Today’s Scrip-Bit   9 October 2023 Matthew 5:16.

09 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 5:16.       Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

And on this Thanksgiving Monday morning, all over this beautiful and blessed land of Canada thanks and praises are being offered up to heaven! And do we ever have a whole lot to be thankful for. The problem though is that those many blessings are not equally distributed throughout our land and our populace. And that sad state of inequality is unfortunately lowering the quality and level of our standard of living, and consequently causing much dissension, disunity and discontent in our society. 

Now that’s not rocket science, because wherever there is blatant and widespread inequality, there will eventually be serious ramifications and consequences. And right now we’re seeing those unwanted divisions and disruptions occurring more frequently and more violently, not only in our country, but unfortunately all over the world, for the inequality is prevalent all over the earth, and the downtrodden and  marginalized are crying out loudly for a fair share of the earth’s wealth, so that they can experience a reasonable standard of living. 

However, the powers that be; the rich and ruling classes are foolishly clamping down, trying to further devalue and bring even more devastation to the have nots. The rich are indeed getting richer, while the poor, if possible, are getting poorer. No wonder our world is currently buffeted by numerous wars, rumors of wars and overwhelming instability, and everyday a new theatre of dissatisfaction opens up with loud cries of injustice and degradation. And what’s the answer to our problem of inequality you ask? 

Obviously a more egalitarian society, where people are seen as, or considered equal and consequently deserve equal rights and opportunities. And until our world seriously and sincerely moves toward a much more equal situation, where the ten% of haves don’t possess 90% of the pie, while the 90% of have nots only possess 10%, that sort of ridiculous inequity will always be cause for rampant dissatisfaction, and eventually chaos. It’s so sad when our world contains truths like, man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn. And by the way, it’s no longer thousands, but millions that are mourning because of mankind’s greed, selfishness and inhumanity. 

And what’s so sad about the whole situation is that there’s more than enough to go around for all the have nots to be satisfied and the haves to still maintain a big portion of the pie, but certainly not 90%. And that’s where we believers in Christ come in. For if we don’t stand up for the poor, the downtrodden, the sick and the lame like our Lord and Leader did when He was here on earth, who else is going to stand up for them eh? Definitely not the evildoers of Satan’s fold. And until we Christians start to make some kind of serious efforts to right the wrongs of the world, things will only go from bad to worse. 

And contrary to our excuses, the job is not impossible, or as big as we claim. It’s just that it will take more effort than we are willing to expend. For if the majority of Christians were to behave like true Christians, our world will be a helluva lot better place than it currently is. Just a li’l kindness and help on our part, a li’l standing up for some injustice or evil deed would bring surprising change. But sadly, too many of us supposed believers don’t want to be bothered with the problems of those less fortunate than us, we just want to relax and be comfortable in our li’l cocoon, insulated from the dire state of our world. And the truth is that a comfortable Christian is indeed the worst kind of Christian there is! 

Jesus didn’t come and die so that we could be comfortable and don’t care about our fellow man. He was always concerned about the sick and suffering, those considered worthless by society, and so should we, His followers, be similarly concerned. But the material wealth of the world and the many amenities now available have killed our pioneering spirit and made us lazy and uninterested in improving things. We just want to sit on our laurels and enjoy the good life. But be it known, that any society which sits on its laurels and does not keep its standards high, will eventually finds itself in ruins, for it’s the standards of a society that make them prosper and keep them in a healthy situation. 

It’s obvious that these words of Jesus have fallen by the wayside in our modern times: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13) And if we’re truthful, we’ll admit that we have lost our salty flavour, and that’s why so many are being trodden underfoot. 

The same goes for these words of our Lord and Saviour: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16) 

Oh my people, there again we have sadly not shone as a bright light in this world. Whatever light we have is hidden under a basket, or we’ve never lit the candle in the first place. But whichever it is, it is not good enough. Jesus desires us to follow in His footsteps and bring some peace and LOVE to our inflamed and hateful world, and we can only do that if we get up off of our fat fannies, and renew or recapture our salty flavour, as well as light our candles and go brightly in this dark and evil world! Let’s promise ourselves to do just that nuh, for our children’s sake! And we can begin by most appropriately asking for heavenly help this Thanksgiving Day, 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. 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!’ 

Now, let’s get up and get a sincere move on nuh, so that we can be assured of divine help! Much LOVE!

…without the salt and light of Christians…the world is dark and flavourless… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 June 2023 Romans 12:21.

20 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

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

Romans 12:21.       Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Prologue: I want to apologize right up front for the lateness of the Bit. I got up late, and not feeling up to scratch either. It took me a while to catch myself. And yes, the Bit’s long, but I think it’s good. (smile) So please read, inwardly digest and action it. Much LOVE! 

So Monday has fled into the night, and Tuesday has come to take its place… a warm and somewhat sunny but windy day. But life still rolls along like it did on Monday, still full of wars and rumours of wars, untold disasters both natural and man-made, along with many evil doings and comparatively little godliness. Man continues to be unkind to his fellow man, heralding the saying ‘man’s inhumanity to man, makes countless thousands mourn,’ first made popular by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in his poem, the dirge, ‘Man was made to Mourn’ published in 1784. 

The relevant stanza says: “Many and sharp the num’rous ills Inwoven with our frame! More pointed still we make ourselves Regret, remorse, and shame! And man, whose heav’n-erected face The smiles of LOVE adorn,  Man‘s inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn!”  

And, unfortunately, that statement still stands as a testimony to our cruelty and callousness to each other down through the years. Two of the main examples of that atrocious and barbaric behaviour in the last couple of centuries are the Jewish Holocaust in Germany and other parts of Europe and the brutal and ruthless enslavement of African people in the supposed New World of the Americas. And although those two atrocities have now ended in physical form, they are still being enforced through mental and emotional means. 

The level of international hatred, rebelliousness and evil doing, poverty, sickness and economic malaise are so ramped up, that the saying should now be replaced by ‘man’s inhumanity to man makes countless millions mourn.’ And if we continue like we’re going, it will soon need to be changed to countless billions, because instead of a growing LOVE and compassion for each other, we seem to be drifting even further apart, with hate, evil doings and resentment growing stronger every day. 

And all of that in a world filled with plenty, more than enough to satisfy us all, but because so few have so much, and intend to retain it by any means necessary, while so many have so little, and are intentionally kept from acquiring more, the imbalance of God’s provision and wealth continues to get worse each and every day. I pray that Almighty God will help us before it’s too late, because He is the ONLY ONE who can make heads or tails of our current predicament. 

Whatever happened to Jesus’ declaration (steups!!!) ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another.’ (John 13:34) That’s a very good question, because in these very turbulent and unsettled times, even supposed believers in Christ Jesus are showing immense hatred and resentment for each other, often because of the branch of Christianity or religion they follow. So, if the supposed root of LOVE, Christianity itself is withering, instead of growing and manifesting itself strong in the land, then what hope is there for us eh? 

And it’s not like Jesus said it once that we should LOVE each other, but several times, and even more importantly, that the act of LOVING each other would be the distinctive modus operandi that showed who we truly are. Listen to Him elucidate this. ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:35) LOVE is supposed to be the guiding principle of our world, but sadly, right now hate and evil have a strong hold on our reins. 

And unless we supposed believers are willing to get up and fight the good fight, like we ought to, the hands of evil will get even stronger and more despicable, for there’s no level at which evil will not stoop to get its own way. We must realize that Jesus is placing, in fact, has placed all His bets on us to overcome the evil of Satan with His LOVE. Now, we can’t go letting him down after all the ‘sufferation’ He endured on our behalf. And LOVE is more powerful than evil, we just have to put it into action. 

That’s the problem; we don’t radiate LOVE to each other, so how then can it spread to unbelievers eh? Bruh Paul said it quite practically in his letter to the church at Rome. ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned (affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE; in honour preferring (giving preference to) one another….Bless them which persecute you: bless and curse not…

Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest (have regard for good things) in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire (shame) on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:9-10; 14; 17-21)  

Ah mih people, that’s practical Christian living in a nutshell! And sadly, too many of us believers are not living thus. And no, it’s not easy to turn your head and not repay evil for evil, especially in these evil and advantageous times. But it’s how Jesus wants us to live, and it’s the only way that unbelievers will ever want to come to Christ. We cannot live the old eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth vengeful lifestyle. God says that He will repay the wrongdoing done to us. And if we believe Him, then we have to stop trying to forward vengeance for ourselves, as seems to be the current standard of our world. 

Remember Jesus never said following Him was easy, in fact He said that it would be tough, we’d see trials and tribulations, and we must be prepared to take up our cross daily and follow Him, as well as sacrifice on His behalf whenever necessary. (Luke 9:23-24) If we can’t do that, then we cannot be His disciple. But the wonderful thing about it all is that if we sincerely try, Jesus will help us to overcome any of our human frailties and weaknesses. Remember Bruh Paul says that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil 4:13) 

And that’s one of the basic differences between a sincere believer and an unbeliever. We can do whatever Jesus wants or expects us to do, because He will give us the strength, the anointing, the grace, or whatever it takes to do His will. And that’s what too many of us supposed believers are not taking advantage of, so that we can live for Christ. We all want the easy, the safe way of life, without any difficulties, but life itself means difficulties; trials and tribulations, and it’s ONLY with the help of Jesus can we successfully overcome them. 

And that’s why we have His Holy Spirit dwelling in us; to lead and guide and strengthen us. But unfortunately, many of us ignore the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. How then do we expect to live the abundant Christian life eh? It’s simple, without the power of the Holy Spirit, we can’t. And I do hope that these few words of mine (smile) will help wake us up to the reality of the situation and get us going, so that we can fight the good fight for Christ! Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to do 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!’ 

And having made that declaration (awright!!!) we now have to go out into the evil world and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus, so that others will come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!

…living for Jesus is a lifelong activity…that takes courage and belief… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 April 2021 Ezekiel 7:2b.

27 Apr 2021 Leave a comment

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

Ezekiel 7:2b.     An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land. 

It’s Tuesday friends, that means there’s cause for much celebration, because we’ve been given that awesome thing called life for at least one more day! It’s a blessing that many others did not receive today, so we need to be incredibly grateful and show that appreciation by the way we live today. 

That means living a good, clean, righteous, compassionate, generous, thankful, humble and Christ-like day. For who knows if we don’t live that way, if we’ll see another tomorrow turn into a blessed today. Yes, living that kind of life was never easy in this evil world, and it will never be, until Christ comes back to claim His throne. 

However, what our heavenly Father expects of us is not perfection, but a sincere and diligent effort to do the right thing by our fellow man. And yuh know what mih people, living right and kind is so wonderful that I don’t understand how anybody can live in evil, anger and the disgusting and disgraceful inhumanity in which so many of us spend our entire lives. 

No wonder we have the saying that man’s inhumanity to man makes thousands mourn. And unfortunately, we need to change it from thousands to millions, because our inhumanity seems to be getting worse by the day. I’m sure the Lord must be sitting on His throne in heaven, shaking His head and wondering where He went wrong, what kind of monster He made as His most precious creation, why there’s so much evil and wrongdoing in His universe? 

And that’s even after He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sins, and cast away our abominable iniquity as far as the east is from the west. And I’m chuckling here friends, but I’m also concerned, because I just happened to look at the scripture passage where the Good Book opened today, in the book of the prophet Ezekiel, and it read thus about the judgement of Israel. ‘Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land. 

Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee (repay you for) all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.’ (Ezek. 7:1-4) 

And if it’s one thing we know about our great God is that He doesn’t make empty promises, and Israel did feel the might and power of His awesome hand when they went astray, and He’s also promised that there will a day of judgement when He wraps up this old, evil earth as the apostle Peter tells us in his second epistle, re living in the hope of the Lord’s coming. 

He first reminded believers of the day of the great flood, when the Lord destroyed the earth and all therein, except Noah and his family, because of the wretched sinfulness of its inhabitants. ‘Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against (until) the day of judgement and perdition (destruction) of ungodly men.’ (2 Pet. 3:6-7) 

Yes friends, that day of judgement is certainly coming. And let’s be clear, we are not talking about the Rapture, but that day when Christ returns in judgement, the final apocalyptic judgement. And you can read the descriptions of that fiery judgement in Revelations 17-19.  So please don’t get all uppity and know-it-all, and question with a sneer, as so many do, why it hasn’t come as yet. 

Peter though, gives a good answer to that question. ‘But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:8-9) 

We see then, that the way God looks at time and the way we do are totally different, and furthermore, He’s giving us time to come to salvation because He doesn’t want any to perish. And Peter continues: ‘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. 3:10) 

So we don’t know when all of this will happen, that means we need to be ready for whenever it comes. ‘Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (conduct) and godliness, Looking for and hasting (hastening) unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.’ (2 Pet. 3:11-14) 

Ah mih people, regardless of what you believe, those things are going to happen. And when they do happen, we need to be found righteous and blameless. Then the scholars tell us that ‘the heavens that shall pass away with a great noise are the atmospheric heavens. The elements shall melt with a fervent heat certainly could refer to a nuclear holocaust. Thus, Peter urges his readers to look beyond this present world to the new heavens and a new earth characterized by righteousness.’ And the turmoil and upheaval our world is currently experiencing, certainly makes nuclear warfare a dreaded possibility. 

Remember too, John’s words in Revelation. ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and 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, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice 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.’ (Rev. 21:1-4) 

Oh my people, that’s what we have to look forward to when we believe in God, through His awesome Son, our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus! There’s nothing more I can say, for the Word of God speaks very clearly on its own. So, for those of us who accept it, then let’s go home declaring (chuh man!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. 

As one strong 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 the world. Amen!’ 

Now, let’s go and share that wonderful friendship and awesome LOVE of Christ with those who don’t know Him nuh, for that’s what He expects of us! Much LOVE!

…only believe…only believe…in Christ Jesus…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 September 2020 Matthew 7:24.

19 Sep 2020 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 7:24.     ​Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock:

And then came that lazy day we call Saturday! No work! Glory be! At least no work out the street, but possibly plenty at home where we haven’t accomplished much for the last five days. What a bam-bam eh! Work for we living under the slave master’s stringent rules for five days straight, then have to come home now and do our own work. Somehow that doesn’t seem right. (smile) But that’s the way it is in our modern, busy society, and yuh better fall in line, otherwise life just going to leave yuh behind! (smile) 

That’s why it’s so necessary to have Jesus Christ as the guide and director of our lives, because with Him running the show we can handle anything that comes against us with authority and power downloaded from Him. That’s why we keep saying: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) And that’s an indisputable fact! But the only way you are ever going to find out that it’s true is by actually accepting Him as your Lord and Saviour, through faith and not sight. For in Jesus’ economy, faith is the currency, not sight. End of sermon! 

Now let’s see what our friend Anselm had to say this week, as he aspired to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first quote is indeed a dandy: ‘Worry is the most wasteful thing in the world.’ That’s also another indisputable fact! Worry creates nothing but more worry! And as Sister Joyce likes to say: ‘Worry is like a rocking chair; you can sit in it and rock all day, but get nowhere, not moved from the same spot.’ Yes friends, all worry does is ramp up our fear, anxiety and doubt, thus stealing the li’l productive energy we have left to handle our problems. 

And another major thing we need to do in this mish-mash world is to ‘Focus on being productive, instead of busy.’ Yeh too many of us run around like chickens with our heads cut off, proclaiming we so busy that we don’t have time to do anything, and in the supposed busyness, we not really doing a blooming thing in true! Ever ask anybody why they not doing this or that? And the stock answer is ‘too busy.’ And when you ask what they so busy doing, they can’t tell you. It’s such a laughable situation, but one fraught with disappointment and defeat, unless we cut it out NOW. 

And to help us do that, we need to learn to ‘Manage the cause, not the result.’ That means looking to the root of the problem, what caused it in the first place, and not focusing on the result, because if we don’t fix the problem, we’ll keep on getting the same wrong result every time. But that’s also another bad habit we have in our modern-day society; we look the wrong places for solutions to our problems. Like we spend a whole lot of time and money in mental therapy, when most of the time all we need is the Good Book and the Word of the Lord to get us through our tough situations. 

The medications from the shrinks and charlatans ofttimes eases up one problem but causes several others, some worse than the original one. But that’s how our world operates, and if we don’t smarten up and recognize the enemy, the imperial prince of darkness hiding in some of those corners, we’re liable to end up in serious trouble. But then again, ‘If you do not know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing.’ Ah mih people; the right question eh… 

Now that is ever so important in our deceitful, fraudulent society. There’s a scam in almost every situation these days, and if you don’t know the right questions to ask, you’ll most likely get the wrong answer and eventually do the wrong thing. And that’s ever so important for the older folks nowadays, because the scam artists like to prey on those they think are very gullible and easily fooled. Steups! They are worse than the predatory animals in the wild! 

That’s why the saying, ‘man’s inhumanity to man makes thousands mourn,’ is so true and heartbreaking. We think nothing these days of bilking an older person out of their entire life savings; in fact bilking anybody out of their possessions is fair game this meeting! But yuh know what my brethren? I’m here to tell you with this last quote that ‘Everything can be improved.’ And that’s the gospel truth! But you definitely need to connect with Jesus; to make him the Number One Priority in your life if you desire to see improvements in any or all areas of it. 

And if you don’t believe me, then listen to these awesome words of Jesus as He speaks about the two foundations on which life can be built. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock.’ (Matt.7:24-25) 

Ah precious people, Jesus is that rock upon which we need to build our lives, so that when the storms come, like they are coming right now, our houses, our souls and spirits will stand strong and be able to fight them off! Yes, we desperately need the sure foundation that’s Jesus if we desire to thwart the enemy and overcome the storms of life! 

Now listen to the other side of the equation as expounded by Jesus. ‘And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt. 7:26-27) 

Oh my people, my people, those are words of everlasting truth from the Son of God Himself! And if we can’t accept them as such, then there’s little or no hope for us. Note the simplicity and clarity of Jesus’ teaching. He talks about things we can easily understand. It’s obvious that if we build a house on sand it won’t stand up as well as one built on a strong foundation of rock when the elements come against it. And right now we have the perfect storm of a pandemic and worldwide strife that’s showing what kind of foundation our lives have been built on. 

Unfortunately, we’re seeing that too many of them have been built on the insecure and unsafe one of sand, that’s why there’s so much fear, doubt and panic at this time of crisis. But it’s not too late friends…with Jesus it’s never too late to accept His wonderful invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) 

That friends, says it all! Accept Jesus…and your lives will improve… Don’t accept Him…and they will only get worse…The decision is up to you. But you have to make it soon…preferably RIGHT NOW! Much LOVE!

…you can lead a horse to water…but you can’t make him drink…likewise…you can be led to Jesus…but no one can make you accept Him…it’s a personal decision… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 June 2020 Matthew 10:22.

20 Jun 2020 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 10:22.     And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
 

Well mih people, hope you all are having a fine Saturday, sleeping in or lazing on the couch. Some of us can’t afford those luxuries though, we have to get up and labour away, just like any other day. (smile) But it’s all in the Lord’s name, so I guess it’s okay. And the confusion in the streets and in the medical community still reign. In some places it’s better, in some it’s worse, but be it known that this is indeed a monumental time in the history of mankind. 

And who knows what the outcome will be? For sure there will be changes, but what changes and to what extent? And are they going to make a difference, a substantial or meaningful difference in the way our world operates. Right now, ONLY the Lord alone knows, but let’s all hope and pray, that at the end of this pandemic and these protests that our world will wake up in a new and better place. And all God’s people said a loud and prayerful ‘Amen!’ 

Now let’s get into our Saturday mode and look at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one directly addresses one of our current problems. ‘It’s important for us to also understand that the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ simply refers to the notion that there’s a specific vulnerability for African Americans that needs to be addressed. It’s not meant to suggest that other lives don’t matter. It’s to suggest that other folks aren’t experiencing this particular vulnerability.’ 

And I know that some of you, particularly the privileged ones, won’t agree with that statement, because you have never walked a day in a black man’s shoes, but I do, wholeheartedly. That’s because all over the world, the people of African heritage are treated differently than others. It’s so ridiculous that even if you have a white parent, and you look white, you are considered black, because dislike of black skin or heritage is so deeply entrenched in our white ruled society. Now that’s not to say that other minorities aren’t treated in a poor manner too, but nowhere near as badly as black people are treated. 

And the next quote informs to the first one: ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ And isn’t that the living truth! For some reason, possibly because we’re all so selfish and greedy, injustice travels faster and further than justice! The wheels of justice turn ever so slowly, while those of injustice just seem to race along. Have you ever noticed how quickly injustice spreads amongst a hitherto reasonably just society, but how long it takes for justice to be restored when the injustice has been broken down? 

What can I say eh? I guess it’s just the nature of the human animal, that’s why there’s so much truth in the saying, ‘Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn.’ No doubt our Creator made us to be LOVING, humane beings, but with our free will, we have evolved to be the exact opposite. And the next quote interestingly advises: ‘If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.’ 

Hn, Hn! I like it. It sounds saucy and somewhat rebellious! And why not eh? If people keep jawing in your ears about your inability to move up and on, then simply do so well, move on and up so far, that you can’t hear their negative caterwauling any longer. (smile) It’s so sad when you realize the vast amount of people who never reach their potential because of loudmouthed naysayers! And that’s exactly why our next and last quote is so awesomely true: ‘It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.’ And that’s the backbone of our Christian faith: ‘NEVER GIVE UP!’ 

Yes my faithful believing friends, those words don’t exist in Christ’s vocabulary. His motto is ‘KEEP KEEPING ON!’ And anyone who chooses to seriously follow Him must also make that their number one goal. And Jesus said it ever so plainly: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ It couldn’t be any clearer than that. And for good measure, He said it a second time when talking about the signs before the end. ‘And because iniquity (lawlessness) shall abound, the LOVE of many shall wax (grow) cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:12-13) 

And we’re seeing that right now; lawlessness abounds and LOVE is a meaningless word. But as a true believer, you just have to tell your awesome pilot, Jesus: ‘Steady as she goes!’ (smile) We just have to keep on keeping on, enduring and persevering right down to the very end. We can’t be like the seed in the parable of the sower that are sown on stony ground, who hear the word and ‘immediately receive it with gladness. And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction (tribulation) or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended (caused to stumble).’ (Mark 4:16-17) 

No friends, true believers need to react in Bruh Paul’s words, like Charity, like LOVE: ‘Doth not behave itself unseemly (rudely), seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil (keeps no account of evil); Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.’ (! Cor. 13:5-7) Yes mih people, true Christian behaviour is not an easy row to hoe, but with Jesus’ help we can certainly accomplish it, if we truly believe as we like to say: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) 

And it’s why He also told Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship) like a good soldier of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) We believers are all supposed to be soldiers in Christ’s army, and good soldiers endure hardship for their leader and their cause. What we must therefore endeavour to truthfully say at the end, are these momentous words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith; Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:7-8) 

Now friends, if we would all make that our sincere goal, and work diligently towards it, then our world will be eventually turned right side up, and we’ll get our just rewards in heaven. Much LOVE!

…with strong faith and trust in Christ…we can persevere and endure…whatever comes our way…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 March 2020 Matthew 5:16.

06 Mar 2020 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 5:16.    ​Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
 
Well the party’s over my friends. It sure was nice while it lasted. But unfortunately I had to call it a day! Yes I’m back in my ordinary surroundings called HOME! The best place in the world! Wow! Yuh know, whether it’s a palace or a hovel, home is where you feel most comfortable because home is where your heart and soul truly are. Yes, Jamaica was nice, but there’s something about home that get’s the heartstrings playing ever so sweetly. (smile) And now it’s back to the daily grind and common task – or which ever way they say it – back to the cold and snow and bleak vegetation. 

And since it’s Friday – didn’t even realize that until just now, people must be clamouring for the workingman’s song. Well never let it be said that I kept you all from hearing what you want to hear. (smile) So here he is, in all his riotous colour and workingman’s common sense. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday…and time for that much needed break from slave labour, called the weekend! Don’t know what I would do without it nuh. Gosh! It hard enough working five days straight, and I’m really sorry for those who have to work six and seven days straight without a break. 

Steups! Mankind really is something else yes. Like greed and abuse of his fellow man seem to be his middle name! No wonder the sad truth found in the saying: ‘Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn!’ Chuh! What a crying shame! And we now have to change that to countless millions…and soon to countless billions, since mankind is getting ever more greedy and oppressive as the rich get ever richer and the poor get ever poorer. What a sad world we live in eh Dr. Jack! 

And the sad part is that there’s enough in the world for everybody to get sufficient to fill their needs, but the few with plenty, more preoccupied with greedily hoarding rather than generously sharing it. That’s why there’s so much poverty and homelessness and all the other ailments that the disenfranchised suffer. But yuh know this saying is also true…One day, one day congotay … Yes the longest rope have an end…And one day all ah we, have to meet we maker and answer for we wrongs. Till then, all I can say is thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’ 

Brother, the workingman was sure on a roll today! But what he says makes sense yes! Mankind getting more heartless, oppressive and abusive, even as we seem to be getting more enlightened. But that seems to be only in the mind, not in the heart, where it really matters. Anyway, as true believers in Jesus Christ, we have the responsibility to try and change that disgusting image of mankind. And no, it’s not easy, but with the help of our Leader we can do it, if we are willing to put in the required amount of time, energy, belief and faith it requires. 

And that’s the billion dollar question – are we willing to do what it takes to bring Jesus’ dream for the world to fruition? Apparently not, because right now we’re allowing Beelzebub and his evil cohorts to run away with the race while we sit and mourn and murmur pitiful platitudes. Oh friends, the attitude of those involved in Christ’s organization has got to improve tremendously if we expect to see any real change in our world and leave our descendants a safe and reasonable place to live and sincerely worship Jehovah God. 

That’s our calling; this is our time to further the gospel and all that it entails. They say we were born for a time such as this, but the reality is that we were born for this particular time. If the Lord wanted us in any other time, He would have put us there. But since He put us in the here and now, that means this is when and where He expects us to make our mark, to obediently and diligently do His will. Jesus said it as clearly and plainly as possible. ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what means) shall it be salted? it  is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13) 

Oh my people, we all know the great benefits that salt provides to our lives, and without it, everything is bland and tasteless and often rendered useless. And sadly too many of us believers have become that way… good for nothing, because we’ve lost our passion, our sense of purpose and are just content to rest on our laurels. But that’s not what Jesus desires of us. Hear Him again nuh: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt. 5:14-15) 

Oh my fellow believers, that’s what Jesus expects of us; to be bright and shining and good direction lights in this dark and evil world! But we definitely are not being bright and shining and encouraging enough, since the darkness seems to be growing stronger and wider. Oh my people, my people, come on nuh, let’s do as Jesus so greatly desires of us nuh! Remember we are His ears, eyes and hands, His ambassadors on this dark and evil earth. So let’s take His words to heart and sincerely, diligently and excellently do as He asks nuh. ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ 

Oh friends, that is definitely not too much for Jesus to ask of us, after all that He’s done for us. So let’s get shipshape and become both the salt and light of the world as He desires nuh, so that we can reclaim the world from it’s dark covering with the wonderful and awesome light of Jesus! And no, I did not forget our Friday Chant, the other stuff just seemed to flow and follow more smoothly. (smile) So let’s chant our chant, in strong voice with sincere hearts, like we’re truly salt and light. 

As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’ 

Let’s do it nuh friends, let’s do it for Jesus! Much LOVE!

…you can’t be a true believer…unless and until…you do what your Leader asks of you…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 December 2017 Isaiah 2:8.

08 Dec 2017 Leave a comment

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Isaiah 2:8.   Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their fingers have made.

And behold friends, it’s a bright and sunshiny morning in my neighbourhood! But it’s cold! And that’s the big difference between the light of the Sun and the light of the Son. 

The light of the sun can be so intense, you can’t even look at it without eye protection, but at the same time, depending on what part of the world you are, in certain seasons, there is no warmth in its brilliance. 

The light of the Son though is an entirely different story: His light is ALWAYS warm and comforting, regardless of where you are in this great big world! It could be in the mind-numbing cold of the Arctic or Antarctica, or the excessive heat of the Equator; Jesus is, and will forever be a warm, shining light that you can look at without eye protection. 

And all of God’s people declared a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Yeh, so even though the workingman has bright sunshine in which to declare his anthem today, he still has to be bundled up to do so. 

And it doesn’t stop him, as he vociferously declares: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and another week of slavery done! And I don’t understand it nuh; the slave master could be so evil and unkind, even as he claims to be a man of God. He want to fire me because I refuse to work overtime on the weekend. Steups! 

But what he expect eh? The weekend is the one li’l time I have off to do my business, and he expect me to give it up for the few lousy cents he want to pay me. Chuh pool! But not to worry, I going to enjoy my weekend, eat drink and be merry, and some way, get my pound of flesh from that ole crook, who call himself a Christian! Hn! That’s why I have to say thank God for Fridays and the weekends yes!’ 

And right there we have one of the problems that exist in our Christian faith; supposed Christians behaving in an un-Christian-like manner. Now we don’t have to give in to all the requests of our employees, but we do have to treat them in a fair and Christian manner, otherwise that’s the conception they develop of us; an hypocritical one, and rightly so. 

And talking about being unfair and unkind, listen to this scenario. You all know the Republican Party in the U.S is trying to pass a very bad Tax Bill, very much weighted in favour of the already rich, but one element of that Bill is supposedly removing the provision of deductions for loss of property from things like wildfires and earthquakes. Hn! 

Can you imagine the devastating effect that will have on those people in California who have already been through wildfires earlier on in the year, and those who are currently undergoing the tremendous calamity of the now raging, out of control fires in that State? 

No wonder we say that man’s inhumanity to man, makes countless thousands mourn. In this case though, it will be more like countless millions. Let’s hope wiser minds prevail, and that Tax Bill, or at least that provision does not get passed. Let’s pray on it please friends. 

Now let’s chant our Friday Chant, which is a tad more spiritual than the workingman’s song. (smile) All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. 

Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ 

Yeh mih people, that’s more in tune with our Christian heritage; seeking God’s will rather than ours. That brings us to a rather appropriate Bit, where Isaiah talks about the day of the Lord, His judgement on the proud. ‘Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their fingers have made.’ 

And isn’t that the living truth friends? In this sinful and secular society today, we worship the things we have made, running behind the wealth and other foolish trappings of the world, instead of seeking God and His awesome righteousness. In fact we’re trying our hardest to remove God completely from our society. 

How foolish is that eh? How can you remove the One who created you? And how can you worship something that you have made with your own hands eh; something that has no life or power? 

As the psalmist so wisely and rightly puts it in Psalm 115 – Trust in God, not in idols. ‘Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.’ (Ps.115:4-8)  

That says it all friends! Why worship the inanimate objects that you yourself have made eh? That makes absolutely no sense. What makes sense is to do as the psalmist says afterwards. ‘O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.’ (Ps.115:9) 

And with those words of awesome wisdom, we’ll close today. Please, my brethren, let’s take them to heart and follow them nuh, for they will be exceedingly beneficial to us. Much LOVE!

…what’s the use of worshipping idols…if they have no power to do anything for you…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 April 2015 Matthew 27:35

03 Apr 2015 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 27:35. And they crucified him, and parted (divided) his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted (divided) my garments among them, and upon my vesture (clothing) did they cast lots.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday! And one we call Good Friday to boot. How can that be though, when such a dastardly deed, such a great injustice, a crucifixion, was perpetrated on a holy and sinless man two thousand years ago? How can it be that we call such a day good eh, especially when it was no ordinary crucifixion, but a horrific and cruel one, filled with all sorts of unimaginable brutality and inhumanity?
 
That’s the epitome of our saying that man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands suffer and mourn!  But I guess we call it good because it was the beginning, the initializing of some thing good. Without that sacrifice on Good Friday, there would have been no resurrection on Easter Sunday, no victory over hell, death and the grave.
 
And it’s also good in the sense that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gave His life so that we could be free from the bondage of sin once and for all. We have to look at it that way Friends, otherwise it was just a brutal injustice.
 
And believe you me, Jesus paid a heavy, heavy price for our disgusting sins, for as we said above, it was no ordinary crucifixion, but a most cruel and heartless one, fuelled by fear and greed and the lust for power, the same things that are still controlling our world today.
 
Oh my people, please take a moment and consider the inhumanity that Jesus suffered before He even reached Calvary; the scourging, the spitting, the ridicule, the mocking, the slapping, the crown of thorns, the tearing of His flesh by the cruel whips with all sorts of sharp things attached meant exactly for that purpose.
 
In this modern day and age, although we’re still cruel, I don’t think we can truly capture the thoroughly disfigured and tattered picture of Jesus when He came out of Pilate’s place, then was given His cross to carry, though He could barely walk and His wounds were by then terminal. It was only a matter of time.
 
It’s a good thing that somebody had the bright idea to get Simon the Cyrene to help Him bear the cross, otherwise I doubt He would have made it to Golgotha that evil place of the skull, which we Christians now term Calvary, a much nicer name. Then being made to lie outstretched on two planks of wood and nailed to them with huge metal nails, in such a way that death would be painful and prolonged. Steups!
 
Can you imagine that gruesome scene Friends, of Jesus being put to lie down on the cross and nailed to it, then have it raised upright and what little lifeblood He had left, being set to drain slowly and painfully out of Him? And to make matters worse, they crucified Him between two common criminals. Chuh!
 
Ah mih people, can you look through your eyes of faith and see Jesus, all torn and tattered, just languishing up there on that cross in the hot noonday sun? Believe me Friends, it was definitely no little price that Jesus paid for the banishment of our sins nuh! That’s what you call real ‘sufferation.’ The Father really put it to Him.
 
In my humble opinion it did not have to be so cruel, but I guess it just goes to show how disgusting and diabolical sin is and was, and that the only way to truly get rid of it was by a serious sacrificial death of a sinless person. And unfortunately Jesus was the ONLY ONE who fit that description.
 
It also shows how serious the Father is and was about His dislike for sin, if He could allow such terrible atrocities to be performed on His only Son. If you think it hurts us, just imagine the heartache He must have felt nuh, seeing His Son go through so much agony, and knowing that He could stop it with a simple word, but also knowing that if He did, sin would then forever run rampant throughout His universe, with no end in sight, and the evil Lucifer would have won the war.
 
Being a holy and just God, He just could not allow that, so like we say, He just had to grin and bear it. And yet we still doubt His wonderful and unconditional LOVE for us!
 
What hurts too Friends, is that after that most expensive price Jesus paid for our forgiveness, for our reconciliation and atonement, for our salvation and eternal life, so many of us simply ignore Him, or don’t take him as seriously as we should.
 
That’s not only unfortunate my brethren, but rather foolish, for if we don’t embrace Jesus and all that He stands for then we’ll still end up in the pool of fire come the judgement day with the wicked Beelzebub and all his other minions, and His sacrifice would have been worthless.
 
Oh Friends, the Father sent His son to pay the price for our abominable sins because He did not want to lose even one of His most wonderful creations, mankind, to Lucifer. So why aren’t we being wise and truly accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour eh? That’s the multi-million dollar question?
 
Instead, we’re sadly moving away from Him in droves, embracing the worthless and sinful stuff of the world, foisted on us by the prince of darkness and his evil lackeys. That’s only going to bring us more sin and suffering, and it’s oh so foolish, when Jesus has already paid the price for us to be free from the bondage and torment of sin.
 
But yuh know what my brethren, Jesus was such a mighty and majestic man, that throughout it all He didn’t complain. He knew that that was the reason for which He was made man, and though He pleaded some with the Father to change the plans, deep down He knew that it was not going to happen, so again, like we all have to do at times, He just grinned and bore it.
 
He withstood the mockery and jeers and otherwise that were hurled at him while He hung there limp and helpless on the cross. The only sad words that reached His lips on the cross were as the Good Book says: ‘And about the ninth hour (noon) Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt.27:46)
 
Yes Friends, in that moment, as the scholars explain; ‘Here we have the high cost to Christ of His atonement for our sins, who was accursed of God as our sin-bearer, (cf.2 Cor.5:21; Gal.3:13) and suffered the agony of spiritual death for us.’ 
 
Ah mih breddren, as our Bit so sadly says too: ‘And they crucified him, and parted (divided) his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted (divided) my garments among them, and upon my vesture (clothing) did they cast lots.’ That prophecy comes from Psalm 22:18, words of Bruh David.
 
But you know what Friends, Jesus is so beautiful, that even on the cross He still reached out to us. He pleaded with the Lord; ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34) Then to one of the criminals who were crucified with Him and who embraced His sanctity as they hung there together, He sincerely promised: ‘Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ (Luke 23:43)
 
And to show how much He cared for His mother, the Good Book tells us: ‘When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he LOVED (John), he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.’ (John 19:26-27)
 
What’s left to be said eh, my people? Only this: ‘And when Jesus had cried with aloud voice, he said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost (breathed his last).’ (Luke 23:46)
 
Oh Friends, on this solemn Friday which we call good, and on which we didn’t even shout for joy, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ since most people are already off work, for it’s a public holiday in most places, let’s Chant our Friday Chant nonetheless as we spend the day in worship and ponder what the day means to us as a congregation, as well as individuals.
 
Let’s chant: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
 
Oh my people, it’s long and somewhat involved. (smile) But that’s what I was guided to write. I just hope it brings home to us the real hefty price that Jesus paid for our sins to be forgiven, and brings us ever closer to Him. Much LOVE!
 
…to all serious believers…today…let’s take up our crosses and follow Jesus…for that’s what he desires of us…