Today’s Scrip-Bit   9 December 2021 Isaiah 59:2.

09 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Isaiah 59:2.       But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 

Well, onward and upward my fellow saints, on this cold, damp and snowy Thursday in the early days of Advent, that time of waiting and watching for our Lord and Saviour Jesus to appear at that joyful time of celebration – Christmas! And we might have a somewhat better time this year than we did last year when the Covid 19 virus obliterated much of everything and every pleasure, but it’s still far from what we used to consider normal. 

Yes, there are decorations, lights, food shopping, gift buying and such, but underneath it all Covid and its variants are still kicking up a mighty storm, and we still need to be very concerned about what’s happening in our backyard as well as our world, since there’s really no good news to report. Numbers are up all over, and the dissension re the vaccine and if the virus is real and the numerous other problems seems to be increasing rather than decreasing. 

So friends, this morning I have a li’l bit of info to share with us from a wonderful source, a magnificent tome of enduring wisdom and vision, re national corruption and consequent suffering. And I know we all agree that there’s way too much corruption and suffering in our world. But why is that eh? 

The Word says: ‘Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood (bloodshed), and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity (empty words), and speak lies; they conceive mischief (trouble, evil), and bring forth iniquity.’ (Is. 59:1-4) 

And just like it was back in Israel in those corrupt, sinful and disobedient days, the same it is today in our supposed more enlightened time! There’s not one act named above there of which our world is not also guilty of, just like Israel was back in olden times. And did they suffer for their disobedience and turning away from the God of their forefathers? Yes they did! So why do we think that we are different eh? It’s the same crimes we have committed and are still committing, so why shouldn’t we suffer like judgement? 

Oh friends, our sins, our iniquity, our disobedience have separated us from God’s presence, especially since we are so intent on removing Him from our society. He’s leaving us alone to fix our business, which anyone with a modicum of wisdom knows that we cannot do. 

Listen further to the Good Book as it describes our pagan society in lurid and vivid detail. ‘Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgement (justice) in their goings (tracks): they have made them crooked paths, whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.’ (Is. 59:7-8) 

Yes my fellow believers, we could not write a more accurate description of our ineffective, immoral and ungodly society right now! It’s a total mess! No peace, no justice, only crookedness and corruption, violence and evildoing! And I don’t know of another time in history when innocent blood has been shed so easily and in such alarming amounts as we are currently doing, in what is essentially a time of peace. 

It’s no coincidence that the Good Book continues: ‘Therefore is judgement (justice) far from us, neither doth justice (righteousness) overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity (darkness); for brightness, but we walk in darkness (gloom, blackness). We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night (at twilight); we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all (growl) like bears, and mourn sore (moan sadly) like doves: we look for judgement (justice), but there is none: for salvation, but it is far off from us.’ (Is. 59:9-11) 

Oh my brethren, that’s such indisputable truth re our current society that it’s not funny! We are looking for salvation, wisdom and peace, but in all the wrong places. Our leaders have become hopeless tyrants and oppressors! Reminding us of the very applicable words of Jesus, re the leaders in His day: ‘Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ (Matt. 15:14) No wonder our world is quickly going to hell in a handbasket with the poor quality of leadership we currently have. 

And please don’t go blaming the secular world for all of our problems, the body of Christ, His church is also guilty of a lot of those sins and transgressions. We are supposed to be ONE body sharing the LOVE and salvation of Christ. Hn! But instead, we are an ever growing, separatist body of denominations, cliques and cults, all spewing our own divergent and disparate versions of God’s word and His salvation. 

As Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy re the end times: ‘For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless) high-minded (haughty), lovers of pleasures, more (rather) than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:2-5) 

Ah mih people, all those ungodly and sinful traits are very prevalent in our current society, even many of the supposed religious have mere religion and no real spiritual life, so why are we surprised at the sad and sorry state we are in eh? And if Christ’s church does not stand up strong and courageous and try to counteract them, then our world will just naturally fall to pieces, more likely than not implode from the hatred and evil currently existing deep within its soul and heart. 

Anyway friends, it’s not too late, all is not yet lost! There is a relatively small group of us who are sincerely trying to turn things around by putting forth the true Word of God and the real Gospel or good news of Christ. And the Lord has bestowed on us numerous blessings to help us in our work, but they need to be spoken our loud before they can take effect. So, let’s declare what we call our Thursday Blessings in loud and confident voice. 

‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! 

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

Now let’s get out into the evil and ungodly world and do our God-given tasks, sharing the Word of God and those many blessings, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…the antidote to evil in the world…the church…Christ’s body of faithful believers… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   8 December 2021 Psalm 139:23.

08 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 139:23.     Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts:

Well, the wet, white stuff drizzling down out there, has my area white and slushy and messy. (smile) And you know that once man gets into something he just naturally makes a mess of it. The white stuff looks beautiful when it’s untouched by mankind, but after that…Chuh! It’s totally ugly! Anyway, with Christ in our lives, we can see anything, even the ugliest of the ugly, and it will look beautiful to us. That’s just how much His presence in our lives can accomplish. But before we can get to that state, or stage of mind, we first have to go through a metamorphosis, as described by this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Poems with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, aptly titled ‘Turnabout.’ 

It says: ‘God, for so long I thought that by praying I could change Your mind. Often I prayed Fervently pleading Until I felt Emotionally pulverized. Then I gradually began to grasp That the purpose of prayer Is to find Your mind and let You change mine. Little by little The turnabout is renewing me. Slowly I begin to feel A settling quietness. I wait while You woo me To Your will, dear Lord. I wait until my thoughts Harmonize with Yours. For in my deepest heart Despite my guarded resistance I somehow sense That what You want from me Is stupendously more Than anything I could Dream or wish or want For myself.’ 

And that’s the gospel truth friends! Our great and wonderful God wants way more for us than we can even think or imagine, but we keep belittling ourselves. And until we sincerely and seriously come to realize His awesome plans and intentions for our lives, we will always fall way below our God-given potential. And the first step towards that goal is to realize that the purpose of prayer is not to change God’s mind, but to change ours, to bring our will into harmony with His. Remember He’s Number One, that means His will must be first and foremost in our lives. 

And even when we realize this, the turnaround doesn’t happen overnight, not even quickly, because it’s something we’ve got to become accustomed to, that must become a habit for us to successfully complete the metamorphosis. As the poem says: ‘Slowly I begin to feel A settling quietness. I wait while You woo me To Your will, dear Lord. I wait until my thoughts Harmonize with Yours.’ Yes my people, in all our dealings with our heavenly Father, a period of waiting is necessary. He can change us overnight, if He so desires, but then we would not appreciate the change like we should. 

Please note the butterfly; he begins life as a caterpillar, but he knows that flying is his ultimate end, and though he’s eager and anxious to fly, he knows that he must go through a period of waiting, of being a slimy, creeping, crawling caterpillar before he changes into a beautiful butterfly. And he also knows that the change from crawler to flyer is not going to be an easy one, involving many complications, but then too, he is willing to undergo that painful change from caterpillar to butterfly, so that he can achieve his divine destiny. 

Now that’s how we ought to be my brethren; willing to go through the changes, slow and painful though they may be, so that we can accomplish God’s divine plan for our lives. And the Bible verses upon which our poem is based are good, solid, meaningful ones from the pen of Bruh David, from that marvellous Psalm 139 – titled ‘The everlasting presence and power of God.’ They are the last two verses, where he pleads: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139:23-24) 

Wow mih people! What an awesome request! But it’s a state to which believers must strive to attain. A state of mind where we can confidently and seriously ask the Lord to check our hearts and deal with any negative or evil stuff that’s buried deep within. Only when we can do that, will we have attained to a state of grace that allows us the freedom to come and go to God without any fear or anxiety, because we know that He will not judge or punish us, but meet us right where we are with His amazing LOVE and mercy. 

Yuh see how Bruh David was always in God’s face, regardless of the wrong things he might have done? That’s why God could call him His friend and a man after His own heart. He always came to Him with His problems, was constantly praising and talking to Him. That’s how we ought to be. As Bruh Paul said to the Thessalonians: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) 

That is what the Lord wants of and for us. To come to Him in prayer on each and every matter, big or small, being joyful and giving thanks, knowing that He’s in control and will eventually make all things right in our lives. But that depends on the levels of our trust in Him and our surrender to His divine will. And those can only grow over time, as we increasingly feel more comfortable with going to Him with all our problems and seeing His work in our lives. 

And if we want to see that ‘Turnabout’ in our lives then we must begin doing the things it takes as soon as possible, like right now! (smile) Because the longer we wait to begin, the longer it will take to happen, and we’ll miss out on a whole lot of good things in between. Yes friends, I can guarantee, that when you get comfortable with going to God on all matters, your life will change for the better. Oh…it might also get harder, but you will also be able to handle the difficulties better. (smile) That’s God’s promise. And He is faithful that promised. End of sermon. 

Now, for those of us who are sincerely working on our turnabout, let’s go home declaring (awrighttt!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry 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 yuh better believe, that if we endure until the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…the best habit we can ever form…going to God on every matter…prayerfully, joyfully and thankfully… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 December 2021 Romans 8:37.

07 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:37.     Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.

Oh mih bredrin, we moving on! Yes, we conquered Monday, and we going to do the same to Tuesday! Glory be! And how could we not be conquerors when we have a conquering Lord and Saviour named Jesus Christ! As the Good Book so confidently declares of us: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) Yes friends, with the LOVE of Christ flowing through, over and under us, how can we be anything but mighty conquerors eh? And yuh know what too? We can never lose that LOVE, unless we foolishly decide to give it up. 

And if you don’t believe me, then listen to what God’s Word says about it. ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:38-39). What an awesome statement of LOVE, encouragement and assurance my people! Nothing…yes NOTHING can separate us from God’s LOVE found in Christ Jesus! 

Wow! How big and beautiful is that knowledge eh! That brings us to question then, why do we act powerless, afraid and discouraged when we have all those wonderful assurances from our omnipotent and ever-faithful God? Remember, there is only one thing that can match the LOVE of God, and that’s His wrath! So, what do we need to experience then eh, His LOVE or His wrath? We might say the former, but too often we behave like it is His wrath we want to experience. 

Why then the stubborn disobedience, the foolish pride and the overwhelming ungodliness that’s permeating our world eh? We must think that He’s joking when He speaks of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Otherwise, why would we behave in the foolish and disobedient manner that we’ve manifested in this last generation? We’ve come to value the easy life with all its amenities so much, that we are unwilling to make any sacrifices whatsoever to uplift ourselves or others. 

But we talk about living for Jesus…Hogwash! Heifer Dust! How can you be living for Jesus when you don’t want to make sacrifices eh, when living for Jesus is all about making sacrifices in His name? He said it Himself. If we want to be His disciples, we have to die to ourselves, give up our will, surrender it to His, then take up our cross and follow Him. Now that does not necessarily mean living a broken down, destitute life, but it does mean willing to do it if that’s what He asks of you, although He does not usually go to such lengths. 

And there is something else that we’ve also lost in this past generation…that’s the joy of brotherhood. Remember the marvellous and ever so truthful words of Bruh David from Psalm 133? ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment (oil) upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard : that went down to the skirts (edge) of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.’ (Ps. 133:1-3) 

We obviously have forgotten that living together in unity, be it at the family or nation level is a blessed thing, authored by our God. Else why would our world be in such turmoil, with resentment, anger, hatred and fighting oh so prevalent, right from the basic family unit up through to national scene itself? There’s war and rumours of war all over the world, and the uncertainty and disagreements over the Covid 19 pandemic has only served to make matters even worse. And as each new variant of the virus crops up, our world becomes more discombobulated and separated. 

I don’t know what it will take for us to realize that the only option left to us is turning back to the God of our forefathers, whom we have so petulantly, that’s childishly and unwisely tried to drive out of our society. We obviously can’t seem to fix what’s wrong on our own, because everything we try turns out worse and there appears to be no agreement on anything at all these days, for everybody is up in arms about something or the other, whether it be the virus, the climate, the economy, race and gender problems, religious differences, etc. etc. 

No one seems satisfied with the status quo, and all want their concerns to be met with and fixed immediately, if not yesterday. What else can we expect then but deep dissatisfaction and disaffection throughout our individual societies and the world at large. And a good point to note here, the natural disasters also seem to be getting worse, with more fires, floods, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and famines all happening at the same time. There’s no doubt that our world is in a mess, and at a most important crossroad in time. 

Who knows what the future holds? Only Almighty God! The same one we are trying to rid our society of. But friends, wisdom and common sense decree that if we want to right our world, a major revival in the name of Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to go! For He is the Saviour, the ONLY ONE who has the power to calm the storm, right the sinking ship, heal the sick and lift up the dead to eternal life. And do we ever need those divine remedies in our world right now my people! So let’s try and get wise nuh, and turn back to Jesus…that is, if we want our world to survive the death throes it’s currently experiencing. 

Now, for those of us who are trying to do the right thing, live sincerely for Jesus, let’s go home declaring (oh yeahhh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are, 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 the world. Amen!’ 

And having made those magnificent statements, it now behooves us to go out and share the reality with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Jesus like we do. Much LOVE!

…to whom do you turn when the chips are down…Jesus!…Yahweh!…Jehovah!… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   6 December 2021 Hebrews 4:16.

06 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Hebrews 4:16.      Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

The wheel of life has been spun friends, and it has stopped on the number 1. That means it’s the first day of the workweek, that marvellous day we call Monday! And instead of a loud cheer, a great sigh rises up to heaven, because Monday means laying aside our weekend endeavours, or lack thereof, and getting up and getting a move on so we can make a living and enjoy the benefits of our hard labour. (smile) 

Ah my people, it has been that way for a long while, but because we are now such a flaky, entertainment-oriented society, we cannot get used to it. And a further word of warning, it will continue thus for some time yet, so we might as well come to terms with the situation and stop making our lives miserable every Monday morning. 

The simple fact of the matter is that we know it’s coming, so why not prepare for it, by renewing our spiritual selves with other believers, either at a physical church or through technology, then toning down the Sunday evening activities and getting a good night’s sleep, so we won’t wake up tired and grumpy to begin the new workweek. 

It’s said that the first day of the week sets the tone for the remainder of it. And if that’s true, when we begin Monday on a less than stalwart note, then the rest of the week will probably follow suit. So, it’s to our advantage, as Brother James Brown would say, to step out on Monday on the good foot. (smile) And if we have Jesus in our lives, that should not be a problem, since getting us prepared to face each day is one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit. But we have to listen and pay attention to its guidance and direction if we want to benefit from its power. 

Unfortunately though, too many of us fail to rely on the Spirit of God dwelling within us, thus our lives are not as joyful and contented as they can be. Remember Jesus words of comfort to the disciples: ‘And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide in you for ever. 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 14:16-18) 

And the scholars explain ‘Comforter’ thus: ‘The Greek word ‘parakletos’ literally means “one called alongside to help,” hence the idea of a comforter. The Holy Spirit is called another comforter because this is also one of Christ’s titles (1 John 2:1, translated “advocate”). Illustration: The Father is also known as the God of All Comfort (2 Cor. 1:3). Though those in the early church often endured persecutions, they found their comfort in the Holy Spirit (Act 9:31). Application: Today, Christians can find comfort in the Holy Spirit when trials come. (First Ref. John 7:37-39; Primary Ref. John 14:16-18) 

Yes friends, the Holy Spirit is there to help and guide us through every aspect of our lives. And I’m wondering here if we don’t use the power of the Holy Spirit because we aren’t persecuted today like the early believers were. Remember, the scholars said above that in times of persecution the early church found comfort in the Holy Spirit. Maybe that’s why we’re so lackadaisical and reticent in using the third arm of the Holy Trinity that dwells within us; life is just too good, so we feel we don’t need Him. 

But that’s a fallacy perpetrated by the enemy, my brethren. Once we are in this evil and ungodly world, we need the power of the Holy Spirit, every minute of every day, because that’s the only way we can consistently stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternity with Jesus. We definitely can’t do it on our own, so please don’t let the enemy lead us astray thinking that’s possible. If Jesus needed the help of the Father when He was here on earth, so too do we need heavenly help to solve our earthly problems. We can’t fight Satan on our own. He’s too deceptive and cunning for our small and finite human minds to overcome. Only in concert with Jesus can we do it. 

Please, let’s remember that nuh, and don’t try to live life on our own, because the enemy will just blow us away without us even knowing it. That’s why we must never be too proud to ask for help, especially the divine kind. And with the numerous serious problems we are now experiencing, I think this is as good a time as any to do as the Good Book directs us: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) 

So, as one humble, but confident voice let’s offer up our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

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

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

And now, if we truly want our land to be healed and our problems solved, then we need to pray, repent and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!

…it’s not wise to refuse divine help…when it’s readily accessible…when it dwells within us… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   5 December 2021 Luke 14:27.

05 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Luke 14:27.     And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Here we are together friends on another Sunday, just thrilled to be in each other’s company, whether physically in the Lord’s Sanctuary, or by technological means. The important thing is that we are together for worship, prayer and thanksgiving. And I recently read an interesting statement where a lady asked a pastor why we go to church, and he replied that we go to church because someone might need us there. That’s good. It’s also true. And the corollary to that is also true, we too might need someone there. 

Now if you have doubts about why we gather on the Lord’s day, then listen to these moving words from Hebrews, written to the displaced Christian Jews who were suffering serious persecution all over the Roman Empire. The author writes: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and unto good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:23-25) 

And the scholars explain: ‘10:25. Not forsaking the assembling: This admonition involves far more than an erratic attendance. It involves the entire worship of Christ and is an outward indication of an inner condition. The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (cf. Col. 3:12-16) It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor. 12:14-17); it is not merely a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine.’ 

Wow! Yes friends, we don’t go to church just to be spiritually revived, but also to give of ourselves and to interact with others in praise and thanksgiving to our wonderful God. And now that we have a better understanding of why the saints of Christ ought to assemble, let’s get to some good old fashioned hymn singing, offering up praises to our heavenly King and Father. No doubt some of you are surprised that we didn’t begin as usual with the singing, but I happened upon those verses of Hebrews, or was led to them, who knows, and thought it a good idea to refresh our minds on the subject. 

And today’s hymn is a great favourite, one written around 1896, by the American hymnwriter, Judson W. Van DeVenter (1855-1939) and most appropriately titled ‘All to Jesus I Surrender.’ So, in a soulful, harmonious, scintillating, mid-tempo riddim, let’s offer up our sacrifices of praise from deep in our sincere hearts. 

‘All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I freely give; I will ever LOVE and trust Him, In His presence daily live. (Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all.) All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken. Take me, Jesus, take me now. (Refrain: I surrender all..) All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine. (Refrain: I surrender all…) 

All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy LOVE and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me. (Refrain: I surrender all…) All to Jesus I surrender, Now I feel the sacred flame; Oh, the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory, to His name! (Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all…I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all… All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all…’ 

Ah mih people, that was a wonderful rendition, but the problem now is how many of us are truly ALL surrendered to Jesus? We sing it like we mean it, but in actual life do we give Him our ALL, do we let every aspect of lives fall under His omnipotent dominion, or do we hold back some parts that we still feel the need to control? Remember Jesus sees our hearts and explores the real motives that lie hidden there, so it doesn’t make any sense to sing one thing and deep down inside do something else. We might fool our fellow believer, but we won’t fool Jesus. 

And remember Jesus said He requires all of us, or nothing at all. Please don’t forget what He told the rich young ruler who enquired about eternal life, about keeping the commandments. And when the ruler said he had been doing that all his life, ‘Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt (want to) be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.’ (Matt. 19:21) 

Obviously, the man didn’t want to do that back then, and so do a lot of us today. We want to follow Jesus, but we don’t want to give up our earthly possessions to do it. However, Jesus requires us to sacrifice our will for His own. As Luke recounts of Jesus in his epistle. ‘If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren (brothers), and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.’ (Luke 14:26-27) 

Those are certainly tough words my brethren. But they are surmountable ones. Hear how the scholars explain them. ‘14:26. In comparison to one’s devotion to Christ, one’s family ties must be secondary. This does not set aside Jesus’ other teachings to LOVE one’s enemies, to honour father and mother, and the like. It does highlight that absolute loyalty to Christ is paramount, even though in many societies, including the one in which Jesus taught, as well as many today, following Him, involves precisely the either-or that this verse sets up.’ 

Thankfully though, in our current society, most believers do not have to give up all their physical belongings to follow Christ, but He does need our spiritual wherewithal, which can call for different kinds of sacrifices on His behalf. And that’s the main point in being a follower of Christ…that we subordinate our will to His, and are willing to give up whatever it takes, to make whatever sacrifice that’s necessary to do His will. 

Now that’s something for us to ponder on today. Considering all that we’ve said, are we fully surrendered to Christ? Only the individual believer can truly answer that. But let’s hope that we can all answer truthfully the question with a resounding ‘YES! Much LOVE!

…surrendering all to Jesus…is small potatoes…compared to what He surrendered for us…His sinless life… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   4 December 2021 Joshua 14:12a.

04 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Joshua 14:12a.      Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day;

Oh yes! We’ve made it through another workweek! Thank the Lord! Now it’s Saturday, our lazing time; sleeping late, not rushing to do anything, even bypassing things we earlier felt were so important to do. (smile) That’s what Saturday brings for many of us, especially the ones without young children and a busy household schedule. 

Wish I could say that, because on Saturdays, I have to put on my thinking cap and try to decipher, with God’s help obviously, what the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week means to believers in Christ Jesus. And ofttimes they are quite inciteful and do inspire us to have a better tomorrow. 

So, let’s see what our first quote today says. ‘You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.’ And isn’t that the God-awesome truth! Yes friends, as long as we are alive and able to do stuff, we should never stop learning, because learning is what keeps us alive, not only metaphorically, but also physically, for if we don’t use our faculties they will dry up and we will die. As they say, if you don’t use it, you lose it. And age is no drawback to learning. I just read recently about an eighty something year old woman receiving her first college degree and planning to go on for a second one. 

Now that’s how we ought to be, always planning on something, even though we’re not sure to make it. And I believe one of the best examples of that sort of thinking in the Bible is Caleb, at eighty-five years old, saying to Joshua: ‘Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, than I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said,’ (Josh. 14:12) 

Remember, Caleb and Joshua were two of the dozen spies who checked out the Promised Land at Moses’ behest. And they were the only two who had faith to believe that Israel was able to defeat the inhabitants, and thus were the only two people from those who originally left Egypt, blessed to enter the Land of Promise. That segues nicely into this next quote: ‘Inspiration comes from within yourself. One has to be positive. When you’re positive, good things happen.’ 

I don’t know if inspiration necessarily only comes from within you, but for sure, you must be positive. And when you are, good things usually happen. The opposite is also true: Think negatively, negative things will most likely happen. That’s just the way of the universe. The way God planned it. Cousin Sol wisely said, as a man thinks, so is he. (Prov. 23:7) Now that’s no lie! And as Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say: ‘Something good is going to happen to me today. And something good is going to happen through me today.’ 

It’s always good to keep a positive mindset. Especially if you are a believer in Christ Jesus, for He says that nothing is impossible to Him, and consequently nothing is impossible to those who sincerely believe in Him! Wow! What an encouraging word in these discouraging times! 

Moving on, we come to the following quote: ‘Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.’ I believe that most of us would agree with that statement, as there are so many moments in our lives that we never paid much attention to at the time they were taking place, but when we look back, we discover that they were indeed precious and memorable. Yes, hindsight is 20-20 vision. But please, let’s stop being so busy and enjoy the moments of our lives as they happen nuh, rather than appreciating them only in hindsight. 

That brings us to this quote: ‘You do not find the happy life. You make it.’ And is that ever so true. We ought not to wait on others to make us happy, otherwise we will often wait in vain. True happiness begins with us. It’s a decision we make to be happy, to be fulfilled, come what may. And the first thing on that road to happiness is having a positive outlook on life, because happiness entails a positive state of mind. 

Then we need to have a good attitude towards the difficulties that come with life. For life is never a smooth, flat ride, but more often a roller coaster, with numerous up and downs, twists and turns. And the best way to get that good attitude is by believing in Jesus! Remember His memorable words to the disciples. ‘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) 

Yes my people, the only way to achieve a true kind of happiness, one that’s not dependent only on our outward circumstances is by having Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. That’s because He enables us to have the inner peace and happiness we term joy, which is oh so essential for living in this dangerous and disastrous world. And our last quote encourages us as it says: ‘Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.’ 

Oh friends, being a ray of light in someone else’s life is ever so important, and it’s not very hard to do. We just have to be a friend, a mentor, or even a simple passer-by to inject a dash of sunshine into another’s life. And yuh know that’s the basic element of being a Christian, a follower of Christ! He said that we were supposed to be the light of the world, and to let our light shine so that others may see it and glorify our heavenly Father. Well, if that’s not being a rainbow in someone else’s dark cloud, then I don’t know what is. 

And all it takes sometimes is just a smile, a kind or encouraging word, or quietly listening as someone pours out their hearts, but being there with some form of help. And having written that last sentence, it just occurred to me how easy it is for us to be a shining light, a rainbow in another person’s life without a whole lot of sacrifice on our part, and yet how many people go around shrouded in dark clouds because we supposed believers are too selfish, too busy or simply can’t be bothered to offer that li’l ray of sunshine we are quite capable of offering. 

So today, my fellow saints, I’m asking us to get serious on the matter of brightening up the lives of others. And do we all need someone to offer us a ray of sunshine in these calamitous times. All we have to do is pay a li’l more attention and let the power of the Holy Spirit play a greater part in our lives. Let’s promise ourselves and our God to do that today nuh, so we can make our world a better and brighter place. Much LOVE!

…being a true Christian isn’t always difficult…it can also be as easy as…one, two, three… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 December 2021 Daniel 9:9.

03 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Daniel 9:9.     To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him. 

Just one more day…one more day of life being life! Steups! Yuh know, those days when everything just seems to go wrong right from the start. You wake up feeling lousy, with a headache, and then as you try to get out of bed, a cramp suddenly hits you in your right thigh. But thank the Lord it is not one of the terrible ones, so you only moan and groan and try to calm it for about five or six minutes. 

Then a li’l later, you are coming down the basement steps to write the Bit with a cup of sweet java in your hand, next thing you stumble and spill some of it on the steps. So, you must clean that up before the duchess sees it and castigates you for your sloppiness. And then outside it seems to be another grey looking day. 

Brother! I’ve never seen so much cloud cover in my life! There’s no day where the sun just seems to shine with no surrounding dark clouds. How wonderful it is to have Jesus and His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and walking beside us to calm and protect us from all those irritating and frustrating storms of life! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord!’ 

Yes friends, we need to be ever so thankful for Jesus because even with His divine help, life still gets difficult. So, can you imagine if we didn’t have Him, or how those who don’t have Him manage? And yuh know what, the Good Book opened at an interesting passage of scripture this morning which I believe is oh so appropriate for our times. It comes from Nehemiah’s prayer for his people Israel when told of Jerusalem’s sorry state. He admitted to God: ‘We have dealt (acted) very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements (ordinances), which thou commandedest thy servant Moses.’ (Neh. 1:7) 

Ah mih people, there’s no disputing that we have done the exact same thing; turned away from the God of our forefathers! No wonder our world is in such a terrible state. Way back when, Moses had warned the children of Israel: ‘But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto (listen to) the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do (obey) all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. (Deut. 28:15) 

And just for our information, the blessings in that chapter run from verse 3-14, but the curses from verse 16-68. I don’t need to tell us that the curses were more numerous and disastrous. It’s sad, but all down through the ages, the supposed people of God have at one time or another turned away from Him and paid a terrible price for their disobedience. The psalmist said it when he wrote in Psalm 106, titled, Israel sins against God’s LOVE. ‘We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.’ (Ps. 106:6) 

And Daniel said it thus in his prayer for Israel when they were in captivity in Babylon. ‘We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements.’ (Dan. 9:5) Oh, for certain sure my brethren, we have sinned and done dastardly deeds against our wonderful God! We have rebelled against Him, especially by trying to turf Him in no uncertain terms from our society, from the world and all therein that He so thoughtfully created. 

The awful cry these days is ‘There is no God!’ But most of us know better than that; that there is a God, a true and living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! A God who will not let us get away with our infantile behaviour forever. And I think Daniel hit the nail on the head when he said in a couple verses later: ‘O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces (shame), as at this day…’ (Dan. 9:7a) 

Oh my fellow saints, confusion certainly reigns in our world today, but obviously not enough shame for our sins and wickedness committed against out heavenly Father. Otherwise, we would have already turned back to Him with a great revival, when we saw that we can’t fix our problems in our own strength. But no, we persist in trying to fix it ourselves, and the situation is just getting worse every day. 

However, as Daniel also said: ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’ (Dan. 9:9) That means our Lord and God is a forgiving and merciful God, and if we swallow our foolish pride and return to His fold, we will be forgiven. So please, let’s wake up nuh, and see the utter folly of trying to fix what’s wrong by ourselves, for only with God’s divine help is it possible. Let’s therefore go to Him in humble repentance and ask for His forgiveness and guidance through our Friday Chant. 

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

So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. 

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

Now, if we want God to help us, we must fulfill those promises we’ve just made. It’s as simple as that. Much LOVE

!…rebelling against God…the Creator and Controller of everything…is utter foolishness… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 December 2021 Romans 5:5a.

02 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Romans 5:5a.     And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); 

Oh friends, unfortunately, Thursday has not opened as nicely as Wednesday did; it’s wet and cloudy, but as always, the wonderful news and Spirit of Jesus lifts us up regardless of the quality of the physical day. And we’ve drawn breath today, so that makes it even more important! That’s why we confidently declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ 

Yes mih bredrin, life might not be a bed of roses, but since we have life, we have hope.. ‘And hope maketh not ashamed (does not disappoint); because the LOVE of God has been shed abroad (poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’ (Rom. 5:5) Oh my people, what we have in Christ Jesus through His Holy Spirit is more than hope, it’s a certainty of our eternal home and destination. 

But here’s how the bibleref.com website explains it nuh. They say: ‘Paul introduced a challenging idea in the previous verses (1-4): that Christians can see suffering as a cause for rejoicing. He did not mean by this that anyone should necessarily feel happy or enthusiastic about hard circumstances. Instead, those who are saved—who have expressed faith in Christ—can declare to ourselves that this suffering is worthwhile. It provides an opportunity to grow into the people that God is calling us to be. 

He began by showing that suffering produces endurance: a deeper, longer trust in God. This produces character, meaning we more consistently choose to do what honors God. This, in turn, produces hope, where we experience growing certainty that our ultimate destiny is an eternity of good in God’s presence. Now Paul concludes this chain by saying that our hope will never put us to shame. By that, Paul means our hope will be fully vindicated. We will never, in the end, be disappointed for hoping to receive God’s goodness forever.’ 

And of that we can be certain sure my fellow believers, because our wonderful God has already proven His awesome LOVE for us by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross for us while we were yet sinners. Yes, through His shed blood we’ve been justified, sanctified, redeemed, saved from God’s wrath, received salvation, been reconciled to the Father, atoned for and all the other wonderful things we gain by being true believers in Christ Jesus! 

Wow! Which other supposed God has anything better to offer eh? NONE! Because they are not real gods, just wannabe imitations of the One and Only True Living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! And that’s the indisputable truth! There is no other God but Yahweh, Jehovah, Elohim, whatever name we choose to address Him by! 

That’s why Bruh Paul could also write in his second letter to the church at Corinth, these encouraging words. ‘For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yea, and nay, but in him was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us is God; Who also hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.’ (2 Cor. 1:19-22) 

Oh friends, the promises of God in Christ Jesus are all yes, yes, yes! Now hear the scholars’ explanation of that passage of scripture. ‘1:20-22. Amen is equivalent to yea. Whether one is a Gentile (yea) or a Hebrew (amen), the promises of God are sure. But the force of Paul’s analogy is that his word is as good as the gospel, because he which establisheth us with you in Christ…is God. 

Sealed us: The sealing of the Holy Spirit has a threefold significance in the New Testament: (1) to indicate ownership (we belong to God, through Christ Jesus); (2) to indicate genuineness; (3) to preserve and keep safe (cf. Eph. 4:30; 2 Tim. 2:19; Rev. 7:2-3). This last idea is amplified with the earnest of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit Himself is the down payment, or pledge , of redemption. The indwelling Spirit is the surety and the “security” of all that is to follow in the final salvation of the believer (cf. Rom. 8:9-11, 23; 2 Cor. 5:5; Eph. 1:14).’ 

What more can we ask eh friends? Nothing really. God didn’t only send Christ to pay for our sins, but He also sent the Holy Spirit to seal us as His personal property. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘For ye are bought with a price: (the blood of Jesus): therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ (1 Cor. 6:20) Yes my people, we belong lock, stock and barrel to God! And He stakes His claim on us by sending His Holy Spirit to indwell us, as well as to give us security and surety of His promises. 

That means our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, consequently, we need to behave in a manner worthy and appropriate of such a high honour. Please, let’s try doing that nuh. We all know what it means and what it takes, but we need to put out a serious effort to make it happen, especially in these tough times. And our God is so good and wonderful that He even gives us the tools, numerous blessings, so we can do just that, and show the world what a magnificent God He is. And since those blessings don’t take effect until we declare them, let’s declare what we call our Thursday Blessings right now nuh. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! 

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

Now, the onus is on us to go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, as God shared them with us. Much LOVE!

…and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God…whereby ye are sealed…unto the day of redemption… (Eph. 4:30) 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 December 2021 Philippians 2:14.

01 Dec 2021 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 2:14.     Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings.

Well, we’ve opened unto a fairly decent Wednesday, the first day of December; with no snow and some sunshine. Yes, the clouds are there, tirelessly fighting for supremacy, but the sun is in ascendance right now. Thank the Lord! But friends, how I do wish that we, the followers of and believers in Christ had that unflagging, indomitable, unconquerable spirit like those clouds have as they fight the sun’s awesome power, where we never give up, where we are impervious to defeat and only think victory all the time! 

That’s the kind of faith and spirit we need more than ever in these over-the-top, mind-blowing times that none of us have ever before experienced. And instead of complaining like we do, we ought to be crying out to Jesus and living the way He wants us to, believing, as He faithfully promised, that everything will work out for good in the end, for those who sincerely LOVE and abide in Him. And as we promised yesterday, if God spared our lives, which He’s obviously done (smile), we’ll continue talking about that disgusting and ungodly attitude that we too often have, called ‘Complaining.’ 

Now yesterday we saw back in olden times where the Lord chastised the Israelites for too much complaining, especially when He was keeping them in food and drink. They didn’t like manna, and wanted meat, so He gave them so much meat that it eventually turned their hearts against it, became loathsome to them. And I theorized that the same thing is happening to us today with all the disasters, both natural and manmade, as well as the Covid plague that just won’t go away, because of our stubborn, foolish pride and disobedience to Almighty God. 

But enough of my theorizing, let’s turn to the New Testament for some words on the subject of complaining, since some of us wrongly believe that the Old Testament has nothing to offer us in these supposed modern times. And Bruh Paul, the wise man that he was, spoke to the subject in no uncertain terms in his letter to the Philippians. Listen as he tells them. ‘’Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.’ (Phil. 2:12-13) 

And we know that means not literally working for our salvation because that’s a free gift given by God, and has nothing to do with our works, but the carrying out of it to its logical conclusion depends on us. We need to work out the new life not just for our profit but for the benefit of others also. And if we work out and show the new life divinely worked in us, we will live worthy of the gospel, in harmony with each other, seeking the progress of the gospel. We will also regard each other as more important than ourselves, be concerned with the needs of our fellow brethren, and make the appropriate sacrifices in obedience to God, as did Jesus. 

In doing all of this, we will work out or express the new life we have through Christ. And having said a lot of that in the beginning of the chapter and elsewhere in his letter, Bruh Paul continues: ‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings. That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:14-15) 

Bruh Paul couldn’t be any clearer than that! Christians are not to be continual grumblers and complainers and disputers! Now remember, it’s God who is working in us, for us to do His good will and pleasure, and that can ofttimes be difficult, calling for sacrifices and such, but don’t lose sight of the fact that in the end it will all work out to our benefit. 

And I like the scholars’ explanation of verse 14. They say: ‘Since God is producing in the Philippians the willing and doing of His good and perfect will (vs.13), there can be no legitimate reason for murmurings and disputings. Not only are they forbidden to complain about the difficulties and persecutions that will befall them in carrying out God’s good pleasure, but quarreling among themselves is also prohibited.’ 

Wow! Now that declaration also stands for us today my fellow believers. And how I wish we could all function in such a Christian manner. But unfortunately, Christ’s church right now is a hot bed of grumbling and complaining, of cliques and groups resentful and jealous of each other, of a whole lot of antagonism and evil doings in the body of Christ! If we follow verses 12 and 14, then we would become blameless and harmless. But due to the significant amount strife in the current church this is presently not true 

And are we ever living in the midst of a perverse, crooked, evil and depraved world. Thus, we are expected to help the lost, since that’s the only way that they will ever know Christ. However, in doing so, we must try and not call our witness into rebuke or disfavour by behaving like the world. Instead, as Christ Himself describes us: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid….Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14, 16) 

Oh friends, our crazy, discombobulated world desperately needs us to be bright lights shining in its evil darkness! Please, please, let’s come up higher nuh, so that we can be the kind of light that Jesus desires us to be. And one way to do that is by stopping the grumbling and complaining that we do daily, over petty and unimportant stuff. Don’t you think it’s breaking Jesus’ heart when He sees the disgusting and disturbing state of disrepair that His church has fallen into? I’m sure it does. And we can’t give Him wrong if sometimes He even asks Himself if His life sacrifice was worth it, considering our willful disobedience and unchristian behaviour. 

So we all need to look in the mirror and truthfully ask ourselves if we are indeed shining lights in the world’s darkness, or just adding to its darkness. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to be lights, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful and enviable 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 we need to be in it for the long haul, because those who endure to the end will find that the future is even more glorious than we can ask or even imagine! Much LOVE!

…Christians ought to…be in the world…but not of the world…  

P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but life, as it is wont to do, unexpectedly intervened and delayed my writing. Thanks for the forgiveness! (smile) Much LOVE! 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 November 2021 Numbers 11:1a.

30 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

Numbers 11:1a.     And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord:

And then it was Tuesday!  We’ve left a miserable Monday in its wake! Glory be! And thankfully too, there are no more piles of dead leaves littering my driveway…not for another year anyway. (smile) But yuh know how it is when we wish for something to stop happening, it does stop, but oftentimes something worse takes its place. As they say, we go from the frying pan into the fire. Well, I believe that’s what’s happening to me right now. Although there are no more dry leaves in my driveway to collect, we now have that beautiful white, but ever so deceptive and dangerous stuff called snow covering it. 

However, there is a small silver lining to that situation, namely, I no longer shovel snow. Too old and broken down for that now. And sometimes I do miss it. I remember those days I would get out in the driveway, open my garage door and the trunk of my car, turn up the stereo and dance and sing while shovelling. People walking by would look at me and laugh, but that was okay. I was enjoying myself, although I was doing some hard physical labour. 

And that’s the way we ought always to be my fellow believers; joyful when doing stuff that seems difficult, because we have the joy and strength of Christ our Lord and Saviour flowing through us and enabling us to do our tasks with a good attitude. Too many of us adopt a bad attitude when we face difficult situations, but that’s one of the purposes of having Christ in our lives, to give us a good attitude. That’s why, in collecting the leaves, even though I knew my back would hurt me from bending so often, I still tried to keep a smile on my face and a prayer in my heart, that the back pain would not be too bad and would soon go away. 

So many of us complain about our jobs, our friends, our spouses, etc. etc. But you know how many other people would gladly take who and what we’re complaining about, because they don’t have any of it?  We have life so relatively easy now, that we complain about anything that exerts us even a little. But friends please realize how dangerous Complaining is, and how much it displeases God. And these words from the website JollyNotes.com explain how complaining is the work of the devil and can lead to further sin. 

‘Grumbling and complaining are sins that can lead to further disobedience, and give the enemy a hold in our lives (God forbid!). In the Bible, complaining is considered an act of unbelief toward God. We have to remember that complaining does not change situations, or even make anything better. Conversely, complaining increases our frustration. Complaining is also very contagious and if not checked, it will spread discord, discontentment and negativity to others.’ 

Unfortunately, complaining is not a new thing, it’s as old as mankind itself. The Israelites began complaining the moment they crossed the Red Sea, about lack of water and fresh meat and the hard journey. They even contemplated going back to their servitude in Egypt. Eventually the Lord got so fed up with their complaining about the manna they received from His merciful hands, that the Good Book tells us: ‘And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled (aroused); and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts (outskirts) of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched.’ (Num. 11:1-2) 

But that did not stop them from complaining, for the rabble rousers stirred them up again to complain about fresh meat. Just like the rabble rousers of today are stirring things up leading to much anger, hatred and strife in our society. But I like how the Lord dealt with the Israelites about their plea for fresh meat. He told Moses: ‘And say unto the people, sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh (meat): for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord saying, 

Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and you shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; But even a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you, because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him,  saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?’ (Num. 11:18-20) 

And as always, the Lord kept His promise. Later on, the Good Book details: ‘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) Brother! Our God doesn’t make joke nuh! When He says He’s going to provide a thing, He surely does. The Israelites had meat around them a day’s journey on either side of the camp, and two cubits high at that! 

‘And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. And while the flesh (meat) was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath (anger) of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote (struck) the people with a great plague.’ (Num. 11:32-33) 

Oh my people, doesn’t that sound very much like what’s happening to us today? For ages we’ve been complaining about all kinds of stuff, turning away from God, being evil, disobedient and proud as ever. Then up crops the plague Covid! And it is a plague because it’s worldwide and doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. In fact, it’s mutating and getting more dangerous as we bicker and complain and don’t want to get together and fight it as ONE! Just like the Israelites way back then, thousands have died from it. 

Our greed, disobedience, and efforts to rid our society of God is no doubt fuelling His anger against us. And until we wake up and see that our only option is to turn back to God, many more will suffer, and many more will die. Oh friends, there’s much more to say on the subject, but we will end on that hopefully sobering note. Tomorrow, God spare life, we will continue with the subject of ‘Complaining, Murmuring, Griping, Whining, Grumbling, Beefing, Belly-Aching, Moaning’; call it whatever you like. 

Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to do the Lord’s work, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we joyfully belong…Christ Jesus! 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 the world. Amen!’ 

And our bounden duty is to go out and do just that; share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can get to know and LOVE Him like we do. Much LOVE!

…it’s only logical…that if you try to negate the Creator of the earth and all therein…you will suffer dire consequences…  

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