Today’s Scrip-Bit   31 January 2022   1 Corinthians 15:57.

31 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 15:57.     But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Awright friends, are we ready for Monday, the bad dragon day of the week? Of course we are! We fellowshipped with other believers yesterday and received renewed blessings from our great God, enabling us to go out today and fight His battles in this evil and ungodly world. And let’s remember that God’s grace is ALWAYS sufficient to do whatever He desires us to do. He will NEVER give us less than we need. So please don’t allow any fear or dread to infect our souls and spirits as we head out to do God’s bidding today. For we know that He hasn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, LOVE and a sound or disciplined mine (2 Tim. 1:7). 

And on top of that, Bruh Paul has also reinforced that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil. 4:13) That means we have all the tools we need to face the enemy and his evil minions. That’s why this Monday morning should be a cakewalk for believers who set out to do battle in Jesus’ name. (smile) Oh, I know that it won’t be as simple and easy, but with our endurance and perseverance we will eventually win the day. 

And here in our Province of Ontario, I believe that some of the Covid-19 restrictions and regulations will be toned down today. So that’s one less matter to be anxious about. Now we must still be careful and concerned about it, because it’s not going away anytime soon, but we will have a little more leeway to operate, a little more freedom to live, as the restrictions will not be as onerous as they were before. 

That though can be a major problem, as freedom is not an easy thing for many of us to navigate, for freedom requires a sense of responsibility, a sense of thinking about and considering others, which is not a currently paramount attitude in our society. Right now, it’s all more about self and selfishness. But that’s a story for another day. (smile) 

Let me apologize right here for the Bit being so late though. It seems like the last few Mondays have all been bad dragon days for me, stuff happening, either with the snow, car or household problems that have caused me to relegate the Bit to a much later hour than I desired. And today was no different. But I’ve finally put all that stuff behind me and can turn my full attention to the Bit. And as I said earlier on, dealing with Monday and its problems is not always easy, but God always gives us the wherewithal to overcome them. And I did have success in my undertakings, but it took a lot of that other commodity that we don’t have so much of, that’s time. 

But then, when you’ve successfully completed those time sensitive tasks, you find yourself too tired, mentally, physically and emotionally to properly handle the other stuff that you had to postpone. And that’s what’s been happening to me. So today, I believe we should look at a few scripture verses that deal with victory in the Christian’s life. 

And I like how this article on the subject on the website PaulEChapman.com begins. It says: ‘The Bible can encourage your heart and empower your life. What verses inspire you to overcome challenges and triumph over the world? …Our God is victorious. He ALWAYS WINS. He has never lost a battle. He has no equal to challenge His sovereignty. Although we know this truth by the fact of history and the choice of faith, our experience in this life can make it seem like we are losing at times. 

Our limited perspective can create doubt and discouragement. Allow me to encourage you in the Lord. If you are born again, you are on the winning side! God has revealed the last chapter of history. There is no doubt of how the future will end. God and His people are victorious! Even when the people of the Lord are led as sheep to the slaughter, they find victory in death. God has transformed man’s greatest enemy into the doorway to eternal bliss. Marvel at the awesomeness of our God!’  

Yes friends, that’s such a wonderful, encouraging and reassuring thing to do, because it builds up our faith in our heavenly Father and keeps us willing and able to do His earthly work even in the most difficult of times and circumstances. But enough talk, (smile) let’s check out those scriptures on success. And I believe these immortal words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth ought to be first. 

‘So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:54-58) 

And that’s exactly how we’ve gained victory, through Christ Jesus, and how we keep it, by being steadfast and strong! Now listen to John from his first epistle. ‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:4-5) 

And the scholars explain: ‘5.5. There is conquering power through this confession because God is sovereign over the world, and only through the Son does man have access to and find favour with God.’ And that’s the indisputable truth my brethren, only when we are born again, trust Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, that we have access to the Father and all the victory that He radiates! 

And there’s no better way to end these scriptures on victory than with these marvellous words, this eternal promise of Jesus, where He tells us, in no uncertain terms that victory is ours. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) What wonderful news my fellow saints. Please, let’s try and keep that first and foremost in our hearts souls and minds as we journey with God this day and every day nuh. 

Now, let’s go to Him in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for His omnipotent help in solving our many serious problems. As one, strong, sincere, confident, but humble voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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!’ 

Now please remember that our answers all depend on our behaviour. Much LOVE!

…He will swallow up death forever in victory…the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces… (Is. 25:8a)  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 January 2022 John 14:15.

24 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

John 14:15.     If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.

Ah friends, my most humble apologies for the Bit being so late today. I began it earlier on, but just wasn’t in proper functioning mode, so I left it until I felt capable of doing it justice. But here’s what I had written so far: (smile) Monday, oh Monday…how shall we describe thee eh? As the scariest or most anxiety-filled day of the week…the one everybody LOVES to hate, and doesn’t like to appear on their horizon, because it means work, travel, labour, etc. etc.…? That’s getting up off our fat, lazy, entitled fannies after a weekend of great indulgence, indulgences of the mostly carnal kind. (smile) 

Yes, my people, Monday is the day that brings out the worst in us, when we need to be at our best, at our best in winning souls for Jesus! It gives us no break, no leeway, just a constant flashing of the figurative whip, ever so subtly, yeah, very subtly inviting us to get up and get a move on! Oh Monday… you are such a hard taskmaster! But any leader who’s worth his salt, must have some of the hard taskmaster resilience in them. And we find that in both Satan and Jesus, though the flashing whip of Jesus is coated with genuine caring, LOVE, mercy and compassion, while the devil is just full of evil, selfishness and greed. 

And we see the tough LOVE in Jesus, when He says: ‘If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren (brothers), and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.’ (Luke 14:26-27) Yes friends, those are indeed hard words, but we know that Jesus did not mean we ought to truly hate our friends and families, but that His ministry, His will ought to be first and foremost in our minds, bodies, hearts and souls. 

That’s just it! If our main intent is not to further the kingdom of God and His righteousness, despite the many problems we might face, then we are lacking in true discipleship. Jesus also declared to the disciples: ‘Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:15) And, ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) Now that’s the hallmark of any follower of any leader; to do what they command them to do, otherwise you are not a true follower. Which means that a lot of us supposed true believers are not really true believers, since we don’t do what Jesus says, we don’t keep His commandments. 

But then, in typical Jesus fashion, after admonishing us to give up our will for His, to live our lives by His dictates, He turns around and promises: ‘And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:16-18) 

Ah mih bredrin, what a wonderful Lord and Saviour is our Jesus! He lays down strong rules, but enhances them with mighty promises. And we all know He kept that promise of the coming of the indwelling Holy Ghost on that long ago Pentecost day, when the believers were in the upper room… ‘And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:2-4) 

Jesus does keep His promises friends, although some of them might seem farfetched to our puny and finite minds. Yes, since that momentous day, upon receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour, every believer has been indwelt by the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them in their earthly walk with Christ.  And let’s not forget what we call our Great Commission backed by a great promise, when Jesus instructed the disciples, and consequently ALL future followers: 

‘All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20) 

Now that’s a tough commission to enforce, but the disciples took Jesus seriously because they trusted Him implicitly, and did it, obviously with His help, through the Holy Spirit. The problem right now though is that the current crop of believers is not pushing forward as powerfully and steadfastly as we ought to, that’s why Christ’s church is suffering and in much disarray. We’re not sufficiently keeping Christ’s commandments, not LOVING Him enough, not being His true friend, and thus we’re falling behind in our discipleship. 

But all is not lost, it’s never lost when Jesus is in the mix! That means we can still make a substantial difference if we hunker down and do like we ought to. And since prayer, with thanksgiving is vital to our successful discipleship, let’s turn to our great and wonderful God right now in prayer, with thanksgiving, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for divine strength and guidance. 

Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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!’ 

Now, please remember that we’ve just promised to pray and seek the Lord’s face, so we had better keep that promise if we want to receive positive answers to our prayers, because the Lord doesn’t suffer promise breakers gladly. Much LOVE!

…only by keeping God’s commandments…can we ever hope to prosper and succeed… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 January 2022 Psalm 86:5.

17 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 86:5.      For thou Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous (abundant) in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.   

And the miniscule flakes of white stuff fell…and they fell…and they fell…from mid-evening until mid-morning! And such was the magnitude of that white stuff, that it caused endless problems. Ah friends, a snowfall is a beautiful thing to behold from an artistic standpoint…the way it floats gently down and covers everything in a solid blanket of white. But when you have to walk through, drive in or shovel it, then that’s a horse of an entirely different colour. (smile)

And we all know that whatever mankind puts his hands on, or into, he sullies it, and it eventually turns ugly. It’s the same way with the beautiful white snow, when man gets involved in it, it turns black and ugly. But seriously though, I haven’t seen this much snow in one fell swoop for some time. When I opened my side door this morning, I could barely get out because the snow had blown right up against it. And when I did get down to the ground my feet sank down to my knees in some sections of the driveway. That means there was a good six to eight inches of heavy snow in my driveway and in my laneway.

So I can imagine the toll it’s taken on the Monday morning commute, because this extreme snowfall is not only happening in my neck of the words, but all over North America! The U.S. has already been deluged by snow in places that are not accustomed to it, with all sorts of disasters occurring, and more of the white stuff is expected. The same goes for our fair land of Canada. And I could easily put a spiritual spin on the entire situation, saying that it was God’s way of warning us to wake up to our sinful behaviour and return to sincerely and faithfully worshipping Him…but I won’t. (smile)

Although that could be the gospel truth, since our God does move in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. But yuh know what, even if it’s not God’s hand moving to prove a point, we’ve also got to consider the fact that He is allowing it to happen, when He has the means to stop it. He is allowing a whole lot of us to be tested all at once. So much so, that we don’t have the time, the energy or the resources to help each other, because we are too busy trying to right our own displaced house and sunken canoe.

 Now, if I was a wise man, I would certainly ponder the rationale for such terrible weather to be pounding so much of North America at the same time, on top of all the other serious and unresolved problems we are currently facing. But right now, I guess we are more concerned with digging ourselves out of the snow, than pondering the whys and the wherefores of the storm. (smile)

But please, when it’s all over, when the damage has been ascertained, can I please ask us to ponder on those whys and wherefores, because we might just come up with a wonderful reason to turn back to worshipping the God of our forefathers, since nothing else we have tried to do in our own strength is working, or has even come close to a plausible solution. And I just noticed this marvellous and most appropriate verse of scripture from Psalm 86, where Bruh David confidently proclaims: ‘For thou Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous (abundant) in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.’ (Ps. 86:5)

And that’s the indisputable truth my people!  Our God is always ready to forgive and show oodles of mercy to ALL who call upon Him! Forgiveness and mercy, grace and LOVE are the hallmarks of His magnificent kingdom! Nowhere else can you find such an abundance of goodness and mercy as with the Lord God Jehovah! And there are so many scriptures in the Good Book that endorse that point, that we most certainly should look at a couple.

First off, here is the prophet Joel calling Israel to repentance and fasting. ‘Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend (tear) your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil (relents from doing harm).’ (Joel 2:12-13) Oh my people, that’s such an appropriate word picture of our great and wonderful God!

And it’s necessary to hear this explanation from the scholars of those two verses above to fully understand them. ‘2:12-13. The customary way a Jew showed his grief was to tear his outer garments. This external sign could be meaningless. The tearing of the outer garment is useless, unless the heart is broken in repentance and contrition.’ And that’s why we have to be sincere, tearing our hearts and not merely our outer garments as is happening so much today. Insincerity is one of the hallmarks of our current world!

And one last scripture, this from Psalm 145, where Bruh David again proclaims his God’s goodness. ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion: slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ (Ps. 145:8-9) And since we are God’s greatest work, then it means that all His grace and mercy, His LOVING-kindness are constantly being bestowed on us, if we sincerely reverence and worship Him.

So, with all that we’ve said today, let’s take this great opportunity to go to God in prayer nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for His divine help and mercy, for grace in this time of great need. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. 

We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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!’ 

Now let’s remember to rend, to tear our hearts and not our garments, if we want to receive positive answers from our ever-faithful God. Much LOVE!

…let Israel hope in he Lord…for with the Lord there is mercy…and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption… (Ps. 130:7)

P.S. Oh friends, I’d like to sincerely apologize for the lateness of the Bit, but today’s been a somewhat confusing and unpredictable day, with several unexpected things happening, thus causing my whole schedule to turn topsy turvy. But, as they say, better late than never! (smile) And I do think it contains solid stuff for us to ponder on. Much LOVE!

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 January 2022 Deuteronomy 30:19b.

10 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

Deuteronomy 30:19b.      I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

Monday has come down again friends, that means the weekend is over! And let me tell you a li’l ‘secrat’ as my young daughter would say in her early years. Monday is going to keep coming down every week or eight days, however you choose to count it. (smile) It is going to keep coming after every Sunday, for all the days of our lives, so we might as well get used to it and properly prepare for it by worshipping with other believers on Sundays, and thus renewing our faith in Christ, the One who strengthens us to do His will.

And though it’s the beginning of the work week, many of us won’t be going to work because of the tighter lockdown caused by the quick spreading of the latest Covid-19 variant, Omicron. Ah mih people, when is this pandemic going to end eh? Only the Lord alone knows yes! For every time we seem to be making some headway, a new variant suddenly pops up its ugly head and triggers more problems again.

It’s not only causing sickness and death but religious, economic and political discomfort with loss of jobs, bankruptcy and violent protests in the streets and churches. That’s due to the large pockets of doubt that exist in the society, as to whether the virus is real, and if the vaccine and other supposed protections are truly useful in reducing the virus’ power and rapid spread.

Unfortunately though, that substantial disagreement has led to a lot of unnecessary rancour, resentment and retaliation which only enables the virus to spread more quickly. And unless we soon come to some general agreement on the entire situation, this predicament will be with us for a while yet, leaving our society in a state of perpetual uncertainty and distrust, as sickness, death, religious, political and economic unrest covers our land.

That recalls the immortal words that Moses said to the children of Israel before he died. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses to) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)

Yes friends, it’s a simple choice, for there are only two options, blessing and life, or cursing and death, but we have to make the decision. And it seems like we have chosen cursing and death with all the disaster and calamity that’s been recently shaking our world. Now, we all like to quote that verse above, but we neglect to ruminate on what comes before and after it.

Before it, come these prophetic words. ‘See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to LOVE the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgements, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.’ (Deut. 30:15-18)

Yuh see my people, the blessings of Israel were dependent on them acknowledging the sovereignty of the Lord and obeying His will. And whenever they strayed from it, as they did several times, much disaster and calamity befell them. And there’s no doubt that in our current society we have strayed far from the Lord God Almighty, disobeying His commandments, turning to idols, even saying that there is no God, while trying to remove Him from our midst.

As I heard one preacher say recently, that atheists spend all their lives trying to remove or dispel a God they don’t believe in. And that’s the gospel truth! Why do atheists work so hard to convince us that there’s no God eh? If there’s none, then they should just leave the whole matter alone and we’ll find out for ourselves. Anyway, let’s see what comes after that seminal verse of Moses’ teaching.

The Good Book follows it with: ‘That thou mayest LOVE the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.’ (Deut. 30:20)

Oh my fellow saints in Christ, right there is our reason for living: to LOVE the Lord our God, to obey His voice and cleave unto Him, because He is our life and our length of days! We all know that without Him we have no life, for it’s His breath of life that makes us alive, not anything that we ourselves do. And He also causes us to live however long we do. He controls our lifespan.

So why are we so foolishly anti-God eh, when He controls all that we ever were, all that we are, and will ever be? It’s not wisdom my brethren? And what’s wisdom, you ask? Wisdom is to turn to Him sincerely, seek His face and His righteousness, His mercy and forgiveness so that we and our descendants shall live eternally. That’s true wisdom!

And in accordance with that, we have but one choice in these trying times, that’s to turn to God in prayer for help. Let’s do that through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn nuh. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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!’ 

Now please remember what Moses said: to receive God’s blessings we need to keep His commandments, to keep our promises to do His will. Much LOVE!

…for blessings to triumph…there must first be unity in God…disunited, ungodly people cannot prosper…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   27 December 2021 Hebrews 9:27.

27 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 9:27.     And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgement. 

You know it’s laughable that many people don’t know Jesus, and don’t want to know Him either, but they are quick to grab on to the public holiday that His birth has fostered, this Monday in late December. Yes friends, because we celebrated Christ’s birthday on the weekend, which is a normal time off, most workers don’t have to go to work today. And if they do, they receive double and triple time pay and all sorts of other benefits they don’t usually get. But they still don’t want to hear of or acknowledge our Lord and Saviour. 

That’s okay though, because they will eventually pay a serious price for that repudiation of God’s Son, the One He sent to save us from our abominable sins. Many people laugh and mock us when we talk about the eventual consequences of not believing in Jesus and having Him as your Lord and Saviour, conjuring up all kinds of different endings for this earthly life. But yuh know what? If what Jesus says isn’t true, then it doesn’t matter, you would have lived a good life anyway, refraining from sin and evildoing. 

However, supposing, just supposing what Jesus says is true eh, and you don’t accept Him, you will end up eternally damned and separated from Almighty God! What will you do then eh? The sad part is that you won’t be able to do anything, because then it will be too late to change your mind. Once the breath of life has been drained from your earthly body you can’t make any more decisions. And also, if Christ comes back before you die and you haven’t yet accepted Him, then you are also SOL, out of luck. 

Remember Jesus’ parable about the rich man and the beggar Lazarus? The rich man lived high on the hog while he was alive, while Lazarus sat at his gate, with dogs licking the sores all over his body, eating the scraps from the rich man’s table. However, when they died, the tables turned, the rich man went to hell, while the beggar was ‘carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom,’ meaning heaven. 

‘And in hell he, (the rich man) lift up his eyes, being in torment, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham. Have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he (the rich man) said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldst send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 

Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.’ (Luke 16:23-31) 

And that very fact is borne out by Jesus having risen from the dead, with said news being spread all over the world, and yet so many people are still refusing to believe in Him. Now, that my people, is why we encourage you to accept Christ as soon as possible, like right now, for none of us know exactly when we will depart his earthly life or when Christ will return. Either scenario could happen sooner than we expect, so there’s really no time to lose. The sooner you make that wise decision, the better off you will be. 

You have so much to lose, but even so much more to gain! Because, as the author of Hebrews specifies in his writing: ‘And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgement. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look (eagerly wait) for him shall he appear the second time, without (apart from) sin unto salvation.’ (Heb. 9:27-28) Yes friends, we all must die once, then face God’s severe judgement, reserved for the wicked and unsaved. 

However, if we are saved, then we will go to heaven, and face God’s judgement re our earthly works and our motives, and will only lose rewards, not our eternal destiny with Christ. And yuh see how the evil enemy and his fellow evildoers have brought the earth to its knees with all the calamity we’re currently facing? My fellow saints, there is only ONE way to counteract that evil, and that’s by going to God in prayer, seeking divine help and restoration. So let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. 

Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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!’ 

So what’s it to be eh friends? Are we going to turn from our evil ways so that God can heal our land and forgive us? The ball’s in our court now my people, let’s use it wisely nuh. Much LOVE!

…Christmas…the birth of Christ…is only the beginning of our wonderful salvation story…we should strive to hear more… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 December 2021   2 Timothy 1:6.

13 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 1:6.     Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting (laying) on of my hands.

The big day of Monday is up friends, let’s get out there and handle it with the grace and strength that we derive from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It’s what He expects of us, and what we should expect of ourselves as His disciples. And most likely it’s not going to be easy to achieve our purpose, but that’s what Jesus brings to the table; the ability for us to do what He desires of us. Remember what He told the disciples when He bade them to go out all over the world and make other disciples in His name? ‘…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) 

That’s why we also have scriptures like ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) And ‘My God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil, 4:19) They remind us that Christ is always with us through His Holy Spirit, both in the good and bad, hard and easy times, but we have to know the Word, then activate in our lives when the moment arrives. 

And then we come to the main topic for today, exhortation for endurance, like Bruh Paul made to Timothy, when he told him. ‘Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting (laying) on of my hands.’ (2 Tim. 1:6) Bruh Paul was there urging Timothy to ‘stir up,’ keep alive the flame that God gifted him, that’s the grace of God. And likewise, we are also required to keep the flame of our gift of grace from God burning brightly. Remember we are the light of the world. 

And we have all the tools to do it, because as Bruh Paul continues: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Yes friends, we have it all; all that we need to retake the world from the evil forces that are now controlling it. The power, meaning the ability to accomplish whatever God wills, the LOVE, that’s the agape or brotherly affection and compassion for each other, and the sound or disciplined mind to keep it all on track. 

Then Bruh Paul said it like this to the church at Rome. ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.’ (Rom. 8:14-15) Oh my faithful brethren, if we have become the adopted children of Almighty God, then we cannot be in bondage to fear, because the mighty power and Spirit of God dwells and works in us to dispel fear. 

That points us to this reassuring scripture passage from Jesus, where He tells the disciples: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And we all know that is not very easy to do in the carnal and ungodly world in which we currently live, but if we use all the tools that Christ has given us, we will be able to endure and even burn brightly while we are enduring. (smile) We must use God’s word to do His will and His work. 

Listen to another encouraging bit of scripture from Jesus nuh. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Nobody knew better than Jesus that we would have trials and tribulation, persecution and resistance. He mentioned it in the Sermon on the Mount when talking of the Beatitudes. ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12) 

Yes, it can be rough being a follower of Jesus, but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. They persecuted Him, and they are likely to persecute those who follow Him. And He repeated it again later on specifically to the twelve disciples, after He had chosen them. ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’  (Matt. 10:22) 

Oh my fellow saints, following Jesus is an exercise in faith and endurance, or what the old folks called ‘belly and backbone.’ If you don’t have either of them, life in His camp will be extremely difficult. But the good thing is that they can be learned, and Jesus gives us all the tools we need to do it when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour. But we must get down to brass tacks and play our part. Following Jesus is not for whiners. As He says, to be His disciple, we have to sacrifice our will for His, then take up our cross and follow Him. It’s not easy, but it’s very possible, and most adventurous. 

And He never turns us down when we have problems and come to Him in sincere prayer seeking comfort and consolation. And do we ever need those things right now in this divided and troubled world. So, let’s go to our God and Saviour for divine favour and succour through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. 

Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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 it would help, if we were sincere in our pleas and promises. Much LOVE!

…let the weak say…I am strong…                                                                                                                   

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 November 2021 Psalm 119:105.

22 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

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

So friends, are we ready? Are we bright, brash and confident to face this Monday morning? Is the strength and light of Jesus just waiting to burst forth from us as we go out to meet the enemy on the opening day of this new work week? Were we refreshed and renewed yesterday in our worship, with strong commitment and faith that has us just chomping at the bit, dying to get out into the world and turn others to Jesus? 

I certainly hope so, because many, many persons out there desperately need Christ to be a part of their lives. They are lost and floundering in the darkness of the world, especially in these unprecedented times, trudging alone without hope, not knowing whether they are coming or going, anxious and afraid of what might become of them if they can’t find a light to guide them. And that’s where we come in; where we shine our light and point them to the Light of the world; Jesus Christ, where they can find succour and hope, peace and wise guidance, by accepting Him as Lord and Saviour and studying His Word. 

Note Jesus’ divine declaration: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) And the scriptures further tell us about walking in the light of Christ, when they explain that ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) 

Yes friends, God’s word is indeed a guide for earthly living, and if we follow it, we will not get lost in the darkness of this world but instead, bask in the eternal light of Jesus! Wow! How can anything be better than that eh? Basking in the eternal sunshine, the eternal light that Jesus provides is the only way to go my people! So I don’t see why so many of us are still holding on to the darkness that’s Satan’s territory. All he’s doing is leading us astray with lies and deceptions. 

Unless, what Jesus said to Nicodemus, was and is true. ‘And this is the condemnation, that (the) light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (exposed)’ (John 3:19-20) 

Now that’s a very interesting contention my brethren. Are we refusing to come to Jesus, purposely staying clear of Him because our deeds are evil, and we know that if we come to His light, those evil deeds will be exposed, bringing shame, disgrace and destruction upon ourselves and those around us, for that’s the plight of the wicked? No doubt that’s very true of some of us, but others are just innocently lost, don’t know anything whatsoever about Jesus. Those are the ones we desperately need to get to, so they don’t fall completely under Satan’s evil and deadly influence. 

And how do we do that eh? Firstly, by being in the world, but not of the world. That’s not allowing the ways of the world to spoil Jesus’ influence in our lives, that’s to corrupt us, have us running behind the things it says are important and necessary. In other words, doing as Jesus says: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

That means we don’t run behind riches, power and possessions, as the world encourages, but look first towards Jesus, and all that we need will be provided. That includes wealth, possessions and power if He thinks we deserve it. The difference there is if we get it through the Lord’s grace and mercy and not our striving, then it will last longer, be more secure and also more of a blessing to us than a curse. 

Then we ought to tell others about Jesus since we are His earthly agents and ambassadors. However, in that telling, we must ensure that what we tell them is also shown in the way we live our daily lives. That’s because the biggest turnoff from Jesus is our hypocrisy. We can’t tell people one thing, like the Pharisees did, and then live the exact opposite way. We need to be the true reflection of Jesus in this depraved and failing world; the salt and light that He requires others to witness in our lives, so that they can know the truth, and then let the truth set them free, like it’s done for us. 

And with the mess that the world’s currently in, it’s going to take a lot of courage and gumption from us to make a positive difference, but we can do it, if we get serious and invoke the Lord’s help. So, let’s do that right now nuh, go to Him in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking the will and the way to make Monday morning victorious in His name. 

As one confident voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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!’ 

Now please remember my fellow saints, we’ve just made certain promises, and the Lord will only answer our prayer if we keep those promises. Much LOVE!

…the Light…the Light…oh how I LOVE the Light…                                                                                                                                 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 November 2021 Psalm 84:12.

15 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 84:12.     O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

Now, since each day unerringly follows the other, like the moon automatically follows the sun, today had to be Monday because yesterday was Sunday, when we gathered in worship and the Lord refreshed and strengthened us to begin the new workweek with a strong fighting spirit, seeking nothing but victory for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and His righteous kingdom! 

And yes, I know that’s a long, convoluted sentence, but sometimes those sentences are good, because they get us to stop and think about what they really mean, especially in this age of the short attention span, where we don’t have to use our brains to figure out anything, since it’s laid out right on a silver platter, short and sweet for us. But please remember that old saying, ‘if you don’t use it, you will lose it.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people. If we don’t use our God-given gifts, they will atrophy and eventually become useless. 

And sadly, that’s where our world is headed right now, what with things like robots, artificial intelligence and self-driven vehicles becoming more a part of our everyday life. Soon we won’t have to do anything for ourselves and consequently we’ll lose the use of most of our faculties. In fact, a lot of us have already begun losing the use of many of our faculties with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic where we were isolated for a long period of time. That only lead to a higher than normal amount of fear, anxiety, depression, mental illness and domestic abuse. 

But since the pandemic doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon, we desperately need to have a strategy in place to help us cope with all the negative stuff that’s currently circulating in our world. Now my brethren, the only avenue I see open and able to deal with our situation is living for Jesus! That’s the long and short of the story! Jesus is the ONLY One who can help us to successfully handle all the negativity that’s coming against us at this present time. 

And what grounds do I have for saying so. Listen to these encouraging and uplifting words of the psalmist. He positively proclaims: ‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps. 84:11-12) 

Wow friends! What a marvellous declaration! That’s why we believe, or rather we know that those who worship the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be able to withstand anything that comes against them. The Lord God Himself has promised it. As Jeremiah declared: ‘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).’ (Jer. 29:11) And we all know that Jehovah God keeps ALL of His promises! He’s not reneged on a single one down through the ages. 

However, to command His marvellous benefits, we need to walk uprightly and obediently before Him. And with the free will He’s given us, it’s our choice, our decision to make. Please note though, these most important words of Moses to the Israelites. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) And that charge still stands today my people! 

We still have the free will, the opportunity to choose life or death, blessing or cursing. Unfortunately though, many of us seem to be choosing death and cursing over life and blessing by refusing to follow the Lord, to walk uprightly and obediently before Him. That’s a totally unwise decision friends, one that we will pay for in the long run when we are eternally separated from God, and cast into the lake of fire with Satan, the prince of darkness and disobedience. 

Remember, what Bruh Paul said about disobedience: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is sternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23) And just like the Lord keeps the good promises, He also keeps the tough ones. So, there will be no getting away in the end if you don’t walk uprightly and follow His Son Jesus. 

And that’s the very reason He sent Jesus to die on the cross. Hear Jesus tell it nuh. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17) And that’s it in a nutshell. If you don’t believe in Christ, you will perish, as simple as that. 

And friends, from personal experience, I can tell you that though living for Jesus might seem difficult in this evil and ungodly world, the reality is that He gives you the wherewithal to handle whatever comes against you. He won’t always make life easy, but He will enable you to handle life. No other supposed deity can sincerely and successfully promise that. So I plead with you, please rethink your options, and if you haven’t already chosen Jesus, please do so asap, in fact right now, because tomorrow, or even later, could be too late. 

So, let’s go to the Lord in prayer, through what we call our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and sincerely open up our hearts and souls to Him, pleading for His help. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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!’ 

Now, if we want the Lord to keep His promises, it behooves us to keep ours. Much LOVE!

…free will is good…but only if used wisely…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 November 2021 Ephesians 6:13.

08 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

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

Come on down Monday! We are waiting for you with bated breath. You might think you’re big and bad because so many people get intimidated by you…but not this bunch…not this group of Jesus followers. We have the Holy Spirit of Jesus, the most powerful assistant in the universe, dwelling within us, which means we can handily handle anything that you, or anybody else brings against us. 

So come on down today and give it your best shot. We going to eat you up and spit you out like a cherry seed, because that’s the power our Lord and Saviour gives us through His Holy Spirit. That’s why we can confidently declare: ‘We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.’ (Phil. 4:13) That means we are no longer afraid of you. We not tired and frustrated, because we gathered with other believers yesterday on the Lord’s Day and gave grateful thanks and praise and thus renewed our energy and commitment to Him. 

So today, this Monday morning, we bright and bold, just chafing at the bit, ready and eager to get out into the evil world and live for Jesus! We are going let out lives talk for us. Yes, we going to walk the walk! Let our lights shine brightly, like that city set on a hill with lights blazing for all to see, so that they can glorify our heavenly Father! That’s what Jesus expects of us, and that’s exactly what we going to do today! Glory Hallelujah! 

Oh mih people, what a mighty boast! But yuh know what? We can do it, because, as we said above, the Holy Spirit of Jesus dwells within us, and through Him we can do anything since He directs the mighty power of Jesus into our souls and spirits. And remember what Jesus said, if you have faith even as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains, and nothing shall be impossible to you. (Matt. 17:20) Well, I’m sure all of us have more faith that a mere grain of mustard seed, which means we can do anything that Jesus desires us to do! Bless His Holy name my fellow saints! 

And what a bam bam it’s going to be out there in that dark and ungodly world today when Jesus’ saints are unleased on it! It won’t know what’s hit it! The evildoers will be so shocked and petrified that they will just beg to embrace Jesus, to have Him come into their hearts and set them free from their evil lives. Wow! What a glorious time that will be. (smile) 

Now I know some of you are putting down my dream, like it’s a mere fable by Aesop or a fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson. But friends, that’s why God gave us an imagination and the power to dream. And remember we recently agreed that whatever we focused our minds and our imaginations on that it usually comes true. Well, that’s all I’m trying to do here now; get us to focus on living more seriously for Jesus, to stop being afraid and ashamed, and to start walking our talk. 

Please remember that our great and wonderful God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound and disciplined mind. (2 Tim. 1:7) Meaning we don’t have to be afraid of anybody or anything, and we have the endurance and the ability to stand and fight mano-a-mano against the evil principalities, the powers of darkness and spiritual wickedness when we are also dressed in His magnificent protective armour. That’s why Bruh Paul advised each believer in his letter to the church at Ephesus. ‘Wherefore take unto you (put on) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13) 

Yes friends, we face a formidable foe in the powers of darkness and evil, but as the scholars so wisely tell us, we ‘must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry.’ Unfortunately though, that’s what he’s been doing so far, because we have not availed ourselves of God’s protective armour and power. That’s His belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the mighty sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, (Eph. 6:14-17) 

And what a mighty sword indeed is the Word of God! The author of Hebrews describes as ‘quick (that’s alive), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrows, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’ (Heb. 4:12) So you see the kind of marvellous protection and weapons we have to fight the evil foe. 

But there is one last thing that’s necessary in that fight to the death friends. Bruh Paul explains it thus to the Ephesians. ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:18) Yes mih brethren, prayer is ever important, both individually and corporately, for without it you can’t win the battle even if you have all the other protection. So, since prayer is that important, what better time to indulge in it than right now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. 

As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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!’ 

But don’t forget my people, that the results of our prayer depends on the sincerity of our hearts and the keeping of our promises. Much LOVE!

…if eleven men can cause millions to come to Christ…why can’t we…those millions…with our marvellous technology…bring billions to Him eh…                                                                                                                     

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 November 2021   2 Timothy 1:7.

01 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 1:7.     For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind (that’s common sense and self-control).

And as the world turns…it turns into Monday, the day that constantly riles our spirits because we have to leave the safe cocoon of our homes and go out into the evil and dangerous world to make a living. Some of us are lucky to be still working from home because of the pandemic, but we must still work, if we want to eat, as Bruh Paul suggested to the Thessalonians. 

‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (2 Thess. 3:10) And there are a lot of us in the society who don’t want to work but desire to eat, and to eat heartily too. But it’s a given in any society that lazy, no-good members will exist, what we need to do is to minimize their numbers. 

Anyway, what we really want to talk about today, is not allowing Monday to rile our spirits as much as it does, since we cannot get away from it. Every seven days, it will come around, whether we like it or not. And after the first blossom of dissatisfaction passes, we usually handle it successfully. So why do we let it get to us at all eh, since we know it’s coming regardless of what we think or desire? As they say, when you expect something, or know that it will surely come, then you’ve already won half the battle, because you can then prepare for it. 

And I believe that’s our major problem with Mondays; we are not prepared for it. We party and carry on so much during the weekend that instead of being rested on Monday morning, we’re still tired and exhausted from our weekend activities, therefore we become disgruntled and unsavoury when the alarms go off on a Monday. That means we must make better decisions on how we spend our weekends, possibly spending Sundays in rest after going to church, so that we can be bright and cheerful on Mondays to get out into the world and live for Jesus. 

Remember, one of the reasons we go to church on Sunday is to renew our spiritual strength and stamina so we can handle the new week with kid gloves, not let it rattle us right at the start. And I believe that the following scripture is one that we should learn and inwardly digest, because it is a very powerful tool in the arsenal of Christ’s followers. And it’s one that we all know and often quote, but don’t sufficiently put into action, because we either don’t really believe it, or haven’t digested it enough for it to make a serious difference in our Christian lives. 

We are talking about these magnificent words that Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy in his second letter. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind (that’s common sense and self-control).’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Yes friends, we ought to use that spirit of a sound mind, common sense and self-control to adjust our lives so that fear, disgruntlement or irritableness don’t come into the equation whenever a Monday morning rolls around. 

We have to be prepared for it, else it will always cause us problems, and that means possibly not too much partying on a Sunday evening, (smile) although that’s when a lot of the parties happen, like it did yesterday with the Halloween celebrations. I’m sure today, the work scene will be muddled, dreary and sick-filled because of yesterday’s ghoulish celebrations, and much money will be lost since a lot of work will not get done, or get done properly. But that’s how the society rolls along. 

However, we believers need to remember that we are supposed to be in the world, but not of the world. Thus, we don’t have to do everything that the world or the unbelievers do. We’re living for Christ, not for the prince of darkness who controls this evil, God-forsaken world. And as Jesus said to the disciples, and consequently to us: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) That says it all friends. If you want to live for Jesus, then you need to do what He says, else you’re not His follower. 

And I know that some of us like to sit on the fence and try to live both in the world and of the world, but as Jesus warned: ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other, or else he will hold to (be loyal) to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (earthly riches).’ (Matt. 6:24) And that’s the gospel truth my fellow saints in Christ! We cannot claim to LOVE and be living for Jesus, but simultaneously running down the riches of the world, clandestinely selling our soul to Beelzebub for things that rot, can be moth eaten and stolen. But unfortunately it’s happening, right in Christ’s church, more than we suspect or know. 

Anyhow, Jesus knows who is truly for Him, and who is just playing games, trying to play both ends against the middle, and will set things straight when He comes into His kingdom and begins to separate the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:31-33) And believe me, many of us will be mightily surprised when we find ourselves herded to the left with the goats, to whom he says: ‘Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.’ (Matt. 25:41) 

The only way to stave off that terrible happening is by going to the Lord in prayer, right now, in sincere repentance, truly seeking forgiveness and asking for help to change our ungodly ways. So as one voice, let’s raise our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in heartfelt prayer. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. 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 again, let’s remember that the Lord will only answer our prayers if we keep the promises we’ve just made, and He’ll search our hearts to see if our motives are right. So it’s all up to us now. Much LOVE!

…God has given us all we need to live righteously…why don’t we use the gifts wisely eh…instead of making a mockery of ourselves…  

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

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