the Millennial kingdom

The Necessity For Believers to Lean On God’s Infinite Wisdom, rather than Leaning on Their Finite Own.

27 May 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: asking for intervention, at the top of our game, await your blessings, be of good courage, becoming Christ-like, besieged by doubts, beyond repair, chaos in our world, come to know and love him like we do, count your blessings, craving speed, duty bound, faith, false wisdom, give thanks always, God always answers, God is our main source of hope, God wipes away all tears from our eyes, greed, he shall direct your paths, he shall strengthen your heart, he will save us, holy spirit, hurry, I put my hope in you, impatience, impatient society, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in god's eyes, in Jesus' name, in need of a miracle, in need of restoration, In Touch Devotional Magazine, Jesus Christ, lacking in common sense, lean not unto thine own understanding, leaning on you is all I know to do, LOVE, mercy, negative things, no more crying, no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, our guiding light, power-hunger, risky to ask for your help, salvation, Satan's playbook, self-aggrandizement, selfishness, share His love with my neighbours, share the Love and friendship of Christ, speed kills, spiritual growth, the beloved of God, the former things are passed away, the Master Planner, the Millennial kingdom, things in my life, this is our God we have waited for him, times of uncertainty, trials and tribulations, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesuss, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn to Christ in times of uncertainty, wait I say on the Lord, wait in faith on the Lord, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation, what if you don't answer, whatever the outcome, wisdom, worry, you'll be with me

Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Oh, it’s a good looking Tuesday, sunshiny and bright! And they say the temps will be in the high teens, if not higher, so let’s give thanks for the good weather, life and LOVE and all the other wonderful things we enjoy in this blessed land! Yes, though life might be somewhat on the rough side, it’s always to our benefit to give thanks, as we said on Sunday when we sang the hymn, Count Your Blessings, because, if we do that, we’ll find that our blessings outweigh our troubles…every time. And to help us do that, here’s this interesting prayer from the In Touch Devotional Magazine for May.

Please pray with me. ‘Lord, things in my life feel beyond repair, in need of a miracle. Yet it feels risky to ask for Your help. What if You don’t answer? But leaning on You is all I know to do. So here I am, God, in need of restoration. Here I am, asking for intervention, knowing, whatever the outcome, You’ll be with me. I put my hope in You and await your blessings. In Jesus’ name. Amen!’

Ah friends, that prayer says a whole lot, gets right down to the nitty gritty of the problem. We need help, but we’re not sure what to do. God is supposed to be our main source of hope, but we’re afraid that He might not answer our cries for help. However, our hope and trust in Him does win out in the long run. And that’s just the way it ought to be my faithful brethren. We all have troubles, and are ofttimes besieged by doubts, but if we claim that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, then He’s the One we should always turn to in times of uncertainty.

And as per that comment that we’re afraid God might not answer our petitions, that’s never true. For God always answers; sometimes He may say yes, sometimes wait, and sometimes no. But there’s always an answer. We might not like it, but it’s usually in our best interest. And I like the line that says; ‘But leaning on You is all I know how to do.’ And so it should be, if we follow Cousin Sol’s directive in Proverbs. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight or smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)

Yes my people, when we make that our guiding light, then there’s nothing else we’ll know how to do, except turn to God! And that’s exactly what our wonderful God desires of us; turning to Him, in every situation and circumstance. And I know sometimes that’s hard to do, because we believe we have all the answers to the situation, but it’s never wrong or foolish to run them by our Creator before we try to put them into action, for He’s the One that knows all, sees all and has all power. So who better to turn to than Him eh?

But with our impatience and false wisdom we feel we know it all, so we move on with our plans without running them by the Master Planner, perhaps afraid that He might give us a negative decision, when we’re so sure that what we want to do is right. Or He might just hold us up for too long … until the opportunity disappears. But that might be His way of telling us it’s not a good decision, or it’s not the right time. And I can tell you from hard experience, that it’s always best to consult with the Lord before you make any important moves or decisions, for He will never lead you astray, and yes, sometimes He might tell you to wait, but He knows best.

For as Bruh David, from personal experience so wisely advises in Psalm 27: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) Oh my brethren, that is such wonderful advice, although we so often ignore it, much to our detriment. Yuh think Bruh David would ever have become king of Israel, although he had been anointed for it, had he not patiently gone through the trials and tribulations that befell him after the anointing. No way! That was a learning and testing and waiting period. And in our spiritual growth, in becoming Christ,-like, we will all encounter such periods.

And the prophet Isaiah makes a glorious statement on the subject when speaking about death being swallowed up in victory. ‘And it shall be said in that day (the beginning of the millennial kingdom), Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is. 25:9) Now that’s true waiting! So, if we can’t wait for a little time for Him to deal with our small earthly problems, how will we ever be able to wait for the big day eh? That day when God wipes away all tears from our eyes, with no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nor pain, for all the former things are passed away. (Rev. 21:4)

Ah mih people, we have to learn to wait. Unfortunately though, our current society is filled with impatience, and requires speed in everything, but the truth is that speed can be very inefficient, and speed also kills, as we can testify by the numerous speeding deaths we have on our roadways. But sadly that doesn’t stop us from craving speed, from crying out for it, and also dying from it. How foolish and lacking in common sense we’ve recently become, although we claim to have so much wisdom, to be at the top of our game.

But just look around at the chaos and disaster that typifies our world, and then tell me if that’s the product of wisdom. That isn’t even man’s wisdom, much less God’s! That’s only selfishness, greed, power-hunger, self-aggrandizement and all the negative things that come from Satan’s playbook. And, very unwisely, too many of us believers are following those bad plays, that’s why our world is getting worse and worse every day. But we desperately need to stop it from sliding right down into the quagmire of Satan’s desire.

So please, let’s stand up like the strong, wise and courageous disciples of Jesus that we are nuh, and begin fighting back and turning things around in Jesus’ name. That’s our purpose and destiny! And for those of us who are already trying to do that, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’

And having made that declaration, we are now duty bound 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!

…leaning on God…and waiting in faith on Him…are two of the wisest decisions we can ever make…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 November 2023 Matthew 24:42.

23 Nov 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: be always ready to meet our Maker, be ready, caught up together with them, comfort one another with these words, coyrage, creativity, curse, eating and drinking, for ye knoweth not what hour your Lord doth come, giving in marriage, I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, in the days of Noah, Jesus Christ, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, negative word, positive outlook, Rainbow Bridge, the antichrist, the beginning of sorrows, the dead in Christ shall rise, the expansion of the church, the Great tribulation, the Millennial kingdom, the rapture of the church, Thursday Blessings, to judge the world, to meet the Lord in the air, truth, U.S Thanksgiving, wars and rumours of war, watch therefore, when it's not one thing it's another

Matthew 24:42. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING U. S. OF A!

Well, a Happy Thanksgiving Day to our Scrip-Bit friends and families in the U.S. of A! I do hope you all have a most blessed and rewarding day, as you gather with your people to give thanks to our great God for all the many wonderful blessings He’s showered down on you all over the years. Unfortunately, the celebration will be marred for some folks because of the tragic occurrence on the Rainbow Bridge Border Crossing between the U. S and Canada at Niagara Falls yesterday morning. Apparently, while going through the crossing from the U.S., a runaway car took off into the air and exploded causing the death of it’s occupants, some injuries to those nearby, and a whole lot of damage to the area.

That sudden and unexpected occurrence caused the authorities to err on the side of caution, treat it like a terrorist attack and shut down all the border crossings in the area, until further information was forthcoming. That meant some Americans who had come to Canada for the day, were unable to go back home last night, and some of the many Canadians heading south for the holiday were also unable to cross the border. The good news though is that it’s been determined that it was not a terrorist incident and I believe most of the other border crossings have now been opened up, except for the Rainbow Bridge because the damage was so extensive.

Ah Lord eh! When it’s not one thing, it’s something else yes! That’s why we have to be constantly living for Jesus and ready to meet our Maker at anytime, for we never know when we’ll be called home unexpectedly, or He will return unexpectedly. And Jesus gave us sufficient warning that we should all live prepared, both for the Rapture of the church, and then Christ’s coming to begin His Millennial reign after the Great Tribulation.

He promised to come back for us: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions (dwellings): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-4) The scholars explain that refers more to the Rapture of the church than to Christ’s coming after the Great Tribulation.

Meanwhile Bruh Paul made his famous statement on the subject of the Rapture. ‘But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (! Thess. 4:13-18)

Now that has to do with the Rapture and the resurrection for the dead when Jesus comes for the church, and comforts us in knowing that we will be with our LOVED ones in heaven when all is said and done. But then again, no one knows when that will be, which means we have to be in a state of constant readiness, because Christ can come for His church at any time, and after that the Great Tribulation will ensue for seven years, with Christ finally coming to destroy the evil doers and set up His Millennial kingdom.

He gives some warnings re wars and rumours of wars, then famine and pestilence and all sorts of natural disasters. But those are only the beginning of sorrows; for then follows martyrdom, the rise of false prophets and the Antichrist, and the age of iniquity, but also the expansion of the church and preaching of the gospel to all parts of the world…and then shall come the end. (Matt. 24:6-14) Jesus then described the prevailing situation thus: ‘For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.’ (Matt. 24:21)

Yes friends, those seven years of tribulation will have so much universal suffering and destruction like the world’s never seen before, or will ever see again. That’s why you have to make sure that you are all right with Jesus when He comes for the church in the Rapture. Then Jesus turned His attention to the time frame for those happenings. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be… Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.’ (Matt. 24:36-39, 42)

Oh my brethren, it’s all so simple. In the first coming Christ comes in the clouds for the church, to settle them in heaven. In the second coming, He comes with the church to ,judge the world. And the exceeding chaotic state of our current world, clearly tells us that the time of both situations could not be too far off. Therefore, let us get ourselves prepared, that is, if we want to spend eternity with Jesus, because if He comes at either time and you’re not ready, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe!

Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to be ready, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!

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

Now, it behooves us to go out and use those blessings on God’s behalf, just as generously as He bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!

…the three most important b’s and r’s…be ready…be ready…be ready…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 April 2023 2 Peter 3:13.

01 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a thousand years as one day, according to his promise, April Fool's day, be diligent, be ye glad and rejoice for ever, blameless, cast into the lake of fire, contrary weather, death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, I create new heavens and a new earth, I must be about my Father's business, I will rejoice in Jerusalem, in all holy conversation and godliness, joy in my people, lazy day rations, LOVE, neither sorrow, no more death, nor pain, not willing that any should perish, one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, that ye may be found of him in peace, the Book of Life, the former things are passed away, the Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, the Millennial kingdom, the rapture of the church, the second death, the voice of weeping shall be no more heard, we look for new heavens and a new earth, what manner of persons ought ye to be, wherein dwelleth righteousness, whosoever was not found written in the book of life, without spot

2 Peter 3:13. Nevertheless we, according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Well can you believe it? It’s the first of April already! No, it’s not an April Fool’s Day joke, it’s the real thing. (smile) We just sailed through the first three months of this new year as though it was one day. It’s like Peter says: ‘one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet. 3:8) Those last three months certainly passed in a hurry. It seems like we just celebrated Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day and Carnival, now we’re about to celebrate Easter.

The weather is just as contrary too. After raining all through yesterday and last night, till early morn, it’s now bright and sunny with a temperature around eleven degrees Celsius, but it’s going to seem colder because of the brisk wind that’s blowing in the sunshine. So, all in all, it’s a beautiful day to be lazy. (smile) Unfortunately though, I’ve already used up my lazy rations for the day. Now I’ve got to be about my Father’s business. And it seems that the scriptures after the verse we quoted in 2 Peter are ideal ones for us to look at today.

So, let’s continue, as Peter tells us. ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9) Right there friends, we see that our God is worthy to keep His promises, but He’s also patient and persevering with us, and desires everybody to come to salvation, but we need to trust in Him, if that’s to happen.

Then Peter goes on to explain: ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.’ (2 Pet. 3:10) Now let’s be careful and recognize there that Peter is talking about the final apocalyptic judgement, when Jesus returns to close out the old earth and heavens, not the Rapture of the church.

And since that will happen as suddenly and without warning like the Rapture, Peter therefore makes these very pertinent statements for those who will be living in the Millennial Kingdom, as well as to us living right now before the Rapture. ‘Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (conduct) and godliness. Looking for and hasting (hastening) unto the coming of the day, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?’ (2 Pet. 3:11-12)

Oh friends, at some stage of the game, the old heavens and earth will be destroyed, what then? Peter tells us: ‘Nevertheless we, according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.’ (2 Pet. 3:13) Oh my brethren, Peter is urging us to look past this heaven and earth to a new heaven and earth, one characterized by righteousness, with this further admonishment. ‘Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.’ (2 Pet. 3:14)

Yes, as a consequence of our looking forward to bigger and better things, we also need to come up higher in our walk with God. And if you don’t believe that one day the old earth and heaven will be destroyed, then read Revelation chapters 17-19, and they should clear up your doubt. Let’s not forget either the earlier promise of God that Peter talked about. It’s highlighted in the prophecy of Isaiah, where he speaks of the prosperity of God’s servants, beyond the millennial kingdom, in His promise of the new day.

‘For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered,, nor come into mind (come upon the heart). But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem in a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days (who lives but a few days), nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.’ (Is. 65:17-20)

Ah mih people, that was just the foreshadowing of what we read in Revelation 21 about the new heaven and new earth that John saw coming down from God. In particular this verse that we all look forward to. ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:4)

Oh my fellow saints, what a magnificent scripture of promise that is! And remember it’s the third time it’s found in the Good Library, The second time is in Isaiah 66:22-24, which means it’s certainly going to happen some day, whenever the Father chooses. But for us to be there celebrating that momentous occasion we have to start living right from right now. We can’t say we haven’t been warned. And for good measure, let’s read some of that scripture.

John says in the Book of Revelation: ‘And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (hades) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell (hades) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.’ (Rev. 20: 11-15)

Those are not my words my brethren, but the inspired, inerrant, truthful word of God. Now it’s up to ensure that our names are found written in the book of life. We know what to do to make that happen, so please let’s do it nuh. Much LOVE!

…we have everything we need to do it…so there’s no reason whatsoever…that our names…should not be found in the Book of Life…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 November 2022 1 Thessalonians 5:2.

23 Nov 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: behold I come as a thief, blessed is he that watcheth, children of light, Christ can return at any time, drunken in the night, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, for a helmet, glad to be alive, God's mercies are new every day, halfway home, keepeth his garments, lest he walked naked and they see his shame, let us not sleep, LOVE, not looking back, peace and safety, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, sudden destruction cometh, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night, the Great tribulation, the hope of salvation, the Millennial kingdom, the parable of the ten virgins, the unfaithful servant, this is the day the Lord has made, this is the Lord's doing, to a glorious future with Jesus, watch and be sober, watch therefore, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, wherein the Son of man cometh, ye are not in darkness, ye know neither the day nor the hour

1 Thessalonians 5:2. For ourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

And then it was Wednesday…already, I complain. (smile) Yes, but it’s a beautiful day in my neighbourhood; with bright sunshine, you can even feel a dash of heat from the glowing orb, no snow and temps around 7 Celsius. For this time of year, around here that’s gorgeous weather. So, let’s do like the psalmist did and declare out loud: ‘This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:23-24)

Yes friends, we had better enjoy this day the Lord has given us, for who knows if we’ll ever see another one. Remember, God’s mercies and compassions are new every day, like fresh bread, He gives them to us for our enjoyment. So let’s show some gratitude and appreciation by enjoying them nuh.

And yesterday we were talking about a very important topic in the believer’s life; that of being ready for whenever Jesus returns, which to all intents and purposes will be sudden and unexpected. Please don’t laugh, it’s no joking matter, like some people think it is, because if you’re not ready when He returns, you will be left behind to suffer all the evils and persecutions of the Great Tribulation. And who wants to really suffer those indignities eh, when we can go home with Jesus in the Rapture of the church.

But that means we have to be ready and waiting in faith whenever He returns for His bride, the church. And there are a few other scriptures we ought to look at, besides those we studied yesterday. First of all, there is the parable of the unfaithful servant (Matt. 24:45-51) who was abusing his authority in his master’s absence, when the master suddenly returned home unexpectedly and caught him red-handed. And Jesus ends that parable by declaring (steups!!!): ‘there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ And so there shall be when He returns and many are not ready.

Then there is the parable of the ten virgins: (Matt. 25:1-13) five who were smart and took oil for their lamps to wait for the bridegroom’s coming to meet his bride, and five foolish who took no oil, and eventually got locked out of the ceremony when the bridegroom came late, and they had gone looking for oil for their lamps. And friends, Jesus ends that parable with this warning again. ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 25:13)

Now just in case you didn’t get Christ’s warning, then please check out chapter 5 of Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, where he writes: ‘For ourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.’ (1 Thess. 5:2) Jesus also issued that warning, though in a slightly different way when talking about the thief coming at an unexpected time to rob the master’s house. ‘Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:44)

Then Bruh Paul goes on to warn the Thessalonians: ‘For when they shall say, Peace and safety (slogans of the Roman Empire); then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail (labour pains) upon a woman with child (a pregnant woman); and they shall not escape. But ye brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and LOVE; and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together (encourage each other), and edify (build up) one another, even as ye also do (are already doing.’ (1 Thess. 5:3-11)

Wow! What a momentous passage of scripture my fellow believers! It’s educational, encouraging, comforting and a serious warning, all at the same time. And that warning still holds good for us today, possibly more so than back then since Jesus hasn’t returned yet and can do so at ANY TIME; day or night, today, tomorrow…or even a hundred or a thousand years from now! But return He will! And it is certainly time for us, the supposed children of light to awaken from our lethargy and get ourselves ready for Jesus’ return.

Meanwhile, the scholars explain that ‘The day of the Lord is an all-encompassing term to describe the period that begins with the Great Tribulation, and includes the second coming of Christ, and the millennial kingdom.’ So, there’s plenty stuff that’s coming, but exactly when, no one but the Father knows, that’s why we have to be in a state of constant preparedness!

Then there’s this last scripture which Jesus relates to John in the Book of Revelation. ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.’ (Rev. 16:15) That’s ‘an exhortation to the surviving believers after the last great war, Armageddon, to be watchful and alert, and to remain faithful and loyal to Christ during a time of intense persecution. To have garments rather than be naked, relates to spiritual preparedness.’

Yes my fellow saints, from today, right down to when Jesus actually sets up His millennial kingdom, we must remain spiritually prepared. And for those of us attempting to do that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail. 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!’

And believe me, if we endure right down to the end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can either ask or imagine. Now that’s good encouragement to keep us living for Jesus! Much LOVE!

…a lot of the believer’s time…should be taken up with…watching and praying…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 March 2022 Isaiah 26:3.

02 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a peace beyond human comprehension, Ash Wednesday, bacchanal, be of good cheer, Carnival, evil doers, false gods, he trusteth in thee, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, intimate relationship with Christ, is still flowing through me, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, lean on God in total confidence, Lent, Lenten season, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, Mother Nature, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, not looking back at the past, Peace i leave with you, perfect peace, shalom, thank God, the breath of life, the Millennial kingdom, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the redemption song, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, to a glorious future with Jesus, trust in God's promises, trust ye in the Lord for ever, Wednesday Wail, whose mind is stayed on thee

Isaiah 26:3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee, because he trusteth in thee.

Now is it ever bright and sunshiny this Ash Wednesday morning! We could not ask for anything better…well, perhaps no snow on the banks, (smile) although we expect some warmer temps and rain in the next couple of days, which hopefully will melt and wash most of it away. Brother, I’ve never seen such a confused mixture of snow and rain in a winter season yet. But if that’s the way Mother Nature chooses to behave these days, then there’s nothing much we can do, except grin and bear it.

Anyway, all the frolic, the carnival and bacchanal is done now, and it’s time to get serious about life and about Jesus. The Lenten Season is here, which means a time of praying, fasting, studying God’s word, being more generous and treating each other better! And I guess the Lord knew why He had me ask yesterday about the keeping of our New Year’s resolution, because all those things back there are an integral part of not only Lent, but also of getting closer, becoming involved in a deeper and more intimate relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

And do we ever desperately need that in this ungodly, strife-filled, angry and greedy world! And I just saw a scripture that admirably describes our current plight. The prophet Isaiah said of his people Israel in his hymn of praise, a prophecy of the redemption song that will be sung in the Millennial Kingdom, when Christ finally comes to reign for a thousand years. ‘O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us, but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.’ (Is. 26:13)

And is that ever the gospel truth my people! We have allowed the evil and wicked idols and images to capture our lives and turn us away from the One and Only True God Jehovah! That’s why our lives and our world is in such a terrible mess. But as Isaiah continues: ‘They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore thou hast visited (punished) and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.’ (Is. 26:14)

Yes friends, the Lord is the process of destroying the false gods and evildoers. He began with the coming of Jesus, that first time two thousand years ago, where He was the first and only deity to die and rise from the grave, and live forever. And the Lord will continue that cleansing of evil from His world with the Second Coming of Christ. And though we might desire the evil and iniquity workers to be gone immediately, in God’s divine wisdom, He’s made it a long, drawn out process, and we can only do as He directs, and trust in His promises and faithfulness.

And to encourage his people, as well as subsequent believers, Isaiah, in the early part of his hymn of praise, also made this promise on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.’ (Is. 26:3-4)

Oh my fellow saints, the Lord God Jehovah is indeed our ‘Rock of Ages,’ upon whom we ought to place all our trust and faith, to whom we surrender ourselves completely, to live for His Son Jesus, so that we can be amongst those singing that redemption song in the Millennial Kingdom, helping to run it with Jesus.

And the scholars offer some interesting explanations of those verses. They say that ‘the emphatic expression in the promise of perfect peace (shalom), indicates a peace that goes beyond human comprehension (cf. Phil. 4:7). To have one’s mind…stayed means to lean on God in total confidence and security. Trust is the ultimate expression of that confidence. Notice that the object of one’s faith is as important as the act of trust. Here the object of faith is the Lord Jehovah.’

Yes my faithful brethren, it’s equally important not only that we trust, but also in whom we trust. And if we want to end up in the Millennial Kingdom and see that perfect peace, we need to trust in Jehovah God, and Him ONLY, because He is the ONLY ONE that can provide the shalom we all claim to seek.

And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh Paul as he spoke to the church at Philippi. ‘Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)

That says it all friends! If we need that perfect peace, that shalom, then the only way to get it is to believe in, surrender to, live for, and trust in Christ Jesus! Otherwise we will always be filled with doubt, distrust and turmoil. And there’s absolutely no doubt that right now we desperately need the peace of Jesus, that passeth all understanding, since none of us can really understand the myriad of sad and unbelievable things that are currently happening in our world. Let me say it once more: It’s only through belief and trust in Christ Jesus that we will ever find some semblance of true peace in this evil world.

And Jesus said it so clearly on two occasions during His earthly sojourn: The first one goes thus: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) So you clearly see that the peace found in Jesus Christ is not anything like the peace supposedly found in the world. It’s a spiritual kind of peace that operates at a much higher level than that of the world.

And in the second passage Jesus says: ‘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) Now it’s up to us to believe that God is real and that His promises are faithful! And for those of us who believe that God is real, because we can feel Him deep in our soul, let’s go home joyfully declaring (yeah!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.

As one strong and confident voice. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’

And as always, we need to remember that if we endure to the end, that that future with Jesus will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…shalom…shalom…the perfect peace…that’s only found in Jesus…

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SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 November 2023 Matthew 24:42.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 April 2023 2 Peter 3:13.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 November 2022 1 Thessalonians 5:2.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 March 2022 Isaiah 26:3.

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