Today’s Scrip-Bit   31 January 2023   1 Thessalonians 5:17.

31 Jan 2023 Leave a comment

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

1 Thessalonians 5:17.       Pray without ceasing.

Well, it’s a fairly sunny morning in my neck of the woods, although my computer tells me that the temperature outside is like minus 8 Celsius. Now that’s something we haven’t seen so far this year, but it’s winter, and on this last day of January 2023, anything is possible. (smile) Once it doesn’t snow and the sun’s shining, I’m happy. 

Anyway, today I want to share a prayer that a friend gave me some time back, which I might have shared before, but it’s one that I now use every day before I begin to write the Bit. Don’t ask me how and why that came about, because I don’t remember. (smile) Let’s just say that it’s now become a part of my daily routine. So please pray with me: ‘Heavenly Father, I call on You right now in a special way. It is through Your power that I was created. Every breath I take, I live under Your power. Father, I ask you now to touch me with that same power. For if You created me from nothing, You can recreate me. 

Fill me with the healing power of Your Spirit. Cast out anything that should not be in me. Mend what is broken. Root out any unproductive cells, open any blocked arteries or veins and rebuild any damaged areas. Remove all inflammation and cleanse any infection. Let the warmth of Your healing LOVE pass through my body to make new any unhealthy areas, so that my body will function the way You created it to function. And Father, please restore me to full health in mind, body and spirit, so that I may serve You for the rest of my life. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.’ 

Ah friends, it’s not a spectacular prayer, but a simple, down to earth, plea for basic healing, reworking and restoring of our bodies and souls and spirits. Something that we all need from time to time, especially as we get older and our natural parts begin to atrophy and decay from age and constant use. And I guess the natural path from there is to check out some scriptures on healing, and there are many more than we can ever cover. But it’s always useful to review them and have some close at hand, or rather close at heart, for when we need them. 

And this first one is probably one of the most important. It’s what Moses said to the people of Israel when they murmured and complained at the bitter waters of Marah, where he cried to the Lord and the Lord showed him a tree to cast into the waters that made it sweet. And Moses said of the Lord: ‘If thou wilt diligently hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.’ (Ex. 15:24) 

Yuh see right there my fellow believers, the first thing to do to avoid sickness and disease, is to obey the Lord’s commandments. So we ought not to wonder and complain because our world is filled with sickness and disease, for sin is the first step therein, and we do have a very sinful society. Then we have this marvellous reminder from Bruh David in Psalm 103: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVINGKINDNESS and tender mercies:’ (Ps. 103: 2-4) 

Oh my people, how can ever forget the goodness and mercies of our great God eh? But unfortunately, for whatever reason(s), we do forget Him and go about our own business, foolishly thinking that we don’t need Him. But that’s a fool’s wisdom. That’s why Cousin Sol warns us in Proverbs. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:1-4)  

There you have it again friends, the first thing we ought to do to ensure health, wealth and longevity is to obey God’s Word! It couldn’t get any clearer than that. Then we have this awesome promise of God, spoken through the prophet Isaiah. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) Now how can we ever forget or refute such a promise eh? But again, sadly we do. 

Then Isaiah further tells us about the coming of Jesus and His awesome power to heal. ‘But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes (the blows that cut into Him) we are healed.’ (Is. 53:9) That just goes to show how very important Jesus is to our health. Now, because of lack of time and space, let’s conclude with this scripture that all of us know and quote, though not always appropriately or reverently. 

It comes from James, where he strongly advises about the power of patience and prayer. ‘Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry (cheerful)? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’ (James 5:13-16) 

Yes my fellow saints, the prayer of the righteous can do wonderful things. Granted it doesn’t always work the way we desire, but one never knows what will happen until one tries. We don’t understand how our great God thinks or moves, but we do know that He answers prayer, especially when it falls into line with His will. So please, let’s not forget the power of prayer. As Bruh Paul so rightly said to the Thessalonians, and consequently to us: ‘Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:17-18) 

Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

And having said all that, let’s go out and keep our promise to share Christ’s awesome LOVE and friendship with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…every thing ought to begin with prayer…that’s talking to God first…not last… 

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

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   27 September 2022 Proverbs 3:1.

27 Sep 2022 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:1.       My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments. 

And then it was Tuesday. That means, Monday is history, and Wednesday is still tomorrow. It therefore behooves us to enjoy today; to put our best foot forward today, or as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) likes to say, ‘Look your best, do your best and be your best!’ 

And you know that’s all the Lord really asks of us; to simply be as good as we can be. But sadly, too many of us are instead doing way, way less than our best. That’s one of the reasons our world is in such a ghastly state of havoc and chaos: believers in Christ Jesus just are not stepping up to the plate as they ought to, while the evil doers, the iniquity workers are constantly hitting the ball out of the park. 

And why aren’t we believers doing better eh? I guess it’s a combination of several reasons: the first being fear. Fear of what our friends and family and the world at large will say and/or do; including rejection and belittling. Then there’s downright laziness, a doh care attitude and procrastination, that all lead to disobedience, be it conscious or unconscious. 

But friends, this Tuesday morning in late September, in the fall of this very significant year of 2022, I want to remind us of these very significant words of our Great God, brought to us through the writings of Cousin Sol in the Book of Proverbs. Please listen closely…or rather, please read and inwardly digest with me. (smile) 

‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments. For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck (like a necklace); write them upon the table of thine heart (mind). So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:1-4) 

Ah my fellow saints, it’s all so simple, though not necessarily easy. However, with the help of God, to whom we keep acknowledging that nothing is impossible, we can certainly do it if we sincerely want to and actively try. And what does the scripture say; ‘keep my commandments.’ Why? Because they will give us blessed and lengthy lives, lives filled with peace, favour and esteem from both God and our fellow man. Now isn’t that what we all long for? Absolutely! Then why aren’t we doing as much as we can to further those dreams and desires eh? 

No doubt some of us feel that keeping God’s commandments are difficult, but that’s not true, as John says in his first epistle. ‘Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that LOVETH him that begat (God the Father) LOVETH him also that is begotten of him (Jesus, the Son). By this we know that we LOVE the children of God, when we LOVE God, and keep his commandments. For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (difficult, burdensome.) (1 John 5:1-3) 

And before we go further, let’s find out what are these commandments that we’re talking about nuh, that we’re supposed to keep, and which according to John are not difficult or burdensome. Now according to the Good Book, the Lord issued ten basic commandments to the Israelites when they came out of bondage in Egypt, (Ex. 20:1-17) 

However, Jesus in His immaculate or perfect wisdom, narrowed them down to two, namely. ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40) 

So you see my faithful brethren, it’s only two basic things we need to do in this life; LOVE the Lord our God, and then LOVE our neighbours as we LOVE ourselves. Unfortunately though, in this current world in which we live, LOVE seems to be much more difficult to do than its opposite action, hate, since there is ever so much more hate in our world than LOVE. 

We’re obviously not LOVING our God, but trying to get rid of Him, and as per LOVING our neighbours like ourselves, we veritably seem to hate ourselves by the way we treat our neighbours! What’s causing such a misfortune eh? I don’t know. Can it be fear? Certainly not, since John in his first epistle also deals with that, when he points out that ‘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) 

Oh friends, I know the answer to our problems – a great infusion of LOVE in our society – but unfortunately I don’t know how to do it, and thus I’m asking for your help. If you are a true believer in Christ Jesus, then it behooves you to step up your LOVE walk! That means LOVING the Lord our God more, and also LOVING ourselves more, so that we can transfer that self-LOVE to our neighbours! 

Why do you think the Lord sent Jesus to earth to sacrifice His sinless life for us eh? Because He LOVED us with a burning LOVE, one that knew no bounds! It’s a LOVE that’s unconditional; a powerful, selfless LOVE that never changes or diminishes regardless of what we do! Now doesn’t that mean anything to you? I strongly suggest that it should. It should mean so much that we try to change our evil ways, or simply improve our godly ones, because it’s only through the right actions of believers in Christ that our world will become less chaotic and more LOVING! 

Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to do just that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ 

And having made that outstanding proclamation, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…it’s ALL about LOVE…LOVE created us…LOVE keeps us safe…and LOVE will take us home to heaven… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 December 2021 Proverbs 3:1.

14 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:1.     My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.

The grace and peace of Almighty God to you my faithful brethren, this Tuesday morning in the Advent Season of this crazy year of 2021! And though the waters are troubled and there’s danger all around, I just want to remind us that our great God is standing by, and He’s faithfully promised that if we hold on to His marvellous Son, Jesus, the One who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary so unselfishly for us, we will be able to ride out any storm that threatens to overwhelm us. 

That’s why Cousin Sol wrote these wise words in Proverbs, under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments. For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck (like a necklace); and write them upon the table of thine heart (thy mind). So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:1-4) 

Ah mih people, it couldn’t get any clearer than that. Just look at the wonderful benefits that will accrue to us if we are obedient to God’s will and purpose and let mercy and truth guide our lives. We talking about seeing things like prosperous days in a long and productive life, with favour and high esteem from both God and man. Now it couldn’t get any better than that, could it? Certainly not! 

And if you don’t believe Cousin Sol, then listen to Moses as he instructed the Hebrew children long before that. ‘All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe (be careful to observe) to do, that ye may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto (promised) your fathers.’ (Deut. 8:1) Yes friends, the blessings of God will always fall on the obedient, faithful, truthful and merciful! 

So, I wonder why our world is in such an angry uproar and consumed by so much violence and strife? Could it be because we have not kept those traits above there that please our Creator and heavenly Father? I would tend to say that our disobedience and evil ways have played, and are still playing a big part in our current worldwide misfortune and calamity. Now the Lord knows that living for Him will not always be easy, but He expects us to make a sincere effort and even went to the awesome length of sacrificing His only Son Jesus so that those who believe in Him will have divine help to live the way He desires. 

And yuh know what, Cousin Sol was so conscientious and interested in our welfare that he broke down the rules for us into their most basic form. Listen as he admonishes and guides us in his wisdom. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) That’s wisdom in spades my people. 

And if you still don’t understand it all, then listen as scholars explain. ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths of your life straight before you.’ Now that doesn’t mean you won’t have problems, but you can be assured that He will guide you through them, eventually working it all out for your benefit. 

And Cousin Sol didn’t stop there. He continued with his wise advice. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength or refreshment) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruit of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:7-10) 

Oh friends, the whole duty and wisdom of man is laid out in those verses from 1-10. If you follow them sincerely you will be so blessed and productive and prosperous that you won’t know what to do with yourself! (smile) As we said, it’s not easy to live that life in this world, but that’s why God gave us all the help He did. But we need to grasp that help and hold on to it tightly, if we want to receive the blessings that flow from living for Jesus. 

And please excuse me, there’s one more important thing that Cousin Sol mentions. And this is probably the most difficult one to accept. (smile) He says: ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction. For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12) 

Ah mih bredrin, that’s a hard one, for none of us likes to be chastened or corrected, even when we do wrong. But our God knows that in our frailty and weakness we will make mistakes and since He is our heavenly father, it is His bounden duty to correct us, like our earthly fathers do. And He only corrects us because He LOVES us so deeply and doesn’t want to see us go astray and be lost from His fold. 

And the author of Hebrews, in talking about God’s discipline, quotes those verses of Cousin Sol, then adds his two cents worth. ‘If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards (illegitimate), and not sons. 

Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence (respect): shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure (as seemed best to them); but he (God) for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb. 12:7-11) 

Yeh friends, living a disciplined life is tough, and when we make mistakes and get punished, we are never happy right then and there, but later on we realize that it was really for our good and it helped make us better people. And the purpose of all that we’ve said today is simply to have us use wisdom, the divine kind to live this earthly life, because when we do, it improves our entire life and existence and even flows down to the generations that come after us.  

So, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live right, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and confident voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ 

And having proclaimed that proclamation (smile), we now must go out and share the awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know, LOVE and serve him like we do. Much LOVE!

…man was made to serve…to revere…and to LOVE God…with all his heart, body and soul… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 June 2021 Proverbs 3:1.

01 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:1.     My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

Can you believe it friends, this is already the first day of June, the sixth month? The year is just flying by despite all the problems currently engulfing the world! And it’s certainly a good thing that we have a strong, staunch, unchangeable, immovable God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, otherwise we would be an easy prey to the numerous evil elements lurking around almost every corner! So it’s rather wise to call out to our great God at all times; in the morning, in the evening and in the midnight hour, for He is indeed our very help in times of trouble and tribulation. 

And that’s why these monumental words of scriptural wisdom from Cousin Sol are so important to our earthly travels. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to your life.’ (Prov. 3:1-2) Yuh see the importance of obedience to God’s commandments friends? It shall only add long life and peace to your days here on earth! 

Then Cousin Sol continues: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart. So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) Ah mih bredrin, that’s the incomparable benefit of walking in mercy and truth! And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘3:3. About thy neck: The teachings should be made as much a part of one’s adornment as a necklace. The table of thine heart, that is, the mind.’ 

But Cousin Sol doesn’t stop there, he gets deeper into his exhortations on obedience. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6) More incomparable wisdom friends! 

Now hear the scholars on those two verses. ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’ Now what more can we ask for eh my fellow believers? 

However, there is much more available, as Cousin Sol tells it, tells it straight and true. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with all thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:7-10) 

Oh my people, if there was only one set of scriptures to describe the kind of life a believer in Jesus is supposed to live, those first ten verses of Proverbs 3, would be it! It covers everything from obedience to length of life, from trust to health, to increase and prosperity; the how’s, whys and wherefores of living for our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Now why aren’t we living that wise kind of life eh? Who knows? But wisdom dictates that that’s how we ought to live, and if we don’t, then we will suffer the consequences for wrongdoing and sinful living. 

But even then, our God is so wonderful, as Cousin Sol explains: ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12) Wow! What a wonderful God we serve and worship my people! As the scholars say of those verses: ‘God’s correction shows His LOVE (cf. Heb. 12:5-6).’ 

And we certainly will check out those verses which deal with God’s discipline. ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons), My son despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6) So you see that discipline is as much a heavenly measure as it is an earthly one. (smile) 

And the author of Hebrews takes the discipline matter a little further. ‘If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, wherefore all are partakers, then are ye bastards (illegitimate), and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence (respect): shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure (as seemed best to them); but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.’ (Heb. 12:7-10) 

Now that’s a very good question my brethren? If we respect our earthly fathers who punish us according to their whims and fancies, why won’t we reverence our heavenly Father, the One who gives us life and all the good things thereof, when He disciplines us for our profit, our benefit eh? Because we’re foolish, sinful, prideful and disobedient! 

And the author of Hebrews concludes that message with this insightful comment: ‘Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb. 12:11) And that’s the indisputable truth friends. Discipline or punishment never seems good for the present moment, but later on, when we look back at the situation, we usually see the benefits of it. 

Anyway, if, after reading all of the above, we still continue in our foolish and disobedient ways, then what am I to say eh…except crapaud smoke yuh pipe! But for those of us who are sincerely trying to be wise and obedient, let’s go home declaring (awright!) our Tuesday Mantra. 

As one strong, heart-felt voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’  

And now, as our duty entails, let’s go out and share the awesome friendship and amazing LOVE of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!

…to obey is better…than to sacrifice…and to hearken…than the fat of rams… (1 Sam. 15:22) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 April 2021 Proverbs 3:1.

30 Apr 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:1.     ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

Well friends, it’s Friday, the day that used to be the harbinger of the weekend with parties and social gatherings galore, but is now just another day to stay cooped up at home and away from others, except your household members. Not only that, but if you do venture outside, you now need to wear a mask and keep a safe physical distance away from others. It’s still incomprehensible to see how life has drastically changed worldwide with the appearance of one li’l virus. (smile) 

But them’s the breaks! It’s the only way to keep the virus at bay until everybody has been vaccinated…at least we hope so, for we still don’t know a lot about the Corona virus and its several variants. And I really don’t know how else to encourage us but to remind us that as believers in Christ Jesus, we need to stay in close touch with Him and live the way He desires, especially in these times of many adversarial storms. 

You know sometimes storms come from behind you and drive you along quicker to your destination, meanwhile, others, like the ones we’re currently facing hit you directly in the face and try to destroy you. But with Jesus as your storm pilot, we are promised that they won’t ever destroy us. Yes, they might cause us some real difficult times, but they’ll never completely put us under. However, in the meantime, there are also some things we need to do to stay afloat, like these exhortations to obedience from Cousin Sol found in Proverbs. 

Listen to these words of awesome truth, wisdom and encouragement. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart (mind): So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:1-4) 

Oh my fellow believers, how true and wise are those words eh! And even more truthful, is the fact that too many of us supposed believers have not sincerely adhered to the Lord’s commandments for a rather long time, that’s why our lives are so topsy-turvy and confused right now. Unfortunately, we have allowed the immoral dictates of the world to infiltrate our thinking and way of life, and thus have fallen from favour with both God and man. 

It’s no secret that the world has no room for God and is doing its best to get rid of Him completely. But that will NEVER happen, because the Lord won’t allow it, neither will we, His staunch and faithful believers allow such an abomination to come to pass. But even in these tremulous and uncertain times, the enemy is still trying to evict God from His sovereign status in His universe, and sadly, we Christians are assisting them by being fearful, lazy, wishy-washy, sitting on the fence and not being strong and bold enough to face them mano-a mano and let them know the real truth of the situation; that Jesus is Lord, and despite their best endeavours, always will be thus! 

And there are so many scripture verses that tell us we should not be afraid of man. Jesus puts it best though with this warning from Luke’s gospel. ‘And I say unto you my friends, Be ye not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto, Fear him.’ (Luke 12:4-5) Yes friends, the death of the body is not the end of our lives, we still have our spirit man to account for, and the One who decides where we will rest for eternity is Jehovah God Himself. Man won’t determine that. 

And I like how Fritz Chery opens his article on the Bible Verses about the fear of man, that can be found on the biblereasons.com website. He says: ‘There is only one person that a Christian should fear and that is God. When you are fearful of man that will lead to a fear of evangelizing to others, of doing God’s will, trusting God less, rebellion, being ashamed, compromising, and being a friend of the world. Fear the one that created man, the one who can throw you into Hell for eternity. Too many preachers today fear man so they preach messages that will tickle people’s ears. Scripture makes it clear that cowards will not enter into Heaven.’  

What awesome words of truth my brethren! And unfortunately, these days, we supposed believers are so cowardly and fearful, we’ve become more afraid of man than God. So what kind of life do we expect to have under those circumstances eh? Nothing but a confused, troubled and calamitous existence, like the one we’re currently experiencing. 

And Cousin Sol offers us a few more pearls of wisdom as he continues: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight or smooth) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength, refreshment) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thy increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:5-10) 

Oh mih bredrin, nothing has changed nuh since Cousin Sol gave us those guidelines long ago. The Lord our God is still the same yesterday, today and forever, and neither has His word or ordinances changed. So what has changed eh? We have. And if we don’t change back to what He desires, then crapaud smoke we pipe! As simple as that. 

Now, for those of us who sincerely want to get back into the good graces of our most wonderful God, this is the best time to start. Therefore, let’s go to Him in sincere prayer nuh, what we call our Friday Chant, and lay bare our hearts to Him in sincere repentance, asking for His awesome forgiveness and mercy. 

As one voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that 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 sure and 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, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. 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 my people, God’s response will depend on our subsequent behaviour and the motives of our hearts, which He will check out, before answering our prayer. Much LOVE!

fear not man…but fear Almighty God…who can destroy…both body and soul…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 March 2021 Proverbs 3:1.

26 Mar 2021 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:1.     ​My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

So it’s another brand new day! However, this one isn’t as bright and sunshiny as the last several ones have been. No, it’s wet and rainy, but it’s still beautiful, because we need the rain as well as the sun to keep nature refreshed and clean and growing like the Lord God intended. And since it’s springtime, which means a rebirth of things green and beautiful to the eyes, that means heavenly showers of blessings are necessary to accomplish such a feat, especially after all the cold, dryness of winter. 

So let’s still be bright and grateful and obedient in spirit to our great God nuh, the One who made us and knows exactly what we each need to have a wonderful day and a glorious life walking with Him and His awesome Son, Jesus Christ, through the amazing guidance of the Holy Spirit! 

Wow! Isn’t that a mouthful! But a beautiful mouthful indeed! (smile) And it’s also going to be a good day, because the ordinary workingman has something to say today. There seems to be a resurgence in his spirit, as he declares (steups!), though still not with his old fervour: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and there’s a li’l light at the end of the tunnel! The boss called couple days ago and said a few of us, the senior ones, could come back to work Monday, at least for a couple days a week, according to how much business it have! 

Oh brother! I don’t even know if I remember how to do the blooming work nuh, it’s been so long. But it is a start, and it gets me out of the old house…Glory be! I’ve never stayed cooped up so long in all mih life, and it was really starting to get on mih nerves. Couldn’t go to work, so no real money was coming in, couldn’t go down to the pub and drink a few pints with the boys, because the pub closed down. Couldn’t do all the things I like to do… Ah Lord eh! 

Let’s hope this is the start of a new day yes, because I really couldn’t take much more of this lockdown business nuh. But ah not holding mih breath, because people still behaving stupid out there, not wearing masks and partying plenty together, and in spite of the vaccine, a setta people still catching the bloody virus. So leh we keep on praying yes…and if you weren’t praying before, yuh better had start now, because is only with God’s help we going to see a brighter day oui!’ 

And that friends, is the awesome, gospel, indisputable truth! Without sincere prayer, repentance and obedience to God’s word, our world will never return to some semblance of normalcy, call it the new normal or whatever, but there will never be a sense of security and a lack of the fear that has settled over us during the past year. And the scripture that seems to best fit our situation comes from Cousin Sol, from his wise words in Proverbs, as he exhorts us to obedience to God. 

So please listen up: ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:1-2) Yuh see that friends, we don’t need to go far to find out the benefits of obedience to God’s laws; it lengthens our lives and brings us peace. But that isn’t all, it’s just the beginning. Hear Cousin Sol continue: ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (high esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov. 3:3-4) 

Oh my people, what’s there not to understand in those simple and self-explanatory verses eh? If we embrace mercy and truth, keep them close to us like a piece of jewelry that adorns our bodies, and write them on the table of our hearts, our minds, we’ll find favour with both God and man. Now isn’t that something to be earnestly desired? It surely is! 

And Cousin Sol’s not done yet: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:5-10) 

Mama Mia! What awesome words of wisdom! And yuh notice that when God’s chosen people Israel followed those simple rules they prospered in all aspects of their lives. But when they got too high and mighty, too big for their tight britches, they suffered tremendously. And it’s the same scene that’s playing out in our sick, confused and strife-filled world right now. For we have also gotten too big for our britches, believed that our prosperity was our doing, and not the Lord’s, as it actually is, so we have turned away from Him, doing all we can to remove Him from our society. 

But friends, if we have learned anything from history, is that the Lord always prevails in the end. Look at how many super societies fell upon hard times and eventual ruin when they despised God and turned away from Him. And simple common sense, which unfortunately doesn’t seem to exist today, tells us, that if we’ve tried all of our own remedies and they haven’t worked, then we should at least turn to God in prayer. Not that it should be the last thing we try, but rather, the first. 

In any case, be it first or last, not turning to him in prayer is utter stupidity; stemming from foolish pride and baseless arrogance. So let’s do the wise thing now and turn to Almighty God for help nuh. In sincere, humble, but also confident voice, let’s call out to Him for divine help, through our Friday Chant. 

‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that 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 sure and 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, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. 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 now, if we were sincere and serious, then we’ll handle the situation properly, with repentance and obedience. Otherwise, we’re just making a mockery, a sad and sorry spectacle of ourselves! Much LOVE!

…OBEDIENCE…the ONLY way we will ever satisfy God’s demands… 

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