Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 May 2019 Isaiah 1:18.

15 May 2019 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 1:18.   ​Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; and though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
 
No rain! No rain! Glory be! But the skies on the eastern horizon do look a tad dark for this hour of the morning. (smile) And just to let you know that by lunchtime yesterday, rainy day Tuesday had turned into dry and sunny day Tuesday!

Oh the weather system is so tricky and unreliable these days. But thank God our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the most reliable Being in God’s great universe, so we don’t have anything much to worry about, just our own unnecessary worries. (smile) 

And when I read this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin yesterday, it just spoke to me, saying ‘You’ve got to share me!’ So here it is. It’s titled ‘God’s Searchlight.’  Please pray with me: ‘O God If suddenly You were to reveal To my family, my friends, my neighbours Every real thought behind my courteous words If you were to point to my clenched fists While my other hand is openly extended 

If you were to bring to light Every masked motive, every selfish act I would cringe with remorse And beg You to remove Your light of revelation. Yet, Lord, when the searchlight of the Holy Spirit Begins to reveal me to myself I so often close my eyes and turn my back In a frantic but impossible effort To escape Your penetrating gaze. 

What a staggering contradiction, Lord what appalling hypocrisy. Apart from your grace I am utterly shattered. I ask you to sweep through me Purify me, cleanse me completely. From the depth of my penitent heart I thank You for Your continual assurance As I turn toward Your splintered cross. Because of Your LOVE I became Your child Because of Your GRACE I remain Your child.’ 

Oh friends, oh friends, that is all so true! We try to be tried and true believers, but that sinful aspect of our nature too often raises its ugly head and makes us behave very hypocritically! And don’t fool your fat, we’re all a bunch of ole hypocrites, just some to a higher or lower degree than others, because we all dislike things and people and otherwise for which we have no good grounds, and behave in ways that are very unchristian. 

However when the Holy Spirit convicts us, hopefully we turn to the cross of Jesus and cry out for the help we so badly need! And those last two lines say it all: By God’s unconditional and awesome LOVE, we became His children, and by His amazing GRACE, we remain His children! Yes friends, it’s all because of our wonderful God that we’re saved from a life of sin, shame and eternal damnation! 

And I like the scripture verse that Ruth uses for this poem ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; and though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ 

Oh my people, which other supposed deity is willing to sit down and reason with His sinful disobedient subjects eh? Only the Lord God Jehovah, because He is sure and secure enough in His own omnipotence and omniscience to do so! But please note, that though He is willing to sit down and talk, He is still the one laying down the basic groundwork for our relationships. 

And that is: ‘If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is.1:19-20) 

And for some reason or other we don’t tend to take the Lord’s promises as seriously as we should. The Israelites didn’t several times, and felt the wrath He promised. Now we’re doing likewise, and so many of us are falling by the sword and numerous old and new diseases, and we still aren’t paying attention to God’s Word! How unwise my people! 

Now listen to the scholars’ explanation of those verses. ‘1:18-20. The prophet’s appeal to come and reason together reveals God’s gracious invitation to ALL men. It literally means to be “reasonable” by repenting and turning to God. Their sin is described as scarlet and red like crimson, referring to their bloodguiltiness before God. 

The term ‘crimson’ also means “worm,” referring to the colourfast red dye of the scarlet worm. The eradication of this stain turns it snowy white and is symbolic of the life-changing grace of God, which delivers men from the guilt and condemnation of sin. Thus the prophet reminds his readers that God stands ready to cleanse and forgive all who will turn to Him.’ 

All praise and glory to our wonderful God! And it’s not the only time the Lord calls His people to talk with Him about their sins. Listen to Him again, later on in Isaiah: ‘I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance: let us plead (contend) together: declare thou (thy case), that thou mayest be justified.’ (Is.43:2-26) 

Oh friends, what more can we ask for eh? We have such a wonderful God, who is willing and able to cast aside and forget our sins if we repent and become obedient to His Word. And that’s why the Lord LOVED Bruh David; he wasn’t afraid to confess his sins, even the most abominable ones. 

Listen to him from Psalm 51, when Nathan drapes him up with his sin with Bathsheba. ‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps.51:7-10) 

Yeh mih people, though Bruh David looked good on the outside, He was suffering mightily with the immense guilt on his heart, but when he repented, that guilt lifted because the Lord forgave him, though he paid a serious price for his sin later on in life, a sin which brought serious disrepute to God’s cause. The same thing goes for us today; we can ALL be forgiven through sincere repentance, but more likely than not, there will be consequences to pay for our sins. 

So fully knowing and acknowledging that, let’s go home declaring (yes!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know our wonderful and illustrious 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!’ 

Oh yes my breddren, let’s keep on keeping on strong and steadfast, and that future will be indeed more than we can ask or ever imagine! Much LOVE! 

As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) so rightly says…the best way to live this life is to…simply obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…

Today​’s Scrip-Bit 25 April 2019 Philippians 2:8.

25 Apr 2019 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 2:8.   ​And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
 
Well a blessed Thursday to you my faithful Scrip-Bit brethren! I do hope that the day has and or will bring you substantive joy and peace as you walk the strait and narrow path that our Lord and Saviour Jesus desires of you. Oh, we all know that this earthly life is not an easy one to hoe, but with Jesus on our side, right beside us all the time as He sincerely promised, we do have a better chance than the unbelievers to live a life blessed with joy and peace. 

But it just won’t fall into our laps, as some of us seem to think. We need to get up and do our part in this partnership, this everlasting covenant with Almighty God. If we do our part, He will certainly do His, but if we don’t, He won’t. It as simple as that my people! 

And what’s our part you ask? Again, it’s pretty simple: believe in His Son Jesus Christ and walk in faithful obedience to His Word! Granted, it’s much harder than it sounds, but then again the Lord has promised to help us in any area in which we are deficient or lacking. We just have to come to Him in sincere prayer and ask for his help. 

And He’s also promised not to give us more than we can handle. He’s God, and merciful, gracious and forgiving, plus He knows all our frailties and weaknesses, so why will He give us more than we can handle eh? No reason whatsoever! Oh, He will test us occasionally to see if we really believe the stuff we talk. And I can personally tell you about that, because some days before I’m even finished writing the Bit, I’m bombarded with tests about what I’ve written. 

But then again, if we fail, He always gives us more chances to come back and take them. That’s why He’s known as the God of Numerous Chances! And that’s all to our benefit! Praise His holy name my people! For though He’s righteous, a stickler for justice, He’s also a pardoning judge. Because He created us, and thus knows what we’re all about, He has great empathy and LOVE for us. 

And He proved it by the celebrations we just had this past Easter weekend, where He sacrificed His Son for us, to pay for our sins once and for all time. There could be no greater LOVE than that! The Creator of the universe, and all therein, sacrificing His sinless Son to appease the need for sinless blood to cleanse the sins of His disobedient, rebellious creation. He LOVED and cared for us so much that He went to such drastic lengths to provide a means of redemption for us. 

How wonderful He is my brethren! There is NONE other like Him in the world! All the others are mere pretenders, jokers and fools! So since He’s provided ALL that we need to live a godly and righteous life, and come to salvation through His resurrected Son, then technically speaking, the problem(s) we face nowadays stem mainly from our lack of obedience to His Word. And if you claim that you don’t know His Word, then that’s still disobedience, because He’s admonished us many times to read, study and meditate on it. 

And since we’re talking about obedience, I believe it’s only right to mention two of the most profound statements on the subject in the Good Book, both not surprisingly made by Bruh Paul. The first one is found in his missive to the church at Rome: ‘For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.’ (Rom.5:19) 

Yeh friends, we all fell into sin by Adam’s disobedience. Although, come to think of it, I don’t know why Adam get’s blamed for the dastardly deed nuh, when it’s Eve who supposedly first took a bite of the apple, and Adam foolishly followed? But be that as it may, our forefathers weighed us down with sin by their disobedience, and it was only with the coming of Jesus Christ that we were granted a way to get out from under that deathly and damning sin. 

And as Bruh Paul says to the church at Philippi: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ 

Oh friends, do you think Jesus wanted to die, and even more, such a murderous, unfair and painful death! Obviously not! But He knew that the Father wanted to save us more than anything else, and that He was the ONLY ONE who had the parts to accomplish the Father’s plan. So He obediently went along, even to that disturbing and horrible death on the cross because displeasing the Father was a no no in His mind. 

And all I’m trying to point out here, by saying so much (smile) is that if Jesus, God’s Son was obedient to the point of giving His life for us, we, mere mortals, mere puny and flimsy creations of God, should also be very obedient to God’s Word because we have so much to gain and so much to lose. Please remember that ALL the Father and the Son did, was purely for OUR benefit not theirs. 

And Jesus has already been exalted for His sacrifice with a name above all names and to whom each knee must eventually bow, and sits comfortably at the right hand of the Father, so we are the ones who now need to take up the baton and lead a righteous and obedient life, if we want to enjoy salvation and eternal life with our Triune God. Sermon done! (smile) 

Now for those of us who are sincerely attempting to do as Jesus asks, let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Thursday Blessings, those wonderful aspects of life that He’s showered down on us to help us do the job. 

So altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! 

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

And the corollary to all that is that we must now go out and share them with others, not selfishly hoard them for ourselves, because that’s why we were given so much! Much LOVE!

…the best way to live…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him… (Uncle Charles – Charles Stanley) 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 January 2019 Matthew 6:33.

12 Jan 2019 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:33.   ​But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
 
It’s Saturday my brethren! Glory be! And most of us are glad to see it although there is work around the house to be done. Have you taken down your Christmas tree as yet, as well as the decorations and the lights, and carefully put them away for next year? The Christmas tree at my house came down long ago when it fell down before Christmas.

I have to chuckle when I remember how the family came home the night I was in the hospital and found the tree lying on the floor, water everywhere, and try as they might they couldn’t get it go back up properly. 

They never even told me until the next day. I’m sure it was a heartbreaking sight for the duchess because she had spent so much intimate and LOVING time decorating it…and it did look wonderful. But them’s the breaks. You just have to shrug, grin and move on. And Christmas did pass fairly well without a big Christmas tree in the family room. Just hope she’ll take down the decorations soon. Can’t say anything though, or be very diplomatic about it, else she’ll get on my case. (smile) 

Now let’s look at some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says: ‘The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.’ 

Now the last part of that quote certainly bears a lot of truth, but the first sentence is blatantly untrue! The most powerful entity on earth is its Creator, the Lord God Almighty! As the prophet Amos so emphatically states: ‘For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind (or spirit), and declareth unto man what is his (God’s) thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts is his name.’ (Amos 4:13)  

Yes friends, the newspapers can’t raise up the wind and the sea, or cause a natural disaster, or raise up a dead man…but Jesus can. He can also stop and prevent them, as the Good Book proves. So therein lies the greatest power on earth! The newspapers however do have a lot of power when it comes to controlling the things we focus on. 

And as the next quote says: ‘If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and LOVING the people who are doing the oppressing.’ 

And we have a very good example of that right now in the U.S, where President Trump is fuelling his apparently insatiable ego by keeping the government closed, and thus holding almost a million people hostage, both away from work, and working and not getting paid, because he’s so fixated on building a useless wall along the southern borders. 

And if you read some of the newspapers and listen to Trump himself, they’ll have you believe that it’s all in the name of a worthwhile cause, and that even some of those unfortunate people are standing with him. Utter balderdash! But that just shows the power of the media. 

Now here’s the next quote: ‘Usually when people are sad, they don’t do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change.’  Now that has some truth to it, but the problem is what kind of change do we bring about when we’re angry? Usually not a good or sensible one. So it behooves us to be very careful when we’re making decisions in angry mode. 

And the last quote is simply: ‘If you have a purpose which is bigger than you, all your problems will become tiny.’ I don’t know if that is true all the time, but generally speaking when you focus on your purpose and not your problems, the latter usually become less significant. 

The problem with that quote though, from a Christian standpoint, is what purpose are we referring to? Now according to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the greatest commandments of our faith are to LOVE God and to LOVE our neighbours as ourselves. (Mark 12:30-31) But how do we do that eh? 

According to Jesus: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ Yes friends, that’s the ultimate purpose of the believer in this world. Seeking God, and doing what is right in His sight should be our number ONE priority! 

And Jesus promises that when we follow that directive, when seeking and obeying God is our main purpose in life, everything else in our life will fall into place. Then, as our quote says: ‘all your problems will become tiny.’ And that’s because you have set them in the Lord’s powerful, omnipotent hands as you seek to do His will. 

Mama Mia! What a wonderful God we LOVE and serve my brethren! Therefore let us take a li’l time today nuh, or sometime over the weekend, to seriously ponder if we are fulfilling our earthly purpose to the best of our ability. Let’s sit down and discuss it with out heavenly Father, and ask for His ALWAYS available help to come up higher. That’s our homework for this weekend! (smile) Much LOVE!

…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) so wisely advises…to obtain the best life…simply obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…gospel truth that…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 October 2018 Ezekiel 20:19.

26 Oct 2018 Leave a comment

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

Ezekiel 20:19.    ​I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgements, and do them.

Aloha one and all! It’s Friday morning in Kingston, J.A! Glory to God! We’re alive and kicking, and very grateful for that fact! Ah mih breddren this will be another holiday of unforgettable memories! Chuh! When I sit in my rocking chair and reminisce, this will be definitely one of my favourite reminiscences.

Yesterday morning I took the Knutsford Express from Mo Bay to Kingston, and after a three and a half hour drive through some lush green and beautiful mountain scenery, amongst which large, beautiful homes nestled, we arrived in the hustle and bustle of Kingston Town. Brother, has it ever grown and gotten busier since my days some fifty years ago! But you can never mistake the unmistakable, unique flavour of Kingston, because it has a flavour all its own.

My sister from my other family (smile) picked us up at the Bus Depot, and after taking us to lunch at a quaint J.A. restaurant, don’t remember its name, she left us in her apartment to rest.  And it’s a good thing that we did rest, because when some of the old U.W.I class of 69 began to show up, it got real hectic real fast! Now we’re all seniors many times over, but just like you couldn’t beat our indefatigable energy back in 1966-69, you still can’t beat it now!

And brother, did the old memories and reminisces fly! Most of us looked vaguely familiar to how we were back then, but there was no mistaking the camaraderie and friendship that three years at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica Campus bred! And the best part is that most of those who showed up were in the Social Sciences Faculty, so we didn’t only share social but also work related experiences.

Oh, by the way, if you added up the years of the dozen or so people that showed up, you’d probably come close to the thousand year figure. (smile) But all of us looked good and prosperous. Now that total would have even higher if several of our classmates hadn’t gone home to be with Lord a li’l bit early.

And I want to thank my big sister Maureen from my heart and soul for putting this amazing gathering together, because I hadn’t seen most of those people since I left the campus a half century ago. Just like how she looked after me in my campus days by writing my notes for the many lectures I missed, gone gallivanting somewhere about the country with friends – and I mean copying the actual notes from her notebook to mine, she’s still looking out for me fifty years later. The Lord bless her wonderful soul!

And as I sit here writing this, looking at her in the kitchen washing stuff from last night’s party, my eyes just flood with tears of joy and thanksgiving because she’s still the same warm, giving, caring and LOVING person she was all those years ago. So how can I say that I’m not amazingly blessed eh, when the Lord has brought such beautiful people into my life? It would be a certain lie, and the Lord would just cut me down to size.

Chuh! I had to stop there for a moment because I got all choked up. And is the ole fella getting choked up a lot on this vacation! (smile) But it’s Friday and we can’t leave out the workingman’s song for two straight weeks. So what’s he singing this bright, sunny, pay day Friday eh?

As usual, he opens with his thanks for Friday: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday…and the weekend here at last. Oh bwoy! Is also payday weekend, so you can imagine how the food and the waters going flow! Hope some of we not foolish enough to blow it all on drinks and pleasure and not pay we rent and we bills and buy food for we pickney them! It good to party and enjoy life when we work hard all week, but we must do what we need to do first. Mama Yo! I done pay mih rent and mih larder full, so is time for me an’ mih friends them to drink up the waters and stuff we face with food, as we thank the Lord for Fridays and weekends!’

Yes mih people, it’s all right to have fun after you have taken care of your immediate responsibilities. But still the workingman allows too much freedom for the enemy to infiltrate his soul. That’s why we believers have a different weekend song, we call our Friday Chant which keeps us rooted and grounded in the straight and narrow way.

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

Yes friends, we need to keep up our diligence in the spiritual battle against the evil enemy. And the Lord has sent us this reminder this October morning. ‘I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgements, and do them. And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.’ (Ezek.20:19-20)

Ah friends, the Lord is crying out to us in heart felt sorrow to come back to Him, to give up our evil ways and the worldly idols we’re now worshipping. Remember when He warned the nations long ago, they did receive punishment when they refused to listen. So I don’t know why we think it would be different with us. The Lord is LOVING and gracious and merciful and forgiving… but only for a time. When you continue in willful disobedience, you will pay a harsh price.

Unoo see all the natural disasters that happening in the world today? So let’s wake up and smell the caffeine nuh, and return to where we came from nuh, when life was so good; the LOVING arms of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Please friends, please let wisdom prevail! Much LOVE!

…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) is wont to say…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…words to live by…

 

 

 

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 20 July 2018 Matthew 28:18.

20 Jul 2018 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 28:18.   ALL power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

‘One more day, one more day in the kingdom of God!’ Wow friends, nothing can be better than spending another day in the presence of our Lord and Saviour, our Redeemer and Friend, Jesus Christ! 

And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful’ Praise the Lord! Yes my brethren He does deserve our praise for the wonderful things He’s done, is doing, and will continue to do in our lives. So much so, that despite all the vile and negative things that are happening in our world, we don’t need to worry about them, because He is in control. Please remember that. 

In any case we can’t do anything about those major problems, so why worry about them eh? Worry never solved anything yet. But we’re not to just sit around idly and do nothing. We must try to fix, with God’s help obviously, the things directly around us that need fixing. So please let’s keep trying to do our best, and go about God’s business like diligent worker bees nuh. (smile) 

And it’s a glorious Friday out there, which means the workingman is singing his song. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday… and the weekend is here! Glory be! No more work, just play! Play…play…play! We’re going to be playing in the summer time! No holds barred…no stones left unturned. It’s just going to be one helluva good time! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’ 

Yes friends, we do have to thank God for Fridays and weekends, for the short respite from work, but we don’t need to go overboard in our thanksgiving like the workingman likes to do. (smile) As believers in Jesus Christ, we have a responsibility to keep the lid on the boiling pot, not let it boil over. That’s why our Friday Chant is more restrained than the workingman’s song. So in strong voice, with sincere hearts, let’s enthusiastically chant it nuh, and show the world our style. 

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

And yes, our style might be too restrictive for a lot of people. They prefer the leggo beast attitude of the workingman, but friends, that attitude doesn’t get you anywhere in the long run. As they say, you’re giving up long-term gain for short-term pleasure. But unfortunately that’s the way of the world. We want it now! 

And too many of us supposed believers are falling for the enemy’s wiles; seeking whatever they can get now, and not paying sufficient attention to their eternal future. That’s a sad mistake my brethren, for this earthly life is short, compared to the eternity that’s to come after it. 

So it’s therefore necessary to make suitable provision for the hereafter, just like we make provision for today. And the wisest and most sensible provision we can make is committing our lives to Jesus Christ; for He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! 

As Jesus declared to His disciples in our Bit before He gave them the Great Commission: ‘ALL power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.’ And He could say that with great confidence because the Father hath indeed raised Him up for His selfless obedience and sacrifice of offering His sinless life to reconcile a bunch of no-good sinners like you and me. 

And as Bruh Paul so aptly wrote to the Philippians: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made (coming) in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:5-11) 

Yes friends, Jesus, though God incarnate, He didn’t try to use His godly authority for personal aggrandizement, but humbled Himself under the Father’s tutelage and did His work without complaint, therefore the Father raised Him to the highest level possible. Likewise, as followers of Jesus, we ought to have the same attitude He had; be humble and obedient to the Father’s will, so that He can also raise us up to higher levels. That’s wisdom in spades. Much LOVE!

…Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) puts it so simply and clearly…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 May 2018 Matthew 6:33.

12 May 2018 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:33.    But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

‘Sleeping in, sleeping in, sleeping in late on a somewhat cloudy Saturday morning!’ Yeh friends, the ole fella slept in this morning. But what’s the point of being alive if you can’t participate once in a while in some naughty antics eh? (smile) It really wasn’t planned though. I just happened to get up around six, as hungry as ever, and came down and had something to eat. Obviously, after that I had to go back and lie down. And the rest is history. (smile) 

Oh friends, there is so much strife and confusion and bitterness and anger going on all over our world that I don’t know what to comment on. So I’ll just stay with the volcano in Hawaii. At least that’s not a man made disaster. But it does seem to be getting worse rather than better. So let’s keep on praying for them and helping as best we can nuh. 

And since it’s Saturday, let’s take a look at some quotes from our friend Anselm, who truly aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Here is the first one: ‘However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.’ 

And that’s quite true people. The Lord has prepared a plan for each of our lives, with the wherewithal to be successful at it. So there is something out there for each of us to successfully accomplish. But it means we have to seek God’s plan for our individual life and proceed to put it into operation. 

And the second one says: ‘The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.’ Another particle of truth friends! It’s just the way life works. When we celebrate life, life celebrates us back in return, by giving us more stuff to celebrate. It’s just the positive attitude versus the negative one. 

And I believe that not enough of us celebrate the things we do, especially the small ones, falsely thinking that only big, momentous happenings are worthy of being celebrated. But if that’s true, then we’ll very seldom celebrate, because most of us don’t have many big happenings in our lives. Amen! 

Then there is: ‘All of life is peaks and valleys. Don’t let the peaks get too high and the valleys too low.’ Yes my brethren, life is like a roller coaster ride; up one side, then down the other. But the trick to living it successfully is to stay as even as possible. 

And remember when we are basking on the mountaintop, not to get too full of ourselves, because at some point in the future we WILL be heading for the valley. And when we hit the valley, just remember Bruh David’s immortal words; ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps.23:4) 

Ah my fellow believers, that’s ever so important for us to remember and put into practice, because in the valleys we will experience some very rough times, and it’s only our strong faith and God’s faithful help that will bring us back up to the mountain top. 

And the last quote declares: ‘The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.’ 

Now I want to question that somewhat. Happiness does matter but is that the main reason for us being on earth. I doubt it. It’s true that Jesus said he came that we might have abundant life and enjoy it to the full. (John 10:10) But more importantly, He also said we shouldn’t be overly concerned with the needs of our lives, because we can’t serve two masters at once. (Matt.6:24-32) 

‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ 

There you have it my fellow believers; our most important action on this fragile and confusing earth. Seeking and searching, and knocking and finding God’s kingdom here on earth is our first and major priority. And the beauty of it all, is when we do that sincerely, everything else will fall into place. That’s Jesus’ faithful promise! 

That’s why Jesus continues: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt.6:34) 

And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘6:33-34. This portion of the Sermon on the Mount is summarized by seek ye first the kingdom of God. The disciples who have pledged their allegiance to the King must continue seeking the kingdom and its righteousness. The present imperative form of the verb (Gr. zeteo) indicates a continual or constant seeking. The contrast between the spiritual and the material is again emphasized. 

The believer is to seek first the righteousness that is characteristic of God’s kingdom, and then all these things (material thing) shall be added to him. When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. 

We need not even worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’ 

Oh my people, I don’t know how it could be stated any simpler nuh. But regardless of how many times we hear it, too many of us still seek the things of the world before the things of God. Remember though friends, there is always a price to pay for disobedience, and sometimes it can be quite high. So to him who has an ear to hear, let him hear. Much LOVE!

…in the immortal words of Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley)…our wisest action is to…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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