Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 December 2021 Psalm 62:7.

17 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 62:7.     In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

Now, the sun looks like it’s going to come out today, but it’s not expected to be as warm as the 15 degrees Celsius we experienced yesterday, and hopefully the wind won’t be a major problem today either. The strong winds just made mas with everything yesterday, blowing people and stuff all over the place. You had to hold on to yourself and anything you carried. But you know what? That situation is preferable to trudging through the sludgy white stuff called snow, slipping and sliding, not knowing what’s going to happen with your next footstep, and with nothing to hold on to but Jesus! (smile) 

But the good news is that Jesus is sufficient in every situation, for He’s the strongest, the most stable, solid and unmovable being in the universe. Yes friends, our God is the immovable object that we can build our lives on, because He does not change; as they say, He’s steady as a rock. And there are several scriptures that attest to that strength and immovability of our great God. So let’s check out a few nuh. 

Isaiah said it thus. ‘The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ (Is. 40:8) And that’s the indisputable truth! Like the grass and the flower, we human beings will wither away eventually, but the word of God stands forever like the rock of Gibraltar! Meanwhile the psalmist, Ethan the Ezrahite, in Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David, said it this way. ‘He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.’ (Ps. 89:26) 

Oh my people, God is indeed our Father, our Creator and the strong tower on which we can always rely! And we need to get that fact buried deep in our hearts, so that we can automatically turn to Him, without any hesitation whatsoever, fully knowing that He cares for us and will take care of all our needs and troubles. That’s why Peter tells us: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) 

But we can’t do that unless we truly believe that the Lord is the rock of our salvation. And nobody said it as often or as powerfully as Bruh David in Psalm 62. ‘Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense (strong tower); I shall not be greatly moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 62:1-2) And if you didn’t believe him in the second verse, he reiterates it later on in verse 6, then adding: ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.  Selah.’ (Ps. 62:7-8) 

And that’s more indisputable truth my brethren! But unfortunately, many of us don’t seem to believe it because we don’t go to Him in times of trouble. Some even dismiss His very existence, and others want to rid our society of His presence. But that’s never going to happen! For Almighty God is the Creator and Controller of this universe and He’s not going to let any created being take it over. And He said it in so many words through the prophet Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8) 

Satan, the ex-archangel Lucifer is a good example of that. He tried to foment rebellion in heaven and become the head honcho, but instead got kicked out on his tush, him and the other fools that tried to rebel against the Father. What will it take for the created to understand that they cannot get rid of their Creator, and whatever power they might have is derived from the one and true source of all power, Almighty God Himself? And He can shut them down, do whatever He pleases with them, and it’s only His great LOVE for us, His most wonderful creation, that stops Him from destroying us completely in His wrath over our stubborn disobedience, sinful and ungodly ways. 

He even broke His own heart by sacrificing His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could be saved from hellfire and eternal damnation. But too many of us are not paying attention, and are thus experiencing the consequences of sin; an angry, sick, disaster ridden, strife-filled world. Oh friends, too many of us are still dancing in the darkness of this ungodly world when the light of Jesus is shining so brightly all around us. Please, let’s come out of that darkness and look to Him for help nuh, because He is the ONLY ONE, who can provide any real help to us, both individually and corporately. 

Our world’s not getting any better through our own actions, thus Satan is having a field day. And the only other option available to us is Jesus. Remember what He said about building our lives on solid foundations. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock (the rock – that’s Him) (Matt. 7:24) And there’s no disputing that truth! So please, let’s go to Him for help nuh mih bredrin. It’s the wisest decision we can ever make. 

As one sincerely repentant voice, let’s offer up 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 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!’ 

Now, let’s remember that God’s promises there are conditional on us keeping ours. Much LOVE!

…Jesus…the solid rock…on which I stand…all else is sinking sand…                                                                                                                                                       

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 December 2021 Psalm 24:1.

10 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 24:1.     The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.

Another snowy morning, but it’s Friday, the last day of the work week. So that takes away some of the anxiety and fear we have about venturing out into the snow covered highways and byways. And when we add the trust and faithfulness of Jesus, then we’re filled with courage, remembering that we can accomplish any and everything when He is walking with us. Isn’t that a wonderful feeling my fellow believers? It surely is! For no other Deity offers such strong and truthful reassurance to their followers…. Only Jesus! 

Yes friends…Only Jesus gives us the wherewithal, the grace, mercy and LOVE, to keep on keeping on no matter comes against us in this evil dominated world! With His Holy Spirit living within us, we have an in-house guide and director of personal affairs that no other faith has. That means we can get answers and guidance much quicker than others; almost immediate direction to our tentative and ofttimes anxious and fearful requests. 

But we need not be fearful or anxious because Jesus has promised to be always with us, even to the end of the world, and He keeps all of His promises. For like in everything else we do, as the old saying goes; practice makes perfect. And it’s not until you go to Him several times and see good results that you will feel comfortable. But we first need to step out into unknown territory to experience the grace that comes from knowing and trusting Christ. And every time we need to step out, we must remember what He’s already done, so it becomes easier and raises the level of our trust. 

And if, like the world does, you want to ask Jesus what He’s done for you lately…then just think who allowed you to open your eyes this morning, and who’s breath of life is flowing through you right now? In other words, it’s because of His LOVE and purpose for your life that you are not reading your name in the obits today. And furthermore, whom do you think enabled you to get a job, and a good paying one too, plus the new car that you drive to that good paying job, from that nice house in which you and your family live? 

It’s Jesus my brethren, because everything in this world belongs to Him, and we are only stewards, aka managers of His possessions. And the Good Book tells and reminds us of that most important fact, which many of us might find trivial and nonsensical. Very early in their journey out of bondage in Egypt, Moses let it be known to the people of Israel, when he declared: ‘Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.’ (Deut. 10:14) There is no hesitation or doubt whatsoever in Moses’ declaration. 

And Bruh David, in offering thanksgiving and prayer, before he anointed Cousin Sol king of Israel in his place, said the same thing in Chronicles. ‘Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.’ (1 Chr.29:11-12) 

Now if that doesn’t convince us of our God’s omnipotence and awesome power, I don’t know what will! For, remember Bruh David rose from a humble shepherd boy to a mighty warrior and king, the greatest of Israel’s many kings, not through his power, but through the grace and anointing of God! And he never forgot that despite all the human mistakes he made. Neither should we forget it, despite the mistakes we make, because the Lord is able to change and work out all things for our good, if we stand strong and faithful in His fold. 

And I believe that Bruh David, in his role as a wordsmith, the magnificent wordsmith that he was, says it best in Psalm 24, where he expounds on The king of glory. Listen and take heart. ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers). 

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and is pure in heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity (to an idol), nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob.  Selah.’ (Ps. 24:1-7) 

Now that all sounds wonderful, but unfortunately this is not the generation that’s seeking the Lord’s face! Rather we are trying to hide from Him, and or remove Him from our society, two notions which are both foolish and impossible. But thankfully, it’s never too late to seek the Lord’s face, and do we ever desperately need to seek it in these disastrous times, because He is the ONLY One who can do anything positive for us. So please, let’s go to Him right now nuh, seeking His awesome help through our Friday Chant. 

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 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!’ 

Now, please remember all that we asked for, and what we promised to do, because it’s only if we keep our promises, that the Lord will answer our prayers. Much LOVE!

..the created owns nothing…the world is the Lord’s, He created it…and we’ve been bought with the blood of Jesus…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 December 2021 Daniel 9:9.

03 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Daniel 9:9.     To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him. 

Just one more day…one more day of life being life! Steups! Yuh know, those days when everything just seems to go wrong right from the start. You wake up feeling lousy, with a headache, and then as you try to get out of bed, a cramp suddenly hits you in your right thigh. But thank the Lord it is not one of the terrible ones, so you only moan and groan and try to calm it for about five or six minutes. 

Then a li’l later, you are coming down the basement steps to write the Bit with a cup of sweet java in your hand, next thing you stumble and spill some of it on the steps. So, you must clean that up before the duchess sees it and castigates you for your sloppiness. And then outside it seems to be another grey looking day. 

Brother! I’ve never seen so much cloud cover in my life! There’s no day where the sun just seems to shine with no surrounding dark clouds. How wonderful it is to have Jesus and His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and walking beside us to calm and protect us from all those irritating and frustrating storms of life! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord!’ 

Yes friends, we need to be ever so thankful for Jesus because even with His divine help, life still gets difficult. So, can you imagine if we didn’t have Him, or how those who don’t have Him manage? And yuh know what, the Good Book opened at an interesting passage of scripture this morning which I believe is oh so appropriate for our times. It comes from Nehemiah’s prayer for his people Israel when told of Jerusalem’s sorry state. He admitted to God: ‘We have dealt (acted) very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements (ordinances), which thou commandedest thy servant Moses.’ (Neh. 1:7) 

Ah mih people, there’s no disputing that we have done the exact same thing; turned away from the God of our forefathers! No wonder our world is in such a terrible state. Way back when, Moses had warned the children of Israel: ‘But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto (listen to) the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do (obey) all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. (Deut. 28:15) 

And just for our information, the blessings in that chapter run from verse 3-14, but the curses from verse 16-68. I don’t need to tell us that the curses were more numerous and disastrous. It’s sad, but all down through the ages, the supposed people of God have at one time or another turned away from Him and paid a terrible price for their disobedience. The psalmist said it when he wrote in Psalm 106, titled, Israel sins against God’s LOVE. ‘We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.’ (Ps. 106:6) 

And Daniel said it thus in his prayer for Israel when they were in captivity in Babylon. ‘We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements.’ (Dan. 9:5) Oh, for certain sure my brethren, we have sinned and done dastardly deeds against our wonderful God! We have rebelled against Him, especially by trying to turf Him in no uncertain terms from our society, from the world and all therein that He so thoughtfully created. 

The awful cry these days is ‘There is no God!’ But most of us know better than that; that there is a God, a true and living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! A God who will not let us get away with our infantile behaviour forever. And I think Daniel hit the nail on the head when he said in a couple verses later: ‘O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces (shame), as at this day…’ (Dan. 9:7a) 

Oh my fellow saints, confusion certainly reigns in our world today, but obviously not enough shame for our sins and wickedness committed against out heavenly Father. Otherwise, we would have already turned back to Him with a great revival, when we saw that we can’t fix our problems in our own strength. But no, we persist in trying to fix it ourselves, and the situation is just getting worse every day. 

However, as Daniel also said: ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’ (Dan. 9:9) That means our Lord and God is a forgiving and merciful God, and if we swallow our foolish pride and return to His fold, we will be forgiven. So please, let’s wake up nuh, and see the utter folly of trying to fix what’s wrong by ourselves, for only with God’s divine help is it possible. Let’s therefore go to Him in humble repentance and ask for His forgiveness and guidance through our Friday Chant. 

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 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!’ 

Now, if we want God to help us, we must fulfill those promises we’ve just made. It’s as simple as that. Much LOVE

!…rebelling against God…the Creator and Controller of everything…is utter foolishness… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 November 2021 Matthew 6:8.

26 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Matthew 6:8. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before you ask him.

What shall we say to opening our bleary eyes to a bright new shiny day eh? A simple answer like ‘Thank You Lord for allowing me to see another day. I praise You and bless your holy name,’ will do. Our wonderful God doesn’t need a whole lot of verbiage to satisfy His soul, just our heartfelt thanks and gratitude. 

That’s why Jesus uttered this warning to His listeners, a warning which I believe is also very timely for us in these trying and turbulent times. He said: ‘And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites (pretenders) are: for they LOVE to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. 

Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet (inner room), and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.’ (Matt. 6:5-6) 

Now friends, that doesn’t mean that praying publicly is wrong, because it’s decreed in many parts of the Bible, the problem is the misuse of prayer, praying so that men can see us and believe we are so righteous and holy, when we are nothing more than a bunch of hypocrites using it for our personal glory. 

And as the scholars explain: ‘The principle here is that the believer should not make a show of his prayer, nor of the answers he receives of prayer in such a way as to call unnecessary attention to himself.’ Unfortunately, many of us today, do just that; make showy attempts of prayer, so that others can see us and think we are such prayer warriors, when we are nothing of the kind. 

Jesus knew the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, so He continues on the subject of prayer. ‘But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.’ (Matt. 6:7) Yes my brethren, we don’t need to babble on in our prayers, saying the same things over and over, or speaking without thinking, like some of the heathen and false prophets found in the Old Testament. 

Thus, this last word from Jesus. ‘Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before you ask him.’ (Matt. 6:8). For sure! He is God, the Creator and controller of the world, who’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, so He must know what we need, although He likes us to come to Him in prayer and ask, to acknowledge our submission to His will and not ours. 

And the scholars offer a wonderful explanation on prayer through that verse. ‘6:8. Prayer is not man’s attempt to change the will of God. Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance to answer, but laying hold of His willingness to help. Prayer in the life of the believer is an act of total confidence and assurance in the plan and purpose of God. 

The following sample prayer is given to the disciples as an example of a suitable prayer. This prayer, often called the “Lord’s Prayer,” is in reality a disciple’s prayer. In no way does the prayer itself embody all of Christ’s teaching about prayer; and having just warned against vain repetition, he did not intend for this particular prayer to be merely recited with empty meaninglessness.’ 

Oh friends, we all know the prayer, and ofttimes we just mouth it without really thinking about what we’re saying. And yes, it’s good to have God in our mouths, but He should also be in our hearts and minds. And we won’t go into a line by line break down of the prayer, but be it sufficient here to know that it contains two major parts; the first is adoration, and the second is petition. 

Now that’s the way most prayers, especially in the Psalms are devised. They open with thanks and praise, then they ask for their needs, and I believe that’s a healthy way for us to design our individual prayers. Don’t just jump right into what we need, unless it’s a dire emergency, but first offer up thanks, and remember what the Lord has done in the past for us, and His overall goodness in our lives, show that we appreciate His grace and mercy, before we begin asking for things. 

And by the way, please make sure the things we ask for are things that are in His will for our lives, not merely our selfish wants. Now, what we’ve said above, is not the end all and be all on prayer, but hopefully, it will upgrade out thoughts on prayer and help us to pray in a more meaningful manner. 

So, with that in mind (smile) let’s go to God in prayer, right now, through our Friday Chant. 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 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!’ 

Please remember, that if we want positive answers to our prayers, we need to keep the promises we’ve just made. Much LOVE!

…Prayer…God’s method of communication with His children… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 November 2021 Philippians 4:4.

19 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 4:4.      Rejoice in the Lord always: and again, I say, Rejoice.

I hear you friends! I hear you calling out ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and this miserable workweek soon done!’ And yes, the workweek might have been difficult and/or frustrating, but please look on the bright side nuh, you were one of the blessed ones, you at least had a job to go to. However, in these pandemic, riotous, disastrous and dangerous times, thousands of your brethren had none to go to, and would have grabbed yours without a backward glance. Many would have given their ‘eye-teeth,’ as the old people would say to have any li’l job at all, so they could make a few dollars to feed themselves and their families

. So please, let’s not belittle the work we do, even though it may not be as soul-satisfying as we desire. Times are exceedingly hard, and instead of complaining we ought to be thankful for what little we might have, because there are so many others around the world with so much less than us, who would be exceedingly glad and thankful to have the little we claim to have. 

That’s why this scripture writing of Bruh Paul to the Philippians is ever so important today. He writes: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.’ (Phil. 4:4) Yes friends, that’s the number one characteristic and attitude of believers in Christ Jesus; we are joyful in whatever situation we find ourselves. Remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength! (Neh. 8:10) That’s why the enemy tries his best to steal our joy, because he knows that without that joy, which brings strength, we are totally at his evil mercy. 

And I like how the scholars explain that verse. ‘4:4. The mention of believers’ names being recorded in heaven (vs.3) causes the author to write rejoice in the Lord always. Harmony among church members, as Paul assumes will be the result of his pleas in verses 2 and 3, (to be of the same mind), is another reason to “rejoice.” 

In adding and again I say, Rejoice, it is as though the apostle looks into the future, considers all possibilities of sorrow, and in spite of them all repeats “the command.” This command to rejoice at all times and in all circumstances is nothing less than a call to faith. For if the Christian believes that his life and all its circumstances are in the hands of a sovereign, wise, and LOVING God who is always working to accomplish good for him, then he can indeed “rejoice always.” 

And yuh better believe my brethren that in these perilous times the command to rejoice is indeed a call to faith, since we do have a wise, sovereign and LOVING God who has promised never to leave nor forsake us and to work out everything for our good eventually. Thus, the level of our joy rests on the level of our faith, on how much we believe what our Creator says. If our faith is strong, then our joy will be forthcoming, but if our faith is weak, then we will be filled with all kinds of doubts, fears and anxieties. 

That’s why Bruh Paul continues: ‘Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.’ (Phil.4:6) And the scholars tell us that ‘Moderation means “graciousness” or “sweet reasonableness.” The believer who is at peace with his fellow Christian (vs.2) and who rejoices always (vs.4) is indeed a gracious, reasonable person. 

The Lord is hand means two things. First, His return to earth is near. His imminent coming as judge encourages the Christian to be “gracious” unto all men, for He will judge the believer for all of his actions toward all people, and will avenge any wrongs committed by others against him. Second, the “Lord is at hand” spiritually. The Lord’s being presently near should free the Christian from fear and anxiety. Hence the command of verse 6.’ 

And we all know the command of verse 6. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) What a majestic and encouraging verse of scripture my people! We don’t need to be anxious for anything because we can take it all to God in sincere prayer and supplication, but with thanksgiving, letting Him know that we desperately need His help. That means thankfully laying our anxieties at His feet, assured that He can and will deal with them on our behalf. Thus, we are freed of the anxieties and worries, the doubts and frustrations of this evil and ungodly world. 

Wow! No wonder we are to rejoice and be thankful! And I would be amiss if I didn’t add some of the scholars’ explanation of that verse. They say, ‘Be careful for nothing means “don’t worry about anything.” The Lord’s nearness (vs. 5b) leads Paul to forbid his readers from worrying. This is no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concern. The solution to undue anxiety is prayer in every thing, “in any matter of life.” The way to be free of anxiety is to be prayerful about everything. While God is eager to hear our requests, they are to be accompanied with thanksgiving.’ 

So what’s the end result of all that eh? Bruh Paul states it thus: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7) Oh my people! ‘The peace of God is that tranquility of mind freeing the believer from fear and worry. “Peace” which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; and (2) God’s peace far surpassing one’s own understanding of the problems, and His ability to cope with and solve it.’ 

And that peace shall guard our hearts through our trust and belief in Christ Jesus! Glory be my fellow saints! What more can we ask eh? Nothing really, but we do need to take our current fears and anxieties to the Lord in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Friday Chant. 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 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!’ 

Now, please remember that we need to keep our promises, if we expect the Lord to keep His. Much LOVE!

…the Lord is my helper…I will not fear…                                                                                                        

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 November 2021 Matthew 6:12.

12 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:12.      And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And then there was shouting and singing of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! Thank God this brutal workweek almost done! The weekend is upon us and the time to party finally come!’ Ah Lord eh! How we do like our parties. Wish we could even give a small percentage of the time we think about partying to thinking about God. Our lives would be so much better all around. 

And it’s not like we can’t party in and with the Lord, because we can. Like all of us, the Lord likes a good party, but one that honours Him, in ways that glorify and proclaim His holiness and righteousness, not the leggo-beast parties that the world seems to value so much. Remember the numerous feasts that the Israelites were commanded to have in olden times. Well, likewise we could also have numerous occasions to sing and praise and glorify our great and wonderful God. 

Like Bruh Paul told the Ephesians. ‘See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:15-21). 

Yes friends, that’s how believers ought to behave in their daily lives. Making melody to God in our hearts, while walking circumspectly and wise amongst the evil and ungodly world in which we live, not being licentious and dissipated and ungodly like so many of us tend to be. Please remember that God sees all that we do, both in public and private, and also reads the motives of our hearts, so it’s foolish to claim to be a believer and then living so much like the world. We might fool our peers, but not the Lord. 

As Granny always warned: ‘Sonny boy, please remember, that drunk or sober, always to mind yuh business.’  But, unfortunately, in this crazy and evil world, too many of us supposed believers are not minding our business like we should, not minding our p’s and q’s, crossing our t’s and dotting our i’s. And that’s a big part of why our world is so depraved and ungodly; Christians are not doing their part; we are not standing up to the heathen as we should. We are placidly accepting whatever the world offers when we know to do better. 

And not only is our stance against the world not good enough, but our help, edification and encouragement to each other is not worthwhile either. Instead of building up our fellow saints we are ever so quick to pull them down. We forget that one of the building blocks of our faith is helping each other. 

As Bruh Paul said earlier in his letter to the Ephesians. ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:29-32) 

Now, if we could only lower the great amount of bitterness, wrath, malice and evil speaking that currently exists in Christ’s church, both the church and the world would be a whole lot better off. We all desire people to be nice to us and forgive us, but sadly we don’t do the same to and for them. Whatever happened to the Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ And remember Jesus’ very decisive words on forgiveness in the Sermon on the Mount. A part of the prayer He taught us reads: ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt. 6:12) 

That means we are asking the Lord to forgive us in proportion to how we forgive others. And Jesus went on to further clarify that statement by saying: ‘For if we forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15) That’s it loud and clear friends; forgive and you will be forgiven; don’t forgive, neither will you be forgiven. 

But we have become so arrogant and boldface these days that we go to the Lord asking for forgiveness, while bearing a whole lot of unforgiveness in our hearts towards others. And when the Lord doesn’t forgive us and answer our prayers, we foolishly wonder why and get angry with God, even to the point of turning away from Him. Oh my people, many of our problems, anxieties and woes stem directly from our ungodly behaviour. Why can’t we wake up and see it eh? Anyway, it’s never too late to make amends, so let’s begin that process right now nuh, by going to the Lord in sincere prayer, asking for His divine help through our Friday Chant. 

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 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 as the saying goes, ‘it takes two to tango.’ So, if we want the Lord to do our bidding, then we have to reciprocate by doing His. It’s as simple as that my brethren! Much LOVE!

…two together are better than one alone…and one with God is the best there is… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   5 November 2021 Proverbs 15:16.

05 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 15:16.     Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith.

Well, like it’s finally begun friends. I’m talking about the season of frost. That’s when you awaken in the mornings and see your car windshields frozen with ice. And before you go to work or leave work to go home, you have to scrape off the annoying ice, which can ofttimes be very thick and most frustrating to remove. And the presence of frost only means one thing, we’re getting closer to winter and that beautiful white fluffy stuff we so adorably label snow, but which can be ever so dangerous, like the devil, if it gets its claws into you. (smile)  

Like day follows night, the seasons follow each other, another one of God’s many awesome mystical set ups in His amazing universe. But that’s all a part of living in the cold, northern climes. So, you just grin and bear it, and move on with your life. And as always, the Lord does give you the wherewithal to handle whatever He allows to come against you. And though you never really get accustomed to it, or even like it, except you are a skier or someone who likes snow sports, with the joy of Jesus living within you, you can even enjoy it some of the times. 

Take me, for example. When I first came here, I went all over the cold, snowy land with an ice-hockey team from my workplace, and that got me acclimatized to the situation much quicker than if I had just shied away from it. Fast forward some forty something years later, I still find it’s beautiful when it’s nice and clean, but do my best to stay away from it, especially when other human beings are also plowing through it. Anyhow, enough on the snow scene, let’s not encourage it to come any sooner than it will. (smile) 

What I am guided to talk about today is an ungodly and distasteful matter that leads too many of us believers around by the nose, like a chained animal. And Cousin Sol put’s it very nicely in Proverbs, when he declares: ‘Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs (vegetables) where LOVE is, than a stalled ox (fatted calf) and hatred therewith.’ (Prov. 15:16-17) 

And if that isn’t the God-awesome truth, I don’t know what is! For the presence of the Lord within a home, is so wonderful and refreshing, even when there isn’t a whole lot to eat, while hatred within a home where plenty exists, substantially detracts from the very satisfaction that having plenty ought to bring. As the scholars so wisely remind us: ‘15:16. Spiritual riches are better than material riches.’ 

And Cousin Sol touches on the subject again in Proverbs 16 and 17, where he claims: ‘Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right (justice).’ (Prov. 16:8) ‘Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than a house full of sacrifices (sacrificial meals) with strife.’ (Prov. 17:1) And we see it all around us in this world full of plenty. Many of those households are unhappy despite their plentiful material riches, while the poorer households that have a reverential awe of the Lord dwell together much better. 

As Bruh David says in Psalm 133 – The joy of brotherhood. ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.’ (Ps. 133:1) But that can only be accomplished if there is a strong connection with the Lord God Jehovah, and thus the absence of negative things like hatred and envy. Bruh David himself also talks about the value of spiritual over material wealth in that famous Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. There he proclaims: ‘A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of the many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.’ (Ps. 37:16-17) 

And that’s no lie friends, for within the same psalm, Bruh David sincerely advises us to: ‘Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:8-9) That’s a faithful promise of God, so we know that it will eventually come to pass. 

That means we ought to be careful how we live on this ungodly, evil earth and not run down the material wealth it seeks to compromise us with. Instead, we ought to do like Jesus advised: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That’s wisdom in spades my brethren! It’s the wisest decision we can ever make on this earth. 

Let us not forget these marvellous words of Bruh Paul to Timothy either. ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content. But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction). For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil; which while some coveted after, have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith).’ (1 Tim. 6:6-10) 

And we all know that’s the gospel truth, because the LOVE of money (greed) is all around us, especially in these troubled and frustrating times, and everyday it’s leading somebody to ruin and destruction. So please, let’s wake up nuh mih people, and stop selling our souls to Beelzebub for a few worthless baubles and bangles that we cannot take with us when our bodies return to the dust from whence it came. We need to be more concerned about our spiritual self which will live on after the body turns to dust. And we can only do that if we have a right relationship with Almighty God, the Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein. 

Consequently, as Jesus has enabled us to do, let’s take this marvellous opportunity and go to Him in prayer, through our Friday Chant, humbly, but confidently asking for His divine help. As one strong and 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. 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 remember, to get that divine help, we need to keep our earthly promises. Much LOVE!

…it’s useless…to have plenty earthly wealth…but no peace of mind… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 October 2021   1 Thessalonians 5:5.

22 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

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

1 Thessalonians 5:5.      Ye are all the children of the light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 

And it’s an indecisive Friday morning; the sun seems to be fighting through the dark clouds. Who will be the winner is yet to be determined, (smile) but at least it’s dry so far. And as I like to remind us, the physical state of the day doesn’t really matter once we have the wonderful light of Jesus shining in and through us. For He is more than sufficient to meet all of our needs! Thank You Jesus! Yes friends, we desperately need to keep remembering that once Jesus is in our lives, that darkness is no longer a part of us. 

As Bruh Paul reminded the Thessalonians. ‘Ye are all the children of the light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober (self-controlled). For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and LOVE; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort (encourage) yourselves together (each other), and edify (build up) one another, even as also ye do (are doing).’ (1 Thess. 5:5-11) 

That’s a great and rather timely message my fellow believers, for in these dark, dangerous and evil times, filled with sickness, strife and all kinds of disaster and ungodly stuff, we need to heed it more than ever. Yes my people, we must wake up and embrace the light of Christ, bathe ourselves in it, otherwise the darkness will overtake us, and then we will be subject to the wrath of God. 

For the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night, and we should not allow ourselves to be found wanting whenever that happens. We need to be always prepared, for we are the children of light, and consequently not subject to the wrath of God. That’s why we need to be sober, keep close watch, ‘putting on the breastplate of faith and LOVE, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.’  

It’s very important in these crucial and critical times that we be ready, that we do like Bruh Paul advised the Ephesians. ‘Wherefore take unto you (put on) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13) And yuh better believe my fellow saints that this is indeed the evil day! For evil, ungodliness, strife and disaster are running rampant in our world like never before! 

And once we are clothed in the spiritual armour of God, then we need to stand up strong, because that’s the whole purpose of the armour; to enable us to stand up against the formidable foe that we face. As the scholars explain: ‘We must avail ourselves of God’s provision (that’s His spiritual armour) lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry. The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the devil will attack again and again.’ 

Of that you can be very certain my brethren! The devil is a very persistent foe, and will keep coming back whenever we best Him, like a bothersome insect or an itch that never goes away, despite how much you scratch it. (smile) Yuh see how he was persistent against Jesus, the same way he will be persistent after us, who have even less will-power than Jesus had. And please notice too the words of Luke after the temptation of Jesus. ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season.’ (Luke 4:13) 

That means until another opportune time. It’s the same way he will come against us, time after time, so we always have to be prepared and ready to withstand the evil one. And we can only successfully resist the enemy when we are clothed in God’s armour; namely, having the truth of God’s word firmly girded around our waist, with the breastplate of righteousness safeguarding our chest, and on our feet, shoes made of the gospel of peace. 

The shield of faith to withstand the fiery arrows of the enemy is also important, then the helmet of salvation to protect our heads, and in our hands the mighty sword of the Spirit, that two-edged sword,  the Word of God, that is so powerful it can divide asunder soul and spirit. Wow, mih bredrin! Nothing the enemy has can stand against the spiritual forces of our God. 

However, there is one more very important aspect of our heavenly armour, that being, ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:18) Oh my people, prayer is ever so important in our daily walk. 

As the scholars tell us: ‘6:18. Prayer is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion” that is when Satan attacks. In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’ 

And since there’s never a better time to pray than at the very moment (smile) let’s do so nuh, let’s take our problems to God, through our Friday Chant. As one strong 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!’ 

Now, we need to remember the promises we made…and keep them, if we want the Lord to keep His. Much LOVE!

…we can’t go into battle against the enemy…without God’s protective armour…                                                                                                         

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 October 2021 Psalm 119:105.

15 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

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

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

Well it’s certainly not as beautiful out there today, as it was yesterday. It’s cloudy and miserable with rain forecasted during the day, but as I always say, what a good thing we have Jesus to otherwise brighten up our day! For even when the skies are cloudy and gray, and the storms are pounding down on us, the light and LOVE of Jesus is always present within His followers to lead and guide them along the pathway of righteousness. No wonder the psalmist confidently and gratefully declared: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) 

Yes friends, obedience to Christ’s dictates is a must if we want to sincerely live for Him. But how do we know His dictates? By reading His Word which gives us wisdom and knowledge. That means His Word is a lamp to guide us through the perilous pathways of this evil and ungodly world. And I like how the bible.com website illustrates the message on verses 105 -112 of the Psalm. It says: ‘By your words I can see where I am going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by your righteous order. 

Everything’s falling apart on me, GOD; put me together again with your Word. Festoon me with your finest sayings, GOD; teach me your holy rules. My life is as close as my own hands, but I don’t forget what you have revealed. The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don’t swerve an inch from your course. I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever – what a gift! And how happy it makes me! I concentrate on doing exactly what you say – I always have and always will.’ 

Now that could be an everyday prayer, because every day we are tempted by the wicked to forego and forget God’s word and the rules for righteous living found therein. But when we keep meditating on His word, it will guide our path like a light. Remember how the Lord had the cloud by day and fire by night when He brought the Israelites out of Egypt. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light’ to go by day and night.’ (Ex. 13:21) 

Oh saints of Christ, you can see from the beginning of time that the Lord has safely guided His people. He always does it. Back then He did it with the Israelites through a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, because they were just learning about the Lord and had no written material to turn to, but we now have his holy word in print, in a physical form that we can always turn to for good and wise guidance. And we ought to be continually in it if we want to stay true to God’s dictates, for that is its stated purpose. 

Remember God’s admonition to Joshua? ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) Brother! The Lord’s point is so clear, as it always is! Meditate on my law and keep it, and you will be prosperous! What’s so hard to understand about that eh? 

And we know from their history that when the Israelites did as God said, they prospered, and when they turned from Him, they fell on hard times, adversity swallowed them up. And the same thing is happening to us right now! We have turned away from the word of God and living in total sin, not reading or following His word. So what do we expect happen eh? Wine roses and song? Absolutely not! Calamity, adversity and tribulation is our much deserved lot, and that’s exactly what we are getting. 

All through the Good Book we are warned about disobedience, and see example after example where disobedient societies fall prey to adversity and calamity. So why do we think that because we have supposedly reached a higher level of civilization that we are exempt from God’s everlasting law eh? We aren’t! In fact, much more is expected of us because we know and understand more than those who have gone before us. But we choose to continue in our disobedience and evil doings, even trying to completely rid our society of God, and yet expect to prosper for a long time. 

That’s the devil’s lie, his favourite deception, for the word of God doesn’t change, and if He said way back when, obey me and you will be prosperous, then that command still stands today, and if we were smart, we would choose to do it wholeheartedly. And as always, Cousin Sol had his wise two cents worth to throw in, during his warning against adultery. He says: ‘For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.’ (Prov. 6:23) And if anybody should know about the law and its effects, it’s Cousin Sol, who went from being God’s shining star, in his early life, to the doghouse in his later days. 

But the wonderful thing about our God is that when we wake up from our evil ways, we can always come back to Him through sincere prayer and true repentance. So please, let’s go to Him right now nuh, through our Friday Chant, spilling out our problems in sincere repentance, asking for forgiveness and His wise 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 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 please don’t forget that the Lord’s response to our entreaties will depend on our faithful behaviour and the right motives of our hearts. Much LOVE!

…you reap what you sow…so you can’t sow sin and expect to reap righteousness…                                                                                                             

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

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