The Overwhelming Importance of Sincerely Believing In Jesus Christ although We have never seen Him!

28 Jun 2025 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 yet have believed.

So we move on to Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, where we try to do as little as possible, after a hard and frustrating week’s work. (smile) And it’s a beautiful day, with more sunshine than cloud, plus a brisk, cool breeze, and temps supposedly on the rise. But Mother Earth is clean, after a thorough cleansing in the midnight hour, when the thunder roared, the lightning flashed and the rain fell in torrents.

And by the way, yesterday afternoon, the sun did valiantly overpower the clouds and come out shining in all its glory, so it’s not impossible for us to be valiant and get up and do God’s will. Just a reminder that we need to get up and get a move on, if we ever hope to make any productive and positive changes in our chaotic world. (smile) And we can begin right now by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.

As one strong and sincere 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!’

Ah friends, how good it is to be close to our God; our Creator and Controller, the One who LOVES us more than we can ever think or imagine, so much so that He gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice so that our sins could be forgiven! Now, if that doesn’t show true and real LOVE, I don’ know what does! And it’s ever so wise for us to get close and stay close to Him, so that He can LOVE us the way He desires, to bask in it, while returning it through our surrender to and trust in Him and His awesome Son Jesus Christ!

That brings to mind the situation after Christ rose from the dead and appeared to the disciples. Thomas though was absent, and after hearing about it, claimed that He would not believe unless he put his hands in the nail prints of Jesus’ hands and the javelin wound in His side. And you must LOVE the wit of Jesus, for He specifically chose a time when Thomas was with the other disciples to appear again.

Jesus headed straight for him, and said, ‘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 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 yet have believed.’ (John 20:27-29)

Yes friends, Jesus is there talking about people like us, who did not see Him in the living flesh while He was here on earth, but nonetheless have believed His story, and fervently placed our trust and lives in His faithful and trustworthy hands. That’s why Bruh Paul could write thus to the Corinthians: ‘(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) (1 Cor. 5:7) And to the Romans: ‘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? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom. 8:24-25)

And that’s what our faith is all about; eagerly waiting with perseverance for Christ’s return! As the author of Hebrews writes: ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) So faith and hope help us to understand as well as wait for those wonderful things that Jesus promised would eventually come to pass.

And I like how Peter puts it when talking about an Incorruptible Inheritance that’s laid up for us. He says: ‘That the trial (genuineness) of your faith. being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried (tested) with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing (revelation) of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye LOVE; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.’ (1 Pet. 1:7-8)

Wow! What a manifestation of our faith! Though we haven’t seen Jesus in the flesh, like so many others did, yet we LOVE Him like no other; more than any human being, and rejoice with unspeakable joy and give Him all the glory! Now, many other beings have the power to entice others into joyfully LOVING them and basking in their glory, but NONE of them have the power to keep the promises that Jesus made and instill the marvellous and miraculous faith that He’s been able to instill down through the ages in so many humans who have never seen Him in person, and is still instilling in numerous believers.

And I believe these are some excellent words for us to go out on this lazy-day Saturday, the last one of June 2025. They come from the first epistle of John, where he confidently declares: ‘We LOVE Him, because he first LOVED us. If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.’ (1 John 4:19-21)

Oh my people it could not be any clearer than that. We cannot say we truly LOVE God while hating our brother. Remember the second great commandment is to LOVE our neighbours as ourselves, (Matt. 22:39) and our neighbours are all those we come into contact with. So, I implore us this lazy-day Saturday, to spend some time considering our faith; if we truly believe in Jesus, although we’ve not seen Him, and if so, how are we relating to our brothers and neighbours in this crazy and ungodly world. That ought to give us much pause for thought! (smile) Much LOVE!

…saying we LOVE God is easy…but doing it in real life is definitely not easy…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 January 2023   2 Corinthians 5:7.

08 Jan 2023 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 5:7.        We walk by faith, not by sight.

Another Sunday is upon us friends, which means it’s time to get together to fellowship in the presence of our Lord God Jehovah. For those who can make it to the Lord’s sanctuary, that’s the best place, but if you can’t, one of the wonders of today’s technological world is online worship, and you are advised to do that, rather than not fellowship at all. (smile) There are simply no excuses these day for not joining in some worship service or the other. 

Anyway, to open our proceedings today, we’ve chosen a favourite song that very appropriately describes what we hope to accomplish for this new year of 2023, that’s to live more keenly for Christ. And the name of the song is ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee.’ Yes, it’s the often recorded traditional gospel song, who’s author remains unknown, despite several stories as per its origin and public attention. 

Needless to say, it’s become a big hit over the years, and today we’ll do it justice by singing an up-tempo version, a la Anne Murray, because it’s a song of praise, pleas and gratitude, and such a song ought to be sung in rousing fashion to show the joy in our hearts. So, with sweet harmony, let’s raise our voices in sacrificial praise to high heaven. 

Singing: ‘I am weak but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I’ll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee. (Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.) Thro’ this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. [Refrain] When my feeble life is o’er, Time for me will be no more; Guide me gently, safely o’er To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. [Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.)’ 

Oh friends, that was a great version of a very uplifting song. The scholars say: ‘The title and lyrics of the song allude to the Biblical passage from 2 Corinthians 5:7 which states, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” and James 4:8, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” Or, as the King James version puts it: ‘Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.’ 

And there is great truth to those statements, for we can only walk close to Jesus by first getting to know Him, then sticking with Him through faith, as Romans 8:24-25 so wisely and graciously inform us. ‘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? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ 

Yes my fellow saints, without hope there can be no faith, for hope is the forerunner to faith, and you can only walk with Christ through faith, which is strong trust for the positive expectations of things to come, things that you have not seen, but know deep down that they will eventually come to pass because Jesus promised it. 

There’s also this interesting scripture from 2 Chronicles which puts our walk with God in right perspective. It’s the prophet Azariah’s warning to King Asa. ‘And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. And he went out to meet (before) Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.’ (2 Chr. 15:1-2) 

And that’s the living truth my people! If we seek Christ sincerely, we will find Him, but if we forsake Him, He’ll just leave us to do our own thing. And we all know the serious ramifications involved in doing our own thing without God’s divine and omnipotent help: the rate of success is few to none. (smile) 

Meanwhile, the website Hymnary.org offers this commentary on the tune. ‘In this song, we acknowledge our human inability to live righteously, but we also express awareness of the grace and strength that God gives us in our daily walk. Even such an esteemed saint as the apostle Paul acknowledged his need for this grace.’ 

Remember Bruh Paul pleading three times with the Lord to remove the thorn from his side. ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.’ (2 Cor.12:9-10) 

And that’s a fact friends, when our weaknesses come against us, that’s when we’re truly strong, because it’s then that God’s amazing grace rises up to help and protect us. And there are so many useful and encouraging scriptures in the God’s Library on faith and walking with God, that we can spend the whole day talking about them and never exhaust them, (smile) that’s because walking with God in faith is what we’re all about, what God made us to do. 

Unfortunately though, too many of us refuse to get right with God and walk faithfully with Him. Instead in this evil and ungodly world the trend is to walk away from Christ right into the open, deceitful and destructive arms of Beelzebub. How can that ever be a wise decision eh my people, when all Beelzebub has to offer is death and destruction in the fiery halls of hell? 

That’s why this year of 2023 is so important to Christ’s church. We have to turn this exodus from it around, and can only do so by we faithful believers sincerely living for Him, truthfully showing it in our lifestyles and boldly telling it in our speech. That’s the only way to right this ship called the church of Christ! Much LOVE!

…there’ll be no excuses in heaven…when your earthly sojourn…shows a lack of pride, passion and purpose… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 October 2021   2 Corinthians 5:7.

16 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 5:7.     For we walk by faith, not by sight:

Chuh! Another cloudy, damp day! Why can’t the sun shine better than it’s been doing recently eh? And one know-it-all shouts out: ‘Because that’s the way the Lord designed it brother!’ Awright, awright, I know that. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it. And the brother went on to explain. ‘Remember, you can’t appreciate the sunshine without the rain; you can’t appreciate good without bad; you can’t appreciate Jesus without Satan. 

The Lord sent the light of Jesus to douse the darkness of Satan, so that we could have perpetual spiritual light, despite the outward physical lack of sunshine. And in fact, the light of Jesus permeates ALL darkness, so even when it’s dark outside, you still see light, Jesus’ light, shining through everything around you. Glory be my brother! Give thanks for the Light of Jesus!’ 

Okay, okay! I’ve been told! (smile) So let me get on with my Saturday job; that of putting the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week into some form of biblical thinking. And I do need the light of Jesus, to clearly see what I am doing, (smile) and His awesome help to guide my thinking. 

And the first quote advises: ‘Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.’ Now that’s very true. The first step is always the most important one! Even if you see the whole staircase, you can never make it to the top until you take that first step. And in living for Jesus that first step is ever so important, because it means surrendering your life, your will, your desires to an unknown entity. 

Giving up control of anything is difficult, especially if you don’t know, or can’t foresee what lies ahead. That’s why it’s often so hard for some people to come to Jesus, because He expects you to show some faith from the very beginning. And what is faith you ask? Simply put “Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see.” (Heb 11:1) ‘With faith, you don’t have to see something to know it’s real.’ It all calls for belief and trust. As the Good Book expounds: ‘For we walk by faith, not by sight:’ (2 Cor. 5:7) 

That means: ‘We must believe in the things we do not see. This is the test of true faith, and we will be rewarded in heaven.’ And the opening portion of an article on the subject on the womansday.com website wraps up that quote very nicely. ‘Faith is defined as complete trust or confidence in someone or something, and when it comes to religion, faith is one of the cornerstones of your personal relationship with your spirituality.’ 

That segues right into the next quote: ‘Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.’ There again, it all revolves around faith, trust and surrender. As Jesus said: ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt. 21:22) So, you must believe! And you can only believe, if you have faith! ‘God will grant you what you ask for in prayer. Once you will believe, he will.’ 

And Jesus was even more explicit when He told the disciples: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.’ (John 15:7) That means we need to keep Jesus’ words in our hearts and live them out in our lives if we expect to see His goodness, expect Him to answer our prayers. And please note that He wasn’t talking about any foolish or self-serving prayers there, but prayers that meet the requirements of His awesome word. 

That brings us to this quote: ‘You manifest what you believe, not what you want.’ Now that’s somewhat confusing, because I think it’s possible to manifest what you believe as well as what you want. Generally speaking, what we believe will show out of us, but then it is also possible to hide our real beliefs and show what we want to show. And I think that Jesus’ words, re the Pharisees dispute over the disciples eating with unwashed hands, highlights that dilemma. The Pharisees pretended to believe one thing, but their outward actions usually showed something different. 

That’s why Jesus told the disciples: ‘Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ (Matt. 15:11) And later on, when they didn’t seem to understand His words, He explained. ‘Do ye not yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out (eliminated) into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders and adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.’ (Matt. 15:17-20) 

Yes friends, ordinarily, we like to think that people manifest what they believe, like Christianity for instance. But then again, too many supposed Christians don’t manifest, or show their Christian beliefs in their outward actions, otherwise our world would not be in such an evil and ungodly state. 

And the last quote declares: ‘Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice.’ Yes and no! The Lord has a plan for every life He creates. As He says through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) That means God has a destiny mapped out for all of us, but we can either seek His will, find out what’s His personal plan and execute it, or we can turn aside and do our own thing. 

The fact is, sometimes He will allow us to go our own way, but at other times He won’t. I am a perfect example of that. I never intended to be writing about biblical stuff, and when the Lord broached the idea, I laughed and said I didn’t know enough about the Bible to do it. But He kept on pursuing me until I agreed. And look at all the people who, when He calls, give up good worldly living to do His bidding, which often entails a drop in their societal position. That’s their destiny calling! And they have no choice but to follow it. 

And yes, we have free choice, but only to a certain extent. The Lord allows some of us to do certain things, and we think we are in control, making our own choices, but friends, He is always in the background maneuvering our destiny. And He often allows us to make bad choices so that we can realize we are not in total control. Hopefully, that will cause us to come running back to Him, for He desires all of His creation to remain in His fold. He doesn’t want to lose even a single one. Please, let’s remember that and live our lives accordingly. Much LOVE!

…faith in God doesn’t come overnight…it grows with each passing day…                                                                                                                

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 September 2021   2 Corinthians 5:9.

25 Sep 2021 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 5:9.     Wherefore we labour (make it our aim), that whether we be present or absent, we may be accepted of (well pleasing to) him. 

Welcome Saturday! We’re surely glad to see you, for it is ever so nice to have a break from the drudgery of the work week. Oh, we do need the work week, but you know too much of anything is no good, (smile) and we all need some rest time to rejuvenate ourselves, so that we can go back out and do good work for Christ again next week…. 

Oh friends, sorry for that break there of about ten minutes. (smile) It was hard, but I finally dragged myself away from some sweet reggae worship music I was listening to, featuring Vincentian Evangelist Bridget Blucher live at the Barbados Gospel Fest in 2005. It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday morning, but yuh know, even when you are doing something that’s good, the enemy can be influencing you to be disobedient, because you are not doing what the Lord wants you to do at that particular time. (smile) And I was trying to run away from writing the Bit, from getting my head around the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week. 

Ohhh… it’s so much better to listen to sweet praise and worship music! And hopefully the music lifted my spirits so that I can write a good Bit now. And, by the way, if you ever get a chance to check out the Barbados Gospel Fest held on the island every year, please do so, because it’s said to be one of the best gospel festivals held anywhere in the world. I don’t know what’s happening in these pandemic times, but if life ever straightens out, I am definitely putting it on my calendar. Got to remember to tell the duchess that. I’m sure she won’t say no to some vacation time in B/dos. 

Enough disobedience though, the quotes, they are a-calling. And the first one tells us: ‘If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise.’ And that does have a ring of truth to it, especially if you are a believer in Christ Jesus, for in His economy, nothing’s impossible, and He expects His followers to dream big dreams, and ask Him for big, seemingly impossible stuff, so that He can show forth His power and glory to an unbelieving world. 

Wow! The music certainly got me going! And above all else, our God does not want us to compromise our standards and beliefs. Remember we are only in the world, but not of the world. So let’s not limit ourselves, because of fear of failure, of rejection, or just basic anxiety, or even laziness, because if our choice is in line with the will of God, then He will make it come true. And this quote segues nicely into the next one. ‘It is very dangerous to go into eternity with possibilities which one has oneself prevented from becoming realities. A possibility is a hint from God. One must follow it.’ 

Now, not all possibilities are hints from God, but many are, and we must take the time to evaluate them based on His word and will, and if they are indeed hints from him, then we ought to get up off our butts and do them. Why you ask? Because when we stand at the judgment seat of God, and we all will one day, to answer why we didn’t make use of the opportunities He provided us, we won’t be able to say, ‘Oh Lord, I didn’t know it was an opportunity from You.’ 

Now this judgement isn’t whether we go to hell or heaven, in fact we are already in heaven, but it’s to see what rewards we are due, for the work we have done on earth. We won’t be thrown out down to hell, but we will certainly lose possible rewards if we didn’t take advantage of the opportunities we had here on earth. 

Bruh Paul puts it thus to the Corinthians. ‘We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour (make it our aim), that whether we be present or absent, we may be accepted of (well pleasing to) him. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.’ (2 Cor. 5:8-10) Our works shall be tested by fire to see our motives and what our works were built upon. 

Bruh Paul said it this way in his first epistle to the church at Corinth. ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble (straw); Every man’s work shall be made manifest (become evident): for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try (test) every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide (endures) which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by (through) fire.’ (1 Cor. 3:11-15) 

That means my fellow believers, the work, the service we perform for Christ on this here earth is absolutely important. And it must be done with right motives and built on a Christian foundation, with strong building materials to withstand the fire of testing at the judgement seat. And I believe the conclusion of this article from the Grace to You website on the purpose of the Judgment Seat of Christ, ought to motivate us. 

It says: ‘The greatest consequence of unfaithfulness here on earth is that it disappoints Christ. First John 2:28 says, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” That is a sobering thought–we could be ashamed as we stand before the Lord. At the same time, it should encourage us with the prospect of receiving His lavish rewards if we serve Him faithfully during our time here on earth.’ 

That brings us to this next quote: ‘Dissatisfaction and discouragement are not caused by the absence of things but the absence of vision.’ Now that’s often true, since many times we have most of the things we desire or want, yet we are still discouraged and dissatisfied. And that’s most likely because we are not looking ahead, we are not seeing clearly where we want to go, or more importantly, where the Lord desires us to go. Vision, or the lack thereof, is very important to our sense of satisfaction. That means it’s quite possible to be lacking things, but still be satisfied in our souls because we know we are headed in the right direction, and it’s only a matter of time before things turn out right. 

But it all takes hope, faith and true belief in Christ Jesus! And the last quote tells us that: ‘Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.’ Ah mih people, I don’t know if that is totally true nuh, because there are some circumstances that make life totally unbearable! But then, on the other hand, if we have a purpose and a meaning, like in living for Christ Jesus, we can put up with some terrible circumstances. It’s not easy, and depends so much on our maturity in Christ. 

And we’ll close with a couple of wonderful and encouraging promises of Jesus. The first one says: ‘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) And this last one ought to fill us with confidence, as Jesus tell the disciples: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) 

Yes friends, Jesus is always with us through the presence of His Holy Spirit, so we don’t have to be anxious or afraid of anything, for what can man do to us eh? Absolutely nothing! And if God be for us, who can be against us? Nobody! Not a single soul! Let’s hear it and believe it nuh, so we can walk with courage! Much LOVE!

…for we walk by faith…not by sight… (2 Cor. 5:7)                                                                                                                          

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 July 2021 2 Corinthians 5:7.

25 Jul 2021 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 5:7.       For we walk by faith and not by sight.

And another summer Sunday is upon us, my dear friends in Christ! And you know that calls for praise and worship and thanksgiving to Almighty God, our Creator and Provider; the One who LOVES us unconditionally, LOVED us so much that He sent His Son to die on our behalf, that our sins could be forgiven and we could be adjudged righteous in His holy and glorious name. That’s why we praise and give Him thanks every Sunday. 

And today we’ll open with a very popular traditional gospel song titled ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee.’ The precise author of the song is unknown, but obviously there are various theories. One holds that it goes right back to the days of slavery, sung by slaves as they laboured in the fields of the plantations in the Southern States of the U.S. of A. 

Another angle claims that Kenneth Morris an American composer, on a trip from Kansas City to Chicago, heard a porter singing the song at one of the train stops where he got off to get some fresh air. At that time, he did not pay much attention to it, but as he continued his trip the song just flooded his mind, and at the next stop, he got off the train and took another one back to the earlier station. He had the porter sing the song for him, and he wrote down the words and music. Then in 1940, after adding some of his own lyrics to add more breadth, he published the song. 

Now it does seem that Morris did arrange and publish the song for the first time, but another theory says that happened only after a group of musicians heard a live version in Kansas City and then brought it to Morris’ attention. The long and short of the story though is that it soon became a gospel standard, a Jazz standard and a part of American folk music. However, it is agreed that the first recording was done by the Selah Jubilee singers on October 8, 1941, in New York city. 

And now that we have some idea of its history, (smile) let’s sing an up-tempo version, a la Anne Murray, not like the traditional dirge renditions in new Orleans jazz funerals. In full, sweet, harmonious voice, with the appropriate background vocals, let’s offer up our sacrifice of praise to heaven. ‘I am weak but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I’ll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee. 

(Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.) Thro’ this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. [Refrain] When my feeble life is o’er, Time for me will be no more; Guide me gently, safely o’er To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. [Refrain].’ 

That’s oh so refreshing my people! There’s nothing better in this life than a steady walk with Jesus. And that all started right at the very beginning when the Lord told the 99-year-old Abram: ‘I am the Almighty God (El Shaddai); walk before me, and be thou perfect (blameless).’ (Gen. 17:1) One translation says: ‘Walk before the Lord in a way that is pleasing to Him.’ And that’s the God awesome truth! We ought to walk before our God and Creator and heavenly Father in a manner that pleases Him, not the lewd, lustful and ungodly way that so many of us walk nowadays. 

And the scholars tell us that the title of the song and the lyrics allude to these two verses of scripture. The first one is this popular verse: ‘For we walk by faith and not by sight.’ (2 Cor. 5:7) And that’s a foundational scripture friends, since in the Lord’s economy seeing is not believing, walking by faith and trust in His promises and power is what He expects of us. That’s the realization of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

And the second scripture verse is another popular one: ‘Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you.’ (James 4:8a) And I want to add this other verse that seems ever so appropriate. ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ James 4:10) Yes friends, if we don’t humble ourselves before the Lord, He certainly won’t lift us up, neither down here on earth, nor to heaven. (smile) 

Now here is this interesting commentary from the website Hymnary.org. ‘In this song, we acknowledge our human inability to live righteously, but we also express awareness of the grace and strength that God gives us in our daily walk. Even such an esteemed saint as the apostle Paul acknowledged his need for this grace after he asked the Lord three times to remove the thorn from his flesh: “But he [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 

And Paul’s response to that was brilliant: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:9-10) 

Oh my people, regardless of how mature we are in Christ, it is impossible for us to walk righteously, properly, blamelessly or in a pleasing manner before the Lord without His anointing, His grace supporting us. Please, let’s always remember that. It’s His amazing grace that keeps us walking this earth, and without it, we are done like dinner! That means every day we must give God thanks and ask for His grace to do His will, to walk worthy of Him. Much LOVE!

…only as we walk in faith…will we be anointed with grace…                                                                                               

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 January 2017 2 Corinthians 5:7.

08 Jan 2017 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Inspirational Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2 Corinthians 5:17.    (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Aye mih people, the ole fella’s here again – later than I had planned, but earlier than the last few days. (smile) 

And I am feeling better, spiritually and physically. But I am certainly not out of the woods yet – though with perseverance and the Lord’s help I hope it won’t be too long or difficult a trip back. 

Oh friends, I can never consider the goodness and LOVING-kindness of our magnificent and magnanimous God without feeling a deep, tender and abiding LOVE for Him! He’s been ever so good to me, that sometimes it just boggles my imagination. 

Now don’t get me wrong, it has not always been wine, roses and song, there have been some serious trials and tribulations along the way, many of them unexpected and out of the blue, like this past week in the hospital with heart problems. 

You know with that sort of stuff you usually feel a pain or something of the sort… well I have NOT felt a pain up to this day, just a constant shortness of breath. And thankfully I listened to the Holy Spirit that guided me to the hospital’s Emergency Department, otherwise I might not be alive to tell the tale today. 

And come to think of it, this is the tenth year – can you imagine- ten years since I’ve been writing the Bit, and I certainly never expected to ring it in with heart problems in the hospital. 

But our God is such a dramatic and mysterious God, that with Him anything is possible at any time. And you know what, somewhere along the line He is going to use this episode of my life for His glorification. I don’t know how, why or when – but that’s why He is God! (smile) 

Ah mih breddren, I think I’ve gotten lost somewhere along the line yes, (smile) I don’t remember what point I was trying to make. 

The long and short of the story though is that I could not have written the Bit for so long, especially if you knew how it began; with just a simple verse from the Good Book and maybe some inane comment from me, to where it is now. 

But it was ALL the Lord’s guidance and doing my people! I took the leap of faith and He extended His faithfulness. That’s why, if nothing else, I can always proclaim His faithfulness. But the important thing is that one first has to take whatever leap of faith He is advocating. 

Now that brings us to our Bit; a few simple but very powerful words: ‘(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)’ That’s the basic foundation of our great action movement – Christianity! 

As the Good Book says: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6) So you see friends, we have to faithfully believe in and diligently seek the Lord if we expect to reap His blessings, grace and mercies. 

Listen to this wonderful promise relayed through Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer.29:11) 

Now isn’t that just a marvellous promise from an omnipotent God? It certainly is! The question then is why don’t we supposed believers cling to it the way we ought to eh? 

Is it that we don’t truly believe, or our faith level isn’t that high, and on top of it all the lustful pleasures and material things of this world obscure God’s wonderful and faithful promises? 

And Jeremiah though he was used and abused in his prophetic ministry could still say: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heath cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer.17:7-8) 

Oh friends, Christians would be a whole lot better of in all respects if we would only take hold of the thousands of God promises in His Word and cling to them the way we cling to the foolishness of the world. 

And we’ll end with some marvellous sentiments from Jeremiah’s Lamentations. ‘And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) in me. 

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 

The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:18-26) 

Oh my people, if Jeremiah could have been as abused as he was, and still have hope, faith and trust in the Lord, then why can’t we who have not faced such persecution do the same eh? 

That’s a question we have to answer individually. Let’s hope we do it positively and soon, for we know not when our Lord and Saviour Jesus will return. And once He comes back, ALL bets are off! Much LOVE!

…following Jesus is not an easy row to hoe…but it provides the greatest rewards…that’s for sure…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 September 2016 Hebrews 11:1.

01 Sep 2016 Leave a comment

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

 Hebrews 11:1.    Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.

Welcome my Scrip-Bit friends and family to this glorious Thursday morn; the first day of September 2016! Our God is alive and well in His heaven, faithfully looking over His people here on earth. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord!’ 

Now the 1st of September in the northern climes usually means that the summer is technically over; the free paper burn, holidays are over, no more weekends at the cottage, it’s back to school and work, and begin thinking about the winter weather that will be upon us in another couple of months. 

But before we get to that (smile), I want to share ‘A Prayer for Solutions,’ from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. 

Please pray with me. ‘Lord, thanks for assuring me that you’ll solve the problems if I’ll exercise the faith and make the right decision! Forgive me for waiting for all the difficulties, real or fanciful, to be resolved before deciding to make my commitment. 

I confess I have too often allowed problems instead of possibilities to take over leadership of my life – to make my decisions – and take command over my destiny. I know, now, what faith is, Lord! It’s making the right decisions before I see solutions to all the problems! Increase my faith! Amen.’ 

And isn’t that the gospel truth my people? It surely is! We allow the problems, rather than the possibilities to run our lives.  Remember, we live; we walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Cor.5:7) So as our faith goes, so go our lives. 

If our faith is strong, then we walk comfortably with the Lord. If our faith is weak and we have many doubts, then our walk of faith is not as strong and we are liable to take more missteps and make more mistakes than we ought to. 

And I sincerely believe that lack of true faith is one of the Christian’s biggest problems nowadays. With the world and all its evil and lustful pleasures and demand for material possessions coming against us so strongly, it’s very easy to falter, to lose faith and sight in God and succumb to the temptation. 

That’s why faith is so crucial in our everyday lives, something we need to keep at the forefront all the time, since it’s so easy to lose faith when the trials and tribulations beset us. And what is faith you ask? 

Well the Good Book gives us this definition, which is also our Bit for today. ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ Yeh friends, technically, it’s about hoping for and believing what we cannot see. 

But here is an excellent explanation on our Bit from the scholars. ’11:1. Verse 1 is not so much a definition of what faith is, as it is a description of what faith does (cf.11:6). Two truths concerning its activity are stated here. First, faith provides substance (Gr. hypostasis). Though broad in its usages, this Greek word normally has the meaning of “assurance” in the New Testament (cf. 3:14, 2 Cor.9:4; 11:17) and this seems to be the best sense here. 

Second, faith provides evidence (Gr. elegchos). It is evidence in the sense of proof that results in conviction. The difference between assurance and evidence would be minimal were it not for the phrase qualifying each: of things hoped for and of things not seen. 

The first involves future hope; the second involves present realities that are unseen. The first includes the hope of the resurrection, the return of Christ, and the glorification of the saints. The second involves unseen realities, such as forgiveness of sin through Christ’s sacrifice and the present intercession of Christ in heaven. Hope is faith relating to the future; conviction is faith relating to the present.’ 

Oh friends, I know that is somewhat convoluted and might prove confusing, but please take your time and reason it out, and it will eventually become clear. Faith is the biggest thing in our Christian walk. It’s what keeps us attached to our awesome God; to the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Only by faith can we believe it all! 

As the Good Book tells us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6) 

So my brethren, it’s all about hope and belief. Remember, you can’t have faith if you don’t first have hope, for hope is what stirs the pot of faith and keeps it bubbling up strong and positive. 

Now let’s truly acknowledge our hope and faith by enthusiastically declaring our Thursday Blessings, for a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken. 

Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! 

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

Wonderful my people! Now let’s go out and put our faith into action nuh, because it’s useless unless and until it is acted upon! Much LOVE!

…faith calls for works…and works demand faith to do them…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 February 2016 Psalm 40:4‏‏‏‏

03 Feb 2016 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 40:4.  Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Oh friends, can you believe it’s already the third day of February? How come eh? And it just started a couple days ago… (smile)

Yes mih breddren, time is not waiting on us, and it just seems to be flying by faster and faster. We just celebrated New Years, now we’re about to celebrate Valentine’s day. Hn!

And talking about New Year’s, now is as good a time as any to check and see how we’re doing with our New Year’s resolution, that of following Jesus more closely than we did before. I do hope that we have not already forgotten about it, otherwise our lives will not improve.

And the good thing about that resolution is that when we fulfil it, everything comes together for good in our lives. We don’t have to worry and be anxious for anything, for as we saw yesterday in Jesus’ words, when we seek His righteousness, then all that we need will be provided by our heavenly Father.

What a wonderful promise my people! Please let’s take it to heart and truly begin to seek the righteousness of God, so that we can be blessed nuh.

Anyway, it’s Wednesday, which means we need to declare our Wednesday Wail. So let’s wail nuh friends, with sincerity, truth and feeling! As one now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!

I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’

Oh my people, I definitely do appreciate the breath of life that’s flowing through me this morning! And how could I not, as I look out at the waves of the sea rolling in to shore and admire the beauty of the land that surrounds me?

Plus, I am feeling somewhat healthier than when I got here a week ago…Steups! A week’s gone by already! Chuh! The time’s definitely flying by too fast for my liking yes! And I hear the North Country is having almost summer like temps…good for you!  

And having declared our Wednesday Wail, please my people, let’s keep looking forward nuh, focusing on Jesus, and the glorious future He has planned for all those who sincerely seek Him. As His supposed followers, that is what we’re expected to do.

Unfortunately though, many of us, for one reason or another, are not doing such a good job of it. And I believe that most of our doubts, fears, anxieties and lust for the things of the world stem from a basic lack of true trust in our God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

For if He says to seek Him first and everything we need will be granted to us, the only reason I can come up with for us not doing so, is that we don’t truly believe or trust Him.

And even before Jesus came to earth, His kinsman, Bruh David enthusiastically voiced it in our Bit. ‘Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’

Oh friends, I don’t see how much simpler or straightforward God’s word can be nuh! All we need to do is surrender our lives to His plans for them, and all will be right with us.

One of the problems I suspect is that when we surrender, we expect to live a life of simply wine, roses and song. And when we don’t, when we experience trials and tribulations instead, we lose the enthusiasm for God and revert back to the ugliness, lustfulness and ungodliness of the world.

But I remind us friends, that Jesus said we would indeed suffer, have trials and tribulations, from just believing in Him. But as true believers, we were to be of good cheer, stay strong and purposeful, because He had already overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Now there again is where the element of trust comes in. If you don’t trust, then most likely you won’t believe, and vice versa. But that’s what required of us. As Bruh Paul told the Corinthians: ‘For we walk by faith, not by sight.’ (2 Cor.5:7) Yeh friends, in Jesus’ realm, you have to believe it before you see it, while the world only believes after they see it.

Remember what Jesus told the two blind men when He healed them? ‘According to your faith be it unto you.’ (Matt.9:29) And that’s the gospel truth friends! According to the level of our faith and consequently trust, that’s how our lives will unfold. The greater the faith and trust, the more blessed we’ll be.

Now let’s look at a couple of scriptures that reinforce our Bit, beginning with this verse from Psalm 34 – The Lord heareth the righteous. Bruh David boldly and truthfully proclaims: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him.’ (Ps.34:8-9)

There again we have it; trust and reverence will cause NO lack!  

Now listen to Micah, the prophet of olden times. ‘Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide (companion): keep (guard) the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.’ (Mic.7:5)

Now that might be taking it a bit far, because we do have to have some measure of trust in our close friends and spouses, but by the same token we need to keep some things close to our chests and only reveal to God; the ONLY ONE we can fully trust.

And we’ll end with the words of another old time prophet, Nahum, who righty and truthfully declares: ‘The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.’ (Nah.1:7)

And that’s indisputable truth friends! So please, let’s go out today, walking in the Lord’s goodness and mercy, because He knows that we sincerely revere and trust Him. Much LOVE!

…trust and obey…for there’s no better way…to be happy in Jesus…than to trust and obey…