Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 October 2014 Amos 4:6B

19 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

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

Amos 4:6B.         …yet ye have not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

Well my Friends, brothers, sisters, neighbours, kinsfolk and strangers, it’s Sunday; the Lord’s Day, the Sabbath Day, a day we are supposed to keep holy and magnify the Lord therein!
 
Yes my brethren, it’s calling for the gathering of all and sundry to worship and praise our esteemed Creator, Father God, and our wonderful Deliverer, Jesus Christ, the Name above every other name, to which all knees must bow and all tongues declare that He is Lord indeed!
 
So today, please let the sanctuaries be full of new creations in Jesus, all avidly singing and praising the wondrous name of the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
 
And remember that it doesn’t really matter how many are gathered together, though it would be nice to have all creation, (smile) for Jesus promised that ‘where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.’ (Matt.18:20) So don’t be cowed by a lack of numbers, because it’s not the outward show He’s interested in, but the true state of our hearts.
 
Ah mih people, our God is such a wonderful Deity that it truly amazes me when folks refuse to worship Him! And none more so than the Israelites of old. Imagine it nuh Friends, after He brought them out of dire bondage in Egypt, gave them the Promised Land and prosperity they didn’t work for or even deserve, they had the gall, the ‘boldfaceness’ to turn away from Him! Steups!
 
And even His punishment for their dreadful disobedience didn’t seem to faze them. As the Good Book relates: ‘I have smitten (stricken) you with blasting (blight) and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm (locusts) destroyed them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.’ (Amos 4:9)
 
How foolish and insensitive my brethren! And the Good Book continues: ‘I have sent among you the pestilence (a plague) after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses (along with your captive horses); and I have made the stink (stench) of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.’ (Amos 4:10)
 
Ah Lord eh! One would think that by then they would have gotten the message. But they obviously did not. And the Good Book continues: ‘I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.’ (Amos 4:11)
 
What fools mih breddren! But in reality we can’t judge the Israelites of old too harshly, because we are doing the same foolish thing in our modern society. The Lord raised us up as great nations, but then, when prosperity set in, we behaved as though we did it all in our strength. Chuh! How foolish!
 
And I like how Amos describes it later on. ‘Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought (over nothing), which say, Have we not taken to us horns (a symbol of strength) by our own strength.’ (Amos 6:13)
 
So Friends, we in this modern technological age are just as ignorant, stupid and guilty as the Israelites were in their simple agrarian days. We are hearing the same warnings my people, with all sorts of disasters suddenly raining down on us all over the globe. Old diseases which we thought we had eradicated are coming back – polio, malaria – with new ones ever on the horizon, think of Ebola and Chikungunya.
 
Even our super drugs, antibiotics are no longer as useful, because superbugs are developing that resist them. Poverty, hunger and homelessness are widespread in a world of plenty. Greed and selfishness predominate. Economic fallout is widespread… And everyday we’re moving further and further away from God with our overly sinful, doh-care behaviour.  
 
Oh Friends, you don’t need me to point out the inequities, the shameful and disgraceful aspects of our society, because we are all touched and afflicted by them to some degree.
 
And as I contemplate our current disgusting situation, I’ve come to the conclusion that something is drastically wrong with our brains, because as children we were taught, it was drilled into us, that disobedience brought punishment. And we most certainly experienced it when we were foolish enough to disobey the authority in our lives, whether they were our parents, school teachers, the law, or even strangers!
 
So how now that we’re adults, when we should be wiser, we have turned against our wonderful, ever-LOVING and magnanimous God, Creator and Provider eh?
 
No wonder Jesus compared those fit for the kingdom of heaven to little children. ‘Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt.18:3-4)
 
Obviously Friends, from our proud and disgusting behaviour, it’s obvious that we’re not humbling ourselves as little children, which means that our place in heaven is somewhat dicey.
 
And as the Lord eventually said to His chosen people: ‘Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. 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 4:12-13)
 
That’s a powerful warning my people! As the scholars declare: ‘4:12-13. Prepare to meet thy God warns that God is not going to visit Israel with salvation, but rather with inevitable and complete judgement.’  
 
And unfortunately my people, He’s established the same destruction for us, if we continue in our evil, ungodly ways down the path of disobedience that we have so unwisely chosen to tread.
 
Please remember that He is our Creator and Controller, His thoughts and ways are much higher than ours, and He doesn’t play the silly mind games that we play. His patience is long, and He gives more than enough rope to hang ourselves. So let’s consider ourselves warned, and be wise and return to the Lord. That is the ultimate in wisdom! Much LOVE!
 
…continual .disobedience to God’s Law breeds only one thing…eventual punishment of death and destruction…but true repentance…oh my my… it joyfully  brings forgiveness and salvation…

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 November 2013 Genesis 12:2.

14 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

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

Genesis 12:2.   And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.
 
Ah mih people, once again the Lord has seen it fit to bless us with another glorious day of life on Planet Earth! Isn’t that wonderful? It sure is! And for that let’s give Him a loud shout of  ‘Thank You Lord, for being so good to us! We praise You and Bless Your Holy Name. Amen.’
 
And I won’t get into any long preamble today, (smile) because in this promise there’s a lot of scripture I want to share. Remember we’re currently dealing with the promises of God to man. And today’s promise is one of the greatest promises ever given by our omnipotent God to one of His creations. It’s His call to Abram.
 
Hear how it starts: ‘Now the Lord had said unto Abram (High Father), Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ (Gen.12:1-3)
 
Oh Friends, what a great promise for a move of obedience. The Lord called Abram to leave his father’s house in Haran to go out, only the Lord knew where.
 
However my fellow believers, it’s very important that we study, pay great attention to Abram’s behaviour, his great faith and fortitude, for as believers, the Lord’s constantly leading and guiding us to do things and go places that seem to have no basis in the reality of our situations. But like Abram, once we’re convinced the guidance and direction is of our God, then we need to make tracks and do it.
 
Now Abram had no way of knowing where the Lord was planning to take him, or what sort of life he was going to have. For heaven’s sake, he was already seventy-five years old, wealthy and quite settled in his ways. The only thing he lacked was a child, an heir from his own loins.
 
So why would he pull up stakes at that late stage of his life and head out with his whole family and his possessions on some nomadic journey that some unknown God told him to take eh?
 
On the face of it, the many negatives definitely outweighed the positives. In fact, judging from the outward aspects of the situation, there were no positives whatsoever. But despite all the negatives that seemed to colour the situation, something in Abram made him do it.
 
I guess the Lord filled that little reserved space in Abram’s soul with His Spirit. The same space that is reserved for God alone in all His human creations.
 
The promises were indeed enormous, but I don’t know if at seventy-five, with wealth and comfort to last my lifetime, I’d want to journey into the great unknown, just to father a great nation, or to make my name great.
 
Oh, I’d better shut up here yes, because knowing the Lord’s penchant for making one eat one’s words and for drama, at seventy five, He’ll just find some new mountain for me to climb. (smile)
 
‘So I’m sorry Lord. I take that back. That was just a slight aberration on my part. Please forgive me. I’ll go anywhere you send me, at any age. Thank You Lord for your mercy and forgiveness. In Jesus’ name I pray.’
 
Doh laugh nuh Friends, I’ve made that kind of mistake before, and paid dearly for it.
 
Anyway people, God also made other promises to Abram. When Abram and his nephew Lot separated – remember Lot went with him on the nomadic journey – because the land was too small for all their herds and people to live comfortably.
 
While Lot went toward the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord said to Abram: ‘Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (descendants) for ever.
 
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.’ (Gen13:14-18)
 
The only problem though Friends, is that Abram was possibly eighty by then, and his wife Sarai around seventy, so where were these descendants like the dust of the earth going to come from eh? But that didn’t seem to bother Abram, he kept on believing in the Lord, having faith in His pronouncements.
 
Another key point here is how would we have reacted? Right now we know more about God and His strengths, purpose and plans than Abram ever dreamed about, but yet we still hem and haw when God directs us to do simple tasks in His Name.
 
Can you imagine if forty years ago, He’d told to me to pull up stakes in T&T and go to cold, rough, foreign Canada where I’d make a big name for myself, what would my reaction had been? I doubt I would have just done it. Though, for all you know, He might have purposely engineered the job frustration I felt in T&T, which eventually made me leave.
 
Like Abram, I was doing well, lacked for nothing in the Government’s job, except job satisfaction, with all the foolish politics being played in higher places hampering the work I was hired to do. And since my mother was already in Canada, I figured it wouldn’t be too difficult to get here.
 
But it hasn’t been easy, and the job satisfaction hasn’t really been any better. At least in T&T we don’t pretend to have this great work ethic, as they do in Canada. In T&T I would certainly have had a much easier and possibly more successful life.
 
So Friends, please be careful of what you wish for, of the frustration you find in what you have or do, because in many cases, what you rush off to, is much worse than what you left behind.
 
Anyway my brethren, with those words of wisdom, we’ll close for today. I have to chuckle because I never planned to get into my situation, but the Spirit just brought it to mind, and it just seemed to fit naturally. In any case I couldn’t have got in all the scriptures I wanted today, so God willing, tomorrow we’ll continue looking at Abram and all the promises God made him.
 
Till then, please let’s listen closely to whatever God is saying to us, and obey His dictates, because He knows the plans He has for us, ‘thoughts of peace, and not evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). (Jer.29:11) That’s a divine promise, so please let’s be wise and heed it. Much LOVE!
 
…our omnipotent God…has NEVER…and WILL NEVER renege on a promise…since He can do whatever He promises…

 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 April 2013 Malachi 3:10

02 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

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

Malachi 3:10.    Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
 
Oh Friends, on this Resurrection Tuesday morning, the ole fella’s coming out shouting: ‘I, I am blessed. I want to tell the world, that I, I am blessed!’ 
The man Melo G sings that song, and says that if you have a roof over your head, shoes on your feet, clothes on your back and food on your table, then you’re indeed blessed. And mih people, I have all those things, therefore I must be blessed! Most of us also have them all, that means you too are blessed! So we can all sing: ‘We, we are blessed. Let’s tell the world that we, we are blessed!’ And that’s the gospel truth Friends! So please don’t forget it. When things aren’t looking so good, remember that we’re more blessed than 90 percent of the world, and that 90 percent will very gladly take what we have and be exceedingly grateful. Now here’s a most pertinent quote for this time of year, attributed to the famous American Poet, Emily Dickinson (1830-1886). It says: ‘Spring is a happiness so beautiful, so unique, so unexpected, that I don’t know what to do with my heart.’ And that’s oh so true! Those of you who have never experienced the deadness and deadliness of winter, won’t be able to understand the depth of emotion that spring brings. It’s such a refreshing joy, such newness of life, with everything growing, just springing up, being alive again, the air filled with all the beautiful sights, sounds and smells of a renewed, resurrected Mother Nature. It’s just like this season of Easter, with Jesus rising triumphantly from the grave after a winter in Hades. (smile) Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ Ah Friends, though our Bit has been in existence for donkey’s years (smile), it still causes serious contention even to this day. The first mention of tithes is when Melchizedek the king of Salem blessed Abraham, when he was still Abram, after he’d fought off the heathen kings who had besieged Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding area. (Gen.14:1-16)  ‘And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth. And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes (a tenth) of all.’ (Gen.14:18-20) And since this is such a misunderstood subject, I guess we should include some explanation on that scripture from the scholars. ‘Melchizedek king of Salem probably was not a theophany (a visible manifestation to human kind of God or a god, or simply the appearance of God) but an actual king of Jerusalem or Salem (cf.Ps.76:2). He typifies Christ and His priesthood according to Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 7. He is a priest of the most high God. It is interesting to note believers besides Abram and his descendants in this limited account (chs.12-50). He gave him tithes of all: Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek, indicating Melchizedek’s superior priesthood, since Levi (Israel’s high priest) was considered to be in the body (seminally) of Abram when he paid tithes to Melchizedek (Heb.7:9-10).’ But the whole tithe scene seems to have really unfolded when the Lord appeared to Jacob at Bethel and blessed him, and he in return promised: ‘And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth (a tithe) unto thee.’ (Gen.28:20-22) And we all know how the Lord blessed Jacob after that, with much goods and many offspring and changed his name to Israel, from whom the many (12) tribes of Israel were descended. Later on, for those same 12 tribes of Israel, it became an unchangeable edict in the laws Moses gave to the Israelites from God. ‘And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord. And if a man will at all redeem aught of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy: it shall not be redeemed.’ (Lev.27:30-33) Oh fellow believers in Christ, yuh see how adamant the Lord was about the givings of His people! And the scholars’ have a good explanation to all of that. ‘The tithe, comprising 10 percent of all the produce, is regarded as the offering due from the people to the true owner of the land (God) (25:23). If the tithe were to be redeemed, the normal 20 percent premium was to be paid to the priests. This chapter points out that holiness is more than a matter of divine call and correct ritual. It actually requires the total consecration of a man’s life to God’s service. It involves giving oneself, one’s family and all of one’s possessions to God.’ And isn’t that the living truth my brethren? It sure is! It’s also interesting that the law dictated if you try to redeem your tithe, you have to pay a 20 percent premium. It’s just like our mortgages or most contracts we sign today; (smile) we have to pay extra to get out of them early, or just to get out of them period. Oh my people, our God doesn’t want merely a part of us, the part that we find it most convenient to give, but He wants ALL of us! And so it should rightfully be, because He’s our Creator, our Provider, our Protector and our Saviour. In fact He determines EVERYTHING about our lives! That means we can’t just be part-time believers and followers as so many of us seem to think and try to be. Anyway Friends, time and space are upon us, so we’ll end here for today, and continue tomorrow with this most interesting and very controversial topic, with the Lord’s consent of course. But believe me, it’s a tried and true formula! Till tomorrow then. In the meantime, please, let’s ponder our personal situation re tithes, and see how we match up to it, and try to match up as best we can. Remember we can’t fool our omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present God. Much LOVE!…the Lord knows our substance…and blesses us in proportion to our giving to His holy church… P.S. Oh Friends, please excuse the lateness of the Bit. It’s long but very informative and I spent more time editing it than I’d intended to. Plus I had to run outside just now and put out the garbage, since I heard the garbage truck tooling around in the neighbourhood. But lo and behold, what do you think greeted me out there; snow flurries. Hn! And this is supposed to be the third week of spring. But them’s the breaks! We just have to grin and bear it, while rolling with the punches. (smile) Much LOVE! 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 November 2012 John 3:36

07 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

John 3:36.    He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
 
Oh Friends, it’s all over now, bar the shouting! Barack Obama has been re-elected as President of the U.S.A, and I believe he was indeed the better of the two candidates. However my people, the next step will be the most important in this era of U.S. politics, meaning unless there is some UNITY, some give and take, some compromise on either side of the two major parties, the U.S. will continue to slide into the abyss of poverty and disenchantment, where they are now headed. The staunch holding on to party ideology is nothing but a selfish, egotistical, ploy for political power, and helps the country in no manner whatsoever, but drags it down, and makes it a laughingstock of the rest of the world. Everybody claims to have God and the country’s best interest at heart, but that’s only empty rhetoric, when the two sides of the government, one controlled by either party, would rather see the country embarrassed, and the government brought to its knees because of their intransigence over budget cuts and deficits. And who ran up the deficit through unnecessary wars and tax breaks to the undeserving wealthy? The last Republican President! He took eight years to make a mess of the country, but then they expected Obama to fix it in four, especially when hindered by the economic depression caused by the unrelenting greed and crookedness of that same wealthy elite. Ah Lord eh! Anyway Friends, as we’ve already decided, this is a time of prayer, not only for the U.S and its leaders, but also for the whole world. So let’s pray diligently that all leaders, as well as citizens, will wake up and realize that our world is spinning out of control, and that only repentance and a return to sincerely worshipping and serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will bring any reprieve. And the fact that over the last forty or so years America has become one of the most sinful, if not the most sinful nation on the planet doesn’t help matters, because as we keep saying, as America goes, so does most of the world. To be honest, the whole Western world has moved so far away from the God of their ancestors, that we’re now being likened to Sodom and Gomorrah, the twin cities of evil in the Old Testament, which the Lord finally destroyed with brimstone and fire when He could no longer stand their evil abominations. When will we understand eh Friends, that the Lord will give us a leash to do as we please for only so long, and if we insist on constant disobedience and rebellion, He’s going to pull that leash tight and call us to account? And our Bit clearly reminds us of that. ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.’ It doesn’t take a rocket scientist mentality to understand that my people. And the sad part is that we’ve had so many examples over the course of history, from the Israelites of old, to all the modern Western colonial powers, who began as godly societies, but once they got big and prosperous by the hand of the Lord, perished by that same hand, when they later got too big for their breeches, figuring that it was their own power that allowed them to rise to the top. But somehow or other, every nation that finds themselves in that predicament always thinks that they are the exception to the rule. Unfortunately Friends, there are no exceptions, and we still won’t learn that. As the old people would say, like what ever Lucifer gave us to rub, we ate instead, then became disoriented and foolish. But anyway my brethren, please listen to the truth of the matter from Jesus Himself. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that (the) light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (exposed). But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.’ (John 3:16-21) That says it all Friends! And you can’t dispute that right now our world revels in darkness and the things that relate to it. Just look at the movies, books and video games that are currently being favoured, too many of them are based on darkness and the evil stuff that flows from it. Meanwhile, the things to do with LIGHT, LOVE and GOD, have all been placed on the back burner or being slowly but methodically phased out and/ orerased. That certainly does not say or do very much for us re being godly nations. My people, I can only encourage us to pray sincerely for the strength and determination, the faith and LOVE of God to powerfully rise up in us believers, that we might go out into the world and make a big and positive difference. Otherwise…crapaud soon smoke we pipe. Much LOVE!…only when good intentions…are turned into positive action…are they of any true value…
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 March 2012 Obadiah 1:4‏

12 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  Obadiah 1:4  Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.

Oh my fellow brethren in Christ, it’s Monday! The call to arms has already sounded, and our brilliant Field Marshall, Jesus, is already out surveying the battlefield, planning his strategy. You know He gets up early every morning to commune with the Father before tackling the day’s tasks. We can’t afford to be resting on our laurels, for while we’re doing that, the enemy is out there making hay in the sunshine. (smile) So let’s get up and get a move on. But first, let’s take a moment ourselves to commune with the Father by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one, heaven-reaching 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!’ And now Friends, with the Holy Spirit boldly coursing through us, and being safely ensconced in our spiritual armour, let’s hit the battlefield and show the evil enemy the might and power of Jesus and His righteous, upstanding soldiers, fearlessly singing: ‘Onward Christian soldiers, marching unto war, with the Cross of Jesus, going on before!’ And when we meet the brazen and bumptious enemy, please let them know that: ‘The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?’ (Obad.1:3) But they boldface eh! Who shall bring them down? Well the answer is in our Bit: ‘Though thou exalt thyself as (high as) the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.’ And to that, all God’s people shouted a deafening ‘Amen!’ Yes my people, our God will eventually humble all those who arrogantly and proudly exalt themselves, without taking His majesty into consideration! Obadiah’s prophecy was against Edom, the Edomites, descendants of Esau, who, according to the scholars, lived in a mountainous desert area of the Promised Land, and who felt they were safe and secure because of their mountain stronghold. They became prosperous by taxing caravans that passed through their territory. Apparently they helped Nebuchadrezzar invade Judah (Lam.4:21-22) and also expanded their own land into Judah, (Jacob’s descendants) forming the land of Idumea, and were then mostly known as Idumeans, but between wars, political machinations, and the coming of the Roman Empire, they eventually disappeared from history. Thus was the prophecy of Obadiah fulfilled on them, and also that of Jeremiah: ‘For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen (nations), and despised among men. Thy terribleness (fierceness) hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make they nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord. Also Edom shall be a desolation (an astonishment): everyone that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.’ (Jer.49:15-18) Oh Friends, when the Lord’s out to get you, it’s impossible to escape! That’s why our current ungodliness and sinful behaviour is a very vexing and truly foolish show of pride, idolatry and earthly lusts, the things which the Lord God Jehovah most detests, because they don’t give Him His proper reverence and respect.  Remember His first commandments were to not have any other gods but Him, also not to make graven images of anything on earth, in heaven or the sea, nor bow down to them. But sadly, that’s what we’re doing right now; worshipping earthly treasures, placing them before Him. In fact we’re doing our best to get rid of Him altogether from our society. And do we expect to really live happily ever after by doing that? Oh Friends, that’s just Lucifer and his evil associates poisoning our minds against the Most High God, creator and ruler of the universe. It’s a most unwise decision, for if we read the Good Book we’ll see that every society which tried to get rid of Him or didn’t hold Him in proper reverence was eventually punished. What’s it going to take for us to wake up to that reality eh? We’re already being bombarded by all kinds of unusual calamities; wars and strife all over the world, financial and economic disasters, climate irregularities, poverty, sickness, oppression, homelessness, like we haven’t seen in ages, and with our world at the height of its evolution too. What explains it all? Only one thing Friends: disobedience to God’s Word. Please my people, we’ve tried all the man made solutions, and none have worked, they’ve only made matters worse. So let’s smarten up nuh, let’s turn back to the God of our fathers, it’s the only thing left for us to try. As I keep pleading, for our children’s sake let’s repent of our misdeeds and ask the Lord for forgiveness. You know He’ll be only too glad to comply, if we come to Him with truly repentant hearts, for He is indeed a God of compassion and mercy. That’s the only true wisdom of the ages my people! Let’s not go down in history as the generation that lost it all. Much LOVE!…though all seems lost…give God a chance…and He will surely save the day…