The Importance for Christians to Notice the Disappearance of Godliness from Our Society, and the Urgency to Turn It Around!

Psalm 12:1.           Help (save), Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men.

And it’s a wet, chilly and cloudy Wednesday morning in my neighbourhood, but nonetheless, it’s important that we catch our second wind so that we can keep on doing good work for God during the rest of the week. And we know that some days are more tiring and exhausting than others, but we need to try and keep a sense of balance throughout the week, not going overboard, or underboard. (smile)

With that in mind, let’s consider these two interesting verses from Psalm 12, here Bruh David cries out: ‘Help (save), Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail (disappear) from among the children of men. They speak vanity (idly or falsely) every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart (an inconsistent mind) do they speak.’ (Ps. 12:1-2) Now, I would call that a very good description of what’s happening in our world today. Truly godly people are surely few and far between; they have nearly disappeared from the ranks of men.

It’s like Isaiah said so long ago about his society. ‘The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth (takes) it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come (the presence of evil). (Is. 57:1) Yes friends, the godly are suffering more nowadays because of the ascendance of evil and ungodliness.

And Micah also had something to say on the subject. ‘The good (loyal or faithful) man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly (successfully), the prince asketh (asks for gifts), and the judge asketh for a reward (bribe); and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous (evil) desire; so they wrap it up (scheme together).’ (Mic. 7:2-3)

Oh my people, are we sure that Micah is not alive today and prophesying about our world. For he’s hit the nail right on the head about our evil, scheming leaders. What a corrupt and greedy bunch they are. And the sad part is that many of them already have more than they can ever use in this life, but I guess the virus of greed is never satisfied. But our society is even more disgusting than that. We can talk about vanity, it’s true meaning, and discover that our society is as vain and narcissistic as we can get. We look like a brood of peacocks just preening for ourselves and each other.

And lies, slanting the truth, flattery and deceit have become the backbone of our society. You see it in the behaviour of our leaders, in the television broadcasts, and social media, where everyone has an opinion, but few actually know what they’re talking about. And that situation has only gotten worse, and will get even worse with the introduction and improvement  of  Artificial Intelligence (AI). Nowadays it’s a real task to decipher what is real or true from what’s not. And people are so wicked and greedy that they spin some evil, untrue stories and put them out in social media and have everybody believing them.

Unfortunately though, that’s the direction in which we’re currently headed, and until and unless AI is quickly regulated, it will become an even bigger problem that when the internet was first introduced, for mankind is by nature an evil, greedy being, and just like how the internet was, and still is used for evil doing, AI will make matters even more difficult and disillusioning.

So what’s the answer, you ask? There could only be one; that’s cling to Jesus as closely as possible, and be very careful about whom you have serious interactions. Or as Micah said back in his time. ‘Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide (companion): keep (guard) the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.’ (Mic. 7:5-6)

And that’s also a very good description of our current society, for there’s lots of infighting and dissension between families today. No wonder the family as the foundation of the society is falling apart. Once upon a time blood was considered thicker than water, but now, blood ties rarely seem to win out over personal satisfaction. And sadly, today we’re definitely seeing a situation like what Bruh Paul prophesied to Timothy.

‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, truce breakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), highminded (haughty), lovers of pleasure more than (rather than) lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)

Oh my brethren, we could not get better advice, or a better description of our society than that one from Bruh Paul. Possibly, these might just be the last days, for we are certainly seeing very perilous times, as well as the kind of people he described. But please, let’s not allow all those less than worthy things to scare or frighten us, for we have strong ties to the Number One Person in this world, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who has warned us several times not to be afraid of whatever comes against us, but to keep Him first place and everything will turn out good in the end.

So with that uppermost in our minds, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and 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!’ 

That’s not all though, for it’s been promised that whoever endures with Jesus right to the very end, will experience an even greater and more glorious future, one that our minds cannot even imagine or comprehend. So let’s be wise and endure to the very end nuh, so that we can endure that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…in the end…true godliness depends on an individual’s personal decision…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Necessity for Christians to Stand Strong and Steadfast in Faith despite the Increasing Sinfulness around Them!

Matthew 24:13.        ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’

So, at long last we’ve come to Friday, the day that most workers look forward to, knowing that the next day is Saturday and they can do their own thing. Consequently, every Friday they shout to the high heavens: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is finally here! No more sitting in traffic twice a day, like it’s a parking lot; no more glares and stares from overbearing bosses, and no more arguments with fellow workers over petty stuff! Just peace and quiet for a couple of days! Thank the Lord for that!’ 

Yes friends our work day world is getting crazier and crazier with all the new technology and ways of working that are being introduced and changed, but we have to keep up as best as possible, if we at least want to stay in the race, much less get ahead. We might not like some of the new stuff, but we each have to talk to God and find out what He wants us to do in our workday world. And whatever He tells us to do, even if it goes against our natural instincts, we ought to do it, with diligence and excellence, because in the long run, it’s Him we’re working for, not mankind. 

None of us really know where our world is headed, but if we keep God first place in our lives, and allow Him to lead us, we will come out of it all, somewhat worse for wear, but smelling like roses. (smile) And when we look back at what He’s brought us through, all we can say is a grateful ‘Thank You God!’ And this a good scripture verse to remember when we’re going through out trials and tribulations. Bruh Paul writes thus in his first letter to the Corinthians; ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) 

Now, before we misinterpret that verse, let’s make it clear that it does not mean that the Lord will enable us to avoid all temptation, but that He will enable us to handle and endure it. For there is no real escaping temptation in this sinful and ungodly world, that’s why believers have to be so careful about whom they talk and walk with, for the times are very deceitful, and the false teachers and preachers do abound. And you better believe that these words of Bruh Paul to Timothy on the subject are now glaringly in vogue in our current society. 

He says: ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Without natural affection, truce breakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more than (rather than) lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5) 

Brother! It seems as if Bruh Paul is living today and writing about our current world, for all that he’s listed there is what’s currently taking place! Mankind has gone on a rampage of ungodliness and sinfulness, and Satan is laughing all the way to hell, because he has so many of us going down to destruction with him. 

Now here are some interesting explanations from the scholars. As per the last days, they began with the birth of Christ and will culminate in Christ’s return to earth to set up His kingdom. The prediction of perilous times indicates that apostasy (falling away from the faith) will characterize the final day so the church age.’ And is it ever doing so, as many of the previous believers are foolishly moving away from faith in Christ, for one reason or another. Meanwhile ‘a form of godliness is mere religion without power or spiritual life. Paul commands Timothy to turn away from those false teachers.’ 

But please my fellow believers, I implore us not to forget these wise words of Christ about the end times. ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:13) And I like how this commentary explains that verse. It says; ‘It signifies that true, lasting faith is demonstrated through perseverance through trials and challenges. It emphasizes the need for steadfastness and patience in one’s beliefs, even in the face of suffering or persecution, until the very end of life or the end times as described by Jesus. This concept is a common theme in the New Testament, and the Greek word for “perseveres” (hypomenō) suggests a steadfastness and patience under pressure.’ 

And that’s the living, gospel and infallible truth my people! Faith in Christ calls for much steadfastness and patience under pressure. But let’s remember, when we cry out to Him for help, He does give us the wherewithal to handle our problems. So let’s go to the throne of grace right now through our Friday Chant, boldly, but humbly, seeking divine aid for the many problems we’re currently facing. 

Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough…  because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. 

We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And does our sinful world ever need to wake up, but it will not, until we believers become better witnesses and ambassadors for Christ! That’s the long and short of the story! Much LOVE!

…true faith in Christ is not easily maintained…but it’s surely worth the rewards…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 November 2020 2 Timothy 3:1.

2 Timothy 3:1.     ​This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

Oh my people, let’s hope that the mighty winds and slashing rains we received up here yesterday are over and done with today yes, because those sometime darlings of nature did a fair amount of damage in the province on Sunday. A lot of people are still without power, and there’s wind-blown debris scattered all over. Hopefully not too much damage was done to homes and other buildings. 

But the wind was something else yesterday oui! I could hear it raging like a wild animal outside my window, driving the now naked trees into being an unwilling partner in a forceful dance. And it would be nice if our myriad of problems could behave like that; spring up, do their damage and then settle down again. But unfortunately that’s not the case, that’s only a dream scenario. Our problems, individual and societal don’t ever seem to dissipate that easily. They appear to persist forever, despite our efforts to curtail them. 

But how can we do that eh, when we have so much divisiveness, disunity and disagreement on the causes of the problems and the best way to solve them. It’s so difficult to get two people to agree on anything nowadays, much less to get a whole nation or society. The problem is we have too many choices and too many false teachers are spreading too much false doctrine. That brings us to these fateful words of Bruh Paul to Timothy re the coming apostasy – rejection of religion, in this instance, Christianity. 

‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money LOVERS), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), LOVERS of pleasures, more (rather) than LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5) 

Ah friends, you’d think that Bruh Paul was living down the street, because all that he said so long ago is coming true right now. Those descriptions above fit our current world to a T. So if our world is so ungodly and divisive, how can we ever live in peace and harmony eh? 

And just a couple of notes from the scholars on the verses above. ‘3:1-4.The last days began with the birth of Christ, and will culminate in Christ’s return to the earth to set up His kingdom. The prediction of perilous times indicates that apostasy will characterize the final days of the church age.’ And are we ever seeing droves of people turn away from God in these times. ‘3:5-9. A form of godliness is mere religion without power or spiritual life. Paul commands Timothy to turn away from these false teachers.’ 

And so too should we my faithful brethren, because as Bruh Paul continues: ‘For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.’ (2 Tim. 3:6-7) And believe me, these false teachers are not only leading silly women astray, but also many silly men, for too many of us today are very susceptible to the false doctrines of false teachers. We like too much feel good religion. 

And the scholars explain: ‘Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth condemns not intense study but some esoteric quest for truth apart from God’s Word.’ Again, we find a whole lot of people today searching for truth in so many different places – esoteric, exotic and what have you – but all of them lacking any real substance of truth. Oh my people, let’s wake up nuh and come to the realization that in the Word of the Lord, is the ONLY place where the real truth exists, and thus Almighty God is the ONLY One who can help us to solve our problems. 

So with that in mind, let’s go to Him now nuh, and through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, lay all those problems before Him. As Peter so rightly says, let’s cast all our care upon Him, for He cares for us. (1 Pet. 5:7) So altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. 

We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control. 

And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’  

And having said all of that, the only wise and sensible thing to do now is to sincerely turn from our evil ways, so that the Lord can heal our land. Don’t think we can fool Him with empty words nuh, because He’s not going to set anything in motion until He checks out our hearts and find that they are sincere and true! Much LOVE!

…ONLY God…through Christ Jesus…can settle, strengthen and establish us… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 November 2020 Hebrews 13:8.

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

Well friends, we saw the first signs of inclement winter weather yesterday evening. Thankfully though, in my area, it was just some wet snow; the kind that falls and quickly dissipates. But a warning nonetheless of what’s in store in the not too distant future. (smile) But would you believe too, that the weather people are forecasting temperatures in the mid-teens for later this week? What a crazy world we living in eh Dr. Jack! 

It’s a good thing that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is not as temperamental and uncertain like the weather nowadays, otherwise we would be in even worse shape than we currently are. Thankfully the Good Book describes our Lord and Saviour thus: ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8) That means we have a steady rock and refuge to look to in times of need. 

Our world is constantly changing…and so are we, but not our God. Malachi says it boldly and plainly on His behalf: ‘For I am the Lord thy God, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) Yeh mih people, if our God wasn’t steady and long-suffering, we would have been fish food long time! (smile) 

And to cement the unchangeability of our God, and our everchanging hearts, hear the prophet Isaiah as he talks about the voice crying in the wilderness: ‘The voice said, Cry (out). And he said, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness (loveliness) thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth on it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.’ (Is. 40:6-8) 

I don’t think we need any more scripture to tell us of our frail and short earthly lives, or the everlasting standard that our God maintains. But because we are so frail and fickle, we tend to fall into all sorts of stuff, moving from one to the next without much rhyme or reason, unsure of what we want or intend to do. In other words, we don’t stick to any one thing for long; because our foundation is built on sinking sand. 

That’s why the author of Hebrews, after telling us that Christ is steadfast, continues with this important warning. ‘Be not carried about with divers (various) and strange doctrines (teachings). For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats (food), which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.’ (Heb. 8:9) And are there ever a whole host of various, strange and false doctrines that abound in these turbulent times my brethren! 

No wonder Bruh Paul could warn Timothy of the coming apostasy (abandonment of the faith). ‘Thus know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money LOVERS), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…’ (2 Tim. 3:1-2) And isn’t that the indisputable truth in these last days of the church age. All those things above are rampant in our current society. 

And Bruh Paul also adds to the list of ungodliness of our time. ‘Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), LOVERS of pleasures, more (rather) than LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:4-5) Yes friends, there are a whole lot of false teachers out there, who tout a form of godliness, mere religion, but without power or spiritual life. We definitely don’t want to get mixed up with that kind. We need to stay pure and true to the gospel of Christ. 

Bruh Paul said to Timothy. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (tell us how to live): That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) Yes precious people of God, the Word of God was inspired by His Holy Spirit, meant for mankind to read, study and obey, to help us grow in spiritual maturity, and be useful in whatever situation we find ourselves. We need nothing else but the Word of God in this world to live a godly life! (smile) 

So with all the false and evil stuff that’s currently bothering us, let’s go home now taking all of our problems to God in sincere prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. All together now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. 

We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control. And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. 

Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’ 

And now, please remember that we just made a vow to God change our evil ways and sincerely seek His face, so let’s pay that vow nuh, because God has no pleasure in fools, who don’t pay their vows. Much LOVE!

…in uncertain times…Christ is the only true refuge…