Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 July 2023 Daniel 9:3.

18 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Daniel 9:3.       And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

And it looks like it’s going to be a glorious summer Tuesday in my neck of the woods! Praise the Lord! Except that I have to drive into the big metropolis of Toronto this afternoon for a doctor’s appointment. Chuh! Usually, I would take the Government’s Go Bus and enjoy a cool, quiet and stressless ride, and do the same thing coming back. But unfortunately, some wise Alec, and I’m being nice and Christian there, decided to change the bus route for their own convenient purposes and threw a lot of people out of convenient transportation. 

And they didn’t even have the good manners to ask for queries or inform the public that it was going to happen. They just threw it up unexpectedly. And it’s not like it wasn’t a profitable route, because the bus was always well stocked with commuters, especially students going to school in Toronto. One friend who’s been taking the bus for several years now, summer, spring, winter and fall, don’t know how she did it, now has to stay all week in Toronto with her daughter and be away from the rest of her family because what’s available is now too inconvenient. 

And to top it all off, the mighty city of T.O. doesn’t want people driving into its congested, under construction and badly paved roadways, but yet they are allowing convenient, profitable bus routes into the city to be discontinued. As the man would say, ‘beat me down yes!’ (smile) But that’s my rant for today. Now let’s see what the Lord has to say about it all. And the Good Library opened today unto the Book of the prophet Daniel at this particular spot where he was about to pray for His people Israel during their seventy year captivity in Babylon. 

It states: ‘And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful (awesome) God, keeping the covenant and mercy (LOVING-kindness) to them that LOVE him, and to them that keep his commandments. We have sinned and committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings and princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.’ (Dan. 9:3-6) 

Now my fellow believers, unless we are the devil’s own children, we will agree that our society is very reminiscent of the one Daniel was referring to way back then in Israel! For we have indeed rebelled against the rules of God and committed such iniquity, iniquity that’s never ever been seen before in all the days of mankind on the earth. And I just have to sadly shake my head when I think of some of the stuff that routinely goes on in our most wonderful and enlightened society. Steups! I hope you caught the sarcasm. 

Like mankind is just going out of his way to search for the worst kind of iniquity possible. Instead of seeking for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, we’re adamantly seeking for the kingdom of Satan and his evilness. It seems like the most depraved, vile, nefarious, pernicious and corrupt situations are what we are consistently after. It must be, if we have no place for God in our hearts and are demanding He be driven out of our society. 

But as the Good Library and I keep saying, that’s a fool’s wisdom, something that will NEVER happen, because the Lord God Almighty, Creator and Controller of this mighty universe, will not allow himself to be kicked out of what He created. Now, He might allow a lot of sinful and iniquitous nonsense to go on for a time, like how a cat plays with a mouse before it finally delivers it from its torture, but the day of the wicked and its purveyor of wickedness Satan are numbered. 

The Good Library tells us in the Book of Revelation, that after the Millennium reign of Christ, during which time the devil will be locked up and unable to tempt anyone, he will be released and continue with his stupid actions, causing the wicked to fight the saints of God. But then, after the last battle, here’s what happens. ‘And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.’ (Rev. 20:10) 

Oh my people, however you want to put it, the simple fact is that Satan and his minions, any who are foolish enough to follow his deceitful and evil ways, will eventually be destroyed. That’s the long, short and in between of the story. And it’s been repeated over and over throughout the whole of the Good Library. So, I don’t understand how we can continue with the foolish and unwise action of listening to Satan and doing his evil deeds, when certain destruction is in the offing for evil doers. 

And as Daniel said way back then: ‘As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.’ (Dan. 9:13) Yes friends, despite all the evil both in and around us, we still refuse to take our problems to the God of the universe who has faithfully promised to help us in every and any way necessary, so that we can live righteously, for Him and His kingdom. 

Apparently, the lure of Satan and his fake and fancy baubles and bangles are greater than the imperishable rewards that will be stored in heaven for the righteous. As usual, with our greedy lust of the eyes, we want to see it before we believe it. But I definitely don’t want to be there when those who fall for Satan’s lies and deceptions see their promised destruction coming upon them. Now, let’s hope that what we’ve said has gotten home to all of us, and will deter us from turning away from Almighty God and keep us revelling in His awesome grace and mercy. 

And for those of us who are intent on doing just that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. As one voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

Now let’s get out into the evil and ungodly world and share that awesome and amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…it’s time for Christians to stop talking…and instead get to doing some serious action for Christ… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ         

Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 July 2023 John 14:15.

17 Jul 2023 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.

Come Monday, we’ll be alright! Yes, friends, come Monday, we’ll be alright, because we have Jesus, our Lord and Saviour looking after us through His Holy Spirit! But it won’t all just automatically fall in our laps; we also have some responsibilities to fulfil. Like first believing in Jesus, accepting Him sincerely as Lord and Savour; then doing the things He desires of us, like being obedient to His commands and following the lead and guidance of His Holy Spirit. 

And that’s why many of us supposed believers are finding it difficult to make any serious headway in this evil and ungodly world. How can you reap the benefits of something when you’re not fulfilling the requirements eh? Listen to how Jesus put it to the disciples, and consequently to us. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) Now that’s quite plain and straightforward. If you’re truly for Jesus, then the first thing you need to do is what He asks of you. It’s the same with any group or organization; you follow the rules and guidelines if you want it to function properly. 

However, not all rules or commandments are easy to follow, but Jesus also promised heavenly help to help us follow His commandments. Listen as He continues: ‘And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), 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) 

Yes my fellow believers Jesus promised to send us divine help from heaven when He returned there, divine help that will be with us forever, in the person of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, our Triune Godhead. Back then the Holy Spirit was with some people, as an outward force, but Jesus promised that eventually it would dwell within all believers, which happened on Pentecost Day when the followers were sitting in the upper room in Jerusalem waiting for Jesus to keep that promise. 

The Bible tells us: ‘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 on 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) And that was the official birth of the Christian Church, when the Holy Spirit, the promised Helper, the Comforter began indwelling each believer as they came to Christ. 

Now let’s look a little closer at the purpose(s) of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. Jesus said to the disciples: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter (Helper) which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever things have said unto you.’ (John 14:25-26) There we see that the Holy Spirit is a teacher in its own right, as well as a reminder of the things that Jesus taught in His earthly sojourn. 

For example, per the scholars; ‘The Holy Spirit would enable the apostles to remember all the words and works of Jesus when they were writing the New Testament.’ Now that was what Jesus would be doing for the disciples, meanwhile the disciples were expected to use Jesus words and works and the power of the Holy Spirit to bear fruit for His kingdom, that’s help others to come to know and LOVE Him. And in chapter 15 of John, as always, Jesus spells it out plain and simple, using the analogy of a grapevine to explain the divine-human relationship. 

He was the vine, and the Father, the vinedresser or caretaker of the vine. And the vine dresser is continually pruning the vine, so that it can bear more and better fruit. (John 15:1-3) Then He delves even deeper: ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ ( John 15:4-5) 

Now that says it all right there friends! Unless we abide in Jesus, and He in us, we are worthless to bear fruit, to do productive work for the kingdom. So you see, like all covenants are, this covenant of the New Testament is a two-way street, with each side having responsibilities to fulfill. Jesus has already fulfilled His part by sacrificing His life to save us, then sending the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, teach and remind us of our duties. Now it’s our turn to do our thing; that’s read and study His word so that we can keep His commandments, then share it, and above all, live in LOVE, the way He desires of us. 

Jesus spells it out loud and clear: ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you.’ (John 15:12) It could not get any clearer or simpler than that my fellow saints. So, shall we continue letting Jesus down by not living in LOVE, like He prescribes? Or are we going to change, step up to the plate and make Him proud of us? I surely hope and pray that we’ll do the latter as we see the evil and ungodliness of our world becoming more prevalent each and every day, with more and more people falling by the wayside as a result. 

Therefore, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, let’s go to the throne of grace seeking the divine help we so badly need. 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. 

Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but 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. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us 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 if we truly want to have heavenly help, then we need to improve our earthly ways. It’s as simple as that! Much LOVE!

…the Holy Spirit is ready, willing and able…are we ready to fulfill…our part of the New Testament Covenant…  

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ        

Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 July 2023 Jeremiah 29:13.

15 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 29:13.       And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And it’s a cool, cloudy morning, with rain in the offing, but it’s the perfect kind of atmosphere for a lazy-day Saturday my bredrin! Where you don’t need to do anything or go anywhere, but just relax and laze some time away in idle but not evil thinking. (smile) Hopefully though, within that lazy time, we will communicate with our heavenly Father, for although doing nothing is sometimes an option, disregarding Him, is never one! 

And if there’s one thing our heavenly likes better than one on one communication is corporate worship, because it shows Him that there is unity in the body of Christ, and with the general state of the world, that most certainly warms the cockles of His heart. So, let’s communicate with Him right now through our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. 

As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

Oh my people, that prayer never ceases to touch me! I guess because it brings home to me the awesome presence and wonder of our great God spiritually interacting with us with amazing compassion and kindness as we humble ourselves and ask for His grace and mercy. Wow! I hope we realize what an awesome and amazing God we serve, one full of LOVE and tenderness towards His most precious but disobedient creation! 

Yes friends, when you truly seek to know the Lord, you’ll be surprised at the unusual and unexpected places you’ll find Him, see His unerring hand at work. It’ll be so unnatural that you’ll know without a doubt that it’s the hand of God moving in your life! Likewise with little things that will suddenly jump out at you. In the greater scheme of life, they’ll be small and insignificant, but somehow or the other they will make a big impact on you, opening your eyes to miraculous and mysterious ways in which our God moves. 

And one of the reasons I believe we don’t see out God more, or appreciate Him more, is because we tend to look for Him in the big things of life. However, He is more present and available, easier seen in the li’l, seemingly unimportant, everyday aspects of life. And a lazy-day Saturday is just the time to look for Him, to seek Him in all the most unusual and unexpected places. 

Remember what Moses said to the Israelites about repentance and seeking the Lord. ‘But if from thence (their disobedience and idol worship) thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” (Deut. 4:29) And many years later, on the Lord’s behalf, Jeremiah gave the Israelites the same warning, or solution for their problems during their captivity in Babylon. 

‘But I know the thoughts that I have toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord…’ (Jer. 29:11-14) 

Ah friends, the message is still the same today. When we are in distress, when problems overwhelm us, or we’re simply lonely or aimless, whatever the situation, seeking God with our whole hearts is the wisest decision we can make! And how do we seek God with our whole hearts? One commentary gives us this answer: ‘When Jesus gave His life for us on that cross, when God prioritized our salvation above everything else, it wasn’t for us to make Him a side thought. But for us to surrender our lives to Him and embrace the one He has for us. This is how we seek God with our whole heart.’ 

And this other commentary encourages us: ‘God is a God hearing prayer; he listens to the requests of his people, and answers them in his own time and way; which is no small encouragement to pray unto him.’ That’s for sure! If He is our Creator, our Provider, our Heavenly Father and controls all that happens in our lives, it’s only logical and sensible that we need to seek Him out for help in our topsy-turvy lives. 

Seeking and searching are ever so important in our Christian faith my brethren. Jesus set the stage for that when He warned: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Then He followed it up by later declaring (yesss!!!) ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) 

That undoubtedly means that Christians should always be asking, seeking and knocking, looking for the truth in all situations, as well as seeking to open the hearts of others so that they too can know Jesus and seek and serve Him with their whole hearts. Oh my fellow saints, our Christian life is supposed to be one of action, always moving along a path that leads to Jesus, doing our best to personally seek and serve Him, as well as spread the good news of His gospel to the many who have never heard it. 

And we can only do that successfully if we are united, united as one church, one body of Christ. So, let’s begin today by seeking unity amongst ourselves nuh, let’s ask for it, knock on closed doors for it. Let’s desire and actively pursue a unity that will propel Christ’s church to the forefront of this world, its rightful place! Much LOVE!

…to seek…to search…to find…that is the Christian’s duty… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ      

Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 July 2023 Revelation 21:5b.

14 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Revelation 21:5b.       And he (Jesus) said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Well, another Friday has rolled around, and all the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ have been rolled out! But the world still spins on its axis every 24 hours, and regardless of how it might seem with all the confusion and controversy currently existing, the Lord is still in control of the universe that He created from nothing, so long ago! Now that’s the reality of the situation, and until you recognize and acknowledge that, you will have a warped and incorrect of vision of life. And all God’s people said a loud and proud ‘Amen!’ (smile) 

But it’s the truth friends, until we recognize and acknowledge Almighty God as Creator and Controller of our universe, we’ll be living in a fairy tale world, and not a particularly nice one at that. You’ll be forever plagued by doubts and anxieties, because you’ll never be sure of what’s happening around you, and what to believe, what’s the truth of the situation, and thus you’ll be easily led astray, down the wide and destructive path promoted by the enemy. 

But when you believe, put your trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, surrender your soul to His Son Jesus Christ, who came down from heaven and sacrificed His sinless life to save yours from being drafted into the pit of hellfire and damnation, then your senses will be quietened, whatever circumstances that surround you won’t bother you as much, because then you will have the faithful promise of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit that indwells you, to help you handle them. 

Wow! Yes friends, then you’ll know the truth, because Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes unto the Father, than by and through Him! (John 14:6) And once you know that truth my fellow believers, that enormous truth will set you free from all the nonsense that’s happening in our world. For as Jesus also faithfully promised: ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:31-32) 

But there’s the crux of the matter: to know the truth we have to abide, live by His word, be His true and sincere disciples. And that’s not always easy to do, for here’s what Jesus had to say about becoming His disciple. ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Now that’s obviously a tough row to hoe, because it can be filled with sacrifices, while denying oneself and giving up control of your life to the desires and demands of Christ’s plan. 

And though it’s not easy, it is the most beneficial and rewarding way to live this earthly life. Jesus won’t ever leave you alone, He faithfully promised that when he said to the disciples: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) That means He’ll look after you through His Holy Spirit that indwells you as a Comforter, Guide and Leader. And furthermore, He won’t ask you to do anything without giving you the grace, the mercy, strength, whatever you need to do it. He’ll never allow you to suffer more than you can bear, but will always find a way for you to escape the situation, or handle it with His mighty help! 

And above all, if you endure to the end with Christ, being a sincere disciple, abiding in Him, while He abides in you, then you can look forward to a glorious life everlasting with Him, in whatever wonderful place He decides to spend it, instead of being shunted off to the depths of hell with Satan and his evil cronies. And believe me, eternal life with our Triune God will be marvellous. Let’s take a peek at the basics. 

John the Revelator writes: ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he (Jesus) said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21:1-5) 

Wow mih bredrin! What a beautiful end to this miserable, hard-scrabble life that so many of us go through! But it will all be worth it in the end if we endure with Jesus! Can you imagine a world with no more, pain, crying, suffering and death! Mama Mia! That alone makes it worthwhile, not to mention living in the eternal presence of our God. 

Just think about the amount of pain, tears and ‘sufferation’ that’s currently enveloping our world nuh…and it tears apart your heart for most of it is unnecessary, and it’s simply man’s inhumanity to man, making countless millions mourn in an earthly hell. But when you live for Jesus, though you might need to undergo some suffering for His sake, the end rewards will indeed justify the pain of this earthly life. So, let’s be wise and live sincerely for Jesus now, so that we can bask in the sunshine of His marvellous glow later on. 

And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help to handle our current earthly problems. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need 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. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to 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. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, 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 if we truly desire to receive positive help from heaven, then we must first improve our disobedient, ungodly ways. It’s as simple as that! Much LOVE!

…the ends of living for Jesus…certainly justify the means…  

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ     

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 July 2023 Joshua 1:9.

13 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 1:9.       Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.

And after a late night, early morning of constant drizzle, Thursday has opened sunny and cool, but with some cloudy overtones. The computer is saying it’s going to be windy and humid. But in these days of climate change anything is possible, so we just have to learn to handle whatever comes against us weatherwise, like we have learned to handle whatever circumstances come against us in our regular lives. 

And it all begins with knowing, and even more importantly living like Jesus Christ is our true and enabling Lord and Saviour. As he says, without Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5). But then again, we can do ALL things though Christ who strengthens and enables us! (Phil. 4:13) And don’t forget either that God’s grace is sufficient for all we do, because His strength (power) is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9) 

Wow! What a mighty force is our God! And He ought to be, since He created the earth, the heavens, the seas and all therein, and also controls everything within them, so that all the hairs of our heads are numbered and not even one grain of it falls of and He doesn’t know it. Neither does even one little sparrow, which is a cheap and seemingly unimportant bird die and the Lord doesn’t know it. (Matt. 10:29-32) 

So, taking all of that into consideration, the question then becomes, why are we who claim to be great believers in Almighty God, with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour are so fearful of the things of the world and the evil that lurks therein? Remember Jesus said quite authoritatively: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) 

And, if you didn’t know it, the ONLY One who can destroy both our souls and bodies is the Lord God Almighty! That means, if we’re to fear any Being, it’s Jehovah God we should fear! But since He’s our heavenly Father, having adopted us after Christ died and paid for our sins, (Rom. 8:14-15) and therefore LOVES us with a mighty unconditional LOVE, there’s no need to fear Him in the true sense of the word, but to reverence, to honour and obey Him, like children do their fathers. 

But unfortunately, that is something too many of us on this disaster-filled planet are not doing, that’s why our lives are so pitiable and miserable! If we don’t have the LOVE and reverence of God in us, how can we ever live joyful and successful lives eh? Remember, the Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Neh. 8:10) 

And remember too, these amazing and wise words from the mouth of the Lord Himself to Joshua. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) 

Oh my brethren that’s all we really need to know yes! Read and constantly meditate on God’s Word, then put it into action in our lives! That’s it in a nutshell! But how many of us even read the Lord’s Word, much less meditate on it, and live it? Not nearly enough! And if you didn’t believe what the Lord said to Joshua back there, then listen to what He followed it up with: ‘Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) 

Mama Mia my fellow saints! What else do we need for God to do for us or to tell us eh, before we can live the way He desires of us? He’s told us to read and study His word, then live it. Then to not be afraid but strong and courageous because He’s with us wherever we go. Then to crown it all, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us so that our sin debt could be paid in full and give us the option of spending eternity in His marvellous company…

What else do we need eh? For Him to come and hold each of our hands personally and lead us over the threshold of heaven? Brother! We’ve become such frail, feeble and fearful folks that even when we’ve been given everything we need to live the abundant and successful life that Jesus died for us to have, we’re still mewling and afraid like little children. 

Sorry, I take that back, little children might be afraid, but they have confidence in their parents and elders and follow them anyway. But we obviously don’t have the confidence we’re supposed to have in Christ Jesus, our heavenly Father, neither the Holy Spirit, who all bend over backwards to help us! 

And furthermore, we can’t even stay united as one church, one body of Christ like we should be, but allow the enemy to divide and conquer us with all the foolish divisions and denominations we’ve created and all the petty and selfish things that we foolishly use to keep us apart. When are we going to wake up and realize that unless there is more unity in Christ’s church, that we can never win the war we’re supposed to be fighting? We talk such a good talk, but our walk is woeful in comparison, not nearly as good as it ought to be. 

And though I’m chuckling here at what I’ve written, because I never came out to write it, but apparently was led there by the Holy Spirit, because we definitely do need to wake up and get working for Christ if we ever expect to see positive changes in our world anytime soon. Let’s hope that this will be a wakeup call for many of us, and believers in Christ will begin doing what they need to do: read and study God’s word, then live it with courage and strength of purpose! 

And now, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! 

I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Now, we desperately need to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…we have all the tools for abundant and successful living…why aren’t we using them to enrich our world like Jesus desires… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ    

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 July 2023 James 1:19.

11 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

James 1:19.       Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

And it’s a fine, sunny Tuesday in the month of July, the height of the summer season! And the weather has been behaving like it’s truly summer for the last few days; hot, humid and muggy, with the occasional sprinkle of heavenly blessings to either cool it down, or increase the humidity, your choice. (smile) 

And I’m chuckling here, because our God is indeed a great God who does work in mysterious ways. A while ago I was wondering what to write on today and decided to check our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin to see if I could find a good topic. And lo, and behold, the second place I opened it to, this marvellous topic opened unto me. It’s simply, but ever so appropriately titled, ‘A Quiet Tongue.’ 

Don’t know if I’ve ever shared it before, but even if I have, it’s certainly worth sharing again, for our world is desperately in need of more quiet tongues than we currently have. The uproar of voices today, and many of them angry voices, surely seems like the whole world is talking together at the same time, talking a mile a minute on things most of us have no real clue about. 

The social media revolution has birthed an incredible amount of talk and opinions that are leading so many of us astray, especially the young, soft minded, easily led folks of this entitled generation. And with everyone talking at the same time, it obviously means that very few of us are listening. But anyway, enough of my rant, (smile) let’s read the poem and see if it can help us keep a quieter tongue. 

Please read with me: ‘Lord, a revealing fact Began to surface today: I talk more than I listen. I seem to be thoroughly convinced That my ideas My inspiring experiences My bits of wisdom Are exactly what all my friends need. Too often I break into conversations Confident that my enlightened insight Will solve the predicament – Whatever it is. Obviously, I feel more comfortable When I’m expounding. But this morning at a Bible study I cringed when I read Your command In the first chapter of James. 

“Don’t ever forget That it’s best to listen much Speak little, and not become angry.” At first I wanted to run. But as the words kept battering away At my guilty heart I finally circled them with red ink. Now, Lord, please help me to obey them. Remind me daily, hourly That listening is a discipline And a discipline always costs. I know I must pay a price The price for me Is a listening ear And a quiet tongue.’  

Oh my people, that poem ought to be shouted from the rooftops, television sets, radios, all social media, and wherever people gather, so that we can see, understand and learn to stop talking as much as we do, and learn to listen more, because we can learn much more by listening than talking! And most of us would already have surmised that the Bible Promise for the poem comes from the age old, but very wise words of James, when he warned, two thousand years ago. ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:’ (James 1:19) 

Wow! What words of eternal wisdom! But are we listening to them today? Obviously not! Because words are being irresponsibly spouted more than at any other time in our long and irresponsible history! And the revolution of social media is not helping, but unfortunately allowing them to be spread more easily and widely than ever before. Now here’s a word from the scholars on the verse from James above. ‘This is a key verse because it expresses three topics that James develops later: hearing, verses 19-27; speaking, chap. 3:1-12; and wrath 4:1-12.’ 

Now those might be some excellent scriptures for us to spend some time reading and meditating upon in the near future. (smile) For now though, let’s deal with what comes next in James; the matter of hearing and doing. He continues: ‘For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God… But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.’ (James 1:20, 22) 

Now that’s another good reminder for many of us, because in our great bursts of speech, like the Pharisees of long ago, we often speak the word, but very seldom do it, seldom put it into action. And we can’t dispute that fact because if we believers were more astute and responsible in doing the word, we are so quick to speak, our world would not be in the dire straits it’s currently in. 

And I like how James goes on to expound on our problem. ‘For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass (mirror): For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (what he does).’ (James 1:23-25) 

Oh my brethren, unfortunately, many of us are ever so guilty of James’ censure. We see ourselves in the mirror then walk away and completely forget who we are, and what we ought to be about in Christ’s kingdom. And as per the ‘perfect law of liberty,’ the scholars tell us it ‘probably refers to the teachings of Christ and His apostles. This law is perfect, since Christ brought to completion the work of the Mosaic Law (cf. Matt. 5:17-20; Rom. 10:4). It is a law of liberty because it frees from the principles of sin and death. (Rom. 8:2-3; Gal. 5:1, 13) James also describes it as the royal law (2:8) for it is the law of the messianic King (cf. Gal. 6:2).’ 

Ah mih people, I am seriously and sincerely suggesting you take a couple of minutes and look up those scriptures referenced by the scholars. I just did, and believe me, they are interesting and very enlightening on the subjects referred to. But enough for today, we’ll continue on this topic tomorrow, if God spares life obviously. (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And having declared (yesss!!!) that, let’s now go out and put it into practice, be doers of the word, share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…talk is ever so cheap…but action calls for sacrifice… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ      

Today’s Scrip-Bit   9 July 2023   1 Corinthians 3:11.

09 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 3:11.       For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Sunday greetings friends! It’s sure good to be in the Lord’s sanctuary once again, preparing to worship Him, to give Him much thanks and praise in the company of other believers. There’s nothing like it! And today we’ll begin our celebrations with a wonderful old favourite written in the 1860’s by the English Anglican Parish Priest, Samuel John Stone and put to music by Samuel Sebastian Wesley. This Christian hymn is ever so important to our faith, one might call it the foundation on which our faith is built. (smile) 

So, with sincere, heartfelt, sacrifices of praise, let’s raise our voices in sweet harmony as we let Jesus know, that we know, appreciate and are ever grateful that He is ‘The Church’s One Foundation.’ Singing: ‘The Church’s one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord, She is His new creation By water and the Word: From Heav’n He came and sought her To be His holy bride, With His own blood He bought her And for her life He died. – She is from every nation, Yet one o’er all the earth; Her charter of salvation, One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy name she blesses, Partakes one holy food, And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued. –

The Church shall never perish! Her dear Lord to defend, To guide, sustain, and cherish, Is with her to the end: Though there be those who hate her, And false sons in her pale, Against both foe and traitor She ever shall prevail. – Though with a scornful wonder Men see her sore oppressed, By schisms rent asunder, By heresies distressed: Yet saints their watch are keeping, Their cry goes up, How long? And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song! – ’Mid toil and tribulation, And tumult of her war, She waits the consummation Of peace forevermore; Till, with the vision glorious, Her longing eyes are blest, And the great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest! – 

Yet she on earth hath union With God the Three in One, And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won, With all her sons and daughters Who, by the Master’s hand Led through the deathly waters, Repose in Eden land. O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we Like them, the meek and lowly, On high may dwell with Thee: There, past the border mountains, Where in sweet vales the Bride With Thee by living fountains Forever shall abide!’ 

Oh my people, that was indeed a rousing version of that wonderful hymn filled with marvellous sentiments of truth and faith upon which Christianity is built! And I find it strange that several versions that I listened to took out the verses which say: ‘The church shall never perish! Her dear Lord to defend…. And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.’ Now that to me is possibly the most important verse in the song, because it lets us know in all certainty that the church will last forever under Christ’s leadership, and the watchful eyes of all the saints, with the promises of a night of weeping that will end with a joyous morn. 

Bruh David says it in Psalm 30:5: ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) cometh in the morning,’ meaning that our sorrows and problems are only temporary, they will eventually end; this too shall pass. But I guess to each his own. And what’s the purpose or message of the hymn, you ask? ‘It describes the church’s relationship to its “foundation” being Jesus Christ. The church is represented as the collective Christian fellowship of the earth as it is wholly united by its Savior, the son of God.’ 

And the song was written as a direct response to the schism within the Church of South Africa caused by John William Colenso, first Bishop of Natal, who denounced much of the Bible as untrue. When the bishop was deposed for his teachings, he appealed to the higher ecclesiastical authorities in England and thus Rev. Stone became involved in the discussion. And how do we get the idea that Christ is the foundation of the church eh? Simple. He founded it! 

Hebrews tells us about ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.’ (Heb. 12:2) Jesus undoubtedly began the New Testament Church of which we are a part! And if you don’t believe that, then listen to Bruh Paul as he explains the situation to the church at Corinth in his first letter. 

‘For we are labourers (fellow workers) with God: ye are God’s husbandry (field), ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 3:9-11) 

Yes friends, we can build, but our foundation must be on Jesus and His good news gospel. Even the masterbuilder Bruh Paul must use Christ as his foundation. As he pointed out earlier in the chapter. ‘I have planted, Apollo watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but that God giveth the increase.’ (1 Cor. 3:6-7) So whether we plant, water, build or whatever concerning our faith, the increase or prosperity always comes through God’s grace and mercy. That’s because He is the One behind everything we do, including the One who sent Jesu to die for us, to provide the foundation for our Christian faith. 

The psalmist wrote: ‘The stone which the builders refused (rejected) is become the head stone of the corner (chief corner stone, the foundation stone). This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:22-24) And Jesus repeated those very words regarding His triumph over hell, death and the grave. (Matt. 21:42-44) As this commentary explains: ‘He on whom the stone falls will be crushed.” Matthew 21:42-44 By rejecting Jesus’ authority over their lives / “the cornerstone,” they lost all of the blessings God desired for them. The death and resurrection of Jesus is “the capstone / cornerstone,” the “beginning and the end” for all of us.’ 

And when Peter and John healed the lame man in the temple and were brought before the Jewish elders, ‘Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them… Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of (rejected by) you builders, which is become the head of the corner (chief corner stone). Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:10-12) 

Now my fellow saints, that is something we cannot dispute, because it is the gospel truth! So please, with all the evil and tribulation in our world, I’m pleading with us to get together and begin living seriously for Jesus, our foundation stone, instead of just talking it. He so deserves our serious and faithful witness. Much LOVE!

…to be a true disciple of Christ…is to live with Him for eternity… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ    

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 July 2023   2 Peter 3:9b.

08 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

2 Peter 3:9b.      God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Thank the Lord for lazy-day Saturdays! Yes, without them we’d be totally flummoxed; confused and perplexed about this life we’re living. But these lazy-day Saturdays give us a chance to sit back and relax, to think and reason, as well as to do nothing, to just allow the senses and the body to drift wherever they may desire. (smile) And that’s why they say B.S baffles brains! 

Anyway, I’ve already used up most of my lazy-day time, so let’s get back to reality. It’s nice to be lazy, and the Father does give us some leeway for it, but the facts be known, without exception, He still expects us to take up our cross every day and follow Him. So let’s get down to the Father’s business. And we’ll begin by declaring (yesss!) our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

Oh my fellow believers, that’s such a beautiful and heartfelt prayer; just wishing us closer to our great God, our Comforter, our Provider and Place of Refuge! And there’s nothing that we can ever desire that’s more useful and beautiful than getting closer to God! In fact, that’s one of the main reasons He created us; for close and intimate communion with Him. But unfortunately, for whatever reason, many of us have unwisely decided to turn away from Him, and that hurts His heart and seriously disappoints Him. 

And wouldn’t it hurt your heart too if after your children went astray, you gave up your best possession, your only Son, to offer them an olive branch, an offering of forgiveness, peace and reconciliation and they totally refuse your offer? Oh, you most certainly would! So let’s put that in our pipe and smoke it nuh, and consider how God feels after He sacrificed His one Son Jesus, for a bunch of ungrateful sinners, who are now blaspheming His holy name and trying to kick Him out of the universe that He created. 

And the sad part of the whole situation is that our reluctance to accept God’s grace and mercy,  seems to hurt Him more than it does us. He has nothing to lose by our unwise actions, and we have so much to gain, but because of His abiding great and unconditional LOVE for us, it breaks His heart when we turn down His offer of salvation and eternal life. The Bible tells us: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)  

And remember what we read in the scriptures yesterday? That God is ‘not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:5b) Yes my friends, the Lord doesn’t want any of His most wonderful but ungrateful creation to perish in hellfire with Satan and thus be eternally separated from Him. It’s just like when our children choose an unwise path to tread, we feel sad and distraught, because we know that that path can only lead to heartache and destruction. 

And it’s even more heartbreaking when we offer our sincere help and it’s refused. Just think how that makes us feel, and multiply that terrible feeling several times, and it might just give us a li’l insight into how our heavenly Father feels about our turning away from His overtures of grace and mercy. And it’s not only with the coming of Jesus that the Lord was unhappy with our behaviour and desired eternal life for us. 

No, from way back in the time of the prophet Ezekiel, He also made clear His express desire on the subject, when He said to Ezekiel: ‘Say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked: but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezek. 33:11) 

Oh my people, it’s the very same question the Lord is putting to us today; why should we die when we can live eternally with Him in paradise? It makes no sense whatsoever! And how often has this same question been posed to us eh? Moses posed it to the children of Israel, when he said: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) 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) 

That obviously didn’t hold the Israelites for long because they continued with their rebellious behaviour and complaining, never contented attitudes. Then later on, Joshua in his last years again warned the Israelites: ‘And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood (the Euphrates river), or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other Gods.’ (Josh. 24:15-16) 

But they did forsake the Lord, all down through the ages, for which they suffered serious consequences. Now friends, our situation is very similar to theirs; we have the option of choosing to live for Jesus or to go down the destructive path that Beelzebub has set before us. And the latter option is fraught with danger and destruction, not to mention eternal separation from God, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul. 

It’s like Joshua said to his people. ‘If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt (harm), and consume you, after that he hath done you good.’ (Josh. 24:20) And that’s exactly what happened to them on several occasions, and what will happen to us if we forsake the Lord and serve Satan. All throughout the Bible the Lord warns about the destruction of the wicked. 

Psalm 37 tells us: ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps. 37:37-40) 

That says a whole lot friends, re the ends of the wicked and the righteous. And in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Himself warned: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14) 

Now, in light of all we’ve said, the best and wisest option we have here on earth is obviously living for Jesus, following the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life. And as for me and my house…we will serve the Lord! Much LOVE!

…to live for now…or to live for the hereafter…that is the question… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ   

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 July 2023   1 John 2:15a.

07 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

1 John 2:15a.      LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

Finally it’s Friday, and as always, the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ resonate around the world, possibly with a more grateful heart but less energy in North America after all the exuberant birthday celebrations of the last week. (smile) But now that the celebrations are over, it’s time to move on, move on seriously with wisdom and common sense, and return our world to a state of goodness and godliness without which we’ll just keep slithering down into the bowels of hell, for the evil that’s encumbering the world carries a heavy weight, and with each day that evil predominates, the weight increases. 

And simple logic decrees that our world cannot withstand the ever-increasing weight of sin and evil forever. Now, we all know that it’s the duty of the Christian believer to bring Christ and His good news to the world, which unfortunately, we are not doing at a meaningful rate, thus evil and all its negative associates have become ever so prevalent. 

But that negative and unalluring situation can certainly be forestalled, stopped in its deadly tracks, and our world turned around if we decide to get up and do the job we were placed in this time to do; that is be the salt of the earth and light of the world and show the unbelievers the immense value of knowing Christ and living exclusively for Him. 

Now, yesterday we looked at some scriptures that offer encouragement and show us how to reverse the unwanted situation in which we find ourselves. Today, I want us to look at a few more scriptures that can also help in that monumental but oh so possible with Christ task. Remember, the first lesson we must learn and sincerely believe is that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! (Phil 4:13) That is the foundation of the whole process. If we don’t sincerely believe that, then we’re wasting our time trying to make a difference. 

Then the next thing is a scripture we shared yesterday, where Bruh Paul warned the Romans. ‘Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) Oh friends, that’s another very important step we need to take in this turnaround situation. We need to stop thinking and acting like the world does, and behave like Christ wants us to.  

Let’s also remember that time is of the utmost importance, for we don’t know when Christ is going to return, but whenever He does, we need to be ready, to have as many people as possible ready and waiting for His return, and right now that number is way too small. The Lord has waited, is still waiting for that number to increase, but His patience won’t last forever. 

As Peter says: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief (robber) in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up,’ (2 Pet. 3:9-10) 

That’s at the final judgement friends, not at the rapture of the church. However, we notice a couple things there; first that the Lord doesn’t want any of His creation to perish, thus He’s given them the choice of salvation, of trusting in Him, but we’ve got to get the word to them so they can receive it. Secondly, He’s holding back the day of reckoning so that as many people as possible can be saved, but one day Jesus will return for the rapture of the church, and one day He will return for the eventual judging of the world. 

However, both those climactic events will take place without warning, like a thief in the night, therefore we need to be in a constant state of readiness for whenever it happens. And that’s something we need to make the unbelievers very aware of, time is oh so important, that there can be no hemming and hawing and long moments of thinking about being saved. But enough wandering, (smile) let’s get back to scriptures that will enable us to renew our minds, throw off the old man, our old conduct, and put on the new man, created in righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:22-24) 

John, in his first epistle, puts it thus. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interest), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17) 

Now that’s something we need to pay much more attention to; the world and all therein, all the glitzy, glamourous things that are now holding our rapt attention pass away; but the things of Christ, and those who live for Him, don’t. They last forever. Now do we want to be amongst the things that pass away, or amongst those that live forever? That’s the question we all must answer on an individual basis, and let’s hope and pray that many, most of us will decide to live forever and then get out there into the fields that are white with a great harvest of unbelievers and begin harvesting them, as the Lord of the harvest, Jesus Christ has decreed we do! 

Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, and lay our anxieties before our most merciful and gracious Creator. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need 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. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to 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. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, 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!’ 

The next move is now in our court; do the things that will cause God to answer our prayers in a positive manner. Much LOVE!

…good will always overcome evil…but it must first be set in motion… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ  

Today’s Scrip-Bit   6 July 2023 Romans 13:12.

06 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

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

Romans 13:12.       The night is far spent, the day is at hand, let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

And so we come to Thursday, desperately looking forward to Friday, so that we can rest our tired souls and bodies from all the hectic birthday celebrations on both sides of the border. (smile) Yes, there’s nothing as hectic as birthday celebrations, even when they are marred by negative situations. And now that those celebrations are over, I do hope that saner minds will prevail and we will see the destructive path down which we’re travelling and come together and do something serious and productive about our problems, so that by the time the next birthday rolls around, we’ll be living in a more peaceful, LOVING and godly society. 

Oh my people, that’s the ONLY way we will survive eventual destruction! If we continue down the same negative, broad and winding road, destruction is inevitable! Why is it so difficult to realize that and do something proactive about it eh? His satanic majesty certainly has a strong grasp on our minds and souls, if that’s the way we chose to go. But let’s think about our children’s children for a moment nuh. Is that the way we want them to live, amongst death and destruction? 

I doubt it. We’ve already spoiled it for our children, please, I’m pleading with us to get together in godly harmony and change the direction in which our world is currently going, that’s down to hell fire and damnation. For our grandchildren’s sake, let’s turn it around and put it back on the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus and heaven, where it’s supposed to be. And we can do it if we truly desire to do so, because we have all the parts and power through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to make whatever changes are necessary. We just have to seriously decide to get up and do it. 

Oh my fellow believers, what’s it going to take to develop harmony and unity in Christ’s church eh? What’s it going to take for us to wake up and see the dangerous and evil stuff that’s happening right under our very noses? Sadly with our help and participation too? But just like Bruh Paul warned the church at Rome, we need to be warned today. 

‘And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand, let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly (properly), as in the day, not in rioting (revelry) and drunkenness, not in chambering (licentiousness) and wantonness (depravity), not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.’ (Rom. 13:11-14) 

Oh friends, there’s no more timely warning than that, for all it says is true! Our world is being consumed by strife and all the other fleshly lusts named above. The godly aspect of our lives has either been completely thrown out or hidden in the innermost recesses of our hearts and souls. And the sad part of the whole situation is that only believers in Christ Jesus can change the way our world is currently operating. But if we’re behaving just like the heathen, the unbelievers, the sceptics an atheists, what hope is there for a righting of the ship eh? None whatsoever! 

And though we don’t know when Jesus is returning to earth, we do know that His return is closer than when Bruh Paul wrote that warning to the Corinthians, thus we need to wake up and make some serious changes both in our own lives and the world, for we don’t want Jesus to come back to a world where there’s no faith. Definitely not! It would mean that we have failed in our duty. And to successfully right ourselves, we have to begin by doing what Bruh Paul warned the Romans earlier on in his letter. ‘Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) 

Yes my fellow saints we cannot change our world until we change our thinking and stop conforming to the ways of the evil and ungodly world! As the scholars tell us, we are ‘to resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems and conduct of this world.’ That should be obvious to us all, but for whatever reason, too many of us have chosen, and are still choosing not to be transformed. We seem to like the attractions of hellfire and damnation, of eternal separation, more than those of heaven and eternal life. 

But nonetheless, we will keep on trying to turn us around, because Christ says that we must pray and not faint or give up. So here’s some more scripture that will encourage us to turn from evil and get up and fight the good fight. Hear these fighting words that Bruh Paul wrote to the Ephesians. ‘This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity (futility) of their mind… That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts: 

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind: And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:17; 22-32) 

There we have it my brethren, simple, practical ways in which to transform our minds, to turn our lives around so that we can also turn this evil, ungodly world around. That’s what we’ve been placed here at this particular time for. And to help us do our bounden duty, the Good Lord has generously bestowed on us numerous blessings that we call our Thursday Blessings. So to activate them, let’s declare (chuh!!!) them right now. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! 

I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Now, let’s get out into the evil world and generously use those blessings to help others and thus win the world for Christ! Much LOVE!

…only as Christians change their mindset and thus their lives…will any positive changes be made in the world  

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ  

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