trusting faith | SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 December 2022 Psalm 146:5.

02 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a son of man, anger inflames talk, be made the righteousness of God in Him, choose life, come short of the glory of God, come to God in love, consequences for our behaviour, divine guidance, do the devil's bidding, for all have sinned, free will, Friday chant, God so loved the world, godliness brings rewards, happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, he gave his only begotten son, he hath made him to be sin for us, he returneth to his earth, his breath goeth forth, in that very day his thoughts perish, Jesus is only a prayer away, job frustration, LOVE, omnipotent help, put not your trust in princes, run amok, simmering unrest, sin brings punishment, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the gift of God is eternal life, the wages of sin is death, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, whose hope is in the Lord his God, you and your seed may live

Psalm 146:5. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:

And it’s Friday, so everyone’s joyfully shouting: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the work week is over! Glory be!’ You know it always amuses me at our different reactions on Mondays and Fridays; one of anger and frustration and the other of happiness. But the fact is that life goes on as planned, regardless of our reactions. And despite all of our advancements, none of us know what’s going to happen on any particular day of our lives, nor in our oh so messed up and confused world. So why not enjoy every day that we are alive, regardless of what day it is eh, and whether we have to go to work or not?

The truth is that ONLY the Lord God Almighty knows what’s going to happen, and He’s not telling, because He desires us to put our sincere trust, faith, and hope in Him, to rely completely on His mercy, grace and LOVING-kindness. And that makes very good sense since He is the Creator and Controller of the earth and all therein. Why look to anyone or anything else for safety, comfort, prosperity and health when we have the ONE who created and controls it all to look to eh?

And Psalm 146 puts it so nicely and wisely. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the (a) son of man (human being), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (spirit departs), he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever.’ (Ps. 146:3-6) And that’s so easy to do, through the medium of prayer. As they say, Jesus is only a prayer away; that means a couple of breaths and words away.

But no, because we have free will, we figure we are entitled to do what we want, when we want, and with whom we want. But that’s a great fallacy my brethren. The Lord didn’t give us free will to run amok and do the devil’s evil bidding, but to choose to come to Him in LOVE and true fellowship. No wonder there are consequences for all of our behaviour, both good and bad. And believe me, some of those consequences are very far reaching, even to the destiny we face at the end of this earthly life. Please remember Bruh Paul’s very serious warning to the Roman church. ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ.’ (Rom. 8:23)

Now that’s possibly the most significant warning in all the Bible, because it gets right down to brass tacks, doesn’t mince words about our eternal fate. Now, whether or not you believe Bruh Paul’s warning is entirely up to you, but be assured that it is the truth, and a life of sin will be paid for by death, both physical and spiritual. And since we were all born in sin, because of our forefather Adam’s sinfulness, we are automatically labelled for death: ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom. 3:23)

And for that we will pay a hefty price unless we repent, turn from our evil ways and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, whom the Father sent to die on the cross at Calvary, so His sinless blood could be shed and pay for our sins. Yes friends, our sin debt has been paid in full by Jesus Christ. As Bruh Paul writes in his second letter to the church at Corinth: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:20)

Oh my fellow saints, how great and wonderful is our Father God! How deep and marvellous is His LOVE for us, that He sent His only begotten Son to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners like us! You must admit that He had to think very highly of us to do such an amazing and selfless deed. Jesus said it thus: ‘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)

That says it all right there friends! Jesus came so that we could be saved, because the Father LOVED us so much, He didn’t want to see His most precious creation languish in hell, in pain and suffering for eternity. So He gave us another option; one of redemption and reconciliation, through belief on the shed blood of His Son Jesus Christ. But the choice is all up to us. That’s the crux of the matter. And my heartfelt advice is that we do like Moses told the Israelites: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut, 31:19)

Oh friends it couldn’t be any clearer than that! And for those of us who have chosen life, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine guidance and continued grace and mercy. Altogether now: ‘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 several viruses 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 viruses and the simmering unrest in our land. 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, the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land that’s threatening to boil over, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’

Now, if we truly want a positive answer to our prayer, then we’d better wake up and smell that coffee and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…sin brings punishment…godliness brings rewards…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 October 2022 1 Timothy 4:7.

28 Oct 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a whole new flock, allow the devil to tempt us, backsliders, be diligent in prayer, Bible Study, bodily exercise profiteth little, but refuse profane and old wives' tales, Christian service, counter-productive, embrace your love and compassion, entitled society, eternal death, exercise thyself rather unto godliness, fellowshipping with other believers, Friday chant, glitter like gold, godliness doesn't come automatically, godliness is profitable unto all things, Jesus came that we might have life, life eternal, LOVE, obedience, omnipotent help, pandemic, running down the things of the world, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, simmering unrest, soap operas, spend less time in the gym and more in church, spending time with god, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example we faithful believers set, the promise of life now and forever, the thief comes only to steal and destroy, trusting faith, unexpected storm, ungodly world, viruses, wise guidance

1 Timothy 4:7. But refuse (reject) profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

Finally, at long last, it’s Friday, the day we all look forward to, because it means the end of our work week and all the frustrations and problems making a living in this crazy, strife-filled world tend to cause. That’s why this shout is heard all around the world on a Friday. ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is finally at hand. No more labour for two whole big days. Wow!’

And we all note the sarcasm in the last sentence. What an entitled and ungrateful society we’ve become, lacking work ethic and responsibility. We want to live a good life, with all the amenities available but don’t want work or do what’s necessary to provide them. It’s like the saying goes; we want what others have but don’t want to do what they did to get it. And the sad part is that Jesus told us so clearly that running down the things of the world is counter-productive, because the same basic things are available through belief in Him and His heavenly Father, plus with them, you’ll also gain life eternal, while with Satan it’s eternal death.

What don’t we understand about: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) If you trust and rely on God, He will provide you with all the basic necessities of life, just like He does for the birds, the bees, the flowers and all His other creations. You are His most wonderful and adored creation, so if He provides all the lesser creations need to survive and thrive, why will He refuse to do the same for his most prized creation eh? No reason whatsoever!

But we foolishly allow the devil to tempt us into running down the things of the world, because they seem glamorous and glitter like gold, allowing him to sow doubt in our minds about the goodness and grace of God. But as a true believer, that is one thing you should never doubt because if you’ve spent any time at all under His umbrella, you’ll have certainly seen several instances of His grace and mercy. However, unfortunately, it’s only with experience, length of time you spend with someone, that you truly get to know them.

And that’s how it is also with our great and generous God; the more time you spend with Him, the better you get to know Him, and thus come to appreciate all his many marvellous attributes. Then you will see the lack of wisdom involved in following the deceitful, and treacherous devil, who only comes to steal and destroy, while Jesus came to save us, to give us life in abundance, so much so that it will overflow. (John 10:10)

That’s why Bruh Paul in his first letter to Timothy, his young preacher associate, so seriously warned him against the things of the world. ‘But refuse (reject) profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come.’ (1 Tim. 4:7-8)

And that certainly is good advice! For as the scholars tell us: ‘We may read the verse (7), “But avoid profane and fabricated myths, and exercise yourself to be godly.” These false doctrines called “myths” are described as “profane” because they promote ungodliness, and “fabricated” because they – like modern day soap operas – are silly and flighty in character. Not only must Timothy avoid false teaching, he must spare himself no pain and effort to be pious. Godliness does not come automatically. To attain holiness he must be diligent in prayer, Bible study, obedience, fellowshipping with other believers, and Christian service.’

And my fellow believers nothing has changed in that department. We still need to be diligent in our obedience, duty, fellowshipping, prayer, and Bible study time, for that’s the only way we can ever truly know the heart, desires and will of our majestic and LOVING God. And I’m sure the scholars’ belittling of soap operas won’t sit well with some of you soap opera diehards, but it’s the truth. They don’t promote anything but resentment, deceit and a flighty, worldly lifestyle.

That brings us to the scholars comment on verse 8 above. They say: ‘The verse may be paraphrased, “For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness the result of spiritual exercise, has unlimited values, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’ Oh my people, what a way our world would be wonderfully improved if some of us would spend just a li’l less time on bodily exercise and use that saved time instead in spiritual improvement.

The thiefing gyms and exercise palaces are full to overflowing every day, meanwhile the churches sit empty. What does that say about us eh? Simply that we regard and appreciate our frail, fragile earthly bodies more than we do our omnipotent Creator. And that obviously doesn’t bode well for our society in the long term, because without godly vision and practices, a society flounders and eventually fails. And unfortunately, we’re currently seeing and experiencing that tell-tale floundering in our mish-mash, ungodly world.

However, it’s not too late to make a change, a change for the better, but it all begins with sincere prayer. So, if you’re sincere about trying to improve the world for our descendants, then please join me in offering up our Friday Chant to a waiting heaven. 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 several viruses 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.

Now, my fellow believers, let’s get busy with all the things we need to do if we’re going to improve our world, as soon as possible. Much LOVE!

…worldly pleasures last but for a moment…but godliness gives grace for eternity…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 September 2022 Romans 13:10.

30 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a liar, a new commandment I give unto you, bring backsliders back to your fold, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, conceited, embrace your love and compassion, enjoy the pleasures of the earth, error of their ways, evil cesspool, Friday chant, if ye love me keep my commandments, it is high time to awake out of sleep, LOVE, love is the fulfilling of the law, love one another as I have loved you, love worketh no ill to his neighbour, now is our salvation nearer, omnipotent help, party time, rioting drunkenness, selfish, sit on our fannies, strife and envying, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the breath of life, the christian way, the cross of Calvary, the day is at hand, the night is far spent, the truth is not in us, the way of the world, trusting faith, verily is the love of God perfected, walk honestly, whoso keepeth his word

Romans 13:10. LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law.

And the communal shout on this last day of September 2022, was heard all around the world this morning: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Thank God that the weekend’s here and party time is nigh!’ Yes friends, it’s all well and good to thank God for some relief from work and some time to party, but how many of us also thanked Him for the breath of life that’s still flowing through our bodies this sunshiny morning eh?

How many of us thanked Him for the new mercies and compassions that He’s sowing anew today in our miserable lives, for the jobs, the families and the many other blessings which He’s bestowed upon us undeservedly, or asked Him to bless the unfortunate ones that don’t have half as much as we do, or to help us share what we have with them? Not many of us, certainly not enough, because we’re so selfish and conceited, only interested in ourselves and what’s good for us.

Oh, we know that me, myself and I, is the current way of the world, but that’s not the Christian way my brethren. The Christian way is to share and be unselfish like Jesus was when He gave His sinless life for us on the cross of Calvary. As we keep reminding us, if we’re to be Jesus’ disciples, ambassadors, agents or whatever we choose to call ourselves, we must endeavour to walk as closely as possible to the way He did, as John tells us so clearly in his first epistle. And to keep it all in context, we’ll read the whole passage of scripture, the test of true knowledge and discipleship.

Now, in the book of John, we have Jesus saying: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) John then uses this in his epistle as a test of true commitment, saying: ‘And hereby we do know that we know him (Jesus), if we keep his commandments. He that saith I know him , and keepeth not his commandments , is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the LOVE of God perfected (matured): hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked.’ (1 John 2:3-6)

Oh my people, it’s obvious that because of our naturally sinful nature, we won’t’ ever walk as perfectly and sinless as Jesus did, but it’s our duty, as His representatives, to do our best, to come as close to perfect as humanly possible. That means being diligent and excellent in all we do, be it work or play, for God or for man. That means having a great devotion to God and compassion for others. Walking in truth and light, the way Jesus walked in them. Forsaking darkness and evil as much as we can.

And please remember these most memorable words of Jesus to the disciples. ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) It’s a simple but very profound statement my fellow saints. If we LOVE each other, then people will recognize us as disciples of Jesus.

But unfortunately, that word titled LOVE is not to be found much in our lives, at least not the way Jesus meant it. Showing care and compassion for each other, helping one another even if means sacrificing our time, talent and treasure. Thinking of and praying for each other, encouraging and comforting one another. That’s how Jesus walked amongst us.

Now, are we doing those things to a sufficiently great extent? Certainly not! Otherwise, our world would not be the evil cesspool that it’s quickly becoming, with supposed Christians not showing up enough, not standing up steadfast and strong enough to make a substantial difference like we need and ought to. Yes, I know that I’m getting on our case, but how else are we to make a serious and substantial difference eh, when most of us are either afraid to stand up for Jesus, or want to just sit on our fannies and enjoy the pleasures of the earth?

Somebody has to awaken us because time is running out. Every day, we believers delay in taking a stand for Jesus, the devil and his cronies get stronger and more boldfaced. Is that how we desire things to be, is it what we promised Jesus to do? Obviously not. So please, please, let’s take these warning words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome on walking in LOVE, very seriously nuh mih bredrin.

‘LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law. And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly (properly), as in the day; not in rioting (revelry) and drunkenness, not in chambering (licentiousness) and wantonness (lewdness), not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.’ (Rom. 13:10-14)

Oh my people, I couldn’t put it any clearer or better. The time for Jesus’ return is nigh, that will be the day, and now while He is out of the world is the night, so to be prepared for that day when He returns, it behooves us to wake up asap, because we can’t afford to be sleeping, or in darkness, we need to be dressed in the armour of light. And to do that, we have to stop gratifying or satisfying the lusts of our fleshly nature, and instead walk honestly, without strife and envy, in LOVE like Jesus did.

And to help us do that, we need to turn to the Lord in sincere prayer. So, as one voice, through our Friday Chant, let’s go to the throne of grace, baring our hearts and souls, throwing ourselves on His everlasting mercy. ‘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 viruses 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 viruses 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!’

But please note, that all those prayerful words and pretty phrases mean nothing unless we change our ways, unless we truly wake up and begin living and walking the way Jesus did! Much LOVE!

…walking like Jesus…it’s all about manifesting the fruit of the Spirit…LOVE, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness and self-control…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 September 2022 John 8:32.

02 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, an inherent need for responsibility, anointed me to preach the gospel, be responsible and stay safe, bring backsliders back to your fold, divine help, embrace Jesus as Lord and Saviour, freedom, freedom is a figmnet of our imagination, Friday chant, heal the brokenhearted, I am the way the truth and the life, if the Son sets you free, if ye continue in my word, in the name of freedom, introduce a whole new flock, Jesus' work on the cross, LOVE, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, offer derogatory comments, right motives in our hearts, show them the error of their ways, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that magnificent orb, the elixir of the human spirit, the Messiah, the pearly gates, the truth shall make you free, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, we must all bow to somebody, wise guidance, ye are my disciples indeed, ye shall be free indeed, ye shall know the truth

John 8:32. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Oh friends, today as the rising of the sun begins, as that magnificent orb makes its daily journey around the world, many different voices in many different languages will loudly and harmoniously chorus: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Thank God for the weekend and all the freedom it brings!’

Ah Lord eh, do we ever like and fantasize about that thing called freedom. And down through the ages, so many of us have died shouting out its name, but we don’t really know the heavy price that supposed elixir of the human spirit demands. For to be truly free, one needs to be responsible, not lawless like so many of us believe. Freedom carries with it an inherent need for responsibility, loyalty, self-control, self-discipline and level headedness. It calls for mercy, LOVE, grace, forgiveness, goodness and godliness.

It doesn’t give us the right, as so many of us believe to do exactly what we want, when we want, regardless of the consequences to those around us. It doesn’t mean chaos, selfishness and disregard for our fellow man. In fact, it demands just the opposite; a healthy and responsible care and compassion for our fellow human beings.

And I guess that’s why all the revolutions and wars and other negative circumstances that have occurred in the name of freedom have never succeeded, because in the end, those at the forefront of those uprisings, end up doing exactly what their oppressors and suppressors were doing; oppressing and suppressing somebody in the supposed name of freedom! But yet, we still constantly hear the battle cry for freedom: freedom from this, freedom from that, freedom from responsibility, freedom from paying taxes, freedom from God and His law.

Hn! Yet we still desire all those things that a responsible freedom bring. But in reality, freedom is only, and will always be a figment of our imagination, for as the song so truly says: we all must bow to somebody; to either God or Satan. And once you’re bowing to someone, you’re never free. Bowing to Satan will never make you free, because he is only interested in keeping his selfish claws in you, restraining you from rising to the level for which you were created, and thus making hellfire and damnation your eternal home.

The closest we can ever get to that thing called freedom is by reverently bowing to our Maker, Our Creator and Provider, our Way-maker and Forgiver, the enabler of Eternal Life. And that can only happen when we sincerely embrace His majestic Son, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Yes, friends, only through the intervention of the Son, can one get to all the magnificent benefits and freedoms that the Father provides. Listen up as Christ enlightens us on the subject.

First off, He sets us straight by imparting this startling, but ever so true information: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) Oh my people, unless we believe that, and act seriously upon it, we will never see the bright lights of heaven and enjoy the promise of eternal life! That’s the truth, and nothing but the God-awesome truth! Only sincere belief in Christ Jesus will enable us to enter through those pearly gates we all talk and dream about so much!

And likewise, the only source of true freedom is Christ Jesus. And why do we know this? Listen as He taught in the synagogue of His hometown of Nazareth. On that momentous Sabbath day in the temple, Jesus read thus from the Book of Isaiah. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised (oppressed). To preach the acceptable year of the Lord….This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (hearing)’ (Luke 4:18-19, 21)

Oh my people, Jesus was letting His hometown know that He was the chosen One, the Messiah, the One sent to set the captives free, to heal their broken hearts, souls and spirits. But, as it so often happens, when someone close to us, just like us, rises up to another level, we tend to offer derogatory comments rather than gladly accept their new status. And that’s exactly what happened to Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth.

They didn’t believe that the lowly carpenter’s son of Joseph and Mary, who grew up amongst them could ever be the Messiah. His words so annoyed them that they eventually forced him out of the city and tried to throw Him down a hill. Thankfully though, as the Good Book says: ‘But he passing through the midst of them went his way.’ (Luke 4:30) And the scholars offer this explanation on the verse. ‘It is not clear whether this is a miraculous deliverance, or whether Jesus, by dint of His imposing presence, was able to stare His opponents down and then walk away untouched.’ I like to think it was the latter, just to show the unbelieving fools that He was not scared of them. (smile)

Now, this final word from Jesus re freedom. He said to a crowd of Jews that supposedly believed in Him. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:31-32) And when they claimed they were never in bondage, so how could they be made free, Jesus explained to them that they were in bondage to sin. However, ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free; ye shall be free indeed.’ (John 8:36)

And is that ever the glorious truth my brethren! Only through the work of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, His shed blood, His death and resurrection, can we be truly made free. Free from sin, free from our most noted enemy, Satan and the sinful life that he espouses and tries to get us to also espouse, so that we can eventually end up like him, in the lake of fire. But thankfully, we’re wiser than that! We’re following Jesus! Glory Hallelujah! So, let’s go to Him in prayer, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine help in our troubled world.

As one confident 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 and monkey-pox viruses, as well as 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 viruses 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!’

Now friends, if we truly expect positive divine help, then it’s up to us keep the promises we’ve just made, and show right motives in our hearts. Much LOVE!

…ONLY through belief in Christ Jesus…can we gain whatever freedom is possible in this earthly life…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 July 2022 Matthew 12:37.

22 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a gift of God's grace, a means of restoring faith in you, a wise materbuilder, absent from the body present with the Lord, after this the judgement, appear before the judgement seat of Christ, be revealed by fire, bring backsliders back to your fold, by thy words thou shalt be condemned, by thy words thou shalt be justified, combustible materials, Covid-19 virus, every idle word that men speak, faith without works is dead, faithful believers, for other foundation can no man lay than Jesus, Friday chant, hypocrites, incombustible materials, introduce a whole new flock, it is appointed unto men once to die, LOVE, our own indulgent purposes, show them the error of their ways, talk without action is useless, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, they shall give account of on judgment day, trusting faith, unrest in the streets, wake up and smell the coffee, whether it be good or bad

Matthew 12:37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

And although many of us have not done much for the entire week, we are still boldfaced enough to raise our voices in insincere thanks today, saying ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ What a bunch of hypocrites we really are! There is no real thanks in our declaration, just mere selfish desires that the work week is almost over and then we can do as we please; party, over-indulge, etc. etc. It’s surprising how we can call God’s name, use it for our own indulgent purposes, but not seriously and sincerely talk to Him about the things that truly matter in this mish-mash life and ungodly world in which we’re currently living.

But please remember friends that one day we will all be called to account for our life, for the words we spoke and the actions we took or did not take. Jesus told us quite plainly: ‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt. 12:36-37) Yes my brethren, come the judgement day we’ll answer for a lot of stuff that in the world view, we now think is quite all right, but it really isn’t.

So, for argument’s sake, (smile) crying out ‘Thank God it’s Friday,’ and not really meaning it, might be words you’ll be called to give account for. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus in his second missive to the church at Corinth. ‘We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour (make it our aim), that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him (be well pleasing to him). For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done; whether it be good or bad.’ (2 Cor. 5:8-10)

Oh my fellow believers, as Bruh Paul already pointed out in 1 Cor. 3:10-15, all our works will be judged by fire, and rewards handed out based on those that survive the flames. And though we’re not under condemnation, nor fear being thrown out of heaven once we get there, we must be aware that God will still hold us responsible for the deeds done in the body. Now don’t think we can get away from that judgement either, (smile) because there are two certainties in this life, as the author of Hebrews puts it. ‘And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.’ (Heb. 9:27)

So, all of us will die, and all of us will face the judgement seat of Christ! It means that if want to have less face time with Christ at the judgement and earn more rewards, then we need to ensure that our words, deeds and motives down here on earth are well-pleasing to Him. It’s as simple as that. And remember, no one is going to answer for us, neither are we going to answer for anyone else. It will be just the individual and Christ. So, please stop concentrating and worrying about what others are saying and/or doing and concentrate on what you are saying and doing.

And I guess the best way to make us understand is by quoting Bruh Paul’s words from 1 Cor. 3:10-15, about building our individual ministries and Christians being co-labourers. He says: ‘According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay that that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble (straw); Every man’s work shall be made manifest (become evident): for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try (test) every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide (endures) which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved: yet so as by (through) fire.’ (1 Cor. 3:10-15)

Therefore my brethren, it’s imperative that we build our lives, our ministries, whatever we build, on the one true and solid foundation of Christ Jesus, the Rock! And that we build with gold, silver or precious metals which are incombustible and thus cannot be burned or consumed by the figurative fire or judgement. However, if our buildings are constructed of cheap, combustible materials like wood, hay, stubble or straw, they will obviously be consumed by the fire and we will lose any rewards we might have expected, which are all a gift of God’s grace.

The good thing though, is that we will not lose our salvation. But as the scholars point out: ‘The stress in this entire passage is not on a person’s relationship to Christ, but on service to Christ.’ So, although we believe, and are saved, we are still expected to do some useful work to build the kingdom. How would you feel if you are one of those in heaven who don’t have any rewards eh, because your service to the kingdom didn’t survive the judgement, while all around you are others displaying their gracious gifts for their worthwhile service?

None of us will be pleased, although I suppose jealousy and envy won’t be a part of our character then. (smile) To avoid that kind of situation then, let’s think about doing more worthwhile service now nuh. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace in sincere prayer, through our Friday Chant, laying all our wants and needs before the feet of our Creator.

As one confident but humble 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.

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, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’

Now, if we want to see positive results, it behooves us to go out into the evil world and truly behave as faithful believers! Much LOVE!

…faith without works is dead…talk without action is useless…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 July 2022 Proverbs 29:18.

01 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a feeling of love and compassion, a means of restoring faith in you, adherence to God's law, as the Father has loved me so have I loved you, bring backsliders back to your fold, divine revelation, every man did that which was right in his own eyes, Friday chant, Happy Canada Day, he that keepeth the law; happy is he, introduce a whole new flock, Jesus the living word of God, lack of God's word, legalism, LOVE, monkey see monkey do, my joy may be in you, now is the time to turn to Jesus, omnipotent help, seeking grace mercy and forgiveness, shines bright like the noonday sun, show them the error of their ways, stand on our own two feet, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the example your faithful believers set, the Ten Commandments, the word of the Lord was precious (rare), tomorrow may be too late, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, where there is no vision the people perish, wise guidance and direction, your joy may be complete

Proverbs 29:18. Where there is no vision (prophetic vision), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Oh mih people, the caffeine is hot, strong and sweet this Friday morning, this sunshiny, cloudy, first day of July 2022! Can you imagine that June is finished already! But that’s okay, because today in this blessed land we’re celebrating and shouting two things: The first is the usual ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ And with that comes the added incentive of no work today, because it’s a holiday, as we celebrate the birthday of our beautiful land, and shout ‘Happy Canada Day!’

Yes, on July 1. 1867, the separate Provinces came together to form the Confederation of Canada, and since then we’ve been plowing forward regardless. Oh, we’ve had misfortunes, done wrong things and displeased others, but yuh better believe right now we are the best big country in the world, despite our many problems! Yes, like all other countries we have problems, some of our own making, others because of our close association with the richest and one of the most volatile countries in the world right now, the U.S. of A.

They want to spread their dissent abroad, and we want to play monkey see, monkey do. But hopefully, we will stand upon our own two feet and not allow them to further corrupt our already corrupt land and drive out the little decency we still have. We certainly don’t need any help to do that, because we do a good enough job on our own. That brings to mind the poignant and powerful words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18)

The scholars tell us that ‘Vision refers to the divine revelation received by the prophet. Morality is based on adherence to God’s revealed will.’ And that’s what sadly lacking in our world today, a prophetic vision from Almighty God, why we have cast off restraint and are doing what we want, which is so much evil, immoral and ungodly stuff. But how can we ever have revelation from God when we are doing our best to remove Him from our society eh? No wonder our world is indeed perishing from lack of God’s word and adherence to His law.

And we have a perfect example of that back in the days when the prophet Samuel came on the scene in Israel. The Good Book relates it thus. ‘And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious (rare) in those days, there was no open vision.’ (1 Sam. 3:1) And to show how bad it was back then, the last verse of Judges says: ‘In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.’ (Jud. 21:25) Now any fool can see that’s exactly where we are headed in this modern generation, which is downward to catastrophe and disaster like all the other societies which turned away from the Great I AM!

But let’s go back and listen as the scholars explain the above verse from Samuel: ‘The severity of Israel’s apostasy, (turning away from God) (cf. Jud. 21:25) caused a dearth of God’s revelatory work. The condition was perpetuating and self-defeating (cf. Prov. 29:18). By God’s grace, the prophetic institution would receive renewed impetus and standardization in the person of Samuel. (cf. 3:21; 19:20)’ You can read those verses on your own, but they are basically telling us about the Lord appearing to Samuel and thus the increasing revelation in the society.

Now, that calls up the second part of the proverb: ‘but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ Yes friends, when we keep God’s directives we are blessed. And I like how this commentator on the gotquestions.org website puts it. ‘Lest anyone be confused, this is not a call to legalism. Life is not found in our ability to obey a list of dos and don’ts. Within Psalm 19 we see indications of relationship with God. David talks about the fear of the Lord being pure (verse 9), he calls himself God’s servant (verse 13), and he calls God his “LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” (verse 14). When Jesus named the greatest commandment, He referred to the command to LOVE God. (Mark 12:28-34) Our obedience to God and our keeping of His Word flow from a relationship in which we are LOVED by God and we LOVE Him in return (1 John 4:7-10).’

Oh my brethren, there must indeed be a few dos and don’ts like the Ten Commandments, if a society is to be stable and not continually chaotic, but generally speaking what a society needs, what we need to live a blessed and abundant life is a feeling of LOVE, of care and compassion to Almighty God and to each other! With LOVE being the basic essence of our existence, a society flourishes, shines bright like the noonday sun, gives God all the glory and honour, and is a perfect example to others.

And we’ll enlist more of the interesting and true words of the commentator from the gotquestions.org website to aid in our offence against the enemy. So please read and take serious note. ‘Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” Jesus has come into the world as the living Word of God (John 1:1, 14). God has also given us the written Word, the Bible. When we fail to read God’s Word and live it out in our lives, we become people “without vision.”

When we ignore God’s Word, we begin to live without restraint to our own peril. Conversely, when we heed God’s Word, we are blessed. Jesus said, “As the Father has LOVED me, so have I LOVED you. Now remain in my LOVE. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my LOVE, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his LOVE. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:9-11). God has given us His Word, and He calls us to be faithful to it. In keeping God’s Word, we will find joy in Him.’

And is all of that ever so true my fellow saints! Now let’s go to our heavenly Father in prayer, through our Friday Chant, seeking grace and mercy, forgiveness and help to improve our individual lives and our society. Altogether now: ‘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 with those words of prayer flowing from our lips, we now need to keep our promises and show the Lord that we are indeed serious about changing our evil ways and coming back to His safe and blessed refuge. Much LOVE!

…the time to turn to Jesus is NOW…tomorrow may be too late…

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: a battle to the death, a means of restoring faith in you, a reputation for being hypocrites, a universal mantra, against spiritual wickedness in high places, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, as a roaring lion, bring backsliders back to your fold, bringing into captivity every thought, but against principalities, but of power love and a sound mind, Casting down imaginations, evangelize the world, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, Friday chant, hand to hand combat, introduce a new flock, LOVE, many are tainted by the deeds of the few, only Jesus is perfect, resist steadfast in the faith, resist the devil and he will flee from you, spiritual armour, submit yourselves to God, talk a good talk, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the awesome power of the Holy Spirit, the Battlefield of the mind, the throne of grace, though we walf after the flesh, to the obedience of Christ, trusting faith, unchristian in our walk, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, we do not war after the flesh, we don't practice what we preach, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wise guidance, your adversary the devil

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.

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 3 June 2022 1 John 4:8.

03 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, above all things have fervent charityamong yourselves, bring backsliders back to your fold, fear hath torment, for God is Love, Friday chant, give thanks to the Father, God's love is unconditional, hatred stirreth up strifes, he that loveth not knoweth not God, introduce a whole new flock, LOVE, love covereth all sins, LOVE is the greatest, love shall cover a multitude of sins, no bond as strong as the bond of love, omnipotent help, perfect love casteth out fear, rewarded us according to our iniquities, shall we sin because we are under grace, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the throne of grace, the unwillingness to violate God's trust, there is no fear in love, trusting faith, wait in expectant faith, wake up and smell the coffee, wise guidance

1 John 4:8. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.

Well check out the bright, sunshiny, cool Friday morning nuh mih people and shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! ‘ Yes, let’s give thanks to the Father for allowing us to see another blessed day on this great earth of His. It’s only right and proper to give our Creator His just due for creating us and then when we had gone astray, for LOVING us so much that He sacrificed His only Son, Jesus Christ that we could find our way safely back to Him!

Oh my faithful brethren in Christ, there’s no bond as strong as that of the bond we term LOVE! And it’s only when we’re directly connected to the Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit that we can ever fully understand and experience the awesome power, majesty and strength that makes up the godly attribute called LOVE! Remember yesterday we saw where Bruh Paul called it the greatest, and regardless of what else we have, if we don’t have LOVE, in essence, we don’t have anything at all!

And today we’re going to look at a few other scriptures that show us how important LOVE is to the God’s universe and all therein. And there’s no better verse to begin with than this one from the wisdom of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ (Prov. 10:12) Wow! How truly powerful must that thing called LOVE be eh, if it can cover up all sins! And that’s not only talk because we saw it at work in Christ’s death on the cross for us, where through His awesome LOVE, He took all our sins on His sinless shoulders, so that we could be cleansed, washed white as snow and made righteous with the Father.

And what did Bruh David say about the Father’s LOVE in Psalm 103: ‘He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 103:10-12) Oh my people, what a wonderful God we serve! And how can we not sincerely revere and worship Him when He casts aways our sins, as far as the east is from the west, forgets them and never brings them up when we come to Him for help and succour?

God’s LOVE is unconditional. There are no strings attached to it. He might not like what we do, but He will always LOVE and welcome us when we come to Him, for that’s just who He is; a God of LOVE! Listen to how John puts it in his first epistle. ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ (1 John 4:8) It’s as simple as that friends: God is LOVE! And if you don’t know Him, then you don’t know true LOVE, and if you don’t have LOVE, then it’s impossible for you to truly know Him!

And I like how John describes LOVE later on. ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18) And the scholars explain that verse thus. Fear hath torment: Abject fear of God is based on dread of punishment. But God’s LOVE, for us renders such dread obsolete. Fear is still part of the Christian walk in the sense of profound reverence, the unwillingness to violate God’s trust in us. (Acts 10:35: 2 Cor. 7:1). Believers need not fear eternal rejection as a result of God’s judgement (John 5:24), but this does not mean a Christian’s approach to God is to be casual and flippant.’

Definitely not my fellow saints! We might not need to be afraid of the Lord, but that doesn’t mean we can just behave as obnoxious and irreverent as we want to. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Roman church about being under grace, not the law. ‘For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid.’ (Rom. 6:14-15) Certainly not my people. The powerful Spirit of grace that we’re living under, the great LOVE we feel for out heavenly Father, ought to make us be very sensitive to sin and what displeases Him.

Then Peter gives us his two cents worth on the subject of LOVE. ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet. 4:8) Yes, he quotes Cousin Sol, from Proverbs. And so too does James, Jesus’ brother, when he writes to the Jewish diaspora. ‘Brethren, if any of you do err (wander) from the truth, and one convert him (turns him back). Let him know, that he which converteth (turns) the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide (cover) a multitude of sins.’ (James 5:20)

Yes friends, that powerful thing called LOVE can do amazing things! That’s why we say it’s what makes the world go round. And that’s the awesome truth, for without some amount of LOVE in it, our world would be even more chaotic than it currently is, but we do need much much more to improve the situation, to turn it around. And when we need something, what’s the first thing we ought to do? Pray! So, let’s do that right now nuh, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, asking for divine help, because it’s only the Lord’s omnipotence can help us in these terrible times.

As one sincere voice then. ‘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.

And after praying, what ought we to do? Keep the promises we made in our prayer and wait in expectant faith for God’s positive answer. So, let’s do just that nuh. Much LOVE!

…if only we had more LOVE…more of God…our world would be such a wonderful place…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 May 2022 Psalm 130:5.

20 May 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, and in his word do I hope, bring backsliders back to your fold, burning like a raging fire in our bellies, but there is forgiveness with thee, Covid-19 virus, Friday chant, get down on our knees, give thanks for the days of the Lord, He keeps all of His promises, hell right here on earth, I had fainted, I wait for the Lord, in the land of the living, introduce a new flock, let our faith rise up to heaben, let thine ears be be attentive to my voice, Lord hear my voice, LOVE one another, more than they that watch for the morning, my soul doth wait, our God is faithful, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the joy of the Lord, the word constantly bubbling in our souls, this is my comfort in my affliction, thy word hath quickened me, to see the goodness of the Lord, trusting faith, unless I had believed, waiting on God is hard, wake up and smell the coffee

Psalm 130:5. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

Oh friends, at last, at long last we can shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And this week of work is almost ended.’ So, with the end finally in sight, what are we going to do now eh? Party and party…and party? No! We need to get down on our knees, and let our faith rise up to heaven; give thanks for the days the Lord’s taken us through, the many struggles we’ve come through victoriously this past week, all because of His awesome grace and mercy.

Yes friends, the proper start to the weekend is to say ‘Thank You Jesus! Without Your divine help I don’t know how I would have made it through this past week! And please keep on holding my hand as I run this earthly race! So I give You thanks, from the very bottom of my heart!’ Oh yes, before we do anything else, it’s of the utmost importance to give Him thanks and praise and ask for His continued blessing as we go through this hell right here on earth.

We should be saying like the psalmist does in Psalm 130. ‘Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark (take note of) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced with awe). I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.’ (Ps. 130:1-5)

Ah mih people, what words of wisdom! Words that should be our mantra, always filling our hearts with the joy and faithfulness that is only found in Almighty God! As we said yesterday, waiting on God is probably one of the hardest things to do, but is certainly the most important, and we can’t do so without hope and faith; knowing that He’s a faithful God, who keeps all of His promises, a situation that all of us have experienced at some time or other.

And I like how the psalmist continues showing his confidence in the God of his forefathers. ‘My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say more than they that watch for the morning.’ (Ps. 130:6) Oh my brethren, yuh see the intensity with which he waits and watches for his God – even more than those whose job it is to watch for the morning. Glory be! Do we have that kind of intensity of watching and waiting for our great God? It doesn’t seem so, else so many of us wouldn’t be as miserable, despondent and hopeless as we are.

Let’s remember Bruh David’s memorable words on the subject in Psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 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. 27:13-14) And we all know that most of Bruh David’s warnings and encouragement didn’t come from hearsay, but from real life experiences. So, he knew exactly what he was talking about when he made those seemingly difficult recommendations. And if the Lord did it for Bruh David, He will also do it for us, if we stop and wait in faith on Him.

But there’s something else that we must pay serious attention to if we desire to wait in faith on the Lord. And what’s that you ask? The psalmist said it in the second half of our Bit: ‘and in his word do I hope.’ Yes my fellow saints, without the Lord’s Word in our soul, burning like a raging fire in our bellies, it’s not possible to get that hope and the ability to wait. That means we need to read and meditate on the Lord’s Word as much as possible. It needs to be our Number One Priority! For it’s only through the Word constantly bubbling in our souls and spirits can we ever receive the joy of the Lord and the faith, strength and perseverance needed to wait patiently on His sure timing.

And these marvellous words from Psalm 119, reminds us of the importance of the Word. The psalmist writes: ‘Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me (given me life). The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined (turned aside) from thy law. I remembered thy judgements of old, O Lord: and have comforted myself.’ (Ps. 119:49-52)

Oh my, my, my faithful brethren! Yuh see the power inherent in the Lord’s Word! It gives us a rejuvenated faith, comfort and truth and helps us to wait on the Lord with a good and faithful attitude. And since we know the Word, and have faith, trust and hope in it, let’s do what we advised right at the beginning of today’s message nuh, that’s give thanks and ask for continued help. So as one strong and confident but humble voice, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Friday Chant.

‘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.

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!’

Now my people, it behooves us to go out and behave like the faithful believers we claim, or promised to be. Much LOVE!

…waiting isn’t easy…but with Jesus percolating in our souls…we can surely do it…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 March 2022 Psalm 146:1.

11 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: bare our souls, bring backsliders back, clothed in white, for dust thou art, Friday chant, happy is he, he returneth to his earth, I will sing praises unto my God, in that very day his thoughts perish, introduce a whole new flock, keepeth truth for ever, LOVE, man's breath goeth forth, man's spirit departs, omnipotent help, our sinful world, positive response, pour out our hearts to God, Praise ye the Lord, Praise ye the Lord O my soul, put not your trust in princes, puts the icing on the cake, right motives, shout Hallelujah, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that hath the God of Jacob for his help, the blessedness of trusting God, the Lord openeth the eyes of the blind, the Lord shall reign forever, the throne of grace, the way of the wicked, trusting faith, unrest in our streets, unto dust shalt thou return, wake up and smell the coffee, while I live I will praise the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord his God, wise guidance

Psalm 146:1. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise ye the Lord, O my soul.

Well, the ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ slogan is not being met with sunny skies today, but with precipitation of the white stuff. Some fell overnight, and some more is currently falling, but it doesn’t seem to be anything to really worry about, although any amount of snow can be dangerous to the unsuspecting person. Oh, and I think I’ve finally solved the mystery of my clean driveway, as opposed to all the others in the lane being clothed in white.

I suspect that the last time there was a substantial snowfall, the people who clean my driveway put down salt on it, so that when small amounts fall, it melts automatically. Now that’s the only reason I can come up with, because the same thing’s happening out there right now; my driveway is snow free, while the others are not. And when I went to bed this morning there was snow on it, but by the time I got up, it was clean again. But who knows what’s really happening eh?

This one thing I do know about though, that’s ‘The blessedness of trusting God.’ Yes friends, we can never go wrong in that regard. And if you don’t believe me, then let’s check out Psalm 146, which bears that most wise and encouraging title. (smile) The psalmist begins by proclaiming ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise ye the Lord, O my soul.’ (Ps. 146:1) Now there’s no doubt that if we do treasure the Lord’s sovereignty, honour and glory, then praise should continually emanate from our mouths.

Therefore, as the psalmist continues, we should all declare, (chuh!!!) I really can’t believe that I’ve spelt that word wrong again, in its simplest form too! It must be the enemy causing me to do it yes! (smile) And that’s why I definitely have to do like the psalmist says. ‘While I live will I praise thee Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.’ (Ps. 146:2) And that doesn’t only bring joy to God’s heart but also to ours. It lifts our spirits and renews our confidence in Him.

Thus, this marvellous bit of wisdom from the psalmist. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (a human being), in whom there is no help (no salvation).’ (Ps. 146:3) And I do hope we all recognize that gospel truth, for as the psalm further testifies: ‘His (man’s) breath goeth forth (his spirit departs), he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.’ (Ps. 146:4) So, if man’s body returns to the dust from which he was formed and all the thoughts of his life disappear, why then put our trust in him? No reason whatsoever, since it’s not wise to put our trust in something that doesn’t last or can’t help us for any real length of time.

However, the psalmist does provide this wise solution. He says: ‘Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.’ (Ps. 146:5) Wow! But why is that eh? Because God is He ‘Which made heaven, and earth, the sea and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever; Which executeth judgement (justice) for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth (gives freedom to) the prisoners: The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord LOVETH the righteous: The Lord preserveth (watches over) the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down (makes crooked).’ (Ps. 146:6-9)

Now those are all most excellent reasons for putting our trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And why not eh, since He made the heavens, the earth, the sea and all therein, which includes us? So, it makes much more sense to worship the Creator, God the Father, instead of the created human being, who is frail, fickle, not trustworthy and above all, in a few short years, dies and becomes of no account. That brings us to this last very good reason to praise and worship the Creator of the universe.

The psalmist tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘The Lord shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps. 146:10) And that just puts the icing on the cake my fellow saints! Man dies and returns to the dust from which he came, but the great, the ONE and ONLY true God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lives and reigns forever! That’s another fact we cannot dispute, which means it’s safe to put our trust in Him, and all that He stands for. In other words, ‘The blessedness of trusting God.’

Ah mih people, I’ve been around a fairly long time, and been associated with God throughout, though not always in close communication, (smile) but I’ve seen enough of His goodness and mercy, both in others and personally, to confidently second all that the psalmist says. The Lord God Jehovah is so wonderful and LOVES us so much, His most wonderful, but not always the brightest creation, that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to die for us, so that our sins could be forgiven! Now which other supposed god, could, or would do that eh? NONE!

That’s why it is undisputed wisdom to put our trust and hope in Him. And the first step in that regard, entails going to Him in prayer, which we can do right now, through our Friday Chant. So, in confident, but humble voice, let’s approach the throne of grace and bare our souls. ‘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.

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!’

Now, it’s fine to pour out our hearts to God, but we must remember to make sure our motives are right, and that we keep any vows that we make, if we expect to receive any positive response. Much LOVE!

…God’s promise to man…for dust thou art…and unto dust shalt thou return… (Gen. 3:19b)

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

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 December 2022 Psalm 146:5.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 October 2022 1 Timothy 4:7.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 September 2022 Romans 13:10.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 September 2022 John 8:32.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 July 2022 Matthew 12:37.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 July 2022 Proverbs 29:18.

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 June 2022 1 John 4:8.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 May 2022 Psalm 130:5.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 March 2022 Psalm 146:1.

Pages

Categories

Archives