Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 June 2022   1 Corinthians 9:25a.

20 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 9:25a.      And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). 

Once more Monday has rolled around friends, as it tends to do every seven days, (smile) but let’s hope that this one isn’t too rough because of the lingering effects of yesterday’s Father’s Day celebrations. I know that many of us used it as an excuse to over-indulge in food and drink and general merriment. And it’s not a crime to indulge, as Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes. ‘Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely (fitting) for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun (in which he toils) all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion (heritage).’ (Eccl. 5:18)  

Yes friends, eating and drinking and enjoying the fruit of our labour is a God-given heritage, the problem though is over-indulgence in those activities. What we need is moderation in those things that are righteous…not moderation in all things, as some people claim. I like how this commentator writing on the biblereasons.com website puts it: ‘Have you ever heard someone say moderation in all things? If you have, I want you to know it’s false. When talking about moderation we must also remember the word abstinence. There are some things you just can’t do.’ 

And that’s the living truth. You can’t do all the sinful things in moderation and think that’s right. And as the commentator continues: ‘You must have self-control with everything and the Holy Spirit, which lives in Christians will help you. Thank God that we have the ability to do things that some can’t, but be on guard when shopping, watching TV, surfing the internet, drinking caffeine etc. Don’t be obsessed with anything in your life, except for the Lord. Don’t put a stumbling block in front of other believers. Without moderation you can easily fall into sin. Be careful because Satan does all he can to try to tempt us. Do all things for the glory of God.’ 

Now we should indeed do all things for God’s glory, but to tell the truth, I don’t even think we should be obsessed with God, because the word has an inherent negative quality, one clouded with fear, like a phobia or a mania, and it continually intrudes on your thinking so that you can’t think on anything else clearly. But, if however, there is one thing or person we should be obsessed with, it is indeed our heavenly Father. (smile) 

Anyway, we ought to do as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Philippi. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7) 

Yes, my faithful brethren, we Christians should be known for our moderation, that’s graciousness and reasonableness. And if we are at peace with our fellow believers and rejoice always, then we ought to be gracious and reasonable people. And furthermore, we’ll have the peace of God, a divine tranquility enveloping our lives, where fear and worry don’t intrude. Then Bruh Paul goes on to give the Philippians some practical applications to help them in achieving those outcomes. 

He says: ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phill.4:8-9) 

Now, we can’t say we don’t know what things to think on my people, (smile) especially if we truly desire the divine peace of God to be safeguarding our hearts and minds. And we can’t leave out these passages of scripture when talking about moderation, which includes a healthy dose of self-control. Bruh Paul writes thus in his first epistle to the church at Corinth. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. 

And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate in all things (has self-control). Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown; but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly: so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (disqualified)’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27) 

And that last verse there is ever so important for preachers and teachers; meaning that every day I have to consider what I do and say, lest after teaching others the word, I don’t have the self-discipline to run a strong race and fight a good fight, and get disqualified, herded with the goats and not the sheep. Now, having learned all of that, (smile) it’s time for us to put it into action. And the first line of action is always prayer. So, let’s go to the throne of grace in confident humility, and, with supplication and thanksgiving, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, lay our requests before the Lord. 

Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

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

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

And what do we do after making our requests known to God in prayer? We keep our promises and wait expectantly and eagerly in faith for Him to answer…in His own time! Much LOVE!

…heaven on earth is possible…if we will just use the tools God’s given us… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 June 2022 Ephesians 6:4.

19 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:4.      ‘And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.’

HAPPY  FATHER’S  DAY!​

Well, Happy Father’s Day greetings to all us fathers, be we good, bad or indifferent! (smile) The Good Book does say that the father is the head of the household, the leader, the spiritual guide and should be a good example to his children as he raises them in accordance with godly principles. In the words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.’ (Eph. 6:4) 

Yes friends, fathers have an immense responsibility in rearing children and leading a household. As the scholars say, we must not provoke our children to wrath through things like ‘injustice, loss of temper, undue severity, cruelty, favouritism, suppression, sarcasm, ridicule, and misuse of authority.’ 

Brother! No wonder many men run away from that kind of awesome responsibility. It is indeed a lot to handle. And on top of all that we have to teach them about the Lord; rear them in proper LOVE and reverence to the Lord God Jehovah. Do as Joshua did, let it be unconditionally known; ‘but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh. 24:15d) A father should also be ‘One who ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.’ (1 Tim. 3:4) That means managing his family in the right way, making sure that the children learn obedience in a dignified manner. 

Wow! The good thing about it all though my fellow fathers, is that once we embark on the right track, the Lord helps us to run our families and raise our children. He just doesn’t leave us in a vacuum; tell us to make sure we do this or that and raise them according to His Word, then disregard us and leave us to rear them on our own. As true believers we ought to know that’s not how our wonderful God operates. Whatever He asks or expects of us, He also enables, gives us the tools to accomplish the task. 

Unfortunately though, in today’s world where God is no longer recognized as being a very important part of our lives, many fathers don’t have the knowledge they need to carry out their responsibilities, or just don’t care, or are not living with their children, and thus the family, the smallest and most important group, the foundation unit of our society is sadly falling apart, leading to the malfunctioning and degradation of society as a whole. Yes friends, when the smallest part of an organism or organization is being ruined, it’s not long before the whole edifice collapses. 

And yes, women do a fantastic job of keeping families together, but they can’t do it all by themselves, they need a male partner to help, if the job is to be done properly. And, unfortunately, it’s the children who suffer the most from these broken or dysfunctional homes. And since the males don’t have a decent example of what fatherhood ought to be, they continue in the same dysfunctional manner when raising their families. How many of us fathers are like Job eh? 

The Good Book says: ‘And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about (his children’s feasting was over), that Job sent and sanctified them (set them apart, consecrated them), and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, it may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually (regularly).’ (Job 1:5) Isn’t that beautiful my people. Job knew the value of continually praying for his children. How many of us fathers do that nowadays eh? Not enough. 

And yes, like this week we’re having the sermon before we get with the praise and worship. (smile) But that’s just how the spirit moved me this morning. But let’s get to today’s song, one that we all know and LOVE. It’s titled ‘My Hope is built on nothing less,’ written by the British Baptist minister Edward Mote (1797-1874). Oh, I know it’s an old song, but that just attests to its staying power, because it deals with assurance and refuge, of strength and a solid foundation that we find only in Christ Jesus, which I believe is a good sentiment for we fathers to seek this Father’s Day. 

So, let’s offer up our scintillating sacrifices of praise in a joyful mid-tempo version, letting our sincerity pour out of both our mouths and our hearts. In perfect unison and harmony, let’s sing: ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. (Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.) 

When darkness veils his lovely face I rest on His unchanging grace In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil. (Refrain) His oath, his covenant, his blood Supports me in the ‘whelming flood When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. (Refrain) Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move; I rest upon unchanging LOVE. I trust his righteous character, his counsel, promise, and his pow’r. [Refrain] 

When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand… On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand… Oh thank You Lord…You solid Rock!’ 

Now didn’t that make you feel reenergized and reassured? It ought to…if you were sincere in your vocalizing. (smile) And it’s been said that the song was based on Jesus words from Matthew 7, as He winds down the Sermon on the Mount. It’s a story we all know about the two foundations. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded up a (the) rock.’ (Matt. 7:24-25) 

Yes mih bredrin, wisdom dictates than when we hear the teachings of Jesus that we build our lives and that of our families on Him, because He is the ROCK! A sure place of refuge for all and sundry! Where you are never turned away or left to die on your own. No one else can offer what Jesus offers, so please let’s wake up and heed His urgent call nuh, especially we fathers, for our children, our families and our society as whole are suffering because we are not doing our bounden duty to lead them in a righteous manner in Christ Jesus. Please. I implore us to let today be a serious and sincere turning point in our lives! Much LOVE!

…no other foundation but Jesus…will withstand the battering evil forces of the world… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 June 2022 Proverbs 20:13.

18 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 20:13.      LOVE not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

Oh brother, did we ever have some savage winds blow yesterday… all day and into the night. It seems like they wanted to blow away everything, and it did do some damage, but the strange part is that through it all, the sun shone brightly with not a cloud in the sky and people went about their business as usual. And that strong wind looks like it wants to continue today as the trees outside are still having a rough time of it. 

This makes me think that it’s just another factor in the climate change scenario, because I don’t remember ever having so many strong windstorms, especially in the summertime, until the last few years. But recently an intense wind system has become the norm. Anyway, as Cousin Sol says so wisely in Ecclesiastes. ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven… He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.’ (Eccl. 3:1, 11:4) 

So, let’s not observe the wind or regard the clouds, but do what it’s time for under the heaven this Saturday morning, (smile) that’s checking out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. The first one tells us that ‘In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact.’ Yes, there are 1440 minutes in a day, and when you put it like that, it appears like we have plenty time available to make a good impact for Christ. 

However, in reality, it doesn’t work that way because we need time to sleep and do other functions that aren’t conducive to making positive impacts on others. That means, to be a good ambassador of Christ, we have to use the time left very wisely, we can’t afford to waste even a minute of it, because every minute lost, means a soul possibly lost to Christ. That’s why we have wise sayings like ‘make hay while the sun shines,’ and Cousin Sol’s words from Proverbs; ‘LOVE not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.’ (Prov. 20:13) 

In other words, don’t be lazy or procrastinating, but be up and about, actively producing a positive impact in the world for yourself and Christ. And the next quote says: ‘There is no advertisement as powerful as a positive reputation travelling fast.’ Now that’s very true, but not very easy to do, especially in a slanderous, evil, greedy and strife-filled world like that in which we currently live. But thankfully our friend Anselm has given us some useful pointers in the other quotes that he’s sent us this week, so we’ll just use them to paint a beautiful picture…all for Jesus Christ. 

Before we get to those quotes though, we must make one definite pronouncement, remembering that we can’t do anything worthwhile without Christ in our lives. He said it as plainly as it can be said. ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And if the Son of God, who is the way the truth and the light, the only way to the Father, says that, then it must be true. So the basic foundation of creating a positive and fulfilling reputation is by having Christ in our lives. 

Then, as Anselm says in the next quote: ‘It’s most important that you surround yourself with positivity always, and have it in your mind at all times.’ Yes friends, we can’t do positive things if we are not filled with positive thinking, but positive thinking based on the word of Christ. That’s the crucial aspect of it all. Christ is the most positive thinker there’s ever been, therefore, to think like Him, His word must always be uppermost in our minds. That brings us to the next quote, the next step in the building process. ‘I surround myself with positive, productive people of good will and decency.’ 

Now, that’s possibly the most essential part of the whole building process! Why? Because, although we personally have all the parts necessary for the purpose, we can’t build anything strong and worthwhile by ourselves, without good material, without good folks around us. And though we might prefer them to be Christian like ourselves, they don’t have to be, since there are good, decent hard-working folks out there who are not believers in Christ, and likewise, plenty supposed believers whom you don’t want around you at all. If you get my meaning. (smile) 

That’s how Christ desires us to build our lives and consequently His church; first on the strong foundation of His word, and then with good, positive, productive helpers, for nothing good is ever constructed with poor, negative, lazy help. And I like this last quote, because it is the sum of all that we’ve spoken about so far, it brings all those things into a Christ-like fulfillment. It says: ‘When you are joyful, when you say yes to life and have fun and project positivity all around you, you become a sun in the center of every constellation, and people want to be near you.’ 

Oh my people, that’s the gospel truth! When we’ve taken what Christ has given us, the fruit of the Spirit, and used it wisely, there’s a heavenly joy that rises up in us that nothing or no one can take away from us, and people see and recognize it and want to be continually around us; ‘like a sun in the centre of every constellation!’ Wow! I like that analogy because it blends in beautifully with what Jesus asks and expects of His followers. 

Remember these poignant words of His in the Sermon on the Mount? ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16) 

Oh my fellow saints, that is what Jesus expects of us, especially in these times of so much fear and confusion! He expects us to be the ones showing a positive outlook to the world since we have all the good things that He’s bequeathed to us, that He’s died for us to have, like forgiveness of sins, peace, LOVE, joy, salvation and eternal life! 

But we are not doing such a good job, because, if we were, the enemy, the purveyor of darkness would not have the death-like grip he currently has on the world. Instead, the harbinger of light; that’s Jesus, would have been in the ascendancy. So please, let’s get to work nuh. Since we claim to be true believers, it’s high time we do as Jesus desires of us, to bring forth much good fruit. We have all the tools, all the necessary credentials…so what’s holding us back eh?  Much LOVE!

…wherefore…by their fruit…ye shall know them… (Matt. 7:20)   

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 June 2022 Deuteronomy 8:18a.

17 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Deuteronomy 8:18a.      But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth,

Finally friends, it’s that day we’ve all been waiting for, and a bright, sunshiny, warm one too. (smile) So let’s all shout it together nuh. After three; one, two, three: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Surprisingly, it’s one of the few things we don’t have to beg our fellow beings to thank God for, they just seem to do it automatically, even non-believers utter the slogan, as though coming to the end of the work week is such a heavy load off our shoulders. 

And yes, sometimes it can be, but generally speaking we should be thankful for seeing every day, for having jobs to go to, and all the other good things that the Lord has granted us, for many didn’t wake up to see today, many don’t have jobs to go to, or enjoy all the other benefits we enjoy in our prosperous society. 

But there’s one thing we ought never to forget, as Moses said to the children of Israel when they would come into their prosperity in the Promised Land. ‘And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (test) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:17-18) 

Yes friends, it’s only through the goodness and mercy of the ever-living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that we have the ability to amass wealth and become prosperous! And why is that you ask? Simple. It’s because as Bruh David writes in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2) 

And that’s the gospel truth my people! That is if you believe in the one God Jehovah. But yuh know what? Even if you don’t believe in Him, it makes no difference whatsoever, for He did speak the world into existence and formed us puny, fragile and finite humans from the dust of the earth, where we shall all eventually return when our short sojourn on this earth is done. 

The only difference is that the spirits of some of us who believe in and walk according the dictates of His Son, Jesus Christ, will go to dwell with the Lord until eternity, while the spirits of those who don’t believe will end up in the lake of fire ‘prepared for the devil and his angels,’ to be damned and destroyed forever! 

That’s where Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats; with goats on the left hand and the sheep on the right, and welcome those on the right hand saying, ‘Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ And all of that can be found in Matt. 25:31-46. Please read it asap, so you can grasp the seriousness of the situation. 

But it’s time to go all the way back to Moses talking to the Israelites, so we can get the true gist of what it entails to be living for God. After telling them about the Lord being the one who allows them to get wealth, Moses continues: ‘And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord hath destroyed before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God.’ (Deut. 8:19-20) 

Oh my people, Moses didn’t mince words, and whenever they strayed from the God of their forefathers, they suffered greatly, just like every other nation down through history that became great through God’s empowerment, then forget about Him when they reached the pinnacles of their glory. Just like we are doing in our society today; foolishly trying to rid it of its Creator and Provider. 

No wonder our world is going to hell in a handbasket, filled with hate, strife and all the other negative things of the demonic enemy. That’s what happens when you refuse to obey the voice of the living Lord God Jehovah and follow dead man-made idols that can’t do a solitary thing to change your life for the better, only for the worse. 

But then again, the Lord God Jehovah is so wonderful, so merciful and gracious that He’s made a way for us to come to Him if we ever change our minds. That’s through the awesome option of prayer. So please, let’s take a hold of it right now nuh and through our Friday Chant go to Him for help in these terrible times of apostasy and lack of LOVE! 

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

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. 

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

Now, we keep the promises we’ve just made, and then wait on the Lord’s response. That’s the ONLY way! Much LOVE!

…how can you disobey your Creator…and expect to prosper eh…for there are serious consequences to disobedience…just ask the Israelites… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 June 2022 Ecclesiastes 11:1.

16 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Ecclesiastes 11:1.       Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

So then, we come to Thursday, the penultimate workday before our glorious weekend, which has opened fairly sunny, despite the few spoiler clouds hanging around. (smile) And surprisingly, yesterday did turn out to be a good, sunshiny and warm day, despite the early morning darkness, with not a drop of precipitation. But one cannot be bothered by the eccentricities and vagaries of the weather these days, else it would drive you crazy, since there seems to be no rhyme nor reason to its recent behaviour. 

And now that we have dealt with the oddities and idiosyncrasies of the weather, it’s time to deal with ours… And do we ever have many, so much so that the Lord shakes His head every morning we arise, wondering what foolishness, disobedience or sin we’re going to engage in that day. (smile) And that’s why these verses of scripture from Cousin Sol operating as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes are ever so important to us. Please read with me these opening verses of chapter 11, subtitled, ‘Charity enjoined.’ 

‘Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow: and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit (wind), nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper (which shall succeed), either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.’ (Eccl. 11:1-6) 

Ah friends, what true words of wisdom! Cousin Sol was indeed a wise man, at least in his early years. (smile) And what does all of that mean eh? Let’s listen to the scholars explain it. ‘11:1-6. These verses contain a series of sayings about the uncertainty of human industry, and are held together by the fourfold occurrence of the expression thou knowest not. Although man cannot comprehend God’s work, nor predict success, he needs to be involved in life’s activities and trust God for the results.’ 

And that’s the living truth my brethren! We don’t know what will happen in any particular day or time in God’s universe because He’s placed it all under His own control, but it is indeed essential for us to take a constructive and productive part in life’s activities and then leave the rest to God, trust Him, believe in His utmost faithfulness, since He’s promised to work it all out for our good. That brings us to these other marvellous and wise words of Cousin Sol, this time from Proverbs. ‘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) 

Now that should be simple common sense if we believe that God is our Maker and Controller. However, too many of us talk that sentiment but don’t truly believe it, or act like we do. We still try to fashion our lives after our own plans and not after God’s, which is paramount to foolishness and disobedience. And right here the Holy Spirit just led me to consider my own life; what it was before the Lord took a stronghold on me, and what it would have been like if I hadn’t listened to him way back then. 

And I don’t even want to think about what it might have been like. Oh, I was doing materially okay, but something was missing in my soul. I was searching for something that I just couldn’t seem to find. Then the Lord called me to write this Scrip-Bit and I laughed because I definitely didn’t have the knowledge or wherewithal to write about scriptural matters. But He persisted, and I eventually gave in. Please note though, that whenever the Lord comes calling, for your own sanity, please say yes, the first time, because He’s not going to stop and will make life miserable until you agree to do His bidding. 

And as I’ve often said, when I began writing the Bit it was often a scripture verse or two, but through the Lord’s faithfulness and my discipline, some fifteen years later I’m now writing too much. (smile) Yes friends, one thing I can surely vouch for is the Lord’s faithfulness; He helps you, sticks by you and gives you the necessary tools to do whatever He’s asked you to do. But again, you have to trust in Him, surrender your life completely to Him. And no, it won’t be easy, because He tests you along the way. 

And I’m chuckling here, because many a day I’ve written stuff in the Bit, and before I had even finished, I was tested on what I had written (smile). And don’t worry, the Lord knows that we won’t pass all the tests, some we’ll have to take over and over. (smile) But once He sees the sincerity in our hearts and attitudes, He will help us. No doubt about that, because He desires us to grow and become as close as possible in attitude and behaviour to his first-born Jesus Christ. And I can guarantee that this promise that Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians is ever so true. ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phill. 1:6) 

Yes, my fellow saints, once we’re alive and living for Christ, the Lord will continue growing us until the day He takes us home, or Jesus returns, whichever comes first. And one of the ways He does that is by bestowing us with many undeserved blessings so that we can do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So, let’s declare and activate them right now nuh. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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!’ 

Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and walk worthy of those undeserved blessings, by sharing them as generously with others, as the Lord has shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…talk is cheap…but action calls us to pay the price… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 June 2022 Psalm 29:11.

15 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

​Psalm 29:11.      The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

I don’t know how the weather people get their info nuh, but on my computer they are claiming that this Wednesday morning will be sunny. However, right now that is the furthest thing from the truth, for the morning has opened dark and cloudy all around. Let’s hope that they were referring to the afternoon period…after the rain. (smile) But regardless of how the weather turns out, we want to concentrate on a few verses of scripture this morning. They come from Psalm 29, titled ‘The voice of the Lord in the storm.’ 

Let’s look first at how Bruh David opens the psalm, with a strong call for praise to the Lord. ‘Give (ascribe) unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty (majesty) of holiness.’ (Ps. 29:1-2) Now that should be obvious, simple common sense, if one is a believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But unfortunately, many of us supposed believers don’t really give our God much of the true glory and honor that He rightfully deserves. 

Although, technically speaking, we could never give Him enough gratitude and thanks to ever make up for the wonderful things He’s done for us sinful children of men, especially the sending of His one Son, Jesus to die for us on the cross of Calvary to pay for our sins and consequently offer us forgiveness and salvation. Oh, by the way, the weather forecast has just been changed to cloudy. (smile) At least they are getting there, though somewhat late. 

But getting back to the psalm, thanks and gratitude to our great God is sadly lacking in these busy times. So many of us claim we don’t have time to even read the word and talk to Him, because we’re so busy. What are we so busy doing eh? And what’s more important than talking to and worshipping and giving thanks to our Creator and Giver of Life? Nothing should be more important than that! No, not if we are sensible and truly LOVE the Lord. 

And it’s not only in Christ’s time that the Lord showed His awesome strength and power to save His people. But He did it all through the Old Testament too. And we have a good example of it when the armies of Moab, mount Seir and Ammon came against the Israelites. Jehoshaphat the king knew that he could not win against such a powerful enemy, so listen to his words to the people. 

‘Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of the holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (2 Chr. 20:20-21) 

Ah hope yuh notice that friends, Israel went out to fight the combined army of three nations singing praises unto the Lord re His strength and holiness. Nowadays you’d never find that! They’d think you were thoroughly insane and quickly throw you in the crazy house if you ever proposed such a response to an invading army. But hear how the Good Book continues the story. ‘And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten (defeated).’ (2 Chr.20:22) 

The long and the short of the story is that the Lord caused the three invading armies to fight against one another instead of against Judah, and they obtained a mighty spoil without lifting a hand to fight, for the battle was not theirs, but the Lord’s! (2 Chr. 20:23-26) Hopefully therefore, we can today realize the power of praise and worship, thanksgiving and sincere gratitude to the Lord God Jehovah, because there’s nothing He desires or likes more than His people praising and glorifying His holy name. But foolishly, we are more interested in removing Him from all walks of our society, instead of welcoming Him with opened arms and raising the greatness of His name. 

That brings us to the last verse of Psalm 29, which confidently declares: ‘The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.’ (Ps. 29:11) And as faithful believers in Christ Jesus we ought to embrace those words and intents with overwhelming confidence and cry out with praise and thanksgiving. But we don’t, therefore our dreams remain unfilled, while we live miserable, frustrating and lacklustre lives. It seems like we’ve forgotten these marvelous words of the prophet Isaiah, or simply choose to ignore them in favour of what now passes for wisdom. 

‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? He giveth power to the faint (weak), and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:28-31) 

Oh my fellow saints, I do hope that these few words (smile) I’ve penned today will awaken us and help us come back to the God of our forefathers, as we so desperately need to do, if we are ever to successfully change our lives from a hell to a heaven right here on earth. Now for those of us who are truly trying our best to raise God’s name, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

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

And now, just a li’l reminder that if we endure to the very end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s plan on enduring right to the very end nuh. (smile) Much LOVE!

…in everything give thanks…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus…concerning you… (1 Thess. 5:18) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 June 2022 Philippians 4:7.

14 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 4:7.      And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

And Tuesday has opened bright and sunshiny! Praise the Lord! What glorious summer weather we are having before the real summer time begins. (smile) Just hope that it will continue in a calm and balanced fashion, not in a topsy-turvy unbalanced one, what with the problems that climate change is supposedly having on the current weather patterns. 

That’s why it’s so important that we remember the faithfulness and steadfastness of our God. He never changes, but is the same yesterday, today and forever. Unlike the vicissitudes of life, the unexpected changes of circumstances that have us discombobulated, like flotsam in a storm, (smile) our God is a pillar of steadfastness, a refuge in that crazy storm, always there to help us whenever we cry out to Him.  And I do believe that this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin describes too many of us supposed believers in the crazy, strife-filled world of today. It’s aptly titled ‘What’s Myself Doing to Myself?’ 

Please read with me. ‘With childish intensity she asked “What’s myself doing to myself?” I couldn’t help but smile As she stood before the mirror Struggling so impatiently With a stubborn jacket zipper. But I’m not smiling now, Lord As I pass my own mirror and glance at the tension Etching my somber face. I’m frightened, Lord. Her innocent question clutches me: “What am I doing to myself?” Frustrated, frantic So often breathless Too many irons in the fire…

What am I doing to my body – To my mind, my emotions? What am I doing to my family? What am I doing to Your Plan For my personal fulfillment? Why do I live like this, Lord As though Your world Couldn’t exist without me? Why do I so often Tear myself from your control? Dear Lord, calm me. Pull me off the merry-go-round Of converging conflicts. Give balance to my boggled mind. This very hour, Lord Infuse me with your poise and power Until my total self Is submerged in You – Yourself. Only then will I be free To be myself.’ 

And that’s the gospel truth my people! Only when we give ourselves entirely over, surrender ourselves completely to our good and wonderful God can we ever be calm and free to be our true selves! Now how many of us do see ourselves in that poem eh? ‘Frustrated, frantic…too many irons in the fire…living like the world couldn’t exist without us…allowing the vicissitudes of life to tumble us over and over, riding the merry-go-round that’s so much a part of our world in these confused and contrary days? 

Too many of us my brethren! That’s why psychologists, psychiatrists, supposed stress relief providers and medications are having a heyday in our current society. Why the number one disease and killer is stress. Because we all are trying to multitask, do too many things at the same time, and thus do nothing properly, or as well as we can. Why do you think the Lord only gave us two of everything eh…well of most things, like hands, feet, ears and eyes? Because He did not think it necessary to give us more for what He had in mind for us. (smile) 

If He wanted us to be doing a multitude of things at the same time, He would have made us like cherubim and seraphines with plenty hands, feet and eyes. But as always, we just like to invalidate God’s Master Plan, thinking that our puny and finite minds can do better than His infinite wisdom and omnipotence. Unfortunately though friends, that’s the furthest thing from the truth, and too many of us only realize that when life hands us plenty sour lemons at the same time and we can’t handle them, can’t make the proverbial lemonade, so, in frustration and panic, we finally come to our senses and cry out to God for divine help. 

I guess it’s only when we find ourselves completely maxed out, at our lowest point, that the thought of God enters our minds. But that’s so unwise my people. God should always be our first avenue for all our problems, desires and whatever… Why wait until we hit rock-bottom to turn to Him eh, when He has a marvellous plan in place for each of us, where we just have to go to Him and ask about it? That doesn’t make sense at all. But we have been, and possibly will always be stubborn, hard-headed beings, always wanting to do it our way…until we find that our way isn’t working. 

And a lot of the time and money we are spending on the shrinks and medication can be easily curtailed if we will only wake up and follow the Lord’s plan, His guidebook called the Bible. Just listen to the Bible verses associated with that poem nuh. They come from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the Philippians. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) 

Wow! What wonderful words of wisdom! Yes friends, our God is always near. That means we don’t have to worry or be anxious about anything. However, as the scholars point out. ‘This is no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concern. The solution to undue anxiety is prayer in every thing, “in any matter of life.” The way to be free of anxiety is to be prayerful about everything. While God is eager to hear our requests, they are to be accompanied with thanksgiving.’ 

Yes, my fellow saints, our first response to any and everything should always be prayer with thanksgiving. In that way the Lord will give us a tranquility of mind freeing us from fear and worry, while guarding our hearts and minds with a divine peace that’s greater than our finite minds can understand. And it’s not like we don’t know it friends, for it’s all written there large in black and white. Jesus said it quite clearly. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27). 

But stubbornness, hard headedness and foolish pride stop us from going to God, the ONLY ONE, who always has our best interest at heart, and can also solve ALL of our problems. But it’s our terrible loss if we don’t accept His invitation. However, for those of us who gladly accept it and try our best to do His will, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. 

As one 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!’ 

Now let’s go out and do exactly that; share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like do! Much LOVE!

…the peace of the world…can never match…the peace of Christ… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 June 2022   2 Corinthians 13:14.

13 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 13:14.      The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the LOVE of God and the communion (fellowship) of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.​

Oh friends, Monday, as it has a nasty habit of doing, (smile) has shown its intimidating face once again. But yuh know what? As always, we will not be intimidated by it because we have been refilled, been regenerated by the Holy Spirit yesterday as we celebrated Trinity Sunday in honour of our Three in One Godhead – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Yes, there is no God like our God Jehovah… three separate persons, three different identities, but ONE GOD! 

And some people, even believers, find that difficult to fathom. But it’s really quite simple: Although they are all equally God in their own right, we can possibly say that the Father runs the show, makes the big decisions, while the Son acts as His right-hand man, and the Holy Spirit does the hard work, or puts the decisions in to action. I guess we could give the example that the Father LOVED us, His sinful and rebellious creation so much that He didn’t want to lose even a single one to the satanic forces, so He concocted a marvellous, but heartbreaking plan to give us an opportunity to change from our evil ways and be reconciled to Him. 

That’s because, with the disobedience of our forefathers, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden, our sinful nature had become anathema, meaning repugnant and odious to Him, and consequently we had been consigned to eternal damnation. Now, that outstanding plan we just spoke of, involved sending His Son, Jesus Christ to earth in human form, to die a substitutionary sacrificial death in our place, giving us the option of receiving forgiveness for our sins, salvation and eternal life with the Father, when we believe in Christ as our Lord and Saviour. 

But then, after Jesus did His mighty work here on earth, He had to return to heaven. However, our God is so caring and compassionate that the Holy Spirit was dispatched to earth on that fateful Pentecost Sunday, which we celebrated last weekend, to indwell all believers, as our Helper, Comforter, Guide and heaven-sent Companion. And that’s the beauty of our Triune God: they are three distinct, equal though separate entities, but operate as One well-oiled and magnificently functioning machine! Please give our wonderful God some much deserved thanks and praise! 

And although the Bible does not mention the word ‘Trinity,’ the idea is scattered throughout it. Let’s look at a few of them to give us some idea of how they work together, are amazingly intertwined three in one. And the first scripture comes from Matthew 3:13-17, which features the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. The Good Book describes it thus: ‘And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ (Matt. 3:16-17) 

Right there you have the Son baptized, the Holy Spirit coming down to sit on Him like a dove, and the Father’s voice saying that He’s proud of the Son. And later on in Matthew, Jesus talks to the disciples about Christian Baptism thus: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ (Matt. 28:19) There we have baptism in one name, but of three persons. 

Then, if we turn to 1 Peter 1:2, we see him writing to the elect, those chosen by God for salvation. ‘Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.’ (1 Pet. 1:2) 

The scholars describe ‘Elect’ as ‘God’s determination in eternity past to bring certain people into a special relationship with Himself. The Spirit sets apart (sanctifies) for salvation from destruction those whom God has foreknown. Sprinkling is an allusion to Exodus 24:1-11 in which the blood was sprinkled on the altar as a symbol of the people’s obedience and also on the people as a symbol of Jehovah’s acceptance.’ So there, in salvation, we have people chosen by the Father, set apart or sanctified by the Holy Spirit and sprinkled with the blood of Jesus. Another example of how our Triune God works so wonderfully well together as One. 

Meanwhile in 2 Corinthians Bruh Paul offers this benediction to his readers. ‘The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the LOVE of God and the communion (fellowship) of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.’  (2 Cor. 13:14) And the scholars explain it thus. ‘13:14. In his concluding benediction, Paul provides one of the clearest expressions in the New Testament on the doctrine of the Trinity. The deity of the Son, of the Father, and of the Holy Spirit are affirmed by virtue of their relation to one another. The distinctive personalities of each are implied by the independent activity denoted in the threefold operation of grace (from Jesus), LOVE (of the Father) and communion or fellowship (of the Holy Spirit.).’ 

Now doesn’t that make it all a little clearer, as well as tantalizing and interesting! (smile) And we’ll just summarize this last passage of scripture where Bruh Paul prays for inner growth for the Ephesians in Chapter 2:14-21. He prayed that they might be ‘strengthened with might by his (Christ’s) Spirit in the inner man… to know the LOVE of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph. 2:16, 19) So there we have more scripture that’s representative of the Triune God we serve, and there’s still more in the Good Book that we don’t have time nor space to consider today. 

And as one commentator says of those scriptures: ‘ It simply shows how easily the writers of Scripture passed from one Person of the Trinity to another, doing so in a way that assumes their equality of nature while preserving their distinct personhood. If the doctrine of the Trinity is not true, it would seem to be blasphemy to speak so freely of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in one and the same breath.’ 

And I do hope that with the above scriptures and explanations we’ve made the doctrine of the ‘Trinity’ somewhat easier to understand and accept. Now, let’s go to our Triune God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for His help in our earthly problems. Altogether now. ‘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!’ 

It’s up to us now my people, to keep our promises if we want God to keep His. Much LOVE!

…the Holy Trinity works in marvellous tandem…just like the universe they created…  

P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but the ole fella was somewhat under the weather this morning and didn’t get started until later than usual. And I know it’s long, but good. (smile) And as they say, better late than never. Much LOVE! 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 June 2022 Matthew 25:2.

12 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 25:2.      And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

Awright friends, that’s two days straight that the weather has stayed bright and sunshiny right through! Glory be! Don’t know what this Sunday will bring though, because like rain fell last night and it’s wet and cloudy outside, though the sun is putting up a valiant effort to ascertain itself. (smile) That small detail however, will not stop us from gathering to worship our wonderful Lord on His day, be it physically in our sanctuaries or by technological means. (smile) And today, Trinity Sunday, when we celebrate our Three in One Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we’ll open our praise and worship session with an uplifting, scintillating old traditional gospel spiritual titled ‘Give Me Oil in My Lamp.’ 

And we know that’s a rollicking ole song, so let’s lift our sweet voices in sacrificial praise in a rocking West Indian riddim version. Altogether now: ‘Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Give me oil in my lamp, I pray. Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Keep me burning till the break of day. (Refrain: Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King of kings! Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King!) Give me LOVE in my heart, keep me sharing. Give me LOVE in my heart, I pray. Give me LOVE in my heart, keep me sharing. Keep me sharing till the break of day. (Refrain) 

Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing. Give me joy in my heart, I pray. Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing. Keep me singing till the break of day. (Refrain) Give me faith in my heart, keep me praying. Give me faith in my heart, I pray. Give me faith in my heart, keep me praying. Keep me praying till the break of day. (Refrain: Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King of kings! Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King!) 

Jolly good show mih people! We rocked…and heaven rocked along with us! That’s the beautiful thing about heaven, they LOVE their music up there too, since a lot of singing and praising of God also goes on up in that wonderful realm. But on a more serious note, it’s claimed that the song we just sang was based on Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins, found in Matthew 25:1-13. Jesus likened the kingdom of God to ‘ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.’ (Matt. 25:1-4) 

But as always happens the bridegroom was late, and they all slept. However, when he finally arrived at midnight and they all went out to meet him, the lamps of those who had brought no oil went out, and in desperation they begged for oil from the wise ones who had brought some extra oil just in case the bridegroom was late. But those wise ones refused, figuring that there wouldn’t be enough oil for all of them. So, the foolish ones had to go out and buy oil, but by the time they returned the bridegroom had locked his doors, the celebrations had begun, and those five foolish ones were left out of the good times. 

The bridegroom obviously refers to Christ as the ‘Bride of the Church,’ and the five wise or prepared virgins represent the saved of the Great Tribulation. The scholars tell us that ‘The lamps seem to refer to their lives which are either prepared or unprepared. The oil refers to that which prepares them to give forth light and may properly be illustrative of the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.’  

One commentator says for believers the song conjures up ‘an interpretation that signifies a thirst for spiritual food—spiritual food to get one through the darkest of times in hopes of a brighter day, a clearer vision of one’s path or until one gains their salvation.’ That seems to hold true, as this other commentator declares: ‘In the song someone is asking God for the “oil” of the Holy Spirit to light up their lamp – or their life – and keep them “burning”.  I think they want to be on fire for their Lord!….. Oil is symbolic in Scripture of the Holy Spirit. (Is. 61:1)’ 

That’s when Isaiah introduces Christ with his Good tidings of salvation to Zion. And he prophesies: ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek (poor); he hath sent me to bind up (heal) the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.’ (Is. 61:1) And what did they anoint with in those olden times? Oil of course! 

As Bruh David says in Psalm 133 – The joy of brotherhood. ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious ointment (oil) upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts (edge) of his garments.’ (Ps. 133:1-2) So it’s very logical to believe that the author of the song was indeed invoking the Holy Spirit for assistance in problematic times or simply in daily life. 

And if you still don’t believe me, let’s see what constitutes the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Bruh Paul wrote it thus to the Galatians. ‘But the fruit of the spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal. 5:22-23) 

And aren’t those the very things the singer is asking for: the oil of faithfulness to keep him burning bright for Christ; LOVE in his heart to keep him sharing; joy in his heart to keep him singing till the break of day; and faith in his heart to keep him praying, also to the break of day, or continually? 

So, my fellow saints, let’s hope that as we sang those telling words, our hearts also invoked the Holy Spirit to refill, to regenerate us with its fruit, that we too can go on burning forever for Jesus, as He desires us to do! And it’s also imperative that we remember these telling words of Jesus to John in Revelation. ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.’ (Rev. 16:15) Much LOVE!

…be prepared…be ready…should be the believer’s motto… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 June 2022 Psalm 119:9.

11 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 119:9.      Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.​

Can you believe it friends, Friday actually remained bright and sunny for the entire day, and Saturday, our lazy day, has also opened with bright sunshine. Let’s hope it stays that way all day though. (smile) But with the contrariness of the weather system these days, who knows. Anyway, as we rest and contemplate life, let’s also ponder on these quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. 

And the first one tells us: ‘Always desire to learn something useful.’  Now that’s certainly very good advice, because learning useless things will not enable us to handle the difficult and scary situations we will all face in life. And the best place to begin learning useful things is from the Word of God; His undiluted, unadulterated Word found in the majestic and marvellous book we call the Bible! And if you don’t believe me, then listen to this outstanding advice from Psalm 119, where the author confidently declares: ‘Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.’ (Ps. 119:9) 

Yes, my fellow believers, if God’s word found in the Bible is our guidebook for living, then that’s the best place to find useful knowledge. And remember what Cousin Sol says in the first chapter of Proverbs. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov. 1:7) Oh yes, acknowledging the sovereignty, awesome power, majesty and goodness of God is where all wisdom, understanding, knowledge and wise counsel begins, for He is the fountainhead of it all! 

And one of the ways the Good book teaches us to live and operate is highlighted in this next quote: ‘The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.’ Now is that ever so true. And one thing we Christians are very good at is talking, but we’re not so hot when it comes to walking our talk, especially in the tough times. We talk a whole lot about God and faith when things are good, but when problems arise, too many of us jettison or forget the faith we spoke of when things were going well. 

We get angry with God, wonder where He is, and why He allowed such nasty things to happen to us? But friends, in the tough times is exactly when we got to go to God, cry out to Him for help, show the true colours of the Christian faith we profess, not blame and blaspheme Him, like so many of us do in those difficult times. 

But even on a worldly level, the best way to get started on anything at all is to cut down on the talking and get some action going. You’d be surprised how action … can’t find the word I’m looking for (smile) but once you begin doing, it sort of just continues on its own accord. It’s one of the principles involved in building, in growing…the first step is always the most difficult. Thereafter it gets comparatively easier. And it’s ever so important that we believers stop the plentiful talking for which we’re known, and begin doing more action, for which we are not so well known. 

James, Jesus’ brother says it quite well when he talks about faith that works in his epistle, James 2:14-26, which can be summarized by ‘show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.’ (James 2:18b) Oh friends, one of the ways to know true believers is by the works they do based on their faith. As Jesus said: ‘Wherefore by their fruit ye shall know them.’ (Matt. 7:20) 

And the next quote says: ‘It’s almost always possible to be honest and positive.’ I guess that contains a certain amount of truth, but we need to remember that positivity doesn’t work for honesty alone, it also works for dishonesty. The most evil people in our world are some of the most positive, totally believing in the rightfulness of their cause. And in the kind of evil and fraudulent world in which we are currently living, it’s much harder to be honest and positive, for everywhere we turn lies and deceit greet us with opened arms. 

But this next quote will hopefully help us to handle that last one. It tells us to ‘Find joy in the simple things.’ And that’s excellent advice, for our world has also become so complicated recently with so much information and knowledge available on so many different things, that many of us have a hard time understanding it all and thus making good decisions which bring us satisfaction and a joy in living. However, if we concentrate on the simpler things of life, it’s easier to find satisfaction and joy in them. We don’t have to get into all the convoluted stuff that’s going on around us. A basic understanding of it is quite sufficient. 

To tell the truth, that’s how I try to live my life these days. I endeavour to know what’s happening, but I don’t let it all get into my soul and spirit. I choose the parts or aspects that are necessary and just concentrate on those. Thus, I have much less confusion and dismay in my life. However, don’t ever forget that Jesus must be an integral part of it all, otherwise you won’t be successful. 

That brings us to this last quote. ‘Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.’ Again, there’s lot of truth in that statement. We ought to live the dreams that the Lord has put in our hearts. As Bruh David so rightly said in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps. 37:4) However we do need to remember that sometimes the Lord allows problems into our lives to test and push us forward. 

As they say, problems are a method of growth, of advancement. And whenever we solve a problem, it automatically increases our understanding and helps us to grow. And you better believe that in going after our dreams, we will encounter problems, so it’s necessary to keep an open mind when it comes to problems, for they can be very useful in our growth and Christian walk of life. Much LOVE!

…Jesus had plenty problems here on earth…but He solved them through faith, works and the Father’s help…and so can we… 

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

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