Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 August 2022   Daniel 11:32b.

08 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

Daniel 11:32b.      …but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits (take action).

It’s time to hit the road friends, as we get about the Lord’s business on this Monday morning that holds so much promise if we live up to our godly potential. Yes, we’ve had ample rest, relaxation, revelation and renewal, which should make us hungry, excited, can’t wait to get into the spiritual battle out there and fight the good fight for Jesus! As the Good Book so rightly declares in Daniel. ‘And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt (pollute) by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits (take action). (Dan. 11:32) 

Oh mih bredrin, that’s us he’s referring to there; ‘the people that do know their God.’ Wow! It’s exactly what we were just saying, that we can’t wait to get out into the world and fight the devil mano-a-mano on Christ’s behalf! We have all the tools to conquer the enemy, including the backing of the mighty Holy Spirit, we just have to want it badly enough. And after all that Jesus has suffered and sacrificed for us, it ought to be a no brainer for us to come up to scratch, to step up boldly and courageously to the plate and mow down the enemy in His marvellous name. 

The problem though is that too many of us supposed believers are either too afraid of the enemy, or just don’t care enough about Jesus and His most worthwhile cause to sacrifice some of our time, talent, treasure and energy. But we do want to participate in the good things that His death and resurrection have made possible. And yes, when we believe on Jesus, our name will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and we’ll probably go to heaven, but that’s only the beginning and end points of the story. 

However, there is also a middle portion, which is what intimidates or scares most of us, because it involves us becoming Christ like, conforming to Christ’s character and godly habits and also helping others to seek salvation through Him. It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome. ‘For whom he (God) did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29) 

And all that means is that from the beginning of time, God decided that all those who decided to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ would go through a training period to become like Him, so we could all be the wonderful children of God, with Christ as the first born. Meanwhile, to the church at Corinth Bruh Paul wrote: ‘But we all with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18) 

Oh, it’s indeed a lifelong process in which the Holy Spirit is engaged, it doesn’t happen overnight, because it involves changing our inherent sinful nature to Christ’s godly temperament. It’s not easy, and we must do things like die to the flesh, die to ourselves, take up our cross and follow Christ, while giving up many of the ungodly things we did before we knew Him as Lord and Saviour. 

Yes, for many of us that transition can be very difficult, but with Jesus’ help, through the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit it’s very doable. But we need to be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to do it. And it does call for sacrifices, as Jesus plainly tells us in the gospel of John, when He says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) 

And so He has my fellow believers. He defeated hell, death and the grave when He died on Good Friday then rose again on Easter Sunday, trampling on the devil and his evil followers, clearing the way for us to also have salvation and eternal life. And while we are becoming transformed, we are also expected to spread the good news of Christ to others and encourage them to come to know Him too. But that’s better done by example, by the godly action they see in our lives, rather than just by our talking a good talk, which we are very adept at. (smile) 

So you see friends, becoming a Christian, saying a prayer, believing it, and thereby accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour is indeed the easy part, for salvation is a free gift of God, so that none of us can boast about what we’ve done or not done. Living the life of a true believer is the difficult aspect, with all its ups and downs, pain and sorrow, and hard times that seem more than the good ones. But if we’re serious, and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we’ll do marvellously. 

And why is that you ask? The answer is very simple. Because Jesus doesn’t ask you to do more than you can handle, and He also gives you the tools to do whatever He desires. All that’s left for us to do is to stay close and intimate with Him, and don’t be afraid. Yes. I know it’s all easier said than done, but the only way you’ll ever experience His warm and wonderful LOVE is by jumping right into the deep end and trusting Him to save you. (smile) After that, you’ll be completely hooked, without a doubt or a fear. 

And to stay close and intimate with God, we must use the communication method of prayer that He developed for that purpose. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

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

And to get positive answers to our prayers, we must now show positive motives and true godly behaviour, not just lip service, because the Lord reads our hearts before he answers our prayers. Much LOVE!

…the Christian life is not for the weak or faint of heart…but the LOVE of Jesus…transforms the weak into the strong… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 August 2022 Psalm 7:8.

01 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 7:8.      The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

And then it was Monday again. But thank the Lord, in this goodly land of Canada, many of us don’t have to worry about work because it’s a civic holiday. In Ontario, it’s called Simcoe Day, celebrating the life and times of John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada in 1791 when the Province of Ontario was created, and Toronto was then known as York. 

This holiday on the first Monday in August also provides a good ending for the Caribana Celebrations, with many of the visitors on their way back home, after having a rollicking good time, but with many still here to take in the numerous last lap festivities. So you can imagine what’s happening tomorrow when the work week kicks in again…sick calls galore… Supervisors will possibly be pulling out their hair over the shortage of workers, but there’s not much they can do about it, because it’s just the nature of the beast. Plenty partying will also bring plenty tiredness and therefore plenty unavailability for work. (smile)  

That brings us to these interesting words of our Bit from Psalm 7 – A prayer for deliverance – as Bruh David implores the Lord. ‘The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.’ (Ps. 7:8) Now many of us will say that asking the Lord to judge us before the official judgement day is going a tad too far. Why? Because we know that our level of righteousness and integrity are way below par and are afraid to face the Lord in judgement now, hoping that by the final day we would be in a better position. (smile) 

But friends, the whole purpose of our Christian existence is to live a life that’s pleasing to Almighty God ALL THE TIME! Not simply try and clean it up just before we die. The point is that if we are living a sincere and half-decent Christian life, we won’t be afraid of going before the Lord. We will never be perfect, and He knows that, but it‘s all about the trying, trying to live every day to please Him, and thus earn rewards in heaven, and not have to answer too many difficult, embarrassing and soul crushing questions on the judgement day. (smile) 

And I guess that’s one of the things the Lord liked about Bruh David, he wasn’t afraid to come before Him with anything, despite his less than stellar living at times, which is putting it mildly, for we can instead say, his totally sinful and abominable moments. It’s also very interesting to note that he made those uncomfortable remarks to God three other times in his writings. Listen to them. 

In Psalm 26, he opens by crying out to God: ‘Judge (vindicate) me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide (slip). Examine me, O Lord, and prove (try) me: try (test) my reins (mind) and my heart. For thy LOVING-kindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.’ (Ps. 26:1-3) Oh my people, how wonderful it would be if we were able to make such a remarkable request eh! But, unfortunately, many of us know that we are nowhere near that position, so we obviously shy away from such petitions. 

Meanwhile, in Psalm 35 – A prayer for rescue from enemies – Bruh David again asks for vindication against his enemies. ‘Judge (vindicate) me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me.’ (Ps. 35:24) That certainly speaks to his enormous trust in the God of his forefathers and his confidence in the quality of life he was living. I don’t know how many of us today would be bold and confident enough to go to God and tell Him: ‘Lord vindicate me against my enemies because you know I’m living a righteous life that deserves it.’ 

Then in Psalm 43 – A prayer for deliverance from the ungodly, he opines: ‘Judge (vindicate ) me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance (my salvation), and my God.’  (Ps. 43:1-5) 

Ah friends, yuh see what happens to us when we have a heart filled with sincere LOVE for God? Though our lives might be far from right, we are not afraid to go to God with our problems. And that’s exactly how Bruh David functioned. Despite his many, faults, foibles and frailties, he never stayed away from or feared going to God with his problems. And that’s exactly how we ought to be in these very deceitful, disastrous and trying times, not afraid to consult and communicate with our wonderful Creator. 

So, let’s take this marvellous opportunity to go to Him in confidence right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, laying out our petitions and problems before His heavenly throne. As one sincere and steadfast voice. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

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

Now it’s time for us to go out and turn from our evil ways! Much LOVE!

…there is no fear in LOVE…perfect LOVE casts out all fear… (1 John 4:18) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 July 2022 Colossians 3:17.

25 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:17.       And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Oh friends, after Sunday, the first day of the week, comes Monday, the second day, but also the first day of our work week. So, it’s time to put to good use, the confidence and reassurance we received yesterday when we gathered to praise and worship our God. That strengthening and enlightening was made for just such a time as this. (smile) 

We therefore need to get out into the dark and evil world with a gung-ho attitude and shake it up for Christ’s sake. Use all the tools at our disposal to present a true salt of the earth and light of the world image to the unbelievers, to those who live in darkness, in bondage to the sins and lusts of the flesh exalted by Satan and his iniquity workers.

And yes, sometimes these iniquity workers might be our bosses in the working world, and it might be hard to work for, or under them, but here are some verses from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Colossians that we should always remember and try our best to put into action. The first one says: ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:17) 

And the scholars tell us that means: ‘The beneficial influence produced by the indwelling word of Christ is not only to affect public and private worship (vs. 16), but it is also to control ALL areas of a Christian’s life.’ Ah mih people,  in ALL we do, we must behave as though we are doing it unto God. 

And Bruh Paul’s adds another twist to that scenario in these other verses, when he writes: ‘Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness (sincerity) of heart, fearing God. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord God. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:22-25) 

And what does all of that mean? Hear the scholars. ‘Eyeservice is work done only when the master is watching. Christian slaves were to work hard when their owners were absent. Singleness of heart means “a sincere disposition.”  Now that is something we all should pay attention to, because the attitude prevalent in the workplace today is to work as little as possible, but appear to be working when the boss is around. And that’s definitely not the Christian attitude. 

Then they explain ‘Do it heartily means the slave is to perform his slave duties wholeheartedly, doing the best job he can with all his strength. A slave could be enthusiastic in carrying out his menial tasks because they were done, not so much for his earthly master (unto men) but for his heavenly Master (to the Lord).’ 

There again, although we are not slaves, but workers, that is not the attitude of today’s worker. A wholehearted attitude towards work is very rare in today’s world, because what we term the work ethic is dead. We no longer take pleasure in doing a good job. We just want to do it as quickly as possible, and don’t care if it’s well done or not. 

That brings us to ‘The reward of the inheritance (or “the reward which is salvation”). The fact that Christian slaves will receive salvation from the Lord rather than from men verifies the assertion in verse 23 that they serve Christ, not their masters.’ And that’s the gospel truth friends! We serve Christ, not the bosses at our workplaces, and Christ desires a good job, well done, from all His followers. 

And Bruh Paul also wrote the same basic thing to the Corinthians. ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ (1 Cor.10:31) So whether it’s eating, drinking, working, playing, anything believers do, we ought to do it unto the Lord, for His glory!  It could not get any clearer than that. 

But Peter tries to do it anyhow,  (smile) when he declares: ‘If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Christ Jesus, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 4:11) 

And I don’t think, as true believers in Christ Jesus, we need more remembrance or encouragement than that to do a good job in our Lord and Saviour’s holy name today as we face another day of work. (smile) So let’s do the acceptable thing, offer up sincere prayer to God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for divine assistance to do His will. 

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

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

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

And now, for God to keep His promise, we must keep ours. Much LOVE!

…the blessed stamp of God…should be on everything believers do…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 July 2022 Psalm 18:32.

18 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 18:32.      It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

One more time around the block friends! Yes, if you didn’t know, it’s Monday, time to get out there and labour, labour as unto God. (smile) And I do hope that we are all ready, willing and able to handle our nemesis, our constant opponent, this first day of the work week, who consistently upsets our apple carts, simply because we are not ready to handle it. 

We have not made the necessary preparations to engage in the battle of wits and spirit that Monday always throws up at us, meaning too much partying and worldly things; not going to church and being spiritually refreshed through fellowship with other believers and hearing the Word of God, also not enough physical rest. But those are both essential if we want to present a good, strong front on Mondays and give the enemy a run for his money. 

And that is only possible when we acknowledge these facts that Bruh David lays out in Psalm 18 – Thanksgiving for deliverance, when he confidently proclaims: ‘It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.’ (Ps. 18:32) Oh friends, that is the absolute truth, and until we sincerely believe it and put it into action, we will not be able to conquer anything the enemy sends against us. 

Why do you think we can make the authoritative boast of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors: through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) Yes, it’s only through the wonderful LOVE of our great and wonderful God that we are made strong, made conquering heroes in Christ! 

And Bruh David ramps it up even more when he continues: ‘He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet (the feet of the deer), and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms (a bow of bronze can be bent). Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden (held me) up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.’ (Ps. 18:33-35) That’s more absolute truth my people! It is indeed the Lord God Jehovah who enables us to first resist and then defeat the enemy. 

And Jesus reiterates that truth when He says to the disciples. ‘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 my fellow believers: without Jesus we can do nothing! And if you don’t believe Him, then try doing stuff without Him nuh, and see how far you’ll get. (smile)  

Then Bruh Paul puts it very nicely in his second letter to the church at Corinth. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) Glory be, ye saints of Christ! And remember what Bruh Paul also said to the Ephesians. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph. 2:8-9) Oh my people, until we realize, recognize and understand that who we are, most of what we have come from the goodness of God, we’ll never live up to the plan He has set out for us, or reach the pinnacle that He desires us to reach. 

Remember what Jesus said: ‘I am come that they might have life; and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b) That means if we don’t live for Jesus, abide in Him, and have Him abide in us, then we won’t live the abundant life He died for us to have, thereby negating His sacrificial death, making all His pain and ‘sufferation’ of no use. And what I can’t understand is why in tragic and disturbing times like these, we aren’t turning back to God in greater droves than we currently are, since our own efforts are not helping to diffuse the evil and ungodly situations we’re now facing. 

In fact, our efforts are only making them worse. One would expect in a time like this a revival of God-fearing proportions would be taking place. People would be waking up, like the Israelites used to do, when they found themselves between a rock and a hard place after turning away from the God of their forefathers. But it seems the contrary thing is happening; people are turning away from God, more than they are turning to Him. Unfortunately though, there’s no wisdom in that. Wisdom dictates that if all our efforts are failing, then we try something, or somebody else…like Jehovah God. 

And I guess these words of Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, echo the sentiments that populate our world today. ‘For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men: and the weakness of God is stronger than men.’ (1 Cor. 1:22-25) 

It couldn’t be said any better my friends! That’s why, for those of us who believe, it’s essential to go to God in prayer asking for divine help and guidance. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one sincere voice. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

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

And what must we do after we pray? Wait with eager expectation, while keeping whatever promises we’ve made. Much LOVE!

… In Christ alone my hope is found…He is my light, my strength, my song… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 July 2022 Hebrews 12:3.

11 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 12:3.       For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged).

Heads up my people! It’s Monday, and that means no dilly dallying, we’ve got to hit the pavement running, charging into the enemy’s ranks, not foolishly, but wisely, spunky and unafraid, living out the gospel of Christ in our godly, worthwhile actions. Yes, we’ve got to take Monday by storm and let it know unequivocally that we mean business, this first day of the work week…and each and every day after that too! 

Ah mih bredrin in these troubled times it is indeed necessary for us to run our race, to run a good race for Christ, one without too many hindrances. And we can only accomplish that if we follow the guidelines of the Good Book. The author of Hebrews tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (snare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.’ (Heb. 12:1) 

Yes friends, we have a whole ‘cloud of witnesses’ looking on, that’s the heroes of our faith referred to in chapter 11, and we need to do them proud; set the same kind of example that they set, living by strong faith in Christ. However, to do that successfully, we must first remove any impediments that are weighing us down, be it excessive clothing or body weight. Then get ourselves out of any entangling sin that’s holding us back and finally move forward with endurance, keep persevering, because this is a race for salvation and eternal life, one race in which we cannot quit, cannot give up. 

In fact, we can’t even come second, (smile) we’ve got to win it for those who need to come to Christ. And the best way to do all of the above is like the author of Hebrews continues: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and 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 the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2) 

Oh my people, there could be no better example for us to follow than that of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who first blazed the trail of our faith and crossed the finish line miles ahead of all the other participants. We’ve got to keep our eyes fixed steadfastly on that finish line and just keep going in the direction that He set without turning to the right nor to the left. And the next verse puts it all in true perspective. ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged).’ (Heb. 12:3) 

Yes faithful believers, we must remember the suffering and rejection that Jesus went through on our behalf and not become tired and/or discouraged when we face the many problems that will crop up in all of our lives. That’s just par for the course. Remember though that we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us to empower, lead and guide us in all righteousness, so it’s not as difficult as it would otherwise be. 

And here’s the sort of situation we ought to end up in. They are Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy. He said: ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. 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 that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8) 

Wow! What a powerful testimony! That’s how we need to go out of this world my fellow saints; a winner in the race of life, ready to receive that crown of righteousness from our ever-faithful God! Now, all that we’ve said above is both true and wonderful, but the whole process has got to begin somewhere, and that beginning somewhere is always prayer! So, let’s go confidently to the throne of grace in prayer, outlining our current position through our Monday Morning battle Hymn. 

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

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

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

Now friends, we’ve got to wait with eager and expectant patience (smile) for heaven’s answer, and while doing that, keep our promises and develop right heart motives. That’s the only way we will receive positive answers. Much LOVE!

…JESUS…our champion and glowing example…in the race of life… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 July 2022 Psalm 103:2.

04 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 103:2.      Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

‘Come Monday, it will be all right…’ Yes friends, today is Monday, and everything will be all right because we have Jesus in our corner and His Holy Spirit within us! Wow! How can we ever go wrong with those mighty persons leading and guiding our lives eh? And if that isn’t enough, we also have the Father overseeing the whole operation. And all God’s children confidently declared: ‘Praise the Three in One; our Holy Trinity!’ And do they ever deserve oodles of praise for all the many wonderful and undeserving things they’ve done on our behalf, which we tend to quickly forget when things are going well. 

And today, when we give a shout of ‘Happy Fourth of July’ to the U.S of A, as they celebrate the birth of their nation in 1776, I believe it’s time for a refresher course. (smile) Yes, we ought to review some of those things our amazing and omnipotent God has done for us. And there’s no scripture more appropriate to do so than Psalm 103, where Bruh David talks about Thanksgiving for God’s mercy. 

Please read with me. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:1-5) 

Just look at all those things the Lord has done for us nuh my people! And yet so many of us refuse to give Him His much-deserved thanks and praise, foolishly believing that we’ve obtained whatever we have through our own resources. But that’s the furthest thing from the truth, for we need to remember as Bruh David says in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof: the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers). (Ps. 24:1-2) 

That means all the earth, as well as the things and people in it, belong to God, and we are simply stewards, or managers of it for Him. That’s why Moses could confidently tell the Israelites: ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee the power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:18) 

So there you have it friends! Nothing on this earth and in our lives happens by accident or coincidence. It’s all tied up with God’s plan for each of us and for the world as a whole. That means we have to stop believing the lies of the enemy and his evil co-workers, about how we contribute so much to our health, wealth and salvation. 

And that’s not all the Lord’s done for us either. Listen as Bruh David continues in Psalm 103. ‘The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement (justice) for all that are oppressed. He made known his way unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness). 

He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear (reverence) him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 103:6-12) 

Oh my faithful brethren, just for that last act of mercy alone, casting our transgressions far away and not remembering them anymore, we ought to be everlastingly grateful to the Lord God Almighty! For can you imagine if He took us to task for the numerous, abominable sins we’ve committed, what would be our end state? And that’s one of the many reasons why we say that our God is good… not just some of the time, but all of the time~! 

So, listen to these last two verses. ‘Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution); he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103:13-14) Now that ought to put the icing on the cake, make us look at our Triune God with ever so much more LOVE, faithfulness, reverence, and trust. And I do hope that this li’l refresher course (smile) on the benefits of being under God’s protective umbrella will serve as a wakeup call, will help rebuild the passion in our lives that we’ve recently lost, and so desperately need to regain. 

Now, like Christ taught us, let’s go to the throne of grace and lay our many problems before the God of our forefathers, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

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

And to receive positive answers from God, we now need to keep the promises we’ve just made and show that the motives of our hearts are right. Much LOVE!

…to our God we owe everything…from our very life…to salvation and all it entails… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   27 June 2022 Jeremiah 1:19.

27 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 1:19.      And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.

It’s another Monday in the life friends, and we’ve got to face up to it with a solid Christian front, as well as individual belly and backbone. (smile) Remember, yesterday we declared that we were good soldiers in Christ’s army and were marching onward to victory? Well, the first hurdle we’ve got to jump, the first battle we must fight is Monday, that first day of every new workweek that looms up pretty large to so many of us, especially those who have not rested enough, or have not sought the renewal and regeneration of our souls, bodies and spirits through fellowship and worship on Sundays with other believers. 

You know that’s one of the purposes why Christians gather every Sunday; not only to give our Father thanks and praise on His day, but also to receive His blessing and rejuvenation so that we can go out and battle whatever Monday and the new workweek brings against us. It’s like a renewing of our spiritual armour. Taking it off, cleaning it up and then putting it back on nice, shiny, and fresh! (smile) I don’t know when we will learn that we can’t handle the new workweek properly unless we are well rested and renewed in the Lord God Jehovah. 

And I recently encountered a rather interesting bit of scripture in the book of Jeremiah, when the Lord called him to be his spokesperson and Jeremiah made all sorts of excuses, but the Lord was adamant in the call, just like He is whenever He calls us to do His bidding. (smile) And I want us to listen carefully to how that first chapter ends. The Lord reassures Jeremiah: ‘And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.’ (Jer. 1:19) 

Oh my people, our God is there to protect us. That’s what He’s all about, especially if we are sincerely following His word and the desires placed in our hearts by His Holy Spirit. He won’t ever ask us to fight battles in His name and not provide us with the necessary tools, protection and back up to accomplish the task successfully. But we must buy into what He’s selling, otherwise it won’t work. 

It’s the same basic promise that Jesus made to the disciples when He gave them the Great Commission. ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples) of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20) 

Yes friends, Jesus promised to be with the disciples right down to the end of time, and they believed Him, that’s why they went out and proselytized their world as much as possible. Now that promise was also made to us, future generations of believers. The problem however, is do we believe Jesus like the disciples did? Obviously, many of us don’t, because we don’t tell anybody about our wonderful Lord and Saviour and the dire need to know Him in a personal and intimate relationship if they want to save their souls. 

Many of us know Him, but refuse to share Him. We selfishly try to keep Him to ourselves. But that’s not what Jesus desires. He desires that we share the good news of his gospel and salvation to all with whom we come into contact. It’s the ONLY way that the gospel will ever reach to all ends of the earth. 

As Bruh Paul said so eloquently to the Roman church. ‘How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?’ (Rom. 10:14-16) 

And that’s exactly what’s happening today, too many of us are neither sharing the good news of Christ, nor enabling it to reach others. That means we are doing Him a terrible disservice. Just look at all the sacrifices He made for us to have the options of forgiveness, salvation and eternal life nuh. How hard can it be then to tell someone else about Him, or enable someone to go elsewhere and talk about Him eh? 

Granted, the name of Jesus creates the most disagreement and dissension in the entire world, (smile) but if someone doesn’t want to hear about Him, then you don’t tell them. One of the problems many of us encounter is that despite a person not wanting to hear about Jesus, we still insist on telling them about Him. And that will obviously cause some hard feelings and harsh words. You’ll notice that throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, if people didn’t want to listen to Him, He never tried to force the situation. 

Oh my fellow saints, we badly need to spread the good news of Jesus, especially in these tough and terrible times, because He is the ONLY hope for living the abundant life here on earth, and eternal life with Him in heaven. Now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, let’s take our problems to God in prayer, like we are supposed to. 

As one sincere voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And the only way to get a positive response from heaven is by doing our part, keeping our promises and showing the Lord that our heart motives are right. Much LOVE!

… if you can’t tell others about Jesus…it simply defeats the whole purpose of LOVING Him…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 June 2022   1 Corinthians 9:25a.

20 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 9:25a.      And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). 

Once more Monday has rolled around friends, as it tends to do every seven days, (smile) but let’s hope that this one isn’t too rough because of the lingering effects of yesterday’s Father’s Day celebrations. I know that many of us used it as an excuse to over-indulge in food and drink and general merriment. And it’s not a crime to indulge, as Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes. ‘Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely (fitting) for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun (in which he toils) all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion (heritage).’ (Eccl. 5:18)  

Yes friends, eating and drinking and enjoying the fruit of our labour is a God-given heritage, the problem though is over-indulgence in those activities. What we need is moderation in those things that are righteous…not moderation in all things, as some people claim. I like how this commentator writing on the biblereasons.com website puts it: ‘Have you ever heard someone say moderation in all things? If you have, I want you to know it’s false. When talking about moderation we must also remember the word abstinence. There are some things you just can’t do.’ 

And that’s the living truth. You can’t do all the sinful things in moderation and think that’s right. And as the commentator continues: ‘You must have self-control with everything and the Holy Spirit, which lives in Christians will help you. Thank God that we have the ability to do things that some can’t, but be on guard when shopping, watching TV, surfing the internet, drinking caffeine etc. Don’t be obsessed with anything in your life, except for the Lord. Don’t put a stumbling block in front of other believers. Without moderation you can easily fall into sin. Be careful because Satan does all he can to try to tempt us. Do all things for the glory of God.’ 

Now we should indeed do all things for God’s glory, but to tell the truth, I don’t even think we should be obsessed with God, because the word has an inherent negative quality, one clouded with fear, like a phobia or a mania, and it continually intrudes on your thinking so that you can’t think on anything else clearly. But, if however, there is one thing or person we should be obsessed with, it is indeed our heavenly Father. (smile) 

Anyway, we ought to do as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Philippi. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7) 

Yes, my faithful brethren, we Christians should be known for our moderation, that’s graciousness and reasonableness. And if we are at peace with our fellow believers and rejoice always, then we ought to be gracious and reasonable people. And furthermore, we’ll have the peace of God, a divine tranquility enveloping our lives, where fear and worry don’t intrude. Then Bruh Paul goes on to give the Philippians some practical applications to help them in achieving those outcomes. 

He says: ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phill.4:8-9) 

Now, we can’t say we don’t know what things to think on my people, (smile) especially if we truly desire the divine peace of God to be safeguarding our hearts and minds. And we can’t leave out these passages of scripture when talking about moderation, which includes a healthy dose of self-control. Bruh Paul writes thus in his first epistle to the church at Corinth. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. 

And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown; but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly: so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (disqualified)’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27) 

And that last verse there is ever so important for preachers and teachers; meaning that every day I have to consider what I do and say, lest after teaching others the word, I don’t have the self-discipline to run a strong race and fight a good fight, and get disqualified, herded with the goats and not the sheep. Now, having learned all of that, (smile) it’s time for us to put it into action. And the first line of action is always prayer. So, let’s go to the throne of grace in confident humility, and, with supplication and thanksgiving, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, lay our requests before the Lord. 

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

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

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

And what do we do after making our requests known to God in prayer? We keep our promises and wait expectantly and eagerly in faith for Him to answer…in His own time! Much LOVE!

…heaven on earth is possible…if we will just use the tools God’s given us… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 June 2022   2 Corinthians 13:14.

13 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 13:14.      The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the LOVE of God and the communion (fellowship) of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.​

Oh friends, Monday, as it has a nasty habit of doing, (smile) has shown its intimidating face once again. But yuh know what? As always, we will not be intimidated by it because we have been refilled, been regenerated by the Holy Spirit yesterday as we celebrated Trinity Sunday in honour of our Three in One Godhead – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Yes, there is no God like our God Jehovah… three separate persons, three different identities, but ONE GOD! 

And some people, even believers, find that difficult to fathom. But it’s really quite simple: Although they are all equally God in their own right, we can possibly say that the Father runs the show, makes the big decisions, while the Son acts as His right-hand man, and the Holy Spirit does the hard work, or puts the decisions in to action. I guess we could give the example that the Father LOVED us, His sinful and rebellious creation so much that He didn’t want to lose even a single one to the satanic forces, so He concocted a marvellous, but heartbreaking plan to give us an opportunity to change from our evil ways and be reconciled to Him. 

That’s because, with the disobedience of our forefathers, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden, our sinful nature had become anathema, meaning repugnant and odious to Him, and consequently we had been consigned to eternal damnation. Now, that outstanding plan we just spoke of, involved sending His Son, Jesus Christ to earth in human form, to die a substitutionary sacrificial death in our place, giving us the option of receiving forgiveness for our sins, salvation and eternal life with the Father, when we believe in Christ as our Lord and Saviour. 

But then, after Jesus did His mighty work here on earth, He had to return to heaven. However, our God is so caring and compassionate that the Holy Spirit was dispatched to earth on that fateful Pentecost Sunday, which we celebrated last weekend, to indwell all believers, as our Helper, Comforter, Guide and heaven-sent Companion. And that’s the beauty of our Triune God: they are three distinct, equal though separate entities, but operate as One well-oiled and magnificently functioning machine! Please give our wonderful God some much deserved thanks and praise! 

And although the Bible does not mention the word ‘Trinity,’ the idea is scattered throughout it. Let’s look at a few of them to give us some idea of how they work together, are amazingly intertwined three in one. And the first scripture comes from Matthew 3:13-17, which features the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. The Good Book describes it thus: ‘And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ (Matt. 3:16-17) 

Right there you have the Son baptized, the Holy Spirit coming down to sit on Him like a dove, and the Father’s voice saying that He’s proud of the Son. And later on in Matthew, Jesus talks to the disciples about Christian Baptism thus: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ (Matt. 28:19) There we have baptism in one name, but of three persons. 

Then, if we turn to 1 Peter 1:2, we see him writing to the elect, those chosen by God for salvation. ‘Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.’ (1 Pet. 1:2) 

The scholars describe ‘Elect’ as ‘God’s determination in eternity past to bring certain people into a special relationship with Himself. The Spirit sets apart (sanctifies) for salvation from destruction those whom God has foreknown. Sprinkling is an allusion to Exodus 24:1-11 in which the blood was sprinkled on the altar as a symbol of the people’s obedience and also on the people as a symbol of Jehovah’s acceptance.’ So there, in salvation, we have people chosen by the Father, set apart or sanctified by the Holy Spirit and sprinkled with the blood of Jesus. Another example of how our Triune God works so wonderfully well together as One. 

Meanwhile in 2 Corinthians Bruh Paul offers this benediction to his readers. ‘The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the LOVE of God and the communion (fellowship) of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.’  (2 Cor. 13:14) And the scholars explain it thus. ‘13:14. In his concluding benediction, Paul provides one of the clearest expressions in the New Testament on the doctrine of the Trinity. The deity of the Son, of the Father, and of the Holy Spirit are affirmed by virtue of their relation to one another. The distinctive personalities of each are implied by the independent activity denoted in the threefold operation of grace (from Jesus), LOVE (of the Father) and communion or fellowship (of the Holy Spirit.).’ 

Now doesn’t that make it all a little clearer, as well as tantalizing and interesting! (smile) And we’ll just summarize this last passage of scripture where Bruh Paul prays for inner growth for the Ephesians in Chapter 2:14-21. He prayed that they might be ‘strengthened with might by his (Christ’s) Spirit in the inner man… to know the LOVE of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph. 2:16, 19) So there we have more scripture that’s representative of the Triune God we serve, and there’s still more in the Good Book that we don’t have time nor space to consider today. 

And as one commentator says of those scriptures: ‘ It simply shows how easily the writers of Scripture passed from one Person of the Trinity to another, doing so in a way that assumes their equality of nature while preserving their distinct personhood. If the doctrine of the Trinity is not true, it would seem to be blasphemy to speak so freely of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in one and the same breath.’ 

And I do hope that with the above scriptures and explanations we’ve made the doctrine of the ‘Trinity’ somewhat easier to understand and accept. Now, let’s go to our Triune God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for His help in our earthly problems. Altogether now. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  

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

It’s up to us now my people, to keep our promises if we want God to keep His. Much LOVE!

…the Holy Trinity works in marvellous tandem…just like the universe they created…  

P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but the ole fella was somewhat under the weather this morning and didn’t get started until later than usual. And I know it’s long, but good. (smile) And as they say, better late than never. Much LOVE! 

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

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