Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 January 2019 Romans 5:8.

16 Jan 2019 Leave a comment

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

Romans 5:8.   ​But God commendeth (demonstrates) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
 

Ah mih breddren, welcome to another day in the life! It might be hard, soft, or in between, but I want to remind us of the ONE constant that’s always there, regardless of the kind of day or the circumstances therein… 

And it’s the magnificent and ever so true statement that God LOVES You! That’s an indisputable fact since He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die on an old wooden cross on Calvary’s hill to pay for your sins. What would you call that eh? I call it LOVE; undying, above and beyond the call of duty LOVE! 

Now let’s check out this li’l poem from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, where he reminds us of that most salient and important fact: ‘GOD LOVES ME!’ 

Please pray with me: ‘Thank you, Lord, for this holy sentence, this good news, this happy report, this exciting thought, this graceful truth, this fantastic lesson. God LOVES me! Even when I’m at my worst – God LOVES me. Even when my faith is dim – God LOVES me anyway! It’s incomprehensible and fantastic! Thank you, Father. Amen!’ 

Yeh friends, it’s really incomprehensible that a holy and just and powerful God could LOVE me in whatever state I am, even when I am down and dirty and truly sinful, He still LOVES me! Glory be! And even if it’s incomprehensible, it’s also fantastic, because it gives me hope, makes me feel that all’s not lost; it builds my faith when such a magnificent Being can appreciate me and want me to come Him however I am. 

Wow! Who else makes me feel like that eh? Not a single soul but Jesus! That’s why I try my best to sincerely LOVE Him back and do His will, be grateful and thankful for ALL that He’s done for me! That’s the ONLY appropriate response there is! 

And please, please, don’t ever forget these scripture verses, because they are the very foundation of our hope and faith and belief. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrates) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom.5:6-8) 

Imagine that nuh friends? While we were still sorrowful and sinful the Father sent Jesus to die for us. Now why would He do such an unlikely thing eh? One simple reason my believing brethren; He created us, and despite of our flaws and foibles, He still cared for us and didn’t want to lose us to His arch-enemy Satan, because He knew the disastrous fate we’d suffer under his hands. 

Oh friends, LOVE is indeed the motor that makes the world go round! It is the greatest emotion, feeling, and attribute that we can ever have or aspire to. Remember Jesus said that the two greatest commandments were to LOVE God and LOVE your neighbour as yourself. And Bruh Paul assures us that ‘LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law.’ (Rom.13:10) That means when we walk in LOVE, we’re fulfilling the law of Christ! 

And hear how important this walking in LOVE is nuh mih breddren: James says it thus: ‘Let him know, that he which converteth (saves, restores) the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide (cover) a multitude of sins.’ (James 5:20) And Peter declares (spelled it wrong): ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet.4:8) 

Oh my people, LOVE is so wonderful, I’m amazed that we don’t use it more! It’s the only thing that covers sins, like Jesus’ LOVE covered ours! And Cousin Sol said it so marvellously so long ago: ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ (Prov.10:12) And nothing has happened to change that since then, Jesus’ dying for us only made LOVE even stronger and more important! 

And Bruh Paul, in his famous chapter to the Corinthians, re ‘The way of LOVE’ describes it thus: ‘Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself (does not brag on itself), is not puffed up (arrogant). 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 the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail (cease); whether there be tongues, they shall cease, whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away (cease).’ (1 Cor.13: 4-8) 

That’s how great LOVE is my people: it NEVER FAILS! All else fails, but NEVER LOVE! That’s why I implore us today get our LOVE walk under control, work on it, like never before, because right now we need LOVE in this world also like we’ve never done before. 

And while we’re pondering how to improve our LOVE walk, let’s go home declaring (Chuh! Spelled it wrong again…) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our wonderful position in Jesus and inviting them to join us. 

As one loud and sincere voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! 

I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And that future will indeed be glorious, you can count on it! Much LOVE!

…and now abideth faith…hope…LOVE…these three…but the greatest of these is…LOVE… (1 Cor.13:13)

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 October 2018 Proverbs 10:12.

03 Oct 2018 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 10:12.    ​Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth ALL sins.

 

And then it was Wednesday, the middle of the workweek…and we in full swing now. We’ve hit our full stride and feel like we can conquer the world, even without the help of Jesus…wishful thinking though. (smile) 

But that just shows the difference in our attitudes between Monday, the start of the work week and today, when we’ve gotten accustomed once again to getting up and getting out to labour for a penny to keep food on our tables and a roof over our heads. 

Yeh friends, it’s all in our attitude, our state of mind, and we can’t afford to let it waiver between good and bad, because then our lives also waiver between good and bad. It’s in our best interest to keep our attitude at a constant positive level, in tune with Jesus’ programme for His followers. 

And before I forget, let me thank the Lord for a much better beginning to today, than I had yesterday, the aches and pains are nowhere near as bad. Brother, yesterday was truly a rough day! But with the Lord’s help I weathered it…Praise His holy name! 

And I believe the aches and pains are directly related to how much time I spend in bed. I’ll be fine with three or four hours at a time…But Chuh! Once we hit the five or six hour mark, like the body begins to stiffen up. And I won’t even mention seven or eight hours… (smile) So it seems like my best bet is to sleep in four hour spurts. 

But that’s not always practical, and it goes against the very grain of one of my most important acclamations; that I will get sufficient rest each and every day. But if I want to avoid the worse of the aches and pains, with the Lord’s help, I will find a way to do it. Amen! 

Now let me share some stuff from Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) that I just glimpsed on one of the many bits of paper on my desk. I believe it deals with walking and having a full life with God. (1) Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Now that should be obvious because we can’t walk with God unless we go through Jesus, since He is the only way to the Father. 

 (2) Listen to God. That’s through prayer; the method of communication He made for us to get to know each other. And we can’t listen alone, we also need to talk to Him. 

(3) Trust God. And here Uncle Charles points us to his favourite scriptures; the immortal words of Cousin Sol:  ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov.3:5-6) Yes friends, those verses should be the foundational building blocks of our faith walk! 

(4) Agree with God. That’s wisdom in spades, for He is the Boss! And you know what happens when you don’t agree with the Boss; you’re liable to get fired. (smile) (5) Obey God. And that brings us to Uncle Charles’ favourite statement: ‘Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him!’ Sure words of wisdom my people, because obedience is one of the few things that the Lord totally demands of us. 

(6) Walk in the same direction. Now that’s simple common sense. You can’t be a true and sincere member of an organization and not walk the path the leader proscribes. And with Jesus, it’s the straight and narrow one; the hard to find and difficult to navigate path, but the oh so rewarding one, leading to salvation and eternal life.

(7) Stay in step with God. Now that’s also basic common sense. If God is leading the way – as He most definitely is – then you can’t go ahead of Him, else you’ll get lost in the dark and tumble over an unseen cliff, since you don’t know where you are going. And for our purposes here, I’ll change Uncle Charles’ line up. I’ll put as number (8) Forsake sin. And that’s oh so important my brethren, because it’s sin that has us in the precarious predicament we’re currently in. 

But this last point is the most important because it covers everything. (9) LOVE God! Wow mih people! When we do that sincerely, we don’t have to worry about anything else. And here is some scripture that proves it. First off is our Bit, the treasured words of Cousin Sol: ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth ALL sins.’ And isn’t that the glorious truth my people? It surely is! And Peter corroborates it. ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet.4:8) 

But here now is the piece de resistance on the subject from Bruh Paul from the famous Way of LOVE Chapter. ‘Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (LOVE) envieth not…vaunteth not (does not brag on) itself, is not puffed up (arrogant), Doth not behave itself unseemly (rudely), seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, (keeps no records); Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity (LOVE) NEVER FAILETH…’ (1 Cor.13:4-8a) 

And that my fellow believers is the gospel truth! For if we have sincere LOVE, then we’ll be like John says: ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God.’ (1 John 4:7) Now with all that LOVE just percolating madly through our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, let’s go home sincerely declaring (wow! spelled it right) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know our position in Christ. 

As one now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And it’s indeed going to be more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Our finite minds can’t comprehend it! Much LOVE!

…and now abideth…faith…hope…LOVE…these three…but the greatest of these is…LOVE… (1 Cor.13:13)

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 December 2016 Zephaniah 3:17.

27 Dec 2016 Leave a comment

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

Zephaniah 3:17.   The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in (quiet you) in his LOVE, he will joy over thee with singing.

Ah mih breddren, it’s Tuesday, the last day of this extra long weekend! Let’s hope that we all used the earlier portions properly, raising up Christ as the most important part of it all, for the whole shebang is all about His marvelous and miraculous birth! 

And since the Christmas season is not yet over, I want to share with us this morning ‘A Christmas Prayer,’ from my Hour of Power Devotional by Gramps Schuller (Dr, Robert H. Schuller). 

Please read with me. ‘You lead me, Jesus Christ, to thoughts of God. I see you in a manger carved from a tree. I see you as a young man with hands that reach to touch hearts that hurt. Your caring reaches out like the strong and kind branches of a gentle tree reach out to invite road-weary and travel-worn wayfarers to quiet rest. 

I see you again hanging on a tree with outstretched arms taking in the whole world. From your cross, you show me that God will stop at nothing to save my soul. So, I celebrate God’s LOVE today as I celebrate your birth around a twinkling Christmas tree. 

I pray my life, like yours, O Lord, may be tall and upright as a pine tree pointing, reaching, sharing, sparkling, life-giving, solid, sturdy, strong-rooted in God’s LOVE, a beautiful soul, evergreen forever. Amen.’ 

Oh friends, isn’t that beautiful? It surely is! Gramps Schuller covers the whole gamut, from birth to death in words and feelings so rich in imagery that we can’t escape its hold. 

And wouldn’t it be wonderful if our lives can be tall and upright like a pine tree, exhibiting all those graceful and grateful aspects of Christianity, which can only be accomplished if our roots are deep and strong in God’s LOVE! 

Yeh, it certainly would turn this evil and ungodly world upside down on its ear. (smile) So let’s keep working diligently on it nuh my fellow believers, and not waste Christ’s birth, life and death, as we seem to be currently doing. 

Be that as it may though, let’s check out this interesting Bit that I was led to today. ‘The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in (quiet you) in his LOVE, he will joy over thee with singing.’ 

That is the wonderful promise the Lord made to His people Israel through the prophet Zephaniah, of their ultimate supremacy. And friends, that is exactly what the Lord began with the birth of Jesus! He came mightily in our midst, to save us, to bring us comfort and joy, with songs of celebration! Oh what a wonderful God we serve, my faithful breddren! 

And would you believe that earlier on in that same chapter there are two more promises along those lines. In the first part of the chapter that deals with Jerusalem’s sin and redemption, the scripture says thus. 

‘The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgement (justice) to light, he faileth not (never fails); but the unjust knoweth no shame.’ (Zeph.3:5) 

Then later on, the Good Book declares: ‘Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy judgements, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see (fear) evil (disaster) any more.’ (Zeph.3:14-15) 

And did our ever-faithful and ever-LOVING God ever fulfill those promises beginning with the birth of Christ! 

And through His Holy Spirit, our marvellous God has given us all the tools so that we won’t fear, but can rejoice in comfort, for our salvation has been paid for by the spilled blood of Christ, and life eternal, in His wonderful company is ours to bask in. What more can we ask eh friends? Not much really. 

Now I want to share two last scriptures, both from Isaiah, re our God’s rejoicing over us. While talking of the restoration of Zion, Isaiah declares: ‘For as the young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.’ (Is.62:5) I just LOVE promises like that! 

Now hear this final scripture of promise under new heavens and a new earth. ‘And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 

There shall be no more thence an infant of days (who lives but a few days), nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die a hundred years old; but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.’ (Is.65:19-20) 

Oh friends, I can surely live with promises like those! Now let’s go home strengthening ourselves in the promises of God, by declaring our Tuesday Mantra, with the zest, the passion and strong belief it deserves. 

As one now: ‘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!’ 

Oh people, oh people, what can be better than being LOVED by an omnipotent, caring and compassionate God, and being a friend of Jesus eh? Nothing my brethren, absolutely NOTHING! Much LOVE!

…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 February 2016 John 15:12‏

15 Feb 2016 Leave a comment

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

John 15:12.   This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you.

And then it was Monday friends; time for laboring again; time to continue the daily grind and common task. And I know that some of you are ‘chuhing’ and ‘steupsing’ and complaining because you have to go to work, but by now we should all realize that it’s a part of life, and the sooner we get accustomed to it and accept it, the better off we will be. End of sermon. 

So to help us all, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great enthusiasm, in perfect harmony, as our conductor Jesus leads us in song. 

As one voice now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. 

Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’  

Oh my people, that was only a mediocre rendition! Jesus wasn’t really displeased, but He certainly expected more from us. 

Anyway, having boosted our spirits, let’s go out this first Monday in Lent and do our bounden duty nuh as specified by our Bit. ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you.’ 

Yes my brethren, it’s all about LOVE! If we live in LOVE, then all will be well! 

Listen to what the Good Book says on the subject. ‘Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (LOVE) envieth not; charity (LOVE) vaunteth not itself (doesn’t boast), is not puffed up (arrogant), Does 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 the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity (LOVE) never faileth….’ (1 Cor.13:4-8a) 

Oh my fellow believers, I must admit that according to Bruh Paul’s words, real LOVE is indeed a hard row to hoe, but hoe it we must, as true followers of Christ. Christ did it for us, and we are expected to do it for each other, as our Bit directs. 

Now something here amazes me; yesterday we celebrated Valentine’s Day, a day supposedly of LOVE, now why can’t we just continue that attitude eh? Why do we have to revert to our less than LOVING selves eh? 

It certainly defies my understanding…unless what we show on Valentine’s Day is not real LOVE, just an outward show of gifts per the world, who treats it like just another big shopping day, a day to make money, to boost the economy. 

Oh I’m not that naïve to believe that we all share true LOVE on days like those, but even then why stop the generous giving afterwards? 

As Bruh Paul encourages us in Romans 12, when speaking about the service of LOVE to all. ‘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.’ (Rom.12:9-10) 

And as the scholars tell us: ‘12:9. Without dissimulation (lit. “without hypocrisy”). The Christian’s conduct in the local church toward fellow believers is to be a volitional caring for others, LOVING faithfully in spite of the response received. The LOVE is to be genuine and unfeigned.’ 

I certainly can’t argue with that friends! And as John tells us in his first epistle: ‘If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God, whom he hath not seen?’ (1 John 4:20) 

Now friends, that is the million-dollar question. We all claim to LOVE God, whom we’ve never seen, but yet hate our brethren, whom we have seen. It just doesn’t sound logical, but it’s a problem that we will all have to deal with, individually and as the church of Christ, as soon as possible, if we want to remain right with God. 

Now enough preaching for the day, (smile) you all will do whatever you want anyway. On a practical note, the duchess and I went to the Goat races yesterday in Buccoo. Yes you read right, ‘goat races!’ 

Usually it’s only held during the Easter weekend, but what with a new, good-looking facility, just built for goat racing, they need to have them more often, both to encourage the locals and to provide entertainment for the visitors. 

And believe you me, it’s organized just as a horse race; an approximately hundred yard running lane, with starting gates and jockeys, who don’t ride, but run behind the goats to guide them. 

The goats are equipped with numbers, the jockeys with whips, and they are divided into classes, with owners and trainers, and a commentator on the race, and no doubt betting on the sly. The only thing they lack is a camera at the finish line. Only in sweet Tobago! 

After watching about four races, we came home and rested, then later in the evening I took the duchess out for dinner to an exquisite, expensive restaurant she had been wanting to go to all along. I must say though that the food was good and the service excellent, so it was not a waste of time or money. 

And above all it kept the duchess happy. For remember, a happy wife, usually leads to a happy life. (smile) And on that note of wisdom, we’ll end for today. 

So friends, let’s try and boost the LOVE quotient in our lives nuh, for it is indeed the desire of Jesus, and the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!

…only genuine and consistent LOVE on our part…will boost Jesus’ LOVE Revolution…and eventually bring it to fruition…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 January 2014 Romans 13:10

09 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Romans 13:10.   LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law.
 
Aye mih breddren, life’s certainly a blast yes! For the first time in about ten days, I actually ventured out of my safe, warm cocoon yesterday, and faced the ugly reality that is the outside world. It’s the longest I’ve ever been cooped up in a house that I can remember.
 
At least when I had prostate cancer surgery a few years back, it was summer, and I could sit outside on either the front porch or the back deck. In any case though, I never really felt cooped up this past week because for most of it I was sick and the weather was terrible. And it seems that quite a few people did the same thing, for the same reasons.
 
Anyway, would you believe I did a marathon session out there yesterday! Wow! Bruh Paul would have been proud of how I ran that race! (smile) I left home, went up the street to a nearby Walmart, then went all the way down to the other end of the city, to the banker, the barber, the grocer and the doctor.
 
Mama Mia! In truth though, it wasn’t as bad as it sounds, because the last four places were in close proximity to each other, about two blocks separated them all. So I got up my gumption and bravely walked through the snow, ice and slush that covered the sidewalks and parking lots.
 
And wonder of wonders, in NONE of those four places did I have to wait, for all of them were sparsely populated! As soon as I walked into everyone, I was immediately served. I had to laugh at my good fortune, because as most of you know those four places usually call for a fair amount of waiting.
 
But then I realized that it was our wonderful God pouring out His abundant grace and favour on me, since I wasn’t in the best of shape, and it was still windy and cold. Obviously I let Him know that I was very thankful. The only place I had a short wait was at the Pharmacy later on where I went to get some antibiotics that the medic prescribed.
 
That’s why Friends, today, like Gramps Schuller (Robert H. Schuller) I can certainly attest to and loudly proclaim that ‘GOD LOVES ME!’ And also say along with His prayer from His Hour of Power Devotional.
 
‘Thank you, Lord, for this holy sentence, this good news, this happy report, this exciting thought, this graceful truth, this fantastic lesson. GOD LOVES ME! Even when I’m at my worst — GOD LOVES ME. Even when my faith is dim — GOD LOVES ME ANYWAY! It’s incomprehensible and fantastic! Thank you, Father. Amen.’
 
Ah mih people, I keep reminding us that walking with Jesus is not a bed of roses, but betwixt and between the tests and temptations, there are indeed wonderful, refreshing, rejuvenating, interesting and eye-opening experiences. The only problem now is that I have to go to the dentist today for some root canal work. Let’s see how that will play out. (smile)
 
But enough of my petty problems, let’s turn to our Bit, which deals with LOVE, something that our troubled world so badly needs but unfortunately is sadly lacking.
 
As the old song so truthfully stated back then, and is even more appropriate now, in these sad days of strife and the preponderance of negative emotions: ‘What the world needs now, is LOVE, SWEET LOVE. That’s the only thing, there’s just too little of…’
 
And oh my brethren, is that ever so true! LOVE comes from our God, and is what makes our world go round, or function properly, but right now we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place because we’re so SHORT of LOVE.
 
We claim to know about God’s LOVE for us, but what we seem unable to fathom and put into place is OUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER. And a long while back, Bruh Paul put it to the Romans this way in our Bit: ‘LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law.’
 
Now that’s the awesome truth Friends! For even before Bruh Paul’s comment, Jesus Himself commanded His disciples, and therefore us, and all His true followers: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35)
 
Oh my fellow believers, Jesus was talking there about revolutionizing the world through LOVE! It was the beginning of the LOVE Revolution, which each generation of believers is supposed to carry on, but which, unfortunately we’re not doing, since we’re not showing LOVE to each other.
 
Remember it’s through our showing of LOVE to each other that the world will know that we’re disciples of Jesus. And since we’re not doing it, that means we’re not His true disciples.
 
No wonder the unbeliever, the heathens and many others laugh and scoff at us, and consider us hypocrites because they quite plainly see our ‘UNLOVING’ attitudes and behaviour towards each other and the world in general.
 
That’s why I keep reminding us that LOVE is an ACTION WORD! We simply can’t talk it and expect it to happen. LOVE only takes place when we DO SOMETHING TO SHOW IT! 
 
Consequently, Bruh Paul, who saw the need for LOTS OF LOVE in the evil, ungodly world, penned one of the most beautiful chapters of the Bible; re the WAY OF LOVE. And we’ll close by quoting a few appropriate verses from it, just to remind us what TRUE LOVE is all about.
 
And we’re not talking about ‘Eros’ or romantic LOVE, but ‘agape’, the spiritual LOVE that flows from God, and is supposed to be so jubilantly and vibrantly working in us through the Holy Spirit that indwells us.
 
So please listen up Friends, neighbours, heathens, whoever you are, for only these things will ever right our wrong-sided world.
 
‘Charity (LOVE) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (LOVE) envieth not; charity (LOVE) vaunteth not (does not brag on) itself, is not puffed up (arrogant), Doth not behave itself unseemly (rudely), seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil (keeps no accounts of evil);
 
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity (LOVE) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail (cease): whether there be tongues, they shall cease, whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.’ (1 Cor.13:4-8)
 
And that’s the God-awesome truth my people! Therefore, let’s ponder all these things today nuh, and with God’s ever-present, never-ending help, make the necessary changes in our attitudes and behaviour, so that we can leave this world a much better place for our children. That’s the only wisdom there is! Much LOVE!
 
…if we’re not actively doing LOVE…then we’re not true disciples of Christ…as simple as that…  
 
P.S. Friends, the Bit’s long and late, but it’s what God put in my heart to write today. Much LOVE!