wasting time | SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 May 2026 James 4:4a.

James 4:4a. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God?

And then it was Saturday, sunny and warm; our lazy-day Saturday, where we can do exactly as our li’l ole hearts desire, with no one to say us nay! (smile) And doesn’t it feel good! No bosses telling you what to do, as well as constantly looking over your shoulder to see if you’re actually working or simply wasting time. I wish every day could be like this one. That’s why they say that if wishes were horses, all beggars would ride. (smile) And would you believe that it’s already the last day of May, a month that just recently began? (smile) The year is surely slipping by quickly, so we had better perk up and do what needs to be done, before it’s too late.

And before I forget, let me apologize for my mistake in yesterday’s Bit, where I talked about declaring our Thursday Blessings, when it was Friday, and then rightly declared our Friday Chant instead. And was I ever annoyed when I discovered it, and though I fixed it in the Blog and the Podcast, it was too late to fix it in the original Bit I sent out.

And the only logical reason I can find for that contradiction is my having taken a tablet for my sinuses, which were acting up, and it making me feel somewhat drowsy and lethargic, and thus the ole mind not functioning properly. And what amazes me is that I read it over at least three times before I sent it out, and still never saw the mistake. Anyhow, please forgive me for that error, and I hope it never happens again. But since I’m only human, who knows? (smile)

Now, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth. As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’

And if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, then the warmth and peace of God will soon flow into our hearts and souls and calm them so that we can handle the evil and ungodly world that surrounds us. Yes! The Lord God, never refuses a call for intimacy from His human creations. In fact, that’s one of the reasons He created us in the first place. Why do you think He sent His only Son Jesus to earth to die and thus give us the option of forgiveness and salvation, of being reconciled to Him, and thus returning to His wonderful fold?

Because He desired greater intimacy with us, and His heart ached badly, when He saw so many of us had turned away from Him, and embraced Satan and his foolish worldly pleasures. Yes friends, our God was suffering from the heartfelt pangs of unrequited LOVE! And many of us know, either from personal experience or the experience of someone close to us, how devastating unrequited LOVE can be to the human psyche. Ofttimes making one desire death instead of life. And so, we have some idea of how God felt when so many of His wonderful human creation had moved into the enemy’s camp, intent on enjoying the carnal lusts and pleasures that he advertised and revelled in.

But remember what Bruh Paul wrote to the Romans: ‘For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.’ (Rom. 8:6-8) That means if you’re cavorting with Satan, then you’re God’s enemy. And James tells it like it is, when he declares: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be (wants to be) a friend of the world is the enemy of God.’ (James 4:4)

It could not get any clearer than that my brethren! If we desire to hob nob with the world, then we become God’s enemy, and is set down for eternal separation from Him. And He could not take the heartache of so many of us being eternally separated from Him, so he made a way for us to turn around and come back to Him. Remember, He is the one who can make a way where there seems to be no way. As He promises in Isaiah. ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:19)

Ah mih people, only our omnipotent God could have designed a way for us to turn from enemies to friends, to sons and daughters. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Colossians, when talking about Christ, the Hope of Glory. ‘And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled; In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight:’ (Col. 1:21-22) And the scholars explain: ‘Reconciliation is the act whereby God through Christ’s atonement, brings men who are at odds with Him back into a peaceful, proper relationship with Himself. Jesus’ death is the divine means of achieving reconciliation to God.’

So you see friends, this whole reconciliation business stems from God’s great LOVE for us, and His desire not to lose any of us to the evil enemy. And it only makes sense, that true wisdom dictates living for God rather than for Satan, for Satan’s ultimate end is total destruction or eternal death, while God’s is eternal life.

And as John so rightly warns us in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires), and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interests), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)

Oh my people, what a most appropriate scripture for us to ponder on this lazy-day Saturday, the last day of May, where our world is going nuts with all the evil and ungodliness that it’s currently filled with. Much LOVE!

make up your mind…you’re either in God’s camp or Satan’s…you can’t ride the fence…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 April 2013 Matthew 22:21

Matthew 22:21. They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.

Oh Friends, sometimes the Lord really tests our spirits yes! I was going along quite well about ten minutes ago, almost finished the Bit, but at one point, when I looked up at the screen, I only saw half a line there. And when I went to the supposedly saved draft, only that half line was saved. Ah Lord eh! So now I have to rewrite everything. And as luck would have it, today I didn’t do much of it as a rough draft first. Anyway, as I keep saying, them’s the breaks. I just have to grin and bear it. I had originally opened with some words I heard from three songs while listening earlier on to the Christian music radio station, LOVE 101, F.M. broadcasting out of Kingston, Jamaica. The words just resonated with my spirit and I felt compelled to share them. The first set was: ‘God is good. How can I let Him down when He’s so good to me?’ That’s an excellent question Friends! The answer to which is, we should try very hard not to, since He’s indeed been so good to us, what with giving us Jesus and all the other benefits we derive as believers. The next set was: ‘I have Jesus, and that’s enough.’ Oh my brethren, that’s certainly the gospel truth! Once we have Jesus living within us, then we need nothing else, for He is our EVERYTHING! And the last set is: ‘Let go, and let God control your mind, cause if you try to make it on your own, you’ll be wasting your time.’ Words of infinite wisdom and truth my Friends! Now let’s ponder those truths for a moment and see how our lives match up with them nuh. Selah. (smile) And having done that, it’s time for our Bit. ‘They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.’ Certainly more important words to live by! And here are some explanations from the scholars on them. ‘In distinguishing obedience to God from obedience to Caesar, Jesus identified the underlying principle of two different kingdoms: church and state. Both are divinely ordained institutions, but ought to remain separate, since they have two distinct purposes. When church and state are united, the integrity of each institution is often called into question. This separation does not prohibit the involvement of Christians in areas of social responsibility. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people is an anarchy unless governed by eternal, self-evident principles, which are reflected in Scripture. Illustration: Jesus taught us not only to “render unto God” but also to “render unto Caesar.” Christians are therefore responsible for obeying laws, paying taxes, praying for those in authority, and actively speaking out and standing for God and His laws in government. Application: The example of Christians involved in the political system demonstrates how God uses them to be both salt and light to the world. (Matt.5:13-14). (First Ref, Dan.6:2; Primary Ref. Matt.22:21; cf. Eph.5:32).’ And you all think this Christian life easy eh. Not one bit! As followers of Jesus, we’re oftimes called to do some delicate balancing acts, some stuff that goes against man’s nature, against his natural grain. But remember my people, the Word of the Lord MUST ALWAYS PREVAIL. (Acts 5:29) And today we’ll continue looking at scriptures that support our Bit. Listen to Peter’s take on it: ‘Submit yourselves to every ordinance (institution) of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness (evil), but as the servants of God. Honour all men. LOVE the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.’ (1 Pet.2:13-17) Oh my people, we certainly can’t go wrong if we heed that wise advice! But since we have so much to contemplate today, we’ll end here. Tomorrow though, God in favour, we’ll finish up with this Bit. And I hear a loud sigh of relief emanating from those of you who like a new Bit everyday. But please remember Friends, that this is not a fly by night project, offering quick fixes and feel good answers to life’s many problems. It’s a serious study of the Word of our God, how it ought to affect our lives, and thus, not every topic can be dealt with in one sitting, especially with the low standard of our attention span and busy lives. We’re maturing now, time for us to stop drinking milk and start eating solid foods. (smile) But sadly, our current culture is built on the quick fix, which unfortunately never lasts, and that’s why so many of us are running around lost, desperately looking for answers. Oh my brethren, please realize, and/or remember, that the answer or answers to ALL our problems can be found in ONE place, the Good Book, the Word of God, which has been especially written as the guidebook for our earthly pilgrimage. However, it must be constantly studied in a serious manner to ensure we glean all the gems of wisdom it contains. So stand strong and put on a big smile. Jesus is in your heart. That means you don’t need anything else. Much LOVE!…believers must give to everyone…their rightful due…

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The Importance of Christians understanding why God sought Reconciliation with Man!

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