Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 June 2021 Psalm 128:1.

10 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 128:1.     Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his ways. 

Oh friends, another glorious day has blossomed with the breath of God still flowing through our bodies! Thank God for that awesome blessing! Yes, I know that our world is sick and evil and all those other negative things, but with the breath of Almighty God flowing through our mortal veins we have a most amazing and powerful antidote to all that’s wrong with our world; and that’s the cleansing blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which was shed for us at Calvary! 

Wow! The shed blood of Jesus is the most powerful instrument on the earth! It must be, if it can wash away the sins of the whole world and make us white as snow! But please remember that once you’ve been washed in that precious blood, there will always be a scarlet like stain on you, notifying others that you have been saved by the blood of the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings! 

And that’s a stain, or a marker, that we should be inordinately proud to wear, for it signifies that salvation is in our DNA, and that heaven is our eternal home, and most importantly that Satan and his minions have no power or authority over us, because we are children of the Most High God, the mighty conqueror of hell, death and the grave! 

That’s why we ought to cherish and adore and positively use the blood of Christ as we wend our way through this despicable and evil age, for it’s only through Christ and His selfless sacrifice that we even a stand a chance against the enemy, much the less the overwhelming victory that His spilled blood wrought as He died on Calvary’s Hill then rose triumphantly from the dead three days later! Oh give our great and wonderful Saviour much thanks and praise my fellow saints! 

Consequently my people, these words of Bruh David, this song of degrees, this psalm of praise for deliverance from our enemies ought to be amongst our continual prayer. Please pray with me: ‘If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick (alive), when their wrath was kindled against us: 

Then the waters had (would have) overwhelmed us, the stream had gone (would have swept) over our soul: Then the proud waters had gone (would have swept) over our soul. Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers (bird trappers): the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’ (Ps. 124:1-8) 

And you better believe that friends, our only sure help is from the Lord God Almighty, our Creator and Provider! So please, let’s realize that and hold on to Him tightly nuh, let’s not let go of His coattails, for if we do, we’ll surely fall prey to the enemy, and end up in Hades with him. And I like the scholars’ short explanation on the psalm. ‘Psalm 124: This psalm reflects on deliverance from danger. From a realization of the Lord’s help (vs. 1-5), the psalmist moves to the appropriate response to the Lord’s help (vs. 6-8).’ 

And so should we my people, as I said above, let’s hold on tightly to Him, that means be as faithful as we possibly can be. Why you ask? Well listen to Psalm 128 nuh – The rewards of faithfulness. ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands (the fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 

Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of (in the heart of) thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:1-6) 

Oh friends, oh friends, now who doesn’t want a blessed life like that eh? I’m sure we all do, but it doesn’t come without a price, like all good things on this earth! And comparatively speaking, faithfulness to God is a rather cheap price to pay for all those wonderful things that will befall a faithful person! So what have we got lose eh? Not much, but we have a whole lot to gain by being faithful to our God! 

And the scholars explain it thus: ‘Psalm 128: The message of this psalm is that one is never truly happy until he is truly holy. It begins with a pronouncement of blessing (or happiness) on a certain kind of man – a man who fears the Lord (vs. 1-4). It concludes with a prayer for blessing (vs. 5-6).’ 

Oh my people, every day I ask the Lord for words to convey to us just how important it is for us to follow Him, and this morning I believe He has come through in spades. For if those two psalms and all the other good stuff that Jesus’ sacrifice have wrought aren’t enough to convince us, then I really don’t know what else will nuh. However, I do have some other goodies to throw in, (smile) some more specific blessings that we receive when we faithfully follow the Lord, we call them our Thursday Blessings, which He gives us to do His work down here on earth. 

So let’s declare them now nuh, in strong and sincere voice, fully and faithfully believing in His awesome promises! ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! 

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

Our duty now is to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as our wonderful God shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…to be truly blessed…one needs to be truly faithful…

P.S. My sincere apologies for the lateness of the Bit. As usual, it was caused by one of my rather late mornings to bed, and thus a late one to rise. (smile) Much LOVE!                                                                  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 June 2021 John 14:6.

09 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

John 14:6.     Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

And we unto the hump now friends; that middling day called Wednesday! And once we get through or over it, we feel like we have the wherewithal to conquer the rest of the week. But we should not feel so inclined because it’s only the goodness, grace and mercy of Christ Jesus that can really get us through whatsoever temptations and trials we face during our lifetime. 

Once we have Jesus in our corner, we have the ability to overcome any and everything that comes our way, because Jesus LOVES us and cares greatly for us, that’s why He died on the cross for us. So please let’s be wise and give our lives to Him completely, for He has ALL that we’ll ever need to succeed in this world, as well as the next! 

Yes friends, by whatever name we choose to call Him, Jesus, Yahweh, Yeshua, the Conquering Lion of Judah, the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, or the name that’s above every other name, to which all knees shall bow and all tongues confess that He is Lord to the glory of the Father, He is still the ONE and ONLY Saviour of mankind, the ONLY ONE through whom we can access the Father and thus an eternal home in heaven, the place and eternal hope of the saved! 

And I didn’t say that nuh, Jesus did, when the disciple Thomas questioned Him re knowing the way that He was going. ‘Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) And until we fully understand that, and react positively to it, we will continue to be lost in the darkness of this evil and ungodly world. 

Now the next bit of conversation between Jesus and His disciples is also interesting. He continued to Thomas: ‘If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth (will satisfy) us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself (on my own authority): but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.’ (John 14:7-10) 

And no doubt, it was a difficult thing for the young disciples to understand, for Jesus was teaching them stuff contrary to the Jewish beliefs of the day, and they had only been with Him about three years. But we have had the words of Jesus for two thousand years, and yet many of us still refuse to acknowledge and believe that He is the Son of the ONE and ONLY True LIVING GOD! 

Now listen to the scholars’ explanation re verse 9 above. ‘14:9. Seen me…seen the Father: There are no attributes of deity that the Son does not possess. This statement is most powerful. Everything that is true of God the Father is also true of the Son. The doctrine of the Trinity in the New Testament may be inscrutable (difficult to interpret or understand), but it is also inescapable (cannot be denied).’ 

So you see, once we know Jesus, we also know the Father, because He is the exact replica of the Father. That’s one of the reasons Christ came to earth, so that we could have a better and more intimate knowledge of the God we worshipped. And in like fashion, the Father desires to make us replicas of Jesus, as much as an imperfect created being can be. That clearly means, that a successful earthly life, and thus one that leads to the pearly gates of heaven, can only be built upon the stalwart and solid foundation that’s Jesus! 

Oh my people, I wish I knew how to get through to us, to let us know that Jesus is truly ALL we need in this world. I can only give some testimony of my own and quote the scriptures, but so many of us still refuse to even acknowledge His existence much less believe in Him. And yuh know why? Because many of us, our deeds are evil, and we want them hidden in the darkness, but when we come to Jesus, all those evil deeds will be exposed. 

For as Isaiah prophesied re the birth of the Prince of Peace. ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) And Jesus was the object of that prophecy, as He said to the hypocrite Pharisees: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) 

But obviously the Pharisees disputed His authority because He witnessed of Himself. And I just LOVE how Jesus could tie up the ole hypocrites an’ dem. They thought they could use words to justify their hypocrisy, but Jesus could better justify His position. As He answered them: ‘Though I bear record (witness) of myself, yet my record (witness) is true: for I know whence I came, and wither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.’ (John 8:14) 

Ah mih bredrin, we still live in a dark and evil world with much sin and evil hiding in that darkness, but the only hope we have of ever escaping that darkness into a world of light, containing much peace and LOVE and goodwill to men, is by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour! Aren’t we tired of living under this dark cloud of sin and evil? I know I am. So please, please, let’s wake up and take Bruh Paul’s wise advice to the church at Rome: ‘The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.’ (Rom. 13:12) 

Oh friends, the day of Christ’s return is drawing near, it’s time we prepare for it by throwing off the works of darkness and the lusts of the flesh, like drunkenness, sexual immorality, jealousy and riotous living, and instead take up the armour of light that’s Christ; serve Him, and not our own selfish desires! There’s a sense of urgency that we Christians ought to display at this breaking of the day! And for those of us who are truly trying to do that, let’s go home now declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in the Son of God! 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Now need I remind us that if we endure to the end, that the future will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine? Much LOVE!

…what will it take to get you to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Saviour eh…when you’re in the fires of hell…then it’s too late…                                                                  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 June 2021 Psalm 36:9.

08 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 36:9.     For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

And so, we move on to Tuesday, a li’l wet and cloudy, but still containing all of God’s new mercies and compassions made especially for today. How wonderful that is eh, that our God doesn’t give us any leftover compassions or mercies from the day before, but bakes up a whole new batch every day! It’s like getting fresh bread every day and not having to eat any stale stuff. 

So how can we not be grateful and thankful to Him for His fatherly thoughts towards us and those wonderful blessings He showers down on us each new day? A part of the problem I believe lies in the fact that we’ve become so accustomed to those new blessings every day that we take them for granted, and they don’t mean as much to us as they ought to. It’s like the Israelites getting manna in the wilderness and then complaining about it. 

Instead, we should be believing and saying like Bruh David did in Psalm 36 – The steadfast LOVE of God. ‘Thy mercy (LOVING-kindness), O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgements are a great deep (ocean): O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. 

How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.’ (Ps. 36:5-9) 

Yes friends, that is the blessedness that a righteous person has to look forward to. So why are we in these trying and desperate times so inclined to sinful ways and attitudes eh? Why are we behaving like Bruh David says in the opening verses of the psalm? ‘The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. 

For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. The words of his mouth are iniquity (wickedness) and deceit: he hath left off (ceased) to be wise, and to do good. He deviseth mischief (plots wickedness) upon his bed; he sitteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth (despises) not evil.’ (Ps. 36:1-4) 

Oh my people, that kind of behaviour is so rampant in our world today, that it’s no wonder we are in such a terrible state of greed, strife, poverty and inequitable division of the world’s riches, ruled by overblown egos and power-hungry despots! Such an inequitable existence is unsustainable and will end up in even more chaos that we presently have. It is impossible to have peace and LOVE in a society where iniquity is its hallmark. If God, the fountain of life has been vilified and thrown out of a society, how can that society maintain life eh? No way! 

And right now we have become like the Israel of old, whose sufferings were the results of sin. Hear how Jeremiah puts it on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet not gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.’ (Jer. 2:11-13) 

Yeh mih bredrin, we have left the safety and security of the fountain of life, and moved to an insecure and unsafe place, where evil and ungodliness rules. As the scholars explain: ‘2:13. The figure of the fountain of living waters emphasizes that God alone can bring the life and refreshment necessary to the thirsty soul (cf. Ps. 36:9; Is. 55:1; John 4:10-14; 7:37-39; Rev. 21:6). Israel had left the purity of the living waters for the pollution of contaminated broken cisterns that offered no water at all.’ 

And I guess the best description of our current world is one that is thoroughly polluted; not only in body, but also in soul. The earth is physically polluted with garbage and other life-threatening stuff, as well as with a sick and evil bent mentally. So why are we surprised by our current problems eh? That’s what evil, ungodly attitudes and behaviour brings! 

It’s obvious that we have forgotten, or in our lurch to evil, have simply cast aside these true and oh so meaningful words of Jesus, that He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. ‘But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well (fountain) of water springing up into everlasting life.’ (John 4:14) And though the woman didn’t fully understand what Jesus was talking about, she immediately replied: ‘Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.’ (John 4:15) 

But in these supposed enlightened times, where we know all about what Jesus is referring to, we refuse to accept His offer. How wise and bright is that eh my people? Please listen to Jesus as He pleads with us to accept His merciful and gracious offering of eternal life nuh. ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:35) 

Awright!!! That’s the bread that gives life, spiritual and eternal life! Don’t we want it? Yes! We ought to desire it, in fact to hunger for it, because it’s so much better than the only other option available, hellfire with Satan. 

And our only hope is to think and say like Bruh David did at the end of the psalm. ‘O continue thy LOVING-kindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me (drive me away). There are workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.’ (Ps. 36:10-12) 

Yes friends, that’s what happens to the workers of iniquity; they are cast down, removed forever. And that’s what will happen to us if we don’t smarten up and get our eyes and hearts focused back on Jehovah God, our Maker and Provider, our true source of life, physical and spiritual! 

Now, for those of us who are endeavouring to live righteously, let’s go home proclaiming our Tuesday Mantra. Altogether now: ‘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!’ 

Our responsibility now is to go out and share that amazing friendship and awesome LOVE of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him. Much LOVE!

…free will doesn’t come with wisdom…but only a fool…turns away from his source of life… to embrace death…                                                               

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 June 2021 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

07 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

1 Thessalonians 5:18.     ​​In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Oh friends, it’s a glorious Monday morning; a new day of a new week, and we’re all alive and kicking, so please, in gratitude for such blessing, let’s do as the psalmist decreed so long ago nuh! ‘Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps. 150:6) Yes my people, everything and everyone that draws the living breath of the Lord this morning ought to shout ‘Hallelujah! Praise the Lord for His goodness to His creations!’ For there’s none like Him, and will never be any other deity with His LOVE and compassion! That’s the indisputable truth! 

And on a lesser level now, you’ll be proud of the ole fella, for remember last Monday I promised to improve my game, to do more of the things I wanted to do? Well, I did! Still not as much as I would have ideally liked to do, because I was somewhat under the weather with allergies and a cough giving me a hard time. But I did do more than I’ve been doing in the last li’l while! Give the Lord some praise for that! (smile) 

Oh precious people, we can never go wrong by giving thanks to God. That’s one place where we are always on solid ground. As Bruh Paul said to the Colossians: ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus; giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:16-17) 

And here are some interesting explanations on those verses from the scholars. ‘3:16. When believers are forbearing, forgiving (vs. 13), and LOVING (vs.14), toward one another, when peace reigns among God’s people (vs. 15), then the church is fertile soil for the blessings produced by the word of Christ.’ Now is that the current state of our church, would we say it’s fertile soil? I would say, certainly not! And per ‘3:17. The beneficial influence produced by the indwelling word of Christ is not only to affect public and private worship (vs. 16), but is also to control ALL areas of a Christian’s life.’ 

Yeh friends, in giving our ALL to Christ, we allow Him…or are supposed to allow Him to control all aspects of our lives. Unfortunately though, many of us don’t give up total control to Christ, but we still want and expect to get the total blessings that come with His control. We can’t live like that my brethren. All we are doing is shortchanging ourselves when we promise to give all, but then withhold some, for we’ll never get the full benefit of Christ’s goodness under those circumstances. 

And I’m chuckling here, because I had not intended to preach, (smile) but just to give us some good tidings re giving thanks. And I see no reason to not continue down that path. Our next section of thanks comes from Bruh Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians, where he sincerely admonishes them…and us, to ’Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) 

It could not get any plainer than that my fellow saints in Christ. God’s will is for us to rejoice and pray and give thanks through Christ! What an awesome privilege and benefit! And the scholars explain it thus: ‘5:18. In every event or circumstance (thing) the Christian is to give thanks to God for the good He can bring out of the event, even should the event be unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17, will help the believer to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’ 

Now that brings us back to the famous verse we all know: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God; to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) So, if we are well looked after in every circumstance, on every front, by an omnipotent and generous God, how can we not be thankful and live the way He desires of us eh? But the truth is that we have been ungrateful and disobedient and consequently have gotten ourselves in serious trouble, and since He is the only One who can relieve our discomfort, we need to go back to Him with thanksgiving and prayer as Bruh Paul advised. 

And to show our new wisdom and understanding, let’s go to Him right now with our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, sincerely laying all our fears and problems at His feet. As one strong 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, unless the Lord sees sincere repentance in our future behaviour, He will not answer our request positively. So it’s obvious that we need to do much better that we’re currently doing. Much LOVE!

…let him who has ears to hear…hear…                                                                

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 June 2021 Mark 1:11.

06 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Mark 1:11.     And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

And the heat wave is on this Sunday morning in Southern Ontario! Hope your A/C units are working well, otherwise you are liable to burn up in the heat – a small preview of what hell is like. (smile) And come to think of it, that might just motivate us to turn to Christ! For if we can’t stand this minor earthly heat, then how we going to stand the blazing heat that’s supposed to exist in Hades eh? But since we not going there, we don’t have to concern ourselves about how hot it is, just think about getting through this earthly summer weather in good stead with Christ, our Lord and Saviour. 

And as is our custom when we gather to worship on the Lord’s Day, be it in person in His sanctuary, or through technological means, we open with a song of praise and worship. And today’s hymn titled ‘I Need Thee Every Hour’ is a magnificent anthem to how much we do need Jesus Christ. The song was written by Anne Hawks, an American poet and gospel hymnist, in 1872, with the music annotated by Pastor Robert Lowry. 

The website Godtube claims that Hawks explained the purpose of the hymn thus:”For myself, the hymn was prophetic rather than expressive of my own experiences, for it was wafted out to the world on the wings of love and joy, instead of under the stress of personal sorrow.” And they report Lowry as saying: “I believe it was the expression of her own experience. It came to me in the form of five simple stanzas, to which I added the chorus to make it more serviceable. It inspired me at its first reading. It first appeared in a small collection of original songs prepared for the National Baptist Sunday-school Association, held in Cincinnati, Ohio in November 1872, and was sung on that occasion.”  

Meanwhile the website umcdiscipleship.org claims ‘to have a personal account of the genesis of the song: Hawks writes, “One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks during a bright June morning [in 1872]. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me — ‘I Need Thee Every Hour…'” 

However, ‘Following the death of her husband, Hawks reflected on the power of her song: “I did not understand at first why this hymn had touched the great throbbing heart of humanity. It was not until long after, when the shadow fell over my way, the shadow of a great loss, that I understood something of the comforting power in the words which I had been permitted to give out to others in my hour of sweet serenity and peace.”Ah friends, such is the mysterious working of our great God. He causes us to do stuff that doesn’t take on any serious personal importance until much later on, when something happens in our lives, and that same stuff is there to comfort and help us. 

So, having gotten all that info on the hymn, let’s finally sing it nuh, lifting up our hearts and voices to heaven with sincere need.‘I need thee every hour, Most gracious Lord, No tender voice like thine, Can peace afford. (Chorus: I need thee oh I need thee, Every hour I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee.) I need thee every hour, Stay thou near by, Temptations lose their power, When thou art nigh (Chorus) 

I need thee every hour, In joy or pain, Come quickly and abide, or life is vain. (Chorus) I need thee every hour; teach me thy will, and thy rich promises in me fulfill. (Chorus) I need thee every hour, Most holy one, Oh make me thine indeed Thou blessed Son. (Chorus: I need thee oh I need thee, Every hour I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee. I need thee, Oh I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee…I come to thee…’

Oh my people, what heartfelt sentiments, sentiments that are all basically about intimacy with God. And today, we’re just going to look at some scriptures that deal with that intimacy. Now it was a hard choice because there are so many, and I therefore chose those that spoke to my heart. And the first one is obviously these words of Moses to the Israelites, which Jesus hailed as the greatest commandment. ‘And thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.’ (Deut. 6:5) If we’re talking about intimacy with God, we must totally give our all to Him. 

Then there are these magnificent words of intimacy written by Bruh David: ‘As the hart panteth after (deer long for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before him?’ (Ps. 42:1-2) And if those words of Bruh David didn’t inspire you to intimacy with God, then try these: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land.’ (Ps. 63:1) How much more intimate can we get than by sincerely longing to be with our Maker, our Provider and our God eh? 

Now hear Jesus 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.’ Wow! That’s intimacy personified! One abiding in the other! You couldn’t get any closer than that! 

And we obviously could not leave out this gem from Bruh Paul: ‘But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ…That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.’ (Phil. 3:7, 10) Yes friends, Bruh Paul wants to experience the stuff that Christ went through so that he could have a real personal experience, suffering His death, as well as His resurrection. Now that’s what you call hungering for real intimacy! 

Now, let’s close with what I believe is the most intimate scripture, that at Christ’s baptism: Mark describes it thus: ‘And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened (torn open), and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ (Mark 1:9-11) 

Oh my fellow saints, I think that is the greatest picture of intimacy we can ever get; that wonderful interaction between Father, Son and Holy Ghost, our wonderful Triune Godhead! I’m sure it warmed the cockles of Jesus’ heart, that the Father chose to acknowledge Him before the earthly crowd, and have His Spirit empower Him for His upcoming ministry. 

Now, since we are representatives of Christ, we surely need to have intimacy with Him. And the best way to get it is, as He says, abide in Him, and let Him abide in us, for when we do that, both the Father and the Holy Spirit will also come to abide in us. Then we can show intimacy to those around us. It’s all in a day’s walk with Jesus my people! Much LOVE!

…our God created us…above all else…for intimacy with Him…                                                            

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 June 2021 Matthew 28:19.

05 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 28:19.     ‘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.

It’s a bright but cool Saturday morning with a strong breeze blowing through my area, however the weather people have issued a heat warning for today and the next few ahead. Temps are supposed to get up into the thirties. Bubba! Like the heatwave has begun…and so has the lively human activity on the streets, despite the lockdown is still mostly in place. 

People are walking without much on, cars and motorbikes are constantly revving up with their loud mufflers, unnecessarily disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood. At one stage in the early morning hours, I could swear that I heard car noises that indicated road racing not too far away from my house. But I guess that is all a part of the summertime activity. (smile) 

Anyway, let’s get down to our Saturday business, that of checking out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says: ‘I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better.’ And that is the gospel truth my people, because things are so terrible now that if they don’t change, and change for the better, then God help us all yes! 

I don’t know if our world has ever been in such a controversial and strife filled state, even with all the supposed enlightened advancements we’ve made in our day. And unless it improves soon, implosion will be the obvious result, since we already have explosion with all the active volcanoes around. (smile) That brings us to this next quote: ‘Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.’ 

Ah mih people, so many of us have big dreams, desires and plans to change the world, but it’s not an easy task, and though our motivation is admirable, sometimes we just have to wise up and realize that the more important cause is to change our life. And ofttimes the sequence is changing ourselves before we try changing the world, because so many of us need changes in our lives before we can think about changing anyone else. 

And that’s where the following quote becomes important. ‘Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay.’ Now that is wisdom in spades my brethren! And the most important change we can ever need or have in our lives is receiving Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour! And if you haven’t done that yet, then you better had hurry up and do it today, right now, because Christ can come back any time, even today, and if you don’t have Him as the light of your life then you are going to end up in eternal damnation with Satan and all his wicked minions! 

Now is that the life you want to live after your physical bodies dies? I don’t think so. That means you must make the biggest decision of your earthly life right now, because it will affect where you spend eternity. Remember Jesus’ wise words: ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold (be loyal) to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’ (Matt. 6:24) 

That’s the awesome truth friends: you cannot serve Almighty God and at the same time immerse yourself in accumulating the riches of the world. As the old people would say; is either one or the other. The beautiful fact is that you can get earthly wealth from God, if He so desires to bless you, but there’s no way to get God from earthly wealth! 

And so we come to this quote: ‘True life is lived when tiny changes occur.’ I don’t think that is completely true, because many of us need big changes in our lives if we are ever to get on the right track. But it is important that we make small adjustments over time, and that we do acknowledge their benefits in the betterment of our everyday circumstances. And I believe that’s one area in which a lot of believers are weak. We all look for the big miracles in our lives, which are usually few and far between, but we never pay attention to the many small miracles that the Lord performs in our lives each day that we are alive. 

Now that possibly derives from the fact that many of us don’t believe that the Lord is interested in the small, mundane things in our lives, and there is nothing further from the truth than that! Our God is actively interested in EVERY aspect of our lives, from the biggest to the smallest. He wants to get thoroughly involved in our business. 

And that’s exactly what many of us are afraid of. (smile) Some areas are okay, but not others. But friends, don’t you think that He knows the parts that we are trying to hide from Him? He certainly does, because He is omniscient, He knows everything. So trying to hide stuff from Him is pure foolishness. What He wants is for you to bring everything to Him in sincere prayer, be it good or bad. If you don’t take it to Him, then He can’t help you. 

And I believe that this last quote is the way to go. ‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.’ Yes friends, changing the world by ourselves is rather difficult, if not impossible, but spreading our diligent efforts across several areas, or even one area, can cause small, but important differences to be made. You’ll notice that’s how Jesus did it. He alone came down from heaven, and being in fashion as a man, He couldn’t go very far to spread His Word. So he got a few men together and taught them what He wanted them to teach others. 

Thus some of His last words to them. ‘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. 28:19-20) Then they did what he asked; went out and recruited others, and those others did the same, until now, two thousand years later, the Word of God has been spread over most of His universe, just like He desired. 

Strangely enough, speaking of it like that makes it resemble a pyramid scheme that’s become so prevalent and heartbreaking today, when used for evil purposes. But we all know that Jesus’ words were not designed for evil or heartbreak, but to give us a sincere hope and an eternal future with Him in heaven. 

And you know what, right here, we have two good examples of casting a stone across the waters to create many ripples. Yes, brother Anselm’s sending quotes to us, and then my sending them to others through the Bit, that’s certainly a method of casting a stone across the waters, hoping to create many ripples. And I do hope that we are successful in our small way, making a difference, by bringing hope and faith, as well as the peace and LOVE of Jesus to someone who needs it this Saturday morning! And it’s in Jesus’ name we pray! Much LOVE!

…changes…big or small…are of no use…unless Christ is involved in them…                                                            

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 June 2021 Revelation 2:12.

04 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Revelation 2:12.     These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

A merry Friday morning mih people! The sun’s shining brightly, the birds are singing sweetly, a cool, gentle breeze is blowing o’er the land, and Jesus is on His throne on High! Wow! That means everything’s right with the world! At least in our Jesus-filled hearts, souls and minds, for that’s what He does when we become His sincere followers and His Holy Spirit enters us, heals and seals us, once and for all, as a child of Almighty God! Glory be my faithful brethren! 

Now, yesterday we were looking at Christ’s message to the churches in Asia Minor through the vision of John the apostle during his exile on the isle of Patmos. We talked about the messages to the churches at Ephesus and Smyrna, today we’ll look at the message to one more church, that at Pergamos, which said: ‘These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;’ (Rev. 2:12) 

And the scholars say of that verse: ‘Pergamos, or Pergamum, was located about 50 miles north of Smyrna. The name may mean “Thoroughly Married,” and may represent the state church which is “married” to a political system. The reference to the sharp sword shows that Christ will judge the false teachers at Pergamos.’ 

Then Christ continues: ‘I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat (throne) is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.” (Rev. 2:13) 

And according to the scholars: ‘Satan’s seat or throne may be a reference to the religious paganism centred in Pergamos. The city had a throne-like altar to the god Zeus, a temple to Asklepios (symbolized by a serpent), and various temples dedicated to the worship of the Roman emperor. Christ here commends the church at Pergamos for remaining faithful in the midst of such Satanic influence.’ 

However, Christ wasn’t done with Pergamos: ‘But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block (put an enticement to sin) before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication (sexual immorality). So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.’ (Rev. 2:14-16) 

Serious words from our Lord and Saviour my brethren! And the scholars have this to say about verses 14-16. ‘The doctrine of Balaam was a compromise of Christianity with paganism, resulting in idolatry and immorality. Balaam had once succeeded in leading many Israelites into these sins (cf. Num. 31:16; 2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 11). The entire church is urged to repent of the toleration and sins of those false teachers, before Christ has to judge them Himself. The church should discipline itself and not tolerate false teaching and immorality within.’ 

Now if Christ said that to the church at Pergamos back then, what do you think He is saying to the current church which is laden with false teachers and sexual immorality that’s tolerated by the leaders, or worse yet, have leaders engaged in those ungodly acts? Oh friends, we all know that the current state of Christ’s church is far from satisfactory, and we are not doing enough to correct the iniquity and corruption that’s buried within it. But please listen to what Jesus says after every message to a church: ‘He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ 

It’s a straight up warning, and to each church He promises something different if they repent and/or stand strong. Yesterday we saw what He promised to the churches at Ephesus and Smyrna. Now, to the church at Pergamos, He promised: ‘To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving (except) he that receiveth it.’ (Rev. 2:17) 

And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘Manna in the Old Testament represents sustenance and life (cf. John 6:48-51). Christ is sufficient for all the believer’s needs. The white stone with its new name symbolizes acceptance and approval by God.’ Now who doesn’t want to receive God’s acceptance and approval eh? 

Well some foolish people don’t, but those of us, blessed with even a smattering of common sense and a touch of wisdom, will undoubtedly want to please God and receive His acceptance and approval. and the first stage in doing that is approaching Him in sincere prayer, laying down all our doubts, fears and problems before Him. And there’s no time like the present, that’s right now, to do it. So let’s come before Him and express our Friday Chant.

As one sincere 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 the racial strife is 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 to receive a positive response from the Lord, we now have to show ourselves to be truly faithful believers. That’s all there is to it friends! Much LOVE!

…you can’t waiver…or sit on the fence…and expect God’s blessing…                                                             

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 June 2021 Revelation 2:7a.

03 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Revelation 2:7a.     He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rainy days and Thursdays always get me down! Now that’s not really true, because there’s nothing like a rainy day to bring peace and quiet to your life. A rainy day just seems to draw one closer to one’s Maker, in that it brings a serenity and calm to one’s soul and spirit. And that’s how I feel today, as we open with some heavenly blessings. It just seems that when the rain falls the world is not as noisy and busy, and do we ever need to lessen the futile busyness and unnecessary noise in this modern technological age. 

So if it’s rainy in your area, please take a few quiet moments and spend with your Maker… and hopefully do less talking than listening, because I believe we tend to talk to God much more than we listen to Him, that’s why sometimes we take so long to get answers, He can’t get in a word edgeways. (smile) But since the Lord so generously gave us breath to face another glorious day on planet earth, let’s turn to the promise we made yesterday, to continue looking at some stuff from the Book of Revelation. 

Yesterday we stopped where Christ told John to write down some messages to seven particular churches, to be sent by seven angels or messengers. We won’t go through them all, just some that I think are most important. And the first one is to the church at Ephesus: ‘Unto the angel (messenger) of the church at Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (lampstands). (Rev. 2:1) 

The seven candlesticks which Jesus walks amidst represent the seven churches to which he has messages (1:11) The seven stars in His hands represent the angels of the seven churches. According to the scholars: ‘The angels may be either literal angels, each of which has a special guardian ministry toward one specific church (cf. Heb. 1:14), or the human leaders or pastors of these churches. Angel literally means “messenger.” 

And Jesus continues: ‘I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience (perseverance), and how thou canst not bear (endure) them which are evil: and thou hast tried (tested) them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. And hast borne (persevered), and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted (become weary). Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first LOVE.’ (Rev. 2:2-4) 

The scholars tell us that ‘The city of Ephesus was one of the most important commercial and religious cities in Asia Minor. The most famous temple of the goddess Artemis (Diana) was located there. It was also John’s headquarters before his exile. Ephesus served as the “mother” church to the others, all of which were connected by the same Roman road. And though the church is commended because of its soundness of faith and its perseverance through persecution, its people have come under Christ’s discipline for having left (not lost) their first LOVE or former devotion to Christ.’

 Does that sound familiar my people? I think it should, because a lot of us supposed believers are not as devoted to Christ as we used to be. Our devotion has dropped off at a time when it should be at it’s zenith! But as always, our Saviour offer us a lifeboat. ‘Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except (unless) thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.’ (Rev. 2:5-6) 

Yes friends, the scholars tell us that the solution the Ephesian problem is threefold: ‘(1) remember your former devotion to Christ; (2) repent of the present lack of LOVE and devotion; and (3) return – that is, do the things that were characteristic of the devotion of the church in its earlier years. Christ threatens to discipline the church by removing its light (candlestick). Today, Ephesus is in ruins, and it’s church is gone.’ 

Now was Christ’s discipline a pertinent factor in the demise of the church at Ephesus? Who knows? But it’s surely a good question for us to contemplate in these ungodly times. And as per the Nicolaitans, the scholars say they ‘were probably a libertine, antinomian sect (rejects laws and moral values) who attempted to use Christian liberty as an excuse for self-indulgence and immorality.’ 

Then comes the second letter: ‘And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue (congregation) of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried (tested); and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.’ (Rev. 2:9-10) 

A tough request that friends, but it’s also the same request the Lord is making of us today: stay faithful to the end, and He will bless us with a crown of eternal life. And just a few words from the scholars on the plight of Smyrna, ‘whose name meant “Myrrh” a fragrant spice for anointing dead bodies. It was a rich and beautiful city, some fifty miles north of Ephesus on the shores of the Aegean sea, whose believers were undergoing persecution and had been reduced to poverty. They were being reviled by unbelieving Jews. They received no condemnation from Christ but were encouraged to endure suffering faithfully. Faithful persecution through trials will bring a crown of life (cf. James 1:12). The second death is eternal destruction in the lake of fire (20:14-15), reserved for all unbelievers.’ 

Oh my people, our church life and devotion to Christ is definitely not up to scratch, and we do need to come up higher, especially in these troubled times. Please listen to what Jesus says after every message to a church: ‘He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ It’s a straight up warning, and to each church He promises something different if they repent and/or stand strong. 

To the church at Ephesus, He promises: ‘To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.’ (Rev. 2:7) And the scholars explain that ‘the promise to him that overcometh probably applies to all Christians with genuine faith (cf. 1 John 5:4-5) and will be fulfilled as believers enjoy the blessing of the New Jerusalem (22:2,14), the paradise of God.’ 

To the church at Smyrna it was: ‘He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.’ (Rev. 2:11) And that’s the gospel truth friends! If we persevere in good faith with Christ until the very end, we will not be cast into the lake of fire. Now shouldn’t that give us a strong sense of purpose, especially as we draw near to the end of this church age? I should think so. But sadly, not all of us agree on that point. However, for those of us who do, let’s go home this rainy Thursday declaring (wrong again!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. 

As one now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

Our next move is to now go out and share those blessings just as generously as our heavenly Father shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…the Lord does not expect perfection from His followers…but He does expect diligence, devotion and excellence from them… 

P.S. Sorry for the length and lateness of the Bit, but I messed it up and had to rewrite it. Chuh! Much LOVE!                                                          

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 2 June 2021 Revelation 1:8a.

02 Jun 2021 Leave a comment

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

Revelation 1:8a.     ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord,

On and on we go friends, walking down the road of life with our marvellous Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! You know, every day seems the same, but they are all different when you partner with Jesus, because He makes every day special, unique, in its own way. Now who else can do that for us eh? Nobody! Not a single soul can give us the joy, the hope, the peace, the LOVE, the salvation and friendship that we find with Jesus! 

Wow! No wonder so many of have chosen, and are choosing to follow Him right down to the very end! And that decision is the wisest one we can ever make, for when we live for Jesus, our earthly lives may sometimes be rough, but our end will be great, greater than if we follow any other path. And why is that you ask? Well let’s hear some scriptures that ought to bring the true story to you and help you decide to live for Jesus. 

The Book of Revelation, Jesus’ account of what’s to happen, as He revealed to His disciple John on the isle of Patmos tells us in the early verses: ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.’ (Rev. 1:3) And believe me friends, the time is truly at hand. The world is in such an ungodly and unstable mess, that even if God doesn’t put forth His hand to destroy it, it will implode soon, because of the inordinate strife, anger, sickness and inhumanity that’s permeating it right now. 

Then, the terrible way in which we’re treating the earth, continually ravaging it for our greedy, selfish purposes, without any plans for replenishing it, there must come a time when there’s nothing left to be ravaged. And though Bruh Paul wasn’t referring to the physical earth when he proclaimed: ‘For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain (suffers birth pangs) together until now,’ (Rom. 8:22) we can certainly make a point for its continual physical deterioration through all the mining and deforestation and other bad treatment we inflict on it. 

Then look at the number of volcanoes that are currently erupting all over the globe, many of which have been dormant for long periods. I don’t know if we have ever had so many erupting simultaneously as we do today. And when we add the other natural disasters that seem to be occurring more often, with greater intensity, there’s little hope for us, unless we quickly and completely change our attitudes towards God, each other and the earth. 

Now, it doesn’t matter so much what happens to our physical bodies, but it’s of the utmost importance what happens to our spiritual selves when the physical body returns to the earth from whence it came. And I’m here to tell us that following Jesus is the best thing we can do for our spiritual lives, which shall live on for a long, long time after our physical bodies die. 

And John vividly details, some verses later in his revelation: ‘Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds (the tribes) of the earth shall wail (mourn) because of him. Even so, Amen.’ (Rev. 1:7) Those words refer to Christ’s return to earth to establish His kingdom, not to the Rapture. There, everyone will see Him, including all those who rejected Him, and wanted Him dead and participated in His death, will then repent and mourn. 

But hear what Jesus tells John. ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.’ (Rev. 1:8) The scholars tell us that ‘Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and refer to God’s eternality and sovereignty, and possibly to the fullness of God’s self-revelation.’ Now God revealing Himself to us should come as no surprise, for He’s done it right down through the ages through His prophets. 

And I like how from heaven, just like on earth, when Jesus appears to John, who falls down at His feet as though dead. He tells him: ‘Fear not; I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.’ (Rev. 1:17-18) Yes friends, Christ is alive and well! 

The scholars explain: ‘As God in the Old Testament is called “the living God,” so Christ is he that liveth. He became dead when He humbled Himself to die on the cross (Phil. 2:6-8), but then rose to live for evermore. Three tenses of Christ’s existence are emphasized: (1) His ever-abiding life; (2) his death as God-man; and (3) His resurrection to everlasting and authoritative life. He has authority over death and judgement and therefore has the keys of hell (hades) and of death (cf. 20:14).’ 

Then we come to this most pertinent instruction of Jesus’ to John. ‘Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.’ (Rev. 1:19) According to the scholars ‘This is the key verse of the Book. Revelation has three major sections: (1) the things which thou hast seen – chapter 1, especially the vision of Christ (cf. vs. 11 -: “what thou seest”); (2) the things which are – chapters 2 and 3, the conditions in the churches; and (3) the things which shall be hereafter – chapters 4-22, beginning with the judgements of the Tribulation period (cf. 7:1) – “after these things”). 

Ah mih people, I know many of us don’t like or read, or understand the Book of Revelation, because it can be confusing and has some gory details that turn us off, but in truth, it’s the best Book of the Bible, because it tells us exactly what will happen at the very end to those who follow Jesus sincerely and those who don’t. It doesn’t mince words at all. However, I think we’ll stop here for today, since it will get much too long if I continue with it all at once. Tomorrow, God spare life, we will get into Revelation a little more, and hopefully, by the time we are finished, we’ll all have a better idea of what’s going to happen in the future. 

So, for those of us who are totally interested in walking with Jesus, let’s go home now declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Him. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And to further boost our enthusiasm, let’s remember that if we endure to the end, the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…one truth from the Bible…is worth…more than all the wisdom of man…                                                   

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              

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