Daily Devotion | SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 July 2022 Psalm 73:26.

14 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: and afterward receive me to glory, curse, God is the strength of my heart, his breath goeth forth, I saw the prosperity of the wicked, I was as a beast before thee, I was envious at the foolish, in that very day his thoughts perish, LOVE, my feet were almost gone, my flesh and my heart faileth, my heart was grieved, my portion for ever, negative word, One Year Book of Bible promises, prosper and succeed, put not your trust in princes, Ruth Harms Calkin, self-control, the bad times drag on forever, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the good times pass quickly, the living God, then understood I their end, they that are far from thee will perish, thou hast holden me by my right hand, thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, Thursday Blessings, whom have I in heaven but thee

Psalm 73:26. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion forever.

And it’s another bright, sunshiny, cool summer’s day in my neck of the woods! Glory be! We had better thoroughly enjoy each day yes, because with them just a hurtling by, it will be soon cold, locked up weather again. (smile) And winter doesn’t pass half as quickly as summer. But have you ever noticed how the good times in life pass ever so quickly, but the bad ones just seem to drag on forever?

That’s why we need a strong foundation to sustain us, and the ONE and ONLY foundation strong enough to do that is the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because He is the One who created the heavens, the earth and all therein and still maintains and controls it. Bruh David puts it very simply but clearly in Psalm 24, when he proclaims: ‘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 He’s such a wonderful God that He even sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross, to shed His sinless blood to wash our souls clean of the abominable sins that had made us His enemy. So, who better to turn to for strength and succour eh? Nobody! And I believe that this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, aptly titled ‘The Living God,’ admirably speaks to and supports that claim.

Please read with me: ‘I place my whole confidence In the Living God. Not because things Are going my way. Not because I have what I want. Not because I understand All the unexplainables Or because I am immune To problems and pain and sorrow. But despite my questions My reversals, my disappointments Despite my sorrow and tears I place my whole confidence In the Living God For He alone can see me through. He alone is worthy of my trust.’

Now, is that ever the indisputable truth my brethren! Jehovah God is the ONLY One in this crazy world that’s worthy of our trust! That’s why the psalmist penned these magnificent sentiments. ‘While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have my being. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (human beings), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (his spirit departs), he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is the Lord his God: which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever.’ (Ps. 146:2-6)

Yes friends, that’s whom we must put our wholehearted trust in, Almighty God; our Creator and Controller. That only makes logical sense (smile). If He created us and still controls us, then why should we put our trust in any other being eh? No reason whatsoever! Now, here is the Bible Promise associated with the poem we just shared. It comes from that magnificent psalm of Asaph, Psalm 73, when he was dealing with the problem of seeing the wicked prosper. He acknowledges: ‘But as for me, my feet were almost gone I had almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps. 73:2-3)

And sadly, today many of us, like Asaph back then, are still finding it difficult to deal with that particular problem. Yes, the wicked do seem to prosper in their wickedness. But thankfully, Asaph finally understood the end of the wicked when he went into God’s sanctuary. (vs. 17) The Lord has indeed ‘set them in slippery places, and castedst them down into destruction.’ (vs. 18) But all in His own time. That’s what we need to understand. The Lord has made it very clear in many instances in His word that the wicked will face destruction, but only when He is ready to do it.

And until we understand that, we will continually have a problem seeing the wicked prosper and being sorely tempted, like Asaph, to follow their example and sell our souls to Beelzebub instead of the Lord God Jehovah! But hopefully, also like Asaph we will come to our senses, sooner, rather than later.

Here’s how he describes it. ‘How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou wakest, thou shalt despise their image. Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins (pierced in my mind). So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden (held) me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.’ (Ps. 73:19-24)

And isn’t that the awesome truth! The Lord will destroy the wicked as He has promised and receive the righteous to glory, just in His own time. And as Asaph finally declares (steups!!!): ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion forever.’ (Ps. 73:25-26)

Yes my fellow saints, that’s the conclusion we must also come to, if we are to live the enjoyable and abundant life that Christ died for us to have. And by the way, those are the verses, the Bible Promises associated with the poem. (smile) I guess I just found it necessary to give us a fuller understanding of the situation, put it into better context.

And having said that, then there is no reason to exclude the last two verses of the psalm, which are also very enlightening and reassuring. ‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to You). But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare (yesss!!!) all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:27-28) Hopefully, those words will also confidently rise up from our hearts and sincerely fall from our lips as we place our eternal trust in the Lord our God.

Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, the many blessings He’s so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!

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

And if we’re true and faithful, we’ll now go out and put those blessings into action on God’s behalf! Much LOVE!

…true safety is ONLY found…in Christ Jesus…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 July 2022 John 17:15.

13 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a future more glorious than we can ask or imagine, a productive child of God, all these things shall be added unto you, as you sent me into the world, catch our second wind, crucified to the world, endure to the end, hypocritical ninnies, I am halfway home, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, I'm not turning back, in the world but not of the world, infiltrate Satan's kingdom, Jesus doesn't ask us to do anything He wouldn't do, keep them from the evil one, may be in them and I in them, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, not of the world but sent into the world, raised to new life, release the captive being held in darkness, sanctify them in truth, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sent back to free others, so have I sent them into the world, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the love wherewith thou hast loved me, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, you are a child of God first and foremost, your word is truth

John 17:15. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

And then it was Wednesday, the middle day of our workweek, when we ostensibly catch our second wind. (smile) Now that only applies to some of us, because many of us never catch a second breath, since the week is usually over by the time we do that. (smile) It’s amazing how some of us allow work, our jobs and positions to dictate all that we do and are. But it ought not to be so, for our main purpose in this world is being a grateful and productive child of God, and our jobs are only incidental to that.

We must not allow what we do to become who we are for that’s the way of the world. In other words, the world says what you do gives you the importance, power and meaning to your life. But in God’s kingdom it’s entirely different. There you are a child of God, first and foremost, everything else is icing on the cake. That’s why Jesus advised and encouraged us to ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)

Yes friends, if we are children of God, then our focus should always be on the things of God and not the things of the world. That brings us to the Christian saying that we are in the world, but not of the world. However, I do like how the article on the subject in the desiringgod.org website revisits that slogan.

And they quote John 17:14-19. ‘ I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.’

It’s obvious that Jesus doesn’t want us to be a part of the world, however, as the article continues: ‘But notice that for Jesus being “not of the world” isn’t the destination in these verses but the starting place. It’s not where things are moving toward, but what they’re moving from. He is not of the world, and he begins by saying that his followers are not of the world. But it’s going somewhere. Jesus is not huddling up the team for another round of kumbaya, but so that we can run the next play and advance the ball down the field.

Enter verse 18: “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” And don’t miss the surprising prayer of verse 15: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” Jesus is not asking his Father for his disciples to be taken out of the world, but he is praying for them as they are “sent into” the world. He begins with them being “not of the world” and prays for them as they are “sent into” the world. So maybe it would serve us better — at least in light of John 17 — to revise the popular phrase “in, but not of” in this way: “not of, but sent into.”

The beginning place is being “not of the world,” and the movement is toward being “sent into” the world. The accent falls on being sent, with a mission, to the world — not being mainly on a mission to disassociate from this world.’ Now, hopefully that gives us some food for thought, (smile) and makes us realize that as disciples of Christ it’s our bounden duty to go into the world and make others want to come to Him.

For, as the article concludes: ‘Jesus’s true followers have not only been crucified to the world, but also raised to new life and sent back in to free others. We’ve been rescued from the darkness and given the Light not merely to flee the darkness, but to guide our steps as we go back in to rescue others.’ And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! And I’m chuckling here because that wasn’t where I intended to go, although I’m not sure where I intended to go. (smile) But that’s the interesting thing in writing on scripture; you end up in places that often surprise you.

Anyway, I believe the article is interesting, and the points very valid. Jesus doesn’t just want us to stay away or get out of the world, for how then would we make disciples of the world? It’s more like we are to dig deeper into it, using all our protective armour and the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit to infiltrate Satan’s kingdom and release the captives being held in the darkness there. That’s why we’ve been given all the tools we have. Not just for us to prance around like hypocritical ninnies and claim we are Christians, but to actually do the work we have been called to do!

And I don’t know how we cannot truly live for Jesus when He and His words are ever so beautiful. Just listen to how He closes out that prayer nuh. ‘O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: But I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. and I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the LOVE wherewith thou hast LOVED me, may be in them, and I in them.’ (John 17:25-26)

Now aren’t those extremely beautiful sentiments? Yes! And they are all in our favour, on our behalf! So how could we not LOVE and worship Jesus eh? Only if we are sinful, ungodly ingrates! But for those of us who are just the opposite and do our best to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.

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

And lest we forget, if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. Now, please let that encourage and reassure us to endure to the very end! (smile) Much LOVE!

…Jesus doesn’t ask us to do anything…He didn’t or wouldn’t do…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 July 2022 John 16:33b.

12 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: all's well with our world, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, continue ye in my love, God is LOVE, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in god's eyes, in the world ye shall have tribulation, joy is rooted in who God is, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, love one another as I have loved you, my joy might remain in you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, Peace i leave with you, reliable Tuesday, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, share His love with the world, should not perish but have everlasting life, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the peace of God which passeth all understading, there's nothing to fear, these things I have spoken unto you, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, under the shadow of God's wings, worry, ye are my friends, ye may abound in hope, your joy shall be full, your sorrow shall be turned into joy

John 16:33b. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.

Good, ole reliable Tuesday is here friends! Yes, it takes away the memory of Monday, the first day of the work week, which is usually somewhat mysterious and unsettling, or even intimidating, because we’re never sure what it will bring after a weekend away from the halls of labour. (smile) But Tuesday is always placid and calm, letting us know that there’s nothing to fear; Monday is in the box, and all’s well with our world!

And that’s exactly how our lives become when we accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour! There’s nothing to fear…and even if the world is actually falling apart around us, we’d still be able to say, ‘all is well with me. All is well with my soul!’ Why? Because Jesus has promised us peace, joy, LOVE and eternal life if we are wise and live under the shadow of His wings. Listen to some of His awesome promises nuh.

While speaking of the coming of the Holy Spirit, He told the disciples: ‘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) And later on, Jesus again encourages the disciples by telling them: ‘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)

Oh my fellow believers, how encouraging and reassuring is that eh? Knowing that your Lord and Saviour has overcome the world, destroyed the enemy and has in His hands the keys to hell, death and the grave, it surely is a comfort to the most unbelieving and discouraged heart! And then Bruh Paul offers his two cents worth when he writes to the church at Philippi: ‘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. 4:7)

What a legacy we have through Christ my people! We’ll receive the peace of God, that divine tranquility that transcends all human understanding, when through prayer and thanksgiving we take all our problems to Almighty God in Christ’s name! You could not do any better than that friends! That’s the ultimate in peace!

And as per joy, the Good Book tells us that the ‘joy of the Lord is our strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) That’s why the enemy always tries to steal our joy. He knows that if we lose it, we’ll be weak and easily defeated. However, it’s also important to note that joy doesn’t depend on our circumstances, it depends on our faith in God. Happiness is the fleeting emotion that’s ruled by our circumstances.

And I like how this commentator on the biblestudytools.com website puts it. ‘Bible verses about joy can help Christians who may be going through a difficult season as a reminder of calm happiness through faith in God. Joy is rooted in who God is. It is not fleeting or based on circumstances. Worldly possessions, accomplishments, even the people in our lives, are blessings that make us happy and fuel joyfulness. However, the Bible teaches that the source of all joy is Jesus. God’s plan from the beginning, the Word made flesh to dwell among us is rock solid, allowing us to navigate difficult situations in the absence of happiness while sustaining our joy.’

Oh friends, what joy is found in Jesus! As Jesus told the disciples: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy shall be full.’ (John 15:11) And as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome. ‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.’ (Rom. 15:13)

Then Jesus, after telling the disciples about His return to heaven: ‘A little while, ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.’ (John 16:16) He saw their sorrowful look, indicating a lack of understanding, and reassured them. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.’ (John 16:20)

Then He compared their situation to a pregnant woman afraid of the upcoming labour pains, but once it’s over, she no longer remembers the pain but is filled with joy that a child was born. ‘And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you…Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.’ (John 16:22, 24)

Oh what a wonderful Lord and Saviour we have my brethren! He fills our lives with joy despite our circumstances, and we can ask the Father for anything in His name. Now that doesn’t mean we’ll always get what we ask for, especially if it is not in the Father’s will for our lives, or we’ll get it when we ask for it, but we are always assured of a hearing in heaven. That’s indeed a good beginning.

And when we start talking about LOVE and Jesus…well friends, there’s nothing greater, because they are one and the same! John says it plainly: ‘For God is LOVE.’ (1 John 4:8) And if the Father is LOVE, then the Son must be LOVE too. And there are numerous passages of scripture extolling Christ’s LOVE, but I think this one from John’s gospel puts it all in proper perspective.

‘As the Father hath LOVED me, so have I LOVED you: continue ye (abide) in my LOVE. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my LOVE; even as I have kept the Father’s commandments , and abide in his LOVE… This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE hath no man this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained (appointed) you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain… These things I command you, that ye LOVE one another.’ (John 15:9-10, 12-17) It couldn’t get any clearer than that my people. LOVE is the number ONE requirement amongst Christ’s followers. As John said: ‘He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE.’ (1 John 3:8)

Now, as per eternal life, since time and space are running out on us, we can only get in these two verses on the subject. However, they are more than enough to prove the point. We all know this magnificent verse: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) And then there’s this verse where John the Baptist testifies of Jesus. ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (remains) on him.’ (John 3:36) That says it all friends: believe and you’ll see eternal life; do not believe, and you’ll perish under God’s wrath.

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

And having made that declaration, (yesss!!!) it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do. Much LOVE!

…need a continual flow of LOVE, joy and peace that ends in eternal life …then Jesus is your answer…the ONLY answer…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 July 2022 Hebrews 12:3.

11 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a race for salvation and eternal life, despising the shame, divine help, endured the cross, finished my course, for the joy that was set before him, heads up, him that endured such contradiction of sinners, hit the pavement running, humble servants, I have fought a good fight, is set down at the right hand of the throne of God, Jehovah Rapha, kept the faith, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, let us lay aside every weight, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no dilly dallying, not become tired or discouraged, pray and sincerely seek your face, right heart motives, run a good race for Christ, run with patience, seeing we are compassed about, so great a cloud of witnesses, take Monday by storm, the author and finisher of our faith, the God who heals, the Holy Spirit to empower us, the righteous judge, the sin which doth beset us, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, to run our race, unto all them that love his appearing, wait with eager and expectant patience

Hebrews 12:3. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged).

Heads up my people! It’s Monday, and that means no dilly dallying, we’ve got to hit the pavement running, charging into the enemy’s ranks, not foolishly, but wisely, spunky and unafraid, living out the gospel of Christ in our godly, worthwhile actions. Yes, we’ve got to take Monday by storm and let it know unequivocally that we mean business, this first day of the work week…and each and every day after that too!

Ah mih bredrin in these troubled times it is indeed necessary for us to run our race, to run a good race for Christ, one without too many hindrances. And we can only accomplish that if we follow the guidelines of the Good Book. The author of Hebrews tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (snare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.’ (Heb. 12:1)

Yes friends, we have a whole ‘cloud of witnesses’ looking on, that’s the heroes of our faith referred to in chapter 11, and we need to do them proud; set the same kind of example that they set, living by strong faith in Christ. However, to do that successfully, we must first remove any impediments that are weighing us down, be it excessive clothing or body weight. Then get ourselves out of any entangling sin that’s holding us back and finally move forward with endurance, keep persevering, because this is a race for salvation and eternal life, one race in which we cannot quit, cannot give up.

In fact, we can’t even come second, (smile) we’ve got to win it for those who need to come to Christ. And the best way to do all of the above is like the author of Hebrews continues: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)

Oh my people, there could be no better example for us to follow than that of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who first blazed the trail of our faith and crossed the finish line miles ahead of all the other participants. We’ve got to keep our eyes fixed steadfastly on that finish line and just keep going in the direction that He set without turning to the right nor to the left. And the next verse puts it all in true perspective. ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged).’ (Heb. 12:3)

Yes faithful believers, we must remember the suffering and rejection that Jesus went through on our behalf and not become tired and/or discouraged when we face the many problems that will crop up in all of our lives. That’s just par for the course. Remember though that we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us to empower, lead and guide us in all righteousness, so it’s not as difficult as it would otherwise be.

And here’s the sort of situation we ought to end up in. They are Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy. He said: ‘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 that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8)

Wow! What a powerful testimony! That’s how we need to go out of this world my fellow saints; a winner in the race of life, ready to receive that crown of righteousness from our ever-faithful God! Now, all that we’ve said above is both true and wonderful, but the whole process has got to begin somewhere, and that beginning somewhere is always prayer! So, let’s go confidently to the throne of grace in prayer, outlining our current position through our Monday Morning battle Hymn.

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

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

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

Now friends, we’ve got to wait with eager and expectant patience (smile) for heaven’s answer, and while doing that, keep our promises and develop right heart motives. That’s the only way we will receive positive answers. Much LOVE!

…JESUS…our champion and glowing example…in the race of life…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 July 2022 Deuteronomy 33:27a.

10 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: allow God's joy and peace to replace our loneliness and anxiety, and shall say Destroy them, Anthony Showalter, Elisha Hoffman, God's grace and mercy, he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee, leaning on the everlasting arms, leaning on the everlasting arms of Christ my Saviour, Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations, my portion in the land of the living, no better place to lean for comfort than on Christ's everlasting arms, O how bright the path grows from day to day, on Christ arms is the ideal place to lean, our hearts are filled with joy, Praise the Lord, safe and secure from all alarms, the breath of life is strong and vibrant within us, the eternal God is thy refuge, the Lord is my refuge and my fortress, Thou art my refuge, thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night, underneath are the everlasting arms, what a fellowship what a joy divine, what have i to dread, what peace is mine, wisdom to the nth degree

Deuteronomy 33:27a. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms:

Another marvellous day on God’s great earth my people! The breath of life is strong and vibrant within us, and the Lord God Jehovah is on His heavenly throne running things for our eventual benefit, thus the glorious celebrations all around the world this Sunday morning! And all God’s people, said a loud, proud and grateful ‘Praise the Lord!’

Yes friends, Sunday is the Lord’s Day, and He has earmarked it for plenty praise and worship from His people. That’s why every time Sunday comes around our hearts are filled with joy as we eagerly gather to fellowship with other believers and give Him the praise, honour and glory He so richly deserves.

And today we’re going to open the proceedings with one of the greatest hymns ever written for obtaining God’s grace and merry, His fatherly comfort in times of solace. It’s aptly titled, ‘Leaning On the Everlasting Arms.’ And there’s definitely no better place in this whole universe to lean for comfort and encouragement than on the everlasting arms of Christ Jesus!

The website Godtube tells us that the song was written in the late 19^th century by Anthony J. Showalter and Elisha Hoffman. It stemmed from letters Showalter had received from two of his former pupils informing him that their wives had died and they were seeking consolation. In replying to their letters, he was struck by the words of Moses from Deuteronomy 33:27, as he blessed the tribes of Israel. He said: ‘The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’

Apparently that led to his further thinking that they would be good words on which to base a hymn of solace and comfort, so he engaged the services of Hoffman to help him. And thus was born this tremendous, popular and heartlet hymn, which we’ll now proceed to sing in a soulful, mid-tempo version.

And while are singing it, the website Hymnary.org challenges us to ‘contemplate what it means to find refuge in our heavenly Father’s arms in times of fear and trial, and to allow His joy and peace to replace our loneliness and anxiety.’ Excellent advice for our Sunday morning worship my faithful brethren! So let’s open our hearts and mouths and offer up sincere sacrifices of praise to our heavenly Father, who is indeed our eternal refuge in times of trial.

And we sing: ‘What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms; what a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms. (Refrain: Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.) O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim’s way, leaning on the everlasting arms; O how bright the path grows from day to day, leaning on the everlasting arms. [Refrain]

What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms. (Refrain) Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms, Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning on the everlasting arms…leaning on the everlasting arms of Jesus… oh how good it is to be, leaning on the everlasting arms of Christ my Saviour….’

Oh my fellow saints, I’m sure we’ll all agree that it is indeed good to lean on the everlasting arms of Christ our Saviour! No if’s ands and buts about that! If we must lean somewhere for solace and comfort, then that’s the ideal place to lean! And the simple words of the short verses are so beautiful and true: ‘What a fellowship, what a joy divine…what a blessedness, what a peace is mine…O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim’s way; O how bright the path grows from day to day…What have I to dread, what have I to fear…I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms.’

Wow! Every sentiment there conveys the gospel truth! And it’s not like Moses alone described the Lord as our refuge, although he did it again in the opening verse of the only psalm he ever wrote, Psalm 90, where he declares: ‘Lord thou hast been our dwelling place (refuge) in all generations.’ (Ps.. 90:1)

Then in Psalm 142, subtitled ‘Thou art my refuge,’ when Bruh David could find no human solace he writes: ‘I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend (give heed) unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about (surround me); for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.’ (Ps. 142:5-7) And that’s exactly how the Lord deals with us when we sincerely call upon Him for help! It must be a sincere plea, not just some wishy-washy cry.

And the author of Psalm 91, aptly subtitled ‘God is a refuge and fortress,’ puts it this way. ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God: in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler (bird trapper), and from the noisesome (perilous, deadly) pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (small shield).

Thou shalt not be afraid for (of) the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth (lays waste) at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh (near) thee. Only with thine eye shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.’ (Ps. 91:1-8)

Yes friends, that’s the kind of trust and belief we ought to have in our great God. And as we go about our business today and every day, please let’s make it a habit to take a moment and ‘contemplate what it means to find refuge in our heavenly Father’s arms in times of fear and trial, and to allow His joy and peace to replace our loneliness and anxiety.’ Loneliness and anxiety that so many of us are experiencing in these very troubling times. That is wisdom to the nth degree. Much LOVE!

… Christ’s powerful and everlasting arms…were made explicitly for us to lean on…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 July 2022 Matthew 19:26.

09 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a positive outlook with Christ, align with God's will for our lives, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be led by the dreams in your heart, become a new creation, better things ahead than anything we leave behind, but with God all things are possible, commit thy way unto the Lord, damned if you do, damned if you don't, delight thyself also in the Lord, don't be pushed around by your fears, eveything becomes new in Christ, faith and trust don't come overnight, he shall bring it to pass, he shall give thee the desires of thine heart, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, LOVE, our Christian agenda, our lazy day, personal expereince, recoiled to God, train your brain like you train your body, trust also in him, with men this is impossible, your best days are ahead of you

Matthew 19:26. With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Greetings my Scrip-Bit friends and family on this cool but sunshiny Saturday in early July. It’s our lazy day at last. And believe me, was I ever tempted to be lazy. (smile) Could have gotten up long ago because I went to bed at a rather early hour last night, an early hour for me that is, and stayed in bed all night. Consequently, it wasn’t easy getting out of bed because with that long amount of rest the ole back was obviously acting up. As they say, you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t! If I don’t lie down long enough, I don’t get sufficient rest, but if I lie down too long, my back acts up.

Anyway, the Lord’s work had to be done, so here I am, obediently doing it, aching back and all. (smile) And, as always, on a Saturday we look at the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us in the week past, as he aspires to inspires us for a better tomorrow, and see how they interact with our Christian agenda.

And the first one says: ‘There are far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.’ And that’s a wonderful truth friends, if you are a true believer in Christ, because with Him, your best days are always out ahead of you. Yes, when we come to Christ, we become new creations, are reconciled to God, and all the old sinful and ungodly things of our previous life are left behind, everything becomes new in Christ and we have a much better day to look forward to. (2 Cor. 5:17-18)

Now that doesn’t mean that all our problems will just vanish into thin air, it’s possible that we might have even more and greater problems, because with greater responsibility comes greater problems, but we will be able to handle it all better through the help of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Before we come to Christ there is no true help, just Satan trying to drag us down with him, but when Christ enters our lives… oh my people, there is help everlasting! Remember God’s promise through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). (Jer. 29:11)

The next quote tells us: ‘Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.’ And that’s very good advice, but we have to put it into our Christian context. That means first of all, as Bruh Paul said to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 5:7) So, with Christ in your life, fears don’t bog you down like they did before.

However, those dreams must now also become aligned with the will for Christ in your new life. Here’s how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 37. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:4-5) Unfortunately, when we come to Christ, we must wait on His timing, which isn’t always easy to do, and also do the things that He desires of us.

Now, I can tell you from personal experience that He will bring many of your heart’s desires to pass, once they align with His will for your life. I’ve wanted to do a lot of things in this life and faithfully, many times unexpectedly, He has allowed me to do them, though not always to the extent that I’ve desired. But my greatest desires are still out ahead of me, and I do hope that they will align with God’s will for my life, because I would be truly disappointed if some of those never came to fruition.

But He’s the Boss, and I can only do what He allows. And the good thing is that I’m not worried, a tad concerned yes, (smile) because most of what I want to do is for His greater glory, so why wouldn’t He allow me to do them eh? That’s why you need plenty trust and faith. However, that kind of blind faith and trust don’t come overnight, but only with experience in God’s wonderful grace and mercy.

Meanwhile, the next quote declares: ‘The only place where your dreams become impossible is in your own thinking.’ Now that might sound sort of contrary because we usually consider our minds to be the only place that all our dreams are possible. But I believe the quote is saying we are the ones who limit our dreams by our limited thinking. And if you are a true believer in Christ, you’ll know that nothing is impossible with Him. As He said to the disciples when they were amazed at His statement that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26)

And, unfortunately, when we limit our thinking, we also limit the power of God in our lives. For remember what Jesus said earlier on to the disciples. ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible to you.’ (Matt. 17:20) So, once we are in Christ, it’s essential to believe that all things are possible through Him who strengthens us.

But then too, like the following quote advises: ‘You have to train your brain to be positive just like you work out your body.’ And that’s the gospel truth! We don’t get powerful and positive minds by simply believing in Christ. No, we have to train our minds, just like we train our bodies. And how do we do that? As believers we need to read and meditate on God’s Word, His Guidebook for Life, the Bible. Then talk to God through prayer, while listening to and obeying the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit that indwells all believers to lead and guide us in the right way, and also fellowshipping with other believers.

Like everything else, we only grow through practice and experience…and it all takes time. So, please don’t be discouraged if you find yourself floundering, keep keeping on, because there is no giving up when you are in Christ. That brings us to our last quote: ‘You need to be able to manage stress because hard times will come, and a positive outlook is what gets you through.’ The first part is true, trials and tribulation will come, but a positive outlook ALONE, will not get you through. A positive outlook with Christ in your life is what will get you through!

Please note the many people with only positive outlooks who didn’t get through the recent pandemic – sorry, it’s not done yet – the current pandemic, because it takes more than just a positive outlook. It takes strong belief, faith, trust and surrender to the power that’s greater than us, the power that created and controls the universe and all therein, and that’s Almighty God! That’s the backdrop, the foundation you need for your positive outlook! Much LOVE!

…only in Christ Jesus…will you find all that you need for living this life…as well as the next…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 July 2022 John 11:25.

07 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: abundance, be aware of how short life is, belief in Jesus, but have everlasting life, clear direction for my life, courage, creativity, curse, from dust we came and to dust we will return, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, he that believeth in me, he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, I am the resurrection and the life, I believe thou art the Christ, it's easier for believers to fathom death, Jamaican Diplomatic service, LOVE, make whatever amends you need to asap, Maxine Roberts, negative word, only believe, springing up into everlasting life, talent, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, that's life, the ever-faithful promise of salvation and eternal life, The Samaritan woman at the well, the Son of God which should come into the world, the water that I shall give shall be a well of water, the wrath of God abideth on him, though he were dead, though he were dead yet shall he live, Thursday Blessings, whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again, whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die

John 11:25. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live.

Ah Lord eh! These days I’m not anxious to open e-mails from friends that I don’t normally correspond with, because they always seem to bring negative news. I got one such e-mail this morning from an old friend from university days, about the passing of another old friend from back then. Her name was Maxine Roberts. I haven’t seen her since back then or heard much about her, but it appears she carved a very good path for herself in the Jamaican Diplomatic Service as an Ambassador for her country. Now that doesn’t surprise me because I remember her as a bright and lively young lady, some fifty odd years ago. May you rest in peace Maxine. And my condolences to your family.

But it is a tad difficult to hear of the passing of people you haven’t interacted with for a long time, since it then gets you to thinking about the times you shared, be they good or bad, and wondering if they ever remembered those same times before they moved on to the other life. And the sad part is that many of our friends pass on with negative thoughts about us, thoughts that we had hopes of one day fixing, but never got around to. And then suddenly, it’s too late. But, as they say, that’s life!

And it doesn’t make sense worrying about it, but it should make us aware of how short life is, and the suddenness with which it can end, therefore energizing us to make whatever amends we need to make with our surviving friends and family as soon as possible. We all know that we came from the dust of the earth and that someday that’s where our bodies will return, but fathoming death, especially a sudden and unexpected one, is still hard for the human nature to accept. But accept it we must, if we want to live out our own lives in a positive and godly manner.

And as believers in Christ Jesus, it is easier for us to accomplish than for unbelievers. That’s because we have the ever-faithful promise of salvation and eternal life through belief in Christ. Jesus Himself said it to Martha when He came back to Bethany after her brother Lazarus’ death. Martha though, wasn’t happy with Jesus’ late arrival and said to Him. ‘Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.’ (John 11:21-22)

Now that is what you call strong faith! And some of you might say that’s because Jesus was very friendly with her family. But Jesus was friendly with a lot of other people, including His own family, who didn’t believe in Him. The Good Book continues: ‘Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:23-26)

And that’s the very same question that Jesus is asking many of us today? Do we truly believe in Him and the power He has to grant eternal life? Now Martha didn’t have the benefit of the scriptures we currently have, nor of yet seeing Christ crucified and risen, but her answer was quick and unequivocal. ‘She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.’ (John 11:27) How many of us would answer Jesus’ question so plainly and quickly today eh? I really don’t know nuh, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be sufficient to make a significant difference in our current evil and ungodly world.

And there are so many examples of Jesus trying to instill into us the major benefit of believing in him, but we just won’t listen. Let’s see if I can drum up a few more instances of Jesus talking about the importance of believing in Him to receive eternal life. And we don’t have to look very far to find this scriptural gem. It’s one we all know and like to quote, but don’t seem to really believe since we still don’t acknowledge Jesus as the resurrection and the life. Jesus said it loud and clear: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)

Now my brethren, tell me how much clearer can that get eh? It’s simple: if you don’t believe in Jesus, you are not going receive eternal life, instead you will perish! And are you willing to take the chance that Jesus is wrong? For your sake I hope not. Then there was the Samaritan woman who came to the well to draw water and engaged Jesus in conversation. That alone was itself a poignant and unnatural moment for Jews and Samaritans, though related, didn’t mix, in fact detested each other as the latter had intermarried with Gentiles during the Assyrian captivity. (2 Kin. 17:24-41)

And as the woman so knowingly pointed out when Jesus asked her for a drink of water. She said to Him: ‘How is it that thou being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.’ (John 4:9-10) The woman then proceeded to question Jesus’ ability to draw water from the well.

But ‘Jesus answered and said unto her. Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be like a well (fountain) of water springing up into everlasting life.’ (John 4:13-14) And although the woman didn’t fully understand what Jesus was talking about, she was wise enough, wiser than many of us today, to understand the importance of His words, Therefore, she ‘saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.’ (John 4:15)

Another instance where there was much less knowledge of Jesus than we have, but greater trust and faith! And just in case you won’t believe Jesus, then let’s see if you’ll believe John the Baptist when he says: ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (remains) on him.’ (John 3:36) Yes friends, the anger of God remains on those who don’t believe in His Son Jesus Christ.

Now, for those of us who believe, and are doing our best to convince others, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been generously bestowed on us by God, so that we can do His 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!

And having activated those blessings, let’s go out now and use them generously on Christ’s behalf! Much LOVE!

…only believe…that’s all Christ is asking…one has nothing to lose…and so much to gain…if one only believes…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 July 2022 Luke 18:8.

06 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a Christian life begins with total commitment, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, by the mercies of God, disobedient to parents, dissension within Christ's church, endure to the end, hands on the plough, holy acceptable unto god, I am halfway home, I beseech you therefore brethren, I can settle for that, I don't let God be God, I will die victoriously, I'm looking straight ahead, in the last days perilous times shall come, inherent sinful nature, it is better to walk over the billows than to go under them, leap up like wild animals, LOVE, men shall be lovers of their own selves, not looking back, nothing worthwhile is ever easy, One Year Book of Bible promises, present your bodies a living sacrifice, Ruth Harms Calkin, shall he find faith on the earth, show love to a desperately needy world, step out of my rocking boat, stop using our bodies for sinful purposes, tempestuous waves of change, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the perfect will of God, the word rebellion frightens me, time is flying by, to a glorious future with Jesus, walk the waves with you, Wednesday Wail, when the Son of man cometh, which is your reasonable service, wisdom in spades

Luke 18:8. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Wow mih bredrin! Another week is quickly passing by; it’s already Wednesday…what’s happening with the days eh, why is time flying by so quickly? One would think that with the numerous problems we have in our world that time would at least seem to stand still, but like everything else, it is behaving in a most contrary manner. (smile) It’s a good thing we have Jesus to keep us steadfast and focused yes, otherwise we’d be jumping all over the place like jackrabbits.

And to help handle the uncertain situation which our world currently faces, we are going to look at a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin aptly titled ‘I Can Settle for That.’ So, please read with me. ‘The word rebellion frightens me. I always associate it with Revolt…terrorism…riots…death… with economic and social issues… With the drug scene That promotes life without purpose. I associate it with tempestuous waves of change That leap up like wild animals.

Like the disciples in the storm I want to awaken You, Lord. I wonder why You seem to be sleeping. But, Lord, maybe I don’t Really know You very well. Maybe I don’t let God be God. After all, You are not frightened. You do not hold your hands up in despair. You never say, “You should have come yesterday.” Nor do You say, “You’re the wrong age and colour.” You never say “You’re too timid, too slow.”

You simply tell me to step out Of my rocking boat. You tell me to walk the waves with You. You assure me you are not asleep. You tell me to show genuine LOVE To a desperately needy world. You insist it is far better To walk over the billows than to go under them. You tell me if I die in the attempt At least I will die victoriously. Then, facing me directly, You ask “Can you settle for that?” Lord, if You are with me I can settle for that.’

Mama Mia! Isn’t that the living truth my people? If God is with us, we can indeed settle for anything, because He controls it all! And the reason why we are so uncertain, afraid and worried is simply because we do not have sufficient trust and faith in our great God, in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit that dwells within us and is supposed to lead and guide us to all truth. In fact, we have not given ourselves completely to Almighty God, therefore we don’t let God be God. How can He be, if we don’t surrender our all to Him eh?

That’s why the Bible verse for that poem is Bruh Paul’s plea to the church at Rome. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service.’ (Rom. 12:1) Yes friends, we are supposed to surrender our entire bodies and souls to Christ, if we want to truly benefit from all that He has to offer.

Now listen to how the scholars explain that verse. ‘12:1. By the mercies of God summarizes all that God has accomplished for the believer in Romans chapters 1-11: in justifying the believer (chps. 1-5), enabling the believer to live a righteous life (chps. 6-8), and being faithful to Israel (chps. 9-11). That ye present refers to a definite act of presentation. The verb is used of offering a sacrifice that became “holy” under the Levitical system (cf. Ex. 29:37). This shows that the Christian life begins with total commitment and irrevocable presentation. Your bodies: The body has been an instrument of sin (chp. 6). Now it is to be presented to God as a channel through which the righteousness of God is manifested.’

Yes, that all sounds like a big mouthful, but it simply means that we stop using our bodies for sinful purposes and instead use them for righteous ones. And we’d all be foolishly fooling ourselves to pretend that we don’t know the sinful things we use our bodies for. (smile) That’s why this next verse is so important in our transformation. Bruh Paul then declares in his usual practical way. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2)

Ah mih bredrin, to truly live for Christ we have to shun, to shuck off the things of this evil world that find no place, are not welcome in God’s kingdom. And no, it’s not always easy to do, because of our inherent sinful nature and the rampaging evil and evil doers that are currently controlling our world. But with Christ’s help and our perseverance, we can do a good job of it.

We must just want it badly enough. But like we said yesterday, too many of us don’t want it badly enough to put out the necessary effort to live sincerely for Christ, that’s why Christianity is in such a shambles, why Christ’s church is filled with so much evil and ungodly doings, why there’s so much dissension within Christ’s church, and instead of getting better, it seems to be getting worse.

Oh my fellow believers, we need to remember that Christ is depending on us to keep His church going strong and sincere. We are all He has down here to do His bidding, and if we are not doing it properly then His church will obviously suffer serious setbacks. This leads me to consider the question Jesus asked at the end of the parable of the persistent widow. He says: ‘Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?’ (Luke 18:8)

Now that’s a very interesting question with the great number of former believers turning away from God, the apostasy that Bruh Paul warned Timothy of. ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…’ (2 Tim. 3:1-2) And he goes on to list a host of other ungodly activities which we are currently seeing at a high level in our society.

However, my brethren, because we are sincere, faithful, and strong, we will do our best to stand up for Christ and continue to tell others about Him and the marvellous benefits living for Him bring. So, for those of us in that camp, let’s go home now declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Wow!

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 believe me friends, if we endure to the end, that future will indeed be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s be with Christ for the long haul nuh; that’s wisdom in spades! Much LOVE!

…nothing worthwhile is ever easy…and that definitely goes for living for Christ…but the rewards will certainly outweigh the difficulties…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 July 2022 John 14:6.

05 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: bring all the tithes into the storehouse, continually seek the spiritual side of life, God's Word, greed is a hell of a thing, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I am the way the truth and the life, Jesus is the Way Maker, LOVE, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, only a fool refuses the good life Jesus offers, open the windows of heaven, pour you out a blessing, put bread on our table, same ole same ole, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, share His love with the world, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, the help of the Holy Spirit, the Sermon on the Mount, the source of our livelihood, the source of true peace, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, there's no one as generous as God, tkae no thought for tomorrow, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, worry, you reap what you sow

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

Well, it’s Tuesday now, a wet, dark day, and all the Happy Canada Day and Fourth of July festivities are over! It’s back to the same ole, same ole, unappealing, unexciting, dreary, tiring working life. But isn’t it amazing that we can party all day and all night and not get tired, but work a couple of days, oh brother, and like we’re so tired, we can’t even move, we just ready for the grave. (smile) I guess that’s the difference between doing things we like and things we don’t like, and maybe it’s also why so many of us don’t read God’s word and then live by it; we simply don’t enjoy reading or living by it. (smile)

But listen up here: we don’t like working but we go to work though, because we know that’s the source of our livelihood, the source of money or remuneration to put bread on our table, a roof over our head and clothes on our backs. Well reading and living by God’s word is even more important than that, because it’s the source of true peace, LOVE, joy, salvation, heaven and eternal life! And it’s quite okay not to read or live by it if you don’t desire those things…but if you do, then living for, with and in Christ is absolutely necessary.

Now here are a couple of Bible verses which I think solidify that argument. (smile) The first one is what Jesus said to Thomas, the doubting disciple, when he proclaimed not knowing the way to where Jesus was headed, that’s back to heaven. Jesus solemnly informed him. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) So, right there we see that if we don’t embrace Jesus and all that He stands for, we will NEVER be seeing the Father or entering heaven, like a snowball’s chance of surviving in hell. (smile)

And the next foundational scripture comes from The Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus pointed out how nature and its many creatures lived without having to worry about what to eat, drink or wear, neither where to lay their heads, because God knew exactly what they needed for their earthly sojourn. Then He told them, in very clear and explicit terms, what they needed to do. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:33-34)

Oh my people, that is ever such an important aspect of our Christian faith. We must continually seek the spiritual side of life, and to a greater degree than the material aspect. As the scholars explain. ‘The believer is to seek first the righteousness that is characteristic of God’s kingdom and then all these things (material things) shall be added unto him.’ In other words: ‘When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. We need not even worry about tomorrow for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (vs. 34) This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’

So friends, the two basic and fundamental aspects of the Christian life are first to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, the Way Maker and Light Bearer, the One who lights the way to heaven, and the second is to seek the spiritual righteousness of God. That means concentrate more on the spiritual aspects of our lives than the material because our God is a good, omnipotent, omniscient, all-knowing God, and therefore knows our every need and is very capable of providing them when we seek Him with our whole heart, body and soul.

It’s a simple philosophy friends. However, the inherent sinful nature we possess, plus the rampant evil and evil doers in our world makes it somewhat difficult to action. But then again, with the help of the Holy Spirit of God which dwells within believers, and our own persistence and perseverance, we can fight off the enemy’s evil wiles and schemes and do what is required of us. We just have to want to do it. And that’s the problem so many of us supposed believers have right now: we don’t want to do what God desires of us…but we do want to get all the benefits He provides!

Unfortunately though my people, it doesn’t work like that. In God’s kingdom, you reap what you sow. And as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) likes to add: ‘more than you sow and later than you sow.’ So, if you sow evil, down the road, you’ll get even more evil. And if you sow good, then down the road you’ll get even more good than you’ve sown. It’s like getting interest on your money. And believe me there’s nobody as generous as our great and faithful God!

Listen to how He puts it in Malachi, re the payment of tithes. ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shalt not be room enough to receive it.’ (Mal. 3:10) Yeh friends, that’s how generous our God can be.

That reminds me of when the Israelites were in the desert on their way to the Promised Land and kept complaining about the bland tasting manna with which the Lord was feeding them and wanted meat. So what happened? The Good Book tells us: ‘And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.’ (Num. 11:31) Can you imagine how many dead birds that was? A day’s journey on either side of the camp and two cubits high!

But greed is a hell of a thing my brethren, and the Lord doesn’t play that game at all, at all, at all. So, when the Israelites stood up all day and night and gathered the meat they had so craved and spread it around their tents, the Good Book declares (yesss!!!) ‘And while the flesh (meat) was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, (the anger of the Lord was aroused) and the Lord smote (struck down) the people with a very great plague.’ (Num. 11:33)

Yuh see what happens when we too craven, too greedy and ‘gravalicious’ mih bredrin? Our God is sweet and long-suffering and all that good stuff, but there comes a time when He says enough is enough, and believe me, as we see from the many examples of Israelite folly, He is a serious God, He doesn’t make joke. When He says something, He means it. So, I would advise us all to take whatever He says in His Word very seriously and do our best to live by it, otherwise we will indeed pay the hefty price of disobedience and unbelief, when He is good and ready. And believe me, that time will surely come!

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

And the corollary to that is for us to now go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…only a fool…will refuse the good life that Jesus offers…

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 July 2022 Psalm 103:2.

04 Jul 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: as a father pitieth his children, as far as the east is from the west, bless the LOrd o my soul, crowneth thee with loving-kindness, forget not all his benefits, God is good...all the time, Happy Fourth of July, he hath removed our transgressions, he knoweth our frame, he remembers that we are dust, hear our prayer, it is God who giveth thee power to get wealth, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus is in our corner, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, plenteous in mercy, right heart motives, satisfieth thy mouth with good things, sincerely seek your face, slow to anger, thanksgiving for god's mercy, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the God who heals, the Lord is merciful and gracious, turn from our evil ways, who forgiveth all thine iniquities

Psalm 103:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

‘Come Monday, it will be all right…’ Yes friends, today is Monday, and everything will be all right because we have Jesus in our corner and His Holy Spirit within us! Wow! How can we ever go wrong with those mighty persons leading and guiding our lives eh? And if that isn’t enough, we also have the Father overseeing the whole operation. And all God’s children confidently declared: ‘Praise the Three in One; our Holy Trinity!’ And do they ever deserve oodles of praise for all the many wonderful and undeserving things they’ve done on our behalf, which we tend to quickly forget when things are going well.

And today, when we give a shout of ‘Happy Fourth of July’ to the U.S of A, as they celebrate the birth of their nation in 1776, I believe it’s time for a refresher course. (smile) Yes, we ought to review some of those things our amazing and omnipotent God has done for us. And there’s no scripture more appropriate to do so than Psalm 103, where Bruh David talks about Thanksgiving for God’s mercy.

Please read with me. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:1-5)

Just look at all those things the Lord has done for us nuh my people! And yet so many of us refuse to give Him His much-deserved thanks and praise, foolishly believing that we’ve obtained whatever we have through our own resources. But that’s the furthest thing from the truth, for we need to remember as Bruh David says 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)

That means all the earth, as well as the things and people in it, belong to God, and we are simply stewards, or managers of it for Him. That’s why Moses could confidently tell the Israelites: ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee the power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:18)

So there you have it friends! Nothing on this earth and in our lives happens by accident or coincidence. It’s all tied up with God’s plan for each of us and for the world as a whole. That means we have to stop believing the lies of the enemy and his evil co-workers, about how we contribute so much to our health, wealth and salvation.

And that’s not all the Lord’s done for us either. Listen as Bruh David continues in Psalm 103. ‘The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement (justice) for all that are oppressed. He made known his way unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness).

He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear (reverence) him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps. 103:6-12)

Oh my faithful brethren, just for that last act of mercy alone, casting our transgressions far away and not remembering them anymore, we ought to be everlastingly grateful to the Lord God Almighty! For can you imagine if He took us to task for the numerous, abominable sins we’ve committed, what would be our end state? And that’s one of the many reasons why we say that our God is good… not just some of the time, but all of the time~!

So, listen to these last two verses. ‘Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution); he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103:13-14) Now that ought to put the icing on the cake, make us look at our Triune God with ever so much more LOVE, faithfulness, reverence, and trust. And I do hope that this li’l refresher course (smile) on the benefits of being under God’s protective umbrella will serve as a wakeup call, will help rebuild the passion in our lives that we’ve recently lost, and so desperately need to regain.

Now, like Christ taught us, let’s go to the throne of grace and lay our many problems before the God of our forefathers, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.

And to receive positive answers from God, we now need to keep the promises we’ve just made and show that the motives of our hearts are right. Much LOVE!

…to our God we owe everything…from our very life…to salvation and all it entails…

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

SCRIP-BITS

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 July 2022 Psalm 73:26.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 July 2022 John 17:15.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 July 2022 Hebrews 12:3.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 July 2022 Deuteronomy 33:27a.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 July 2022 Matthew 19:26.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 July 2022 John 11:25.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 6 July 2022 Luke 18:8.

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 July 2022 Psalm 103:2.

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