Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 December 2023   1 John 2:15a.

30 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

1 John 2:15a.        LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

And here it is, another lazy-day Saturday clouded in darkness and drizzle! The eve of New Years’s Eve to boot! The time when preparations for the big day are at an all time high. But I don’t think the inclement weather will stop the celebrations, or even curtail it much, for in years past when it was snow instead of rain, everything went on as normal. It seems we will brace any kind of weather to celebrate the incoming New Year. However, for those of us who are not into all the hoopla of the time, and just want to be lazy and relax quietly with God and our thoughts, after all the hullabaloo of Christmas, this wet and cloudy day is admirably suited for it. 

So let’s turn to God and open up our hearts and souls to him, through our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

Ah friends, it’s ever so good to be quiet and talk to out heavenly Father, knowing that He hears us and will react favourably to our requests to grow closer to Him. And there’s really nothing in this world that pleases God more than when we seek to have greater intimacy with Him, because that’s the main purpose for which He created us; to have close fellowship, enjoyable communion together. And sadly, that’s where many of us believers, and the world in general has fallen down; we don’t favour close fellowship and communion with God, our Creator and Controller. 

Now, isn’t that somewhat foolish, not to want to communicate with the One who made you and still pulls all your strings? I would say it’s downright foolish, since within our own strength we can’t do a whole lot. Jesus puts it very clearly: ‘without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And as Moses says in the Good Library: ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other Gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God.’ (Deut. 8:18-20) 

No wonder we’re suffering so many trials and tribulations in these ghastly times! We have certainly turned away from the Lord God Jehovah and served and worshipped other supposed gods. We are even attempting to get rid of Him completely from our society. What madness, what foolishness! Do you really think the Creator of the universe will allow some mickey mouse creation of His, called mankind, to overthrow Him? No way Jose! Look at Satan, as the archangel Lucifer, he tried the same foolishness, to overthrow God. 

And what happened to him eh? He was unceremoniously kicked out of heaven along with the other foolish angels who sided with him, to walk the earth and dwell in hellfire in sorrow and pain, eternally separated from the One True God! Is that what we want for ourselves and our families? It would certainly seem so, since so many of us have turned away, or are turning away from the God of our forefathers and embracing some pagan form of religion like materialism that the world favours so much. But friends, that’s the wisdom of a fool, for you cannot carry any of that material stuff with you when you die. You only take what you brought with you, your soul! 

And as Jesus so gravely warned. ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) But we seem to fear mankind who can only kill our bodies, much more than Jehovah God who can destroy both our bodies and souls in hell, as he has already done with the fool Satan, the prince of darkness and foolishness, whom we seem so intent on following. Oh my people the scriptures tell us so often that it’s unwise to follow any other deity than the One and ONLY True God. 

That’s the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, who created the world and all therein and stills controls it, and will NEVER give up what He created. But we simply refuse to listen and keep going our own way, only to suffer the pangs of the devil and hell. When are we going to wake up and realize that the devil is only out to cause confusion, hatred and violence on the earth eh? Anything that will turn us away from God is what the enemy is searching for and ever so ready and willing to use. And unfortunately, we give him so many opportunities to enter our souls and disturb and destroy them when we don’t stay close to God; don’t read His word, don’t pray, don’t talk to Him and obey His holy will. 

That’s why James also warns us to ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God and he will draw nigh (near) to you… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7, 8a, 10) And Peter likewise cautions us: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) And the Lord showed His heartfelt care and compassion when He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary to save us from our abominable sins. So how can we believe, much less say that He doesn’t care for us eh? 

And we’ll close with this other warning from John written in his first epistle. ‘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-interest), 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) 

Oh friends, when are we going to wake up to the reality that there’s no greater force in this world than Jehovah God, it’s Creator and Controller, and He cares for us and desires us to spend eternal life with Him? If we allow Satan to plunge the world in much more darkness, then it might just be too late. Let’s be wise and make the necessary changes in our lives and in our world right now nuh. Much LOVE!

…he who doesn’t hear…will surely feel…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 December 2023 Romans 5:8.

19 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

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

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

Oh friends, this Tuesday of Christmas week has turned out to be somewhat contrary. (smile) It’s windy and cold, with a sprinkling of snow on the ground, and a cloudy kind of sunshine overshadowing the whole thing. Apparently, we had a snow warning for last night, but thankfully it did not hit our neighbourhood. But who knows what today will bring weatherwise, so if you’re going out, please be prepared for anything. And also, as we go about our Christmas preparations, let’s remember to always have Christ in mind as being the true reason for the season. We’ve already had the greatest gifts ever; the birth of Christ and His redemption of our sins, now we just have to trust and obey, for there’s no better way, to be happy in this crazy, evil and ungodly world. 

Now here’s a li’l prayer to remind us of all that our wonderful and ever magnanimous God does for us. Please pray with me: ‘The LIGHT of God surrounds me. The LOVE of God enfolds me. The POWER of God protects me. The PRESENCE of God watches over me. Where ever I am, God is there! And ALL is well! Yes ALL is well! Amen!’ And that ought to be a big, heartfelt, sincere ‘Amen’ because of the numerous ways in which Jehovah God surrounds and protects us. Just imagine nuh, we have His LIGHT surrounding us, His LOVE enfolding us, His POWER protecting us, and His PRESENCE constantly watching over us! Wow! We can’t ask for any more than that, because there’s nothing more to be had, that’s everything! 

Ah mih people, if we truly knew and understood how our heavenly Father cares for us, the breadth and depth of His LOVE and compassion, towards us, His most important and favoured creation, we would never, or rather, we’d try our very best not to ever disobey or disappoint Him. And I don’t believe there’s anything bigger and better that He could have done after we fell into the bondage of sin and disobedience than send His ONLY Son to take our abominable sins on His sinless shoulders and sacrifice His life on the cross of Calvary, so that we could be redeemed, be reconciled to Him. How many of us would do anything like that for a bunch of worthless sinners eh? Very few of us, if any! 

However, the Word tells us: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated His own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) And later on in that same letter to the church at Rome, Bruh Paul reiterated his convictions by writing: ‘( Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:39) In other words, nothing whatsoever can ever separate us from God’s LOVE that is to be found in Christ Jesus! 

Meanwhile, Jesus Himself pointed out the great LOVE that the Father has for us, when He said to Nicodemus, the Pharisee who came to Him by night seeking answers to confusing questions. ‘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.’ (John 3:16-17) 

Now, that’s the kind of LOVE and compassion God has for us! But do we truly believe or appreciate it? No way! Otherwise our lives would not be in such a sad state of disarray, of willful sin and disobedience, and Christ’s church would not be the breeding ground it is, for all sorts of ungodly stuff. Neither would we forget and/or neglect to remember that this season of Christmas, when Christ was born, is the beginning of the story of our marvellous and miraculous redemption, that ends with Christ’s earth-shattering resurrection on that first Easter morn! 

Instead of our current behaviour and lifestyle, we ought to be saying and believing like the psalmist Asaph did in his famous Psalm 73, after being deceived by the prosperity of the wicked, then going into the Lord’s sanctuary and realizing their eventual destruction: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart (my rock), and my portion for ever… But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:26 &28) 

Oh my fellow believers, if we could only make those things true in our own lives, what a wonderful world we’d have! Drawing near to God, surrendering our all to Him, and faithfully declaring (steups!!!) His mighty works are the things we so badly need right now, so that we can fight the good fight of faith that’s staring us in the face, as Satan ramps up his offensive against the people of God. That’s why James warns and encourages us to: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10) 

Yes friends, that’s where it all begins; by drawing nearer to God, humbling ourselves in His sight, and overall cleaning up our lives. Now, James ends that passage with a further warning and admonishment, but I’ve kept it separate, because it’s of ever so much importance in our current society. He concludes it thus: ‘Speak not evil one of another brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another.’ (James 4:11-12) 

Ah mih  people, evil speaking, lying, slandering, gossiping and the many other forms of verbal abuse are running rampant in our society because of the proliferation of social media and our technological revolution. And with the recent improvements of Artificial Intelligence, it’s slated to become even worse. The sad part of it all though is because of this technical revolution, we can spread bad and false news without risk of incurring the necessary consequences. Thus, too many of us talk and are judgemental about things we know absolutely nothing about, therefore breeding even more evil in our society. 

And yes, we will all have opinions on all sorts of topics, but please, let’s try and restrict spreading them nuh, especially the ones we know nothing about. That would indeed be a valuable start to cleaning up our gossipy, lying world. Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel! As one 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!’ 

Now, let’s go out and do just that nuh; trust our awesome friend Jesus and share His amazing LOVE with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…all talk and no action…gets us nowhere fast… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 November 2023 James 4:7.

25 Nov 2023 Leave a comment

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

James 4:7.       Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

And this last lazy-day Saturday in November seems to have opened somewhat cold and cloudy, but with an underlying promise of sunshine. (smile) Can you imagine though, that in another few days November will be over…and then it will be Christmas? But yuh better believe that Christmas is already in the air, the music is on the radio and the lights are up on the outside trees and houses, and all the Christmas sales are being advertised. Like people were just waiting with bated breath to break into the Christmas season. I know the business people certainly are, because that’s usually the time of year they have their best sales. 

But despite all of the Christmas hoopla that’s on the way, I want us to be peaceful and relaxed, though joyful as we get ready to welcome and celebrate the awesome incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And hopefully our Lazy-Day Saturday prayer will help us to do just that. (smile) So let’s pray it like we mean it. 

As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And especially in these troubled and godless times it’s of overwhelming importance that we get to know our great God better than ever, because that’s the only thing that will keep us from falling into the unsavoury and evil arms of the devil. And is he ever on the rampage these days, as he sees his kingdom exploding with new followers. That’s why James so assuredly warns us: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ (James 4:7) 

Yes friends, if we stand strong against the devil, don’t submit to fear or run from him, he will flee from us, for he cannot draw us into sin against our wishes. However, we cannot stand up strong to him until we have submitted ourselves to Almighty God! For it’s the grace and mercy of God which gives us the power to turn away from the evil one, to put him in his rightful place. So, please understand, that unless we’ve sincerely submitted ourselves to our heavenly Father, we won’t be able to drive away or resist the evil enemy who is constantly badgering us to commit sins and wrongdoings against the Word of God, deeds, acts and thoughts that most certainly don’t fit who we are as children of the Most High God. 

And James continues his exhortation: ‘Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.’ (James 4:8) And as per that verse, the scholars give us some explanations. They say that when you draw near to God, ‘He will not be unmoved. His welcoming response is always near.’ And they give references on that subject to Deut. 4:7; Lam. 3:57; and Luke 15:20, which we’ll preview here, because it’s more pertinent to us today than the other scriptures. 

It’s Jesus telling the parable of the prodigal son, who after wasting his fortune in a faraway land, and finally coming to his senses, decides to go back home to his father as a servant. Jesus tells us: ‘And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.’ (Luke 15:20) Oh my fellow saints, that’s exactly how our heavenly Father treats us when we come back to His fold. Note though, He’s always on the lookout for us. How could the father see him from so far away if he wasn’t looking for him eh? Likewise our heavenly Father is always waiting and looking for us to turn from our evil ways and come back to Him. 

And as per the cleansing of hands and purifying of hearts, the scholars tell us: ‘The cleansing of one’s life must involve both outward deeds and inner thoughts.’ And they reference Psalm. 24:3-4, which says: ‘Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity (unto an idol), nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek thy face, O Jacob, Selah.’ (Ps. 24:3-6) 

Yes my brethren, I gave us more than the scholars referenced because I believed we should know exactly what the clean hands and pure hearts will eventually get us; blessings and righteousness from our wonderful God. (smile) That’s why we need to do our best to have clean hands and pure hearts, which is not an easy thing to do in this violent and evil world. But if we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and His Holy Spirit as our earthly Guide and Comforter, then we are fully equipped to do whatever the Father requires of us. 

We just have to listen to and obey the Holy Spirit’s voice, read and study the Word of God, and do our best to put it into action, for faith without works is dead, is of no use to God nor man. And that, my fellow saints, is our sincere prayer for us all this last lazy-day Saturday in November; our total obedience to the Holy Spirit, as the Word of God richly percolates and moves within us, and we let our lights shine, our good works be manifested before men, so that they can glorify our Father in heaven! Much LOVE!

…if our hands and hearts are not clean…how can we ever glorify our wonderful God…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 November 2023 James 4:10.

13 Nov 2023 Leave a comment

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

James 4:10.        Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

And we’ve been blessed with a bright sunny Monday to begin our new work week, with double digit temperatures! Please give the Lord some thanks and praise for it, because it could have easily been rain and snow instead! (smile) Ah friends, I do hope that we’re out there blowing away the heathen with our superb salty flavour and blinding them with our heavenly light, so that they can know we’re not just ordinary people, but sincere followers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the One who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary so that our sin debt could be paid in full, and we could thus be reconciled back to our heavenly father. Glory be! 

What a wonderful Lord and Saviour is our Jesus! He is the shepherd of our souls: He said it Himself: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep….I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:11, 14) And not only is Jesus our good shepherd, but He’s also the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father but through him! (John 14:6) Wow! Jesus has the best way for us to live this earthly life! In other words, He’s our EVERYTHING! And we are NOTHING without Him! 

Listen as He tells it loud and clear: ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5) 

Mama Mia! What a powerful, all-encompassing statement! Without Jesus we can’t do much of anything. And that’s the gospel truth, for the universe and all there is belongs to Him, He created it, for His pleasure. Bruh David said it thus in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2) 

And likewise friends, the Lord created us in His own spiritual image to honour and glorify Him. He breathed the breath of life into each human being He created and can just as summarily take it away. And we had better learn to respect that li’l piece of info, for it’s why, when the Grim Reaper appears to take us home, we are helpless to say no. 

Furthermore, since the earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord, that means it’s also the Lord who allows us to get wealth and live the good and comfortable life. As Moses reminded the Hebrew children so long ago on their way to the Promised Land. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.’ (Deut. 8:18) In fact my faithful brethren it’s the Lord who gives us power to get or do anything whatsoever! And physical wealth and abundance is one of God’s great blessings for those who are obedient and follow His divine will. 

And since God did not want us to be merely robots, He gave us what we call free choice; the ability to do as we please. However, that free choice does come with serious repercussions if we don’t do His will. He gave us the free choice expecting that we’d be wise enough to use it follow Him not the evil Satan, like so many of us are doing. And that’s why the sin and evil in this world are eating us up and spitting us out like wood chips from a wood factory. We cannot control the evildoers and their evil deeds by our own efforts. No, we need the health and strength and the complete wherewithal of Christ Jesus to do it. 

And it’s not always easy to fight off the devil, but as James says it begins thus: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10) Now that right there says it all friends. We need to humble ourselves in God’s sight, not behave proud and arrogant and like we have no need for Him. 

As James says earlier on: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will (wants) to be a friend of the world, is (makes himself) the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy (yearns jealously)? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’ (James 4:4-6) 

Oh my people, once upon a time we were complete enemies of God, but when the time was right He sent Jesus to die for us so that we could become His children once again. Now we have the choice, the option of being a child of God or one of Satan. It only makes complete sense to choose the best option, that of being a son of God, for the other option only leads to hellfire and damnation. But that calls for humbling ourselves before Him. So let’s do that right now nuh, approach the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for divine help. 

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. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but 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. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us 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 if we’ve truly learned our lesson, then we’ll turn from our evil ways and humble ourselves before Almighty God! Much LOVE!

…the Lord hates the haughty…they are an abomination unto Him… (Prov. 6:17)

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 June 2023 John 15:5b.

25 Jun 2023 Leave a comment

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

John 15:5b.           …for without me ye can do nothing.

One more Sunday to gather to praise and worship our wonderful God, my fellow believers! Isn’t that just an awesome privilege and pleasure to be able to raise our voices high and glorify and exalt His Holy Name? It surely is! And today we’re going to open with an old favourite, ‘One More River To Cross.’  

Yes friends, today we going to belt out some soulful, down home Southern, hand clapping, bluesy gospel. So, without further ado let’s raise those sacrifices of praise, that sweet savour of praise, heavenward, in a rousing rendition of the song. First, we open with a spoken intro borrowed from the song ‘One More Mountain to Climb,’ which sounded very appropriate for our song too. (smile) 

It says: ‘(Hey Lord, my troubles never seem to end, Tell me, are you still my friend? I got such a heavy load. When will I reach that glory road?) Then we break in to the swinging Chorus: ‘One more river to cross, one more mountain to climb One more valley that I’ve gotta go thru then I’m leaving my troubles behind One more battle with the devil, then I know he’ll understand I’m going thru with Jesus, Hallelujah, Holding to His nail scarred hand, holding to His nail scarred hand.’ 

I’ve had a lot of troubles and trials, in my little life span When I’m standing alone, and the battle gets hard, I always do the best I can I’ve crossed a million valleys, and shed a million tears, But when I come to the River of Jordan, Hallelujah, then I’ll have no fear (repeat) (Chorus One more river to cross, one more mountain to climb One more valley that I’ve gotta go thru then I’m leaving my troubles behind One more battle with the devil, then I know he’ll understand I’m going thru with Jesus, Hallelujah, Holding to His nail scarred hand, holding to His nail scarred hand.) 

Yes, There’s been a lot of people talking ‘bout me since I’ve walked this narrow way But that’s just another little valley, I came thru it when I prayed, I’ve climbed a lot of high mountains and crossed a lot of little streams But when I see ol’ Jordan cold and dark, that’ll be the last for me (repeat)  (Chorus One more river to cross, one more mountain to climb One more valley that I’ve gotta go thru then I’m leaving my troubles behind One more battle with the devil, then I know he’ll understand I’m going thru with Jesus, Hallelujah, Holding to His nail scarred hand, holding to His nail scarred hand.) repeat.’ 

Oh friends, that’s the only wise and sensible way to go through this earthly life; holding on to the nail scarred hands of Christ! Without His assistance, we’d be lost before we even began. Remember His memorable words in John 15. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15: 4-5) 

And I like how Jesus never pulls any punches, always tells it straight out like it is. He says in no uncertain terms; ‘without me ye can do nothing.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people. Without Christ we can never cross those rivers, or climb those mountains or wander through the valleys of life. In fact, we’d never make it to ol’ Jordan and cross over to the Promised Land. But with Jesus’ nail scarred hands in ours. We are safe and secure, not frightened of the defeated devil, who now only has a big bark but no bite, since Christ defeated him in the battle for hell, death and the grave, and rose triumphantly on that Easter Morn, some two thousand years ago! 

And Bruh Paul corroborates Christ’s statement, as if it needed corroboration (smile) when he wrote to the church at Corinth: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) But the thing about the devil is that he refuses to take no for an answer, he’s very stubborn and persevering, wish we could be that stubborn and persevering in our walk with Jesus. And he just keeps coming back, again and again, with every means of temptation known to him. 

And if we’re not careful, and holding tightly to Christ’s nail scarred hands, we’re very liable to fall for his lies and deceptions, because he can be very persuasive, has a nice turn of phrase, when he’s out to get you. Remember how the devil tempted Jesus three times when He fasted in the wilderness, and each time Jesus rebuked him by quoting the word. Then Luke tells us: ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until another opportune time).’ (Luke 4:13) 

Now that’s the way the devil operates my brethren; he comes and tries to lead us into temptation, then, when we refute his lies and deceits, he goes away until another opportune time. That means as long as we are here on planet earth we will be tempted. So we always have to be on our p’s and q’s for it’s when we’re not paying close attention that he strikes.  

And thus, the wisdom of James’ words. ‘Submit yourselves therefor to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners; and purify your hearts ye doubleminded.’ (James 4:7-8) Wiser words were never spoken my fellow saints! The only way to resist the devil is by submitting ourselves to God, by being close to Him, so the devil cannot get between us. 

And there’s no better scripture to end on this Sunday morning than this one from the Old Testament; God’s message to King Asa. ‘And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. And he went out to meet (before) Asa, and said unto him, hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.’ (2 Chr. 15:1-2) 

There you have it friends, God’s infallible word from way back when. And nothing has happened to make that change. In fact, it’s grown even stronger and more important with the coming of Jesus. So please let’s get wise, turn seriously and sincerely to Jesus, and hold on tightly to His nail scarred hands, if we want to get to ol’ Jordan and shout Hallelujah, as we cross into the Promised Land! Much LOVE!

…only in the safe and secure company of Jesus…can we resist the devil…long enough to reach ol’ Jordan… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 August 2022   James 4:7.

10 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

James 4:7.      Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.​

I don’t understand it nuh friends…and you’re wondering just what I don’t understand eh. (smile) Well, it’s how come today can already be the tenth of August when the month just began sometime last week. And you know what happens when August is done? September rolls in with its colder temps and we on the down track to that wonderful season called winter. (smile) It’s interesting to note how the supposedly good seasons finish much quicker than those we consider less amenable. But that’s just the way of Mother Nature, and if you want to live in the Northern Climes then you will have to learn to put up with the eccentricities of the weather. 

And though you may be born and raised in the changing seasons, it’s still difficult for many people to adjust to it. I guess that’s because mankind was not really made to live in the cold, but because of our wandering hearts and minds we’ve ended up in some of the most inhospitable climates in the universe. Now, that wandering spirit that’s never contented or satisfied, also leads us to suffer other unnecessary pain and sorrow as we seem to revel in the sinful and ungodly things of Satan which only bring us death and damnation. 

Oh my wayward friends, although we know better, somehow or the other we just can’t refuse the lure, the clarion call of the enemy’s deceitful and empty promises. Meanwhile, we’re turning a blind eye to all the marvellous, magnificent and true promises that Jesus is offering, free, gratis, and for nothing! Promises of hope, faith, forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with our Creator, salvation and eternal life in heaven, where there are no tears, no pain, no sorrow and above all no death! 

Our brains must be badly muddled and addled if we consciously choose the disastrous and painful life that comes to those who follow the evil Beelzebub; things like hell, death, damnation and eventual interment in lake of fire, instead of the wonderful halls of heaven. No wonder James, the brother of Jesus wrote this tough passage on worldliness and pride to his fellow believers. 

He sagely begins by asking: ‘From whence come wars (conflicts) and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts (desires for pleasure) that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill (murder), and desire to have (covet), and cannot obtain: ye fight and war (battle), yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (pleasures).’ (James 4:1-3) 

Wow! What wisdom, what insight into our ungodly behaviour! And re those verses, the scholars tell us: ‘Chapter 3 ended by stressing the peace that results from heavenly wisdom. Now James emphasizes the strife common among his readers, stemming from their unsatisfied, selfish desires. Instead of wrestling with God in prayer, these believers are striving with one another.’ 

And would you believe that nothing much has changed in our society since then, except that we’ve gotten even more lustful, sinful and more interested in pleasures than the righteousness of God, with the avowed intention to kick God out. But just for the record, that’s NEVER going to happen, because God is still in control of His universe and will always be. He’s just giving us enough rope so we can hang our own selves and not blame Him when our paper houses with such beautiful facades come tumbling down. Hn! 

And I like how James doesn’t let up on the unfaithful believers. He continues taking them to task: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses (those unfaithful to God), know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be (wants to make) a friend of the world is (makes himself) the enemy of God.’ (James 4:4) Yes my brethren, we cannot be a LOVER of the world and a LOVER of God at the same time. 

Jesus said it loud and clear: ‘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 (worldly riches).’ (Matt. 6:24) But friends, unfortunately, when it comes to whom we are serving, many of us have a spiritual double vision. (smile) However, try as we might, ‘total loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and one’s material possessions.’ And the having of material possessions is not wrong in itself, but it’s ‘our improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth’ that causes the problem. 

And James continues to lay into his readers. ‘Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy (yearns jealously)? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’ (James 5-6) Ah mih people, our natural spirits do yearn after jealousy and covetousness, but God gives us much more grace that we can overcome the attractions of the world. And there, when James talks about God giving more grace to the humble, he is quoting Cousin Sol in Proverbs 3:34. 

Now don’t think that James is done with his fellow believers or us. Not by a long shot! He’s now getting into the parts that we so badly need, as he strongly advises: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted (lament) and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10) 

Oh my fellow saints, I don’t think we can get a better prescription than that for what currently ails us nuh! First off, we must submit ourselves to God, who’s response is always positive and welcoming towards us. Then He will give us the grace and strength to resist Satan. Not to fear or flee from him, but to stand strong against him. And per the cleansing of our hands and hearts, that means our lives need to be cleansed ‘both by outward deeds and inner thoughts.’ 

And on that subject, the scholars give us this marvellous reference to Psalm 24. ‘Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity (an idol), nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.’ (Ps. 24:3-5) 

Yes friends, when we come before the Lord with true confession and repentance, He will gladly lift us up. So, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live for Him in these perilous and ungodly times, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

Altogether 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!’ 

Now, let’s not forget that if we endure to the very end, that future with Jesus is going to be even more glorious than we can even ask or imagine! Wow! So, let’s use that as encouragement to keep on keeping on to the very end nuh! Much LOVE!

…it’s possibly easier to serve Satan than God…but the benefits of God far outweigh those of Satan… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 June 2022 Ephesians 6:12.

24 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:12.       For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.

So friends, we’ve come to the end of another work week, another Friday, with a host of people, good, bad and indifferent joyfully shouting: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ Yes, even the ones who don’t believe in God, or don’t even know Him, shout it. It’s like a universal mantra, where a great load is unburdened and the supposed weary slaves, many of whom are thoroughly lazy and do as little work as possible, (smile) are set free for a couple of days. And believe me, that also applies to Christians, for we do talk a good talk, but can be rather unchristian in our walk. And that’s why so many unbelievers refuse to listen to us, we don’t practice what we preach, as much as we ought to. 

All over the globe, Christians have a reputation for being hypocrites, and in a lot of cases the name is well-deserved. So, unfortunately, the many are tainted by the deeds of the few, and that is definitely not the character trait Christ wants the world to have of His church, of those who profess faith in His name and all that He’s done for mankind. And we all know how difficult it is to correct a bad reputation, even one that is untrue. Therefore, those of us who try to do the right thing are often faced with an uphill battle, not of our making. 

But let’s remember that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is omnipotent, and gives us the tools to do whatever He desires of us. So, if He desires us to evangelize the world, then there’s nothing the world can do to stop us. We just have to faithfully believe and get up the gumption to do Christ’s work, because we have all the necessary tools to otherwise do it, backed up all the way by the awesome power of the Holy Spirit! That means fear of failure should be a no-brainer. Remember what Bruh Paul told Timothy about fear? ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

Consequently, Christ’s followers ought to be positive, optimistic, powerful and fearless. Yes, it’s a lot to ask in this scary, turbulent and deceitful world. And though none of us will ever be perfect, because it’s not in our DNA, for only Jesus is perfect, I know that we can all come up higher than the level we are currently at. It all depends on our state of mind, our state of maturity, and if we truly want to be good soldiers for Christ. The battle is not easy, and is not one we can see, for it’s being fought in the spiritual realm, but believe me, it is still as real as if we could see it. 

Bruh Paul explained it thus to the Ephesians. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) So we really are in a battle, and one to the death, for the forces of evil will not give up, and neither should we. 

Meanwhile, here’s how the scholars explain that verse. ‘6:12. Wrestle, used of hand to hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world-rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer (Satan) himself.’ 

It is therefore an all-encompassing war that will not end until Jesus comes back and sets up his kingdom. These words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth also highlight the kind of warfare in which we are continually engaged. ‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according to) the flesh. (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the flesh), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations (arguments), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 10:3-5)  

Yes my brethren, the scholars tell us that ‘Though we walk (live) in the flesh (in a body), we do not war (fight) after (according to) the flesh (human standards): The first phrase of verse 5 looks back to verse 3 and expresses the manner in which believers conduct spiritual warfare. It is by casting down (destroying) imaginations (false arguments) such as Paul’s opponents have raised.’ 

Oh my people, please remember that it’s in our minds that spiritual warfare is being fought; the devil tries to invade our minds with evil, ungodly thoughts, but we need to fight him mano-a-mano, taking every thought into captivity, that’s checking it out, using the Holy Spirit to make sure that it lines up with the word and desires of Christ. And if it doesn’t, then kicking it out! 

That’s why James warns us to ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10). 

And Peter strongly advises, ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 5:8-9) 

Oh my fellow saints, it’s time for us to truly get serious about the battle in which we are engaged. Once you call yourself a believer in Christ Jesus, there’s no getting away from it. So please, let’s raise our level of passion, of faith and sincerity and thus put up a better fight in Jesus’ name nuh. He’s depending on us. There’s no one else to fight for Him and His church and kingdom but us. Now let’s take the first step in that direction, prayer, and through our Friday Chant, approach the throne of grace with confident humility. 

As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And, as always, after prayer, you keep whatever promises you’ve made, then wait patiently, with expectant faith for God to answer…in His own time. (smile) Much LOVE!

…the battlefield of the spiritual world is our mind…so please ensure we have on our spiritual armour… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 May 2022 James 4:7.

30 May 2022 Leave a comment

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

James 4:7.       Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

Awright mih bredrin, today, the first day of our work week, is supposed to be a scorcher; somewhere up around 30 degrees Celsius! And I know that there will lots of complaining as the first real hot day of the year hits us, despite our yearning for hot weather after the cold winter months we’ve recently experienced. And yes, there will be some people with genuine complaints because of their health situation, but for many of us it will just be a case of wishing for something, then not liking it when we get it. 

As the old people would say, be careful what you wish for, for every rose has a thorn in its stem. That’s for sure. All that glitters is not gold, nor is every beautiful face connected to a beautiful heart. In other words, outward appearances can be very deceiving. And that’s the very game that our enemy the devil delights in playing; throwing up beautiful scenarios before us, enticing us to take the bait, and when we do, only to discover that it’s only a beautiful façade, a pretty front, with nothing of substance behind it. 

That’s why Jesus called him the father of lies in John 8:44. From the very beginning he’s been a liar and deceiver, tricking Eve into eating the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden, and unfortunately, he’s still doing the same things today, still very successfully too, we should note. For whatever reason, although we know that his sugar-coated words are really filled with salt underneath, we still fall for them way too often. 

It’s obvious we have not taken the warning from James, Jesus’ brother to heart. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you, Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.’ (James 4:7-8) The long and short of the story friends, is that we don’t submit to, fear or flee from Satan, but stand strong against him. Like Bruh Paul says to the Ephesians: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all (that you can do), to STAND.’ (Eph. 6:13) 

Oh my people, the devil cannot lead us into temptation unless we allow him to. But it’s easier to resist him when we have on God’s armour and we are spiritually ready for battle. That’s why Peter also cautions us: ‘Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 8-9) 

Now, it doesn’t speak very highly of us if we know that the evil enemy is constantly prowling, just waiting for a chance to pounce upon an unsuspecting believer, and yet we still fall so often for his evil wiles and schemes. It’s obvious then that word of God is not as well anchored in our souls as it needs to be. We are not casting our cares sufficiently upon Him, not drawing near enough to Him, so that He can help us resist the enemy. And I believe it’s also necessary this morning for us to hear these wise and warning words from John’s first epistle.

 ‘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 forever.’ (1 John 2:15-17) 

Oh my fellow saints, scriptures like that ought to be buried deep in our hearts so that they can shore us up when the devil attacks. And attack he will, again and again. But we need to resist him again and again, to stand strong in the powerful armour of God. It’s the same basic patterns he uses; physical desires, personal desires and self-interests, whatever our weakness, but since sin is such an inherent part of our nature and is so extensive around us, it’s ofttimes difficult to reject it. But reject it we must! 

And the first step in doing so is always prayer, always casting our cares before our wonderful God. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one sincere voice. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

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

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

Now, we need to keep our promises, if we expect the Lord to keep His. Much LOVE!

…we are not ready for spiritual battle…unless we are fully clothed in God’s spiritual armour… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   6 March 2022 James 4:8a.

06 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

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

James 4:8a.     Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. 

Well, it’s a glorious Sunday morning in early March of 2022! And can you believe that the temperature is already about 10 degrees Celsius…at this time in the winter season, and is expected to go up to around 15! Wow! Mother Nature has certainly gone awry! But it’s a good thing we have Jesus to cling to, the One who never changes – the same yesterday, today and forever – to give us a strong foundation and keep us in perpetual balance, since Mother Nature appears to have lost hers. (smile) 

And today we are going to open with a song of praise that’s ever so appropriate for our walk with God in these unprecedented times of our lives, one we well know and LOVE. It’s aptly titled ‘Nearer My God to Thee.’ Oh friends, with all the atrocities, the disasters, the strife and hatred that’s taking place in our world in this current season of Lent, all of us need to get closer to God. There’s no doubt about that, because it’s only through His unconditional LOVE, His grace, mercy and forgiveness that we can ever hope to make it through these tempestuous times! 

The song is such a wonderful testament to our faith, especially the practicality of it, and reminds us of those marvellous words from James. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.’ (James 4:7-8) And unfortunately, we are all numbered amongst that lot. 

But there is hope, as one commentator fervently declares: ‘Even when we cannot see or feel Him, the Lord never leaves our side. As we walk through each day, let us remember to call upon His name and give thanks. The beautiful lyrics of ‘Nearer My God to Thee’ are the perfect call to the Lord. And when you hear the story behind this amazing hymn, you will be reminded exactly why we need him every hour and second.’ 

So, on this first Sunday morning in the Lenten Season of this confusing year of 2022, let’s do exactly what James, Jesus’ brother, advises nuh, let’s submit ourselves to God, draw closer to Him, as we sing this beautiful hymn in a soulful and heartfelt manner, truly conveying the hope we have in Jesus. And as we raise our voices in sacrificial praise to heaven, let’s remember why we need Him, each and every second of every hour of every day.  

So let’s sing: ‘Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me, Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down, Darkness be over me, my rest a stone; Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! 

There let the way appear, steps unto Heav’n; All that Thou sendest me, in mercy giv’n; Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise, Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise; So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! 

Or, if on joyful wing cleaving the sky, Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I’ll fly, Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest, There in my Savior’s LOVE, perfectly blest; Age after age to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!’ 

Oh my people, there’s nothing in this world that compares with being near to our Creator! But it doesn’t just happen, we must make a conscious effort to bring it about, and the Lord will help us when we do that. And the story behind the hymn is a perfect example of that, of experiencing God in a greater way. It was written by Sarah Flower Adams (1805-1848) somewhere around 1841 to follow her pastor’s sermon on Genesis 28:11-19, known as the story of Jacob’s ladder, or Jacob’s dream, when Jacob was sent to Padan-aram to seek a wife from his mother’s family. 

The Good Book tells it. ‘And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went towards Haran. And he lighted upon (came to) a certain place, and tarried (stayed) there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place and put them (at his head) for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and beheld a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 

And behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (descendants). And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land: for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.’ (Gen. 28:10-15) 

Wow mih bredrin! Can you imagine having that dream? And why did the Lord offer all of that to Jacob, a known ole crook and scamp eh, who had earlier stolen His brother Esau’s birthright? He certainly uses those whom we think are unfit to do His work, like He did later on with Bruh Paul. And can you imagine Jacob’s reaction? Here is how the Good Book tells it. ‘And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’ (Gen. 28:16-17) 

Oh friends, yuh see how easy it is for God to put the fear of God in us when we think we are big and bad and bold!  And the Good Book continues: ‘And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar (altar), and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel (House of God): but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.’ (Gen. 28:18-19) 

Yes mih people, Jacob had finally met his match, God! And when that happens, as so many of us can testify to, we suddenly come to our senses and our lives do a complete 360 degrees turn around, reminiscent of Bruh Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus many moons later. It was the same with Jacob. ‘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 (clothes) 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 (altar), 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) 

Oh fellow believers, the Lord kept His word and Jacob also kept his vow. That’s how it ought to work. And please note that Jacob’s tithe was voluntary, like Abraham’s was to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:20) because the Law of tithing was not given to Israel until the time of Moses. It just goes to show a sincere LOVE and appreciation for God’s generosity to them, a trait that should also be found in us modern day believers, and even stronger too, because we have been granted much more than the old-timers, we have Jesus and all the wonderful things He brings to the table. 

Now, my fellow saints, I do hope that what we‘ve said today will make a large imprint on our hearts and souls, and bring us ever closer to God, because we so badly need it, if we are to maintain our peace and LOVE for Christ and diligently do His work in these tempestuous times. Much LOVE!

…the only wise way to walk this life…is to walk it as closely as possible with Christ…   

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   5 October 2021 Hebrews 10:23.

05 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 10:23.     Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).

Well, after two days of almost steady rain, it’s finally eased up. But everything is still wet,  and the skies are still dark, no sign of the sun, so who knows what’s going to happen next. The good thing though is that despite what we see or feel, or what may come our way, the wise thing to do is to stay with God! He controls everything and has promised to not allow more than we can bear to come upon us. He will give us the strength to overcome. A strength that we never knew we had. That’s why Bruh Paul says: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) 

And don’t forget this most marvellous promise either from Peter: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (2 Pet. 5:6-7) Yes friends, when things get rough, or we just don’t know what do, wisdom dictates that we lose our inherent pride and arrogance, and humble ourselves before our heavenly Father, because He cares for us, even more than our earthly parents. We have life in Him, there’s hope, a bright future, and the awesome promise never to leave nor forsake us! 

Oh my people, Jesus promised it in so many words: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20) So we have no reason to fear or feel lost in the turmoil of this current world. That is, if we put our lives in God’s hands, let Him lead and guide us through His Holy Spirit that indwells us. He is always there for us, but we have to go to Him, and stay with Him, fully believing that He can and will do all that He has promised. Remember, walking with God calls for faith, for trust and surrender. 

As Hebrews so clearly puts it: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (that He exists), and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) And then you ask, what then is this faith you talk about? It’s just believing for things that you don’t see, things that God’s promised, and waiting expectantly for them. For as Hebrews wisely advises: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).’ (Heb. 10:23) 

Yes, my fellow believers, we very much need to stand strong in our faith, because life is never easy, therefore, we need someone more powerful than us to help us walk through it successfully. And who is more powerful than Jesus eh? NOBODY! He conquered hell, death and the grave through His triumphant resurrection on the Easter morning so long ago. That’s why He could make this amazing statement: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) 

Oh my brethren, who else could make such a truthful statement eh? No one but Jesus, because He did exactly what He said! That means no matter what happens we can rest assured that God is working in our lives for our good. Bruh Paul told us that in his epistle to the church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Yes my fellow saints, if we LOVE God, put our lives in His awesome hands and try our best to walk in faith with Him, then He will eventually work everything out for our good. 

So, though the rains pour down, the skies stay dark and life seems forsaken, do not believe that all is lost, for when Christ is in your life, nothing is ever lost! It might be misplaced for a while, but NEVER lost, because Jesus has faithfully promised that it won’t be. And He never makes idle promises. Why would Father God send His only Son to die on the cross that we might be forgiven, then leave us in the lurch after that eh? 

No way! Bruh Paul made that abundantly clear to the Roman church when he wrote: ‘What shall we then say to these things (that God has done for us through Jesus, like justification, sanctification and reconciliation)? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’ (Rom. 8:31-32) 

That’s only common-sense friends. Why would God put Himself out for us, then just leave us to fend for ourselves afterwards eh? No reason whatsoever, since that’s not the kind of God He is. And Bruh Paul emphasizes that in his epistle to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) Oh, how wonderful that is my fellow believers; that the Lord will continue working in us, offering us His grace, LOVE and all that we need until Christ returns! 

And as the scholars explain: ‘This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians, and that purpose will neither be abandoned nor unrealized.’ Glory be, mih people! The Lord’s plans for us will not be thwarted! You can’t beat that news! But that means we must also play our part in the partnership. As James advises: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw night (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts ye doubleminded.’ (James 4:7-8) 

So friends,  our role is basically to stay close to God, and if we do, He will work everything out for our good. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to stay attached to God, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong. As one strong, confident 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 the world. Amen!’ 

And the upshot of that declaration (yeah!!!) is that we must now go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him! Much LOVE!

…in Christ Jesus…there is relief from this sinful world…and eternal freedom in the next…                        

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

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