Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 April 2023 Ephesians 4:27.

20 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 4:27. Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.

Well, it seems that the sun has the upper hand in the weather contest this Thursday morning in early spring. But fear not, the dark clouds are hovering around, ready to slip in, once the sun makes a wrong step. And that is exactly how the devil does with us believers. He’s always there hovering and loitering, waiting for us to make a misstep, then jump right into the opening in our souls and spirits. And that’s why there are so many warnings in the scriptures about being careful of the wiles and evil schemes of Beelzebub. 

Jesus even warned us about falsehood and evil in this world. He said in no uncertain terms: ‘The thief cometh not but for (except) to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:10-11) And that’s exactly what He did on the cross at Calvary; gave His life for us, the sheep of His pasture. But the devil has no such good intentions towards us. He just wants to wreak havoc amongst us and invade our souls and do the same there, his basic intention being to turn us away from believing in and truly living for Christ. 

And that’s why we have to pay serious attention to this scripture from Peter. He writes: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11) 

There you have it in black and white friends: the devil is always prowling around to see whom he can snare in his evil trap. And though he pretends to be a lion, he’s a toothless one, with only a frightening roar. That’s because Jesus knocked out all of his teeth when He died and rose from the dead. That was Jesus’ knockout punch to the enemy, thus making him a toothless and powerless foe. Remember, he has no power over us, unless we give it to him. As they say, his bark is worse than his bite, since he has no teeth to bite. (smile) The problem though is that we continually give the devil room to manoeuvre in our lives because we don’t pay sufficient attention to the things we do and say. 

And that’s James’ reason for warning us, when he says: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10) Yes friends, we must resist the devil. That’s the only way we can get rid of him. And one way of doing that is by turning seriously and sincerely to God. Humbling ourselves before Him, cleansing our hands and purifying our hearts through sincere communication and doing of His holy will. 

The devil won’t just go away and leave you alone…at least not for long. As Luke reminds us in the temptation of Jesus. ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an appropriate time).’ (Luke 4:13) That shows when you resist the devil, he goes away, but only until he sees another opportune time to confound you. But please note too how Jesus resisted the devil during His period of testing; by quoting scripture to him. ‘It is written…that man should not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ (Luke 4:4) ‘It is written…Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’ (Luke 4:8) ‘It is written…Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’ (Luke 4:12) 

Yes my fellow believers, when the devil gets a good dose of scriptures in his evil machinations, he goes away, but only for a time. That’s why we need to read, meditate and remember the scriptures so we can throw it back in his face when he comes a calling. Now, please note that when Jesus shot the scriptures at the devil, he backed off. So don’t think for one moment that Satan doesn’t know the scriptures. He possibly knows them better than us, for remember once upon a time, he was the Archangel Lucifer, the Bright Morning Star, who’s foolish pride caused him to rebel against God and get kicked out of heaven down to the fiery depths of Hades. 

And we can’t quote scriptures on resisting the devil and not quote these from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. (smile) He writes: ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lust; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. 

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:22-32) 

Oh my fellow saints that’s just the way we ought to live as true believers! And I know that it’s not always easy to live the godly, righteous life, but it’s the best way to fight off the enemy and his evil wiles and schemes. Don’t give him even a toe hold in our lives by doing the things Bruh Paul warns of. And if we live that way, we won’t have to fight off the devil as often. Now, I hope that give us some reassurance in standing up mano a mano to the enemy, but our God is so wonderful that He’s bestowed blessings on us, that we call Thursday Blessings, so that we can do His earthly work and live the way He desires. Let’s declare (steups!!!) them out loud now so we can activate them. 

Altogether: ‘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!’ 

And having activated those blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them to help others come to know and LOVE Jesus like we do! Much LOVE!

…living the way Jesus desires…reduces the attacks of the enemy…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 April 2023   2 Timothy 4:7.

19 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

2 Timothy 4:7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith:

Awright, so we gone back to this cold weather nonsense. (smile) There were even some snowflakes yesterday evening, although they didn’t turn into anything serious. But just the very thought that we could still be seeing snow is annoying and frustrating. So when we awaken to this Wednesday morning cold and somewhat cloudy, it doesn’t do anything positive or good for one’s constitution, (smile) 

But thankfully, the sun is fighting a valiant battle to come out, although the clouds don’t look like they intend to give up without a fierce fight. And that my dear brothers and sisters in Christ is how we are supposed to be as true followers of Christ; in never give up mode, fight right down to the finish! In fact, in Christ’s kingdom, the words ‘give up’ simply don’t exist, because there’s no need for them. 

That echoes Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy, after telling him that ‘godliness with contentment is great gain, and money being the root of all kinds of evil and the evil deeds one can get into by LOVING money. (1 Tim. 6:6-10) He then advises him: ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim. 6:11-12) 

Yes my fellow believers, that’s exactly how we should be going about Christ’s business as His ambassadors and agents on this earth; living as godly and righteously as we can, and always fighting the good fight of faith. So that at the end of our earthly days, we can make positive statements like Bruh Paul did. ‘But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:5-8) 

Ah friends, some of those things are not easy to do, like enduring afflictions with a good spirit, but we need to do them if we want to truly represent Christ and all that He stands for. James encourages us in the matter by saying. ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried (has been proved), he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE him.’ (James 1:12) 

Now both apostles tell us about crowns we’ll receive if we stand strong and steadfast and bear our crosses right down to the very end, and what we need to remember is that our wonderful God never asks us to do stuff that He doesn’t give us the anointing to do. So although things might look difficult, sometimes even impossible, if it’s truly the will of God for our lives, then we will be able to do it. 

And I can talk from personal experience there. Do you think that I’ve been writing this Bit on my own strength for the last sixteen years? Obviously not! And it wasn’t even my idea in the first place, but God’s, and I fought Him about doing it. But as always, if He is serious about something, He will prevail in the end, for He has more machinations than mankind can even dream of. (smile) And though my first attempts were laughable, simple one line verses, with His help and faithfulness I eventually worked up to now, where I’m writing too much. 

And believe me when I say that some days I come to write the Bit and I don’t have a clue as to what to write, but ever so faithfully the Lord will show me something that He thinks I should write on. Now, it’s not always like the snap of my fingers, sometimes I have to work hard for it, checking all sorts of scriptures. At other times I just open the Good Book and a relevant verse jumps out at me. That’s why I can boldly acknowledge the Lord’s faithfulness when He gives you a task. 

And it’s ever so important that whatever He asks us to do, we take it seriously and put out our best effort in accomplishing it. You’ll notice the big job that the Lord gave Bruh Paul to do; take the gospel to the Gentile world, and how he did it with zeal and enthusiasm, though he suffered mightily for it. And it’s obvious he could not have done it all in his own strength, but the Lord, having assigned him the task, made it possible for him to do a brilliant job. 

Now, not many of us will have to suffer like Bruh Paul to accomplish our ministry, but there will be trials and tribulations regardless of how simple it might seem, and that’s when we have to rise up to the task, to stand up strong to whatever temptations or afflictions are blocking our way. We have to do like Peter says in his first epistle. 

‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.’ (1 Pet. 4:12-14) Yes, those are indeed tough words to live by, but live by them we must. 

Now here’s a li’l encouragement from Peter earlier on in the epistle. He writes: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5) 

Oh my fellow saints isn’t it wonderful to know that God, through Christ Jesus has bought our sins and replaced them with righteousness and hope, of salvation, as well as an incorruptible inheritance that is laid up for us an heaven! Remember we’re joint heirs with Christ, so whatever He has in heaven we’ll share some of it, like the crowns of life and righteousness that James and Bruh Paul spoke of. So, since we have all the tools, the promises, the faith, the hope and wherewithal to do God’s will, please, let’s get serious and do it nuh, for He is depending on us, His earthly agents to make a positive difference down here on earth. 

Now, for those of us who are intent on doing just that, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus. In 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!’ 

And remember that if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s use it as an incentive to endure to the nuh! (smile) Much LOVE!

…living for Christ is not easy…but it’s certainly interesting and worthwhile… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 April 2023 Acts 1:5.

18 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

Acts 1:5.For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Ah chuh! It’s a chilly, windy, cloudy Tuesday morning in mid-April! The bout of summer weather we had last week has disappeared just as quickly as it came, and now we’re back to regular spring temps, with much wind and rain. But let’s look at it from a positive angle nuh, we’ve gotten a preview taste of summer, and it looks like it’s going to be fine! Glory be! We’ll take a week of hot weather anytime. The important thing though is that we’ll be joyful with whatever we get, and handle it with aplomb, knowing that the Lord’s presence, His grace and mercy are with us, through His Holy Spirit. 

And that brings us back to our refresher course, Introduction to Holy Spirit 101, that we were doing yesterday. Then, we mentioned two prophecies of the Holy Spirit coming upon men at a later date, which happened when Jesus came and then returned to heaven. We quoted the prophecy from Ezekiel, so let’s see what the one from Jeremiah says. ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: 

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts (minds), and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sin no more.’ (Jer. 31:31-34) 

And all of that happened when Jesus came and did His thing, then returned to heaven. Glory Hallelujah! Yes friends, that New Covenant was made with Israel and with us Gentiles, so that we could be a part of the salvation story. And the major differences there was that animal sacrifices were no longer required to relieve the sins of the people, because Christ’s death had paid for ALL sins, and then the Holy Spirit, which hitherto had only appeared to or dealt with men on a one by one, every so often basis, is now, as the Lord promised, indwelling each believer, and allowing each one to know Him personally. 

That’s the beauty of this new Comforter or Helper that Jesus prayed the Father to send. And it’s interesting to note that before ascending back to heaven, He told the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem, ‘but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of (from) me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ (Acts 1:4-5) 

Now that must have been hard for the disciples to understand, because the Good Book tells us that ‘When they therefore were come together, (at the Mount of Olives) they (the disciples) asked him, saying, Lord, will thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times the Father hath put in his own power (authority). But ye shall receive power, after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both from Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts 1:6-8) 

Then Jesus was taken up into the clouds and they saw Him gradually disappear. Not like the other times after His resurrection when He suddenly appeared and then disappeared. This was an intimation that it was final. Although they might not have understood that at the time. But He would not show up to them again until His Second Coming. And like obedient disciples, they went back to Jerusalem to wait for the fateful moment, for the power of the Holy Ghost to fall on, to baptize them. 

And we all know that this happened on the Day of Pentecost, when the whole church, about a hundred and twenty of them were in an upper room, ‘all with one accord (one purpose or mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (languages), as the spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4) 

Wow! What an occasion that must have been; a baptism of enormous significance in our Christian faith. That’s because prior to the coming of the Holy Ghost to indwell those first believers on that Pentecost Day, the Holy Spirit’s work had been done from without, (the Spirit came upon), and it was temporary, and only fell for exceptional reasons. However, after that Pentecost Day, the Holy Spirit automatically indwells each and every believer. Once they come to faith, every believer receives the baptism of the Spirit. 

But there’s an important difference we should all note, that’s between the baptism and the filling of the Holy Spirit. The scholars explain that ‘the baptism is permanent, happening once and for all. But the filling is not received by all believers and thus is ongoing, occurring continuously as seen in the present tense imperative of Ephesians 5:18: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.’ Yes my brethren we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit, that’s allow the Spirit to fill us with God’s own character, life and values, and not allow the devil to fill us with wine, so that we can live a godly not a dissipated life. 

And that concludes our refresher course in the Introduction to Holy Spirit 101! Thanks for coming, but please note that that’s just an introductory course, (smile) now you have to do some studying on your own, first to assimilate all that we’ve spoken of, then reach the point where you can move on to a higher class on the subject. (smile) Now, for those of us truly interested in living for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. 

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

Now let’s get out there and do just that; share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others! Much LOVE!

…don’t be contented with mere baptism of the Holy Spirit…but seek to be continually filled with the Spirit of God…for that’s where the abundant life is at… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 April 2023 John 14:16.

17 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

John 14:16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever;

And Monday has come around quite unexpectedly! (smile) It’s also the start of the first full five day workweek for some of us, since we had Good Friday and Easter Monday off. Hope we still remember how to handle it. And if we don’t, then the Holy Spirit will be only too glad to give us a refresher course. You can always count on the Holy Spirit when you find yourself in a jam. Why? Because that’s His job: to lead and guide us in all our endeavours, keeping us in line with God’s will. And I guess that just naturally leads us in to a short refresher course on the Holy Spirt; who He is and how He operates. (smile) 

Now the first thing we need to know about Holy Spirit is that He is a person, one of the persons that make up our Christian Triumvirate Godhead, or as we call it, the Holy Trinity. And that’s one of the basic, or foundation stones of our Christian Faith, which you certainly need to understand and accept if you want to function successfully as a true believer. And our Godhead consists of three induvial beings, each having different jobs and responsibilities, but it’s still ONLY ONE GOD! 

We don’t have the pantheon of Gods that others have. We have God the Father, who, for argument sake, sets the agenda, then there’s Jesus, the Son, who overseers the agenda, and then there’s Holy Spirit, who I think of as the One that does all the hard work, getting down and dirty in the trenches. (smile) And we see a good example of this right at the beginning of recorded time, the Creation, when the Good Book tells us: ‘In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.’ (Gen. 1:1-2) 

That tells us that the Holy Spirit had a hand in the Creation, just like Jesus did. And how do we know that? John in his gospel spells it out very clearly. ‘In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God, and without him was not anything made that was made.(John 1:1-3) Yes friends, John’s telling us that the Father decreed the idea, and Jesus created whatever needed created for Him. That simply shows that all three persons of our Godhead were around at the Creation. 

Then Jesus came to earth to do His thing, to save man from His iniquity, pay for man’s sins, through His death and resurrection, as the Father desired and required for justice and righteousness to be done. Now, we’re at the season of Christ’s resurrection that we call Easter, and Christ is preparing to go back to heaven to the Father. And what is His masterful and amazing promise to the small band of followers He’s accumulated over the three years of His earthly ministry? 

‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18) That’s how kind and considerate our Jesus is! He knew he was going away so He promised to make provision for His followers to keep in touch with Him. 

And later on He reassures them. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, being present with you. But the Comforter (Helper), which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.’ (John 14:25-26) Oh friends, how can you ever beat our Jesus for thoughtfulness and compassion eh? You simply can’t! 

The basic problem there was that while Jesus was on earth, He could only physically be in one place at one time, but when He returned to heaven, He could send the Holy Spirit to earth to dwell with and in men to remind them of all that He’s said, and also lead and guide them in all righteousness as prophesied by the prophets Jeremiah under a New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) and Ezekiel, under a New Heart and Spirit. 

Listen to Ezekiel speaking on God’s behalf. ‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you. and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:25-27) 

And as always, the Lord is faithful to keep His promises. That’s when we see Jesus promising to send this new spirit, this new Comforter, a Helper to walk alongside and in them, to lead and guide them in what He desires them to do. Now, that’s only and introduction to Holy Spirit 101, (smile) for time and space are against us. So, we will continue this refresher course tomorrow, God spare life obviously. Let’s go now to our heavenly Father in sincere prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, petitioning His divine assistance for the days ahead. 

Altogether: ‘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 and wisdom to solve our many problems. 

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

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

Now, let’s do as we know we ought to nuh, that’s turn from our evil ways and be faithful believers, so that the Lord can bless us and our land. Much LOVE!  

P.S. Please forgive the lateness of the Bit, but as happens with all of us at some time or other, life happened with me today. (smile) Much LOVE!

…if you’re not following the Holy Spirit’s leading…then you’re not following Jesus…  

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 April 2023   1 Timothy 2:4.

16 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

1 Timothy 2:4.Who will have (desires) all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Hurrah! It’s Sunday, the first Sunday after Easter Sunday when our Lord and Saviour rose triumphantly from the dead! Wow! And yuh know what? We’re still celebrating that immortal victory, because it’s Christ’s death on the cross and His magnificent resurrection that gives us the option, the joy and promise of salvation and eternal life! And if you don’t think that is sufficient cause for celebration, then you’re either a die-hard heretic, sick in the brain, a fool, or all three. (smile) 

Anyway, for those of us who believe that Jesus’ sacrificial death and amazing resurrection are justifiable cause to celebrate, let’s open today’s proceedings with an oldie but goodie; appropriately titled ‘At the Cross.’ The lyrics were written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748) somewhere around 1707, and apparently Ralph E.  Hudson (1843-1901) added the chorus in the following century. (smile) But be that as it may, ‘At the Cross’ is still a marvellous tune reflecting the salvation brought to us sinners by Jesus Christ, through the LOVE and machinations of our heavenly Father. 

And if that isn’t cause for much celebration, then I don’t know what is nuh. So, let’s offer up our sacrificial praise with sweet, harmonious voices, in an upbeat tempo version of the song, because it’s a song of joy and freedom, and you can’t sing such tunes in a dirge like manner. And we’ll begin with a rousing rendition of the chorus. Singing: ‘(Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? 

(Refrain:) Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. (Refrain) Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree! (Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. 

(Refrain) But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do. (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! Now I am happy all the day…happy all the day…happy all the day…’ 

Yes, my fellow believers, that’s how we ought to be, happy all the day…or rather, joyful all the day, because happiness tends to be tied up with our circumstances, while joy exists even when our circumstances are not so good. And I’m sure we all enjoyed singing that ageless tune, especially the rollicking chorus. Today, we can look back and sigh with sadness and wonder and eternal gratitude at Jesus’ death on the cross at Calvary, but that’s the most important and integral aspect of the whole situation, for without His death and the payment of our sins that that death covered, no resurrection or any celebration would have been possible. 

Oh friends, the cross of Christ is where it all begins and ends! You first have to go there and lay your burdens down before you can go any further along the Christian continuum. And when Christ cried out ‘It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost (His spirit),’ (John 19:30) it meant that His work on earth was done. As He said to the disciples earlier on: ‘For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto (to be served), but to minister (to serve), and to give his life for a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45) 

And that’s exactly what He did on that old, rugged cross on Good Friday; died for many, gave His sinless life selflessly as a ransom for all who choose to believe in Him. As one commentary says: ‘He has borne the guilt of our sins. He has endured the punishment of our hell. The divine wrath has been spent on him. The justice of God has been satisfied in him.’ And for that selfless sacrifice, we all ought to be eternally grateful. But let’s never forget that it all began with the Father, with His wondrous, unconditional LOVE for His most amazing creation. 

As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome: ‘For God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE for us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) And these words of Bruh Paul to Timothy further enlightens us, as he expounds to the young pastor on the importance of extending prayers, supplications, intercessions and the giving of thanks for all men. 

‘For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have (desires) all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the gentiles in faith and verity (truth).’ (1 Tim. 2:3-7) 

And what does all of that mean? Let’s hear what the scholars have to offer. They say of verses 5-7: ‘These verses provide a threefold evidence confirming the assertation in verse 4 that God “will have all men to be saved”: (1) There being but one God that He must have the same desire toward all people, which is, namely, their salvation. One mediator suggests His Having made the same provision for all people, namely, redemption. (2) Jesus gave himself a ransom for all (vs. 6). (3) Paul’s being divinely ordained … a teacher of the Gentiles (vs. 7) shows that if sinful pagans are instructed in faith and verity (truth), then surely God does indeed want all to be saved.’ 

It’s a closed and shut case friends! God wanted ALL His human creation to be saved, and thus put the wheels in motion, in the fullness of time, that’s in His timing, to have it done. And all I can say is that He gave us free will when He first created us, but we turned to sin instead of to Him. Now, He’s given us another chance, hoping that this time we will wisely use that free will to come back to Him through His august Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Just remember friends, it’s all up to us now. God has done His part; the rest is up to us. Much LOVE!

…God’s given us the choice between life and death…please, I implore us…let’s choose life nuh…for that’s the wise option… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 April 2023   2 Corinthians 12:9a.

15 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

2 Corinthians 12:9a. And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.

And then it was Saturday, lazy day Saturday! Unfortunately though, I was up and about early this morning doing stuff, and thus did not get to enjoy the lazy aspect of the early half of the morning, so now that I’ve come to write the Bit, I’m tired. (smile) But you know what? I remembered this verse from 2 Corinthians and found the strength to continue. It’s where Bruh Paul asks the Lord three times to remove a ‘thorn from his flesh’ which he seemed to think was given to keep him humble. And the Lord’s answer was simply marvellous. ‘And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a) 

Wow! What an answer! And believe me, it’s the gospel truth. I can testify to it because on numerous occasions when I’ve felt that I just didn’t have the energy to finish a task or go somewhere, or just get up and move around, I’d suddenly find myself renewed with strength and perseverance to continue. And I just knew that it was not my doing, but the Lord’s! I can’t help saying it friends: What a magnificent God we worship! I don’t see how anyone in their right mind, with any knowledge of Him at all, can turn away from Him, because He is always there when we need Him. 

No wonder Bruh Paul says after he got that answer: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’ (2 Cor. 12:9b) And that makes a certain amount of sense. If the Lord will empower you in times of weakness, then why not glory in your weakness so that He can empower you. (smile) And to back his contention, Bruh Paul continues thus: ‘Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:10) 

To the ordinary unbeliever that might not sound like good logic, but if you’re a sincere and faithful believer, it is, because you know that in your weakness, the Lord will make you strong to accomplish His will. And though in our society it’s verboten to boast, or even speak of our weaknesses, in Christ’s kingdom it’s certainly acceptable, because we’re not always strong enough to do whatever we desire to do. And these excerpts from an article by Allison Richmond on the spiritual-life/weekly-devotional website gives us some good insights into the situation. 

She writes: ‘It is counterintuitive to talk about our weaknesses. In fact, we usually try to hide them. Today more than ever, we are held to incredibly high standards of near perfection, causing us to brush our weaknesses under the rug and not let anyone know about our failures or shortcomings. We try to put on a façade of strength, and we can’t hold it up forever. But God is perfect in every way, giving Him the power to make up for any weaknesses we have. And we have a lot. Paul says because of this, he will be even more aware and vocal about his weakness in order that God might come in and support him. 

God’s power perfects our weaknesses, allowing us to do so much more than we could ever do on our own. The strength that God will provide in our weaknesses is much greater than any strength that we could muster on our own. So we should not try and hide or avoid our weaknesses, but rather, embrace them, allowing God to strengthen you in ways you could never have imagined.’ 

And that’s the Christian way! Oh, we really don’t go out and boast of them or flaunt them arrogantly, but we don’t hide them and pretend that we’re superman. That’s why Peter’s words on the subject echo so loudly in our ears, as he talks of us as being partakers of Christ’s sufferings. He says: ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice, inasmuch as (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busybody (meddler) in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify Christ on this behalf (matter).’ (1 Pet. 4:12-16) 

Yes, my fellow believers, it’s not always fun or easy to be a true Christian, for we will encounter tough times and suffer unnecessarily or falsely, at least in our opinion, but we are expected to bear those sufferings with a modicum of joy (smile) for Christ’s sake. Please remember Christ warned of that very situation. He said:’ These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace: In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) 

Now, again, that’s not always easy to do, but look at all Jesus suffered on our behalf, and He didn’t get through it all on His own nuh, the Father gave Him the strength to do it. In His weakness the Father’s strength and power became perfect. Likewise, when we are undergoing adversity, let’s remember Jesus’ ‘sufferation’ and how he handled it with the Father’s strength, and believe that we can handle ours the same way, if we will call out to the Father in our weakness and times of trouble, and not try to do it in our own strength, because most times we are incapable of doing so. 

And our God is such a smart-aleck, that He just reminded me of such a situation in my life. Sometime aback I was experiencing some mind-numbing cramps in my legs, and I called out to Him for help, and a few minutes later the cramps began to fade away. However, sometime last week, I had cramps again, but this time for some unknown reason I never called out to Him for help, and simply tried handling them in my own strength. And they took a relatively long time to dissipate. 

But yuh know what?  As soon as they did, I got this zeppo from the Lord, reminding me of the earlier situation, and how with His help, it had been solved very quickly. And all I could do was chuckle sadly and say, ‘Yes Lord, you’ve made your point.’ And it both amazed and annoyed me that in my time of need, I hadn’t remembered to call on the Lord for help. 

So friends, it’s very important that in our times of suffering, of weakness, we turn to God for help. We need to make it become a habit, an addiction that comes automatically, otherwise we might end up like I did, suffering unnecessarily. Much LOVE!

…our God possesses abnormal power… and in our frailty…we’d be foolish not to call on Him for help… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   14 April 2023 Hebrews 13:12.

14 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 13:12.Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify (set apart, make holy) the people with his own blood, suffered without (outside) the gate.

Dear friends, let me apologize for the lateness of the bit right up front. But as you know, the best laid plans of men and mice usually go astray. (smile) I had intended to get up early and do the Bit before going to a mid-morning doctor’s appointment, but obviously that did not happen. Then, you obviously have to wait to see the medic, because they are always running behind schedule. And after seeing him, there were unexpected X rays, followed by the overdue pharmacy visit to pick up medication, not to mention the Friday afternoon traffic in summer-like 25 degrees Celsius weather, this first real hot weekend of the year. But unfortunately, spring temps are expected back by Sunday.

And I know you’ve long since declared (awright!!!) your ‘TGIF’s’ Thank God it’s Friday!’ But since I’ve been gone from around 10.30 to almost 2.p.m, all I can say is, ‘Thank God, I’m back home!’  Now that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! (smile) So let’s get down to brass tacks. Yesterday we spoke about some of the things that Jesus’ death and resurrection did for us; namely redemption, forgiveness, justification, reconciliation and sanctification. We covered the first three and promised to do the other two today, provided the Lord gave us health and strength to do it. And it appears as though He has, so let’s keep the promise. (smile) 

Now, in talking about justification yesterday, that’s been made right with God, through the righteousness of Christ, we touched on the subject of reconciliation, (Rom. 5:10-11) but that was not the scripture I wanted to share on reconciliation, which is basically a reuniting or bringing of two parts or people into agreement. And the scripture I want to share comes from Bruh Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, where he expounds. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are made new. 

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit (that is) God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray (implore) you in Christ’s stead (on His behalf), be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:17-21) 

Oh friends, those verses cover a whole lot of ground, but it’s important to realize that it was ALL God’s doing, ALL His wanting to reconnect with His human creation, through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. In other words, as Bruh Paul intimates, the door has been reopened for us to reconnect with God, but it still depends on us to come to Him in reconciliation, through acceptance of His wonderful Son. 

Now, as per sanctification; that simply means, being set apart, being made holy, or in the image of Christ, which is the Lord’s desire for all who follow His Son. One commentary explains it thus: ‘The Bible tells us that sanctification is God’s will for our lives and soul (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Christ, by purifying our hearts and minds, through repentance, prayer, and spiritual practices. Throughout the Bible, sanctification is mentioned frequently as a calling to align yourself with God’s will and cleanse yourself from sin.’ 

And what are some scriptures on the subject? Listen up. This first one is what we just referenced, 1 Thess. 4:3: ‘For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication (sexual immorality).’ Then there’s this part of Bruh Paul’s explanation of his conversion on the road to Damascus to King Agrippa. Jesus is telling why He has conscripted him as an apostle. ‘Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified (set apart) by faith that is in me.’ (Acts 26:17-18) 

The next scripture comes from 1 Corinthians where Bruh Paul is berating them about being wrong doers. ‘Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that (to) your brethren. Know ye knot that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived…(and he lists some of their iniquitous doings) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified (set apart), but ye are justified (declared righteous (yesss!!!) in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.’ (1 Cor. 6: 8-9a, 11) 

And we’ll end with this last scripture from Hebrews that talks about blood sacrifices in the Old Testament in contrast to the New Covenant. ‘For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without (outside) the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify (set apart, make holy) the people with his own blood, suffered without (outside) the gate.’ (Heb. 13:11-12) Yes friends, it’s all about the cleansing of our sins, which the blood of Jesus did once and for all time. No more animal sacrifices. 

And when you receive Him as Lord and Saviour, then you are, forgiven, redeemed, reconciled , justified, set apart, sanctified, made holy, being slowly remade in His image from glory to glory! Now who wouldn’t want such a glorious transformation eh? We all do, without having to pay the price though. (smile) Now it’s time to go to the throne of God, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine assistance with our earthly problems. 

Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so 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 the simmering unrest in our land. 

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

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

And if we truly want to see positive answers to our prayer, then we need to make positive changes to our lifestyles. It as simple as that my brethren. Much LOVE!

…we’ve already experienced Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection….all that’s left is…His second coming…this time in glory… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   13 April 2023 Romans 5:8.

13 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

Here’s looking at you with LOVE and great expectations, the first Thursday after Easter! You’ve opened so bright and sunny, and so warm too, about 19 degrees Celsius, that for the first time in many a month I can open my windows and allow the cool fresh air to flow through the house! Wow! What a pleasure! Only those who have ever experienced it, know the wonderful feeling of being able to open windows instead of keeping them tightly shut. But it’s all a part of living in the northern climes, and it does provide for some variable and interesting though not always pleasant times. (smile) 

And in my neck of the woods this is definitely a day to say, with grateful truth: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) Oh friends, it seems like spring is truly and finally here…Praise the Lord! The birds are singing their songs of joy and praise, while flitting about their own lives, and the flora is beginning to turn green again, awaking from its long winter snooze, and let’s hope that that new life is also blossoming in us believers, especially since spring has sprung right at Easter time, when we celebrate the triumphant resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who, having defeated hell, death and the grave, now has the keys to hades in His nail-pierced hands! 

And all God’s people gave a joyful shout of: ‘Hallelujah to the Lamb that was slain for us, whose blood was shed to pay for our iniquity! Sing Hallelujah to His precious and glorious name!’ Yes, my fellow believers, we ought to be so grateful to Jesus for the selfless, sacrificial work He did on our behalf at Easter. No one else could have done it…even if they felt so inclined, for He was the only sinless soul, who could pay for our abominable sins. And yuh know what? We haven’t even spoken of the Father’s great LOVE for us as yet, which caused that marvellous debt repayment. 

Oh my, my! It was indeed the Father’s unconditional LOVE for His sinful creation that got the wheels rolling, and then Jesus’ obedience to, and LOVE for the Father, that eventually made it happen. And oh how great was that rolling of wheels that rolled on to our redemption, forgiveness, justification, reconciliation and sanctification! Ah my fellow saints, that certainly deserves another Wow! Just imagine nuh, that the death and resurrection of one individual could cause all those marvellous things to happen in our lives nuh. And if you don’t believe me, then let’s look at some scriptures that prove it. 

As per redemption, listen to Peter pontificate on the subject. (smile) ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest (revealed) in these last times for you. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.’ (1 Pet. 1:18-21) 

And all of God’s people said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Hallelujah! Glory to God in the Highest! Amen!’ And as per forgiveness, Bruh Paul says it loud and clear in Ephesians, speaking of the Father through Jesus. ‘Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children (as sons) by Jesus Christ in himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved (bestowed grace or favour) upon us. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded to us in all wisdom and prudence (understanding).’ (Eph. 1:5-8) 

Yes friends, Almighty God with wisdom and understanding, through His awesome grace, forgave our sins because the shed blood of Jesus paid the requisite up-scale price for them. No one, or nothing else could have paid the horrendous high price involved. So please let’s show our eternal gratitude by living sincerely and enthusiastically for Jesus nuh. He’s sacrificed so much for us. And the scholars offer this interesting note on forgiveness. They say, ‘The word forgiveness literally means “to send off or away.” In Scripture this means separating the sinner from his sin. God accomplishes forgiveness by transferring our sin to Christ on the cross and judging it there. When an individual receives Christ as Saviour, he is forgiven by means of this transfer.’ 

And, as per justification, listen to these marvellous and oh so encouraging words from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having been) justified (made right) by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more, (having) being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation).’ (Rom. 5:6-11) 

Ah mih people, what a wonderful God we serve! Now which other supposed god would ever make their only Son die for his followers’ wrongdoing eh? NONE whatsoever! Only the mighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has the ability and the LOVE for His people to perform such a miraculous, amazing and LOVING feat! And we should be everlastingly grateful for it, not the offhanded, unconcerned manner so many of us supposed believers exhibit. Anyway, we still have two things to go, reconciliation and sanctification, and since time and space are in short supply, we’ll tackle them tomorrow, God willing, of course. 

And no, the mention of reconciliation above, was not the scripture I want to share. Meanwhile, for those of us who truly are trying to live for Jesus, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been so generously bestowed on us to do God’s earthly work. 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!’ 

And now, having activated those blessings, we’re duty bound to go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…if it wasn’t for God’s great LOVE for us…we’d certainly be S.O.L… crapaud would certainly be smoking we pipe… (smile) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   12 April 2023 Colossians 3:17.

12 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

Colossians 3:17. 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.

Ah friends, can you believe it’s already Wednesday, the middle of the work week and the ole fella is up this early writing the Bit. But, as they say, wonders never cease, but daily they increase. And I’m up this early just because I have to take the duchess to a mid-morning medical appointment in the city, and once you go to that concrete jungle, with cranes and tractors and construction all over, meaning blocked streets and congested traffic, you can never be sure what time you’ll return, thus my early rising. (smile) 

And today we’ll look at a li’l poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin simply titled ‘Commonplace Days,’ which I think is ever so appropriate for many of us living in these busy, complex, modern times. So please pray with me. ‘Lord of my commonplace days Forgive me for foolishly waiting For “divine inspiration” Before moving in on the tasks Personally assigned to me. 

Hopefully I am learning To face with greater determination The day by day drudgery The trite, mundane tasks The pushing-pulling glamourless duties. Lord, even when I think I’m getting no place Keep me pushing on and on With purpose and direction. Grab my heart and quiet me When I begin to whine and whimper. Despite the daily drain I think I see it more clearly now: It is only when I begin to do That you begin to bless.’  

Now that’s certainly an interesting notion my fellow believers: only when we begin to do what we ought, then the Lord begins to bless us. And so it should be, why should we be blessed when we’re not doing what we ought eh? But sadly, that’s how we think in these days of entitlement. We believe we’re entitled to everything, without lifting a finger to do anything. But let’s get back to the gist of the poem; those many dog days of daily life, where it’s simply one mundane, seemingly unimportant task after another. 

Oh, so many of us crave the seemingly exciting lives of the celebrities, but don’t think that they don’t have days like ordinary people too. How do you think they got to be celebrities eh, just out of the blue, or as they are called, ‘overnight successes’? No, many of them laboured for years in nondescript jobs, doing whatever they could to survive before they made it to the big time. 

But what this foolish society is leading so many to believe is that we can reach the top without drudgery and same old, same old uninviting, glamourless tasks. That’s not real life though. Real life is doing the same old, same old every day, and doing it without whining and whimpering. But we’ve become such a soft-bellied society, totally lacking in belly and backbone that our first reaction to hard or mundane tasks is to whine and whimper. 

There’s never been a more complaining society than this present one. That’s because we’ve had, and are having life too easy with all our modern conveniences and amenities, so we’ve lost all sense of what it is to live a real down to earth life. And it gets even harder when you truly begin to live for Jesus; you get real down to earth living, with sacrifices and carrying your cross daily. But as the poem says, when we begin to do as is expected of us, without a whole lot of complaining, then the Lord blesses us. 

Please remember that the Lord is the Boss, so He sets the standards and tasks, it’s merely our job to carry them out with His support. And we can never say that He doesn’t support us in any task that He asks us to complete, because He always provides the wherewithal to accomplish them. And it’s interesting to note the Bible Verse associated with today’s poem. It comes from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Colossians, and certainly reflects what our attitude should be to the everyday vicissitudes of life. Please read with me: ‘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. 3:17) 

Yes my people, that’s how we ought to react as true believers in Christ; doing everything in His name, desiring to bring glory to the Father through Him. And nobody’s saying that that’s an easy way to live, but it is doable, if we truly live to please God and allow the Holy Spirit of God that indwells us to lead and guide us in our daily activities. It’s the same thing Bruh Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his second letter when talking about how they should react to certain situations in life. 

He says: ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.’ (1 Cor. 10:31-33) Now that doesn’t mean we are to be men-pleasers, but it does mean that we are not to be arrogant and self-seeking, looking out only for our own interests. 

And Peter said it thus: ‘As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 4:10-11) 

Yes friends, it‘s as simple as that: (smile) whatever we say or do, ought to bring glory to our wonderful heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ the Son. That means we have to think carefully before we talk or act, not be like the rest of the world is today; unconcernedly shooting off their mouths and contentions, especially through social media and doing untold damage to friends and neighbours. 

Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live for Christ, let’s go home today declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 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 if we endure right down to very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s plan on seeing it nuh. Much LOVE!

…life…be it on earth or in heaven…it’s all about glorifying God… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   11 April 2023 Proverbs 3:5.

11 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

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

Proverbs 3:5.Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

It’s Easter Tuesday friends, and the celebrations continue! And today, all roads are leading to the picturesque seaside town of Buccoo in sweet Tobago, for the latest edition of their fabulous day of goat racing. And would you believe that the goat races have become so popular over the years that they built a special stadium just to hold them. (smile) I believe though that it’s a multipurpose stadium, but goat racing was apparently the driving engine to build it. But like so many events that seem to have made progress, this new scenario has lost some of the spontaneity and passion. It’s well organized and everybody sits down and watches now. 

Where it was previously though, in an open field between a group of houses, the passion and enthusiasm were sky high, as everyone stood on the sidelines right next to the racing strip. There were also crab races back then too. But the best part was that in several houses around the area a scintillating party would be happening: before, during and after the races, with the firewater making itself felt in the crowd. (smile) Those were the days though, when everything wasn’t so well organized and sometimes you flew by the seat of your pants, but that’s usually when you are more creative and enthusiastic. 

And brother…it would certainly be nice to be in Tobago now, enjoying the sunshine and the cool sea breezes while relaxing in the calm, beautifully blue sea, feeling the amazing propensity it has for easing the stress and pain in my mature, less than flexible body, (smile) then going to the goat races to check out the food and the colourful camaraderie that’s a major part of the celebration. Now that’s what dreams are made of…but one day soon… one day soon… 

However, today I want to share this short and simple but very interesting and to the point prayer I found in the March edition of the In Touch Daily devotional. It is simply titled, ‘Let Us Pray.’ So please do that with me. ‘Lord, sometimes I wish I could skip the hard parts of my life. Some days they’re just too much to bear. But I know you’re with me in the painful moments just as much as in the good ones. So today I ask for patience – to gently ride those difficult waves with You. For attentiveness – to look for You at unlikely turns. For presence of mind – to remember the highs and lows are both opportunities to be with You. Help me experience the richness of this life You created. Amen!’ 

Yes friends, it’s a simple prayer, but it touches all the important bases in our everyday lives – the patience, attentiveness and presence of mind. If we are solidly grounded in those three things we can’t go wrong, since they will keep us close to and in touch with out heavenly Father, and once we are ensconced in His righteousness and LOVE, everything else will be clear sailing. As Christ said so clearly in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

And He means what He says. If you keep God first place in your life, then all the necessities of life will come your way. As Bruh David so succinctly and sweetly puts it: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) And is that ever the gospel truth my fellow believers! We won’t necessarily get rich, or live high on the hog, although that is certainly possible, but we’ll never face times of serious want. And a lot of times that we face a state of want, it’s because we’re not keeping God first place. These words from Cousin Sol in Proverbs 3, which we all know, but don’t properly follow, also reverberate with that wisdom. 

He writes: ‘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. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear (reverence) the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength, refreshment) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:5-10) 

Now what’s in those few short sentences that we don’t understand eh? They are as clear as day: Put your trust and faith in the Lord and not in your own strength, and life will go well with you. Both Cousin Sol and Bruh David are speaking from personal experiences. So, if they, who were frail and fragile men just like us, and even made many more serious mistakes than some of us will ever make, could do it and prosper, why can’t we eh? And it’s not like it’s rocket science; but simply trust and obedience. But no, we figure that with the gift of free will, we need to do stuff on our own, although we don’t have the power or knowledge to do half of what we want to do. 

That’s why the Lord advises us to stick with Him. As Jesus also said so clearly. “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) Now that should just about end the arguments. If we don’t abide in Jesus, that’s stick close to him, like white on rice, and He doesn’t abide in us, then crapaud smoke we pipe, because we can’t do much of anything without Him! 

So my fellow saints, on this Easter Tuesday, or rather, all through this Easter season, let’s contemplate and consider our positions in Christ nuh. Are we abiding in Him, and He in us. If the answer is yes, then let’s hold on as tightly as possible and don’t ever let Him go, for that means certain disaster. And if the answer is no, then please, please make the conscious decision to begin abiding with Him, as soon as possible, right now will be best, because if you don’t, you have as much chance of enjoying eternal life, as a snowball has of surviving in hell! 

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

It’s now our bounden duty to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…living for Jesus is not easy…but living without Him…that’s a sure recipe for hellfire and damnation… 

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

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