Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 May 2021 Ephesians 6:13.

30 May 2021 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:13.     ​Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God,that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning; time to gather together for a song, a song of praise, worship and thanksgiving! And why not eh, if our eyes have opened to behold God’s great creation called the universe, in which we, mankind are celebrated as His most spectacular creation? Oh, I know the majority of us don’t behave like it, but that doesn’t stop our God from LOVING us with a fierce, true, unconditional heartfelt emotion! And for those of us who do appreciate His thrilling LOVE, it’s only right that we show our gratitude and sing His praises on this His Sabbath Day. 

Now today’s song is most appropriate for these troubled and ungodly times. It’s titled ‘Stand Up Stand Up For Jesus!’ And, oh, how the world is dying to see us do that! But a little background on the song before we burst into praise. The song was written by one George Duffield Jr. (1818-1888) on the inspirational words of his dying Presbyterian preacher colleague, Dudley A. Tyng, who had been a strong anti-slavery advocate in the Philadelphia area. 

It’s reputed that on his deathbed in 1858, from an unfortunate farm accident in which he lost an arm, he was asked by his friends if he had a final message. Tyng replied: ‘Tell them to stand up for Jesus.’ Later on, at Tyng’s memorial service, it’s said that Duffield preached on Ephesians 6:14, and ended his sermon by reading the text of his new hymn, ‘Stand up Stand up for Jesus.’ 

Wow! What an inspiring story! Now, having heard it, let’s raise our hearts, eyes, heads, hands and voices in praiseful worship and sing that awesome song like we truly mean it. And we going to sing it in a rousing reggae riddim, per Miss Carlene Davis, the famous Jamaican Gospel singer. 

Altogether now: ‘Stand up, stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross; lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss: from vict’ry unto vict’ry his army he shall lead, ’til ev’ry foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed. Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey; forth to the mighty conflict in this his glorious day: ye that are men now serve him against unnumbered foes; let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose. 

(Chorus: Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up. Yes we are standing on Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my saviour, standing on the promises of God. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up.) 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in his strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own: put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with pray’r; where duty calls, or danger, be never wanting there. Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long; this day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song: to him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; he with the King of glory shall reign eternally. 

(Chorus: Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up. Yes we are standing on Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my saviour, standing on the promises of God. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up.) 

Oh my fellow believers, that was a marvellous version which had all of heaven dancing and singing. But even more importantly is the urgent need we have to put what we just sang into immediate action down here on earth, because the enemy is running away with the battle while we sit on our fannies. That’s one thing we can learn from the enemy; not to sit on our fannies. Yes, we might have won the eventual battle through Christ, but in the meanwhile we have to keep that victorious spirit moving on down here on earth. We can’t ever let up, because the enemy is serious about trying to take back the ground he lost to Jesus. 

And the good thing about that song is that it’s based on some very encouraging and worthwhile scriptures. Let’s look at a few of them nuh. We have already said that Duffield preached on Eph. 6:14 at Tyng’s Memorial service. And that’s a scripture we all should know very well, as it’s taken from Bruh Paul’s famous writings to the church at Ephesus on the whole spiritual armour of God. And we can see in the second to last stanza where the author refers to the entire portion of the scripture: ‘put on the gospel armour, each piece put on with pray’r; where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.’ 

We’ll just quote the two verses we mentioned. ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.’ (Eph. 6:13-14) Yes friends, we are involved in a spiritual battle and we can’t fight it successfully without the armour of God. So we need to put it on, and then stand strong! 

And in the very first verse, the author characterizes us as soldiers in Christ’s army, no doubt referring to Bruh Paul’s exhortation to Timothy. ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ (2 Tim. 2:3-4) And Christ has indeed called us to be soldiers in His army. 

Then if we look at the second verse, where the writer says: ‘ye that are men now serve him against unnumbered foes; let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.’ That certainly resembles Bruh Paul’s exhortation to the church at Corinth: ‘Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men (be brave), be strong.’ (1 Cor. 16:13) 

And the last scripture we’ll check out is the one concerning the part of the hymn that says: ‘to him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; he with the King of glory shall reign eternally.’ That seems to come from Revelation 2:10, where Jesus promises: ‘Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried (tested); and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.’ 

Oh my people, what better way to end today’s Bit eh, than by reminding us to stand strong, and endure the temptation and tribulation brought upon us by the enemy, so that at the end, we can have that glorious crown of life so faithfully promised by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!

…the world’s a battlefield…and Christ’s followers…are expected to fight on His behalf…                                                 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 December 2020 Ephesians 6:13.

06 Dec 2020 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:13.    ​Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Another Sunday…and another day of virtual worship! But the important thing is that there’s worship! And all God’s children shouted loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Amen!’ Yeh friends, it doesn’t really matter how we communicate and/or worship, once we communicate and worship, and give thanks and praise to our wonderful heavenly Father. (smile) And with the severe turbulence that’s currently surrounding our lives I thought it necessary to open today’s proceedings with a song that brings our true purpose to mind and also offers oodles of encouragement. The song is aptly tittle ‘Stand up, Stand up for Jesus!’ 

Now that’s exactly what believers ought to be doing in troubled times like these. But before we get into the song, there’s an interesting story behind it. The song was written by clergyman George Duffield, Jr. (b. Carlisle, PA, 1818; d. Bloomfield, NJ, 1888). ‘It’s reputed that he was inspired to write this text after hearing the dying words of a Presbyterian colleague, Dudley A. Tyng. Ousted from his own congregation for his strong anti-slavery stance, Tyng preached to large crowds in weekday meetings sponsored by the YMCA. 

His work spearheaded an evangelical revival in Philadelphia early in 1858. At Tyng’s deathbed, caused by a farm accident in which he lost an arm, Duffield and others asked if he had any final message. Tyng replied, ‘Tell them to stand up for Jesus!” At Tyng’s memorial service on April 25, 1858, Duffield preached on Ephesians 6:14 and concluded his sermon by reading his new hymn text, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.” Several lines in that original text referred to Tyng’s words and ministry.’ 

So it’s not only appropriate for us taking a stand for Jesus, but also for the racial injustice that’s still so prevalent in our world. And today we’re going to do an easy rocking reggae version, a la Jamaican gospel singer Carlene Davis, but with plenty riddim and plenty soul. (smile) So let’s get to raising our sweet voices to heaven in perfect harmony nuh: ‘Stand up, stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of the cross; lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss: from vict’ry unto vict’ry his army he shall lead, ’til ev’ry foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed. 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey; forth to the mighty conflict in this his glorious day: ye that are men now serve him against unnumbered foes; let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose. (Chorus: Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up. Yes we are standing on Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my saviour, standing on the promises of God. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up.) 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in his strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own: put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with pray’r; where duty calls, or danger, be never wanting there. Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long; this day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song: to him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; he with the King of glory shall reign eternally. 

(Chorus: Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up. Yes we are standing on Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my saviour, standing on the promises of God. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, Stand up for Jesus children stand up.) 

Oh mih bredrin, the airwaves were jumping…and heaven was jiving too! And I like that about heaven; anytime the music’s pumping, heaven is always involved, cause they LOVE good, praiseful music, just like us. Yuh know that if the music is good, you just can’t keep your feet from dancing. (smile)Anyway my people, there’s no getting away from the fact that as believers in Christ, we need to stand up strong and steadfast, like good soldiers for Him in this evil world. And I won’t preach at you today, (smile) just share some scripture on which they say the verses of the hymn are built and they seem reasonable to me. 

The first verse, they say comes from 2 Timothy. ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ (2 Tim. 2:3-4) As to the second verse, it’s supposedly built on exhortations from 1 Corinthians. ‘Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men (be brave), be strong. Let all your things be done with charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor. 16:13-14) The third verse obviously comes from that famous chapter in Ephesians re the whole armour of God (Eph. 6:10-17) And I’m going to share it all, regardless of time and space. (smile) 

‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (spiritual hosts) in high places. Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth (your waist girded with truth), and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’ (Eph. 6:10-17) 

Yes friends, that’s the basic armour of God, and if you don’t have it on, it doesn’t make sense going out to fight. But yuh know what, even with all of that armour on, yuh still missing one thing; the most important thing. ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:18) Well my fellow believers, as the scholars tell us: ‘Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable.’ So please pay serious attention to that. 

And as per the fourth verse, just listen to the wonderfully encouraging scriptures. From Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto them also thatLOVEhis appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8) 

And from Jesus to the church at Smyrna: ‘Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison. That ye may be tried (tested); and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.’ (Rev. 2:10) Ah mih people those two crowns – of righteousness and life – are certainly worth having, but it’s not easy. Both Bruh Paul and Jesus faced many hardships and fought and stood strong like real soldiers. And if we’re serious about our life with Christ, we can do it too. 

Anyway, we’ll end with this pertinent bit of advice: ‘The challenge of “Stand Up for Jesus” is proclaimed through the military metaphors Paul uses in Ephesians 6:10-18. Although some decry the warlike imagery, the spiritual battle that Christians must fight is very real. Christ’s victory is assured even if we do not always move “from victory unto victory” in our earthly lives.’ And that’s the gospel truth friends, so please, let’s stand as best we can! That’s all Christ asks.Much LOVE!

…the enemy will not give up…neither should we believers… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 December 2019 Ephesians 6:11.

01 Dec 2019 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:11.    ​Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes)  of the devil.
 

Well friends, it’s the first Sunday in Advent! And why is that important eh? Because in the church’s calendar, this is the time of year we begin preparing for Christ’s coming! Originally it seems like it was a time to think of Christ’s Second Coming, a cry for the Messiah to come back and take over the evil world. But apparently down through the years it got intertwined with the First Coming of the Messiah, what we call Christmas, so now we celebrate Advent by looking back nostalgically at the First Coming, while excitedly and expectantly looking forward to the Second One! Only in the Christian faith can we have such double celebrations my people! (smile) 

Anyway, as we gather today in joyful fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary, to give thanks and praise and worship His Holy Name, we not going to open with an Advent hymn because I got a zeppo intimating that the Lord wanted to hear this particular tune, ‘Stand up for Jesus!’ I guess He’s feeling that believers are not being strong and steadfast enough in the faith. We’re being too fearful and wishy-washy, sitting on the fence, wavering like a leaf in the wind, and too ready to compromise so that we can go on with our comfortable lives! 

Consequently, He wants us to get our acts together, get really serious about our cause, and like true warriors come out fighting valiantly under Jesus’ banner, even to the death, if needs be! So let’s raise our voices in strong and solemn song, as we sing these most excellent sentiments, but also truly fighting words, written in 1858 by George Duffield (1818-1888) in honour of his dear departed friend and leader, Dudley Atkins Tyng (1825-1858) in a tragic farm accident. It’s reputed that Tyng’s last message to his associates was for them to, ‘Stand up for Jesus,’ and this became the theme of Duffield’s song. 

And to make it even more powerful, we going to do a scintillating, rocking Reggae version, a la Miss Carlene Davis. Wow! Rockers time mih people! (smile) So altogether now: ‘Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross! Lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory his army he shall lead, till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed. Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the solemn watchword hear; if while ye sleep he suffers, away with shame and fear. Where’er ye meet with evil, within you or without, charge for the God of battles, and put the foe to rout. 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in his strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own. Put on the gospel armour, each piece put on with prayer; when duty calls or danger be never wanting there. (Bridge: Stand up, stand up, stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Stand up, stand up, stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Stand up, stand up, stand up for Jesus, children stand up, Stand up, stand up, stand up for Jesus, children stand up.) 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long; this day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song. To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; he with the King of glory shall reign eternally. (Extro: Stand up, stand up, stand up for Jesus, children stand up, Stand up, stand up, stand up for Jesus, children stand up. Standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour, standing on the promises of God. Stand up, stand up, stand up for Jesus, children stand up, Stand up, stand up, stand up for Jesus, children stand up….!’ 

Aye friends, I hope we truly meant what we just sang, because our world is desperate for somebody, for serious somebodies to stand up to the evil one in Jesus name! And it’s sad that we all know the scripture that characterizes that song, but we’re not putting it into full and proper use. Hear Bruh Paul as he articulates to the Ephesians, re the whole armour of God: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’ (Eph.6:10) 

As Christians we’re engaged in a spiritual battle from now until Christ’s Second Coming that we’re looking forward to this first Sunday in Advent. And there must be ‘no quarter given, no ceasefire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities.’ But to do that successfully, we have to stand strong, be strengthened in and through the Lord’s might and power. And this next verse is also of the utmost importance: ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes)  of the devil.’ 

Yes my faithful brethren, no soldier worth his salt, goes into battle without armour, without protective gear. And since in this case our battle is not physical but spiritual, we need specialized protection: Our loins must be girded with God’s truth; the knowledge of the truth of God’s Word. Our chests must be protected by a breastplate of righteousness, holy character and moral conduct, through obedience to God’s truth. And then our feet must be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We must be eager and willing to take on the satanic one and his demoniac cohorts, take the fight to him, and we get that from the gospel of peace, that frees us of any anxiety and fear. 

Then we need the shield of faith so we can repulse all the fiery darts of the wicked one. That means taking God at His Word, believing His awesome promises, dispelling all doubt Satan might try to induce. And we must have a helmet; that of salvation; the hope of and assurance of salvation, the surety, that we’re saved. And you can’t fight without a sword, in this case the sword of the Spirit; the powerful and ever-conquering Word of God! 

But along with all of that protective armour friends, we still need to use the most powerful tool in the universe; prayer! Without it, the armour is useless. So let’s hope all of this has lit a fire in our bellies, reignited our passion for Christ, so that we can become better soldiers in His victorious army! Much LOVE!

…Christians…put on your spiritual armour…the time to fight is NOW…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 June 2016 1 Corinthians 16:13

12 Jun 2016 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 16:13.    Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you (be brave) like men; be strong. 

Oh friends, let’s begin this Sunday morning’s proceedings with a most appropriate moment of worship, as we sing the old standard, ‘Stand up for Jesus.’ 

Please sing with me: ‘Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory His army shall He lead, Till every foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed. 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the solemn watchword hear; If while ye sleep He suffers, away with shame and fear; Where’er ye meet with evil, within you or without, Charge for the God of battles, and put the foe to rout. 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey; Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day. Ye that are brave now serve Him against unnumbered foes; Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose. 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone; The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own. Put on the Gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer; Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there. 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, each soldier to his post, Close up the broken column, and shout through all the host: Make good the loss so heavy, in those that still remain, And prove to all around you that death itself is gain. 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long; This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song. To those who vanquish evil a crown of life shall be; They with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.’ 

And my fellow believers do we ever need to stand up for Jesus and all that He stands for in these very trying and difficult times! We’re not only meant to sing these words in church, but even more importantly to put them into action in our daily lives! That’s the only way Jesus’ LOVE Revolution will be victorious! 

And to show how supposed believers are strange and unpredictable, I heard Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) say the other day that one of the many books she’s written is one titled, ‘The LOVE Revolution,’ and would you believe it’s the worst selling of all her books. Hn! 

Why? Not because it was a bad book, because it isn’t, but because believers nowadays just don’t seem to be interested in ‘agape’ LOVE; the kind of LOVE that Jesus espouses, that has us caring about others, even when we are going through rough times. Ah Lord eh my brethren, when we going to wake up, to grow up and learn what real Christianity is eh? 

Anyhow, as I went looking for the lyrics to ‘Stand up for Jesus,’ I discovered some worthwhile information on how it came about. Apparently, the writer, a Presbyterian minister, George Duffield Jr. in 1858 was an associate of the Rev. Dudley Atkins Tyng, who had recently been thrown out of his Episcopalian community for speaking against slavery.  

In March of that year, Tyng preached one of the most successful sermons of modern times to the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) in the large space known as Jaynes’ Hall. Of the five thousand men that were there at least one thousand, became ‘the slain of the Lord,’ were converted.  His sermon was apparently based on Exodus 10:11 “Go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord.” Pharaoh’s admonishment to Moses. 

The following Wednesday, leaving his study for a moment, he went to the barn floor, where a mule was at work on a horse-power, shelling corn. Patting him on the neck, the sleeve of his silk study gown caught in the cogs of the wheel, and his arm was torn out the roots! 

He died not long after that, but it’s reputed that before he moved on to the other side, he told his father “Tell my brethren of the ministry, wherever you meet them, to stand up for Jesus.”  

At a memorial service for Tyng, Duffield preached a message based on Ephesians 6:14. “Stand firm, wearing the whole armour of God”, and supposedly the hymn was written simply as a concluding exhortation. However, the superintendent of the Christian school printed the hymn on leaflets for the children and one of those copies ended up in a Baptist newspaper…and the rest is history. Stand up for Jesus is now known and LOVED around the world! 

Yuh see mih people how the mysterious hand of our great God works! Tyng gets tossed from his congregation for preaching against the inhumane system of slavery, but ends up saving many souls at the Y. But then through an unfortunate accident, he soon dies, but he’s already spread the seed he was meant to; stand up for Jesus, and his buddy Duffield, writes those verses more or less as a memorial, but the school superintendent prints it on some leaflets for the children, and a Baptist newspaper gets hold of one and publishes it. Only the mighty hand of God could have fashioned such an unlikely story! 

And finally we come to our most appropriate Bit.  ‘Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you (be brave) like men; be strong.’  That’s Bruh Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians in his first missive. And to sweeten it, he adds: ‘Let all your things be done with charity (LOVE).’ (1 Cor.16:14) 

Ah friends, so much of great importance has been said in those few words of those two verses, that if we follow them, we can never go wrong. And we’ll end with a couple more verses where Bruh Paul is encouraging his readers to stand fast. 

To the Galatians, he declares: ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ (Gal.5:1) Wonderful advice my brethren! 

And to the Philippians he solemnly advises: ‘Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.’ (Phil.4:1) 

Oh friends, please let’s go out and do likewise today and everyday nuh, for that is wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!

…and having done all…stand…now, more than ever…Christians need to stand up steadfastly for what they claim to believe in…