The Overwhelming Importance of Christians not making the Attainment of Earthly Wealth Their Life’s Goal!

02 Oct 2025 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 13:5a.        Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have:

Ah friends, I can’t believe it’s already Thursday, the penultimate day of our workweek! The week has certainly passed quickly, and October seems to be giving us some nice sunshiny weather, though a tad on the cooler side. And we won’t complain, although complaining seems to be our lot these days. (smile) Now, as I was leafing through the Good Library, seeking something to write on, I came across this rather interesting and most appropriate lesson for these particular times. 

It’s a verse from the author of Hebrews, which very conveniently, we only remember the last half, while seldom paying any attention to the first half. Why? Because the scripture admonishes and wisely advises us thus: ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he (the Lord) hath said , I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Heb. 13:5) 

Yes my people, we tell ourselves that the last half of the verse is the gospel truth, but we completely ignore the first half, because that’s the way of the world in these greedy and covetous times, and too many of us supposed believers are living like the world, not like Christians. Remember what Jesus said when He prayed for the disciples, and consequently us? ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth.’ (John 17:16-17) 

Yes friends, we’re supposed to be in the world, but set aside from the world, and knowing God’s Word, which is the infallible truth, we’re not supposed to be behaving like the world. But unfortunately, too many of us are doing just that, engaging in the greed, envy and licentiousness that we’re supposed to resist and instead make public, so that the evil doers can see the light of Christ. And the sad part is that the admonishment against covetousness is not a new one, for it was framed from time immemorial in the Ten Commandments which the Lord gave to the Israelites and subsequently to those who professed belief in him and His Son Jesus Christ. 

So, let’s cast our minds back to that august document, set out in Exodus 20. The last commandment of those ten, most explicitly warns: ‘Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.’ (Ex. 20:17) Now, what about that don’t we understand eh? 

And some of you trying to be smart might say, it only talks about our neighbour’s stuff. Well for your information, everybody around you, whether you live close to them or not, is your neighbour. Remember when the foolish lawyer who wanted to be seen, asked Jesus the same question, ‘Who is my neighbour?’ And Jesus then told him the parable of the Good Samaritan, showing his neighbour was anyone whom he came into contact with. (Luke 10: 28-37) So, don’t covet, means just that: don’t covet anything at all from anybody. Covetousness ought not to be an attribute of a believer in Christ Jesus. 

And Jesus Himself warned us about covetousness, when someone asked him to talk to his brother about sharing their inheritance, ‘And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge, or a divider (an arbitrator) over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’ (Luke 12:13-15) Then, as was His wont, to back up His statement, Jesus told them the parable of the rich fool. Where this man had so much stuff, he had nowhere to store them. So in his foolish, worldly wisdom decided to tear down all his storehouses and build bigger and better ones, so he could store all his goods. 

‘And I will say to my soul,  Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat drink and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.’ (Luke 12:19-21) 

And we see that happening every day, where some person who has spent their entire lives building great material wealth, suddenly dies. And what becomes of their fortune eh? They surely cannot take it with them. No, it’s left behind for a lot of greedy, covetous vultures in human form to fight over it. And in the end, the people who benefit most are the high-priced lawyers they hire to fight for it! What godly justice for greed and covetousness. 

And we can’t have a scriptural conversation on covetousness without these remarkable words of Bruh Paul to Timothy on the subject. He writes: ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us be therewith content. But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction). 

For the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from their faith (for which, some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim. 6:6-12) 

Ah mih bredrin, Bruh Paul says it all right there! It’s high time we believers stop making the attainment of material wealth our life’s goal. There’s nothing wrong with having wealth, but living to create it is unwise. Especially since the Lord has blessed us with what we call our Thursday Blessings; so many undeserved blessings, to do our earthly work. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh! 

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

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

And having activated those blessings, it now behooves us to go out and use them on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…godliness with contentment…is what Christians should be seeking…not maximization of earthly wealth…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 May 2024   1 Timothy 6:10a.

01 May 2024 Leave a comment

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

1 Timothy 6:10a.       For the LOVE of money is the root of all (all kinds of) evil:

So it’s a fairly warm and sunshiny Wednesday in my neighbourhood, though with a bit of cloud cover as the merry month of May opens in this crazy year of 2024. Yes friends, the year is only one third done, and it’s already showing some very unstable and mentally challenged tendencies. But let’s hope as we catch our second wind for this work week that we will be able to hold our own, and even gain some ground in this mentally challenged and spiritually evil world, through the ever present auspices of Jesus Christ in our lives, that’s His guidance and endorsement through the working of the Holy Spirit. For without it, we will all surely go mad, seeing and experiencing the craziness that’s currently going on in our world. 

And all God’s people said, a loud and grateful: ‘Thank God for Jesus yes! Otherwise we’d all be lost in the sea of craziness and evil that’s overtaken the earth.’ Now, today, we’re going to read a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that hopefully will help us to curb one tendency in the mental madness of the world. The poem is simply but very explicitly titled ‘Seek First.’ And as always, I don’t know if I have shared this poem before, but if so, then it’s definitely worth sharing again. (smile)  

So please read with me: ‘O Lord How futile, how foolish To attempt to keep up with the Joneses On the gold-studded ladder of success. Even if we make it (Setting high, competitive  goals) We awake one dismal morning To discover the Smiths have bypassed the Joneses So it starts again – the goading competition. God, our objective is far more rewarding. You want us to “keep up” with Your plan For our individual lives. “Seek first  the Kingdom of God” Is Your shining word to us. Forgive us for moments and days (Even months)  when our LOVE of money Has exceeded our LOVE for You. Please, God Be our financial Advisor and deliver us from a thousand “if onlys.” May we never be defeated By the lack of money Or captivated by the lure of it.’ 

Wow mih bredrin, what awesomely accurate words for something that bedevils so many of us in this greedy and sinful world. And all of us, at some stage in life, have felt the agonizing heartache that the lack of money brings, and most likely have promised ourselves never to let that happen to us again. However, whether through our fault or unfortunate circumstances, we’ve been through it again and again, and that’s no sin, unless we waste whatever we have on stuff that we don’t truly need. Then as the times get tougher and harder, money becomes even more difficult to make and keep. 

But what’s an even bigger problem is the LOVE of money that so many of us have, and with that the very foolish idea of running some competition with other foolish folks about who can have the most money or the most material possessions. But most of us should, and would know better if we would only read and put the words of the Bible into action. For instance, listen to this passage from Bruh Paul’s first letter to Timothy re the Root of All Evil, and from which the Bible Promise for our poem is taken. 

‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us be therewith content. But they that will (desire to) to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction (in ruin) and perdition. For the LOVE of money is the root of all (all kinds of) evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows, (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith and ended up in a sorrowful state).’  (1 Tim. 6:6-10) 

Oh friends, it could not be any more explicit than that. And we all know people, even possibly ourselves, who have fallen into such sorrow because of greed and competitive folly. But let’s hope that at this mature stage of our lives we have gotten past the devilish LOVE of money, that can cause all kinds of evils and problems in our lives. And please note, it’s not the money itself that causes the real problem, but our great desire and LOVE for it, that causes us to do anything to get it! 

Then there’s this next scripture that deals with comparing ourselves to each other, contained in Bruh Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, which explicitly says: ‘For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.’ (2 Cor. 10:12) There it is in black and white in the Lord’s word, my fellow believers! But yet we still persist in the foolish games of comparing ourselves, or as the poem puts it, ‘keeping up with the Joneses.’ 

And why is comparing ourselves to others, especially on money and material possessions, not good? Listen to these two commentaries that answer the question. The first one, in talking about the dangers of comparing ourselves to other believers says: ‘Comparison can drive us to sinful competition with other believers. We might find sinful motivations in our heart for serving at church or studying our Bible. If we can do more and do it better than them, we’d get the praise and recognition we “deserve.” 

Then the second one says this about the sin of comparison: ‘When you compare yourself to others, you either feel better or worse about yourself. There is no in-between. This sense of pride or insecurity can open the door to a lot of negativity. It makes you vulnerable to sin, and can breed insecurities, pride, envy and jealously; everything that God is against.’ And that’s the indisputable truth friends, as we can see from all the different cliques and groups in the church fighting for superiority, but only causing strife and further division of an already greatly divided church.  

And sadly, it’s the greed and strife, the anger and hatred, the evil doing and ungodly actions that the world is currently revolving around, rather than the LOVE, joy, peace, harmony ,unity and togetherness that ought to be uppermost. And we have no one else to blame but ourselves, for not doing what the Lord taught us: to seek first the kingdom of God and all the things we need would be given to us, and also the be the salty and bright shining Christians who go around spreading the good news of His gospel. And until we begin to seriously do those things, our world will continue to be thoroughly corrupt and evil! End of sermon. 

Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to be good disciples, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of or wonderful position in Jesus Christ! As one voice: ‘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 we’ve been promised that if we stay connected to Christ to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So please, let’s be wise and plan to meet there at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…to be a true believer…your life must show the actions of true belief…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 June 2023   1 Timothy 6:10a.

13 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

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

1 Timothy 6:10a. For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil:

So we’ve said a fond farewell to Monday and bid Tuesday welcome, wondering what it has in store for us in these very unprecedented and uncertain times. Some of whatever it has in store for us we can do nothing about, while some we can change, but what we utterly need to have is a good, godly attitude about it all. That’s the only way we will handle it in a purposeful and successful manner…in other words, give it all to God! 

But here’s an interesting poem. on a very important matter, that I also found on that yellow piece of paper where I discovered that profound reading about the Road to Success that I recently shared. Please listen closely because it’s of the utmost importance and can make a whole lotta difference in our lives, if we accept and follow what it says. 

There’s no title. It just says: ‘It can buy a House, But not a Home. It can buy a Bed, But not Sleep. It can buy a Clock, But not Time. It can buy you a Book, But not Knowledge. It can buy you a Position, But not Respect. It can buy you Medicine, But not Health. It can buy you Blood, But not Life. It can buy you Sex, But not LOVE. So you see, MONEY isn’t EVERYTHING. And it often causes PAIN and SUFFERING. I tell you this because I am your Friend, and as your Friend, I want to take away your pain and suffering…So send me all your money. And I will suffer for you. Cash is fine.’ 

Now I do hope that we paid close attention to all that it says, because it’s the gospel truth. Including the part that says send me all your money and I will suffer for you. That’s the wonderful friend I can be. (smile) But unfortunately, that’s what a lot of people, scam artists and fraudsters are doing in great numbers these days, especially feeding on the poor, sick and elderly. It has become so rampant that it has spawned an industry unto itself. What a terrible shame that we can be so despicable and uncaring to those who are the most vulnerable. 

Money is great, and it’s a very useful and necessary tool in our society, but that’s just what it is supposed to be, a tool, not the god that so many of us bow down to and worship, kill ourselves to get…sometimes literally too. And you see the worldly things it can buy you, but the godly things it can never get you. A House but not a Home. A Bed, but not Sleep. A Clock, but not Time, A Book but not Knowledge. A Position, but not Respect. Medicine but not Health. Blood but not Life. Sex, but not LOVE! 

Yes friends, money is a worldly necessity, but the real good and important things in life cannot be bought, they have to be earned in a true and godly manner. And yuh better believe too that a whole lot of the pain and suffering in our world can be traced directly back to money; the lack of it, the great desire for it, in other words, greed, and to those who have too much of it for their own good and either use it frivolously or for their own selfish purposes, and don’t share it with the many that don’t have enough. 

And by the way, the date at the bottom of that poem is 5/11/01. That means it’s not a new poem, but has been around for a long time now, but we still haven’t learned how to use money successfully. And the Good Library does have quite a few things to say about money and its usefulness or lack thereof. So let’s check out a few of those wise biblical truths nuh. And I guess the best known one is that from Bruh Paul to Timothy, where he lectures him thus. 

‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing…life’s basic necessities) let us be therewith content. But they that will be (whose ambition is to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction). For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim. 6:6-10) 

And all of that is the indisputable truth my people! The LOVE of money has driven so many of us to do so many foolish, wrong and ungodly things, that eventually bring us to ruin and destruction. And it’s a picture we see and hear about in the news every single day. Some poor, greedy, or ill-advised soul dying either literally or metaphorically because they unwisely chased down money. And there’s nothing wrong with making money, but it must not be our sole purpose in life. It ought to be a means to an end, like making a better life for our families, or sharing with others. Money is no good unless it’s used for good and useful purposes. 

And instead of running down money, these things that Bruh Paul told Timothy about, they should be the most important things in our lives. ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things (that come from the LOVE of money); and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim. 6:11-12) 

Yes my fellow believers, that’s where our focus should lie, in the things of God, not the material wealth of the world, which we cannot take with us when we die. So why focus on those things eh? And the scholars wisely tell us: ‘Man enters the world at birth possessing nothing, in order to teach him that he will exit the world in the same manner – taking nothing with him. This is a divine means of showing man that since material wealth is relatively insignificant, he should pursue the important things mentioned in verse 11.’ 

Now there are some words of wonderful wisdom, which we ought to take to heart my friends. Let’s stop running down money and the material things it can allow us to buy, and instead focus on the things that we cannot buy, but which are even more important in making a good life on this crazy and ungodly earth. And since we’ve run on longer than we expected, we’ll leave the rest of the biblical stuff on money for tomorrow, obviously if God spares life. (smile) 

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

And having declared that (yesss!!!) let’s now go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do. Much LOVE!

…money, money, money…too much of it is no good…neither is too little…but sadly, few of us ever achieve a good balance… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 November 2022 Matthew 6:24b.

01 Nov 2022 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:24b.       Ye cannot serve God and mammon (money, riches).

Well, this new month of November has opened somewhat wet and cloudy in my area. But thankfully all the Halloween nonsense is now over, except the children stuffing their innocent faces with the candy they collected on their ‘trick or treat spree.’ Now, the next big push, the next big money grab is Christmas. And believe me, they have already begun the process for that. As soon as one money making opportunity passes, they jump right into the next one. But that’s the way of our new world, it’s all about the money! 

And I’m chuckling, though somewhat sadly, as I remember talking to a young lady recently about marriage, and she was quite adamant to remain a spinster in her parents’ home unless, and until, she found a man with money. LOVE, unfortunately ran a distant second place to the dinero. I guess, contrary to popular opinion, it’s not LOVE, but money that makes the world go round! And so many of us supposed believers are doing like the world, running down the money. Yes, we all need money to live, but we’re not supposed to let money run or colour our lives. 

That’s Jesus’ position. Remember His most august pronouncements on the subject. ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other: or else he will hold to (be loyal to) the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (money, riches).’ (Matt. 6:24) And though that’s gospel truth, it’s also simple logic. We cannot have two masters running our lives at the same time. But nonetheless, many of us still try to do it, only to confuse and disrupt our lives even more than normal. 

And I like how the scholars explain that verse. ‘This kind of spiritual double vision causes one to believe he can serve two masters. Total loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and loyalty to one’s material possessions. A master is a lord or an owner. That God claims total lordship over His own is obvious in this passage. Therefore, Jesus rightly proclaimed, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. The term ‘mammon’ is derived from the Aramaic term for possessions or wealth. Jesus is not condemning money or possessions in and of themselves, but the improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth.’ 

And is that ever a major problem in this money hungry and wealth conscious society! Thankfully though, Jesus also gave us the antidote for that illogical and ungodly behaviour, when He wisely advised. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

Oh my people, there again, that’s simple logic and common sense! If you make the One True God of this world, the owner of it all, as well as your Creator, your number ONE priority, it’s obvious that He will look after you and provide for all of your needs. You won’t have to go chasing down the money or the material wealth, they will come chasing you down, because there’s no one as generous as your heavenly Father, and He’s just dying to bless His obedient and faithful children! 

And the thing is, when you acquire wealth and riches through Satan, rather than the Lord God Jehovah, those riches can fall through your hands like water through a sieve or strainer. But when you get your wealth through the grace of Almighty God, He guides you to make good decisions, and your wealth stays in your hands. And Jesus is not the only one who warns us in the Good Book, or rather in the Good Library, for the Bible is not a book but a library containing numerous books with a wealth of knowledge and experience on earthly living. (smile) So let’s check out a few of those warnings nuh. 

And I guess this is the warning that most of us know, which comes from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many arrows.’ (1 Tim. 6:10) Yes friends, that says it plain and straightforward; it’s not the money itself, but the LOVE of money, that’s our greed, that causes so many of us to stray away from God and thus ruin our lives. Oh, we cannot covet, or strive after money as the goal of life, as so many of us do, because it almost always drives us to despair and eventual downfall. 

And in that same chapter, Bruh Paul also instructs Timothy thus. ‘Charge (command) them that are rich in this world (present age), that they be not highminded (haughty), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute (give), willing to communicate (share). Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.’ (1 Tim. 6:17-19)

 Ah mih bredrin, yuh see when you are wealthy in earthly goods you are also expected to share that wealth unselfishly and generously with others, laying up heavenly rewards. Note though, as the scholars explain. ‘Salvation is not purchased by the giving of money, but generosity demonstrates the reality of one’s faith. Since the believer trusts God and not money, he gives. This giving shows where his heart is and that he views his wealth in light of eternity.’ Oh friends, I only wish we could say that about the majority of the wealthy people in our current world! 

Then there’s this admonition from James: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be (wants to be) a friend of the world, is (makes himself) the enemy of God.’ (James 4:4) There’s no room for doubt in that statement. To be a true believer, faithfulness to God must be our top priority, and our actions, not just our talk, ought to show that. 

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

It could not be put any simpler or better my brethren: the things of this world pass away, but the things of God, and those who abide in His will, live forever! So, for those of us who choose to abide in God’s will and live forever, let’s go home declaring (chuh man!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. 

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

And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) let’s go out and action it by sharing the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like We do! Much LOVE!

…contrary to popular world opinion…life is not about the money…it’s all about JESUS… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ          

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 October 2021 Matthew 6:24b.

04 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 6:24b.     Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches).

The grace and peace of Christ Jesus be unto you, my fellow believers, on this wet and windy Monday morning in early October of this confusing and crazy year of 2021! And the universe is moving along as it should, under the ever-watchful eye of its magnificent and majestic Creator, Almighty God! We know that nothing happens in the universe unless He sets it in motion, or allows it, for whatever reason He sees fit. 

So, ours is not to reason or wonder why, but just to do His bidding and hope not to die without receiving Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. That says it all friends: our earthly responsibility is to believe in Christ and live a life that is worthy of Him. When we do that, when we make it our first priority, then everything else falls into place. Like Jesus said: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

That’s a faithful promise. Anytime you concentrate on living for Christ, the Lord will take care of all your needs. Bruh Paul emphasized that in his letter to the Philippians. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) Yes, my faithful brethren, when we are faithful to God, He is also faithful to us. He sees the sacrifices and hardships we endure for His name’s sake and will meet our need according to His riches. 

The scholars tell us: ‘that is, in proportion to His unlimited resources. He will meet our needs in glory, that’s ‘gloriously, in a splendid manner, by Christ Jesus.’ What more can we ask for eh? Not a whole lot! However, with that scripture, we must remember that the Good Book is speaking primarily of needs, of the necessities for living, not our fleshly and lustful wants or desires. 

There can be a big difference between needs and wants, especially in this ever so materialistic and ungodly world. And that’s why Jesus also made it clear that ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to (be loyal to) the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches).’ (Matt. 6:24) And that’s just a simple fact of nature, of logic, my brethren. You cannot run after two things with the same intensity at the same time, one of them will inevitably suffer. 

Now hear the scholars explain that verse. ‘6:24. This kind of spiritual double vision causes one to believe that he can serve two masters. Total loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and loyalty to one’s own material possessions. A master is a lord or an owner. That God claims total lordship over His own is obvious in this passage. Therefore, Jesus rightly proclaimed, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. The term ‘mammon’ is derived from the Aramaic term for possessions or wealth. Jesus is not condemning money or possessions in and of themselves, but the improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth.’ 

And sadly, our world today, is maximizing the promotion of total enslavement to wealth and possessions, causing us to strive after money as the goal of life. That’s why these times are so ungodly. No wonder Bruh Paul cautioned Timothy. ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (caused themselves to be ruined).’ (2 Tim. 6:10) 

Remember, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. So, if we are serving mammon to such a great extent, it’s obvious that God will be left far behind, in the lurch, in the dust. And where does that leave us eh friends? In a tough situation. But, as strong and confident Christians, ambassadors of Christ, we will not give up, but keep fighting to get others to come to Jesus, by living godly and righteous lives, and letting His awesome light shine through us, as we cover the earth with His salt. (smile) 

For isn’t that how He referred to us? ‘Ye are the salt of the earth… Ye are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:13a, 14a, 16) And that takes us right back to what we said at the beginning; ours is just to receive Christ and do the Father’s bidding. But unfortunately, we are not doing that as much as we ought to, and that’s why the enemy is in ascendance right now in the world; why the LOVE for money, power and material possessions is so great, and the desire for the things of God way down on the totem pole. 

However, today is as good a day as any other to take the bull by the horns and begin to turn things around. And prayer is where we begin; it’s always the place to start. So, let’s go confidently to the throne of grace for help, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, in this our desperate time of need. 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 please remember my fellow saints, that the answers to our prayer all hinge on our sincerity, humility, repentance and truly seeking God’s face. Much LOVE!

…it’s much wiser to store treasure in heaven…where it cannot rot or be stolen…than down here on earth…where it rots and is continually stolen… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 31 July 2021 Matthew 19:26.

31 Jul 2021 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 19:26.      With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Welcome to laziness day – Saturday! Yes, after a hard work week of slogging back and forth in the rush hour traffic, many of us just want to sleep in and get up leisurely, under our own steam, not to the maddening cry of some alarm clock or radio, as happens five days a week.

Now that was the pre-pandemic picture, but what’s happened or is currently happening eh? Are we seeing a different, or new normal? Many of us had no jobs to go to during the raging storm of the virus, so we got accustomed to sleeping in late several days of the week.

But since the lifting of most of the tougher lockdown regulations, some of us have gone back to the nine to five routine. I wonder how we are handling it, after all that free time at home? It must be taking some getting used to. (smile) It’s surprising how habits formed over many years, can be unlearned or cast aside in a short space of time. And how difficult it can be to relearn them. But fear not! We are the children of the Most High God Jehovah, that means we can do anything that’s within His will, for nothing is impossible to Him! All glory to God! 

That brings us to Jesus’ interaction with the rich young ruler who came seeking eternal life. When Jesus told him to keep the commandments, he said he was already doing that, but figured he lacked something. (Matt. 19:16-20) ‘Jesus then said unto him, If thou wilt be (want to be) perfect, go and sell (all) that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.’ (Matt. 19:21) 

Now that must have been like a powerful punch to the gut of the young man. For the Good Book continues: ‘But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.’ (Matt. 19:22) And many of us supposed believers scoff at the young man, but in his position all of us would have felt the same way, because it is indeed difficult to give up wealth. But Jesus was trying to show the man that although he did the outward duties, there was a problem with his inner nature. 

Yes friends, the worldly concern with wealth seriously affects our relationship with God. As Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy. ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim, 6:10) And is that ever the living truth my brethren! 

Money and wealth or material possessions in themselves are not terrible, but it’s the insatiable LOVE for them that gets us into trouble. So much so that our greed is usually our downfall. When we strive after the riches of this world, we usually end up in trouble, for they do not allow us to take God seriously or move in the direction of His august and awesome plan for our lives. 

No wonder Jesus made these eye-opening statements to the disciples. ‘Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 19:23) Meaning that it was, or is hard, extremely difficult, for a rich man to enter heaven. And the disciples most likely looked at Christ in amazement, with their tongues hanging out of their mouths, for back then it was generally understood that it was the rich who got to heaven easily because they were blessed by God and in some sense, automatically saved. 

But Jesus corrected that misunderstanding by telling them that it was very hard for the rich to be converted, born again and be saved, because of their innate affection for their material wealth, though it was not altogether hopeless. That led Him to make this statement which has caused controversy from the time He spoke it until now. ‘And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’ (Matt. 19:24) 

Mama Yo! What a statement! And ‘When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?’ (Matt. 19:25) Now that’s a very good question my brethren? But let’s focus for a moment on what Jesus meant when He said those controversial words. 

The scholars tell us thus: ‘The illustration of a camel going through the eye of a needle has been interpreted as a camel-hair rope going through a needle; or an actual camel squeezing through a small gate, in particular, the one called “The Eye of the Needle” next to the main gate at Jerusalem, or the absolute impossibility of a literal camel actually going through a tiny needle’s eye. This last usage is most likely.’ 

And, considering Jesus’ next pronouncement, that seems to make sense. ‘But Jesus beheld them (the disciples), and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) I guess He was trying to bring home to them, to open up their young minds to the true and awesome power that their God possessed. So powerful was He, that He could even make a large unwieldly and ungainly camel go through the small eye of a needle. And believe me friends, our God can do it! And until we truly believe that He has such awesome power, we will continue to sell Him, and consequently our faith and ourselves short! 

Oh precious people, if God could create this magnificent universe and all therein, then make Jesus come down to earth, be born of a virgin, with no man’s help, then do all kinds of miracles while being sinless here on earth. And eventually sacrifice His sinless life on the cross for us, pay for our sins and reconcile us to Himself, then have Him ascend back into heaven, and send His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to lead and guide us, why can’t He do such a simple thing as make a camel go through the eye of a needle eh? (smile) 

Seriously though friends, in light of all we have heard and seen our God do, we still don’t believe His omnipotence as we ought to. I guess that’s because of our small, finite minds, they are simply unable to grasp the true magnitude of our great God. But please, let’s keep on trying. The worst thing we could ever do is to stop believing in Him, to give up on Him. Much LOVE!

..our God can do…whatever needs to be done…or undone…because He is the eternal Creator…                                  

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