Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 February 2022 Mark 8:36.

23 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

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

Mark 8:36.      For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 

Well friends, it’s Wednesday, the middle of the week, and I do hope that we’ve made some headway into being the difference maker that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects us to be. Yes, that’s why He’s placed us on the earth at this particular time, to make a difference in His name, to be the flavoursome salt and the bright, exciting light to the evil and depraved world that currently reigns. 

And though it’s a very rewarding and interesting task, it’s not always an easy one, because it sometimes calls for a lot of sacrifice on our part, giving up our will to ensure that His is forthcoming. And that issue of sacrifice is not something that Christ hid, but He said it very clearly and plainly. 

The Good Book tells us: ‘And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ (Mark 8:34-38) 

And is this generation ever sinful and adulterous! So that means a lot is expected of us my fellow saints in Christ. But the basic thing is to live for and like Him, spread His gospel and not be ashamed of Him, because when he returns in all His glory, He will be ashamed of us and not recognize us as being amongst His followers. 

Unfortunately though, many of us supposed believers are indeed ashamed of Christ, and afraid of the very sinful and adulterous world in which we now live, so we only give lip service to His words and way of life. But as the scholars note per verse 38 above: ‘Jesus makes a very close connection between Himself and His Words.’ So we cannot separate one from the other as we like to do. 

The problem is that life is so good with us out here in the western world, with all the privileges and amenities we enjoy, that we don’t want anything at all to disturb it. We just want to keep moseying along in comfort, living the life of the rich and idle. But friends, life does not, never has, and never will run smoothly! It’s a series of ups and downs, and until we learn to take the good with the bad, and live accordingly, we will be forever destined to live unhappy and ungodly lives. 

Even Christ confirmed that life is full of trouble when He said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Now that’s a scripture that all of us know, but don’t truly take to heart, otherwise we wouldn’t be living the scared and anxious lives we’re living. Jesus has indeed conquered and overcome the world by His sacrificial death and resurrection, and only in and through Him can we ever have peace in this crazy, warlike world. 

That’s what He gives to us, when we truly accept Him as Lord and Saviour and try to live the way He desires of us. Oh, He knows that we will have hard times, for nobody had harder times than He did, and sometimes we will fail to do His will, but He is also very forgiving and expects us to get back up and continue the good fight in His name. He gives us the grace and power to do that, but we have to truly believe and surrender ourselves to His holy will. 

As the prophet Isaiah said so long ago: ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak), and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:29-31) 

Oh my people, what more can we ask eh? Especially those of us living in the religious freedom of the West, while many of our fellow believers are still living very persecuted lives in so many other countries of the world. Please take a moment to ponder the situation where you could not get up on a Sunday morning, put on your finery and traipse to church to gather and celebrate with other believers, because that would get you incarcerated and even killed. But you had to hide and meet secretly, and couldn’t even call the name of Jesus out loud, otherwise crapaud smoke yuh pipe! 

A lot of our fellow believers are living under those strenuous and unfair conditions, but they are still carrying the torch of Jesus alight, still fanning the flames of His gospel and way of life. Meanwhile, we ole hypocrites out here, who have the freedom to do so much for Jesus, live scared but comfortable, talk a good talk, but have no action to back it up. 

Oh friends, if we don’t smarten up and begin living right, when Jesus returns, He will have a whole lot of separating to do, between the sheep and the goats. And sadly, many of us will find ourselves on the left hand, with the goats, and not on the right hand, with the sheep. And if you don’t know that scripture, then it’s high time you became very familiar with it, found in Matthew 25:31-46. 

Anyway, for those of us who are doing our best to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. So, in a strong, joyful and sincere voice: ‘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!’ 

And lest we forget; if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So let’s endeavor to endure nuh! It’s wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!

…living for Christ is not easy…but if we are serious…He generously gives us the grace and power to do it… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 March 2021 Mark 1:35.

06 Mar 2021 Leave a comment

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

Mark 1:35.     ​And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there he prayed.

So here it is, that big day called Saturday! (smile) So what’s in store for you today eh? Hope it’s more of those new mercies and compassions of our wonderful God! And if you have stayed with Him, surrendered your life and will to Him, I am sure that those good vibes will be, or have already been transported to your soul and spirit. Bless His holy name my faithful friends! For He is indeed a good and faithful God and will never let you down, or leave and forsake you. You can bet your bottom dollar, as well as your life, your eternal destiny on that! 

He’s so awesome, so powerful and all-knowing that we can’t even comprehend His thoughts and ways. No wonder He proclaims to us mere mortals: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is, 55:8-9) And all of God’s people said a loud, proud and grateful ‘Amen!’ Yes friends, once we admit those two statements, then we are on the way to a good thing. 

Now let’s see what interesting quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week. Hope I can get my head around them. (smile) And this first one is boss! ‘Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart.’ Now that’s definitely the best way to begin each day: on a positive note, with prayer and thanksgiving. That way you set a right template for the entire day. Yuh notice how Jesus began His days? Mark tells us: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there he prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) 

Oh my people, if Jesus needed to get in touch with His heavenly Father each and every morning, who are we to be different eh, especially if we’re His loyal and faithful followers? No, we don’t have to get up before the break of day, and go out into a deserted place, but we do have to spend at least a few moments giving thanks and asking for guidance, wisdom and safety to begin our day. That’s just wisdom of the highest order! 

And the next quote says: ‘Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying.’ That’s more gospel truth my brethren! We should not be afraid to fail, but we should be afraid of not trying, because it’s only in trying that you can find success. If you don’t try, you’ll never succeed! 

And though you may fail when you try, it’s in that failure that you learn the real and true lessons of life. There are so many who people failed many times before they eventually found success. That means that every time you fail, you’ve got to get back up and try again, especially if you’re a follower of Jesus, because giving up does not exist in His vocabulary. (smile) 

And that’s a rather appropriate message for us believers in this pandemic time; we can’t afford to fail, or to give up on doing Christ’s work, because He’s depending on us. He expects us to be the very flavourful salt of the earth and light of the world, so that people can see our good deeds and glorify His Father in heaven. So let’s not even think about failure or giving up nuh. 

And then there’s this: ‘You cannot control the behavior of others, but you can always choose how you respond to it.’ Oh friends, more indisputable truth! We can’t control how people behave, but we can certainly control how we react to their behaviour. And Jesus desires that all His followers always react with a good attitude…well within reason, (smile) for we are frail and weak human beings, so we do make mistakes. 

But seriously though precious people, these times we’re living in are so prevalent with bad behaviour that it’s hard to avoid it on any given day. Things like manners no longer exist in our selfish and me first and alone society. So it does take a strong and mature spirit to avoid reacting to bad behaviour with our own bad behaviour. 

Jesus taught us to LOVE our enemies, not to use the retaliation principle of an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth, but to turn the other cheek when smitten on one, and to go the extra mile.’ (Matt. 5:38-44) And Bruh Paul said it thus to the church at Rome: ‘Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17a, 21) It couldn’t be any clearer than that my brethren. 

Now here comes another tough nut to crack. ‘Even if you cannot change all the people around you, you can change the people you choose to be around. Life is too short to waste your time on people who don’t respect, appreciate, and value you. Spend your life with people who make you smile, laugh, and feel LOVED.’ And it’s all very true, but not very easy to do in practice, because you can’t change people unless they want to change, and ofttimes you don’t have the power to get different people around you, those who make you laugh and respect you. 

For example, in the many families we have nowadays where respect and compassion for each other is sadly lacking. You might want to get away from them but you can’t because they are family and you live together. It’s the same with co-workers who don’t treat you right. It’s not always easy to find another job, so sometimes you just have to put up with negative attitude and show a positive one yourself, like Jesus told us above. You can do it more easily with friends though. 

And when you become a follower of Jesus, He will probably ease you away from some old friends, who are bad influences on you, and bring new ones who are a better supporting cast. But we do need to do our best to have people around us who care for us and are willing to encourage us and keep us accountable. It makes no sense to spend too much time around sour, negative, disgruntled people who only pull us down. End of story! (smile) 

And the last quote is also a great one. ‘Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue your goals. If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more.’ Oh friends, that’s the nature of the beast! We are never satisfied with what we have, yet we keep wanting more. How many of us have oodles of stuff around us which we once thought was so wonderful, but now lies in a disregarded pile heaven only knows where? 

So what makes us think that the more we have the happier we will be eh? The evil twin sisters of ‘greed and jealousy!’ And Jesus covers that splendidly in the parable of the rich fool, where He says: ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’ (Luke. 12:15) Yes friends, that says it all; more is not necessarily good or better; ofttimes it’s worse. Let’s remember that and live accordingly nuh. Much LOVE!

…be grateful for the little things…for when you are…big things usually come your way… 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 March 2017 Jeremiah 17:7.

04 Mar 2017 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 17:7.   Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

Saturday, O Saturday: balm for some, bane of others! Yeh friends, for some of us Saturday means not doing a whole lot, possibly sleeping in late, then moving to the couch to watch the tube. Hn! 

While for others, Saturday means cleaning and grocery shopping and doing odd jobs around the house that you never had a chance to do during the week. Some of us work harder at home on Saturdays, than we do at work all week. But that’s the joy of prosperous living! (smile) We can either vegetate or work ourselves to the bone. 

Anyway on Saturdays too we also look at a few of our friend Anselm’s quotes, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first one is ever so true. ‘Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.’ 

Yes people, that’s why many of us don’t like change, even though it might improve our lives, for change doesn’t just roll in smoothly, it always causes hiccups, and sometimes some real bad ones too.

Now this second quote offers a wealth of good advice. ‘Align yourself with people that you can learn from, people who want more out of life, people who are stretching and searching and seeking some higher ground in life.’ 

That’s the only way we can truly grow friends! If we sincerely wish to grow, then we must surround ourselves with wise people who are striving to do the same. We ought not to be always the smartest, wisest or most accomplished person in our group, else whom are we going to learn from eh? 

And this last quote is also interesting and very true. ‘Most people fail in life not because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit.’ Bingo! Setting goals is a very serious and thoughtful action friends. We can either set them too low and hit them, but not accomplish much. Or we can set them too high and not reach them, with the same result as setting them too low. 

That reminds me of the old people’s saying: Never hang your hat where you can’t reach it. But my breddren, goals should be set where they are just out of reach, where you need to extend yourself some, get a bit out of your comfort zone, otherwise they are not worth setting. 

That brings us to our Bit. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.’ 

Oh my fellow believers, that’s wisdom of the highest order! That’s why I don’t understand why more of us, including supposed Christians don’t follow it. If the Lord is the Creator and Controller of the universe, El Numero Uno, as we claim, then why aren’t we putting our absolute trust in Him eh? I guess some of us don’t truly believe what we spout, and try to hedge our bets by not giving God all our trust.  

But please remember what we read yesterday from Psalm 146: ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (human beings), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (spirit departs), he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.’ (Ps.146:3-4) 

That’s gospel truth friends! We die and return to the dust from which we were created, while God lives on forever, and also knows the beginning from the end. So whom is the best one to trust eh? Both logic and wisdom tell us the Lord God Almighty! 

So let’s look at some scripture that will help me convince you to put ALL your trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Listen to Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘He that handleth a matter wisely (wisely heeds the word) shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.’ (Prov.16:20) 

And if you don’t believe Cousin Sol, then hear Bruh David from Psalm 34 – The Lord hears the righteous. ‘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. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing… The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust him shall be desolate (condemned).’ (Ps.34:8-10; 22) I can’t dispute any of that nuh people, so I just have to believe it. 

And we’ll end with something from Isaiah, where he’s appealing to his people to turn to the Lord for help, the very same thing I’m trying to do in these tumultuous times. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice); blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is.30:18) 

And the scholars add this explanation. ‘30:18-33. Because God is gracious and has been willing to wait for His people to return to Him, He will certainly bless those who wait for him. “Waiting” is a confident and dependent trust in God.’ 

What more can I say eh friends? Not a whole lot, for I am just the messenger aspiring to deliver the message that our world needs the Lord God Jehovah more than at any other time in our existence. I just hope that the message doesn’t fall on deaf ears, and that every Christian will endeavour to put into action in their own lives, then spread it far and wide, so that our children’s children will have the chance to live in a good and beautiful world. That’s my sincere prayer for us today! Much LOVE!

…if we can’t trust our God and Creator…whom then can we trust…

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 October 2014 Psalm 22:11

11 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 22:11.  Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

Well Friends, since it’s Thanksgiving weekend here in good ole Canada, it’s only mete and right that we give some thanks at the beginning of the proceedings, this chilly Saturday autumn morn.

Please pray with me: ‘Dear Father in heaven, we’ve set aside this weekend to celebrate your generous Deity; to give you much deserved praise and thanks for all the LOVING-kindness, grace, mercy and prosperity you’ve bestowed on us this past year. In reality Father, one weekend is nowhere near enough to satisfy your goodness. We need to do it each and every day…and even then it still won’t be sufficient.
 
But Father, that’s the beauty and wonder of your unconditional LOVE! Even though our efforts are insufficient, you still LOVE us with a burning passion, because we are your greatest creation. Today, we praise you, we bless your Holy Name and give you our heartfelt thanks, humbly asking that you continue to bless and LOVE us, even though we are unworthy.
 
Please lead and guide us, so that we can do your work down here on earth, all to your honour and glory. We pray this in the blessed name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ, by whose stripes we are healed, and by whose blood we’ve been set free from the bondage of sin.’ And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’  
 
Yes Friends, thanks and praise are supposed to be an integral part of every believer’s life! Unfortunately though, we get so caught up in the busyness of life, that we forget it’s our duty.  But the good thing about our wonderful God is that he doesn’t need a whole lot of bowing and scraping to satisfy His desire for praise and thanks.
 
In fact that outward show doesn’t move Him at all! What He requires is a simple, genuine thank you from our hearts. And that we can do at any time, several times throughout the day. Remember, He judges us by the motives that govern our hearts, not by our outward actions, which can be very hypocritical, totally different from our inner desires.
 
So this coming year, let’s try and be a little more thankful during each and every day nuh. Every time something good happens, let’s give our God some genuine thanks! And even when bad stuff happens, let’s still give Him thanks, because we know that eventually He is going to work out all the bad stuff for our good, for our improvement, and promotion. (Acts 8:28)
 
And above all Friends, let’s remember the words of our Bit: ‘Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.’
 
And that is ever so true my brethren! There is none to truly help us but our omnipotent and ever-faithful God! For man’s help is unreliable and often deceitful too.
 
Now let’s continue looking at some scriptures that impart that message, starting with some wise words from Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God. ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down, depressed) O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps.42:5)
 
Now that my people is undeniable truth! It brings to mind what we just said above; that even in in rough times we must constantly hope in and praise our merciful God. And we have an excellent example of that in Jonah’s trials; when he disobeyed God’s direction to go to the wicked city of Nineveh and warn them of God’s forthcoming wrath if they did not repent.
 
He foolishly went in the opposite direction and ended up in the belly of a great fish, which the Lord had prepared to teach him a lesson. He spent three days and nights in the belly of that giant fish before he came to his senses.
 
‘Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine (because of my) affliction unto the Lord, and he heard (answered) me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice… Then said I, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple…
 
When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in (went up) unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities (worthless idols) forsake their own mercy (LOVING-kindness). But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited Jonah upon the dry land.’ (Jon2:1-2, 4, 7-10)
 
Yes my fellow believers, our God is so wonderful, it’s truly unbelievable! (smile) That’s why He is called the God of second chances! Who else would have made a way out for Jonah after such serious rebellion eh, and given him another chance to do His bidding? None but Jehovah God!
 
Now listen to Bruh Paul as he testifies to King Agrippa, re his conversion and the Lord’s helping hand. ‘For these causes the Jews caught (seized) me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and to great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
 
That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show (proclaim) light unto the people, and unto the Gentiles.’ (Acts 26:21-23)
 
Oh my people, our God is ALWAYS there for us in times of trouble! Please believe and remember that!
 
And we’ll close with these most encouraging words from Hebrews. ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb.4:16).
 
Oh Friends, please, I implore us to write that indelibly in our hearts, so that we can always remember and act on it, for it is wisdom of the highest order! Now let’s go out and have a blessed day, trusting in, and working on behalf of Jehovah God! Much LOVE!
 
…in all thy ways acknowledge him…and he shall direct (make smooth) thy paths…  (Prov.3:6)

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 September 2014 Proverbs 10:29

26 Sep 2014 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 10:29.     The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

Well… ‘The party’s over my friends. It’s time to call it a day…’
 
Yeh mih people, the party with my brother and his wife is unfortunately over. Steups! They moved on last evening, obviously after another eventful and satisfying day, to spend some time with other friends in a different part of the province.
 
Are they ever so blessed, getting to spend great times with different people in different areas! Certainly an interesting kind of nomadic holiday experience! (smile) That unfortunately means I’ve gone back to my staid, simple, hum drum life. (smile)
 
But I’m not complaining nuh, because I was blessed with a totally unexpected and wonderful experience over the last few days!
 
I guess the good Lord saw that the ole fella needed a bit of cheering up, of enlightenment, and/or a little reward for sincerely trying to walk in His Will, and sent my brother and his wife to inject some new life in my somewhat banal existence. Hn, hn! As the old people would say, after one time is two yes!
 
And it’s now time to get back to the same old, same old daily routine. But that’s what life is really all about yes my brethren; daily routine. Everyday cannot be totally different and be chocked full of excitement.
 
And that is what the world cannot seem to understand, that’s why we’re always seeking and searching for excitement, oftimes in all the wrong places. But what we really need to learn, is how to take pleasure and comfort from our daily, often bland and unexciting routine.
 
And believe me, there is joy, pleasure and comfort in knowing that our days will be generally the same, without a lot of topsy turvy, unpredictable stuff to drive us crazy. The world’s driving us crazy enough as it is with its unpredictability. We now need some stabilty and predictability. (smile)
 
And speaking of that Friends, yuh know today is Friday…?
 
And suddenly the joyous shouts ring out: ‘Oh Lord, I completely forgot that yes! TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday…and the weekend looms big and bright and beautiful! No work…and plenty play. Thank you ever so much Lord that it’s Friday!’
 
Now hold down here a minute mih breddren. Please don’t get too carried away with the worldly thoughts of the weekend, you have to get your God involved there too. As Jeeves would say, just a modicum of circumspection please. (smile)
 
And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday chant, so that we can bring the weekend into a better and brighter perspective. As one chanter now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
 
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
 
Now that’s more like how we should view and approach the weekend.
 
And finally, turning to our Bit, we gratefully and proudly proclaim the wise and encouraging words of Cousin Sol. ‘The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.’
 
No doubt about that my brethren! All those who seek to walk uprightly, to walk obedient to God’s Will, will surely be blessed with His strength, because that’s just a natural consequence of walking in His Will. The opposite of that is also true: those who seek to do evil, to walk outside of His Will, will be eventually destroyed. It’s as simple as that.
 
Unfortunately though Friends, the majority of mankind doesn’t seem to believe that overwhelming truth, and continue to foolishly walk, in fact relish in walking contrary to God’s Will.
 
Now let’s look at some other scriptures that try to drive home that point. And right in Psalm 1, we have the psalmist stating quite simply and straightforwardly: ‘Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:5-6)
 
Meanwhile, the prophet Nahum boldly declares: ‘The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning (overwhelming) flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.’ (Nah.1:7-8)
 
How much more do we need to hear and see eh Friends, before we change from our wicked ways?
 
And we’ll end with this daring, but ever so true proclamation from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ (2 Tim.2:19)
 
Ah mih people, that’s the best advice we can receive on this Friday morning, another beautiful summer’s day in late September!
 
So please, let’s take it to heart nuh, let’s show our great wisdom by doing our best to abstain from iniquity and walk in God’s Will, so that we can receive His wonderful blessings instead of His curses and eventual destruction. For that’s truly wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
 
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) is wont to say…the best way to live this earthly life…is simply to obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…indisputable truth…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 May 2014 Ephesians 5:15-16

27 May 2014 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 5:15-16.   See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Well hello there you beautiful people, all made in the remarkable image of our wonderful God! Top o’ the morning to you all! We are a tad late, but as always, better late than never. (smile)

And may our God of comfort, healing, provision, strength and security, bless and keep us all safely under the umbrella of His unconditional and everlasting LOVE!

Wow mih people! The ole fella’s certainly on a roll this summer-like Tuesday morning. But that’s how we ought to think as true believers in Christ, and as I mistakenly said yesterday, ‘flowers of Jesus’ instead of followers.

But after reviewing the situation, I concluded that ‘flowers’ was and even better description, because it implies that we are blooming, growing, maturing, looking beautiful in the sight of the unbelievers and the heathen. All praise and glory to our omnipotent, all-wise, all-seeing and ever-present God!

And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Amen! So let it be!’

And today I want to share a quote attributed to Lord Chesterfield – Phillip Stanhope (1694-1773). In this, one of his many quotes, he wisely advises: ‘Know the true value of time; snatch, seize and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination, never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.’ 

Words of awesome wisdom and truth my brethren! Words that we should all heed and attempt to live by, because time is one of the most valuable things we have, and unfortunately it is also one of the things that never comes back. We can never retrieve whatever time we’ve wasted or loss, not even one second of it. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever!

So today, please let us look closely at the use we make of our time, and try to improve it, use it to the best of our ability. And the great thing about using time wisely is that it enhances our lives immeasurably.

And all of that measures up and segues nicely into our Bit: ‘ See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.’

Oh Friends, what undeniable truth and godly wisdom! We do have to walk carefully and use our time profitably in these evil times. Please note that the evildoers are not procrastinating, but using their time wisely to do all the evil they desire. So too should we believers, provided we truly desire to knock their evil blocks off.

Now here is some info from the scholars’ re our Bit: ‘5:15. See then that ye walk circumspectly means “therefore watch carefully how you live.”

5:16. Redeeming the time (or, “making the most of every opportunity”): Contextually, the specific opportunity in view is that of exposing the sins of the lost and being a witness to them. Because the days are evil assigns a reason to seize each opportunity. It is because the sins being committed during these days are so evil.’

And we don’t have to wonder about that last sentence Friends, since we see it happening daily, for the sins and evil of this world are ever increasing!

Bruh Paul could never have imagined the sorry depths that mankind would reach two thousand years after he wrote these wise words to the Ephesians. Words that still very much pertain to our current situation.

Listen up closely friends. ‘Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (scholars – since the current age is so perilous morally, Christians must clearly understand what the will of the Lord is). And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit;

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:17-21)

Oh my people, as true believers, that’s how we ought to live!

So today, please, let’s ponder all those things we’ve spoken of and try to successfully integrate them into our lives, or simply improve on each aspect, so that our lives will truly reflect the LOVE of God, and thus glorify Him, and further His righteous kingdom, as is expected of us. That’s wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!

…to every thing there is a season…and a time to every purpose under the heaven… (Eccl.3:1)…now is a time for repentance and return to godly living…