Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 March 2022 Isaiah 42:8.

04 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 42:8.     I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

So now it’s Friday…and our spirits are lifted because work will soon be done and the weekend will be open for fun and frolic. But please remember that we are now in the Lenten Season, which means we have cut down some on the fun and frolic, getting a li’l more serious about our life with Christ. Concentrating on opening up our true selves to Him, and getting to know Him better, through prayer, meditation, fasting and sincere brotherly LOVE. 

In this time, we ought to be seriously concerned about the sin in our lives and truly seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness with a sense of purpose, so that we can be liberated by His awesome power and our worldly needs met through His divine intervention. Ah friends, if there’s ever a time when we need to seek God it’s in this season of Lent and the numerous problems facing us worldwide. 

It recalls the words of the prophet Hosea when he entreated Israel to return to the Lord with these prophetic statements. ‘O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thy iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him. Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves (sacrifices) of our lips. Ashur (Assyria) shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say anymore to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.’ (Hos.14:1-3) 

Oh my people, if we ever hope to improve our worldly condition, we ought to pay serious attention to the words of the prophet, because there’s no doubt that we have replicated Israel’s situation from way back then. We have turned away from God, foolishly worshipping the idols of our own hands and minds. Yes, our iniquity has completely overtaken us, like it had done to Israel, no wonder the sad and sorry state of confusion, strife and disaster we are now experiencing. 

And the scholars offer this explanation of those verses above. ‘14: 1-3. Calves of our lips: The word calves (Heb. par, “a young bull or produce”) is best understood metaphorically, referring to the words that the lips produce – in this context praise to the Lord. The nation (of Israel) had used its lips to praise the idolatrous calves, now it will use its lips in praise to the Lord God.’ 

And that’s exactly what we have been doing for the last generation – praising idols, but it’s time now to turn back to the God of our forefathers, who is the Only One who can protect us and keep us save from the wiles and deceits of the enemy. He is the Only One who can provide grace and mercy to us, who are so badly in need of a gracious and merciful Father. Other created men and animals, or our dead self-created idols cannot save or help us; only the One who created us in the first place, can now provide sanctuary and solve our many serious problems. 

And this other verse from Hosea re Israel’s rebellion also applies to our recent folly. ‘Woe unto them (Israel)! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.’ (Hos. 7:13) 

Yes friends, although our good and ever-faithful God has redeemed us through the sacrificial blood of His Son Jesus, we have still turned away from Him and been blaspheming and lying on Him with such a fierceness that many others have also turned away from Him, and now it’s our concerted effort to remove Him completely from our society. 

But as I keep saying, that’s a fool’s wisdom, for it will never happen, because the Lord will never give up His power and glory to any other. He’s said that quite clearly through the prophet Isaiah. ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8) 

That to me is quite plain and straightforward, but so many of us seem to believe otherwise, else we would not be trying to replace the Creator with dead graven images. However, this verse from the Book of Hebrews points us in the direction in which we ought to go if we truly need salvation. It says: ‘By him (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks (confessing to) his name.’ (Heb. 13:15)

Yes my brethren, it’s certainly time to turn back to our Creator and offer our prayers and praise to Him instead of the evil enemy who’s only bent on keeping us in his evil clutches, away from the grace and mercy of our heavenly Father. And the first step in that direction is always sincere prayer. So let’s go there right now nuh, through our Friday Chant and place our desires with confidence before the heavenly throne, knowing that sincere prayer will never be turned away by our Creator. 

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!’   

Now, please remember that we have to keep our promises, if we expect the Lord to keep His. Much LOVE!

…how can dead man-made idols…save living creations of Almighty God…it’s totally impossible… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 February 2022   2 Timothy 2:3.

25 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 2:3.      Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Oh friends, it’s Friday; the last day of the workweek, or as some like to say, the start of the weekend and shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ But I wonder how many of us shouted that this morning when we awoke to a white, winter wonderland and had to drive through it to work? (smile) 

Yesterday, we were exulting a dry, sunshiny day with no precipitation whatsoever, but during the night the white stuff precipitated, and it’s still precipitating right now! (smile) The weather report says -11degrees Celsius with some snow showers. And this is one of the few times they don’t seem to be wrong. 

But yuh know what mih people, if snow was our biggest problem that would be quite all right, but I heard about a very vexing and worrisome situation yesterday, which seems like a harbinger of times to come. It’s been said that a female member of the Finnish Parliament tweeted out a Bible verse from the Book of Romans talking about the LGBTQ issues in Finland and now is supposedly facing charges that can bring up to two years of jail time. 

That’s not all though. Apparently, a Bishop did the same thing, and now he is also facing up to two years of jail time. The Prosecutor it seems says that the Bible doesn’t trump Finnish law, and you can keep your Bible, but you just can’t say that you agree with it. 

Now my fellow believers that’s certainly madness, and if it’s in Finland, a supposed Western democracy and a place of supposed free speech and disagreements, don’t think it won’t soon get to us on this side of the ocean. The Bible, our faith, is literally on trial here, and we can’t allow that to happen, otherwise all that Jesus and our forefathers suffered and died for would have become a total waste! We simply cannot allow that to happen! 

The embarrassing and unfair thing with these fringe groups who talk so much about their own rights being subjugated, is that when they get their rights acknowledged, they quickly forget where they came from, turn and begin to subjugate the rights of others, behaving as though their platform is the only correct one, and brook no disagreement with it. They begin doing the same thing they had earlier accused others of doing to them. 

Furthermore, it seems they are saying in Finland that the word ‘sin’ can be harmful, and therefore illegal! Imagine that nuh, you can’t talk publicly about the Bible, or sin, which we all commit, but can ramble on about and blatantly commit all the things the Bible tells us are wrong, are sinful. 

My fellow believers, it’s time we throw off our mantle of laxity, of laziness, of compromise and get serious about our faith, because such a situation most definitely threatens the very foundation of our Christian faith, of freedom of speech, the two bulwarks that Western Society were founded on! 

Yesterday, I believe we talked about others in Eastern lands being persecuted for their faith and having to hide and secretly practice it, well, look at what’s soon coming to us at the nearest theatre nuh; the very same thing…that is unless we get up and seriously fight tooth and nail for our freedom of speech and freedom to worship the One and Only true God Jehovah. 

And as mentioned in the clip that I saw, one Holocaust survivor said that the worst crime leading up to the Holocaust was SILENCE! And that’s a fact friends, for when anything negative is happening and a lot of us keep silent, we only embolden the perpetrators. 

Now this a fight for our very way of life, our Christian faith, for the right to worship Jesus Christ in our own land, are we going to stay silent and let it happen without a serious fight? I certainly hope not! It’s time we put on our spiritual armour and with sincere prayer stand up and face the enemy mano-a-mano. There’s absolutely no room for backing down or compromise on this situation my faithful brethren. 

We all talk a good talk about standing up for God, well this is the time for us to walk that talk! As Bruh Paul said to Timothy: ‘Thou therefore endure hardness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Tim. 2:3) Time to do like Bruh Paul did, so we can later say: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith:’ (2 Tim. 4:7) 

Yes friends, it’s time we live up to the song we so LOVE to sing: ‘Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus, going on before. Christ the royal Master, Leads against the foe; Forward into battle, See His banners go. At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!’ 

The time has finally come my people, for us to put up, or shut up, there’s no more room to run from our problems. So, let’s begin by doing what we ought to do, go to the Lord in prayer, through our Friday Chant, and ask for His divine assistance in these turbulent times. 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. 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, let’s set about being the faithful believers we claim to be. Much LOVE!

…Christ, fought, suffered and died to get His church going…now it’s time for us to do the same…to keep it going… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 February 2022 Ephesians 6:11.

18 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:11.      Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.

Oh my people, it’s as white as snow out there and the brilliant sunshine is just blinding as it reflects off the white surface! (smile) And it’s white as snow because it is snow! Chuh! Last night the rain and freezing rain changed to snow and a few inches of the beautiful stuff was deposited in our area. And you can imagine the problems it created with this morning’s drive to work. Hopefully, we all took care and there were not many accidents, especially with the undercoating of ice that was on the roads before the snow came. 

And we are certainly blessed to have Jesus in our corner to help with all the stuff we experience in this evil world. His promises of negligible fear and strong faith are ever assuring and confidence building. Listen to these two magnificent promises nuh. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) 

Yes friends, the kind of peace Jesus imbues in His followers is a special kind that overcomes fear and the concerns of this world. And He goes even further to reassure us with these marvellous words. ‘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 how powerful and reassuring is our Lord Jesus! Through His death and resurrection, He’s overcome the evil and darkness of this world, so there is no need for us to fear anything or anyone that comes against us. In fact, it’s been promised that ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) 

And let’s not forget that ‘in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us…and that nothing can separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:37, 39) However friends, it’s essential that we remember all of God’s promises concerning our peace and safety and take them to heart, because it’s only through holding His word securely that we can successfully fight the battles that we will all encounter in this earthly life. 

And in these perilous times, which certainly seem to be the last ones, it’s ever so important to keep our trust and faith strong and not the let the evil and deceitful enemy beat us down through fear and misfortune. Remember that Christ has promised to hold our hands as we go through whatever comes against us. And though He doesn’t make the problems go away, be assured that He walks beside us through them all and brings us out stronger on the other side. 

So, we need to have that trust to walk and not be weary, to walk and not faint. And that’s not always easy to do when the evil wiles of Satan come against us, but as Bruh Paul reminds Timothy. ‘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) That means we all have what it takes to overcome the enemy, but we need to bring the tools, the weapons He’s given us to the fight. In other words, it’s necessary to ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph, 6:11) 

And you ask, what’s this armour Paul’s talking about? Well it’s not physical but spiritual armour. ‘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 wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) So it’s spiritual, not physical battle we’re waging, which means we need spiritual armour if we are to be successful in that fight. 

And Bruh Paul describes that spiritual armour thus: ‘Having your loins girt about with truth,’ (that’s girded your waist with the truth found in God’s word), and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts (arrows) of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:14-18) 

So just like a soldier in physical battle puts on armour to protect himself, likewise we believers doing spiritual battle need to have protection as listed above, and then to cover it all with sincere prayer and supplication for all our fellow soldiers in Christ, because prayer is still the number one weapon in our armoury. And since that’s so, let’s offer up prayer right now nuh, through our Friday Chant, taking our problems to Almighty God for His divine assistance. 

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!’ 

Now let’s go and sincerely action those promises we’ve just made so that the Lord can positively answer our prayer. Much LOVE!

…it’s time for all Christian soldiers…to put on their spiritual armour…to stand up strong…and fight the good fight for Christ…                                                                                                                                                                                                         

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 February 2022 Hebrews 10:35.

04 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 10:35.     Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. 

Another snow packed day! Thankfully though, this second storm deposited its blessings in the evening hours and gave us a few hours between it and the first to do some cleaning up. It’s always easier to clean up a little twice than the total amount once, especially when you’re talking about snow. (smile) But it’s also Friday, the last day of the work week and consequently spirits are running high. 

Hopefully, it’s not all because of that, but mainly because we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour to help us in ALL our doings, ALL our troubles, and ALL our good times. And as a result we can confidently say, ‘It is well with my soul!’ Oh how those few words lift our spirits and cause us to have blessed assurance, filled with Christ’s goodness, while lost in and inextricably caught up in His amazing LOVE! (smile) 

Yeh friends, once you encounter the supreme LOVE of Jesus, it’s ever so hard, if not impossible to turn to anyone or anything else for help and comfort, because He has everything so under control! And He ought to, since He created the universe and all therein and still controls it with His mighty right hand. 

Now this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin puts the whole thing in a proper perspective as regards the promises of God, especially in troubled times like we’re currently experiencing, and is aptly titled ‘God’s Promises.’ 

Please pray with me: ‘With increasing joy I am discovering that God’s promises do not suddenly disappear when our courage fails and our fears become overwhelming. Feeling or no feeling, when God gives a promise that speaks directly to our need, it stands firm regardless of negative circumstances. There may be times of questioning, and we may not understand God’s timing, but His promise remains certain through our deepest trial. 

If we consistently rely on His immutable Word, we can disregard the darkness. Oswald Chambers says. “Are you in the dark right now regarding your circumstances? Then listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you are in the light.” God waits for us to trust Him when trusting seems the most difficult thing of all.’ 

And isn’t that the indisputable, gospel and unshakeable truth my fellow saints in Christ? It certainly is! It’s easy to trust God in the light of the good times, but it’s only when we can do it in the darkness of the tough times that we can truly call ourselves faithful believers! 

And that’s exactly what He is waiting for in these dark, troubled and calamitous times that we’re currently experiencing; our sincere faith and trust in His promise to never leave nor forsake us, to work everything out eventually for our good, that we are mighty conquerors with His Holy Spirit dwelling in us, that we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us! 

Yes my people, how many more promises do we need to actually put our trust in Christ Jesus when the dark times come eh? He never said that we won’t have trials and tribulation in this ungodly world, but that we should not be afraid, to be joyful and peaceful, even in the tough times, because He has already conquered the world. And the scriptures used to support today’s poem is very appropriate to our lack of trust in difficult circumstances. 

The author of Hebrews tells us, in no uncertain terms, what we need to do when those doubting, distrustful moments surface in lives. He says: ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance, perseverance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb. 10:35-36) 

And I’ll also share the version from the NLT (New Living Translation) which is used in the book, and which explains it in simpler language. It says: ‘Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.’ 

Now that’s what we ought to do in uncertain times, when our faith and courage is low, but we all know it’s not always easy. Although nobody said that life would be easy working and living for Jesus. (smile) But that’s where the big difference between believers and non-believers shows up or exists. We have the promises of Jesus to hold on to, while the unbeliever doesn’t! 

And if we don’t make good use of those promises by holding on to them sincerely and tightly, remembering that He who promised is faithful, then our faith is useless. Remember, it’s faith that makes the difference between the believer and the heathen. One believes, and the other does not. 

So, with problems and the darkness of evil raging all around us, let’s perk up our faith and do exactly what the author of Hebrews advises nuh; not casting away our confidence, but going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, so that we can receive help in these treacherous and turbulent times. 

As one sincere voice 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!’ 

Now, let’s go out and act like faithful believers nuh, if we expect to receive God’s blessings. Much LOVE!

…faith is much more than talk…it’s trust in action… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   28 January 2022   1 Thessalonians 5:16.

28 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Thessalonians 5:16.     Rejoice evermore.

Ah my Scrip-Bit friends and family, this Friday morning has opened beautifully, like a true winter wonderland, with the sun shining so brightly that its reflection off the snow tends to blind you, if you look at it too closely! (smile) And the temperature is just right for such a day too, around minus 16 Celsius. No, I’m not crazy, a certain kind of day deserves a certain temperature. And then we have Jesus abounding in our souls, spirits and bodies, so what more can we ask eh? Nothing! 

So let’s say it like we mean it nuh: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! Oh yes my people, every day is made for rejoicing, but some like this one, just takes your breath away, and you can’t do anything else but rejoice; rejoice and give thanks! And that just recalls these marvellous passages of scripture, featuring Bruh Paul’s immortal words to the Thessalonians, where he encourages them to: 

‘ Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance (every form) of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-24) 

Wow friends! That’s one of those bits of scripture, that sort of includes everything a believer needs to live a good Christian life! And the nice thing about it is that it’s simple and straightforward, as well as practical. So, I would suggest we use it as a guideline for our daily lives, where we rejoice that we are alive and have Jesus who reconciles us to God and offers us the most wonderful gift of salvation for simply believing in Him. 

And to help us with all our daily problems we just keep talking to God about everything, not necessarily continuously or audibly, but having an attitude of prayer throughout our day. And for all of that my fellow saints, giving thanks to our wonderful God in any and everything is paramount, because that’s what He expects of us. As the scholars explain: ‘5:18. In every event or circumstance  (thing) the Christian is to give thanks to God for the good He can bring out of the event even should the event be unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17, will help the believer maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’ 

Ah friends, that’s like how we say one hand washes the other; prayer helps us to stay thankful regardless of our circumstances! Then we come to a big one: ‘Quench not the Spirit.’ Now that is possibly the most important aspect of Christian living, for the Holy Spirit of God has been placed within us to lead and guide us in a godly life on this ungodly earth. And when you ‘Quench it,’ that means, ‘stifle’ or ‘suppress it’ then it cannot do the job it was sent to do. As the scholars tell us, we are hindered in rejoicing, in prayer, in giving thanks during adversity, and despising prophetic utterances inspired by the Spirit. 

It’s basically what Bruh Paul said to Ephesians: ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ (Eph. 4:30) And yuh know what friends, the more we suppress, stifle or repress the Holy Spirit of God in our lives, the less it is able to act on our behalf. It doesn’t sound as loud and clear as it once did, and we are basically left to paddle our own canoe, which certainly is not a wise action. 

Then we come to the next practical aspect of Christian living as prescribed by Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians. ‘Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.’ (vs. 21) That means be careful of what you believe, try and prove them before you believe them, and hang on to the good ones. It’s similar to what he said more explicitly to the Philippians. ‘Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things.’ (Phil. 4:8) 

Yes, believers need to think or meditate on the right things, if we want to do the right things, which is ‘Abstain from all appearance of evil.’ (vs.22) And what does that mean? It’s like Bruh Paul explained in his message to the church at Rome. ‘Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men (have regard for good things)… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17, 21). 

It couldn’t be any clearer than that my faithful brethren. And when we follow those basic rules, then our spirits, bodies and souls will be sanctified, set apart for our faithful God, and the surpassing peace He promised, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. And the peace of God is the supreme blessing on this riotous, ungodly, deceitful, evil and unfaithful world. When you have that nothing bothers you, and you can go about Christ’s will with diligence and excellence. 

But where I believe we’ve been most sadly lacking in our Christian journey is in the department of prayer. We haven’t been doing that prayer without ceasing thing. But it’s not too late to begin. So let’s do that right now nuh, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Friday Chant. 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!’ 

Now, please let’s remember all the stuff we’ve talked about today, and do what it takes to be a true and faithful believer, if we want to see positive changes in our lives and in our world. Much LOVE!

…successfully living for Christ is not easy…but following the guidance of His Holy Spirit…enables us to live right… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 January 2012 Ephesians 4:23.

14 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 4:23.        And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;   

Now that’s more like it! There’s a hint of sunshine in the air, not the total murkiness we’ve suffered for the past couple of  days. Sunshine has been so lacking that lights which are recharged by sunlight have not been coming on because there hasn’t been sufficient sunlight to recharge them. I wonder what’s happening to those who use solar powered equipment in their homes, like on their rooves to provide heat, if they don’t have a large storage of that solar power.

It’s a good thing that we don’t have to worry about our spiritual power, because we have Jesus, the ‘awesomest’ power person there is, rooting for us in everything we do! But first we need to put our trust and faith in Him, believe in what He says, and live the way he directs, otherwise His power won’t work in us. It’s all conditioned upon our sincerely accepting Him as Lord and Saviour and doing His will.

And when we do that…Brother! Such new vistas will open before us, exciting things will begin happening, good changes will be made in our lives, in fact a complete turnaround will take place, and we’ll wonder why we hadn’t accepted Him into our hearts and lives before. As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17)

Yes friends, when you’ve found Christ, you become a brand new being. As the scholars put it: ‘When a man comes into vital union with the risen and glorified Lord, he is a “new creation,” and perceives Christ in a new way.’ And that’s borne out by the words of Jesus, first to Nicodemus, who came by night seeking information from Him. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3)

It’s a spiritual rebirth my brethren! And unless it happens to us, we won’t see the kingdom of God. It’s as simple as that. And Jesus drives home that point later on when He tells the disciples: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) Now that’s laying it all on the line. And it is the indisputable fact; without Jesus, we are very limited in what we can do.

And when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour, we make a break with the old things of our lives. We have to, because all the old carnal, sinful, fleshly stuff doesn’t work in Christ’s domain. That means a lot of new things, interesting changes must happen in our new life with Jesus, if we are to abide in Him, and He in us. As Isaiah writes: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider ye the things of old.’ (Is. 43:18) And the wonderful thing about it all my people, is that once we come to Christ, our union with Him abides forever!

But here are some interesting words from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, on some of the practical changes that we make when we come to Christ. ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct of) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:22-32)

Yes my fellow saints, just a few practical changes to make when we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour! (smile) But seriously though, we desperately need to consider how all of the above resonates in our personal lives, because it’s all a big part of our current angry, strife -filled world. And it’s not always easy to differ from the world, but we must, if we are to fulfill Christ’s mandate.

The major aspect though is a change in our mindset, because it’s in our mind that all the battles between the old and new take place. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote: ‘And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.’ (Eph. 4:23) Now, the only way we can do that is through purposeful meditation on God’s word, sincere prayer and the genuine encouragement of other believers. And, since we’ve already pondered the Lord’s word, and encouraged each other, let’s go to Him in prayer now, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine help and guidance.

As one strong, 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. 

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, please remember that we just portrayed ourselves as faithful believers, and unless we live up to that promise, the Lord won’t answer our prayers. Much LOVE!

…being a new creation in Christ is wonderful…but it’s not always easy…we have to keep at it…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 January 2022 John 10:10b.

07 Jan 2022 Leave a comment

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

John 10:10b.     I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Boy oh boy! Two days of decent sunshine in a row! That must be a record! But I think it’s going to be a tad on the cold side. That’s okay though, I can handle the cold when the sun’s shining. It’s just the dark, damp, dreary weather that gets to me. But all thanks to Jesus, I can handle both types of weather, if I just put my mind to it. 

And that’s the beauty of living for Jesus: He enables you to do anything that coincides with His will or plan for your life. That’s why we say, with full confidence: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ Phil. 4:13) Now just saying it doesn’t make it true. You have to sincerely believe it, and make it a customary practice, a habit in your life, so that after a while, it just blends in automatically. (smile) 

Ah friends, knowing who we are in Christ, and knowing the benefits that spring forth from such a privileged position, is extremely important if we want to live the abundant life that Jesus promised, and died for us to have. And you ask, what does it mean to be in Christ? 

Well, the simple answer is that when we are born again, when we receive Christ as our Lord and Saviour, He comes to dwell in us through His Holy Spirit, and we become a part of Him. We are made clean, renewed and acceptable to the Holy Father. But I found this article on the subject on the gotquestions.org website which I believe explains it better than I can. (smile) 

So let’s see what it says. ‘In Christ, we are regenerated, renewed, and born again, and this new creation is spiritually minded, whereas the old nature is carnally minded. The new nature fellowships with God, obeys His will, and is devoted to His service. These are actions the old nature is incapable of doing or even desiring to do. The old nature is dead to the things of the Spirit and cannot revive itself. It is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1) and can only be made alive by a supernatural awakening, which happens when we come to Christ and are indwelt by Him. 

Christ gives us a completely new and holy nature and an incorruptible life. Our old life, previously dead to God because of sin, is buried, and we are raised “to walk in newness of life” with Him (Rom. 6:4). If we belong to Christ, we are united to Him and no longer slaves to sin (Rom. 6:5-6); we are made alive with Him (Eph. 2:5); we are conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29); we are free from condemnation and walking not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:1); and we are part of the body of Christ with other believers (Rom. 12:5). 

The believer now possesses a new heart (Ezek. 11:19) and has been blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:3). We might wonder why we so often do not live in the manner described, even though we have given our lives to Christ and are sure of our salvation. This is because our new natures are residing in our old fleshly bodies, and these two are at war with one another. The old nature is dead, but the new nature still has to battle the old “tent” in which it dwells. Evil and sin are still present, but the believer now sees them in a new perspective and they no longer control him as they once did. 

In Christ, we can now choose to resist sin, whereas the old nature could not. Now we have the choice to either feed the new nature through the Word, prayer, and obedience, or to feed the flesh by neglecting those things. When we are in Christ, “we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37) and can rejoice in our Savior, who makes all things possible (Phil. 4:13). In Christ we are LOVED, forgiven, and secure. In Christ we are adopted, justified, redeemed, reconciled, and chosen. In Christ we are victorious, filled with joy and peace, and granted true meaning in life. What a wonderful Savior is Christ!’ 

And isn’t all that the gospel truth my fellow saints! In Christ Jesus we have EVERYTHING we can ever need! In other words, the abundant life. Like he said. ‘The thief cometh not, but (except) for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) 

Yes friends, that was Christ’s stated purpose; to save us from eternal death and damnation, to give us a better quality of life both here and in the hereafter. So please, let’s not make His sacrifice a waste of time by not enjoying the life He died for us to have. Therefore, let’s turn sincerely to Him, cling tenaciously to him, and live victoriously for Him, for that is the wisdom of the ages! 

And one of the things that come with such absolute devotion is prayer, both in good and bad times. So, in these rough times we are currently experiencing, let’s turn to our Saviour, our Creator for badly needed divine help, through our Friday Chant. As one strong, 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. 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!’ 

Let’s remember though, that we don’t just pray for help, but we also keep the promises we made in our prayer. Much LOVE!

…only in Christ…can one discover many of the answers…to the mysteries of life… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   31 December 2021 Mark 14:38.

31 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Mark 14:38.     Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

Ah friends, let me apologize for the Bit being late, but I had some other heartfelt matters to attend to first. You know that saying when you think you have things bad, somebody else has worse problems than you. Now that’s the gospel truth! And life just takes pleasure in playing these little games with us. This morning I came down to write the bit, complaining about my aches and pains, only to open my e-mail and find a note from an old friend, regarding the funeral for the son of another old friend in T&T. 

The funeral service was being streamed so I just had to watch it. And though my friend Haydn’s face was masked, I could see the terrible sadness and sorrow in the way he walked and his general deportment, because the worst thing that can ever happen to a parent, unfortunately happened to him, he lost a child to heaven, while he himself was still alive. Now that’s something I’ve always warned my children about; please don’t die before me, because I don’t know if I could handle it, and I don’t want to know either! 

Now my friend is a medical doctor, and apparently his son died from Covid. So if a doctor can’t save his son, then who can be saved eh? It’s a rather trying situation my brethren. All over the world hundreds and thousands of people are dying from the virus, but yet, we are not taking the situation as seriously as we ought to. What’s it going to take eh? And today is New Year’s Eve, the night of the biggest parties around the globe. And believe me, there will be many big parties tonight, with maskless people in close proximity to each other, hugging and kissing, ringing in the New Year with joyful abandon. 

But how many of those are going to live to see the end of that New Year eh? Definitely not all, if we don’t get our act together, sooner rather than later. The Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus is spreading like wildfire and we still refuse to take the necessary precautions to fight the bloody virus. It killed us in 2020, when we didn’t know much about it. It killed us in 2021, when we knew more about it. And it’s going to keep on killing us in 2022, if we don’t smarten up and come together and fight it as one! 

And who knows if another more dangerous variant will soon pop up, to muddy the waters even more. Mankind is the most stubborn, foolishly proud, and hard-headed of all God’s creations! Even the wild animals with no sense of reason know better than to let a deadly foe divide and conquer them. But that’s why our world is in such a sad state of deterioration and destruction, with evil and ungodly strife, plus all the other negative emotions currently being so rampant and thus leading the way to our imminent demise. 

Oh my people, it’s only through, togetherness; that’s LOVE, compassion and mercy for and to each other, will we ever be able to overcome our deadly enemy, the devil and his evil minions, who want to destroy our world. And it’s ONLY JESUS who can help us to accomplish that immense but not impossible task. But as He told His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane: ‘Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.’ (Mark 14:38) 

Yes my fellow believers, it’s ever so important that we don’t allow the carnal lusts of our mortal flesh, the lies and deceits of the enemy, to influence our behaviour. Thus, these immortal words of Bruh Paul to the Galatians, re walking in the Spirit. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.’ (Gal. 5:16-18) 

Oh friends, when we yield to the Spirit’s leading, we yearn to put sin out of our daily life, and He enables us to do it. And Luke, uniquely in his gospel, further expounds on that theory, when he quotes Jesus, saying: ‘And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged (weighed down) with surfeiting (carousing), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.’ (Luke 21:34-36) 

And the scholars offer these interesting and important explanations. ‘21:34. Surfeiting means “to indulge one’s appetites excessively.” No believer is beyond the temptation to fall into sin. Jesus warns against slackness and lack of daily readiness in the Christian walk.’ And yuh better believe that tonight, all around the world there will be lots of ‘surfeiting’, carousing, debauchery and lots of slackness all in the name of ringing in the New Year, with lots of resolutions and good intentions that will fall apart as soon as the year returns to normal, with the drudgery of everyday work and living asserting themselves. 

But listen to this explanation from the scholars re verse ‘21:36. Prayer is the better part of valour when persevering for Christ under pressure. Prayer alone will enable one to stand before the returning Son of man when those all around are falling, whether in condemnation before Christ or to the temptation to deny Christ under the trials of the hour.’ Blessed be the holy name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, my people! 

And since prayer is so important in our staying godly and righteous, let’s go to God right now in prayer, through our Friday Chant, sincerely seeking His help for our many problems. ‘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 I shouldn’t have to remind us, but I will (smile), that ONLY if we set a good example as faithful believers, will the Lord seriously and sincerely entertain our prayer. Much LOVE!

…good intentions don’t mean a thing…until they become good actions… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 December 2021 Psalm 62:7.

17 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 62:7.     In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

Now, the sun looks like it’s going to come out today, but it’s not expected to be as warm as the 15 degrees Celsius we experienced yesterday, and hopefully the wind won’t be a major problem today either. The strong winds just made mas with everything yesterday, blowing people and stuff all over the place. You had to hold on to yourself and anything you carried. But you know what? That situation is preferable to trudging through the sludgy white stuff called snow, slipping and sliding, not knowing what’s going to happen with your next footstep, and with nothing to hold on to but Jesus! (smile) 

But the good news is that Jesus is sufficient in every situation, for He’s the strongest, the most stable, solid and unmovable being in the universe. Yes friends, our God is the immovable object that we can build our lives on, because He does not change; as they say, He’s steady as a rock. And there are several scriptures that attest to that strength and immovability of our great God. So let’s check out a few nuh. 

Isaiah said it thus. ‘The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ (Is. 40:8) And that’s the indisputable truth! Like the grass and the flower, we human beings will wither away eventually, but the word of God stands forever like the rock of Gibraltar! Meanwhile the psalmist, Ethan the Ezrahite, in Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David, said it this way. ‘He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.’ (Ps. 89:26) 

Oh my people, God is indeed our Father, our Creator and the strong tower on which we can always rely! And we need to get that fact buried deep in our hearts, so that we can automatically turn to Him, without any hesitation whatsoever, fully knowing that He cares for us and will take care of all our needs and troubles. That’s why Peter tells us: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) 

But we can’t do that unless we truly believe that the Lord is the rock of our salvation. And nobody said it as often or as powerfully as Bruh David in Psalm 62. ‘Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense (strong tower); I shall not be greatly moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 62:1-2) And if you didn’t believe him in the second verse, he reiterates it later on in verse 6, then adding: ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.  Selah.’ (Ps. 62:7-8) 

And that’s more indisputable truth my brethren! But unfortunately, many of us don’t seem to believe it because we don’t go to Him in times of trouble. Some even dismiss His very existence, and others want to rid our society of His presence. But that’s never going to happen! For Almighty God is the Creator and Controller of this universe and He’s not going to let any created being take it over. And He said it in so many words through the prophet Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8) 

Satan, the ex-archangel Lucifer is a good example of that. He tried to foment rebellion in heaven and become the head honcho, but instead got kicked out on his tush, him and the other fools that tried to rebel against the Father. What will it take for the created to understand that they cannot get rid of their Creator, and whatever power they might have is derived from the one and true source of all power, Almighty God Himself? And He can shut them down, do whatever He pleases with them, and it’s only His great LOVE for us, His most wonderful creation, that stops Him from destroying us completely in His wrath over our stubborn disobedience, sinful and ungodly ways. 

He even broke His own heart by sacrificing His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could be saved from hellfire and eternal damnation. But too many of us are not paying attention, and are thus experiencing the consequences of sin; an angry, sick, disaster ridden, strife-filled world. Oh friends, too many of us are still dancing in the darkness of this ungodly world when the light of Jesus is shining so brightly all around us. Please, let’s come out of that darkness and look to Him for help nuh, because He is the ONLY ONE, who can provide any real help to us, both individually and corporately. 

Our world’s not getting any better through our own actions, thus Satan is having a field day. And the only other option available to us is Jesus. Remember what He said about building our lives on solid foundations. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock (the rock – that’s Him) (Matt. 7:24) And there’s no disputing that truth! So please, let’s go to Him for help nuh mih bredrin. It’s the wisest decision we can ever make. 

As one sincerely repentant voice, let’s offer up 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. 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, let’s remember that God’s promises there are conditional on us keeping ours. Much LOVE!

…Jesus…the solid rock…on which I stand…all else is sinking sand…                                                                                                                                                       

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 December 2021 Daniel 9:9.

03 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Daniel 9:9.     To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him. 

Just one more day…one more day of life being life! Steups! Yuh know, those days when everything just seems to go wrong right from the start. You wake up feeling lousy, with a headache, and then as you try to get out of bed, a cramp suddenly hits you in your right thigh. But thank the Lord it is not one of the terrible ones, so you only moan and groan and try to calm it for about five or six minutes. 

Then a li’l later, you are coming down the basement steps to write the Bit with a cup of sweet java in your hand, next thing you stumble and spill some of it on the steps. So, you must clean that up before the duchess sees it and castigates you for your sloppiness. And then outside it seems to be another grey looking day. 

Brother! I’ve never seen so much cloud cover in my life! There’s no day where the sun just seems to shine with no surrounding dark clouds. How wonderful it is to have Jesus and His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and walking beside us to calm and protect us from all those irritating and frustrating storms of life! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord!’ 

Yes friends, we need to be ever so thankful for Jesus because even with His divine help, life still gets difficult. So, can you imagine if we didn’t have Him, or how those who don’t have Him manage? And yuh know what, the Good Book opened at an interesting passage of scripture this morning which I believe is oh so appropriate for our times. It comes from Nehemiah’s prayer for his people Israel when told of Jerusalem’s sorry state. He admitted to God: ‘We have dealt (acted) very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements (ordinances), which thou commandedest thy servant Moses.’ (Neh. 1:7) 

Ah mih people, there’s no disputing that we have done the exact same thing; turned away from the God of our forefathers! No wonder our world is in such a terrible state. Way back when, Moses had warned the children of Israel: ‘But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto (listen to) the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do (obey) all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. (Deut. 28:15) 

And just for our information, the blessings in that chapter run from verse 3-14, but the curses from verse 16-68. I don’t need to tell us that the curses were more numerous and disastrous. It’s sad, but all down through the ages, the supposed people of God have at one time or another turned away from Him and paid a terrible price for their disobedience. The psalmist said it when he wrote in Psalm 106, titled, Israel sins against God’s LOVE. ‘We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.’ (Ps. 106:6) 

And Daniel said it thus in his prayer for Israel when they were in captivity in Babylon. ‘We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements.’ (Dan. 9:5) Oh, for certain sure my brethren, we have sinned and done dastardly deeds against our wonderful God! We have rebelled against Him, especially by trying to turf Him in no uncertain terms from our society, from the world and all therein that He so thoughtfully created. 

The awful cry these days is ‘There is no God!’ But most of us know better than that; that there is a God, a true and living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! A God who will not let us get away with our infantile behaviour forever. And I think Daniel hit the nail on the head when he said in a couple verses later: ‘O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces (shame), as at this day…’ (Dan. 9:7a) 

Oh my fellow saints, confusion certainly reigns in our world today, but obviously not enough shame for our sins and wickedness committed against out heavenly Father. Otherwise, we would have already turned back to Him with a great revival, when we saw that we can’t fix our problems in our own strength. But no, we persist in trying to fix it ourselves, and the situation is just getting worse every day. 

However, as Daniel also said: ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’ (Dan. 9:9) That means our Lord and God is a forgiving and merciful God, and if we swallow our foolish pride and return to His fold, we will be forgiven. So please, let’s wake up nuh, and see the utter folly of trying to fix what’s wrong by ourselves, for only with God’s divine help is it possible. Let’s therefore go to Him in humble repentance and ask for His forgiveness and guidance through our Friday Chant. 

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!’ 

Now, if we want God to help us, we must fulfill those promises we’ve just made. It’s as simple as that. Much LOVE

!…rebelling against God…the Creator and Controller of everything…is utter foolishness… 

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

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