Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 January 2024 John 13:35.

10 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

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

John 13:35.       By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.

Oh my Scrip-Bit friends and family, on this damp and  cloudy Wednesday morning, I’d like to greet you the same way Bruh Paul greeted the faithful in Galatia: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (age), according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Gal. 1:3-5) And I do hope that the Lord God Jehovah does grant all of us the great amount of grace and peace that we need in this very evil world, to successfully live the abundant live that Christ died for us to have. Let’s believe for it, because Christ promised that anything we prayed for in the Father’s will, will be granted. 

Now the weather forecasters were right about yesterday; we did get the rain in the evening after the snow. (smile) Thankfully though, it washed away most of the snow, but now it’s wet and somewhat treacherous, with possible ice patches lurking dangerously out there. So if you go out, please be careful. And today I want to share an interesting and very appropriate poem. I’m not sure if I’ve shared it before, but whatever I share are always good enough to be shared again and again. (smile) 

And the poem is simply titled, ‘Your Poem.’ It’s author is one Georgia Douglas Johnson, and please don’t ask me where I got it, because I don’t remember. (smile) Just believe that it’s good and very apropos to our current situation. So, please read with me. ‘Your world is as big as you make it, I know, For I used to abide in the narrowest nest in a corner, my wings pressed close to my side. But I sighted the distant horizon, where the skyline encompassed the sea, and throbbed with a burning desire to travel this immensity. I battered the cordons around me, and cradled my wings on the breeze, Then soared to the utterless reaches, with rapture, with power, with ease.’ 

Oh my people, that reminds me of plenty of us believers. We stay clustered and cloistered in our narrow corners without making an effort to see the beautiful world that God has provided for us. And by doing so, we miss all that He’s made for us to enjoy, plus we don’t get to share the joy, peace and LOVE that comes from knowing Him. Remember we’re ambassadors of Christ, meant to be light in a darkened world, and salt in a flavourless universe, and we cannot be those things if we just sit in a corner and hide from the world. Even worse, sit in a corner and allow Satan to tie us up in bonds of lies, deceit and evil doings. 

No friends, to be a true follower of Jesus, and spread His gospel around the world, we have to break loose from the bondage of Beelzebub and fly away to wherever we can perform the tasks our Lord and Saviour requires of us. And Jesus will indeed help us to break free from those bonds if we sincerely ask Him, and are willing to do the things necessary to separate ourselves from the enslavement of the enemy. Yes, like the bird in the poem, we need to batter the cordons of sin and worldly desires that entangle us, for it’s only when we are serious about Jesus that we can ever break free and thus cradle our wings on the breeze, and soar to the uttermost parts, ‘with rapture, with power, and with ease.’  

And does that soaring with rapture, power and ease ever feel good! It’s like a new life…in fact, it is a new life; one where Jesus calls the shots, as we surrender our all to Him, who is as trustworthy as the day follows the night. Remember my fellow believers that this is the year 2024, the year we break free from all that’s holding us back from pursuing Christ’s LOVE Revolution, by spreading the good news of His gospel through our coming together as ONE, breaking down all the petty and foolish barriers we have built up between us, and sincerely following His dictates, so that the world can know about Him, and come to know and LOVE Him like we do. 

These words of Christ paint the picture that He expects to see us paint in this world. First off He instructs us: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That’s where it all begins my people; allowing God to be our Number One priority. That entails knowing and keeping the two great commandments: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, an with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40) 

Then we have Jesus breaking it down to this: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) But sadly though, too many Christians don’t have any LOVE for each other, possibly due to several reasons, the biggest being the many denominations in Christianity, with the many petty differences that separate us, and thus allows the devil to divide and conquer us quite easily. 

Remember friends, Christ’s church is supposed to be ONE BODY, not several little bodies divided against each other. That means before we can make a difference in the world, we have to make a difference in our relationship to each other, that is come together as ONE, with LOVE for each other! Otherwise the unbelievers won’t listen to us. Note how many are turning away from God because we don’t exhibit the attributes that Christians ought to exhibit. So please, for Jesus’ sake, the One who sacrificed so much for us, let’s get together nuh and make a good world for our children’s children. 

Now, it time to go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our magnificent, unassailable position in Christ Jesus! As one 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 endure right down to the very end with Jesus, we’ll enjoy a future even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s be wise and  make plans to meet there at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…the first step in the LOVE Revolution must be….Christians LOVING each other… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 February 2016 John 15:12

14 Feb 2016 Leave a comment

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

John 15:12.   This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you.

HAPPY  VALENTINE’S  DAY !

Well friends and neighbours, a Happy Valentine’s Day to all! 

Let me start by apologizing for the Bit being this late, but after I came from church this morning, I had breakfast, some good tasting bake and saltfish that I bought at church, then feeling tired because I didn’t sleep too well last night and was still up early, I decided to have nap, which seems to have turned into more than just a nap. Hn, hn!  Anyway, that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it. (smile) 

Now, a few days ago, while playing a CD in the car this tune suddenly came up, and I remembered sharing it sometime aback, then got this zeppo – yuh know how I get my zeppos (smile) – that it was time to share the song again because it was still relevant, possibly even more so, to the troubling times that we are currently going through. 

The song I’m talking about is one called ‘Streets of Fire,’ sung by Dobie Grey, a Black American R&B singer off the album ‘The Very Best of Dobie Grey.’ Some of you might remember him with hits like ‘Drift Away’ and ‘The In Crowd’ way back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. 

When I first shared the song, it must have been about twenty years old at least, and I just discovered that I shared it way back in October of 2008, so that adds another 7 years to the age. 

But brothers and sisters in Christ, it is still a powerful song and one that is ever so appropriate on this Valentine’s Day of 2016, when the word, and hopefully the actions we’re sharing are based on LOVE! 

Now listen to these momentous and heart-stopping words, and let them resonate with us as we hear them. 

‘Have you heard the song of silence, filling up the night? Have you watched the flames of anger burn? Something isn’t right. But you and I can stop the madness. Doesn’t matter who’s to blame. No. Together we can change, Streets of fire, to peaceful roads. Cease all the violence, let the healing waters flow. The veil of hatred can be lifted from our eyes, when the mighty gates of LOVE open wide. 

Well in the heartless feud and violence, oh the many stand to lose. We can rise above indifference, or all stand accused. Faith can move mountains, but the faithful must be strong, along the way, as we journey on, Streets of fire, to peaceful roads. Cease all the violence, let the healing waters flow. The veil of hatred, can be lifted from our eyes, when the mighty gates of LOVE open wide. 

There will always be someone, who just won’t agree. But your LOVE and my LOVE, can take us down, these Streets of fire, to peaceful roads. Why can’t we cease all the violence, and let the healing waters flow? The veil of hatred can be lifted from our eyes, O when the mighty gates of LOVE open wide…when the mighty gates of LOVE open wide. Streets of fire…to peaceful roads…Streets of fire…to peaceful roads.’ 

Yes Friends, it’s disconcerting that words written so long ago, are still so applicable and relevant today. Nothing much has changed. We’re still fighting each other, for no good reason; The veil of hatred hasn’t been lifted, we only talk peace, but never do much about bringing it to pass. 

The world is possibly more strife filled and warlike than it’s ever been, but today my fellow believers, we have the golden opportunity, through OUR LOVE, to lift that veil, to rise above all the indifference, because if we don’t, we’re all going to lose. 

We need to stop the madness, all the senseless violence, regardless of who’s right or wrong, and open those mighty gates of LOVE, so that our descendants can walk peaceful roads instead of streets of fire. 

And as the song so poignantly declares: ‘Faith can move mountains, but the faithful must be strong, along the way, as we journey on.’ 

And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! It’s one of our biggest problems in these trying times; the faithful are not standing up strong and steadfast as we ought to. 

That brings us to our Bit for today; more poignant and heart stopping words, this time from Jesus, our own very Lord and Saviour, as He prepares the disciples to continue His earthly ministry. ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you.’ 

How much simpler and straightforward can it get eh my people? Not much. But strangely enough, we tend to look askance at simple things and consider them unimportant, just because they are so simple. But our Lord and Saviour was a simple man, giving simple advice and as His followers it is our duty to follow it. 

Unfortunately though, we are not doing it as well as we should. Where is there more strife and turmoil than in Christ’s church eh, with all the different religions and denominations, all claiming to be the right one, etc. etc? 

And truthfully friends, I don’t know how to get us to show more LOVE to each other than by reiterating the words of Jesus Christ. ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) 

So tell me my supposed brothers and sisters in Christ, is the world seeing and knowing that we are disciples of Christ? Only to a rather small extent, because we are not showing that high degree of LOVE to each other that we are supposed to show. And you can’t really blame the world for not wanting to come to Jesus after they see how we behave and treat each other. 

Ah friends, sometimes it seems like we’re fighting a losing battle, but the good news is that Christ has already overcome the world. However, we still have to do our part in the partnership; live and talk like we are truly Jesus’ disciples, otherwise His great sacrifice would have all been in vain. 

So my people, on this first Sunday in Lent, when Jesus went to the wilderness to fast, to prepare Himself for ministry, which also happens to be Valentine’s Day, when the world celebrates a form of LOVE, I implore us to sincerely get with the programme; that of truly living in LOVE, the way Jesus desires us to, not the way we think we should. I can’t say more than that. Much LOVE!

…it’s definitely time to let the healing waters flow…on the numerous problems that are dragging down our world…