care so much what the weather is like once it’s Friday and our work week is winding down. And by the way, today will be mostly cloudy, though somewhat warmer than normal. 

But what a way our society doesn’t treasure work eh! Some of us will do anything to get away from it, even when doing nothing is more difficult than working. I’ve seen people go to a job and spend the entire 8 or twelve hours trying to shirk the li’l work involved. But come quitting time and payday, they’re brazen enough to find fault, although they haven’t performed their duties to the best of their abilities. But that’s the way of life these days! 

The level of supposed entitlement is dreadfully high in today’s wasteful and lazy society. Don’t know how we got to that awful stage, but hopefully though, true believers in Christ, who are expected to do their best under all circumstances, will not fall into that trap of Satan. And yes, sometimes that’s difficult, especially when you see others continually lazing around with no adverse consequences, and receiving the same remuneration as yourself. 

Let’s remember though my brethren that in the long run, we are working for Almighty God, not for men, and He expects us to put our best foot forward at all times, even when it’s difficult and/or unfair. As Bruh Paul writes so emphatically to the Colossians, in the passage where he describes some of the duties and responsibilities of husbands and wives, fathers, children and slaves: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ (Col. 3:23-24) 

Yes friends, whatever we do, whatever kind of work we are doing, we ought to work heartily at it. In other words ‘with all your heart and all the different ways that plays out in scripture, with Christ-like character, with honesty, with diligence, with integrity, with humility.’ And why is that you ask? The second verse answers the question. We know that if we do as the Lord desires, we will receive an inheritance of reward from Him, for we are serving Christ. 

And then this last verse in the passage confirms the wisdom of working as for the Lord and not for man. ‘But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:25) There we have it my brethren; however we do our work, there shall be consequences involved, either good or bad, but that depends entirely on us. 

And not only Bruh Paul encourages us to work diligently, but Cousin Sol, as he is won’t to do, (smile) also has a take on the subject. Writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, in a passage where he extols his readers to live joyfully, he exhorts: ‘Live joyfully (enjoy life) with the wife whom thou LOVEST all the days of the life of thy vanity (empty life), which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest (performest) under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.’ (Eccl. 9:10) 

Trust Cousin Sol to say it like it is. We ought to enjoy our lives, for that’s our portion granted to us by God. Whatever we’re doing then, we ought to do it well, for there’s no work where we’re all going to end up eventually; that’s the grave. That reminds us of another scripture, where Bruh Paul is writing to the church at Rome, telling them about overcoming evil with good. Part of the passage exhorts believers to ‘Be kindly affectioned (be affectionate) one to another, with brotherly LOVE, in honour preferring (giving preference to) one another; Not slothful in business (lagging in diligence), fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.’ (Rom. 12:10-11)  

There we have it again my people; the importance of doing whatever we do well, because it’s ultimately in the Lord’s service! And earlier in Colossians chapter 3, where Bruh Paul talks about putting on the new man, he ends with these encouraging words. ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:17) So we see my fellow saints, that it’s not only our work we should be diligent in, and do it as unto God rather than men, but whatever we say or do in this life ought to be done in Christ’s name, so that the Father can get the thanks and glory, He so well deserves. 

And having said all of that, let’s now go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help to do all that we’ve spoken about. 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!’ 

And as we all know, the first rule in receiving divine help is to repent of our sins and change our evil ways, and become truly faithful believers. So let’s set about doing those things nuh! Much LOVE!

…Jesus expects diligence and excellence…in ALL things…from His followers…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 October 2023 Colossians 3:17.

30 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:17.       Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Is it Monday already? Yes! But how can it be, when the weekend just began, and I haven’t recovered from last week’s work as yet! (smile) Oh, I know that’s a question that floats around the world every Monday morning. The insinuation is that the two days off over the weekend are not sufficient to recuperate from the five days of consecutive work. And in some places and professions this has been accepted and a four-day work week has been implemented. 

But I can assure you that come Monday morning after the three-day weekend, the result is exactly the same as after the two-day weekend. The time off was not enough! But I believe what happens in that instance is that there’s too much time off between work periods. We get so accustomed to being at home, relaxing for three days, that it then becomes difficult to resuscitate ourselves, to get ourselves back into the work ethic frame of mind. And it will be even worse when we go to the three-day work week, as some are advocating for. 

And how do we solve this problem eh? I really don’t know, and can only suggest that we become true and serious disciples of Jesus Christ and sincerely embrace His work ethic, one of constant diligence and excellence and complete obedience to will of the Father. And as the Bible teaches us, ‘Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:17) That’s the only way my finite mind can think of to get rid of the Monday morning blahs, and all the foolish excuses we dredge up not to go to work. (smile) 

And the scholars agree with me, when they explain that verse thus: ‘The beneficial influence produced by the indwelling word of Christ is not only to affect public and private worship (vs. 16), but it is also to control ALL areas of Christian life.’ Yuh see that friends, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is responsible for all we believers do, to keep us on the straight and narrow path. And I know telling you to look up verse 16 for yourself  is a waste of time, (smile) so let’s look at it together. It wisely advises: ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.’ (Col. 3:16) 

And as the scholars explain: ‘When believers are forbearing, forgiving (vs. 13), and LOVING (vs. 14), toward one another, when peace reigns among God’s people (vs. 15), then the church is fertile soil for the blessings produced by the word of Christ.’  And that is what we’re supposed to be striving for; making the church of Christ’s soil fertile for His rich blessings by living in peace, harmony and LOVE with each other, regardless of our colour, creed or race. 

Remember, yesterday we noted where Jesus said that He had two flocks, Jews and Gentiles, which He would eventually combine into ONE, with only ONE Shepherd. (John 10:16) That means if the two flocks don’t behave the way Jesus wants, then the whole show will crumble. And sadly, that’s exactly what’s happening today; there are too many divisions and denominations in the church, with too many petty differences driving and keeping them apart. That’s why Jesus said to the disciples: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) 

Now, are we keeping that commandment my fellow believers? Not on your life! There’s more infighting and petty resentments in the church than in Satan’s kingdom! That ought to tell us something! That we’re not true disciples of Christ. If we were, there wouldn’t be so many divisions and as much infighting in Christ’s church. We’d be standing proud in unity and working diligently to defeat the enemy by spreading Christ’s gospel all around the world like He asked us to do. But no, we’re so busy fighting each other that in the meanwhile the enemy is taking over the world, and the evildoers are being triumphant. 

What saddens me the most, is that the enemy doesn’t even have to use the usual tactic of divide and conquer, because we are dividing ourselves and allowing him to thus get the better of us. And to make matters even worse, too many of us supposed believers have gotten so comfortable in this evil world, surrounded by all its’ amenities, that we’re much more interested in sitting on our fannies and enjoying our creature comforts than getting out into the evil world and teaching others about the wonderful Lord and Saviour we have in Christ Jesus. 

That’s why they say the worst kind of Christian is a comfortable Christian. And it’s the truth in spades! When we get too comfortable we don’t want to make any sacrifices for Christ. And I’m sure Jesus is not happy with the poor performance of His church in spreading the good news of His kingdom, and the longer we continue to fight each other, and not do what Jesus demands of us, the worse things are going to become. So what’s the answer eh? The first thing for a believer to always do is pray. So let’s take that step right now by going to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn asking for divine help to solve our many earthly problems. 

Altogether now: ‘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 if we listen closely to our prayer, we’ll realize that to get divine help, we first have to turn from our evil ways and sincerely seek God’s face. And until we do that, nothing’s going to change in our favour! Much LOVE!

…whether therefore ye eat or drink…whatsoever ye do…do all to the glory of God… (1 Cor. 10:31) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit    12 September 2023 Genesis 41:16.

12 Sep 2023 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 41:16. It is not me: God shall give Pharoah an answer of peace.

Well, at long last the rain which has been promised by the weather forecasters and the intense cloudiness of the last few days, eventually arrived this Tuesday morning! And thankfully, not in humongous showers like some places have been recently receiving, but in a steady drizzle, which hopefully gives the land the opportunity to soak it up and avoid the disastrous flood situations that’s been happening around the world recently. Our world is certainly in disaster mode, but that’s why we’re here, why we’ve been chosen for just such a time like this, because we have the wherewithal from Almighty God to make things better. 

Our job is always to make things better, improve human life. The question is whether we are doing that, and if so, whether it’s to our fullest ability? Remember Christ expects diligence and excellence from His followers. So, hopefully, we’re all doing as best as we can, for come the judgement day, the Lord won’t ask us about anybody else nuh. No, He’ll only ask about what WE did with the talents that He gave us. That means we’ve got to stop looking at, and comparing ourselves with others, and get on with our personal tasks. 

And now it’s time to return to that amazing saga of Bruh Joseph. I wonder, with all the unfair and unjust things that have happened to him so far, how many of us would have lived up to his faithfulness? Not many I believe. Most of us would have been downright annoyed with God, angrily claiming that we’re doing right, and only unfair and unjust things are happening to us. Some of us might have already turned away from Him. 

But thankfully Bruh Joseph stayed the course, as we sincere believers are expected to do. We need to believe God’s promise that eventually He will work all things out for our good. And what a catastrophe it would have been if Bruh Joseph had given up on God’s promises. But he held it all together, despite the trials he faced. And as the Lord would have it, we saw yesterday how Pharaoh dreamed two dreams he did not understand and none of his wise men or magicians could interpret them either. 

And the Word says: ‘Then spake the chief butler unto Pharoah, saying, I do remember my faults this day: Pharaoh was wroth (angry) with his servants, and put me in ward (in custody) in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.’ (Gen. 41:9-13) 

Ah friends, yuh see how the Lord LOVES to play out His dramatics; slow and long. (smile) But there’s always a good reason behind His situations. In this particular case, Bruh Joseph needed to grow up, to understand the realities of life, after coming from a privileged situation. He also needed to learn how to handle and lead people for the destination and destiny the Lord had in store for him. 

And maybe that’s the same thing he’s doing in many of our lives right now; preparing us for our eventual destination and destiny, and all the tough stuff we’re currently going through are merely learning and growing pains. But despite whatever is happening with us right now, we need to stand strong and steadfast and believe the faithful promises of our wonderful God! That’s the only way we’ll ever be successful in this evil and ungodly world. 

Oh, and there’s a most important scripture early on in those verses above. When the chief butler says to Pharaoh: ‘I do remember my faults this day.’ Perchance, or perhaps, some of us might also remember our faults this day. Things we’ve promised to do or not to do and never kept those promises. Like the chief butler, now is as good a time as any to correct those faults. (smile) Yes friends, we’re all guilty of something, and the sooner we repent and fix them, the better off we’ll be. 

But getting back to Bruh Joseph’s story. The Bible tells us: ‘Then Pharoah sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment (clothes), and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharoah said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharoah saying, It is not me: God shall give Pharoah an answer of peace.’ (Gen. 41:14-16) 

Please note again, that Bruh Joseph is not assigning any of his talent to himself, but always to God. Oh, how I wish that more of us believers could do that, instead of thinking and/or claiming that our successes come solely from our own energy. (smile) And please note too that Bruh Joseph did not merely say that God will give Pharaoh an answer, but an answer of peace, which must have quieted some of Pharoah’s sorrow and lifted his spirits. Then Pharaoh told Bruh Joseph his dream, ending with the sorrowful words: ‘but there was none that could declare (yes!!!) it to me.’ (Gen. 41:24) 

And in keeping with good drama procedures, we’ll stop there for today, leaving you hanging, in suspense, thinking about what comes next, titivating and titillating your imaginations. (smile) But seriously though my brethren, this story of Bruh Joseph is indeed one of God’s best drama pieces, and it definitely set the stage for most of what came after. Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. 

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

And now it’s our bounden duty 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!

…to truly experience the faithfulness of God…we truly need to be faithful to Him… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 November 2022 Hebrews 4:15.

15 Nov 2022 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 4:15.          For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Oh my people it’s Tuesday! Yes, we’ve successfully kicked Monday, our old nemesis into the dustbin of history, and are beginning on a new journey with our great God, which promises exciting things and wonderful adventures. Wow! What an interesting God we serve, for we never know what a new day will bring, except for His new mercies and compassions of that day. That’s all we are ever sure of. However, because He’s faithfully promised in Hebrews 13:5, to never leave nor forsake us, we are confident that though He takes us through the wildest and most dangerous scenarios of life, He will bring us safely through them. 

Sometimes we’ll be anxious and scared to the point of trembling, but never will we doubt or give up on this most mighty and wonderful promise. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) And all God’s people gave a grateful shout of: ‘Thank You Jesus for promising never to leave nor forsake us and to eventually work everything out for our good! We LOVE You and gloriously praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’ 

Ah mih faithful bredrin, it’s so awesome to know that when you awaken on a morning, alive and kicking, or even just barely alive (smile) that you have an amazing Deity looking out for you, regardless of what comes against you. It just fills you with an unimaginable joy and sense of purpose, knowing that you can go out and accomplish anything that’s in the Lord’s will. Listen to this promise of empowerment nuh, so graciously offered since the time of the prophet Isaiah. ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) 

Oh my my, what a glorious promise! But friends, there is a caveat to that promise and most of God’s other promises; that we act in His will, in righteousness and be true servants of God. We can’t just behave willy nilly, irresponsible and evil, like so many supposed believers are doing nowadays and expect to receive the benefits of His promises. No! Our God is indeed a good God, but He’s not a dithering, faltering grandfather, who just does whatever we wish, regardless of our behaviour. Certainly not! We are in a partnership with Him, and He does expect a certain standard of behaviour from His believers, and a high standard at that. One of diligence and excellence, like Jesus showed during His earthly sojourn. 

No, the Lord doesn’t expect us to do everything right like Jesus, because He did not make us perfect, but He does expect us to walk as closely as possible in Jesus’ footsteps, with LOVE, and compassion being first and foremost in our lives, regardless of our personal difficulties, for that’s what Jesus did! And please remember that though Jesus was God, He was also human, so He experienced and felt the exact same things we do, but He just never sinned or gave into the temptations of the enemy. As the author of Hebrews tells us: ‘For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb. 4:15) 

There again, our wonderful God has made provision for our falling into diverse temptations because of our sinful nature. Through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary that brought reconciliation between man and God, we are also entitled to come to Him for forgiveness through sincere repentance. Now, which other faith has such wonderful provisions for a bunch of ungrateful sinners eh? None! And yes, the Lord’s given us free will to choose whatever we want to do, but it doesn’t mean we can just sin and be disobedient as we like and get away with it. No siree, for there are consequences, ofttimes major, life-changing ones to every sin that we commit. 

Please don’t forget what Bruh Paul said in his letter to the Romans about that soul-defeating, challenging, enemy hurled thing called sin. He clearly outlined. ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23) Yes friends, that tells us what we deserve, as opposed to what we get through God’s unmerited favour! If we insist on being sinful and not embracing Christ as Lord and Saviour, then our eventual disposition will be unequivocal death, just like the sinful and disgusting enemy Satan. 

However, if we sincerely embrace Christ, and do our best to live for him, though we may sin, but not live a life of knowing and continual sin, we will end up with Him in a miraculous place called heaven, where eternal life is guaranteed. Now, I can’t think or conceive of a better place to spend eternity. But if you can, please share it with me, like I’m sharing my best idea with you. (smile) Oh my people, God’s Word found in His Holy Library, the Bible, is so chocked full of promises that if we don’t read, study and meditate on it, we’ll never find success in this crazy and evil world. 

And it’s not me saying that, but it’s what the Lord himself said to Joshua many moons ago, when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. Please listen very closely to this oh so important scripture. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (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 there: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) 

Oh my fellow saints that’s possibly the most important scripture in the Bible! Why? Because when you constantly meditate on God’s word and keep it continually in your mouth, note it is to be kept continually in your speech, then you will know what the Word says, and you will be able to practice it and live a successful life! In summation, I sincerely offer that there’s nothing better than that in this earthly sojourn! (smile) But the only way you’ll ever find out if I’m telling the truth or not, is by doing what the Lord says, and what I’m passing on. (smile) 

Anyway, for those of us who have accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour and are doing our best to live for him, let’s go home now declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice. ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

Now, let’s go out and do just that nuh; share our amazing LOVE and friendship with Christ, so that others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…choosing to follow the enemy brings certain death… choosing to follow Christ means living forever…please use your free will wisely…

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ       

Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 October 2022 Philippians 4:5.

14 Oct 2022 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 4:5.       Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.​

And then it was Friday, the big day, somewhat cloudy in my area, but nonetheless still worth shouting ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! That’s because many of us are still suffering from the after-effects of the Thanksgiving weekend just past. (smile) Yes, when you’re running on emergency power, it’s always a blessing to find time to recharge those life batteries. 

And that’s what the weekend is really for; rest, relaxation and recharging for another tough workweek. But we’ve become such pleasure-seeking animals in this last generation, that we seldom get much rest and recharging, because we’re out there trying to catch up on all the pleasure and partying we’ve missed during the week. So, when Monday rolls around, as it inevitably does, we have to go back out to work in a tired frame of mind and body again. 

Now it’s obvious that if we’re tired in both body and mind that our work is going to suffer. We’re not going to put out our best effort, and the diligence and excellence that we talk about so much will be lacking. And that’s not good for followers of Christ, because His watchwords are diligence and excellence! As Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley likes to say: ‘Look your best, be your best, and do your best.’ That should be the basic motto of the Christian believer. Always trying to do our best in Christ’s name. 

And there’s nothing that says we cannot enjoy ourselves, but too much of anything is bad for us. We ought to keep our lives in some semblance of balance. And it’s not always easy to do, especially with the feast of pleasures that are currently available in our pleasure-centred world and are constantly been thrown up in our faces. That’s why Bruh Paul, after telling the Philippians to rejoice, however warned them: ‘Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.’ (Phil. 4:5) 

And what does all that mean? Here is an interesting excerpt from Godtube website, highlighting the Barnes Bible commentary on the subject. “Let your moderation be known unto all men – That is, let it be such that others may see it. This does not mean that they were to make an ostentatious display of it, but that it should be such a characteristic of their lives that it would be constantly visible to others. 

The word “moderation” – ἐπιεικὲς epieikes – refers to restraint on the passions, general soberness of living, being free from all excesses. The word properly means that which is fit or suitable, and then propriety, gentleness, mildness – They were to indulge in no excess of passion, or dress, or eating, or drinking. They were to govern their appetites, restrain their temper, and to be examples of what was proper for people in view of the expectation that the Lord would soon appear.” 

And as per, ‘The Lord is at hand -The idea is, that the expectation that the Lord Jesus will “come,” ought to be allowed to produce moderation of our passions, in our manner of living, in our expectations of what this world can furnish, and in our desires of earthly good. On him who feels that he is soon to die, and to stand at the bar of God – on him who expects soon to see the Lord Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven, it cannot fail to have this effect. 

People indulge their passions – are extravagant in their plans of life, and in their expectations of earthly good for themselves and for their families, because they have no realizing sense of the truth that there is before them a vast eternity. He that has a lively expectation that heaven will soon be his, will form very moderate expectations of what this world can furnish.’ 

Yes friends, the believer can’t afford to be ostentatious, or overly proud and carry on with the behaviour that rises out of that kind of temperament, for remember that actions speak louder than words, and if we are guilty of too much carousing, pride and arrogance, and such ungodly things then the unbeliever will never come to Christ when we witness to them. They will just laugh at us, realizing that we’re only talking the talk, but not walking the walk. In other words, we are just like them in our actions, where it counts ever so much more. 

And so, to help us handle the tough battle between our flesh and our spirit, Bruh Paul therefore advised. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:6-7) 

Yes mih bredrin, that’s the only way we can successfully overcome the enemy when he begins throwing all his pleasure-filled darts at us. As they say, take it all to God! And that’s the gospel truth. And if that’s really so, then let’s take our troubles right now nuh to our gracious and merciful God through our Friday Chant. 

As one sincere voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the several viruses and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the viruses and the simmering unrest in our land. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the threatening to boil over 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, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And now, as whenever we go to God in prayer, there are things we need to do before He will do what He needs to do. So please, if we desire Him to work on our behalf, then let’s get busy doing the things we know we ought to be doing nuh. Otherwise our prayers are a waste of time and breath. Much LOVE!

…if our Ying and Yang aren’t in balance…then our souls and spirits can’t function in Christ-like efficiency…  

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ    

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 June 2021 Revelation 2:7a.

03 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Revelation 2:7a.     He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rainy days and Thursdays always get me down! Now that’s not really true, because there’s nothing like a rainy day to bring peace and quiet to your life. A rainy day just seems to draw one closer to one’s Maker, in that it brings a serenity and calm to one’s soul and spirit. And that’s how I feel today, as we open with some heavenly blessings. It just seems that when the rain falls the world is not as noisy and busy, and do we ever need to lessen the futile busyness and unnecessary noise in this modern technological age. 

So if it’s rainy in your area, please take a few quiet moments and spend with your Maker… and hopefully do less talking than listening, because I believe we tend to talk to God much more than we listen to Him, that’s why sometimes we take so long to get answers, He can’t get in a word edgeways. (smile) But since the Lord so generously gave us breath to face another glorious day on planet earth, let’s turn to the promise we made yesterday, to continue looking at some stuff from the Book of Revelation. 

Yesterday we stopped where Christ told John to write down some messages to seven particular churches, to be sent by seven angels or messengers. We won’t go through them all, just some that I think are most important. And the first one is to the church at Ephesus: ‘Unto the angel (messenger) of the church at Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (lampstands). (Rev. 2:1) 

The seven candlesticks which Jesus walks amidst represent the seven churches to which he has messages (1:11) The seven stars in His hands represent the angels of the seven churches. According to the scholars: ‘The angels may be either literal angels, each of which has a special guardian ministry toward one specific church (cf. Heb. 1:14), or the human leaders or pastors of these churches. Angel literally means “messenger.” 

And Jesus continues: ‘I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience (perseverance), and how thou canst not bear (endure) them which are evil: and thou hast tried (tested) them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. And hast borne (persevered), and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted (become weary). Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first LOVE.’ (Rev. 2:2-4) 

The scholars tell us that ‘The city of Ephesus was one of the most important commercial and religious cities in Asia Minor. The most famous temple of the goddess Artemis (Diana) was located there. It was also John’s headquarters before his exile. Ephesus served as the “mother” church to the others, all of which were connected by the same Roman road. And though the church is commended because of its soundness of faith and its perseverance through persecution, its people have come under Christ’s discipline for having left (not lost) their first LOVE or former devotion to Christ.’

 Does that sound familiar my people? I think it should, because a lot of us supposed believers are not as devoted to Christ as we used to be. Our devotion has dropped off at a time when it should be at it’s zenith! But as always, our Saviour offer us a lifeboat. ‘Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except (unless) thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.’ (Rev. 2:5-6) 

Yes friends, the scholars tell us that the solution the Ephesian problem is threefold: ‘(1) remember your former devotion to Christ; (2) repent of the present lack of LOVE and devotion; and (3) return – that is, do the things that were characteristic of the devotion of the church in its earlier years. Christ threatens to discipline the church by removing its light (candlestick). Today, Ephesus is in ruins, and it’s church is gone.’ 

Now was Christ’s discipline a pertinent factor in the demise of the church at Ephesus? Who knows? But it’s surely a good question for us to contemplate in these ungodly times. And as per the Nicolaitans, the scholars say they ‘were probably a libertine, antinomian sect (rejects laws and moral values) who attempted to use Christian liberty as an excuse for self-indulgence and immorality.’ 

Then comes the second letter: ‘And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue (congregation) of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried (tested); and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.’ (Rev. 2:9-10) 

A tough request that friends, but it’s also the same request the Lord is making of us today: stay faithful to the end, and He will bless us with a crown of eternal life. And just a few words from the scholars on the plight of Smyrna, ‘whose name meant “Myrrh” a fragrant spice for anointing dead bodies. It was a rich and beautiful city, some fifty miles north of Ephesus on the shores of the Aegean sea, whose believers were undergoing persecution and had been reduced to poverty. They were being reviled by unbelieving Jews. They received no condemnation from Christ but were encouraged to endure suffering faithfully. Faithful persecution through trials will bring a crown of life (cf. James 1:12). The second death is eternal destruction in the lake of fire (20:14-15), reserved for all unbelievers.’ 

Oh my people, our church life and devotion to Christ is definitely not up to scratch, and we do need to come up higher, especially in these troubled times. Please listen to what Jesus says after every message to a church: ‘He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ It’s a straight up warning, and to each church He promises something different if they repent and/or stand strong. 

To the church at Ephesus, He promises: ‘To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.’ (Rev. 2:7) And the scholars explain that ‘the promise to him that overcometh probably applies to all Christians with genuine faith (cf. 1 John 5:4-5) and will be fulfilled as believers enjoy the blessing of the New Jerusalem (22:2,14), the paradise of God.’ 

To the church at Smyrna it was: ‘He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.’ (Rev. 2:11) And that’s the gospel truth friends! If we persevere in good faith with Christ until the very end, we will not be cast into the lake of fire. Now shouldn’t that give us a strong sense of purpose, especially as we draw near to the end of this church age? I should think so. But sadly, not all of us agree on that point. However, for those of us who do, let’s go home this rainy Thursday declaring (wrong again!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. 

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

Our next move is to now go out and share those blessings just as generously as our heavenly Father shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…the Lord does not expect perfection from His followers…but He does expect diligence, devotion and excellence from them… 

P.S. Sorry for the length and lateness of the Bit, but I messed it up and had to rewrite it. Chuh! Much LOVE!                                                          

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 March 2021 Psalm 145:3.

30 Mar 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 145:3.     ​Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;and his greatness is unsearchable.

Oh my people, the Lord has blessed us with another wonderful day down here on earth so we can go about and do His marvellous work! Oh what a wonderful privilege that is: working on behalf of Almighty God to bring others to His glory! And it is not a task given to everybody willy-nilly. You have to first believe in and put your sincere trust in his Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

And that’s not something we ought to take lightly, because it could mean the eternal salvation or damnation of other folks. So it’s a big responsibility. That means, as we go out today to do His work, we do it with diligence and excellence, with LOVE, joy, forgiveness, mercy and the wise guidance of his Holy Spirit. 

We allow the deep-seated joy of the Lord to be our strength and give us the endurance and perseverance we so badly need to do a good job in His name and bring glory to His kingdom. Consequently, let’s hope that our day begins with LOVE and ends with beautiful memories, so that we will be further encouraged to do the Lord’s bidding. 

And with all of that, I do believe this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin is rather appropriate for us to consider today. Yes, it is also most appropriately titled ‘Celebration!’ And isn’t that something we ought to be consistently doing while we are in the Lord’s service? Of course! For we have so much to celebrate when we live and work for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Christ Jesus! 

So please declare with me: ‘When I think of Your lavish goodness The longings You’ve satisfied The forgiveness You’ve granted The promises You’ve kept When I think of Your irresistible LOVE Your ceaseless care Your unfailing protection… O Lord God I want to raise flags And fly banners And sound bugles. I want to run with lighted torches And praise You From the mountaintop. I want to write symphonies And shout for joy. I want to throw a festive party For ten thousand guests. I want to celebrate with streamers and bright lights And an elaborate banquet.’ 

What a majestic and worthy celebration that conjures up my faithful brethren! But the best part of it all is the Lord’s answer to our suggestion… ‘Fine, dear child. I’m ready.’ Oh, what a wonderful God we serve and worship my friends! There’s no one who LOVES a celebration like our God, and it’s only right that we should be constantly and consistently celebrating His awesome goodness to the undeserving children of men! 

And can you imagine how big the celebration was in heaven when Christ rose from the dead this upcoming Easter weekend, with the most joyful celebrant being the Father, who got back His first born as well as His most precious but long-lost creation – the sons of man. That’s why praise and joy with celebration is ever so important to believers in Christ Jesus! And the Bible Promise for that poem makes that quite clear. It comes from the wise and praiseful words of Bruh David in Psalm 145 – The Lord is gracious. 

And it reads thus: ‘I will extol (exalt) thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.’ (Ps. 145:1-3) What indisputable truth my fellow saints! Our God is certainly great and greatly to be praised, because there’s NO ONE else like Him! 

And if you’re wondering why that is so, just ask yourself these questions. Who gives you the breath of life and keeps you alive every day? Who allows you to get food and wealth and all the necessities of life? And then promises a great life eternal with Him in heaven if you believe in His Son Jesus Christ? It’s definitely not Satan! For Satan has no power to do much of anything but evil, especially since Christ took away the keys of hell death and the grave from him when He arose victorious on that first Easter morn! 

That means Satan has nothing to offer but hell and eternal damnation. So why do we keep on giving him power over us by doing his evil bidding and not God’s good work eh? I guess because our natural nature is sinful and evil, and it takes more of an effort to do good than to do evil. But friends, if we sincerely want to do good, our heavenly Father will indeed give us the wherewithal to do so, we just have to ask Him in all sincerity and truth, and then stick to the message! It’s not always easy, especially in this increasingly evil world, but remember that God is the Creator and Controller and nothing is impossible to Him. That means the problem(s) most often lies with us. 

But here are some encouraging words from Bruh David on the subject from Psalm 145. ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works… The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee (look expectantly to you); and thou givest them their meat (food) in due season. 

Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy (gracious) in all his works. The Lord is nigh (near) unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserveth all that LOVE him: but all the wicked will he destroy.’ (Ps. 145: 8-9; 14-20) 

Oh people, I don’t know how we can get any more encouragement than that from a created being nuh. And please remember that Bruh David didn’t talk from hearsay, but from real life experience with God, so there is power and truth in his words. Therefore, this last verse of Psalm 145 is also very important. ‘My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.’ (Ps. 145:21) 

And that’s exactly what we have been created to do my people; praise and worship and bring glory to our great God! So let’s go home doing that nuh, as we declare our Tuesday Mantra. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘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!’ 

It now behooves us to go out and share that awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with the rest of the world! Much LOVE!

…wisdom dictates that one praise and worship…the Great Creator…not the anemic, imbecile destroyer… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 July 2020 Proverbs 13:17.

31 Jul 2020 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 13:17.     ​A wicked messenger falleth into mischief (trouble): but a faithful ambassador is (brings) health.
 

And then it was Friday and everybody…well most everybody was shouting with glee: ‘The weekend, the weekend, the long weekend at last!’ Yeh friends this is the Civic Holiday weekend, the first Monday in August. And it’s also what should have been Caribana weekend in Toronto with all the carnival stuff happening. But like most everything else the Covid-19 pandemic has put paid to that for this year. What a bam bam of a year this 2020 has been eh! (smile) But what to do eh? We need to know that the Lord God Jehovah is still on His throne and still controlling things and that with the right attitude towards Him and His Word, this too shall pass! 

But enough of me, let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say nuh. And as always, he exclaims: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! And thank God for this long weekend too! Just hope it not too hot and miserable though. And finally the rest of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is being released into the Stage 3 lockdown mode. More places opening and inside service in restaurants and stuff. That sounds good, but ah wondering how safe or sensible it is for them to make this decision on this long weekend eh, knowing how people behaving irresponsibly all over the place? 

Just think about that house party last week up in Brampton nuh, with some two hundred people and cars parked all over the grass and wherever. Steups! Can yuh imagine how some of them going to behave with the freedom granted them over this long weekend? But who am I to question it eh? The government seem to think they know what they doing…ah certainly hope so yes, for all of our sakes. But me and mine not going to do anything much different, to what we been doing – barbequing and going for walks and playing games together. 

I need to get some rest too, as well as cut down on the drinking and smoking. Ah finally realizing that I’m not as young as I used to be, and can’t burn the candle at both ends like I used to, and get away with it. Hn, Hn! Let us hope though, that the release in this lockdown don’t drive people crazy and they end up doing nonsense to cause the virus to start spreading again nuh, and we have to go back into another lockdown. Brother! Would that ever be a horror show!’ 

And isn’t that the God-awful truth people! Having the society locked down again will definitely cause much more panic and disobedience than the original seclusion did! So let’s pray that people will be sensible, serious and responsible nuh, and we won’t be forced back into a lockdown situation again, but keep reopening li’l by li’l, glory by glory. 

As one voice, with sincere hearts, let’s declare (steups!) our Friday Chant.  ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. It’s been pretty rough…some of it from work, as many of us are now back to work in varied ways, but most of our anxiety still comes from all the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus still causing. We not accustomed to that Lord, and it really telling on us. And now, on top of all that, we have racial riots and protests to put up with. Oh Lord, yuh know we can’t handle it on our own and desperately need Your help. 

Yes, heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Ah friends, so much of this recovery from our current sickness and strife depends on how we, followers of Christ, Christians behave. We need to show the world Christ though not only our talk, but more importantly through our actions and behaviour. Things like LOVE, compassion, care, forgiveness and mercy have to be prominently displayed by us in these dark, angry and dangerous times. This is when we truly have to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, showing forth our faithfulness in spades. 

This is more a time for action rather than talk, and even though some of us are still in lockdown mode we can still do a lot to help those less fortunate than us. We now have so many tools at our convenience that it would be a lie, and a sin, to say we can’t help others. Yes my fellow saints in Christ, this is a time when the cream, we believers in Christ need to rise to the top, be true and good ambassadors of our Lord and Saviour. Bruh Paul said it quite plainly to the Corinthians. ‘Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray (implore) you in Christ’s stead (behalf), be ye reconciled to God.’ (2 Cor. 5:20) 

Oh friends, we who have been reconciled to God, become righteous and justified, through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, now need to go out and do what He wants us to do. He is our leader, and followers ought to do what leaders desire of them. Just like political ambassadors represent their countries in foreign lands, we too need to represent Christ wherever we go. And like Cousin Sol so wisely declares (yeahhh!) in Proverbs: ‘A wicked messenger falleth into mischief (trouble): but a faithful ambassador is (brings) health.’ (Prov. 13:17) 

Oh my people, please, I implore us to be faithful ambassadors of Christ in these dangerous and uncertain times, and thus bring health to our society. Much LOVE!

…truly working for Jesus…means diligence and excellence… from a compassionate heart…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 July 2020 Romans 12:9.

18 Jul 2020 Leave a comment

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

Romans 12:9.     ​Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good.
 

Wow! Another beautiful day in the land of the living! And who says life isn’t great eh? It might not be easy, but it sure is wonderful! (smile) No wonder Bruh David could confidently write in Psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13) Yeh friends, we need to believe if we’re going to see God’s goodness in and on our lives! 

Remember, He never said that life would be easy, but faithfully promised to be with us every moment of every day and help us get through all our difficulties. The problem is that many of us seem to think that once we start walking with Christ, life will just be a bed of roses… 

Hn! But I have news for you…ofttimes it gets harder before it gets better! That’s why so many of us turn back before we can encounter the real treasure of following Christ, like the seed that’s fallen on barren ground and betwixt thorns and weeds. No backbone and/or belly! But please remember that walking with Christ is not for the faint of heart, but He does strengthen and enable you if you step out in faith! End of monologue! (smile) 

And since it’s Saturday, let’s have a gander at the quotes our fine friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Let’s hope I can do them justice. And the first one declares (awright!): ‘Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.’ And that’s generally true! Just look at all the wonderful inventions in our world; very few of them come in one piece, but are made of several, if not many small pieces melded and welded together to make one big whole. 

That’s just like the human body. How did Bruh Paul put it? ‘For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office (function): So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one (individually) members one of another.’ (Rom. 12:4-5) Yeh friends, it takes many small parts of different functionality to make a great whole, like we of many people, creeds and races are one big body of Christ! 

But the next quote is even more vital and important for great things to run properly. ‘Watch the little things; a small leak will sink a great ship.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth! Comparatively speaking it wasn’t a big leak that sunk the Titanic. But sink it, it did! And it’s even more important with us, the body of Christ, His church, which is very leaky these days, with all the gossip, divisions over petty stuff, the resentment, the many li’l cliques and the vein of evil that unfortunately can be found within it. 

No wonder the body of Christ is so disjointed and not moving together as one big, great, smoothly working machine! That’s why Bruh Paul pointedly said to the church at Rome: ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good.’ (Rom. 12:9) That means Christians must faithfully care for each other in spite of the circumstances and responses. The caring must be genuine and unfeigned. 

And having said all of that, we come to the next quote: ‘Worry is the most wasteful thing in the world.’ I don’t know if it’s the most wasteful thing, but I do know that it’s up there amongst the top wasteful things. Consequently we can’t worry about what’s happening in our lives, our church or our world, because worrying won’t help in the least bit. It only makes things worse by taking away what li’l positivity we have left to use on righting the ship. As Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say. ‘Worry is like a rocking chair, you can sit and rock in it all day and still not move anywhere!’ 

And that’s so true, since worry is a negative emotion that only keeps you back from seriously tackling your problem. It’s also why this next quote is ever so timely: ‘Focus on being productive, instead of busy.’ And isn’t that the living truth! It’s the best advice our world can have and take right now! Why? Because we all talk about being so busy – busy doing what eh? It’s the first excuse that we come up with nowadays. We’re too busy to call each other, too busy to get together, too busy to read God’s Word and spend time with Him, etc. etc. 

But what the hell are we so busy doing? Not a darm thing! Except if you want to call the anemic pandemic of texting and all the other unnecessary foolishness that goes on social media, which is our go to for all of our needs these days. Hn! Just imagine how important social media has become when the most powerful leader in the world does most of his business there, spends more time tweeting than reading his briefings. (grimace) 

But that’s the new normal…and with the current pandemic of Covid-19, with physical distancing being such a big thing, it’s become an even bigger part of our lives, and thus also a bigger and more important tool for those who wish to spread evil and lies and stir up unnecessary disturbances. 

That brings us to this last quote: ‘Excellence is a continuous process and not an accident.’ Oh so true my people, oh so true! A life of excellence is the ONLY thing that we should all aspire to. And you’ll note from the quote that it’s a continuous, life- long process, and it doesn’t happen by accident, we have to consciously seek it and pursue it. It’s like true, divine peace, and the righteousness of God. And if you are, or want to be a true follower of Jesus then you need to embrace the word ‘excellence’ and all that it stands for, because that’s Jesus watchword! While here on earth, He followed the Father’s will diligently and with excellence. 

You’ll note that He never did anything on His own, or took credit for anything, but it was always the Father’s will, and likewise the credit. As he said so plainly: ‘For I came down from heaven , not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.’ (John 6:38) And He did a bang-up, most excellent job my brethren! That’s why the Father gave Him the highest name possible, to whom all knees must bow and all voices declare that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 

So my fellow saints in Christ, on this Saturday morning when we are surrounded by all sorts of known and unknown predicaments and circumstances, let’s not be fearful or worried, but let’s sincerely turn to the One who died to save our spiritual selves, Jesus Christ, for He is also capable of saving our physical bodies. That’s what He’s there for: for us to cry out to Him in times of desperate need: ‘Help Lord!’ Much LOVE!

…who is the ONLY ONE that can help us…JESUS CHRIST…. 

P.S. Just to prove my point about the distracting quality of social media. The Bit is partially late because early on I was interacting with three different people at the same time. (smile) Much LOVE!

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 July 2020 Matthew 19:26.

11 Jul 2020 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 19:26.     ​With men this is impossible: but with God ALL things are possible.
 

Oh mih people we finally experienced the divine power of a majestic thunderstorm yesterday evening. And was it ever a sight to behold. Around 8.30 in the evening, after supper, the duchess and I were sitting on the back deck reading, when she pointed out the sudden amassing of dark clouds on the western horizon. But knowing how the wind tends to quickly disperse the clouds nowadays, I said I’d believe it when I saw it. 

Well some fifteen minutes later, after some ominous roars of thunder, I did believe it, because I saw it. (smile) It began as a slight drizzle which caused me to come inside and head for the front porch, ostensibly to sit there and check it out. But the storm was having none of that; as I opened the front door a blaze of lightning flashed in front of me, and the wind was already blowing the rain all over the porch. Chuckling, I simply closed the door and spent the next fifteen minutes or so, just listening to God’s blessings watering His dry, parched earth. 

And we all know that there’s nothing as soothing and relaxing as being inside of an evening and hearing the rain fall outside. We obviously didn’t get as much rain or for as long a spell as Toronto did recently, but I don’t think the heavenly blessings are over as yet, because now at 8.30 in the morning, more dark clouds have so far stopped the sun from showing it’s cheery face. But since we have the cheery sunlight of Christ shining within us, we’re awright, so let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. 

And the first one says: ‘Manage the cause, not the result.’ And that makes sense. Many of us try to handle the results, try to manipulate them, without even knowing what caused them to turn out wrong. But you always have to first figure out the problem, then handle it properly, before you can get the desired result. Any wishy-washy managing will only give you wishy-washy results. And sadly, that is the way our world handles a lot of its problems nowadays, that’s why it’s in such a mess. We don’t take enough time to truly figure out the problem before we try to fix it. 

In this age of entitlement and now for now everything, who has the time to really look into problems eh? And consequently, this next quote hits the nail right on the head. ‘If you do not know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing.’ And that’s gospel truth. Only the right questions will bring you the right answers! And if you don’t know how to ask them, then you will not get the info you desire. Oh, you might get a whole lot of stuff, but it most likely it won’t be relevant to what you’re trying to find out. 

So please friends, let’s take time to sit down and truly analyze our problems and our directions nuh, before we begin trying to fix them or rush out on some wrong path. That’s because, once we get the ball rolling in a certain direction, it’s often hard, if not impossible to change courses in mid-stream. So it behooves us to get it right from the very beginning. And the next quote continues in the same vein: ‘If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.’ 

That’s also the general truth! Sometimes we can get away with poor planning, but usually, unless you have a decent idea of how everything is going to work and fall into place, we won’t be able to do it right. Again, that seems to be a problem in our society; what with our short attention spans and our wanting everything not even right away, but like yesterday, who really lays out a serious process for what they want to achieve eh? Not too many of us, although it’s much easier to do than ever before with all the technology that’s available. 

But it’s regretful that the same technology that allows us to do so many things, also takes away our patience and desire to do them properly. Diligence and excellence are fast falling and failing in our modern-day society, as we totter down to ruin. However, this last quote gives us hope, when it says: ‘Everything can be improved.’ Yes friends, that’s true…but only if you are in true surrender and communication with Jesus Christ! 

Remember when He told the rich man to sell all his possessions and come and follow him and he would receive eternal life, but the young man balked at it because he owned so much stuff? (Matt. 19:16-22) Then Jesus told the disciples: ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible: but with God ALL things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:24-26) 

And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers! Whatever our problems, our wrongs, our shortcomings, our disappointments, they are all within God’s mighty realm of change and improvement, if we sincerely take them to Him in prayer. And the prophet Jeremiah said it long before Jesus did: ‘Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is NOTHING too hard (too difficult) for thee.’  (Jer. 32:17) 

And remember too when the disciples could not heal an epileptic boy, and they came to Jesus and asked why? ‘And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.’ (Matt. 17:20-21) Yuh see friends, how with only a little faith, because a mustard seed is very small, we can move mighty mountains, though sometimes it might also take prayer and fasting. 

And as the scholars explain: ‘17:15-23. …As a grain of mustard seed: This seemingly impossible obstacle or difficulty stands in the way. Since Christ alone is the glorified Saviour, the disciples’ ability to work depends totally upon His empowerment.’ 

Now the same truth still holds today my brethren, thus our declaration (steups! can’t spell that either): ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! (Phil. 4:13) It’s up to us now to believe it, and put it work for Christ’s kingdom. Much LOVE!

…how many times must I say it eh….Jesus is the answer…to EVERYTHING…Glory be…

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