Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 September 2022 John 8:32.

02 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

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

John 8:32.       And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Oh friends, today as the rising of the sun begins, as that magnificent orb makes its daily journey around the world, many different voices in many different languages will loudly and harmoniously chorus: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Thank God for the weekend and all the freedom it brings!’ 

Ah Lord eh, do we ever like and fantasize about that thing called freedom. And down through the ages, so many of us have died shouting out its name, but we don’t really know the heavy price that supposed elixir of the human spirit demands. For to be truly free, one needs to be responsible, not lawless like so many of us believe. Freedom carries with it an inherent need for responsibility, loyalty, self-control, self-discipline and level headedness. It calls for mercy, LOVE, grace, forgiveness, goodness and godliness. 

It doesn’t give us the right, as so many of us believe to do exactly what we want, when we want, regardless of the consequences to those around us. It doesn’t mean chaos, selfishness and disregard for our fellow man. In fact, it demands just the opposite; a healthy and responsible care and compassion for our fellow human beings. 

And I guess that’s why all the revolutions and wars and other negative circumstances that have occurred in the name of freedom have never succeeded, because in the end, those at the forefront of those uprisings, end up doing exactly what their oppressors and suppressors were doing; oppressing and suppressing somebody in the supposed name of freedom! But yet, we still constantly hear the battle cry for freedom: freedom from this, freedom from that, freedom from responsibility, freedom from paying taxes, freedom from God and His law. 

Hn! Yet we still desire all those things that a responsible freedom bring. But in reality, freedom is only, and will always be a figment of our imagination, for as the song so truly says: we all must bow to somebody; to either God or Satan. And once you’re bowing to someone, you’re never free. Bowing to Satan will never make you free, because he is only interested in keeping his selfish claws in you, restraining you from rising to the level for which you were created, and thus making hellfire and damnation your eternal home. 

The closest we can ever get to that thing called freedom is by reverently bowing to our Maker, Our Creator and Provider, our Way-maker and Forgiver, the enabler of Eternal Life. And that can only happen when we sincerely embrace His majestic Son, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Yes, friends, only through the intervention of the Son, can one get to all the magnificent benefits and freedoms that the Father provides. Listen up as Christ enlightens us on the subject. 

First off, He sets us straight by imparting this startling, but ever so true information: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) Oh my people, unless we believe that, and act seriously upon it, we will never see the bright lights of heaven and enjoy the promise of eternal life! That’s the truth, and nothing but the God-awesome truth! Only sincere belief in Christ Jesus will enable us to enter through those pearly gates we all talk and dream about so much! 

And likewise, the only source of true freedom is Christ Jesus. And why do we know this? Listen as He taught in the synagogue of His hometown of Nazareth. On that momentous Sabbath day in the temple, Jesus read thus from the Book of Isaiah. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised (oppressed). To preach the acceptable year of the Lord….This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (hearing)’ (Luke 4:18-19, 21) 

Oh my people, Jesus was letting His hometown know that He was the chosen One, the Messiah, the One sent to set the captives free, to heal their broken hearts, souls and spirits. But, as it so often happens, when someone close to us, just like us, rises up to another level, we tend to offer derogatory comments rather than gladly accept their new status. And that’s exactly what happened to Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth. 

They didn’t believe that the lowly carpenter’s son of Joseph and Mary, who grew up amongst them could ever be the Messiah. His words so annoyed them that they eventually forced him out of the city and tried to throw Him down a hill. Thankfully though, as the Good Book says: ‘But he passing through the midst of them went his way.’ (Luke 4:30) And the scholars offer this explanation on the verse. ‘It is not clear whether this is a miraculous deliverance, or whether Jesus, by dint of His imposing presence, was able to stare His opponents down and then walk away untouched.’ I like to think it was the latter, just to show the unbelieving fools that He was not scared of them. (smile)  

Now, this final word from Jesus re freedom. He said to a crowd of Jews that supposedly believed in Him. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:31-32) And when they claimed they were never in bondage, so how could they be made free, Jesus explained to them that they were in bondage to sin. However, ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free; ye shall be free indeed.’ (John 8:36) 

And is that ever the glorious truth my brethren! Only through the work of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, His shed blood, His death and resurrection, can we be truly made free. Free from sin, free from our most noted enemy, Satan and the sinful life that he espouses and tries to get us to also espouse, so that we can eventually end up like him, in the lake of fire. But thankfully, we’re wiser than that! We’re following Jesus! Glory Hallelujah! So, let’s go to Him in prayer, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine help in our troubled world. 

As one confident voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 and monkey-pox viruses, as well as our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the viruses and the unrest in our streets. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’  

Now friends, if we truly expect positive divine help, then it’s up to us keep the promises we’ve just made, and show right motives in our hearts. Much LOVE!

…ONLY  through belief in Christ Jesus…can we gain whatever freedom is possible in this earthly life… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   27 June 2022 Jeremiah 1:19.

27 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 1:19.      And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.

It’s another Monday in the life friends, and we’ve got to face up to it with a solid Christian front, as well as individual belly and backbone. (smile) Remember, yesterday we declared that we were good soldiers in Christ’s army and were marching onward to victory? Well, the first hurdle we’ve got to jump, the first battle we must fight is Monday, that first day of every new workweek that looms up pretty large to so many of us, especially those who have not rested enough, or have not sought the renewal and regeneration of our souls, bodies and spirits through fellowship and worship on Sundays with other believers. 

You know that’s one of the purposes why Christians gather every Sunday; not only to give our Father thanks and praise on His day, but also to receive His blessing and rejuvenation so that we can go out and battle whatever Monday and the new workweek brings against us. It’s like a renewing of our spiritual armour. Taking it off, cleaning it up and then putting it back on nice, shiny, and fresh! (smile) I don’t know when we will learn that we can’t handle the new workweek properly unless we are well rested and renewed in the Lord God Jehovah. 

And I recently encountered a rather interesting bit of scripture in the book of Jeremiah, when the Lord called him to be his spokesperson and Jeremiah made all sorts of excuses, but the Lord was adamant in the call, just like He is whenever He calls us to do His bidding. (smile) And I want us to listen carefully to how that first chapter ends. The Lord reassures Jeremiah: ‘And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.’ (Jer. 1:19) 

Oh my people, our God is there to protect us. That’s what He’s all about, especially if we are sincerely following His word and the desires placed in our hearts by His Holy Spirit. He won’t ever ask us to fight battles in His name and not provide us with the necessary tools, protection and back up to accomplish the task successfully. But we must buy into what He’s selling, otherwise it won’t work. 

It’s the same basic promise that Jesus made to the disciples when He gave them the Great Commission. ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples) of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20) 

Yes friends, Jesus promised to be with the disciples right down to the end of time, and they believed Him, that’s why they went out and proselytized their world as much as possible. Now that promise was also made to us, future generations of believers. The problem however, is do we believe Jesus like the disciples did? Obviously, many of us don’t, because we don’t tell anybody about our wonderful Lord and Saviour and the dire need to know Him in a personal and intimate relationship if they want to save their souls. 

Many of us know Him, but refuse to share Him. We selfishly try to keep Him to ourselves. But that’s not what Jesus desires. He desires that we share the good news of his gospel and salvation to all with whom we come into contact. It’s the ONLY way that the gospel will ever reach to all ends of the earth. 

As Bruh Paul said so eloquently to the Roman church. ‘How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?’ (Rom. 10:14-16) 

And that’s exactly what’s happening today, too many of us are neither sharing the good news of Christ, nor enabling it to reach others. That means we are doing Him a terrible disservice. Just look at all the sacrifices He made for us to have the options of forgiveness, salvation and eternal life nuh. How hard can it be then to tell someone else about Him, or enable someone to go elsewhere and talk about Him eh? 

Granted, the name of Jesus creates the most disagreement and dissension in the entire world, (smile) but if someone doesn’t want to hear about Him, then you don’t tell them. One of the problems many of us encounter is that despite a person not wanting to hear about Jesus, we still insist on telling them about Him. And that will obviously cause some hard feelings and harsh words. You’ll notice that throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, if people didn’t want to listen to Him, He never tried to force the situation. 

Oh my fellow saints, we badly need to spread the good news of Jesus, especially in these tough and terrible times, because He is the ONLY hope for living the abundant life here on earth, and eternal life with Him in heaven. Now, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, let’s take our problems to God in prayer, like we are supposed to. 

As one sincere voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.  And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And the only way to get a positive response from heaven is by doing our part, keeping our promises and showing the Lord that our heart motives are right. Much LOVE!

… if you can’t tell others about Jesus…it simply defeats the whole purpose of LOVING Him…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 June 2022 Ephesians 6:12.

24 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:12.       For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.

So friends, we’ve come to the end of another work week, another Friday, with a host of people, good, bad and indifferent joyfully shouting: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ Yes, even the ones who don’t believe in God, or don’t even know Him, shout it. It’s like a universal mantra, where a great load is unburdened and the supposed weary slaves, many of whom are thoroughly lazy and do as little work as possible, (smile) are set free for a couple of days. And believe me, that also applies to Christians, for we do talk a good talk, but can be rather unchristian in our walk. And that’s why so many unbelievers refuse to listen to us, we don’t practice what we preach, as much as we ought to. 

All over the globe, Christians have a reputation for being hypocrites, and in a lot of cases the name is well-deserved. So, unfortunately, the many are tainted by the deeds of the few, and that is definitely not the character trait Christ wants the world to have of His church, of those who profess faith in His name and all that He’s done for mankind. And we all know how difficult it is to correct a bad reputation, even one that is untrue. Therefore, those of us who try to do the right thing are often faced with an uphill battle, not of our making. 

But let’s remember that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is omnipotent, and gives us the tools to do whatever He desires of us. So, if He desires us to evangelize the world, then there’s nothing the world can do to stop us. We just have to faithfully believe and get up the gumption to do Christ’s work, because we have all the necessary tools to otherwise do it, backed up all the way by the awesome power of the Holy Spirit! That means fear of failure should be a no-brainer. Remember what Bruh Paul told Timothy about fear? ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

Consequently, Christ’s followers ought to be positive, optimistic, powerful and fearless. Yes, it’s a lot to ask in this scary, turbulent and deceitful world. And though none of us will ever be perfect, because it’s not in our DNA, for only Jesus is perfect, I know that we can all come up higher than the level we are currently at. It all depends on our state of mind, our state of maturity, and if we truly want to be good soldiers for Christ. The battle is not easy, and is not one we can see, for it’s being fought in the spiritual realm, but believe me, it is still as real as if we could see it. 

Bruh Paul explained it thus to the Ephesians. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) So we really are in a battle, and one to the death, for the forces of evil will not give up, and neither should we. 

Meanwhile, here’s how the scholars explain that verse. ‘6:12. Wrestle, used of hand to hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead, she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world-rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer (Satan) himself.’ 

It is therefore an all-encompassing war that will not end until Jesus comes back and sets up his kingdom. These words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth also highlight the kind of warfare in which we are continually engaged. ‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according to) the flesh. (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the flesh), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations (arguments), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 10:3-5)  

Yes my brethren, the scholars tell us that ‘Though we walk (live) in the flesh (in a body), we do not war (fight) after (according to) the flesh (human standards): The first phrase of verse 5 looks back to verse 3 and expresses the manner in which believers conduct spiritual warfare. It is by casting down (destroying) imaginations (false arguments) such as Paul’s opponents have raised.’ 

Oh my people, please remember that it’s in our minds that spiritual warfare is being fought; the devil tries to invade our minds with evil, ungodly thoughts, but we need to fight him mano-a-mano, taking every thought into captivity, that’s checking it out, using the Holy Spirit to make sure that it lines up with the word and desires of Christ. And if it doesn’t, then kicking it out! 

That’s why James warns us to ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10). 

And Peter strongly advises, ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 5:8-9) 

Oh my fellow saints, it’s time for us to truly get serious about the battle in which we are engaged. Once you call yourself a believer in Christ Jesus, there’s no getting away from it. So please, let’s raise our level of passion, of faith and sincerity and thus put up a better fight in Jesus’ name nuh. He’s depending on us. There’s no one else to fight for Him and His church and kingdom but us. Now let’s take the first step in that direction, prayer, and through our Friday Chant, approach the throne of grace with confident humility. 

As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And, as always, after prayer, you keep whatever promises you’ve made, then wait patiently, with expectant faith for God to answer…in His own time. (smile) Much LOVE!

…the battlefield of the spiritual world is our mind…so please ensure we have on our spiritual armour… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 June 2022 Colossians 3:2.

10 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:2.      Set you affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth. 

And then, finally, it was Friday… and numerous shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ rise to heaven. Sadly, many of us don’t acknowledge God or His presence except on Fridays when our work week is winding down. But that’s just why our lives are in such a sad state, for without our Creator guiding our lives, in total control of them, we can never have real prosperous, peaceful and LOVING earthly sojourns. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote thus to the Colossians about the new life in Christ. ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.’ (Col. 3:1) 

Yes friends, if we have found Jesus, have suffered, died and risen with him, then our lives ought to be headed in a different direction than that of the world. If we’ve been freed from sin, through His sacrificial payment of our sin debt, then a new life must be in our future, with all the old ways, habits, values, vices, interests and sins left behind. And it’s also the reason Bruh Paul said to the church at Corinth: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) 

And the scholars explain ‘that when a man comes into vital union with the risen and glorified Lord, he is a “new creation” (cf. John 3:3; 15:5; Rom. 8:1,9; Gal. 6:14-15) and perceives Christ in a new way.’ And that new way ought to be a continual way until one sees Jesus in person, because if we continually abide in Him, He will continually abide in us. As Jesus so plainly said to the disciples. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5) 

And that’s the indisputable truth my people! Without Christ playing a significant part in our lives, we are unable to do very much. But with Him in our lives, ALL things are possible through His omnipotent power and strength! Yes my brethren, we can conquer sin when, and because Christ lives in us. But first, there are a few things we need to do. Like Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Colossae. ‘Set you affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.’ (Col. 3:2-3) 

That means, as the scholars tell us, ‘not to be preoccupied with things on the earth, such as current heretical philosophies (2:8), legalistic practices (2:16, 21-23), and vices (3:5); nor are they to dwell on things that are not wrong in themselves (houses, jobs, careers, ambitions, etc.), but can be wrong should they become priorities above Christ.’ 

Ah mih people, anything or anyone that takes priority over Christ in our lives causes problems. And believe me, we are being bombarded with so much stuff right now, that it’s not very difficult for something or things to rise up and replace Christ as NUMBER ONE in our lives. The sad part is that it can happen unconsciously too, that’s why we have to be very careful of what we think on and what we do. And since our life now belongs to Christ, having bought us with His precious blood shed on the cross of Calvary, and who now sits in heavenly places, our concerns should be more about heavenly than earthly things. 

That doesn’t mean earthly things are not important, but we are not to put greater emphasis on them than the things that relate to Christ and heaven. As Jesus said: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:16-21) 

And that’s the gospel truth friends! As an article on the subject on the website gotquestions.org rightly explains. ‘Whatever we focus on dictates our actions. When we focus on earthly success and wealth, we will expend our energies on earthly matters. However, when we focus on God’s priorities, our actions will reflect different priorities—and our reward in heaven will last forever.’ 

That’s more gospel truth! And no wonder our world is in such a confused and strife-filled state; our priorities have been out of focus, with a greater concentration on the things of earth rather than those of heaven. So let’s see if we can correct some of that poor focus nuh, by going to God in prayer through our Friday Chant, asking for divine help to get twenty-twenty vision. 

As one confident but humble voice. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Now it’s up to us to keep our promises so that God will help us to change our focus. Much LOVE!

…focus on earthly treasure means total eventual loss…focus on heavenly things…means treasure safely stored up for eternal life.. 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 June 2022   1 John 4:8.

03 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 John 4:8.       He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.

Well check out the bright, sunshiny, cool Friday morning nuh mih people and shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! ‘ Yes, let’s give thanks to the Father for allowing us to see another blessed day on this great earth of His. It’s only right and proper to give our Creator His just due for creating us and then when we had gone astray, for LOVING us so much that He sacrificed His only Son, Jesus Christ that we could find our way safely back to Him! 

Oh my faithful brethren in Christ, there’s no bond as strong as that of the bond we term LOVE! And it’s only when we’re directly connected to the Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit that we can ever fully understand and experience the awesome power, majesty and strength that makes up the godly attribute called LOVE! Remember yesterday we saw where Bruh Paul called it the greatest, and regardless of what else we have, if we don’t have LOVE, in essence, we don’t have anything at all! 

And today we’re going to look at a few other scriptures that show us how important LOVE is to the God’s universe and all therein. And there’s no better verse to begin with than this one from the wisdom of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ (Prov. 10:12) Wow! How truly powerful must that thing called LOVE be eh, if it can cover up all sins! And that’s not only talk because we saw it at work in Christ’s death on the cross for us, where through His awesome LOVE, He took all our sins on His sinless shoulders, so that we could be cleansed, washed white as snow and made righteous with the Father. 

And what did Bruh David say about the Father’s LOVE in Psalm 103: ‘He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 103:10-12) Oh my people, what a wonderful God we serve! And how can we not sincerely revere and worship Him when He casts aways our sins, as far as the east is from the west, forgets them and never brings them up when we come to Him for help and succour? 

God’s LOVE is unconditional. There are no strings attached to it. He might not like what we do, but He will always LOVE and welcome us when we come to Him, for that’s just who He is; a God of LOVE! Listen to how John puts it in his first epistle. ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ (1 John 4:8) It’s as simple as that friends: God is LOVE! And if you don’t know Him, then you don’t know true LOVE, and if you don’t have LOVE, then it’s impossible for you to truly know Him! 

And I like how John describes LOVE later on. ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18) And the scholars explain that verse thus. Fear hath torment: Abject fear of God is based on dread of punishment. But God’s LOVE, for us renders such dread obsolete. Fear is still part of the Christian walk in the sense of profound reverence, the unwillingness to violate God’s trust in us. (Acts 10:35: 2 Cor. 7:1). Believers need not fear eternal rejection as a result of God’s judgement (John 5:24), but this does not mean a Christian’s approach to God is to be casual and flippant.’  

Definitely not my fellow saints! We might not need to be afraid of the Lord, but that doesn’t mean we can just behave as obnoxious and irreverent as we want to. As Bruh Paul wrote to the Roman church about being under grace, not the law. ‘For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid.’ (Rom. 6:14-15) Certainly not my people. The powerful Spirit of grace that we’re living under, the great LOVE we feel for out heavenly Father, ought to make us be very sensitive to sin and what displeases Him. 

Then Peter gives us his two cents worth on the subject of LOVE. ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet. 4:8) Yes, he quotes Cousin Sol, from Proverbs. And so too does James, Jesus’ brother, when he writes to the Jewish diaspora. ‘Brethren, if any of you do err (wander) from the truth, and one convert him (turns him back). Let him know, that he which converteth (turns) the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide (cover) a multitude of sins.’ (James 5:20) 

Yes friends, that powerful thing called LOVE can do amazing things! That’s why we say it’s what makes the world go round. And that’s the awesome truth, for without some amount of LOVE in it, our world would be even more chaotic than it currently is, but we do need much much more to improve the situation, to turn it around. And when we need something, what’s the first thing we ought to do? Pray! So, let’s do that right now nuh, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, asking for divine help, because it’s only the Lord’s omnipotence can help us in these terrible times. 

As one sincere voice then. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And after praying, what ought we to do? Keep the promises we made in our prayer and wait in expectant faith for God’s positive answer. So, let’s do just that nuh. Much LOVE!

…if only we had more LOVE…more of God…our world would be such a wonderful place… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 May 2022 Luke 21:34.

16 May 2022 Leave a comment

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

Luke 21:34.       And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged (weighed down) with surfeiting (carousing), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

And a voice cried out: ‘Woe is me. It’s Monday!’ And I asked, ‘Why is that?’ And the voice cried out: ‘Because I am not ready to face Monday.’ And again, I asked, ‘Why is that?’ And the voice answered: ‘Because I am sick and tired from all the partying I did this weekend.’ ‘Now that wasn’t very wise, was it?’ I commented. ‘I guess not,’ the voice replied. ‘But now, on a rainy Monday morning to boot, I have to get up and face the stupid traffic to get to a lousy job that I don’t even like.’

 ‘Well then find another one you like,’ I advised. ‘No, that won’t do,’ the voice declared. ‘Why not?’ was my question. ‘Because it pays good and it’s an easy job to do.’ ‘Then you should say praise the Lord and be happy that you even have a job, much less an easy one that pays well,’ I admonished. ‘Millions of people out there don’t even have a job, and don’t know when they’ll get one. Meanwhile, you’re sniffling like a spoiled brat, when you have it so good!’ 

‘And just for your information, if you’ll cut down on the foolish partying on the weekend, go to church on Sundays, so that you can get your spirit renewed and revitalized, and have fellowship with your fellow believers, then you’ll be able to face Monday with a gung-ho attitude, instead of this whiffling one you now have. End of story!’ 

Oh friends, the first step in success of any kind is proper preparation! If you’re not prepared as best you can for a situation, you’ll never be able to face it properly, much less overcome it. Granted, in some cases you can only prepare so much, but we always need to put in as much prep time as possible in whatever we do. Case in point, the voice above there that didn’t prepare to meet Monday. And I daresay that many of us are like that, we dread Mondays because we are not well prepared to meet it. We don’t get enough rest and revitalization of soul and spirit, so we can be confident and meet the day with a good attitude. 

Too many of us are rushing on Monday mornings to get things done that could have been easily and unhurriedly done on Sunday evening, but for whatever reason, we leave them for the last minute, and then wonder why our lives are so rushed and frustrated. And there are many scriptures which warn us of preparedness. So, let’s look at a few nuh. 

These first two come directly from Jesus. After telling the disciples about His coming again, the exact time that only the Father knows, He tells them to watch and pray. ‘And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged (weighed down) with surfeiting (carousing), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.’ (Luke 21:34) 

And unfortunately, that is what many of us are doing; being too taken up with the things of this world and not preparing ourselves for Christ’s imminent return. Remember, it’s going to come like a thief in the night, and if we’re not prepared for it, then hellfire and damnation, here we come. Then, as was Jesus’ style, He told the parable of the ten virgins invited to the bridegroom’s feast. (Matt. 25:1-13) 

Five of them were wise and took extra oil for their lamps, just in case the bridegroom was tardy and did not show up on time. But the other foolish five did not take extra oil. And the truth be known, the bridegroom was late and the last five ran out of oil and had to go then and buy more. However, by the time they returned, the doors were locked and they could not get in. That’s what will happen to those of us who don’t accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour before he comes back; we’ll be locked out of heaven. 

Jesus said: ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 25:13) And that’s the gospel truth friends! We don’t know exactly when Christ will return, but return He must, and thus we must be prepared for it to happen at any time. 

And Bruh Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, also warned about being prepared, but this time for temptation. ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil…. Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye might be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:10, 12) 

Oh my people, the only way we can fight successfully in the spiritual battle the enemy is waging against us, is to be prepared, by having on the spiritual armour of God. And we all know that entails: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is God’s Word. Then you wrap all of that up with prayer and supplication. Only if we are thus prepared can we stand strong and steadfast against the enemy, my fellow saints! 

And I like this last warning about preparation from Cousin Sol in Proverbs, where he wisely advises. ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise: which having no guide (leader) overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat (food) in the summer, and gathereth her food to harvest. How long wilt thou sleep (lie down), O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth (a prowler), and thy want (need) as an armed man.’  (Prov. 6:6-11) 

Ah friends, truer words were never spoken. The sluggard or the habitually lazy person will suffer want eventually, if he doesn’t; get up and get busy, like the ants, who have no ruler or leader but have enough common sense to gather food in the summer and store it for the winter, when there’s little, or none available. It’s all about being prepared for circumstances as best we can friends, be they predictable or unpredictable, like Christ’s Second coming, temptation, poverty, and starvation. 

And the first step in it all is prayer. So, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, let’s go right now to the throne room of grace in confidence, and ask for heavenly help. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

Now let’s not forget that our God doesn’t suffer fools kindly, so if we make a promise, we had better keep it. Much LOVE!

…wisdom dictates…be always as ready as you can be… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   6 May 2022 Ecclesiastes 12:13.

06 May 2022 Leave a comment

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

Ecclesiastes 12:13.       Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 

And the joyful shout of  ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ rises up all over the land. And although it’s a cloudy Friday morning, just the thought that the work week is on its last slippery legs, brings joy to the populace! Oh, how we look forward to our weekends so we can rest, party and be rejuvenated to go back out and do the same dreary, painstaking work the following week. And do we ever need a break from the drudgery of work, the same old, same old, at the end of the five days. 

And Cousin Sol puts it so nicely in his role as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, when he says: ‘Vanity of vanities (futility of futilities), saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity (futility). What profit hath a man of (from) all his labour which he taketh under the sun?  One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.’ (Eccl. 1:2-4) And that’s no lie! While mankind comes and goes with a few changes, the earth goes on unchanged and undisturbed. 

And according to the scholars, ‘The implied answer to the rhetorical question in verse 3 is that there is no profit for man in his work. This supports the idea that “vanity” refers to a lack of profit, value, or worth. Under the sun is used 29 times in the book and denotes the sphere of Solomon’s observations.’ And please note that ‘vanity’ or futility ‘is never predicated of God, God’s work, God’s revelation, or man as man.’ 

Then, after commenting on the sameness of the sun, the winds, the rivers and seas through all generations, (vs. 5-7) Cousin Sol continues: ‘All things are full of labour (wearisome); man cannot utter (express) it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.’ (Eccl. 1:8-9) And when we look at it from a worldly point of view, it’s the gospel truth! Nothing is really new, for from the beginning to the end, life is just a revolving cycle. 

Then he asks: ‘Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See this is new? it hath been already of old (ancient time), which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.’ (Eccl. 1:10-11) We can’t argue much with those statements, for as the scholars explain: ‘The ceaseless cycles of nature illustrate the futility of life. The amazing thing is that the earth goes on, but man, the height of God’s creation, passes into eternity with no remembrance (vs.11).’ 

Now, we all know that Cousin Sol undertook a study to find out what life’s all about and if it’s worth living at all. And throughout history there’s never been anyone better qualified to undertake such a study. As he says: ‘I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate (greatness), and have gotten more wisdom that all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge (I understood great wisdom). And I gave (set) my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit (a grasping of the wind). For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.’ (Eccl. 1:16-18) 

And in chapter 2, Cousin Sol, as the scholars outline, ‘pursued fulfillment through pleasure, wine, great works, wealth, aesthetic and artistic pleasures, and fame. All of these failed to bring lasting satisfaction to the wisest man of all time, yet people three thousand years later are still trying them in search of enduring fulfillment.’ Now, when we consider the awesome truth in the last statement, it brings forth a sad sigh, because we are still running behind the lusts and pleasures of the flesh that hold no lasting good. 

And, as per wisdom and folly, Cousin Sol found that wisdom was better than folly, ‘as far as light excelleth darkness.’ (Eccl. 2:13) However the same thing, death, happens to the wise as to the fool, so why be wise eh? That too was vanity (futile, worthless). However, wisdom is still the most attractive virtue since it brings inner peace: ‘a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness (sternness) of his face shall be changed.’ (Eccl. 8:1) 

There is also joy in labour, because it is from the hand of God. For although we brought nothing into the world and take nothing with us. ‘Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely (fitting) for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun (in which he toils)  all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion (heritage).’ (Eccl. 5:18) 

And since we don’t have the time nor space to list all of Cousin Sol’s findings in his search for purpose in life, we’ll go straight to his conclusion. He puts it thus: ‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ (Eccl. 12:13-14) 

So, despite the many problems and difficulties we might face in living this earthly life, we must remember that our first duty is always to reverence and worship our great God and be obedient to His holy will. That’s why we’ve been created and placed on this earth… for a true and sincere relationship with the God of our creation. And to uphold that relationship between us, He instituted the communication called prayer. Therefore, in wisdom and honour, let’s go to Him right now nuh through the medium of prayer, raising our Friday Chant to heaven, acknowledging our problems and asking for divine help. 

‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And if we truly want positive answers to our prayer, then we must show that we are indeed faithful believers and set a good example as we’ve promised. Much LOVE!

…life might be rough…but our God is good…and His promises are sure… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   29 April 2022 Philippians 4:13.

29 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 4:13.      I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.​

Oh what a beautiful day! And for a Friday to boot, the start of the weekend! And the temperature might even come up a little higher than it’s been doing the last few days. Wow! As the man says in his song: ‘It’s too much of a beautiful day not to have a good day. So hope everything is blessed my neighbour. Have a beautiful day! Doh care what nobody say, just have a beautiful day!’ 

And if the Holy Spirit of Jesus dwells within us that should be automatic, with only peace and LOVE pouring forth from us, no hatred whatsoever. So, with the sunshine shining all around us physically, and the awesome light and LOVE of Jesus shining through us…Oh Mama! There’s no reason not to have a good and blessed day, regardless of whatever comes against us! 

And I know that some of us will complain and say, you don’t know my circumstances, and that’s true, but I’ve had rough circumstances too, and the Lord brought me through them because I trusted in Him to do so. And He will do the same for you, if you put your total trust in Him, because it’s all a matter of faith and trust! And yes, He’s promised to bring you through it all eventually, safe and sound, but also a tad more mature. 

However, you’ve got to learn to accept and believe the Lord’s promises, some three thousand in the Good Book, despite the turbulent circumstances. And that only happens by constant association with Him, that’s prayer, and serious meditation on His word, and remembering all the other times that He’s brought you through the storm unharmed…and doing it all with a good attitude too. (smile) 

No, it’s not easy, and it doesn’t happen overnight. But listen to these encouraging words of Bruh Pal written to the church at Philippi when they began helping him again financially, after some lean times in their church. ‘But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last your care of (concern for) me hath flourished again (been revived); wherein ye were also careful (though you surely did care), but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.’ (Phil. 4:10-11) 

Yes friends, Bruh Paul was in a disgusting Roman jail when he wrote this, but he did not come upon that sentiment overnight, but through much hardship and suffering, aided and abetted by the Holy Spirit and the supreme trust in God’s promises that He would bring him through it all. 

And the scholars tell us that ‘Paul’s ability to be content despite the circumstances assures the readers that his joy of verse 10 is not solely over his “need” being met at their expense. He implies that he could have done without their financial aid. For justifies this implication. I have learned …to be content: The Greek here suggests that contentment is a lesson learned neither in a classroom nor overnight, but through many practical experiences in life.’ 

Consequently, he could say quite sincerely: ‘I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.’ (Phil. 4:12) And all of that simply means he’s disciplined himself to ‘to tighten his belt in lean times,’ and to live good in the prosperous times. In other words, he’s learned the secret of how to be satisfied in all circumstances. 

And I like how the scholars say: ‘Paul has acquired the skill for successfully living with little and with much, the latter probably being harder.’ Then they quote Thomas Carlyle, the Scottish writer, in support of that last assertion. ‘For one man who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred that will stand adversity.’ And we just have to look around us in our confused and crazy society and see that it’s true. But then Bruh Paul throws out his real mainstay, the real reason he can accomplish all those tough things. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) 

Oh mih people, that’s it right there! Only with the strength of Christ working in us can we do those tough things, especially in tough times! But please note that that strength which emanates from Christ is not to do anything that we please, like lustful or greedy pleasures, but to do what’s in His will for us. That’s something we should all be very clear on. Christ’s strength imbues us to do His will, not our sinful desires. 

And though we might be able to manipulate some situations, please remember there will always be negative consequences for going against God’s will. That’s why Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) keeps drilling it in our heads that the best way to live this life is to ‘Obey God, and leave all the consequences to Him!’ And you cannot find a better all-around philosophy than that! 

So, hopefully having made our point that Christ is the greatest thing since sliced bread, (smile) let’s end today’s session by going to the throne of grace in prayer, through our Friday Chant, seeking help in these serious times of need. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Now, the only way to ensure that the Lord will look down on us with a positive answer is to keep whatever promises we’ve just made. Let Him see them truthfully written in our hearts and manifested in our outward behaviour. Much LOVE!

…only with Christ working in and through us…can we live a truly successful life… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 April 2022 Proverbs 3:19.

08 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:19.      The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth: by understanding hath he established the heavens. 

And the shouts of joy and relief rise up over the land: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Heralding the end of the work week and the beginning of the weekend, our short break from the drudgery of work that so many of us detest, but which is oh so necessary for our survival. As Bruh Paul said to the Thessalonians: ‘if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (2 Thess. 3:10) (smile) And though the day has opened somewhat cloudy, the sun is fighting through that darkness, just like we believers in Christ must fight through the darkness and evil of this ungodly world, by meditating on God’s Holy Word and following the guidance of His Holy Spirit that dwells within us. 

But I like how Cousin Sol puts it in Proverbs 2. ‘When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward (perverse) things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness: Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the forwardness (perversity) of the wicked. Whose ways are crooked and they froward (are devious) in their paths.’ (Prov. 2:10-15) 

Yes friends, the purveyors of evil are fighting a serious battle against the light of Jesus, and we, purveyors of that light, desperately need to return their fire through the amazing goodness and mercy, the salt and light, the wisdom and knowledge that are supposed to emanate from us, faithful believers in Christ Jesus, keeper of His mighty name and everlasting flame in all the earth! 

Oh my people, the wicked and perverse are very devious and scheming and it’s only through the wisdom and knowledge acquired by close association with Jesus that can give us the victory over them. That’s why Cousin Sol was so insistent on the matter of acquiring wisdom and understanding. 

In a later chapter he admonishes: ‘Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline (turn away) from the words of thy mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: LOVE her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver thee.’ (Prov. 4:5-9) 

Ah my fellow saints, words of indisputable truth! For it’s only wisdom in, and understanding of Christ’s dictates that will allow us to rise to great heights and defeat the enemy, the purveyor of evil and darkness. And I guess that many of us are wondering what are these marvellous and miraculous things called wisdom and understanding? (smile) Well, wisdom, as used in Proverbs basically means ‘the skill to live life successfully.’ While understanding denotes ‘the ability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, what matters most and what does not matter at all.’ 

And if you’re still wondering why those things are so important, then listen to these enlightening verses from Proverbs 3: ‘The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth: by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths (deeps) are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.’ (Prov. 3:19-20) 

Yes mih bredrin, the Lord used wisdom and understanding to create the universe and all therein! And if, with all His omnipotence, omniscience, and omni-presence, God still needed wisdom and understanding to create the world, then why shouldn’t we frail and fragile minions that we are, not need them also to live a successful life? No reason whatsoever! 

And with our world in such a sad and sorry state, it’s high time that we believers in Christ Jesus get up and seriously and sincerely seek wisdom and understanding so that we can enlighten the world and make it a better place for our children and our children’s children. And that ought not to sound strange and out of place because that’s one of the reasons we were placed on the earth at this particular time. Serving and worshipping the Father and bettering the world are our two basic duties! 

And they all begin with prayer, the marvellous and exciting communication method between heaven and earth. Therefore, as we so badly need to do, let’s communicate with heaven nuh, through our Friday Chant. As one strong but humble and prayerful voice. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

Now, let’s set about keeping those promises and showing the Lord that our motives are right when He checks our hearts. For that’s ever so necessary to get positive answers from heaven! Much LOVE!

…to be wise in this unwise world…is the greatest talent of all… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 April 2022   1 Peter 5:8.

01 Apr 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Peter 5:8.      Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: ​

Ah mih people, like the weather has decided to play April Fools or All Fools Day jokes on us this Friday, the first day of April 2022. When I got up and looked outside earlier this morning, wet snow was raining down from the skies. Then on looking out again, a li’l later on, I was greeted by no wet snow but fairly sunny skies. So right now, the ground’s wet, but the skies are shining with some dark clouds hovering dangerously around like rebellious children intent on disturbing the status quo. (smile) 

But foolishly, like the prince of darkness, they have reckoned without taking the awesome sunshine of Jesus Christ into their planning. They don’t realize that if He so desires, with just one wave of His mighty hand, He can scatter, obliterate ALL the darkness in the land and turn it into one of perpetual sunshine. He’s already defeated the prince of darkness, made him a toothless tiger, by dying and resurrecting from the grave, so that all his satanic majesty has now is a bark but no bite. 

That’s why we need not fear what he can do to us, for he can only do what we allow him to do. Therefore, Peter dutifully warns us: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 5:8-9) 

Yes friends, though the devil has no teeth he can frighten us with his loud roar, and thus manage to get his evil claws into us. Consequently, we must be very careful of where and with whom we walk in this uncertain and unpredictable world. No wonder Peter gave us the solution to the problem before the warning. He firmly advocates: ‘Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:5-7) 

Those are indeed wise words my brethren, words that we ought to sincerely and continually heed! Why? Because they are the indisputable truth! Cousin Sol tells us the first half of the story in Proverbs, when he decrees: ‘The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation (dwelling) of the just. Surely he scorneth the scorners (proud): but he giveth grace unto the lowly (humble).’ (Prov. 3:33-34) 

And if you don’t believe Cousin Sol, then listen to the prophet Isaiah as he proclaims on the Lord’s behalf, as he condemns the idolatry of his people Israel. ‘For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite (remorseful, repentant) and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’ (Is. 57:15) 

That says it all friends! The Lord only deals in repentant and contrite hearts and spirits! The proud He has no use for, because they don’t believe they need Him, like so many of us wrongly believe in these evil and dark times. And it’s so sad to note that in these enlightened times of technology and other advances in human endeavours that we are turning back to the dark ages in spiritual matters. We are trying to remove God from our society. Even shouting out that there is no God! But friends, now is the time when we should be seeking God more than ever, because the end times are in sight. 

Jesus spoke to the disciples about the horrific happenings that would take place before the end came. Wars and rumours of wars, false prophets, plenty devastation and human suffering, much persecution, much deception with an inordinate amount of evil, but little LOVE. However, that would just be the beginning of the end. (Matt. 24:4-12) And in these beginning of the end times that we’re currently going through, it is ever so necessary for us to hold on to the end, as Jesus specified to the disciples. ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:13) So my brethren, we have to hang in there, living for Jesus, right to the very end, if we want to be saved. 

Then Jesus continues: ‘And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.’ (Matt. 24:14) Now, we’re quickly coming to that stage where with the magnificent technology we now possess, the gospel abounds like it’s never done before. But Jesus isn’t finished. He says: ‘When ye therefore shall see the Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand.) (Matt. 24:15) 

And what is this ‘Abomination of Desolation’ that Jesus is talking about eh? Well, according to the scholars, ‘it refers to Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; where Antiochus Epiphanes’ profanation of the Jewish temple worship would foreshadow a similar and more severe act by the eschatological Antichrist. (theology concerned with the end of the world). Whereas Antiochus offered a pig on the sacred altar of the temple, the Antichrist will present himself (2 Thess. 2:4 – Please read it). The action of desecration by Antiochus, which Daniel had predicted, will now be repeated in the future by the Antichrist as the signal of the beginning of the Great Tribulation and the breaking of the covenant “in the midst of the week” Dan. 9:27).’ 

So friends, there’s still some time to go, but how much, we don’t know, that means we ought to be prepared for whenever whatever happens! As the scripture says above there ‘whoso readeth, let him understand.’ And since we’ve read, I want us to understand. (smile) And understanding means being prepared, because we know it will come, just not when. That is a point we can’t hammer home enough my people, because Jesus said He could come at any time; today, tomorrow or years into the future…but come He will! 

And the first step in our preparation is going to Him in sincere prayer. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Friday Chant. As one humble and contrite voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ 

And all of that will only mean anything when God checks the motives of our hearts and finds them in agreement with the words of our mouths. Much LOVE!

…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…and let him prepare…be in a state of constant readiness… 

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

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