Friday chant | SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 October 2022 Matthew 6:21.

21 Oct 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: all these things shall be added unto you, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, be responsible, bring backsliders back to your fold, climate change Indian summer, confusion and havoc, divine wisdom, faithful believers, Friday chant, God's abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, introduce a new flock, kept by the power of God, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, make God the Number One priority, politically correct, practical living, reserved in heaven for you, rewards for faithful service, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example we set, the weekend, thieves break through and steal, through faith unto salvation, viruses, wake up and smell the coffee, where moth and rust doth corrupt, where your treasure is there will be your heart also

Matthew 6:21. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Ah, at last some bright sunshine today and not the cloudy times we’ve had the last few days. But it’s still somewhat chilly, although the temperatures for today and the next week are going to soar into the mid-teens, and possibly above, after being below ten for the last little while. I don’t know if that’s because of our latest phenomenon called climate change, or it’s what used to be called ‘Indian summer,’ but which is now a politically incorrect term.

However, you won’t hear me complain anytime the temperature is in the mid-teens, I will gladly declare…ah Lord eh, I even spelled the simple form of the word wrong. What’s the problem with me and it eh? Anyhow, to prevent further provocation, let’s proclaim (smile) ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps, 118:24) And since it’s Friday, let’s also proclaim: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is finally here!’

So we have those two interesting proclamations, but we need to balance them out properly, making sure that the Lord’s will comes first and not allow our pleasure mode to ruin our witness, because we can be real party animals when we’re ready, and if we’re not careful, put God completely out of our minds. And that’s definitely not a good position in which to find oneself. Remember Jesus’ admonition in His Sermon on the Mount. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33).

Yes friends, if we make Almighty God our Number One priority, everything else will fall into proper place in our lives. We’ll have all that we need to live comfortably as well as time to party – in moderation that is. So why do we still insist on running down the things of this world and spend our lives unwisely and anxiously accumulating them?

Jesus also had something important to say on that. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin),and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21)

And who says Jesus didn’t dispense divine wisdom for practical living here on earth eh? Just look at the ridiculous amount of protection we need nowadays to protect our earthly stuff, and we not even talking about real expensive stuff, just our everyday belongings. And yet still thieves break through and steal. What’s the point then of accumulating all that earthly wealth eh? Remember Granny said that anything a man builds, another man can also invade, or break into.

So there’s good wisdom in Jesus’ teaching to store our treasures in heaven and not here on earth. And that last part about where your treasure is, there will your heart be, it’s gospel truth my people. Another reason to store our treasures in heaven, for when we do that, our heart will be with God up there, focusing on Him and His righteousness, not with evil mankind down here.

And the scholars offer these explanations on those verses. ‘6:19-21. The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term treasures implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either on earth or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather of rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’

That means we’re not laying up stuff in heaven, as we lay it up down here on earth. Our stuff up there are rewards for the righteousness we exhibit down here, not things like silver and gold. That’s why they don’t rust, or thieves can’t steal them. Or as Peter so wisely puts it. ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5)

Ah mih people, whatever is stored up for us in heaven through the power of God on the basis of Jesus’s work, especially salvation, is incorruptible and undefiled and cannot fade away. Now isn’t that good news? It certainly is, and it ought to encourage us to store up our treasures in heaven rather than down here on earth, where even the most expensive clothes are eventually consumed by moths and age, and the most precious things like silver and gold fade away, lose their lustre, and thieves break into even the most impregnable bank vaults and steal.

So what’s the point of accumulating much earthly treasure eh? None whatsoever, because the more you have, the more headaches you experience, just to keep it safe. Anyway, enough sermonizing for today. (smile) Let’s go to the Lord in prayer, through our Friday Chant and ask for His divine help in our strife-filled world.

Altogether now: ‘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 if we truly desire to receive a positive reaction from heaven, then we need to become the faithful believers we just mentioned, and set the good example needed for others to come to Jesus. Much LOVE!

…true wisdom…to balance your treasure chest according to your life span…so store more treasures in heaven than on earth…since heavenly life is forever

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: a tired frame of mind and body, an ostentatious display, arrogance, be your best, bring backsliders back to your fold, carousing, Christ's watchwords, Christ-like efficiency, confusion, diligence, discontent, dissatisfaction, do your best, excellence, Friday chant, govern our appetites', havoc, let your moderation be known unto all men, look your best, LOVE, omnipotent help, pandemic, pleasure-filled darts, pride, restrain our temper, restriant on passions, see the Lord Jesus coming in the clouds, simmering unrest, stand at the bar of God, take it all to God, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the after effects of thanksgiving, the example your faithful believers set, the Lord is at hand, viruses, wake up and smell the coffee, wise guidance, ying and yang

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 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 7 October 2022 Hebrews 13:8.

07 Oct 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a future and a hope, being confident of this very thing, break his own heart, bring backsliders back to your fold, call upon me in the day of trouble, character-steady, disparity in temperatures, Friday chant, he which begun a good work in you, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, I will deliver thee, immutable, jehovah god, Jesus -strong loving trustworthy, Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and for ever, omnipotent help, pay thy vows to the Most High, promise faithful, show them the error of their ways, steadfastness of character, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Christian's eternal security, the heinous consequences of disobedience, the oil of gladness, the rock that's jesus, the wonderful rewards of obedience, thou art the same thy yeas fail not, thou shalt glorify me, to give you an expected end, wake up and smell the coffee, wax old as doth a garment, we worship a God who doesn't change, will perform it until the day of Jesus

Hebrews 13:8. ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’

Now, contrary to yesterday, those of us in the northern climes, who were blessed to wake up today, when we shouted ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ we also mouthed, ‘but it’s rather chilly too!’ Yes, because the temperature today is barely around the double-digit figure. That’s one of the things I dislike about these here parts; the wide disparity possible in temperatures from one day to the next, especially at this time of year.

But thankfully, we worship a God who doesn’t change, He is immutable, character-steady, and promise faithful. Sometimes He changes His mind, according to certain circumstances, which is His prerogative, but His actions never go against His Word or His promises. That’s what we call steadfastness of character! And I like how in the Book of Hebrews, its author describes Jesus as being superior to the angels, using some Old Testament scripture – (Is. 61:1-3, and Ps. 102:25-27)

He joyfully proclaims: ‘Thou hast LOVED righteousness, and hated iniquity (lawlessness); therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows (companions). And, thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. They shall perish, but thou remainest: and they all shall wax (grow) old as doth a garment; And as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.’ (Heb. 1:9-12)

That led the author of Hebrews, while talking of service well-pleasing to God, to later acknowledge to his listeners: ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb.13:8) Yes my fellow believers, we can indeed believe and rely on Jesus to be the same yesterday, today and forever, since He doesn’t change. He was there when the worlds were created and will be there when they are annihilated. The same marvellous Lord and Saviour: strong, LOVING, reliable and trustworthy.

He has had a plan for every life from the beginning as Jeremiah relates: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Now that’s the ultimate desire of our wonderful God for each of His marvellous creations. And as Bruh Paul so rightly declares to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begin a good work in you will perform it (continue doing it) until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6)

Wow mih bredrin! How marvellous is that eh? God will continue working in us, showering us with His most excellent grace, until the day Jesus returns to earth, at which time He will bring it to completion. And as the scholars explain: ‘This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in each of us, and that purpose will neither be abandoned nor unrealized.’

And all of God’s children gave a loud and grateful shout of: ‘Praise the Lord Oh my soul! Bless His holy name! For He is indeed worthy to be praised!’ Yes friends, our God is such a mighty God, but yet so graceful and merciful that as hard as we try, we cannot fathom the depths of His character with our finite minds. Which other God in their right mind (smile) would have sent His ONLY Son to die for a bunch of ungrateful, abominable wrong doers and iniquity workers eh? NONE!

But Jehovah God, our Creator, His LOVE was so strong for us, His most miraculous creation, that He had to break His own heart and provide the only way possible, the only way just and righteous, to save us from hellfire and damnation. Now why wouldn’t we believe, adore and worship him after all the heartache He put Himself through on our behalf eh? And it wasn’t necessary for Him to do it. He could have just left us to suffer in our abominable sinfulness. But that’s what true LOVE can do! True LOVE sacrifices one’s self, time, talent and treasure for others, without counting the cost!

That’s why we can put our full and sincere trust in Christ Jesus, surrender our total life to Him, because no sin, no disaster, no complex or simple situation will ever cause Him to abandon us! He’s promised it. We can always cry out to Him in times of need and calamity. As the psalmist Asaph says in Psalm 50: ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows to the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps. 50:14-15) And that’s why Bruh David could confidently declare in Psalm 18 – Thanksgiving for deliverance: ‘I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised : so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:3)

And that’s exactly what he did, why he was still alive and able to write that marvellous psalm. Hn! Like I can’t spell ‘psalm’ either, been spelling it wrong all through the Bit. (smile) But that psalm (yesss!!!) marked the time that the Lord delivered him from all his enemies, including the most notable and persistent one, King Saul. And all of that my fellow saints is to simply say that our God is a most wonderful LOVING, merciful and gracious Deity, who only wants the best for us, His most marvellous creation.

And why wouldn’t He eh? It’s just like we want the best for our children. But we do expect them to live decent lives and obey our rules. And that’s all the Lord asks of us; to be obedient to His will and live for Him through His Son Jesus Christ. And look at the wonderful rewards that obedience will bring, as opposed to the heinous consequences to be suffered for disobedience. It’s such a no-brainer to live for Jesus! And it all begins with prayer, that awesome form of communication with our righteous and ever-faithful God. So, let’s go to him right now in prayer nuh, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine help to right our lives and our world.

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

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

Now, it’s imperative that we keep our promises, change our ungodly ways and sincerely begin living for Jesus, if we expect to receive a positive answer from heaven. Much LOVE!

…the only solid, unmovable, unchangeable thing in this world…the Rock…that’s JESUS…

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

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

30 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And to help us do that, we need to turn to the Lord in sincere prayer. So, as one voice, through our Friday Chant, let’s go to the throne of grace, baring our hearts and souls, throwing ourselves on His everlasting mercy. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the viruses and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help.

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

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

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

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

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 September 2022 Deuteronomy 31:6.

23 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a fallen world, a magic force field, an end to all good things must be, avoid serious setbacks, be strong and of a good courage, bring backsliders back to your fold, confusion and havoc, cool weather creeping in, fear not nor be afraid of them, fiery darts of the enemy, free will, Friday chant, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, helmet of salvation, I and my Father are one, LOVE, nothing can separate us from God's love, on which side is our bread buttered, our walk with christ is a two way street, perseverance, prayer, sharper than any twoedged sword, stick to Christ like white on rice, sword of the Spirit, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the belt of truth, the error of their ways, the horn of my salvation, the Lord is my rock and my fortress, the Lord is worthy to be praised, the Lord thy God goes with thee, the protection of God, the shield of faith, tough consequences for disobedience, unfortunate dalliance

Deuteronomy 31:6. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.

Well friends, at long last the cool weather seems to be creeping in, and the summer-like temps we’ve been having into late September will soon disappear. For example, today, as we declare ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ our temperature is around ten degrees Celsius, and is not expected to get higher than 16. And we really can’t complain nuh, because in these northern climes, this September has been awfully good to us weather wise. I can’t remember seeing such summer-like weather in September in a long, long while.

But as they say, an end to all good things must be, so let’s say ‘Thank You Lord!’ It was good while it lasted, and let’s now proceed to get ourselves ready for the big chill, which will eventually come…as it always does. (smile) And the good thing about being a follower of Jesus is that we can handle whatever situation we face in this life, because He is always there with His Holy Spirit to protect us, to lead and guide us safely through any storm that comes against us. And in God’s Word, the Holy Bible, there are numerous promises of protection and safety.

However, it’s not just carte blanche protection, without any problems whatsoever. And I believe this qualification on God’s protection from an article on the subject on the website biblestudytools.com gives us a good foundation for what to and what not to expect. ‘The Bible informs us about the protection of God. As humans, we want to see God’s protection as a magic force field that keeps us from all harm. Yes, God can prevent any evil or destruction, but we must remember that we live in a fallen world where we have free will.

Many times, God works in ways that we do not understand. Sometimes God’s protection comes in the form of peace and strength in the middle of despair. Other times God’s protection comes as an ending because he sees something more on the horizon that we cannot see. As a believer in Jesus, we are promised a new life covered under the protection of God in which NOTHING can separate us from His love. Rest knowing that no matter what hardship you face, God is your provider and protector!’

And that’s the gospel truth! Now let’s look at some Bible verses that extol and support that contention. And there’s no better place to begin than in Psalm 18, where Bruh David offers thanksgiving for deliverance from his many enemies. He begins by declaring (yesss!!!): ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3)

And my faithful brethren, we all know Bruh David’s story; the unfair treatment he received at the hands of many enemies, chief of them being King Saul, his unfortunate dalliance with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah, and the many other tough times he went through. But the Lord brought him safely through them all, though not without tough consequences for his disobedience. But that was because throughout it all, he never faltered from the faith of his forefathers, and kept on trusting and communicating with God despite all his misfortune.

As I like to say, Bruh David knew on which side his bread was buttered, and never wavered from it. That’s why the Lord called him a friend and a man after his own heart. Now do we know on which side our bread is buttered, and do we stick with Christ, like white on rice, despite the many unfortunate and unfair things that happen to us, as well as the many wrongs we do? That’s a most necessary provision for receiving God’s protection my people! You can’t be jumping from pillar to post and back again, or sitting on the fence and expect to receive God’s protection. With Him, it’s ALL or Nothing at ALL!

We can’t be wishy washy. For remember what James says: ‘A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ And that person who wavers and doubts will not receive anything from the Lord. (James. 1:6-7) Yes friends, we need to be like Moses told the Israelites a long time ago: ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6)

Now that my brethren, that ought to be the basic foundation of our faith, one upon which we stand strong and steadfast, all armoured up with God’s spiritual protection. Namely: ‘the belt of truth around our waist, the breastplate of righteousness around our chest, our feet shod with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith to protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, that’s the mighty word of God, which is sharper than any two-edged sword. And on top of all that we add prayer, supplication and perseverance! (Eph. 6:14-18)

Mama Mia! Nothing can beat us when we are thus ensconced in God and His spiritual armour! So you see, we just can’t sit and wait for God’s protection, there are things we also need to do to enable it in this fallen and sinful world. And I’m chuckling here, because I wanted to include more scripture verses on the subject, and now we’re out of time and space. But that’s how I was led. And looking back on what we’ve said, I believe it’s all good. And just for good measure, (smile) we’ll offer some of those scriptures we had in mind. ‘Psalms 23, 121, 91, 34:19, 46:1. Isaiah 41:10. Joshua 1:7-9. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9.

And finally, the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, found in John 10: ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck (snatch) them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck (snatch) them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.’ (John 10:27-30) Please note my fellow saints, that there, Jesus showed His total belief in the strength and power of His Father and so should we, if we expect to receive His awesome protection.

Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking the divine help, which we so badly need. As one 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 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.

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

And now, my people, if we desire to see positive results from our prayer, we need to do what we promised, namely turn from our evil ways and be faithful and trusting servants, good examples to those around us, with good motives filling our hearts. Much LOVE!

…our walk with Christ…is not a one way…but a two way street…

P.S. Yes, it’s long…but good…and you like it, just as I do. (smile) Much LOVE!

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 September 2022 Proverbs 3:35.

16 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a crown of glory, a double-minded man is unstable, a modicum of enthusiasm, an ornament of grace, an understanding heartto judge thy people, avoid serious setbacks, be responsible, bring backsliders back to your fold, by understanding he established the heavens, confusion and havoc, distinguish between true and false, Friday chant, if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, introduce a new flock, keep God fist place, leisure and pleasure, LOVE, our current idols, rest on our laurels, shame shall be the legacy of fools, show them the error of their ways, sincere work ethic, skill in living, stay safe, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the ability to get wealth, the Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, the speech pleased the Lord, the wise shall inherit glory, true belief in God, unrest in our streets, wisdom is the principal thing, wise behaviour, wise guidance, with all thy getting get understanding, you reap what you sow

Proverbs 3:35. The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion (legacy) of fools.

Yes friends, at long last it’s Friday. And we all exclaim with enthusiasm to burn: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Oh boy, the weekend is finally upon us, with no work and plenty of time to just party!’ And how the Lord and our employers do wish that we could have even a modicum of that enthusiasm for their faith and work.

Ah my people, sadly our enthusiasm for work and God pales in comparison to the joy we feel for the coming of the weekend, because leisure and pleasure are our current idols. There’s little room for steadfastness and dedication, no work ethic or sense of purpose. No wonder our society is fast going to hell in a handbasket. We don’t realize that it’s a sincere work ethic and true belief in God that gives us the ability to get wealth and thus be able to afford leisure and pleasure. And that’s why all the great societies of this world have eventually failed and fallen from their great heights.

It seems to be man’s nature that once we reach a certain stage of prosperity, we tend to slacken off and merely enjoy the fruits of our labour, without thinking or considering either the past or the future, simply the present. Meaning that we forget what brought us to our current level of prosperity; hard work and steadfastness in God, and likewise it will be those same things that will ensure our future prosperity. But no, we get bigheaded and full of ourselves, foolishly thinking that we can rest on our laurels and enjoy life.

We conveniently forget the basic law of God’s universe; you reap what you sow. Thus, if you stop sowing good seed for any length of time, you will obviously not reap a good harvest. And unfortunately, leisure and pleasure don’t sow good seed, they just eat up, consume the harvest until there’s no more left to be consumed. So, wisdom dictates that if you want to keep on having some future leisure and pleasure you have to continue sowing good seed in the present, which will bring a harvest that will supply more leisure and pleasure.

That’s why Cousin Sol warns us in Proverbs: ‘The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion (legacy) of fools.’ (Prov. 3:35) And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! If we are not wise in this life, our legacy will be foolishness, simply because those are the only two options we have. Consequently, Cousin Sol further advises us to get wisdom, for ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour; when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.’ (Prov. 4:7-9)

Yes my brethren, wisdom is so important that even God used it in creating the universe and all therein. Cousin Sol gladly informs us that, ‘The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths (deeps) are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.’ (Prov. 3:19-20) Therefore friends, if wisdom and understanding were so important in God’s creation of the universe, imagine how important it is to us nuh, especially in these turbulent and explosive times of today, with all kinds of lies, deceits and evil doings rampant in the world.

And some of us are wondering what are these things called wisdom and understanding that are supposedly so important in living good lives. Well, wisdom is basically ‘skill in living, or wise behaviour.’ Meanwhile ‘understanding is the capability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, what matters most and what does not matter at all.’ And for the best results, wisdom and understanding work in tandem.

But it’s even more important to note that when we speak of wisdom, we’re not referring to what the world considers wisdom, since that varies and changes so much that you can’t base anything worthwhile on it. We’re talking about true wisdom, foundational wisdom; the kind that only comes from Almighty God, the Creator of the universe and doesn’t change or vary, for whatever reason.

And James, the brother of Jesus tells us quite plainly. ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8) Now that last sentence is an indisputable fact. So, when we go to God, seeking wisdom, or really anything at all, it is important that we don’t doubt that God can provide it, or will provide it, if it falls within His will for our lives.

And here’s an interesting note from the scholars re verse 5 above. ‘This verse is not a blanket promise of wisdom for any situation. In the context of life’s trials, it probably speaks of the believer being granted (1) wisdom as to the reason for his trials and (2) wisdom to endure them.’ But this doesn’t mean that there’s anywhere better to go for wisdom in any situation at all than to God Himself. And one of the best examples of that is when Cousin Sol was made king of Israel after the death of His Father, Bruh David, and in a vision, the Lord asked him what he wanted.

After acknowledging God’s goodness and mercy, (1 Kin. 9:5-8) he said: ‘Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people.’ (I Kin. 3:9) And that’s not rocket science friends, but simple common sense, if you believe in Almighty God! When you don’t know what to do, going to God in all sincerity and truth is always the best avenue.

And I like how the Good Book records the results of Cousin Sol’s petition. ‘And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.’ (1 Kin. 3:10) Now, because Cousin Sol didn’t ask for wealth or the life of his enemies, but for wisdom and understanding, the Lord most graciously and generously gave him what he asked for, as well as what he hadn’t asked for, wealth and power. That’s how our great God operates my people! When we acknowledge Him with all honesty and truth, He blesses us more than we can imagine.

And now it’s time to practice what we’ve been preaching; going to God for wisdom and understanding. Let’s do it as one strong voice, through our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the viruses and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help.

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

And as always, when we ask for heavenly help, it’s necessary for us to do our part in the partnership, by keeping our promises and having good motives. Much LOVE!

…a life wisely lived…is one that keeps God first place in it…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 September 2022 Psalm 105:4.

09 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a steady spoke in the wheel, according to the Lord's will and timing, all these things shall be added unto you, be responsible, bring backsliders back to your fold, Friday chant, he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, I know the thoughts I think toward you, introduce a new flock, legendary diplomacy, made a positive difference, omnipotent help, Queen Elizabeth II, seek his face evermore, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, seek ye the Lord and his strength, show them the error of their ways, strife and hatred more prevalent than peace and love, strong and steadfast leader, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example your faithful believers set, the world goes on without us, the world passeth away, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a hope and a future, true leaders lead by example, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, wise guidance, ye shall search for me with all your heart, ye shall seek me and find me

Psalm 105:4. Seek ye the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

Oh friends, it’s Friday, and many of us around the world have already shouted that seminal phrase: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ But unfortunately, many of us around the world are also mourning the passing yesterday of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II, in her 97^th year, having reigned for almost 71 consistent years on the throne of Great Britain, after being unexpectedly thrown into the spotlight by the abdication of her uncle and the death of her father.

Just the numbers alone say a lot, and regardless of how you felt about the Queen herself, her family or the monarchy, you have to admit that we’ve lost one of the very few strong and steadfast leaders in our crazy world. Much of her power has been eroded over the years, but her diplomacy was legendary, and she was undoubtedly the one steady spoke in the wheel that kept the United Kingdom and many parts of the universe from falling apart or going on dangerous strategic runs.

Let us pray that her son, King Charles III will keep that steadfastness and diplomacy of his mother going, because we desperately need a lot of that in our leaders, instead of the despotic, autocratic and dictatorial attitudes that are currently prevalent. Our sincere condolences to the Royal Family. We forget that they are people just like us, with the same human frailties and feelings. May the Lord receive you into His glory Queen Elizabeth the second!

Ah mih people, with strife and hatred prevalent in more places around the world than peace and LOVE, it’s sad and frustrating to lose one of the few people who sincerely tried to keep matters on an even keel. But that’s life, we all have to go home to our Maker one day, and the world goes on in whatever fashion without us. And much to our chagrin, very few leaders in this day and age can be said to have made a positive difference in the lives of their people, and in the world in general.

It’s interesting to note that the U.K now has a new King, or titular leader, and also a new Prime Minister, or active leader, a female at that. Hopefully that’s a sign for better days to come. In the meanwhile though, all of us plebs, (smile) must continue to do as the psalmist advises in Psalm 105. ‘Seek ye the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth.’ (Ps. 105:4-5)

Yes friends, seeking God’s face and remembering all that He’s done in our lives is extremely important, especially in times of serious change like our world is currently experiencing. That’s because the Lord God Almighty is the One who has brought us this far, and who will determine our future by our righteousness.

Remember the promise of God the prophet Jeremiah made to the people of Israel, when they were in captivity in Babylon? ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). 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)

Oh my brethren, that is exactly what the Lord is saying to us today too. We desperately need to come to Him with full surrender and trust, seek Him with all our hearts, if we want our world to be improved. There are no ifs, ands, and buts about that! Only if we sincerely seek the face of the Lord God Jehovah, turn away from all the evil idols we’re currently worshipping, give up all the ungodly things of the world that are still so much a part of our lives, will we ever find the One, True, Living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!

Jesus also made that very clear when He commanded us: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 16:33) All of us know that foundational scripture, yet we refuse to practice it. Instead, we continue running down the things of the world like wealth and power, on our own. That’s the total opposite of what Jesus taught and what the heavenly Father expects. And please don’t think that because you are a Christian you cannot possess a lot of the earth’s wealth and power, because there are a lot of rich and powerful believers in the world, but you just have to do it according to the Lord’s will and timing.

And it is of the utmost importance that we read, know, inwardly digest and practice these words of scripture from the first epistle of John. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interests), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)

Ah my fellow saints, when are we going to stop paying lip service to our God and His will eh? When are we going to begin taking His edicts and promises very seriously eh, and realize that a lot of our current suffering rests on our own sinful and ungodly desires and behaviour? Until we wake up and be transformed in our minds and actions, our world will continue to go down the drain in spectacular fashion. So, having said all of that that, the first thing on our agenda of change, is prayer. So, in confident but humble voice, let’s go to the throne of God, through our Friday Chant and ask for His benevolent help.

Altogether now: ‘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 viruses and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the viruses and the unrest in our streets.

And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’

And if we sincerely want divine help, then we must keep our promises, and have right motives in our hearts. Much LOVE!

…true leaders lead by example…as Jesus did…not by deceit or force…as Satan does…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 September 2022 John 8:32.

02 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, an inherent need for responsibility, anointed me to preach the gospel, be responsible and stay safe, bring backsliders back to your fold, divine help, embrace Jesus as Lord and Saviour, freedom, freedom is a figmnet of our imagination, Friday chant, heal the brokenhearted, I am the way the truth and the life, if the Son sets you free, if ye continue in my word, in the name of freedom, introduce a whole new flock, Jesus' work on the cross, LOVE, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, offer derogatory comments, right motives in our hearts, show them the error of their ways, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that magnificent orb, the elixir of the human spirit, the Messiah, the pearly gates, the truth shall make you free, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, we must all bow to somebody, wise guidance, ye are my disciples indeed, ye shall be free indeed, ye shall know the truth

John 8:32. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Oh friends, today as the rising of the sun begins, as that magnificent orb makes its daily journey around the world, many different voices in many different languages will loudly and harmoniously chorus: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Thank God for the weekend and all the freedom it brings!’

Ah Lord eh, do we ever like and fantasize about that thing called freedom. And down through the ages, so many of us have died shouting out its name, but we don’t really know the heavy price that supposed elixir of the human spirit demands. For to be truly free, one needs to be responsible, not lawless like so many of us believe. Freedom carries with it an inherent need for responsibility, loyalty, self-control, self-discipline and level headedness. It calls for mercy, LOVE, grace, forgiveness, goodness and godliness.

It doesn’t give us the right, as so many of us believe to do exactly what we want, when we want, regardless of the consequences to those around us. It doesn’t mean chaos, selfishness and disregard for our fellow man. In fact, it demands just the opposite; a healthy and responsible care and compassion for our fellow human beings.

And I guess that’s why all the revolutions and wars and other negative circumstances that have occurred in the name of freedom have never succeeded, because in the end, those at the forefront of those uprisings, end up doing exactly what their oppressors and suppressors were doing; oppressing and suppressing somebody in the supposed name of freedom! But yet, we still constantly hear the battle cry for freedom: freedom from this, freedom from that, freedom from responsibility, freedom from paying taxes, freedom from God and His law.

Hn! Yet we still desire all those things that a responsible freedom bring. But in reality, freedom is only, and will always be a figment of our imagination, for as the song so truly says: we all must bow to somebody; to either God or Satan. And once you’re bowing to someone, you’re never free. Bowing to Satan will never make you free, because he is only interested in keeping his selfish claws in you, restraining you from rising to the level for which you were created, and thus making hellfire and damnation your eternal home.

The closest we can ever get to that thing called freedom is by reverently bowing to our Maker, Our Creator and Provider, our Way-maker and Forgiver, the enabler of Eternal Life. And that can only happen when we sincerely embrace His majestic Son, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Yes, friends, only through the intervention of the Son, can one get to all the magnificent benefits and freedoms that the Father provides. Listen up as Christ enlightens us on the subject.

First off, He sets us straight by imparting this startling, but ever so true information: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) Oh my people, unless we believe that, and act seriously upon it, we will never see the bright lights of heaven and enjoy the promise of eternal life! That’s the truth, and nothing but the God-awesome truth! Only sincere belief in Christ Jesus will enable us to enter through those pearly gates we all talk and dream about so much!

And likewise, the only source of true freedom is Christ Jesus. And why do we know this? Listen as He taught in the synagogue of His hometown of Nazareth. On that momentous Sabbath day in the temple, Jesus read thus from the Book of Isaiah. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised (oppressed). To preach the acceptable year of the Lord….This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (hearing)’ (Luke 4:18-19, 21)

Oh my people, Jesus was letting His hometown know that He was the chosen One, the Messiah, the One sent to set the captives free, to heal their broken hearts, souls and spirits. But, as it so often happens, when someone close to us, just like us, rises up to another level, we tend to offer derogatory comments rather than gladly accept their new status. And that’s exactly what happened to Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth.

They didn’t believe that the lowly carpenter’s son of Joseph and Mary, who grew up amongst them could ever be the Messiah. His words so annoyed them that they eventually forced him out of the city and tried to throw Him down a hill. Thankfully though, as the Good Book says: ‘But he passing through the midst of them went his way.’ (Luke 4:30) And the scholars offer this explanation on the verse. ‘It is not clear whether this is a miraculous deliverance, or whether Jesus, by dint of His imposing presence, was able to stare His opponents down and then walk away untouched.’ I like to think it was the latter, just to show the unbelieving fools that He was not scared of them. (smile)

Now, this final word from Jesus re freedom. He said to a crowd of Jews that supposedly believed in Him. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:31-32) And when they claimed they were never in bondage, so how could they be made free, Jesus explained to them that they were in bondage to sin. However, ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free; ye shall be free indeed.’ (John 8:36)

And is that ever the glorious truth my brethren! Only through the work of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, His shed blood, His death and resurrection, can we be truly made free. Free from sin, free from our most noted enemy, Satan and the sinful life that he espouses and tries to get us to also espouse, so that we can eventually end up like him, in the lake of fire. But thankfully, we’re wiser than that! We’re following Jesus! Glory Hallelujah! So, let’s go to Him in prayer, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine help in our troubled world.

As one confident 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 Covid-19 and monkey-pox viruses, as well as our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the viruses and the unrest in our streets.

Now friends, if we truly expect positive divine help, then it’s up to us keep the promises we’ve just made, and show right motives in our hearts. Much LOVE!

…ONLY through belief in Christ Jesus…can we gain whatever freedom is possible in this earthly life…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 August 2022 Matthew 23:28.

26 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: anxiety, be responsible and stay safe, bring backsliders back to your fold, by the example we set, confusion in our world, cowering in fear of the world, embrace your love and compassion, except your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, faith without works is dead, Friday chant, full of dead men's bones., God's mercies and compassions, introduce a new flock, laughing in the face of Christianity, listing towards the devil, LOVE, nothing but a show, of all uncleanness, omnipotent help, show them the error of their ways, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the leadership realm, to do nothing is to do something, wake up and smell the coffee, we only have ourselves to blame, whited sepulchres, within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity, ye outwardly appear righteous unto men, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven

Matthew 23:28. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).

And what do we say on this cloudy Friday morning, the last one in August of 2022? ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! The weekend’s here and we’re alive and kicking!’ Yes friends, we are ever so glad to be alive on another momentous day, where a brand new batch of God’s mercies and compassions have been formulated and dispensed once again for us to enjoy. (smile) What a wonderful God we serve my people!

However, I don’t believe we show Him enough LOVE and gratitude for all that He’s done, is doing, and has promised to do for us, otherwise our good ship, namely our world, would not be listing so badly towards the devil and his dark and evil ways. The name and wonderful ways of Jesus Christ ought to be leading the world instead of Satan’s evil ugliness. And we only have ourselves to blame for that, since we don’t do His work, and sincerely proclaim His name as much as we ought to.

And this most appropriate verse jumped out at me just now when I went looking for a scripture to prove my point. It’s Jesus talking to the multitudes during the Sermon on the Mount, where He declares to them, in no uncertain fashion: ‘For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case (by no means) enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:20).

Now, In Jesus’ day, that was a very damning remark against those groups of leaders, since they were looked upon as the most religious people in all of Israel. However, their religiosity was largely outward show, with little or no inward sincerity. That’s why Jesus also had more scathing words for them: ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres (tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:27-28)

Wow! I believe those are some of Jesus’ most vitriolic words, and imagine that nuh, they were spoken to the religious leaders of the day. And if Jesus says it’s so, then it was obviously so! (smile) But before we continue, here’s an interesting tidbit on the subject from the scholars. They say of the term ‘Whited sepulchres: Since contact with a dead body rendered a person unclean under the Mosaic Law, graves were customarily painted white to make them conspicuous and give the opportunity of avoiding contact with them.’

So, we see where Jesus got the concept from, and how appropriate it was to the leaders, as well as understandable to His listeners. Now, getting back to the hypocrisy and iniquity of the scribes and Pharisees, we are currently seeing the same sort of hypocritical behaviour from a large portion of the supposed Christian population, especially in the leadership realm. Every day there’s some sort of scandal about a religious leader, and not of any one denomination either, but in almost all of them.

Now how can that kind of scandalous behaviour work for the benefit of Christ eh? It certainly can’t! That’s why so many people are turning away from Christ and laughing in the face of Christianity. And we the ordinary congregants are no better than our leaders, because we also talk a good spiritual talk, but our actual walk is also rather hypocritical; we don’t do what we say, or what we advise others to do. We put on a good show, but almost always, that’s all it ever is, nothing but a show!

That means we are no better than the scribes and Pharisees of old. and that’s why Christ’s movement is not further ahead than that of Satan! We supposed believers ought to be standing up strong and steadfast against the world’s evil doers and doings, but more often than not, we are instead cowering in fear of what the world can do to us, or in cahoots with the world, enjoying its lusts and pleasures, or we simply don’t care and thus do nothing. But please remember that to do nothing IS to do something, just not something useful for whatever cause you believe in!

And just think about this for a moment nuh…what kind of people are we, how can we claim to believe in Christ Jesus and yet do so little to acclaim His name, but so much to bring shame and disgrace to it? And yet we still expect Him to positively answer our prayers and problems. Hn! It seems we believe that our God is there to placate our every whim and fancy, but the truth is, we have been made to satisfy His desires, and if we don’t, then we’ll pay the consequences. It’s as simple as that. And believe me, there will be serious, life changing consequences for our hypocritical, two-faced behaviour, unless we smarten up right away and begin doing what we know we should be doing. End of sermon!

Now let’s go to God through our Friday Chant and ask for His divine help and forgiveness. 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 Covid-19 virus 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 virus and the unrest in our streets.

Now, for our sakes, but more so, those of our children, let’s wake up and do the right things nuh, because our progeny will pay the price for our unrighteousness. Much LOVE!

…instead of talking our faith…let’s show it instead by our sincere works nuh…for faith without works is dead…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 August 2022 1 Timothy 4:8.

19 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, another arduous week of work, bodily exercise profiteth little, breaks the chains of sin, but of power love and a sound mind, doing his ungodly will, enjoyment of worldly pleasures, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, Friday chant, frighten us, godliness, godliness is profitable unto all things, Jesus- our number one companion, Mother Nature, promise of the life that now is, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, spiritual exercise, TGIF!, the grim reaper, the Holy Spirit, the life that is to come, the mainstay of our lives, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, work smart

1 Timothy 4:8. For bodily (physical) exercise profiteth little: but godliness (the result of spiritual exercise) is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

TGIF friends! TGIF! Yes, thank God it’s Friday and another arduous week of work is almost over, and a glorious weekend is imminent. (smile) And sadly, instead of living for Christ, a lot of us simply live for the weekend, that’s rest from our earthly labour and enjoyment of the worldly pleasures available. No wonder our lives seem so arduous and out of our control. But when we live for Jesus, our lives are never arduous. They might be hard, difficult, even very trying, but never arduous, because arduous implies a lot of our own energy and strength is put into our daily living.

However, when we make Jesus our number ONE companion, He enables us to work smart, to work with wisdom and not as laboriously as we do on our own. As the song says: ‘With Jesus I know I can make it. No matter what may come my way, I know that I can make it, My life is in your hands.’ And that’s the only way to live this earthly life; with Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, Good Shepherd and Comforter!

When we surrender our lives to Him, His goodness runs after us. He breaks whatever chains of sin and sadness in which we are entangled. We no longer have to run down life or anything in it, because He provides everything we need. He said it very clearly in His Sermon on the Mount. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)

Yes my people, just as the Lord looks after all the other things He created in Mother Nature, He will likewise look after His greatest creation, the human being. And why wouldn’t He eh, when we’re made in His image, and are filled with His breath of life, and He controls all that we are and do? It just wouldn’t make any sense to just ignore and abandon us to the evil enemy Satan, after taking so much time, energy and pride to create us. The problem though is that in this fallen and sinful world, the enemy wields much power and influence and thus wants to frighten us into doing his ungodly will.

But there again, when we give our lives to Jesus, He imbues us with His Holy Spirit that then fills us with spiritual power to do His will. As Bruh Paul so confidently said to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7).

Oh my fellow believers, that verse of scripture should be one we hold right at the front of our minds and hearts because in these days of constant fear, where fear seems to be bombarding us from all sides, we need it to keep reminding us that fear is not something that we deal in, that we have a spiritual power in Christ Jesus that overcomes fear. And we do need to exercise that spiritual power just like we exercise our bodies.

Why, you ask? Listen to Bruh Paul again as he advises Timothy on the subject. ‘For bodily (physical) exercise profiteth little: but godliness (the result of spiritual exercise) is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.’ (1 Tim. 4:8) And that’s the awesome truth my brethren. Spiritual exercise or godliness ‘has unlimited value, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’ And who doesn’t want to have a good life now and in the hereafter eh?

That’s what we all want, but it only comes through strong association with Jesus. However, for any number of reasons, most of them foolish and prideful, and thus sinful, many of us choose not to have an association with Christ Jesus. But that’s the worst decision any human being can ever make, for it deprives them of so many wonderful benefits available under Jesus’ all-encompassing umbrella.

I don’t like to keep harping on it, (smile) but it’s my job to keep reminding us that without Jesus as the mainstay of our lives, neither the abundant life on earth nor salvation that leads to eternal life in heaven are possible. The only other option we have is that of spending the afterlife with Satan in total damnation and death in hell and eventually the lake of fire where all the damned will be destroyed forever. Now, if you believe that the sinful pleasures of the world are worth that kind of end, then go right ahead and enjoy them.

But if you don’t like that kind of ending to your life, then you need to put your trust in Jesus Christ right now, for later might be too late. The grim reaper might just come calling sooner than you expected, or Christ might choose to come back today, and if any of those situations occur without you accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe. In other words, it’s too late and Satan’s place is where you’ll automatically be headed for. That’s why it’s ever so important to accept Christ as soon as possible. And that’s the end of today’s sermon! (smile)

Now, let’s turn to the most important and powerful weapon in our arsenal; that of prayer, or communication with our Creator. We’ll do that by declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Friday Chant. As one strong and confident, but humble 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 Covid-19 virus 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 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 wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.

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

And now it’s time for us to get serious and show the Lord that we are truly faithful believers by our words, deeds and motives, so that He can positively answer our prayer. Much LOVE!

…Jesus…the only wise and sensible choice in this life…

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SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 October 2022 Matthew 6:21.

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 October 2022 Hebrews 13:8.

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 September 2022 Deuteronomy 31:6.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 September 2022 Proverbs 3:35.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 September 2022 Psalm 105:4.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 September 2022 John 8:32.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 August 2022 Matthew 23:28.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 August 2022 1 Timothy 4:8.

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