Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 October 2019 Psalm 22:19.

23 Oct 2019 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 22:19.    ​But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
 

Well it looks like it’s going to be a sunshiny day! Thank the Lord for that, as well as for life and LOVE in this crazy, disturbed world. Oh, and we must also thank the Lord for a new desktop computer, no more fighting to get the old one logged in. But I can’t really complain too much, because ole trusty gave me yeoman service over the more than ten years I used it. But I guess it’s time to move on now, move from the 18th to the 21st century. But I’m not going easily; I’m kicking and screaming in opposition! (smile) 

And in keeping with our theme yesterday of waiting on God’s timing, here is this somewhat contradictory poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s appropriately titled: ‘Could You Hurry A Little?’ Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I know there are countless times When I must wait patiently for You. Waiting develops endurance. It strengthens my faith And deepens my dependence on You. I know You are Sovereign God – Not an errand boy Responding to the snap of my finger. I know Your timing is neatly wrapped In Your incomparable wisdom. But, Lord You have appointed prayer To obtain answers! Even David the Psalmist cried With confident boldness: “It is time, O Lord, for you to act.” God, on this silent sunless morning when I am hedged in on every side I too cry boldly. You are my Father, and I am Your child. So, Lord, could You hurry a little?’ 

Ah friends, that’s what most of us would like the Lord to do in the trying situations of our lives. But as the poet said, the Lord’s not our errand boy to jump to our rescue when we snap our fingers. He is the Sovereign Ruler of the universe and our times are in His hands, we must wait until He is ready to move. And yes, that’s often difficult to do when we are facing danger or serious life problems. But then again, as the poet says, the Lord has given us prayer so we can get answers, so there’s nothing wrong in crying out to Him for help, like Bruh David so often did. 

And today’s Bit is the Bible promise for our poem, taken from Psalm 22 – Bruh David’s cry of anguish and song of praise. ‘But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.’ It’s a very legitimate cry, and many times, when the Lord thinks it’s necessary, He will jump right in and help us. But at other times, in His incomparable wisdom, He allows us to go through some stuff, oftentimes to test us, or to build our faith, since it’s only in times of affliction that we can truly build our faith. 

And don’t feel badly if you don’t get an answer to your cry for help right away, because even Jesus on the cross, when He cried out in serious affliction, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt.27:46) You’ll notice He did not get an answer. So if Christ can cry out for an answer in such a serious situation and get none, who are we to complain when we don’t get any, especially when many of our cries are really petty, selfish outbursts. And it’s interesting to note, that the same cry that Jesus used on the cross is the same one that Bruh David began this psalm with: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring (groaning).’ (Ps.22:1) 

There again, if Bruh David, God’s friend and a man after His own heart can cry out for help and receive no answer, who are we to make a fuss eh? Yeh people, Bruh David was certainly between a rock and a hard place with enemies all around, and obviously felt forsaken by God, when he wrote: ‘O my God. I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.’ (Ps.22:2) Many of us can identify with that, but here’s why Bruh David earned the Lord’s mercy and friendship. ‘But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded (ashamed).’ (Ps.22:3-5)) 

Yeh friends, Bruh David never forgot the goodness of God to his forefathers, and rightly reasoned that if He helped them, He would also help him. So much so that later on in the psalm, he sincerely declares: ‘Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me (answered me) from the horns of the unicorns (from the horns of the wild oxen). I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.’ (Ps.22:21-22) Oh my people, can we make such a bold declaration based on the many good things the Lord has already done for us? 

Unfortunately, many of us are still ashamed of the Lord and refuse to acknowledge Him in public, but please remember Jesus’ words: ‘Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.10:32-33) As always, Jesus puts it plainly and to the point. If you can’t acknowledge Him in public, He won’t acknowledge you before his Father. That means you can’t be a secret Christian in our free religious society! 

So for those of us who are not ashamed to acknowledge Jesus in public, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Him. In strong, sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ And if we continue steadfastly in that role, then the future will indeed be glorious; much more than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…if you truly LOVE Jesus…then you must shout it…from the mountain tops…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 October 2019 Psalm 51:3.

09 Oct 2019 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 51:3.    ​For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

 

Ah mih people, who says that life isn’t something else eh? Remember yesterday I couldn’t get the mouse for my computer to work, bought new batteries, but still no dice? Today I had intended to go and buy a new mouse. But lo and behold, half an hour ago I decided to turn on the computer and try my best with the Bit…and who says that the mouse not working like a superstar now eh! Chuh! I don’t know if God or the enemy sent that to test mih spirit nuh, but it surely did a small number on me. Now though, I’m certainly giving much thanks as I can get the Bit done before I go out the street later. Glory be! 

So what’s happening out here in J.A? Well nothing much so far nuh. Had a quiet day yesterday resting and fighting up with the mouse scene, then in the evening a few people came over to help celebrate the duchess’ birthday. Ate some food…good J.A. food, reminisced some, partied a li’l – at least I partied to the sweet live strains of the small local band and the female singer, especially when she got into some old reggae music from my time. So we made some new memories to chuckle over when we sit in our rocking chairs somewhere down the line, unable to do much of anything for ourselves. (smile) 

Today we’re going up to the campus to register and get some memorabilia, then it’s free time to do whatever I like! Who knows what the duchess and I will get up to eh? We’re in J.A, so any number can play! But we still have to be cognizant of Auntie’s warning; drunk or sober, please mind yuh business, for one can get into all sorts of no no’s while on vacation, falsely thinking that one wrong thing won’t lead to another. But we all know that’s not true, for sin looks so enticing when it’s sweetly beckoning to you to partake of its delights. But hidden underneath all of that are the serious, often life changing and lifetime consequences. 

And there’s no better example of that than Bruh David’s illegal liaison with Bathsheba and his consequent problems and troubles. As he says in Psalm 51, when Nathan drapes him over the hidden sin: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, only have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified (found just) when thou speakest, and be clear (blameless) when thou judgest.’ (Ps.51:1-4) 

Yeh friends, the Lord forgave him, but he paid a high price for his sin through numerous family and kingdom problems afterwards. And as the scholars explain: ‘Ps.51: The psalm gives expression to why David was “a man after God’s own heart”: he was not perfect, but he had a sensitivity to sin that few know about.’ Ah my precious people, we will sin, and we will ofttimes pray a price for it, but like Bruh David, once we sincerely repent, we will be forgiven. 

And as Bruh David says in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy. ‘He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remebereth that we are dust.’ (Ps.103:10-14) 

And all God’s children shouted out in sincere gratitude: ‘Praise the Lord! Give Him thanks for His wonderful grace and mercy towards the sinful children of men!’ Yeh friends, so we ought to be giving the Lord continual thanks and praise, for there is no other supposed god who treats his people like our magnanimous and merciful God treats us! As Isaiah also reminds us, although we have not done right by the Lord, just like Israel did not do back then, nonetheless, the Lord says: ‘I, even I, am he that blotteth out transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’ (Is.43:25) Glory Hallelujah! 

And in keeping with that promise, listen to John as he writes: ‘The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ (John 1:29) That’s why Bruh Paul could later write to the Corinthians: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor.5:21) Mama Mia! How our heavenly Father must have LOVED us, and still does, to break His own heart and give His only Son to be a blood sacrifice for us poor, disgusting sinners! 

And having said all of that, we now have to look at the other side of the coin. Hear Bruh Paul to the church at Rome, re freedom from sin’s power. ‘What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid (certainly not). How shall we that are dead (who died) to sin, live any longer therein?’ (Rom.6:1-2) That’s true my saintly brethren, if we died with Jesus to sin, (vs.3) and thus are resurrected with Him (vs.5), then we can’t serve sin any longer. 

Hear the scholars. ‘6:1. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? If sin generates grace, should we encourage sin in order to cause more grace to be granted?.’ ‘6:2. God forbid. Perish the thought, may it never be, don’t even think that way. This expression of unthinkable horror occurs in Paul’s epistles more than 60 times. He uses it whenever the thought suggested is too repugnant to entertain. Sin is singular in this verse and throughout this chapter. It refers to the sin nature.’ 

Yes friends, we will sin…occasionally…because we are a part of this fallen world. However, once we have received Christ as our Lord and Saviour, that sin nature ought to be repressed through the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Godliness should then be our continued outlook. Now let’s go home declaring (yeh!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our serious and wonderful position in Christ Jesus. All together now, in strong voice and sincere sincerity (smile) 

‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ And we all though that’s exactly how it will be! Much LOVE!

…we can’t be overly sinful…and yet serve God…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 September 2019 Psalm 73:26.

18 Sep 2019 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 73:26.    ​My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.
 

And after Tuesday comes Wednesday – the hump day of the week! And what a hump that was to climb. We left the hotel in Cape Town around eleven in a taxi headed for the airport to catch a one o’clock flight to Joburg, to catch connecting flights to Atlanta and Paris. Due to some unforeseen circumstances the duchess and I were booked on separate flights back home. 

We got to Cape Town Airport where the nonsense began; I was forced to walk to the gates because they said I was not booked for a wheelchair. The porter who accompanied us didn’t tell us that until we were almost at the security entrance, otherwise I would have argued with the lady, because I’ve been travelling to and from the gates by wheel chair ever since my trip began. 

But the Lord is good and watches over His people. Thankfully these gates were not as far as some of the others, and I managed it…with the Lord’s help of course. We got on board the Mango Airways flight and took off for Joburg on time; the flight out two days earlier had been delayed for over an hour. 

And it’s in Joburg the fun began. Hn! For some reason although Air France is an international airline, its dispatch office is located in the Domestic Section of the airport. So after checking my luggage in the Domestic Section, I had the long trek over to the International section to actually catch the flight. And as always, the Lord looks after His own. I had a wonderful African lady pushing me by wheelchair. 

Now this walk, I just would not have been able to make because the joints were already crying out from the traipsing around I did the previous day on Robben Island and Table Mountain. We went up and down and all around, with the poor, tired duchess pushing a trolley with her luggage, as her Delta Airline was ensconced in the International section. Finally she checked her luggage, then we went through security, which though crowded, wasn’t too bad, definitely not as invasive as some of the others around the world. 

She then wandered down to one side to collect some tax refund for something she’d bought in South Africa, while the lady pushed me in the other direction, towards the boarding gates. She finally left me at a restaurant aptly named the Dyner, where the duchess would later meet me. I made sure I got a seat right at the front of the restaurant so I could see her, or she me, when she came up. And as my flight was earlier than hers, I ordered a juicy hamburger and vanilla ice cream milkshake. 

Remember this was our first meal of the day. By the time the duchess arrived, I was well into my meal. She was none too happy though for the line to get the tax return had been pretty long and what she actually got back didn’t seem worth the wait. And wonder of wonders, before I could even finish my meal, a young fellow showed up with a wheelchair to take me to the boarding gate, which was still some distance away. But like the gentleman he was, he waited for me to finish. 

I kissed the duchess goodbye, then we headed for the boarding gate. Brother! I don’t know why these airports have such long distances between where you enter and exit nuh. The problem is that the airports nowadays are simply too large, and if you’re not a young, or rather an able somebody, you’re in trouble to get from one point to the other. We eventually got to the gate where the wheelchair bound were loaded on to a bus and driven out to the plane on the tarmac. The other passengers were also driven out by bus to the plane which was a good distance away from the departure gate. 

Then the herding began: we were packed like sardines into the last two sections of the large plane. There were ten seats across; three on the right, three on the left, and four in the middle. The aisle space was so narrow that my hand luggage could not be wheeled down the aisle, but had to be carried. It’s a good thing one of the stewards offered to take it for me. Now Air France is okay, but I still prefer KLM. It just has a more relaxing feeling to it, and the stewards seem friendlier. 

But I really can’t complain because the Air France people treated me well. When they began serving the meals, I asked this one lady if she could serve me last because I had just had a big meal at the airport. Her reply certainly surprised me. Although it wasn’t their normal procedure, she would do it because I was such a nice man! Yuh see people, the ole fella’s not as bad as some of you think! (smile) 

It took a li’l while for her to come back with my meal, and one older lady next to me kept saying that the stewardess had forgotten me, but I assured her that she had not. And after all the cleaning up had been done, she did come back with my meal. My Achilles heel though throughout the ten-hour flight to Paris was my rear end. Brother! Did it ever hurt from all the sitting down; starting with the two hour plane ride from Cape Town, then the long ride in the wheelchair, and a further ten hours of sitting to Paris! 

And surprisingly a white, older gentleman sitting next to me did not get up during the entire flight, not even to go to the bathroom. He just sat there watching Lady Gaga, then Bono, then slept like a baby, and got up to watch more videos, while I kept getting up and walking around just to relieve the pressure on my rear end. (smile) 

However, the ole fella did make it through the flight. It wasn’t easy. But here’s why? As Asaph the psalmist said so wisely, so long ago: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.’ Yes friends, without the Lord’s help, I certainly could not have made it through all the physical trials of this trip. 

That’s why as Asaph also advised. ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps.73:28) And if you’ve also done that, then it’s time for us to go home declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our position in Christ Jesus. 

In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And what a glorious future it will indeed be! Much LOVE!

…trust in the Lord…with all thine heart…and lean not unto thine own understanding… (Prov.3:5)

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 August 2019 Luke 12:5.

14 Aug 2019 Leave a comment

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

Luke 12:5.    ​But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
 

Welcome to Wednesday, friends and neighbours! Oh me oh my, another wonderful day is in the offing for us in God’s great universe, His marvellous creation called Planet Earth! Let’s give Him some thanks and praise for that awesome privilege nuh, and show sincere gratitude by going out today, with godly excitement and passion, and doing a good job in Christ’s name, because nothing pleases our heavenly Father like us being good Christ-like examples! 

And all God’s children responded with a mighty shout of ‘Praise the Lord for His extreme grace and LOVING-kindness to the undeserving children of men!’ And is He ever gracious and merciful! And are we ever undeserving of those precious gifts! But such is His amazing and never-ending LOVE towards us, His most wonderful creation, that He just can’t help Himself! And thus His goodness and grace just flows unrestricted down from heaven to us here on earth! 

But are we truly appreciative of those blessings, especially the breath of life that flows through us that emanates solely from Him? I don’t think so, else so many of us would not be involved in trying to oust Him from our society, especially at this crucial and critical time, when we really need Him more than ever! 

Oh friends, don’t we see the disgraceful and disgusting state of our world? How it’s filled with greed, corruption, strife, war, rumours of war and so many other negative things? The evil and negative things certainly outweigh the good and positive ones. And with each passing day it seems to get worse. 

Leaders cannot agree on anything that will benefit their people and are constantly fighting to accrue more and more power.I don’t remember a time in my life when there have been more dictators in the world, with all of them trying to run roughshod over their people in a vain and futile effort for more wealth and power! And the people themselves have become so timid and acquiescent that those wanna be dictators are finding it very easy to do as their evil hearts desire. 

Ah mih people, it’s time the supposedly righteous stood up and took a serious stand in the affairs of our world, our nations, our cities, our neighbourhoods and our families! Let me ask you this nuh? Do like the way our world and lives are going? Most of you will say definitely not! But then, here’s the clincher: If the righteous don’t get up and do something positive and godly, how will it ever get fixed eh, or even improve some? 

Let me tell you friends, it WON’T! That’s because the evil rulers now in power won’t give up their power voluntarily. We have to take it from them; remove them from the gilded positions they have built for themselves, and above all, restore God to the first and preeminent place in our society! But for that to happen, we the righteous have to get up and get a serious move on! We can’t be just talk, a set of hot air, like we currently are; afraid to challenge the powers that be. 

Please remember that our God, Jehovah, is the de-facto ruler of the universe, and yes, He’s still on His throne, ruling from heaven on high. But we are the ones to whom He’s contracted the business of setting this world right. But we have to get a move on, RIGHT NOW, for time is quickly running out! And for everyday that the evil are in ascendance, it gets more difficult to remove them. And we certainly can’t do it in our own strength; we definitely need the Father’s help. 

And it’s not like He hasn’t given us the most awesome Helper in the universe, His Holy Spirit that dwells within us to lead and guide and empower us in conquering the evil that’s in the world! But unfortunately, like we seem to be afraid, lazy, complacent and just downright uninterested in doing His will. 

But friends, we need to remember two things here: the first being the Great Commission that Jesus gave us; to go out and make disciples of all the world, and He will be with us, ALL the time, as He is through the Holy Spirit. (Matt.28:19-20). And secondly the fact that we should not be afraid of what man can do to us. We should preach the word everywhere fearlessly, for everything will be brought to light eventually. 

Matthew puts it thus: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt.10:28) Meanwhile, this is Luke’s version: ‘And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.’ (Luke 12:4-5) 

That my brethren is wisdom of heavenly proportions, for the death of the body is not the end of our lives, because our spirit lives on. And even more importantly, Almighty God, is the ONLY One who can both kill the body and soul and cast into to hell, so it’s wise to fear Him above men, who can only kill the body. Let’s hope the words the Holy Spirit has guided me to share today makes a big impression on us and inspires us to get up and get a serious move on in winning the world for Jesus! 

Time to go home now, declaring (yeah!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our sincere and secure position in Christ. As one strong voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! 

I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And will that future ever be glorious if we keep our hands on the plough and our eyes fixed steadfastly on Jesus! Much LOVE!

…you can have hell…if you so desire…but I’m setting my sights on heaven…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 July 2019 Joshua 1:8.

31 Jul 2019 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 1:8.    ​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.
 

Aye friends, today looks like it’s an ‘achy, breaky day!’ Yeh the ole back’s aching some, but I believe that’s just because I spent too much time in the bed last night. I went to bed fairly early, by my standards, (smile) that’s why I’m up so early. But just like the weather that seems somewhat gray and cloudy, with no sunshine yet, but will eventually morph into a beautiful day, my old bod will eventually get itself together and become the wonderful human creation that the Lord created it to be! 

Wow! What faith and belief! (smile) But what else can I declare eh and be truthful to what I preach? It’s like the man said, doctor, heal thyself! I keep talking about positivity and faith, so I have to show it, if I want anybody to believe me. Anyway, here is one of the first quotations that I ever posted on my office wall, many, many moons ago, and now hardly ever notice it. What else is new eh? (smile)  

But as I was coming down the stairs just now to begin writing, the Holy Spirit just dropped it into my mind to share today. Obviously I don’t know where I got it from, or who reputedly wrote it, I just know that it’s the awesome truth. ‘A man, or woman, who is self-reliant, positive, optimistic, and undertakes his or her work with the assurance of success, magnetizes their condition. They draw to themselves the creative powers of the universe!’ 

You can’t dispute that friends, simply because it’s true! Anytime you begin a project, you must believe that it will be successful, or most likely it won’t be. That’s not to say that when you believe its success that it will automatically happen. It’s just that God aligned the creative powers of the universe to be more attuned to positivity than negativity. So the first step to success always depends on your thinking positive, successful thoughts. And if you don’t believe me, try it. (smile) 

But when we talking about success my brethren, there is only ONE WAY to be truly assured of it! And that’s the age-old words of the Lord to his servant Joshua, when He assigned him to lead the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘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.’ 

Oh my people, the Lord didn’t mince words, He spoke it out loud and clear: to have true success you must live by His Word! And that hasn’t changed one iota since then. Jesus even came and strengthened it, when He admonished: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.’ (Matt.6:33) 

So you see friends, true success comes not from struggling and fighting and being overworked, like the world thinks, but from simply living faithfully to God’s law. And I guess that’s why a lot of supposed Christians are not very successful, because we only give lip-service to God’s law and instead allow the bright, fancy baubles and worthless things of the world to distract us, even though we know better. 

Remember Jesus desired us to be in the world, but not a part of it. We can live comfortably in it, with His assistance, but we don’t have to do all that the world says or does! That’s the only way we will ever bring about any successful and sustainable change in this evil and ungodly world. But unfortunately too many of us believers are behaving exactly like the world wants us to. 

And sadly, oftimes, if you check out a crowd of people that supposedly contains Christians, you’d be very challenged to tell them from the unbelievers, because too many of them will be behaving like the heathen! And that’s just the reality of the situation; we talk a good talk, but don’t walk a good walk! That’s why the world is in such a terrible state. 

Can you imagine what a wonderful world we’d have if even a minority of believers would start truly behaving like believers? We’d turn the world upside down! We’d have Jesus’ LOVE Revolution running things, rather than Satan’s evil cabal that’s now in control. 

But friends, that all depends on believers working together and living by the Good Book. And unfortunately neither of those things seems to be happening at this time. There’s more division and disunity in Christ’s church than ever before, and the evil of the world is in the ascendance right now, and doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. 

But let’s not give up hope my people! We can still make a big difference if we truly want to…and with Jesus as our guide and leader, remember, anything is possible. But we have to want to do it, and get together to do it, else it won’t happen! And that brings us right back to the Lord’s words to Joshua: ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:9) 

Oh friends, I just LOVE that verse, because it reminds me of God’s faithful promises, and thus builds my faith, makes me feel strong and able to do whatever He calls me to do! So today, let’s all draw strength and faith from it nuh, and promise ourselves to live a better Christian life than we’re now living. And there’s no doubt that all of us can come up higher in Christ’s playbook. So having said all of that, let’s go home now declaring (right ho!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know our wonderful position in Christ. 

All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And will it ever be glorious…just like Jesus promised! Much LOVE!

…the Lord God Jehovah created the world…through His Word…and He…will also have the Last Word…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 July 2019 Jeremiah 29:11.

10 Jul 2019 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 29:11.    ​For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).
 

One more day friends, the Good Lord has generously granted us one more day of life on His great planet earth, so let’s live it the way He intended us to nuh. That’s with forgiveness, mercy, kindness, grace, mercy, LOVE and joy; all to the max, in abundance and overflowing! It’s the reason Christ gave His life selflessly and sacrificially on the cross of Calvary for us. So as His supposed followers, it behooves us to live as He desires, not as the world dictates. 

And to support that doctrine, (smile) here are some meaningful words of John Wesley (1703-1791) one of the founders of the Methodist church. He reputedly said that ‘The world hopes for the best, but the Lord offers the best hope!’ Wow! What words of truth and wisdom my faithful saints of Christ! It was true in Wesley’s day, and it’s even truer in these mystifying, troubled and strife-filled times! 

For as Bruh Paul told the Romans: ‘And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); because the LOVE of God is shed abroad (has been poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’ (Rom.5:5) And is that ever so true! Without a doubt, we, as believers in Christ, have the Holy Spirit abiding within us to lead and guide us in all truth and sincerity. 

On the other hand though, right now the world doesn’t know whether  it’s coming or going; there’s so much despair in it, with so many divisions, dissensions, directions and disappointments that the natural outcome is simply confusion and war-like tendencies. 

The one still strong, solid and sure option left is that of Christ, of hope in Almighty God because He doesn’t change, there’s no sense of darkness in Him, only light and unconditional LOVE! His direction has been the same from day one, and will be the same until eternity! He’s not a wishy-washy God, unlike the rulers of darkness of this woe-be-gone world. With Him there is strength, consistency, and a known path; the straight and narrow one. 

With Him, you know exactly what you’re supposed to do and where you’re going. And I just LOVE how He lays it out through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ 

Yes friends, when you walk with the Lord, you know you’ll be getting the best, because there’s no evil in Him. He created us and He still LOVES us dearly. So much so that He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay our sin debt! Hn! Why would He do such a crazy thing eh, if He didn’t hold us in very high regard? 

Bruh Paul puts it in the right perspective in his letter to the church at Rome. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly…But God commendeth his LOVE (demonstrates His own LOVE) toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom.5: 6,8) 

Oh mercy, mercy me! What a validation of the Father’s LOVE that is my brethren! And the great thing about Christ’s death on the cross is that He didn’t die merely for our benefit, but in our place, as a substitutionary sacrifice! Yeh people, the price of sin is death. It can only be atoned for by the shedding of blood. 

And whereas all through the Old Testament the Lord was prepared to accept the sacrifice of animal blood to keep sin death at bay, because that’s all the animals did. They themselves could not truly atone for our sins, just give us a li’l leeway. However, come the New Testament, the Lord decided it was time to get the sin problem over and done with once and for all. 

The problem though was it needed a pure and unblemished, sinless sacrifice, and since all men were the output of sin, no man however holy could accomplish that task. And I’m sure when the Lord looked at His options and saw the only one possible, He shuddered in distaste. How could He not eh? 

Being a living and LOVING Father, He must have felt some trepidation at committing His Son, His ONLY Son to boot, to die for a bunch of ungrateful and disgusting sinners. But that just goes to show how much He really cared for us. How much He wanted to give us another option beside death, hellfire and damnation in the arms of the evil one, that He broke His own heart and sacrificed His Son for us. 

And how are we repaying that awesome LOVE eh? By trying to drive Him out of our society and our lives. Taking His Word, His commandments out of our schools and public places, replacing them with the evil, incestuous, sinful, ungodly acts and attitudes of this fallen world. 

Ah friends, unfortunately there are consequences for all of our actions, be they godly or ungodly, and believe me, the chickens will soon come home to roost for our current ungodly behaviour. The Lord is getting tired of our sinful attitudes. Just look around and you’ll see it emblazoned in the natural and man-made disasters and changes that are destroying the world as we know it. 

The end might be nigh friends, but we still can’t afford to give up, we have to keep on fighting valiantly until our Lord and Saviour comes back for us. Therefore, in the fighting spirit we possess as followers of Jesus Christ, let’s vociferously and sincerely declare (yeh!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the evil world know our certain position in Christ. 

As one now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And believe me friends, it will indeed be a glorious future if we just hold on in faith, hope and LOVE! Much LOVE!

…only in Christ…can you find the answers…to the world’s problems…

P.S. For those of you who noticed (smile) I apologize for the discrepancy in the dates on the headings of yesterday’s Bit. . One said 9 July and the other said 8 July. The first one was the right one. Just goes to show my human frailty. (smile) Much LOVE! 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 June 2019 Psalm 103:1.

26 Jun 2019 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 103:1.    ​Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
 

And another bright, sunshiny and beautiful morning has dawned! Glory to God! And when you add the promises and LOVING-kindness of Jesus to the mix, one is forced to assuredly proclaim: ‘This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24) As well as: ‘The Lord will supply ALL of my needs through his riches in glory, through Christ our Lord and Saviour.’ (Phil.4:19) 

And that will just strengthen our resolve to declare: ‘As for me and my house, we WILL serve the Lord.’ (Josh.24:15)  And that can only mean that ‘If God be for us, who can be against us eh?’ (Rom.8:31) Not a single, solitary soul! So from all of that assurance and confidence in the name of Jesus Christ, I therefore expect something good to happen to me today, and that something good is also going to happen through me today! 

Oh friends, what a wonderful God we serve, I can’t help but exalt His holy name and sing His awesome praise for His everlasting mercy, grace and faithfulness to us undeserving children of men! And if we truly believe all of that, then we have to exalt the Lord like Bruh David did in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.’ 

Wow friends! We can’t go wrong if we follow Bruh David’s words, though not necessarily his actions, (smile) because he was a mortal man just like us and made mistakes. But his words and his reflection and dependence on the God of his forefathers were most excellent. 

Hear how he continues exalting the Lord in the psalm nuh. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps.103:2-5) 

And please note there my brethren that Bruh David is not thanking God for fanciful, dreamy, ephemeral stuff, but solid, down to earth, day-to-day necessities for living. And He’s not talking from hearsay either, but from real and practical experience with God! Likewise, if we are in good relationship with our heavenly Father, we will also enjoy the fruit of his mercy and goodness! 

Consequently, we should also appreciate and give thanks for it all. But unfortunately, the word ‘thanks’ is fading fast from our vocabulary in this current world, just like the word ‘God.’ And even when we say thanks, it’s often not heartfelt, but a simple mouthing of a word, something that’s expected of us. 

Ah friends, the standards of our world have fallen so low and keep falling lower everyday, that I can’t comprehend what they will be like fifty years from now. Just look at what they were fifty years ago, and what they are now nuh. As different as day from night. And certainly not better…at least in my humble opinion. But enough of me, (smile) let’s continue singing God’s praises. 

Hear how the psalmist exalts the Lord in Psalm 104 – God’s preservation of nature. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty: Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: 

Who layeth the beams of his (upper) chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers (servants) a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.’ (Ps.104:1-5) 

Yes my fellow saints of God, that’s how the old timers reverenced their God! Do we even come close to that sort of thing in this supposedly enlightened age? Of course not! We’re too busy to take the time to get down and dirty with our wonderful God, and too often just pay Him a quick ‘thank you’ in passing, or mouth a ‘how great is our God,’ without the necessary heartfelt sentiment. 

But please remember and note Bruh David’s words my people: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.’ (Ps.103:2) Yes friends, WE are the ones who benefit when we remember and pay attention to and praise and live obediently to the will of God! We not doing God anything, except break His heart, when we refuse to honour and obey Him. 

He might be unhappy with our choice of the devil over Him, but in the long run, He’s not going to suffer damnation and hell fire. It’s us, mere foolish and prideful, obstinate and arrogant mortals who will be thrown into the lake of fire with the oh so foolish Lucifer, who had it all going for him, like we do, but instead chose to try and overthrow God. What a fool! 

Anyway, now that we know better, (smile) let’s go home this beautiful Wednesday morning, bursting with joy and thanksgiving in the Lord, as we truthfully declare our position in Him, through our Wednesday Wail. What a mouthful! (smile) All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! 

Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And believe me friends, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So please hang tough in Christ! It will be well worth it! Much LOVE!

…if you believe God created all there is…then you ought to give Him plenty thanks…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2019 John 15:5.

05 Jun 2019 Leave a comment

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

John 15:5.   ​I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
 

Well it seems like another ‘riney’ day is in the offing! Brother, when is it going to stop eh? Doesn’t look like anytime soon. But who cares eh? Oh, how I dislike that term that’s so popular in our current parlance! Because we all ought to care, since too much rain means flooding and a whole set of other problems. Some places up around the nation’s capital of Ottawa are still flooded, and some parts up there recently received a telling blow from a powerful tornado! 

So why don’t we care eh? Because we’re selfish and greedy and not truly Christian-like! Let’s try and change that nuh by praying for those who are suffering from the recent ravages of the unpredictable and contrary weather, while helping in any other capacity that we can. That’s the Christian thing to do. And to help us do that, here is a prayer from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional titled, ‘I Will Move…’ 

Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I want your heart to be in my heart. For in you I come alive, moving ahead from boring death to exciting life! In your promises, I will move from discouragement to hope. In your pardon, I will move from shame to glory. In your power, I will move from weakness to strength. In your providence, I will move from failure to success! Thank you Lord! Amen!’ 

Oh friends, therein lies the true way of life…in sincere partnership and cooperation with Almighty God, our Creator and Provider! Without Him in our lives we’re absolutely nothing! He made us, with a plan for every life, and He still controls them even though we have free will. Nothing happens in our lives without His knowledge and acceptance. 

Granted, some of the things He allows to happen are tough and burdensome, but those things are just tests and ways and means of building our faith, since we only grow during times of adversity. So if He didn’t allow adversarial things in our lives, we would just stay as Christian babies, forever drinking milk and not being able to eat solid food. (smile) 

And that’s not His plan. His plan is to have us all become strong and mature and adult in the faith – as Christ-like as His Son. But in keeping with that desire, our God is so wonderful that He never gives us more than we can bear, or if it seems so, He is always there to help us bear it. That’s why it’s ever so important to have meaningful and constant communication with Him through His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Listen to Jesus tell it nuh: ‘I am the true (genuine) vine, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser). Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth (prunes) it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through (because of) the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.’ (John 15:1-4) 

Oh friends, don’t you like how Jesus just puts it out there, without any fuss or fancy! And then He rubs it in further: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ 

And that’s oh so true my brethren! Without Jesus first and foremost in our lives we are incapable of producing much, if any positive fruit. But with Him taking a meaningful part in our lives, we abiding in Him, and He in us, oh, we’re capable of producing enormous amounts of good and wonderful fruit! 

And Jesus does not leave us wondering about what happens if we don’t abide in him, and He in us: ‘If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.’ (John 15:6) And the scholars tell us that that verse ‘refers to the judgement of believers at the judgement seat of Christ (2 Cor.5:10).’ 

So basically speaking, ‘Jesus explains the divine-human relationship by the analogy of a grapevine. Jesus is like the main vine. The disciples are compared with branches. The Father tends the branches like a gardener. At that time of year, branches of grapevines would be budding in Jerusalem.’ 

So the disciples would have understood exactly what He meant. That’s another wonderful things about Jesus; His analogies are always about things that we can understand, things that are prevalent in our lives, so we don’t have to go wondering what He’s talking about. 

The long and short of the story friends, is that walking with Jesus involves constant movement and growth, no sitting on one’s laurels admiring one’s earlier successes. If you’re not bearing good fruit, then the Father will cut you off and throw you away. But even if you’re bearing good fruit, He will prune you occasionally so that you can bear even more fruit! So you’re in a no win situation! Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t! (smile) 

The Father requires constant growth and the bearing of much fruit, and He pursues His plan with great conviction and sense of purpose, therefore we need to pull up our britches and get with the programme, if we say we are, or want to be true believers! Now let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Oh my people, let’s be wise and keep our eyes fixed steadfastly on Jesus nuh, and know that the future with Him will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…oh Jesus…oh Jesus…what would we do without you eh…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 May 2019 Matthew 10:28.

22 May 2019 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 10:28.   ​And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
 
Aha! It’s Wednesday – the middle of the week already, and we’ve only worked one day so far! Glory to God! Ah mih people, what a holiday on the first day of the week can do for us eh! But on the other hand, many of us are still tired from all the Victoria Day celebrations and are just dying for Friday to come! So reflective of our desire to eat our cake and still have it! (smile) 

Anyway, if Jesus is truly in your heart, then you will be able to do whatever you need to do with diligence and excellence, because He empowers His followers through His Holy Spirit that dwells within them. And as He faithfully promised, will supply all of their needs through His riches in glory! Give Him some thanks and praise for that wonderful promise my people! 

Our Jesus is the BEST! Not only did He sacrifice His life on the cross at Calvary for us, but He’s still advocating, pleading our cases for us before the Father in heaven! Wow! How tireless a worker is He on our behalf! That’s why we need NO ONE but Him! He’s our EVERYTHING; our BE ALL and END ALL! 

And with Him constantly riding shotgun with us, or as the Good Book says, ‘If God be for us, who can be against us eh?’ NOBODY! Because Jesus and us are a majority in EVERY situation! Mama Mia! Is that ever reassuring! It certainly is! 

And I want to stir up the applecart here a bit, with this quote from Joshua Loth Liebman (1907 – 1948), the famous American Rabbi, who penned the Best Seller, ‘Peace of Mind.’ And Liebman is reputed to have said these stirring words: ‘Stripped of all their masquerades, the fears of men are quite identical: the fear of loneliness, rejection, inferiority, unmanageable anger, illness and death.’ 

And is that ever so true friends! Be we rich or poor, powerful or lowly, we ALL experience those fears at some stage in our lives. They are just common to all mankind because of the frailties and weaknesses of our human nature! Yes, we have been given dominion over the earth, but that does not make us God! 

When God decided to give us free will to rule over the earth, He realized that He must retain some kind of control, otherwise we’d all run amok, drunk with such power. So He made it that NONE of us was able to be self-sufficient in all matters. At some stage in life, we all would need to come to Him, our Creator, for help! 

And he who was proud and haughty and arrogant enough to believe he could do it all on his own, then He would be lost in eternal hellfire and damnation, separated from His Creator forever!  What a sad and sorry state of affairs! All because of foolish pride! 

Yes friends, we all have fears, fears which cause numerous problems, sometimes even irreparable problems in our lives. But they don’t have to prevent us from doing our bounden duty, from reaching our God-given destiny. That’s because our great God wants us to call out to Him for help! That’s why He made us frail and incomplete! 

And He’s just there, dying for us to come to Him, waiting with opened arms for His creation to come to Him and sincerely declare: ‘Oh my heavenly father, I need your help!’ That’s all it takes my people! And if you don’t believe me, then hear some words of our Lord, Saviour, and Advocate, Jesus, while He lived here on earth. 

Listen as He advises us to first seek the kingdom of God. ‘Fear not little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’ (Luke 12:32) And to the disciples, re the workers of iniquity: ‘Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered (veiled), that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. 

What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt.10:26-28) 

Yes friends, mankind might be able to kill our physical bodies, but not our souls, and will therefore not prevent our ‘blessed resurrection to life everlasting.’ The only person who can do both is Almighty God! That’s why it’s more important to fear our Creator, not only in reverence, but also in true fear, for He is the ONLY ONE who has the authority to cast men into hell, and not the evil one, who will himself be eventually cast into eternal hellfire. 

And after that Jesus tells them: ‘Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered, Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.10:29-33) 

Oh my faithful brethren, from those verses we learn two things: (1) Our heavenly Father cares for all of His creation, even the lowly sparrows, but He cares for us a whole lot more; His greatest creation. So much so that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. As the scholars say: ‘Here we are reminded of God’s gracious providential care over His saints.’ 

(2) To be an eligible disciple of Christ, we need to publicly confess Him before men! As the scholars explain: ‘In reality, secret discipleship is a practical impossibility. Jesus constantly called for an open confession of Himself by His followers. That our confession is to be before men clearly indicates that a public confession of true Christian faith is a virtual necessity.’ 

So let’s be wise and be of strong faith nuh, so that our fears, legitimate though they may be, don’t prevent us from publicly acknowledging Christ and doing His work in a diligent and excellent manner. And with all of that good stuff written indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, let’s go home now declaring (yes!) to the world our position in Christ as set out in our Wednesday Wail. 

As one proud and sincere voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And as I like to remind us, that future will be even more glorious than our puny minds can even imagine! (smile) Much LOVE!

…in our free society…one can’t truly live for Jesus…in secret…

 

 

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