Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 June 2024 Romans 8:28.

11 Jun 2024 Leave a comment

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Romans 8:28.         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.

And then it was Tuesday, with Monday lost and forgotten in the annals of history! So, if we can forget Monday so easily and so quickly, after all the anxiety it causes us as it approaches, then we need to welcome and cherish each and every day that we draw the Lord’s breath of life. Therefore, let’s do the right thing and fully enjoy this Tuesday, not going overboard, but to a godly limit. (smile) 

Now, today, I want to share a prayer that a friend shared with me some time ago. It’s one I say every day before I begin writing the Bit. I truly don’t know or remember how that came to be, but that’s how it is. And I believe that I’ve shared this prayer before, but just now as I offered it up, I got a zeppo that I should share it again today. (smile) 

So please pray with me. ‘Heavenly Father, I call on You right now in a special way. It is through your power that I was created. Every breath I wake, I live under your power. Father, I ask You now to touch me with that same power. For if You created me from nothing, You can recreate me. Fill me with the healing power of Your Spirit. Cast out anything that should not be in me. Mend what is broken. Root out any unproductive cells, open any blocked arteries or veins and rebuild any damaged areas. Remove all inflammation and cleanse any infection. Let the warmth of your healing LOVE pass through my body to make new any unhealthy areas so that my body will function the way You created it to function. And Father, restore me to full health in mind, body and spirit so that I may serve You for the rest of my life. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.’ 

Oh friends, I don’t know about you all nuh, but at my advanced age and all the things that can and will go wrong, or rather that are currently wrong with my unpredictable body, I do need a prayer like that everyday to keep me moving on and being able to fight the good fight in Jesus’ name. And many of you, like me (smile) also need the benefits of this prayer, so please copy it and use it to your advantage. And yes, some of the younger believers might laugh at and deny the power of prayer, but give them time, for it’s only when you become a more experienced believer, that you truly realize its awesome power and truly value it. 

Let’s remember that in its simplest form, prayer is merely communication with our heavenly Father, and like we share so many of our joys and sorrows with our earthly fathers, likewise, we ought to share all of our joys and sorrows with the One who created us to be His LOVING children, for that’s what He desires of us. And like a true Father, He’s always there to help us, to lead and guide us through the power of his Holy Spirit that indwells all believers. And since He’s so much more powerful and affectionate and compassionate than our earthly fathers, it’s obvious that we should be going to Him for much more help than our earthly fathers. 

But please, let’s remember that the Lord is not a doting grandfather who gives us whatever we want, when we want it. No, He is the sovereign Lord of this universe and our desires must align with His holy will, and even when we don’t get what we desire at the time we desire it, or never get it at all, we must keep our faith by remembering His awesome promise found in Bruh Paul’s letter 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) 

Now that, my believing brethren, ought to be the underlying foundation for our walk of faith with Christ. That’s because with all the confusion in the world, and God’s holy will, things won’t always work out the way we want them to, but be assured that in the long run, God will use everything and in the end, bring it all together for our good. That’s His faithful promise. And if you’re a true believer, and not one of those wishy washy ones, who selfishly want what they want when they want it, then you’ll accept the fact that because of the Lord’s omnipotence, His far superior knowledge and power, He knows what’s best for us. 

However, that should deter us from going to our heavenly Father in prayer, for we know not when He might say yes to our most outlandish prayers and requests. (smile) That’s the beauty of walking with the Lord; He surprises us at every turn. That’s why we ought to listen to and activate in our own lives, Bruh Paul’s entreaty and exhortation in his epistle to the Philippians, namely: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) 

Yes friends, that’s the basic motto of Christian living. In EVERYTHING, give thanks and praise and communicate ALL of our desires to the Lord! And though our problems might not be solved, one thing is for sure: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7) Wow! What an awesome promise my fellow believers! Though our circumstances may not improve, our minds will certainly be free from worry, because they will be filled with the peace of God which mankind cannot understand, but which is ever so powerful and useful in our earthly lives. 

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

Now, having made that declaration (awright!!!) it’s our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…don’t ever give up on prayer…or be afraid to pray…because it’s meant for our good…and we can never go wrong by praying….

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 March 2023 Psalm 118:6.

01 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 118:6.       The Lord is on my side: I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

And then it was a damp, cloudy, middle of the week Wednesday, the first day of March 2023. Can you believe it, February’s already over and done with, assigned to the annals of history! The days are certainly not waiting on anyone, they’re just ploughing ahead unceasingly in their God-given duties. And so should it be with us Christian believers; we ought to be relentlessly moving forward with the spreading of Christ’s marvellous gospel, the good news of salvation, forgiveness and eternal life! 

Nothing ought to stop us, least of all the devil and his evil doing cronies. And why do we allow those evil doers to prevent us from doing Christ’s work eh? A lot of it is based on fear. But one of the biggest repeated commands in the Bible is ‘Fear not!’ And Jesus also asked several times, ‘Where is your faith?’ Then He also admonished ‘O ye of little faith!’ So, I guess a lot of our hesitation in doing Christ’s work is based on fear and lack of sufficient faith to overcome our fear. But we have to realize that FAITH is the ONLY thing that overcomes FEAR. 

And today, it seems like a faith versus fear day, with scriptures that will enable us to build our faith and thus lessen our fear. And I guess the most alluring and confidence building scripture to start our journey is that marvellous one from the prophet Isaiah, where he instructs the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people thus: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded (disgraced): they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.’ (Is. 41:10-11) 

Wow! What awesome words of encouragement my people! That’s the Creator and Controller of the universe, the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob telling us not to fear, that He will look after us with His mighty right hand! What more do we want eh? And please don’t tell me that that’s from the Old Testament and that the Lord was speaking to His chosen people of Israel, for who are you? 

You are also His chosen. He sent His sinless Son Jesus Christ to sacrifice himself on the rugged cross of Calvary so that all of His creation, both Jews and Gentiles could be forgiven, reconciled to Him, and receive salvation and eternal life. That means, in no uncertain terms, that those scriptures on fear in both the Old and New Testament apply to all supposed believers in Christ Jesus! 

And having cleared that up, (smile) let’s move on to this interesting scripture from Psalm 118, which says: ‘I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place. The Lord is on my side: I will not fear: what can man do unto me? The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps. 118:5-9) 

Yes friends, when you trust in the Lord, put your faith in Him, He works out everything for your good. The only problem is that you first have to put your faith and trust in Him, before you can see Him working in your life. And the more you trust Him, the more you will see His good works, and the more your faith will grow. Remember, Christianity is not for cowards. 

Please note the strong tone the Lord used with Joshua when he made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. Having already told Joshua to be strong and courageous several times, (Josh. 1:2-8) He admonished him one last time for good measure. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) Now, I can’t say exactly why, but those scriptures from Joshua 1:7-9 are some of my favourite scriptures. They just light a fire in my bones. (smile) 

And Bruh David adds his two cents worth to the situation, when he writes in Psalm 56, after the Philistines took him in Gath. ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God have I put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me…When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.’ (Ps. 56:3-4, 9) 

Oh my fellow believers can we sincerely utter those words? Do we know without a doubt that our great and wonderful God is for us? I certainly hope so. For until we do, we will not enjoy all of the many blessings available under His most generous umbrella of care and compassion. 

And what does Jesus say about fear, you ask? Listen up as He warns. ‘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 the soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) And that person my friends is none other than the Lord God Jehovah; the ONLY ONE who can destroy both body and soul. So that’s where our first fear should lie, not in Satan and his evil doers. But even then, it’s not so much fear of God, but more a reverential awe of Him, because we know His awesome power. 

By the way, here’s an interesting point from the scholars. They say: ‘Notice that God is the One who has authority to cast men into hell, and not Satan, who will himself be ultimately cast into everlasting fire.’  Now that’s something we should also consider, Satan can’t cast us into hell, but he can certainly help us get there, which is his raison d’etre, his reason for being, to inveigle us to go against God and eventually end up with him in hades. Conversely, Jesus wants us to end up with Him in heaven, so whom will you choose eh? Let’s hope Jesus. 

And it seems like there’s so much to say on the subject of faith versus fear that we’ve run out of time and space today. That means, the Lord willing, we’ll continue this most important topic tomorrow. In the meanwhile, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our 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!’ 

Yes friends that’s the gospel truth! And when you add this langniappe, this li’l extra to it, that if we endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine, it encourages us even more to stick with Jesus to the very end. Now, that’s wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!

…when fear comes a knocking…the best response…send faith to answer it… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 January 2023   1 Timothy 6:12.

07 Jan 2023 Leave a comment

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

1 Timothy 6:12.        Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.

Can you imagine that the first week of 2023 is already in the annals of History? Yes, it is! These past few years have been behaving like a Jamaican fella called Usain Bolt. They only bolting through their paces, regardless of circumstances, with no respect for man nor beast. (smile) I think though that’s just our perspective, for the Lord has set their pace from time immemorial and nothing has changed in his realm. Anyway, this lazy Saturday is a much better day than the last few; the place is dry and still above freezing, with a tad of sunshine fighting through the clouds. 

But enough talk, because we have a lot of stuff to consider from our friend Anselm this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first thing he does is wish: ‘Happy New Years to all my friends and family.’ Then continues with these words of wisdom. ‘Things to think about for 2023: 1. Talk less; listen more; 2. Remind yourself you are not the General Manager of the Universe; 3. Sit on your ego; 4. Take one day at a time; 5. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you to do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it; 6. Pray.’ 

Now I can’t find fault with any of that, because it’s all a part of what I’ve been trying to encourage us to do for this New Year, that’s live for Jesus! Then he solemnly advises in the next quote: ‘A fantasy noted down with a date turns into an objective. An objective partitioned into ascertained strides turns into an arrangement. An arrangement bolstered by activities makes your fantasies work out as expected. So, this New Year, take your fantasies, travel the distance to their goal and make them a reality.’ 

Now that’s also ever so true. Our successes usually begin with dreams which we consciously set out to make come true, and we nurture them every step of the way by doing what’s necessary to bring them to fruition. They don’t just blossom and flower like the grass, overnight, but lots of patience, elbow grease and LOVE have to be consumed on them before they become reality. That means we have to put plenty effort into bringing our dreams to fruition; ofttimes work very hard and sacrifice a lot. 

Like Bruh Paul said to Timothy. ‘Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim. 6:12) Yes friends, that’s how we need to go through life; fighting the good fight, both for Christ and for the dreams that God’s put in our hearts. So, let’s promise ourselves to do just that this new year nuh, because godly warriors are badly needed in this ungodly and evil world. 

Meanwhile, the next quote tells us: ‘Don’t try to lessen yourself for the world; let the world catch up to you.’ And that’s wonderful advice. As followers of Jesus, we must never bow to the world, its ways and its standards. We must always endeavour to bring the world up to our level, not drop down to its substandard level. Remember, we are the light of the world, and we are supposed to shine as such, lead the way, set the example. Remember what John said in his gospel. ‘And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.’ (John 1:5) 

That light was Jesus! And I like how one translation explains it. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it.” In this sense, it isn’t just that Jesus has overcome the darkness. It’s that He presents such a stark contrast to the defeated sentiment of this world that the darkness does not even understand or comprehend His light.’ Glory be my people! That’s how we ought to be; like Him! And Martin Luther King Jr. apparently said it this way. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only LOVE can do that.” 

And is that ever the gospel truth! Therefore, this year, let’s pledge to be true lights of Christ nuh. And while doing that, we can also do what this other quote says: ‘Tell someone you LOVE them today, because tomorrow is not promised. To my family and friends, I LOVE YOU.’ Now that should come as no surprise to us, because it’s all a part of living sincerely for Christ. However, saying ‘I LOVE you,’ is something that we don’t do enough of. We expect others to take it for granted. But that’s not how Jesus operates, in His kingdom the spoken word is also important. Remember, it’s how the Lord created the world and all therein, through the spoken word. 

How does Cousin Sol put it in Proverbs: ‘Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.’ (Prov. 16:24) And the scholars explain: ‘The proverb likens the effects of honey to gracious words. These would be words of encouragement, appreciation, comfort or anything positive. Just like honey, these words reach the soul and feel good. We all know how kind words uplift us especially when we need them.’ That’s the indisputable truth! 

And it brings us to the last quote, or rather the last set of instructions for this new year. Our friend Anselm proclaims: ‘This is my change of address notice for 2023: I have moved out from 1 Beggars Alley, located at 2 Poverty Lane at the corner of Bleak and Buster Circle. As of today, I have a brand new home. My new address is: Living Well on 3 Abundance Drive, located at the corner of Blessings Street and Prosperity Peak. No longer will I allow myself to travel on the Begging Peter to pay off Paul route, located at a dead-end Intersection called: I Don’t Have, it connects with Borrowers Junction. 

I no longer hang out at Failure’s Place, near Excuses Avenue, next to Procrastination Point. I’ve moved on to an Upscale Community called Higher Heights with unlimited potential and opportunities for me to succeed. Look at me, each day that I’m awake, I am thankful to be a product of my new environment. All my clothes are tailor made. I’m dressed in life’s finest. Let me introduce you to all of them: Conceive, Believe, Act on, Have Faith, Be Persistent, and Always be Prepared to Achieve. Life is good because God is good! 

Care to change your address? We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.’ 

I guess that says it all. 2023 is the year that we must all make big strides for Jesus, if we expect our world to improve and not flounder even further and finally implode. Only we sincere believers can make that happen, working with the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Please, I plead with us, to get serious and do our bounden duty; that’s fight the good fight for Christ in this new year of 2023!  Much LOVE!

…one cannot fight a good fight…unless one truly believes…in one’s leader and their cause… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 April 2016 James 1:25

26 Apr 2016 Leave a comment

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

James 1:25.   But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (in what he does).

Aye mih breddren, it’s Tuesday; Monday has been relegated to the annals of History, so let’s not procrastinate and put off nuh, but use this present day to do what needs doing, above all, glorifying our wonderful, amazing, awesome God! Yes friends, for that’s the number One reason we were so wonderfully made. 

And I believe we can truly say that spring has finally sprung in my area, because for the second consecutive day, there’s a soft rain falling gently on the land, the grass is green, and there are buds on the branches of the trees. 

And more importantly, a few trees are even brave and bold enough to have some leaves already budding out. Oh glory to God, that winter has finally gone back to wherever it came from – for at least another few months! (smile) 

So since our great God is still on His throne, and everything is right in our world, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with true sincerity and godly enthusiasm nuh. 

All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen.’ 

Oh my people, my people, what beautiful words of encouragement and assurance! When we sincerely believe that mantra, then we have absolutely nothing to worry about. Oh, there will be trials and tribulations, Jesus promised that, but deep down we will be assured that they will be properly taken care of in God’s time and in His own particular way. That’s the beauty of our faith! 

So please, let’s not allow the wily enemy to deceive us into thinking otherwise. As I said last week, using Cousin Bobby’s (Robert Schuler 111) testimony, if you’re not sure, not convinced, then please repeat the mantra everyday, several times a day, until you can feel truly assured in your soul. 

Now let’s turn to our Bit, which I hope to conclude today – no promises though. (smile) ‘But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (in what he does). And that’s a sincere promise from our ever-faithful God! 

And as we’ve been doing, we’ll continue looking at the references the scholars gave about the perfect law of liberty. ‘It is a law of liberty because it frees from the principles of sin and death.’ 

And today’s reference comes from Galatians, where Bruh Paul gives forth on Living by faith. ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ (Gal.5:1) 

And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘5:1. The verse could be rendered: “For freedom Christ freed us. Therefore stand fast and do not again be subject to a yoke of bondage.” The “freedom” in view is freedom from the law, here called “a yoke of bondage.” Paul wants the Galatians to “stand fast,” that is, retain their spiritual freedom.’ 

And I’m asking us today to do the same thing my fellow believers: let’s not fall back, lapse back into the bondage of the law, but continue truthfully and vibrantly in the spiritual freedom that Christ died for us to have. 

And later on in that same chapter, Bruh Paul further advises the Galatians: ‘For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by LOVE serve one another.’ (Gal.5:13) 

And the scholars explain thus: ‘5:13. Having shown freedom from the law to be proper protection from legalism (vv.1-12), Paul now demonstrates it to be a proper antidote against unrestrained license to sin (vv.13-26). 

Believers are not to abuse their liberty from the law for an occasion (opportunity) to the flesh (sinful nature). That is, don’t think freedom from the law means you can indulge in sin; it means instead that you are free to serve God by serving one another.’ 

Now that’s something we all seriously have to work on friends, since many of us falsely believe that because of that very freedom, plus the overwhelming forgiveness and mercy of our magnanimous God, we have a licence to willfully sin. 

But that’s the furthest thing from the truth my brethren. When we truly come to God and truly have Him ensconced in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, then because of the great LOVE we bear Him, willfully falling to sin and temptation should not even enter our consciousness. It ought to make us strive not to sin. 

And the last part of the explanation re the law of liberty is: ‘James also describes it as the royal law (2:8) for it is the law of the messianic King.’ 

And pertaining to that, James 2:8 says: ‘If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. But if ye have respect to persons (show partiality), ye commit sin, and are convinced (convicted) of the law as a transgressor.’ (James 2:8-9) I felt that last verse was necessary to show the true context of verse 8. 

And that brings us to Galatians again, where Bruh Paul is talking about applications of new principles. ‘Brethren, if a man be overtaken (caught) in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness (gentleness), considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.’  (Gal.6:1-2) 

Yeh friends, if we deliberately overstep those divine boundaries and fall into sin, those of us who walk by the Spirit, whose life shows the fruit of the Spirit, ought to talk to the Christian believer who has gone astray and try to bring them back to their normal moral condition. 

And we need to do it all in LOVE, handle it delicately, while all the time making sure that we aren’t caught up in the same carnality, which is so easy to do. 

And per verse 2, the scholars explain: ‘6:2. Contextually, the burdens are the moral faults of verse 1, but can have wider application to other kinds of burdens. The law of Christ is the sum of all Jesus’ teachings and desires; it is Christianity itself.’ 

And here endeth the lesson for today friends. (smile) We have indeed concluded the last message in the perfect law of liberty series. I do hope that we now have a much better understanding of what it means and how it applies to us, both as individuals and as the church, the body of Christ. 

Please, let’s put all that we have learned into proper use nuh, so that we can advance the gospel of Christ, which is our bounden duty as believers. Much LOVE!

…Christianity…the law of Christ…is not as burdensome as legalism…the law of man… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 May 2015 2 Chronicles 7:14.

26 May 2015 Leave a comment

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

2 Chronicles 7:14.   If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 

Oh my beautiful Friends in Christ, called by His holy name – Christians, welcome to another glorious day in the annals of history! (smile) The universe is unfolding as it should.

It’s going to be hot and humid today in my neck of the woods; something like 30 C. but the wind is not going to be rampaging like it was yesterday. Boy, was I ever sorry for those trees yesterday, for the wind had them dancing madly all day long, even into the night.

And hear this nuh; about 1:15 this morning I went outside to sit on my porch and commune some with nature, but less than ten minutes later, I had to come back in because the wind was strong and cool and I only had on shorts and a T-shirt. Hn, Hn!

But on a more serious note my brethren, what a way our world is disaster prone these days. It wasn’t a very happy Memorial Day for some of our Friends down in the Southern U.S. states, especially Texas and Oklahoma, where torrential rains caused immense flooding and damage. Meanwhile in poor Southern California, a long and fierce drought is doing serious damage of another kind.

Ah Lord eh! I don’t know what to say nuh my people, except that we should seriously consider applying the promise contained in the words of our Bit, for we obviously can’t stop the disasters that are occurring ever more often in these most difficult and trying times.

‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’

But yuh know what, mankind has become so proud and arrogant and godless nowadays that even though we see what’s happening, the calamitous natural disasters and catastrophic human errors, we refuse to try something different.

But as I keep reminding us, that is the wisdom of a fool! Even the Israelites, when they hit a bad spell after a season of idolatry, were smart enough to repent and return to God, and He did as promised; healed their land and returned it to prosperity.

But this foolish and wicked generation, even in the throes of death, refuses to even consider that option, much less adopt it. They’re still more intent than ever in removing God from our midst.

Chuh! Beelzebub certainly has us in grip, in fact in a tight, stranglehold my people! It’s a stranglehold from which we desperately need to break free, if we ever expect to return our countries, our world, from the path of total destruction on which we’re currently headed.

To accomplish that most worthwhile dream though, will take oodles of diligent, sincere and persevering work from us, the comparatively small band of people called by Christ’s name. But it is definitely possible when we harness our limited power to the awesome might of Jesus.

Oh my brethren, please, I implore us today, RIGHT NOW, to begin working seriously on the LOVE Revolution that’s necessary to save our world and give our children, our descendants, a healthy chance of success in the upcoming years.

For without that turn around to a godly world, Friends, we don’t stand a chance of success, as much chance of success as a snowball in hell! And that’s the living and factual reality of the situation, because our God doesn’t make idle promises, and He says that the wages of sin is certain death. So nuff said on that subject.

Now let’s continue looking at some scriptures which highlight the last of the four parts of our Bit that’s necessary for the Lord to hear our pleas, forgive our sin and heal our land, that’s ‘and turn away from their wicked ways.’

Oh my people, the wickedness of this current world is so rampant, widespread and incisive that it’s mind-blowing! I don’t think our world has ever been this wicked, and it’s been helped by all the advancements we’ve made in terms of modern living. More knowledge and power and greater material wealth have led to even greater sinfulness.

The Lord must certainly be shaking His head in disgust, thinking and sadly muttering, ‘what an evil monster I have created eh!’ Listen up to these scriptures Friends.

Jeremiah proclaims: ‘Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.’ (Jer.6:16) What pride and arrogance my people!

And the scholars have this to say about that verse. ‘6:16. The people’s stubborn refusal to walk in the traditional ways of true righteousness is often mentioned by Jeremiah (12:16; 18:15; 23:12; 31:21)

Moving in their own paths and following their own way could only lead to Judah’s destruction (cf. Prov.14:12). The contrast of the way of righteousness and life with the way of the ungodly and death is often made in the Scriptures (e.g.Ps.1; Matt.7:13-14).’ 

Oh Friends, that is exactly what we are doing today; walking in our paths, to the tune of our own counsel, so what can we expect but destruction eh?

Now hear Jeremiah again, as he mourns the desperate state of the Jews. ‘Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return? Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding?

They hold fast (to) deceit, and they refuse to return. I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Everyone turned to his (own) course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.’ (Jer.8:4-6)

Oh my people, there again Jeremiah is painting a mirror image of our society today! How sad it is eh. Steups! But we’ll stop there for now. I was trying to get it all in today, but it would just be too too long, and I’m having respect for our short mind spans. (smile)

Anyway my people, please, please, let’s wake up and see the destructive actions that are taking place in our world nuh, which are carrying us steadily and ever quicker down the pathway to eventual destruction. For our children’s sake, let’s do something concrete and positive about it nuh, and quickly too, else crapaud will surely smoke we pipe! Much LOVE!

…there’s no surer road to disaster…than the blind and foolish…leading the blind and foolish…away from Jesus…