Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 March 2024 Deuteronomy 29:29.

19 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

Deuteronomy 29:29.         The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Climate change, oh climate change! What are we going to do about you eh? And that’s certainly a winning question this chilly, Tuesday morning in mid-March, with a sprinkling of  heaven’s white precipitate (snow) on the rooves and on the lawns. (smile) We behave as though spring’s here, having had spring-like conditions for a few days, but then, uncharacteristically, we revert to the chilly, snowy times. Back and forth we go, round and round, like a tumbling tumbleweed blowing around aimlessly, which ever way the strong desert winds blow it. 

And if we’re suffering now from inconsistent weather conditions, it’s all out fault, for having upset God’s perfect timing of His wonderful universe with our deadly, man-made pollutants. The problem is that we don’t know when to leave well alone, but always figure we know best, better than the Lord God Jehovah, who made the universe and all therein, which includes us. That’s why we always get ourselves into a dreadful mess, and then we philosophically wonder why. (smile) But it all stems from foolish pride and disobedience. 

Because God made us the supposedly most intelligent being on the planet, and gave us free will, we seem to think that we know all there is to know and can handle anything that comes against us. And the sad part is that although down through the ages we have much proof that says otherwise, we still cling to the false, prideful belief that we are wise and invincible. How many foolish wars, plagues, economic recessions, and all the other negative things that stem from our sinful and proud selves, will it take for us to wake up and smell the coffee eh? What will it take for us to become seriously aware that we’re not all we think we are, but simply a creation of a greater being than us, namely Jehovah God, and that without Him, we’re nothing at all? 

And for whatever reason, it seems like we are also unable to learn from the mistakes of others. And what better people to learn from than the Israelites, God’s supposed people, who after four hundred years of bondage in Egypt were set free by the Lord their God. In so doing, they saw numerous miracles, both big and small, like the parting of the Red Sea so they could walk over on dry land, the pillars of cloud and fire which led them by day and night, the heavenly manna which they received for food, that rained down every day except on the sabbath. 

But in all that, they were still hardhearted and disobedient, and the Lord punished them several times during the forty years they spent wandering in the desert. But they never learned. Thus, except Joshua and Caleb, none of those who came out of Egypt, not even Moses, ever set foot in the Promised Land, only those born in the wilderness ever entered therein. And even when they entered the Promised Land, conquered it and became prosperous, they forgot the Lord their God and believed that it was their own prowess that brought them such prosperity. 

They conveniently forgot the warning words of Moses. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be, if thou at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God.’ (Deut. 8:18-20) 

And so said, so was it done! For the Lord does not make empty promises. The Israelites rebelled against God several times and each time paid a hefty price for their disobedience, which is exactly what’s happening to us today, many ages later. We are paying a mighty price of strife, inhumanity, sickness and economic deprivation for our greed, disobedience, and pride. Sadly, even with Christ’s coming and showing us the true and better way, nothing much seems to have changed. The devil and his evil worldly schemes are still deeply engrained in too many of our hearts and souls, and we need to uproot those devilish desires, if we intend to see God’s smiling face. 

Recently I read this interesting scripture at the end of Deuteronomy 29, where Moses is warning the Israelites of the many dangers that lie in turning away from God. He says: ‘The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of the law.’ (Deut. 29:29). Yes friends, the prophets came and revealed a whole lot to us, then Jesus came and revealed everything to us, meaning that the ball is now in our court. We can’t claim that we didn’t know anything since it’s been all revealed to us. And if we don’t keep the Lord’s law, then we will pay the price for disobedience. 

And like the Israelites who suffered famine and drought, captivity and destruction of their land for their disobedience, we’re now enduring the same things on a world wide basis for our foolish pride and disobedience to God’s holy will and law. And still, we insist on ignoring our Triune God despite the widespread strife, natural disasters like hurricanes tornadoes, volcanoes, earthquakes, famine and drought, that have recently engulfed our world like at no time before. 

Many of us chalk that up to being the signs of the beginning of the last days, and they might just be right, but the fact of the matter still remains that unless we lessen the greed, jealousy, strife, hatred and anger of our world, and return to a time of greater peace and LOVE as our God desires, we will continue the suffer irreparable damage to ourselves and our planet. Is that what we truly want? I don’t think so. And it’s surely not what the Lord our God desires for us. But He will not intrude on our free will. Thus it’s left completely up to us what will come to pass. 

And for those of us who desire better, and are doing our best to make it happen, lets’ go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. As one voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

Now friends, it’s our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do, and make our world a much better place to live! Much LOVE!

…free will is a choice…a choice…to choose the wise way…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 March 2024 John 20:29b.

12 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

John 20:29b.       blessed are they that have not seen, and have yet believed.

Then it was Tuesday, another sunny, spring-like day in my neighborhood. And recently we’ve been having so many of them, that I’m puzzled. But then, this morning, I beheld a few buds on one of the tress in my front yard and that almost made me believe that we’re really having spring in early March. Almost…but not quite… (smile) Ah Lord eh! This climate change situation is playing such havoc with God’s fine tuning of His universe. But we only have our foolish selves to blame. I don’t know why we unwisely thought that we could abuse the planet and it’s finely tuned eco-system for ever and not pay a heavy price. 

And while we’re having spring in early March, this winter has also been the warmest one on record. A sad tale for the many businesses based on snow and cold weather. And since all the changes did not happen overnight, they will not be fixed overnight either. If we ever get around to seriously fixing them, what with so many of us believing that climate change is a fraudulent theory set up by conspiracy theorists. But if you have lived in these parts for at least twenty years, and have any common sense, you will notice that the weather patterns have indeed changed over the years. And if you’ve lived here for over fifty years, like I’ve done, then it’s a cinch for you to notice serious climate changes from the earlier times, unless you prefer not to see or admit them. 

But it all goes right back to the simple theory that our parents taught us; if you don’t hear, you will feel. And that’s exactly what we’re doing right now; feeling the pain of climate change and all that it entails, because we were too proud and haughty to think that our marvellous machinery would ever cause us climate problems. But how long can you go on spewing all the smoke filled with the many different toxins in the atmosphere, and spilling the many toxic chemicals in the waterways without it coming back to bite us at some stage eh? We’re simply getting our just deserts. 

And since so many in power don’t believe it’s really happening, or say they don’t, fixing the problems are not happening, or are not going to happen with the urgency it deserves.  But yuh know what, all of that is secondary if we sincerely believe in the grace and goodness of Almighty God! And I just opened the Good Library to an interesting scripture from the gospel of Mark. It’s at Jesus’s trial before the high priest, where that august hypocrite, asked Jesus: ‘Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.’ (Mark 14:61-62) 

Now, Christ’s reply incensed the high priest, made him tear off his clothes, and declared it the height of blasphemy, with the appropriate condemnation of death. However, for us believers, that answer was more than sufficient. It gives us confidence and keeps our faith strong in knowing that our Lord and Saviour is sitting at the God’s right hand and will eventually come back riding the clouds with His glorious army to take His people home at the Rapture of the church, then in the last days, after the Great Tribulation, His Millennial reign on earth! 

That’s why HOPE and FAITH are so important in our Christian walk, for without them, we don’t have anything to hold on to. And what are those two things eh? Well, according to the 20th century Danish American Psychologist, Erik Erikson, ‘HOPE’ is necessary to life as the air we breathe. Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive. If life is to be sustained, hope must remain, even where confidence is wounded, trust impaired.’ 

And that’s the gospel truth friends! If there’s no hope, then you might as well be dead. And it’s also important to note that without HOPE, you cannot have FAITH; because HOPE is a prerequisite of FAITH. It’s the former that enables you to have and continually sustain the latter. And what’s FAITH? The Bible tells us that ‘FAITH is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) In simple language, faith is hoping and believing for something that you don’t see at the present time, but expecting to get it at some later date. 

It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome: ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for (it)? But we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance, determination) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom. 8:24-25) Yes friends, it’s all about HOPE and FAITH! And how do you get them? By sincerely believing in Christ Jesus, then studying God’s Word and living it in close fellowship with other believers. 

Oh my people, belief is extremely important, for in God’s kingdom you don’t see it until you believe it, while in the world’s economy you have to see it before you believe it. That’s why HOPE and FAITH are so vital to Christianity. None of us have ever seen Jesus in the flesh, but we believe that He walked here on earth some two thousand years ago, and was who He said He was, the Messiah, the Son of God, and did the things they say He did, and will do the things He promised to do. 

That’s why when His disciple Thomas refused to belief that Jesus was resurrected from the dead unless he personally saw Him and could touch His nail scarred hands and put his hands in His side, Jesus appeared to him and told him thus. ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless (unbelieving), but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and have yet believed.’ (John 20:27-29)  

And that’s us, my fellow saints, who haven’t seen Jesus in the flesh but yet, through hope and faith, believe that He is real and will continue to look after us to our dying day…and even beyond. Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) 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 (yesss!!!) it’s now our duty to go out and 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!

…only believe…with the help of hope and faith…only believe…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   5 March 2024 Proverbs 1:7.

05 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 1:7.        The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

And then it was Tuesday, the first one in March of 2024, which seems to be turning into a beautiful spring-like day, with temps in double digits. And though the birds are singing like crazy in the early morning and late evening hours, something deep inside refuses to allow me to believe that spring can really be this early. (smile) Usually at this time of the year we’re dressed real warm to prevent the cold March winds from penetrating to the depths of our souls, but now, some of us are walking around half-naked because of the unexpected warm temperatures. 

Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not complaining about the warm, sunshiny weather, no way! It’s just that I’m a bit skeptical about spring in February and March in these winter climes. (smile)  But enough about my skepticism, here’s one of my favourite prayers, one I’ve shared before, but I believe is appropriate to share every so often. (smile) It’s a special prayer prepared by the Life- Study Fellowship , in Noroton, Connecticut, some years ago. I don’t remember how it came into my possession, but I’ve used it on a fairly regular basis since then. 

So please pray with me: ‘Lord Please Accept My Heartfelt Thanks! “Praise the Lord for His Goodness.” ( Psalm 107:8.) Dear Lord, You are so good to me! and I thank You sincerely for the many blessings You send me! I’m very glad to have You in my life day in and day out – whatever I do and wherever I go! You are the One who always does what is best for my happiness! How grateful I am to be able to turn to You for guidance and comfort when troubles come my way! If any situation arises that makes me feel discouraged, You let me know I can lean on You for support! 

And because of Your LOVE for me, somehow I seem to find the strength to keep going – even through the most difficult of times! I’m grateful, too, for peaceful moments like these when I’m all alone with You in prayer! Talking with You NEVER fails to reassure and uplift me! Nothing I say to You goes unheard. You listen with great concern to everything I confide in You! For You truly care about me! As I look to 2024, I Pray that You will continue to watch over me – and grant me even more of Your wonderful blessings! And may I serve You well in my every word, my every deed! Be my guided hour by hour, I pray! Amen.’ 

Oh friends, you see why I like that prayer so much. It seems to cover every angle and say exactly what needs to be said! Like thanks for the many blessings; the guidance and comfort when troubles come, the peaceful moments alone in prayer; the caring and confidence as the Lord listens to us…and on and on and on! (smile) Ah mih people, we have such a wonderful God that I can’t believe so many people refuse to believe in and put their trust in Him. That’s so foolish and unwise. Remember these wise words of Cousin Sol at the beginning of Proverbs: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov. 1:7) 

And that last part is ever so true, as can be so widely seen in the foolish actions so prevalent in this ungodly world! And what does all of that mean? The scholars explain: ‘The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner. The beginning does not mean that “the fear of the Lord” is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom.’ 

And from all of that we can deduce two things; mankind does not fear God, like electricity or our parents, because the world is filled with so many more inappropriate things and behaviour than ever before. Inappropriateness is in fact the very norm for today’s world. We take great pleasure in being inappropriate, and laugh at those who desire to be appropriate. That only leads to the next thing, the leaving behind of God’s controlling principle of acquiring wisdom. We live in a world that does not wish to acquire godly wisdom. Consequently, it’s a world filled with chaos and confusion, strife, anger, and every work of the devil! 

But that seems to be what the majority of the world desires. So how do we overcome that eh? How do we change it all around? For needs we must, because we simply cannot allow our world to go to even greater depths in the mire of Satan and his evil cohorts. No, my fellow believers, we need to wrestle the world away from them in the name and the omnipotent power of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who sacrificed His sinless life so that we could be granted the marvellous option of spending eternity with Him. And He’s given us all the tools we need to destroy the enemy, it’s just for us to get up now and do the deed. 

Oh friends, the enemy is ripe for the taking, if we supposed believers would only muster the belly and backbone to get up and get the job done!  But no, we’re too comfortable in this world of so many wonderful and lazy-inducing amenities, and don’t want to disrupt our peaceful existence in this evil-filled world. However, my fellow believers, please give some thought to this: on the day of judgement, we’ll all answer for what we did and didn’t do, and there’ll be no room whatsoever for excuses. So please, let’s wake up and smell the coffee nuh, and think about what we’ll say to Almighty God, when He asks why we didn’t do more with all the blessings and tools that He gave us. 

Please ponder that for a few moments. Hopefully it will wake us up to the sad reality of the situation. Now, for those of us who have already woken up and are trying our best to do God’s work, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) 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!’ 

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

…a believer in Christ has important work to do…so please…let’s get up and do it nuh…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   27 February 2024 Isaiah 5:12b.

27 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 5:12b.       but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.

And the spring-like weather continues, for it certainly looks like another bright and ‘springish’ Tuesday in my area, although the computer was just telling me that heavy rain will soon come. And though that’s not a bad thing, since we haven’t had any precipitation around here for a while, let’s hope that that rain behaves like my Jamaican people, when they say, ‘soon come,’ meaning it could be a long time coming. (smile) Let’s hope it waits until I come back from my doctor’s appointment this afternoon. (smile) 

Now, the Good Library just opened unto an interesting scripture from the Book of Isaiah. I chuckled when I first read it, but believe it can be very efficacious, that’s helpful and effective in these unruly, provocative and annoying times. It says: ‘Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink (pursue intoxicating drink); that continue until night, till wine inflame them! And the harp, and the viol (strings), the tabret (tambourine), and pipe (flute), and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.’ (Is. 5:11-12) 

What an interesting and rather appropriate scripture for our times my people, because there is certainly a lot of ongoing drunkenness and debauchery in this ungodly and evil world, where not many are paying any attention to the works and words of the Lord God Jehovah. And by the way, that scripture comes from a sixfold set of God-induced woes pronounced by the prophet on the sins of Judah. And can we ever use some of that in these carousing days, when strong drink is master of the day, and can be found in every nook and cranny of our neighbourhoods, both legally and illegally. 

Unfortunately too, when almost every occasion calls for the provision of alcohol, the young people are imbibing it at a terrible rate, as though it’s going out of style. And sadly they don’t know how to drink, can’t hold their liquor. A couple drinks of the watered down alcohol they sell in North America and as the saying goes, they’re three sheets to the wind. But they consider they’ve had a good time, even when they don’t remember what they did the night before. And believe me, in my many years, I’ve seen, and also experienced what continual imbibing of too much alcohol can do. 

Ah Lord eh! I’ve had a few drunken spells in my younger days, and always regretted it the next day. But I’ve also seen wise drinking like what my father and grandfather pursued. They liked their drink, and might have some every day, but never had too much at any one time. And who better than good, ole Cousin Sol, to tell us about the foolhardiness of imbibing too much alcohol, most likely from His own experience (smile) as he tried all the pleasures of this world, seeking  peace, and contentment, but found it all to be vanity of vanities, strictly futile. 

In the second portion of Chapter 23 of Proverbs, where he’s talking about the Correction of a child, he offers this bit of wisdom. ‘Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers (drunkards); among riotous eaters of flesh (gluttons): For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.’ ((Prov. 23:19-21) And that’s the gospel truth, as we see it happen every day in our society. And if that wasn’t enough, Cousin Sol later on in the same chapter, devotes a whole section to the problem, aptly calling it ‘Wine’s Bite.’ 

He writes: ‘Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling (complaints)? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry (linger) long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup (sparkles in the cup), when it moveth itself aright, (goes down smoothly). At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder (viper). Thine eyes shall behold strange women (strange things), and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst (heart) of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick (hurt); they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again (have another drink).’ (Prov. 23:29-35) 

Oh friends, Cousin Sol really tells it like it is! Alcohol can be terribly addictive if you use it to lessen your aches and pains, both emotional and physical. And we’re seeing the terrible effect of it right now in our current society, where alcoholism is one of the biggest problems we face. And it seems to be getting worse, as our economic and other situations also get  worse. Many of us turn to the lady in the bottle to ease our pain, but she only drops us even lower in the mire of disappointment and discouragement, until you come to the stage where you cannot do without her for even a few hours. And that cannot ever be a good thing! 

And despite the good intentions of groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, the plague of Alcoholism doesn’t seem to be lessening in any meaningful way. And it won’t if alcohol remains as such an important part of our modern lifestyle and is easily available to both young and old. And that’s not a call for Prohibition, for when they tried that down in the early nineteen hundreds, it caused all sorts of criminal activities and even more drunkenness than before. That’s because when mankind wants something badly, and you prevent him from having it, he will find a way, legally or illegally to get it. 

It’s the same thing we see with the drug situation. There wouldn’t be all the criminal activities associated with drugs if they were legal. Although I’m not saying that we should legalize everything. (smile) However, we do need to take a close look at the situation and come up with a better solution than we currently have. End of Sermon! 

Now here are some explanations the scholars offer on the subject. ‘23:29-35. Six rhetorical questions drive home the fact that alcoholism has both physical and psychological effects  (vs.29). These effects are further specified: physical and psychological poisoning (vs. 32); delusion (vs. 33, strange women should be translated strange things); stumbling (vs. 34); unconscious wounds (vs. 35a); and enslavement (vs. 35b).’ And they are quite right, for alcohol does all that and more. It’s like a cancer in our society, possibly worse than the sickness itself, because it’s so all pervasive and permeates every strata of our society. 

However, it makes money, lots of it, both for the distillers and the government, so it won’t likely be lessened or downplayed in our lifetime. What a pity! However, for those of us doing our best to live righteously for and in Christ, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And having said that, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing friendship and LOVE of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him, like we do! Much LOVE!

…time to stop making our first question be…do you want a drink…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 February 2024 John 15:1.

20 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

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

John 15:1.        I AM the true (genuine) VINE, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser).

Prologue: Please accept my apologies for writing yesterday that it was Canada Day instead of Family Day. I truly don’t know how that happened, and hopefully my ole brain won’t malfunction again. (smile)  

Oh friends, it’s a beautiful winter’s Tuesday in my neck of the woods! It’s cold, as is expected of winter, but not too chilly, and with no recent precipitation, it’s also dry, so, when you add the blazing sunshine that’s reflecting off of the white snow, it just becomes a perfect winter’s day! That’s my idea of winter. Those are the kind of days that I don’t mind going out in, not the miserable, wet, slushy stuff. As far as I’m concerned, the latter kind of day is made to simply stay indoors and leave the outside world alone. (smile) But as we know, that’s not always possible, and as Job said, we must learn to accept the good with the bad. (Job 2:10) 

But the good thing about having to accept the bad is that we always have Jesus with us to help us handle it. Glory to God! For Jesus is our Bread of Life; the Light of our darkened world; the Door through which we enter the sheepfold; our Good Shepherd; the Resurrection and the Life, through whom we gain eternal life; the Way, the Truth, and the Life, by whom we come unto the Father, and also our nourishing Vine through whom we get healthy food and thus bear good fruit. And that Vine is the last of Jesus’ seven great ‘I AM’ statements, which we’ll look at today. 

That happens when Jesus talks to the disciples and figuratively refers to the kingdom as one large, but fruitful grapevine, and then explains the divine-human relationship that thus exists. He says: ‘I AM the true (genuine) VINE, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser). (John 15:1) Yes friends, the basic relationship is that Jesus is the vine, we are the branches and the Father is the gardener who tends the vine, who does whatever is necessary to keep the vine flourishing and bearing good fruit. 

Then Jesus breaks it down to simple elements, as is His wont. ‘Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he (the Father – vinedresser) taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth (prunes) it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through (because of) the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide n the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. IAM the VINE, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:1-5) 

There’s Jesus telling it exactly like it is my fellow believers; without Him we’re basically helpless to live the abundant life that He died for us to have! We’ve all seen different kinds of vines, where the branches are spread all over the place, but they get their nourishment from one central main vine. Without that main vine to nourish them, the branches will have no chance of surviving, much less of bearing good fruit. The same allegory applies to us and Jesus: if we don’t stick to Him like a branch sticks to it’s mother vine, then we’ll perish for lack of nourishment, both spiritual and physical, for Jesus is the One who gives us true life. 

Remember His great ‘I AM’ statement: ‘I AM the Resurrection and the Life’ Yes, Jesus is the One who gives us eternal life, the One through whom we get to the Father. So, sticking closely to Jesus is a no-brainer! And He says just that in His next words. ‘If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.’ (John 15:6) Oh my people, might Jesus be there talking about the day of judgement when we come before Him to answer for our words, thoughts and deeds? It surely seems so. That means if we’re not found to have abided in Him, we’ll be cast into the fires of hell and painfully consumed. 

And that’s certainly not a nice thing to contemplate, so let’s be wise and abide in Him nuh. And Jesus further explains why that is the wise choice. ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit: so shall ye be my disciples.’ (John 15:7-8) Now isn’t that much more wonderful than facing the fires of hell? It most certainly is! So why aren’t many more of us abiding in Christ, and bearing much more fruit through which the Father is glorified eh? 

We each have to answer that question for ourselves, for we cannot live by or through another’s faith, for we will be judged only on our faith journey. Remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount? ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,’ (Matt. 5:16) And to glorify our great God is our major purpose on this earth my brethren! Even that was Jesus’ main purpose, as He says in His prayer: ‘I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.’ (John 17:4) 

Likewise friends, at the end of our lives, we should also be able to say that we have glorified the Lord. And Peter puts it quite nicely: ‘If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances, statements) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in ALL THINGS may be glorified through Christ Jesus, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 4:11) 

Now that  ought to lift us up and cause us to live for Christ, so that at the end, we can say like Bruh Paul did to Timothy. ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:7-8) Oh friends, there’s no better way to depart this world, but we first have to put in the time, effort and sacrifice for Jesus! 

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

And having said all of that, it’s now our duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like w do! Much LOVE!

…if you don’t stick to the vine…the vinedresser will cast you into the fire…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 February 2024 John 13:15.

13 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

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

John 13:15.       For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

And then it was Tuesday; Carnival Tuesday, the big day of the pre-Lenten celebration, when all the real pretty costumes come out and everybody is anxiously waiting to see them. Let’s hope that the crowd will be satisfied with what they see and that there will be no negative consequences to befall the occasion. And just like yesterday, many of us less fortunate ones, have to go out into the crazy world to earn a living, instead of partying in some exotic part of God’s great earth. (smile) 

But them’s the breaks friends; some of us can, and some of us can’t. It’s just the luck of the draw, and we have to accept it without too much disappointment and just move on with our bland, unexciting daily lives. However, here’s a li’l secret you ought to know: If you have Jesus as the number One priority in your Life, then your life will never be boring or unexciting! Now, it might be somewhat more difficult, but it will never be boring, for Jesus will keep you busy doing all sorts of interesting things. So, if you don’t have Jesus in your life, then I sincerely recommend that you get Him, and then put Him first place, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the changes that will occur in your life. 

And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Jesus Himself as He issues this call, that we term the Great Invitation. He says: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Yes mih bredrin, that’s the Great Invitation issued by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and you’ll be wise to take Him up on it, because there’s none other like it, and no other person who can make such an invitation and also keep it! That’s a given fact: ONLY Jesus has the awesome power to both make such a wonderful invitation and also keep it! 

And if you’re still bedeviled by doubt, then listen to Jesus once again as He reiterates His awesome promise. ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth in me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. and this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I shall lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:35-40) 

There you go friends; Jesus is the bread of life, the One who gives life; that’s eternal life. And He can do that because of His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary, then His awesome resurrection on Easter Sunday, meaning that He has conquered hell, death and the grave. That gives Him the authority to raise up those who believe in Him from death unto eternal life. Now isn’t that something you’d much prefer rather than eternal damnation in hell with the evil one Satan? Bet yuh bottom dollar! Now that tells us about Christ’s supernatural power, but here is some scripture that shows His humility. 

The night before His crucifixion, after Jesus had eaten the Passover meal with His disciples, He took off his clothes, put on a towel and washed their feet. Now how many supposed Masters or men of high worldly status would ever do such a thing eh? Very few! But our Jesus did it, and here’s what He said afterward. ‘Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.’ (John 13:12-17) 

Wow mih people! What an awesomely powerful, but also gentle and humble man is our Jesus! And though He was also deity, God in the flesh, He didn’t make any waves about it, just went about His humble way, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and inviting people to come to Him for salvation, as His heavenly Father had sent him to do. And Bruh Paul enshrined that behaviour in the scriptures when he wrote thus to the church at Philippi. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his heavenly privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every other name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:5-11) 

Yes my fellow saints, that gives us a general idea of our Lord and Saviour’s humility, obedience and exalted power because He wasn’t striving to collect accolades for Himself, but steadfastly and sincerely concentrated on doing His Father’s bidding. Let’s hope that we will also concentrate on doing Christ’s bidding rather than trying to raise accolades for ourselves. 

Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the whole world to whom we joyfully 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 said that, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…the only way to live this earthly life successfully…believe in Christ…and follow His example…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   6 February 2024 Psalm 150:6.

06 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 150:6.       Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

And there’s an awesome outpouring of bright sunshine in my area, this first Tuesday in February! Exactly like it ended up being yesterday! And who says that light isn’t greater than darkness eh? That the sun won’t find a way to dissipate the dark clouds? No way Jose! Not if Jesus has anything to say about it. And He does have something to say about it. In fact He has something to say about EVERYTHING, for the universe belongs to Him, and He rules it as he sees fit! Glory to God, our Creator and Controller; our Saviour and our Heavenly Father!  Give Him some thanks and praise my fellow believers, for all the wonderful things He’s done, is doing, and has promised to do for us underserving children of men! 

And all God’s children offered up this loud and grateful thanks: ‘Praise ye the Lord, (shout Hallelujah!) Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power (His mighty expanse of power). Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet (cornet): praise him with the psaltery (lute or lyre) and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah to the glory of His holy and precious name!)’ (Ps. 150. 1-6) 

Oh friends, if you didn’t realize it, we were just praying, giving praise to our great God from Psalm 150, the last one in the Psalter, that advises us to praise God for His mighty acts. And as you can see the last verse so rightly and wisely admonishes: ‘Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.’ (Ps. 150:6) That means all of God’s creatures, creations, whatever you choose to call them, ought to give much praise and thanks to their most wonderful Creator. Unfortunately though, that’s a command that too many of us either disobey completely or do in a half-hearted manner, with little, if any sincerity. 

But, on the other hand, when we cry out to God for help, we expect Him to rush to our rescue, although when life’s good with us, we don’t have any time for Him, don’t even remember that He exists. However friends, let’s get one thing straight; God isn’t there for our selfish and personal benefit, neither is He a doting grandfather who will succumb to our every selfish desire. No! He’s the Creator of the universe and all therein! That means we are His to do with as He pleases. We are the ones to be doing His will, rather than He doing ours. So, in blatant layman’s terms; the Lord is the Boss and we are the workers, and if we don’t do what He says, there will be serious consequences to our disobedience and rebellion. 

And we all talk a big talk, but like the whiney ingrates that we really are, when those consequences arise, we’re quick to hold our heads and bawl, forgetting the pride and arrogance we displayed when the Lord tried to direct our steps in a godly manner. And we’re quick to beg for forgiveness and make all sorts of promises that we don’t intend to keep, but in the heat of the moment all sorts of stuff quickly flows from our vile and evil hearts through our lying lips, and we unwisely tell the Lord that we’ll pull up our bootstraps if He helps us. 

But please note these words of wisdom from Cousin Sol as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:4-5) Yes friends, let’s not go about making hasty and rash promises to God nor man, for there are always consequences, sometimes dire ones, to unkept promises. 

And sadly, in these evil  and ungodly times, unkept promises litter our world like never before. It seems the adage of ‘promises are made to be broken,’ has taken on a whole new meaning in these last days. We all desire that others keep their promises to us, but cannot stand the sacrifice needed to keep ours to others. What a selfish and unchristian-like thing to do. Remember what Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye might not be judged (condemned). For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use) it shall be measured to you again.’ (Matt. 7:1-2) 

Now all that means basically is what you sow you’ll reap. Whatever you say or do to or about someone else, the same will come back to you. And as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) would say: ‘You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! Whatever you do, either for good or bad, like a boomerang, tends to accumulate back to you, sooner or later. Thus the wisdom in closely watching what we say and do. 

As Jesus simply puts it: ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 7:12) In other words, my fellow saints, our Lord and Saviour, our Leader, is simply telling us to follow the Golden Rule:  ‘Do unto others as you would have them do to you.’ And there’s no better way to live, even if you’re not a believer in Christ Jesus. But if you are, then that’s the ONLY way to live! End of Sermon! (smile) 

Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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 serious proclamation, it’s our duty now to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!

…praise God without ceasing…for that is the wise and comely thing to do…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 January 2024 Luke 9:62.

30 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

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

Luke 9:62.       No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

And on this penultimate day of January 2024…but can you imagine that? January’s finished already! Anyhow, on this last Tuesday in January, where the computer tells us that it will be mostly sunny, and so far it’s been mostly cloudy… Oh, I now see they’ve changed their minds, saying that it will indeed be cloudy. (smile) Poor weather forecasters, it must be extremely difficult to keep up with the constant changes in the recent unusual weather patterns. The sad part is that all of life has now become unusual, eccentric and inexplicable. 

And what a good thing that we have Jesus to keep us well grounded, constant, stable and steadfast, and without much fear! And all God’s people gave a proud and grateful shout of ‘Thank the Lord for Jesus! He is indeed our Lord and Saviour, and without Him, we’d be nothing at all!’ And is that ever the living truth my people! For without the sacrifice of Jesus, and the Father’s saving grace, we’d be headed straight for hellfire and damnation, plus eternal separation from Almighty God, which is definitely the worst thing that can happen to a human soul. 

Yes, I know I keep saying that, but it’s very important that we keep hearing it, so that we can recognize and realize the utmost importance of having Jesus as a strong and serious part of our lives. And to bring home to us how real and serious the situation is, I’ll share this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, aptly titled, ‘The Time Is Now!’ Please read with me: ‘Lord I see with startling clarity That life is never long enough To put You off Until tomorrow. The things that are before Are all too soon behind. I can never pick up The years I’ve put down. If I intend To walk with You tomorrow I must start today.’ 

And that’s the gospel truth my brethren. If we intend to walk with God tomorrow, we most certainly need to begin today. It’s not wise to put it off until tomorrow, for tomorrow never comes, every new day is always TODAY, and if you keep waiting to find God tomorrow, then you’ll be waiting for your entire life and end up never finding Him. And how sad that would be! As the poem so rightly says, all that’s in front of us right now is so quickly gone, like the days of the week, the weeks of the months, the months of the years, even the years themselves. They keep becoming history as quickly as we behold them, sometimes even quicker. (smile) 

And the truth of the matter is that we can NEVER regain the time we’ve lost, that’s why we simply cannot afford to procrastinate and put off things to the never coming tomorrow. Besides, the most important thing in any human being’s life it the receiving of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour! We cannot emphasize that enough, especially in these rough and tumble times of history. And it’s not only me who’s emphasizing the importance of following Christ, but Christ Himself did it, when speaking to the people about the high cost of discipleship. 

The Bible informs us: ‘And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where (nowhere) to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer (allow) me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee: but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9:57-62) 

Yes friends, those seem to be somewhat harsh words from our Saviour, but He’s only emphasizing the fact that when you make life’s small matters more important than God’s work, you are of little use to Him. God must always be our number one priority. Thus that famous proclamation from Jesus: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Oh my people, the importance of those words can never be over emphasized. 

And as the scholars explain about Jesus’ strong reply to the fellow who possibly wanted to stay at home until his father died, ‘Let the dead bury their dead,’ wasn’t meant to be as harsh as it sounded, ‘but rather to emphasize that the time to be about the heavenly Father’s business was now.’ And is that ever the indisputable truth my fellow believers! The time for us to be about the Lord’s business is certainly RIGHT NOW! There’s no time for dilly-dallying, or putting it off for tomorrow, because the devil and his evil cohorts are not dilly-dallying or putting off anything for tomorrow, they are making hay while the sun shines, and that’s RIGHT NOW, and so should we supposed believers in Christ Jesus! 

But, unfortunately, we’re not working as hard and fast as we should, that’s why we keep falling behind the evil doers who are now in strong command of our world. Friends, I don’t know how else to put it, but to say, right up front, we are not doing the job Jesus desires of us as well as we can, and ought to. We are too comfortable in this uncomfortable world. And the worst kind of Christian is a comfortable Christian! That’s because we lose all the enthusiasm to do Christ’s work, especially the part about sacrificing our desires for His wellbeing. And sadly, if we continue along such a wide and destructive path, then crapaud smoke we pipe! That’s all there is to it. 

Now, for those who are trying their best to live sincerely for Christ, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the BELOVED of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And having made that glorious proclamation, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 January 2024 Psalm 46:1.

23 Jan 2024 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 46:1.       God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.

And may the grace and mercy of our wonderful God be on all of us this snowy winter’s Tuesday, my Scrip-Bit friends and family! And do we all ever need His LOVING-kindness and compassion in these troubled and frenzied times. For, instead of getting better as the days go by, our world seems to be getting more angry, violent, hateful and strife filled. Who knows why? Some of the players may have even forgotten why they got involved, and are just acting out for acting out sake. But for sure, it’s not a good scene we’re currently witnessing. 

And though most of us cannot do anything to change matters on the big stage but pray for godly wisdom and guidance for our leaders, on the smaller stage of our individual lives we can certainly do our best to show the LOVE and compassion of Christ in our own neighbourhoods, and thus lessen the tension at the grass roots level. So to help us do that, let’s turn to our biggest privilege and our number one source of help, PRAYER, as we go to our heavenly Father with these words of prayer from the January In Touch Devotional. 

Please pray with me: ‘Father, there is so much noise in the world: voices shouting in anger, crying in pain at one another and at You. We pray for clarity, to hear through all the commotion the pleas of the hurting, to recognize suffering underneath the veil of anger in each other and in ourselves. Lord, soften our hearts. Let compassion and gentleness be our first instinct. May You be near to every aching person, and may every aching person feel heard. In Jesus’ name. Amen.’ 

Oh friends, the sentiments in that prayer are ever so necessary and needful in these uncertain times. And yuh know what? It’s the times of uncertainty that cause us the most worrying concerns. At least that’s the way it is with me. If I am certain about something, then, although the outcome might be unpleasant and hurtful, I don’t worry about it nearly as much as if I am not sure of the outcome. I believe the devil nags and niggles us a li’l more in those times of uncertainty to get us to lose our cool and not trust our Lord and Saviour the way we ought to. 

But if our faith is strong enough, we can successfully run him off with some overruling scriptures like these powerful verses of faith from Psalm 46, where the Sons of Korah write: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3) 

Yes my faithful brethren, that’s a good example of strong faith with which to deter the devil’s evil lies and deceptions. We won’t be afraid even though the world is falling down around us, because our omnipotent God has promised to protect us in each and every situation. He is always present in our lives. And as the saying so truly goes: ‘When uncertainty abounds – cling to God.’ There can be no greater truth than that my people! Now, I’m chuckling here because I just got the bright idea to make today’s Bit one chocked full with scripture verses that talk about handling fear and anxiety. 

And why not eh, since our world is currently filled with so many of those negative emotions? So let’s continue with this magnificent verse from the first epistle of John, which exhorts: ‘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 that says so much about God’s LOVE, how strong and potent it is, that it can even sustain us in our darkest times, and drive away our fear and anxiety. 

Then we have these verses from Isaiah, where our God ascertains His help in times of trouble. ‘For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.’ (Is. 41:13-14)  Oh my bredrin, isn’t that wonderful? It surely is! Just imagine Almighty God promising to help us nuh. As this commentary so rightly says: ‘God’s promise is to comfort and help us amid our worry. This Bible verse about fear holds the power to give us peace during the most uncertain of times. The Lord will take your hand and journey with you through the storm.’ 

How true that is! For with Christ as our Pilot and Guide, there’s no storm that conquer us! And we all know this next verse that drives away fear. ‘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 that’s a verse we all should have indelibly written in our hearts, souls and minds. For as this commentary reminds us: ‘We know we will face troubles in this life, but one of the Bible verses about fear that can sometimes be the most comforting is John 16:33. When you consider all Jesus faced — His torture and death — and how He overcame, it offers us profound comfort. Remember this among the Bible verses about fear and worry when you reflect on difficult times.’ 

Yes friends, we definitely need to remember that our Lord and Saviour has already overcome the world and all the evil therein, it’s just for us to faithfully live out the days till He returns in victory and takes us home. And with that promise uppermost in our minds, we can do it without fear of Satan and his evil doing consorts. And although there are many more notable verses of scripture that tone down fear, unfortunately, we only have time and space for one more. And it’s this marvellous one from Bruh David’s most famous writing. ‘Yea, though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) 

Now that’s a certain fact my faithful brethren. And I like how this commentary explains it. ‘God will not abandon you. Bible verses about anxiety remind us that we do not need to fear evil or uncertain events, because God will walk with us through these valleys. He LOVES us and wants the best for us. The Psalmist knew that the peace of God would be with him wherever he went and whatever situations he encountered. Know that God is right beside you during those difficult times.’ 

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

Now, it time to go out and do just that; 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!

…FAITH…the only thing that can successfully drive out…FEAR…                                   

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