Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 November 2019 Job 4:8.

16 Nov 2019 Leave a comment

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

Job 4:8.    Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.
 

Saturday… oh lazy Saturday! And I guess that after a rather trying week of labour and all that it entails, plus some negative weather situations, we all deserve to have a lazy day to wind down and release all our pent up frustrations and angst. (smile) And there’s no better day than Saturday for doing that. I can just hear the many sighs of relief as so many of us open our bleary eyes, look at the clock, then say, ‘Thank God is Saturday!’ then roll over and go back to sleep. Unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I got frustrated when I awoke around five and then tried to go back to sleep because all I did was toss and turn for over half an hour, before I finally gave up and got up. That’s why the Bit is a tad early. (smile) 

And since it’s Saturday, let’s have a gander at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Hear this first one: ‘Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth, as so many of us have found out over the years! We all have experiences we don’t pay much attention to at the time they are happening, but later on discover that they were indeed seminal moments in our lives. That’s why hindsight is 20/20! (smile) 

This next quote tells us: ‘Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive.’ Now I’m not so sure about that nuh, because there are so many things that make us feel glad to be alive, but in actual fact are not good for us. And we all know them; the misleading and deceitful things of the world. I guess it might be wiser to add something like ‘if it is Jesus’ will’ to the end of the quote. Then there’s this: ‘Inspiration comes from within yourself. One has to be positive. When you’re positive, good things happen.’ The first sentence is true a lot of the times, inspiration does come from within, when God places inspired ideas in our spirits, but one can also be inspired by external and outward circumstances  and situations. 

However, the remainder of the quote is definitely true. We have to be positive in what we do, since positive words, thoughts and actions produce positive results, while the negative aspects produce negative results. And there was never a more positive person that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. How yuh mean? Just think on it nuh: He had to be the master of positivism to have left a glorious spot in a glorious heaven, to come to this hellhole called earth, to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners, who He knew would reject Him, then leave a mere twelve men to try and convert the whole world! But it all worked out as He planned. Glory Be! 

That leads us to ‘You must do the things you think you cannot do.’ And that’s ever so true, especially if you are a sincere believer in Jesus Christ, because He doesn’t advocate giving up. Those words don’t appear in His vocabulary at all. And furthermore, please remember the wonderful supportive scripture that says: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) Wow friends! That means anything that is in Christ’s will, He will enable us to do, we just have to buckle down and do it! So when things crop up that seem hard, or even impossible, let’s just remember that Christ will help us to do it, and better yet, remember Jesus’ words to His disciples, re a camel passing through the eye of a needle: ‘With men this is impossible: but with God, ALL things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) 

And I’ve left the best for last: ‘You get what you give.’ Oh my people, that is the very basis of God’s economy! We know it as you reap what you sow, and that’s the living truth! As the old people would say, you can’t sow peas and hope to reap corn, but many of us do just that. Now let’s look at some scriptures that point out the importance of sowing and reaping in God’s great universe. And Job’s friend Eliphaz puts it quite succinctly when he rebukes him. ‘Remember I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.’ (Job 4:7-8) 

The scholars tell us that Eliphaz was talking from personal experience, and since he meant that you reap what you sow, his point was Job must be suffering because of his sin. Now, although in this case that wasn’t true, all through the Good Book we are told that the doers of iniquity will be severely punished. And Cousin Sol gives us a couple serious verses to consider. ‘The liberal (generous) soul shall be made fat (rich): and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.’ (Prov.11:25) And then: ‘He that hath a bountiful (generous) eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.’ (Prov.22:9) 

And Jesus said it thus: ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom (pocket). For with the same measure that ye mete (use) withal (with the same) it shall be measured to you again.’ (Luke 6:38) Jesus said it, therefore it must be true! 

Ah mih people, there are so many scriptures on sowing and reaping and giving and receiving that I’m confused (smile) and running out of space. So here are the last couple. This from Bruh Paul to the Corinthians: ‘But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully (generously) shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity (compulsion): for God LOVETH a cheerful (joyful) giver.’ (2 Cor. 9:6-7) Just like in the real world your ‘return is determined by your investment.’ 

And please pay close attention to these immortal words of Bruh Paul to the Galatians. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.’ (Gal. 6:7-8) That’s very in your face and to the point my people. So please, let’s spend some of this lazy Saturday pondering our sowing nuh. Forget about the reaping for now, because if we sow good seed, with a good heart, the Lord has promised that we will reap a bountiful harvest. And He is indeed faithful to His promises! Much LOVE!

…you reap what you sow…more than you sow…and later than you sow… (Uncle Charles – Charles Stanley)

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 November 2019 Mark 7:9.

15 Nov 2019 Leave a comment

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

Mark 7:9.    ​Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
 

Oh friends, looks like it’s going to be another cold, dreary, sunless, cloudy day in my neighbourhood! But the good news is that the harbinger of the weekend, Friday, is here! Glory be! And we do have Jesus Christ dwelling within us, so that makes it doubly good! (smile) Yes, whatever the weather might be, we can, and we will handle it with great aplomb. That’s because, with Christ in us, and we in Him, we have the self assurance and confidence to handle whatever comes against us. He’s faithfully promised that He will never leave nor forsake us, which means we have no need to worry or be overly anxious about anything! And all God’s children gave a grateful and sincere shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His holy name!’ 

Now that’s something believers should always do. Anyway, since it’s Friday, we know the workingman is just dying to sing his song, so let’s listen to him nuh. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! The weekend has come around just in time, cause the foolish winter weather’s been getting me down. Wasn’t prepared for the snow and ice and bundling up in plenty warm clothes just yet. Oh, I know it was coming, but thought I had more time to get acclimatized. But with temperature change and all the other idiosyncrasies happening in the world today, one never knows where one stands, or what’s going to happen. 

It’s certainly not like long time when everything was lined up properly and you didn’t have as many surprises as nowadays. But the long and short of the story is that this is the weekend, and if I let the weather, or anybody spoil it, then that’s my problem. So I’m just going to eat up and drink up and have a good time… Hn, hn, hn! Not like Thanksgiving weekend though, because I still remember that tragic feeling of dying from excessive partying. And the weather can do whatever it wants, just as long as it settles down on Monday, so I can go back to the slave master work without any hassles. Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’ 

Oh mih people, too much of anything is no good! I’m glad to hear though that the workingman has learned his lesson. (smile) Yuh know, we never learn from the mistakes of others as quickly as we do from our own mistakes. And he would have kept on overdoing it until one day he actually dropped down from excessive partying. Now that’s why our Leader, Jesus Christ has instituted borders and boundaries in our lives. He doesn’t want us to go out to the thin end of the branch and have it break with us. 

Then we tumble down like Humpty Dumpty and they can’t put us back together again. It’s not to spoil our fun, like so many of us think, but merely a precaution to save us from the devil’s deceitful enticements. Remember the old but oh so true adage: ‘prevention better than cure.’ Now let’s sing our Friday Chant, which shows that we don’t need to go overboard to have fun. 

In full voice…let’s chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’ 

Oh precious people, all that is for our benefit, so that enemy doesn’t get a foothold in our lives and thus be able to run roughshod over them. But as I said earlier on, too many of us think that Jesus’ rules are just another way to clip our wings and prevent us from having fun. But why would He do that when He explicitly came to save us from our sinful deeds and lives eh? It’s the extra-curricular activities that afflict us. (smile) 

That’s why Christ rebuked the Pharisees an’ them by saying: ‘Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.’ They were putting their traditions before God’s commandments, just like we’re doing today. So many of our traditions run counter to God’s commands, but yet we follow them without blinking an eye. 

And Jesus pointed out one particular case: ‘For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and Whoso curseth Father or mother, let him die the death (be put to death): But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift (dedicated to the temple), by whatsoever thou mightiest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer (allow) him no more to do aught (anything) for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none (no) effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered (handed down): and many such like things ye do.’ (Mark 7:10-13) 

And the scholars explain: ‘7:11-12. Jews could evade responsibility to parents by declaring (steups!) their substance Corban, “devoted to God.” Religious leaders evidently condoned this clear circumvention of both the letter and intent of the Old Testament.’ How sad and evil was that friends! But don’t go quickly condemning the religious leaders of old, because we today are doing the same blooming thing! How many parents are left nowadays in the lurch by their children…for whatever they consider good reason…too many! It’s just more convenient for us to ignore them; economically, physically and emotionally. But yet we expect to reap God’s promises of long life. 

Ah mih people, paying for them in a nursing home but not going to visit them is not honouring them in God’s eyes. As the scholars explain verse 13; ‘Jesus quarrel was not with God’s word, but with human misuse of it.’ And there are many examples today where we do the very same thing; misuse God’s Word to serve our selfish purposes. But as they say, you can only lead a horse to water – like I’m trying to do here – but you can’t make it drink. Let’s hope the Word of God will do that. Much LOVE!

…unless you sow…what’s in God’s Word…you won’t reap His promises…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 November 2019 Psalm 145:3.

14 Nov 2019 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 145:3.    ​Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding).
 

Oh precious people of Christ, it’s a new day, with new mercies and new compassions from our heavenly Father! Praise His holy name! And we’ll do just that this cloudy, dreary-looking Thursday morning, starting with a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And it’s ever so appropriately titled ‘Celebration!’ 

So please pray with me sincerely: ‘When I think of Your lavish goodness The longings You’ve satisfied The forgiveness You’ve granted The promises You’ve kept When I think of Your irresistible LOVE Your ceaseless care Your unfailing protection… O Lord God I want to raise flags And fly banners And sound bugles. I want to run with lighted torches And praise You From the mountaintop. I want to write symphonies And shout for joy. I want to throw a festive party For ten thousand guests. I want to celebrate with streamers and bright lights And an elaborate banquet.’ And God’s answer to all that… ‘Fine, dear child I’m ready.’ 

Oh friends, nobody like s a party, a celebration like our wonderful God, especially when He’s the One we’re celebrating! And He does deserve a whole lot of celebrating for all those things said in the poem about His goodness and LOVING-kindness are eternally true! And He’s ready to party, whenever we are! And we are indeed ready! So let’s begin by glorifying Him in the words of Bruh David from his psalm of praise: ‘I will extol (praise) thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.’ (Ps. 145:1-2) 

Oh my fellow saints in Christ, that is exactly how we ought to behave every single day of our lives! And if you want to know why we singing His praises so vociferously each and every day, then listen to our Bit, Bruh David’s next words: ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding).’ And it surely is my people! And I like how the Lord didn’t wait for us to find that out for ourselves, but plainly told us so in His own words: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) And that’s an indisputable fact! 

And the scholars offer this most interesting and intriguing explanation: ‘55:8-13. God’s sovereignty and omniscience are extolled by the statement that His thoughts (i.e., purposes or intentions) and ways (Gr. derakim, or “directions”) are higher than ours. While God may certainly be known by men, He is still incomprehensible in the totality of His person and purposes. Therefore, He reveals Himself to men by His word, which shall not return to him void (in vain). The Word of God, therefore, accomplishes His purpose in announcing salvation.’ And are we ever so grateful for that! 

Now let’s hear a few scriptures that do establish God’s sovereignty and His awesome incomprehensibility to mortal man. Hear Zophar when he reproves Job: ‘Canst thou by searching find out God (search out the deep things of God)? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than hell (sheol); what canst thou know?’ (Job 11:7-8) And the answer to all of that my people is ‘Absolutely nothing!’ We can search all we want, but we’ll never find out the secrets of God, except those He releases to us in His Word. 

And Isaiah tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.’ (Is. 40:28) And if you didn’t know that before, now yuh know! (smile) 

And Bruh Paul puts it this way to the church at Rome: ‘O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out!’ (Rom. 11:33) But then in Bruh Paul’s remarkable style, he continues by quoting us some of the Old Testament Scriptures on the matter; ‘For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed (repaid) unto him again?’ (Rom. 11:34-35) 

And the answer to all of those questions is simply ‘NOBODY!’ ‘For of him, and through him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.’ (Rom. 11:36) Yes friends, as the scholars explain: ‘11:36. God is the source of all things – of him; God is the channel of all things – through him; God is the goal of all things – to him; and Man’s only proper response to God is to worship Him.’ And that’s for certain sure! I just wish that more of mankind could and would realize that! But for those of us who do, let’s go home declaring (yeah!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has graciously and generously given to us to do His earthly work. 

All together in strong, sincere voices: ‘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 everyday! Amen!’ 

Now let’s go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!

…O…the incomparability…the majesty…and the supremacy…of our great God…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 November 2019 Philippians 4:13.

13 Nov 2019 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 4:13.    ​I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
 

Well, well, well, the old saying, ‘wonders never cease, but daily they increase,’ is certainly true. Yes friends, the ole fella had a wonder in his life yesterday; he actually shovelled the snow from his driveway! Glory be! It’s something I haven’t done for at least, five years, possibly more, but yesterday the Good Lord and I got out there and we shovelled like it was playtime! (smile) Obviously I didn’t go all gung ho, but simply took my time and did what I had to do. And it actually wasn’t too bad, reminded me of the days when I did it all the time; would just get out there, turn up my car stereo loud, and party and shovel! 

As the old people said again; after one time is two yes! Never thought I’d be back shovelling snow, but since we could not get anybody to do it for a reasonable price, it sort of fell back in my hands. Hope it doesn’t become the norm though, but who knows how the Lord will work there. And I guess that if He does have me do it, then it will mean that I am getting better and stronger physically, and hopefully emotionally and spiritually as well. (smile)

Ah mih people, our wonderful God does move in such mysterious ways, that you have to be on the lookout for anything. But having said that, we also must acknowledge that He doesn’t give us more than we can handle, or leave us to handle it all on our own. That’s why I wasn’t worried about shovelling the snow yesterday. He wouldn’t have allowed me to go out there if I couldn’t handle it, and then He was out there with me all the time, encouraging and advising. 

That’s why we can use Bruh Paul’s words to the Philippians as a marvellous tool and yardstick for all of our endeavours. It’s a scripture we’re all familiar with, but do we ever really put it into serious action? ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ Yes my brethren, our ability to do what we need to do comes entirely from our God. No wonder I was able to go outside and shovel the snow without any ill effects yesterday. That certainly would not have been possible within the last three or four years because of my heart problems. But now that they seemed to have settled down, the whole world is my oyster! Yeah! 

That reminds me of another recent incident which proves the truth of our Bit. That time a couple months ago when I was down in South Africa scrambling all over the top of Table Mountain like a mountain goat. (smile) A year ago, I certainly could not have done that without dropping like a swatted fly. But thanks to the strength of Christ, I was able to do that and so much more. Oh friends, I’m saying all this just to say that the Word of the Lord is true, but we need to not only have the faith, but even more importantly show it in our daily walk with the Lord. And you’ll notice that on many of the occasions Jesus healed people, He straightforwardly told them it was because of their faith. 

One of the saddest aspects of Christianity these days is that we talk a good talk about faith, but we don’t walk it with the same enthusiasm and sincerity. But if we read Chapter 11 of Hebrews, that magnificent chapter on all the heroes of the Good Book, we’ll see that they ALL had to have great faith in action to accomplish whatever they did.

And hear how Bruh Paul says it in Romans of Abraham, the father of our faith, after the Lord promised him an heir in his old age. ‘And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb (90 years old): He staggered (wavered) not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong (strengthened) in faith; giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded (convinced) that, what he had promised, he was able to perform.’ (Rom. 4:19-21) 

That’s the big difference between us and Abraham my people, he had great faith, he believed the things God promised even though they seemed impossible. That’s because ‘faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb.11:1) And that’s what God is seeking from us all; strong faith and belief in His Word and His promises, especially when they seem impossible to us mere mortals. Even now, when it’s more medically possible than back then, we still would doubt that a hundred year old man and a ninety year old woman could reproduce. But if the Lord decrees it, it will happen! 

And that’s why a lot of us believers, are in the tough situations we’re in, we don’t believe as strongly as we should in our God and His awesome promises. The level of our faith in action doesn’t truly reflect the faith we talk. And yes, I know it’s not always easy to walk the faith we talk, but do you think it was easy for me to go outside yesterday and shovel the double car driveway knowing all the heart problems I’ve recently experienced. No, it definitely wasn’t, but I had no other choice at the time, and decided to put my faith into action. Now don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t planning on being a martyr, (smile) at the first sense of unease, I was ready to drop shovel and get back inside to the warmth of house. Fortunately, that sense of unease never came, just a few moments of shortness of breath, more from lack of exercise than heart problems. 

And I’m chuckling here at how the Lord manipulated me into making the snow shovelling a testimony, when I hadn’t intended to do that. But He knows best. So let’s go home now declaring (chuh!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ.

All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ And if our faith is as strong as it ought to be, then we know for certain, that that future will be even more glorious than our puny minds can ask or even imagine! Much LOVE!

…faith in action…is what separates the sheep from the goats…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 November 2019 Jeremiah 17:7.

12 Nov 2019 Leave a comment

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

Jeremiah 17:7.    ​Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
 

Well the promised snow did not come during the early morning commute yesterday as promised, but by mid morning it was certainly flying, and continued to do so for most of the day. So yesterday afternoon’s commute was, and this morning’s will be indeed a horse of a different colour! (smile) But please be careful, the white stuff sure looks beautiful when lying quiet and undisturbed, but when tangled with, it’s just as dangerous and deceitful as the prince of darkness himself. Looks like we might even have had a record amount of snow for this time in November, and the month might even be colder and snowier than usual. 

Ah, but not to worry, for we have Jesus, and when we walk closely with Him, He makes everything right! And all His followers gave a loud, proud and grateful shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! Bless the name of the Lamb that was slain for us! Bless his holy name indeed!’ Oh friends, there never was, and never will be anybody like our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And are we ever blessed to have Him as our guide and leader, especially in the evil and ungodly world in which we now live, where everybody wants to do their own thing, and right and wrong are whatever you figure them to be. 

That brings me to this sad, but ever so true commentary. It comes from a recent episode of the comic strip ‘Mutts,’ but is it ever so reminiscent of our current society. One of the characters, a cat, says to two dogs: “I’ve started and endangered list.” “What’s on it?” the dogs ask. The cat simply replies: “Empathy, compassion, kindness, sympathy, decency, sensitivity, integrity, altruism, affection, benevolence, heart, tenderness, LOVE, humanity, charity, grace, courtesy, tolerance, mercy, intelligence, leniency, understanding, common sense, goodwill, patience, wisdom…” 

Yes friends, you don’t have to be a believer, only a half-decent observer, to notice that all those good qualities above are being practiced less and less in this …I don’t know what to call it society! It’s the essence of everything that’s wrong with our current lifestyle! When those things are absent in any group of people, that group is certainly on the downswing towards chaos and anarchy! Why is that you ask? The answer is real simple: It’s those things that create a strong, well-functioning organization, a real and true society. 

The dictionary defines ‘society’ as ‘an organization of a civilized nation.’ And it’s impossible to be civilized without those positive and godly things playing a large part in any group that wants to succeed and grow. So what does that say about our society now eh, when all those things are fading away, and as the cat truthfully says, becoming endangered? Sadly, not a whole lot. But yuh know what? I just discovered that they’d left out one important factor from that endangered list…HOPE! ‘Glory be! And we all know friends that once there’s hope, there is indeed life! So if hope isn’t amongst the endangered habits, then there is still a chance for us to turn this thing around! 

And where does that wonderful thing called HOPE come from? From the Lord our God! Hear Jeremiah declare it: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.’ Wow! And in his Lamentations, he reiterates that sentiment, recalls the Lord’s goodness in his time of great sorrow and need: ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:21-26) 

Please notice my people, that it’s because of two things on the endangered list why we’re still around; the Lord’s compassion and mercy! That means we ought to show the same sentiments to our fellow humans. Now let’s look at some scriptures that encourage and fill us with hope in the Lord. Hear Bruh David from Psalm 31: ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps.31:24) And the sons of Korah declare: ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance (my salvation), and my God.’ (Ps.42:11) 

And we all know these awesome words of Bruh Paul to the Roman church. ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom. 8:24-25) Yes friends, hope is not what we see, for if we see it, why do we hope for it? Hope is the essence of our very being, our spiritual connection with Almighty God! That’s why this verse from Zechariah, when he’s talking about Zion’s future king, is one of my favourites on hope. ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’  (Zech. 9:12) 

Oh my people, the Lord God Almighty is indeed our stronghold, our rock, our fortress, and I’m pleading with us to be ‘prisoners of hope, because that’s our only positive solution to turning around our embattled and embittered society!  Now let’s go home showing that we’re true prisoners of hope, by declaring (steups!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen!’ Now let’s action those words nuh! Much LOVE!

…when you’re a true believer…hope springs eternal…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 November 2019 Luke 18:1.

11 Nov 2019 Leave a comment

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

Luke 18:1.    ​That men ought always to pray and not faint.​

 

Dress warm, leave a little earlier than usual, be extra careful, because the white stuff is supposed to be swirling around during today’s commute. Yeh, we’ve been promised a fair amount of snow this Monday, when we celebrate Veteran’s Day (U.S) and Remembrance Day (Can.), keeping in mind all those who fought in the great wars to help preserve our  democratic way of life.

So please do as our Tuesday Mantra advises, don’t worry or hurry. (smile) And since so many spirits are usually on the low side on a normal Monday morning, you can imagine what they’ll be like when we introduce the snow factor. But, as we just said, there’s no need to hurry or worry, because we have the ‘rightest’ solution to whatever ails you this morning, a simple prayer. 

Yes friends, we’re talking about prayer; the most powerful medium in God’s great universe; the method He designed for us to communicate with Him. So let’s do just that nuh; communicate with our heavenly Father, through a prayer we call our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, because it takes our Monday morning problems to God asking for His awesome and generous help.

All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. 

We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ 

Awright, that sounded sincere! And we know our heavenly Father thought so too, because He has already responded in a positive and productive manner. Our spirits have suddenly risen, and now we feeling strong like a lion, ready to take on the whole world single-handedly in Jesus’ name! (smile) Yes mih people, only our mighty, magnificent and magnanimous Creator could have made those quick and sudden changes in us, in response to our heartfelt prayer. And I believe one reason our lives can become somewhat wishy-washy, is because our prayer-lives are not up to scratch. 

That brings to mind some rather relevant words of Christ on the subject of prayer: ‘That men ought always to pray and not faint.’ He conveyed this, as was His won’t, through a parable, that of the wronged widow continually seeking justice from the unjust judge, until, fed up with her nagging, he finally gave her the justice she deserved. (Luke 18:2-8) And the scholars explain: ‘18:1. To faint means to “lose heart.” Precisely when tempted to give up, men ought to be strong in their resolve to pray.’  And is that ever so true my fellow believers. Prayer needs to be persistent and persevering. 

Hear Bruh Paul to the Romans, re aspects of a true believer’s life: ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfast) in prayer.’ (Rom. 12:12) Prayer must therefore be a constant in our lives, if we truly want to connect, to communicate with God. And please remember that He is interested in all aspects of our lives, so that means we ought to communicate on all matters. No wonder Bruh Paul told the Thessalonians to ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.5:17) That means we should be always be talking to God. And remember too that prayer doesn’t have to be long like our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, it can be as short as ‘Help me God!” but it has to be sincere. 

And prayer is such an important part of our lives that even when Bruh Paul talks about putting on the armour of God and all that it entails, the last thing he mentioned was: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:18) 

And the scholars explain: ‘6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks. In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’ 

Oh my people, let’s ponder all of that today nuh, taking serious stock of our prayer lives. Let’s remember that prayer ought to be a constant in our lives; in fact it’s INDISPENSABLE; meaning we can’t do without it, like oxygen to our bodies, we need it to survive spiritually. And with the Lord’s help, through prayer (smile) we can always improve. Much LOVE!

…prayer is the basis of…ALL miracles…that’s how powerful it is…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 10 November 2019 Hebrews 4:16.

10 Nov 2019 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.

Time to refuel once again friends; time to revitalize our spiritual energy with a visit to the Lord’s house this Sunday morning, or evening, where in fellowship with other believers, we give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father, hear His awesome Word, filled with wisdom and encouragement and come away strong and confident, empowered to face our turbulent world for another seven days, diligently doing His holy will! Hn, hn! I like that sentence; though it’s long, it’s chocked full of truth! And as believers in Jesus Christ, that ought to be a major priority in our lives. As Bruh David says in Psalm 25: ‘All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.’ (Ps.25:10) If you are a true believer, you certainly can’t deny that. 

Anyway, let’s get on with the praise and worship, beginning, as always, with a song of heartfelt LOVE being floated up to heaven. And today’s song is an old favourite, ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds,’ written by none other than John Newton (1725-1807); the licentious sailor, slave trader, abolitionist and priest, who contributed numerous songs to our Hymn Book, the most famous being the immortal, ‘Amazing Grace.’ So let’s sing out our souls in all sincerity to Jesus, letting Him know how much we LOVE, adore and appreciate Him. 

As one voice, in perfect harmony: ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear! It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear. It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast; ’tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary, rest. Dear name! the rock on which I build, My shield and hiding place, My never-failing treasury, filled, With boundless stores of grace. O Jesus, shepherd, guardian, friend, my Prophet, Priest, and King, my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, accept the praise I bring. How weak the effort of my heart, how cold my warmest thought; but when I see you as you are, I’ll praise you as I ought. Till then I would your LOVE proclaim with every fleeting breath; and may the music of your name refresh my soul in death.’ 

Ah friends, there’s really no sweeter sound to a believer’s ear than that magical, mysterious, powerful and all-encompassing name of Jesus! Give Him much heartfelt thanks and praise for all He’s done for us miserable, sinful human beings nuh. I guess because of Newton’s ungodly early life, he was able to hit the nail on the head when writing this hymn. Most likely Jesus did it all for him; soothed his sorrows, healed his wounds, drove away his fear. I’m sure He made whole his wounded spirit and calmed his troubled breast…and undoubtedly, He was manna to his hungry soul, and in his weariness, gave him peaceful rest. And yuh know what my people, Jesus will do the same for each and everyone of us, if we will just accept Him into our hearts and be obedient to His will. 

Listen to some of the awesome, but oh so truthful statements that Jesus made in His time here on earth. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but my me.’ (John 14:6) Right there the situation is explained in living colour: only through Jesus, by believing in Him, and living a lifestyle in concert with His, will we ever get to see the Father’s face and behold His immaculate glory! Then hear Him on the shepherd scene: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.’ (John 10:14-15) And did He ever lay down His sinless life in a most sacrificial manner for us, the sinful and willful sheep of His pasture! 

And as for obedience, hear Him: ‘A new commandment I give to you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35) He also emphasized the LOVE factor later on in talking about the Holy Spirit. ‘If you LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.’ (John 14:15-16)  And He kept His promise, that’s why we have the Holy Spirit indwelling each and every believer today! 

And there’s nothing in this whole wide world like Jesus’ Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me: for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Coming obediently to Jesus is wisest way to find rest friends! I can certainly vouch for that, and so too can many of you. 

And if you want more, He is also the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Tim. 6:15); the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last (Rev.1:8); The name above every name, to which every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:9-11) He is also our Advocate, our lawyer in heaven. ‘And if any man sin, we have an advocate (intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous’ (1 John 2:1b) Glory be mih breddren! 

And finally, Jesus is also our High Priest: ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God’ let us hold fast our profession (confession) For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 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. 4:14-16) That’s the best advice to end with today friends! Please pay significant heed to it. Much LOVE!

…Jesus is our Be All…and our End All…our Everything in ONE…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 9 November 2019 1 John 2:17.

09 Nov 2019 Leave a comment

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

1 John 2:17.    ​And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
 

Ah Lord eh people! The devil surely knows how to interrupt our day and cause us to get into an unholy tiff! I was down here fairly early to write the Bit, even opened the internet access and checked some emails, and replied to a couple. Next thing I know, the computer’s telling me there’s no internet access, so they couldn’t be sent. On checking, there seems to be some problem with my internet provider, the great Bell Canada, so right now I have no internet or TV access. Steups! I was having problems with the old computer, so I bought a new one, now I’m having problems with the internet provider. 

Then, I was planning to come and write the Bit on Word so it could be easily sent out whenever the situation is rectified, but today is Saturday, time for our friend Anselm’s quotes, but I can’t even get to them because they are in my internet mailbox. So everything will just have to wait! Glory Be! What else can I say eh? I’m chuckling here, because there’s nothing much I can do. You can’t even get through to Bell on the phone; the line’s busy. Oh, the duchess just told me that everything is back, except the internet…Whoopee dee! 

You know I’m even surprised that I have such a good attitude. I expected to be quite annoyed…and guess I was, because earlier on it gave me a headache. That good attitude must be the Lord’s doing yes, because I certainly can’t remember pressing the good attitude button. (smile) So that’s it until the internet comes back. (9.16 a.m.) Yuh know what, I can’t even save this, because it has to go through the server!  Chuh! What a way we’ve become beholden, de facto slaves, to electronic technology! 

Yeaaah! It’s come back at 922! So we can go right into our friend Anselm’s quotes and see how he aspired to inspire us this week. Here is the first one: ‘You do not find the happy life. You make it.’ And that’s oh so true! Unfortunately too many of us seem to think that a happy life comes naturally, especially believers who have just hooked up to Jesus. But that’s one of the devil’s many lies. If you want to have a happy life, even with Jesus, you have to do your part to make it so. And the best route to happiness is obviously the one that runs through Jesus! Praise His holy name! 

And the second quote advises us to ‘Limit your “always” and your “nevers”.’ Now that’s not bad advice because life is so contrary, that one moment you’ll say you’ll never do something, then the next find yourself having to do it. I can speak to that from personal experience. There have been so many things I claimed I’d never do, but eventually ended up doing them because of life and its contrary circumstances. So let’s not make too may extreme statements, because life just finds pleasure in making us eat our words. 

Moving on to the next quote: ‘When you are through changing, you are through.’ Now that leaves me somewhat confused because I don’t really understand what it means. (smile) Taken exactly as it’s written, it makes sense; when you’re done changing, you can’t change anymore. Unless it means that when you are finished changing, you have come through the changes, like coming through a tunnel or something. But let’s not forget that one of the few certainties we have in life is that it’s always changing, which means we too are always in the process of change. 

And we all know the verity of this next quote: ‘Nothing is impossible. The word itself says “I’m possible!” Yeh friends and fellow believers in Jesus Christ, we know that for a fact, as the angel Gabriel told Mary, Jesus’ mother when he informed her that she was going to bear a child without knowing a man. (Luke 1:26-35) Wow! ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37) And so it should be my people! The creator of our great universe can do any and everything! And that benefits us oh so much, that I don’t understand why so many people are turning away from Him, rather than running into His ever ready, waiting and LOVING arms! 

But hopefully this last quote will help us see the wisdom of turning to God, through Christ Jesus. It says: ‘Everything comes to pass, nothing comes to stay.’ And that’s gospel truth my brethren! And we’ll look at a few scriptures that support that statement, starting with Bruh Paul’s contention to the Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.’ (2 Cor.5:17) Yes friends, the first step in becoming righteous means a passing away of one’s old life and all the ungodly things that existed in it. 

And then too friends, our earthly and mortal bodies will pass away. But, per Bruh Paul: ‘Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.’ (1 Cor. 15:51) Our bodies will go back to the dust from whence they came, but our spirits will live on forever with our Triune God, all thanks to Jesus Christ, who gives us that eventual victory! 

Now hear John in his first epistle. ‘For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.’ (1 John 2:16) Ah mih people, sin and our evil desires are so much a natural part of our human existence it’s difficult to run away from them, but we ought to, since as John continues: ‘And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.’ It could not be any plainer or straightforward than that my brethren! 

And John seals it all with this vision in his Revelations. ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.’ (Rev.21:1) Yeh friends, just like Isaiah predicted in Is. 65:17 and 66:22, a new world will eventually replace this old one, a world cleansed of sin and all negativity! Wow! Am I ever looking forward to that time! But one word of warning; we’ll only be able to enjoy that sinless world if we have stood strong and steadfast with Jesus during our earthly lives. Any other lifestyle will lead to death and eternal damnation, eternal separation from Jesus! And that’s the worst thing that can happen to a spiritual being!  Much LOVE!

…what passes doesn’t matter…when you’re in league with Jesus…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 8 November 2019 Matthew 5:19.

08 Nov 2019 Leave a comment

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

Matthew 5:19.    ​Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal:
 

‘Sunshine makes me feel so happy…Sunshine makes me feel so sad…’ Yeh friends, sunshine has the ability to do both those things. When we see it in the early morning hours, it lifts our spirits, but when it gets too hot, or too cold, as it is now in my neck of the woods, it deflates the spirit somewhat. But let’s be thankful for small mercies nuh, be thankful that there’s a bright sun shining in God’s beautiful sky, instead of any negative precipitation like the rain we’ve been recently having, or the snow that’s in our immediate future. And the ordinary workingman reminds us of just that in his weekend song. 

‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday, and the weekend is upon us! Boy, is that ever the best time of the week! And the sun’s shining to boot…and no snow not falling…not yet anyway. Wow! As Brother James Brown would say: ‘Get on the good foot baby!’ Yes, I’m certainly going to do that, come rain, snow or shine, cause life’s too short to allow the vagaries of the weather to control it. And who doesn’t want to do that, that’s their business, their loss. They don’t know what a good time they passing up nuh. To some of us, it’s okay to work all week, then don’t enjoy the weekend. Well not me nuh! I’m starting right now to enjoy it oui! Come hell or highwater, my weekend going to be a blast! Yes sir! Thank God for Fridays and weekends!’ 

And so should we all, my precious people of God! Because it’s only through His grace and mercy that we can enjoy the fruits of our labour in fairly peaceful surroundings. Unfortunately, a great proportion of humanity are unable to do that, due to strife and wars and other public upheavals. So let’s give some sincere and heartfelt thanks as we declare our weekend song, our Friday Chant.

All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ 

And as I like to remind us each week, Christianity is an action oriented, outgoing association, but not one that just runs hither, thither and yon without a sensible sense of purpose. (smile) That is to say, our Leader, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ has instituted borders and boundaries that we should not cross over since they would just allow the ever-lurking enemy to get a foothold in our lives, something we need to avoid at all cost. So, unlike the ordinary workingman, we don’t rush out and do whatever we want, or whatever feels good, we need to examine our actions in the context of Christ’s boundaries before we do stuff. 

Now sometimes that’s difficult, or it seems to detract from what we’d naturally consider a joyful time. But friends, it’s better to be safe than sorry, for once we get into certain activities or circumstances, they will certainly come back to haunt us, possibly for the rest of our lives. Please, please, let’s remember that all that glitters is not gold, especially in the enemy’s camp. His stuff is not even gold plated, just covered with a thin veneer of gold paint, and gets rusty real quickly! (smile) That’s why Jesus went to such great length to warn us in His Sermon on the Mount: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal:’ What life changing, world beating advice my brethren! 

And it’s not like we don’t know, or have not experienced the theft and/or fraudulent gain of our earthly treasure by others, yet we continue to kill ourselves in order to accumulate earthly wealth and possessions that can be so easily violated. And Jesus doesn’t leave us hanging, He shows us where to store our treasure. ‘But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal.’ (Matt. 6:20) That’s ageless wisdom people! If you have treasure, the best place to store it is where it’s the safest from thieves and rust…and that’s heaven. 

And furthermore, Jesus reminds us: ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt.6:21) Gospel truth friends! Just think about your earthly valuables right now, wherever you have them stored, your mind is always on them wondering if they are safe; in the bank, or under your mattress, or if they are making you more money, increasing in value, in places like the stock exchange. And in these oh so turbulent times, we’re thinking about our earthly treasure more than ever, since matters totally out of our control can cause us to lose it all. 

Listen to the scholars: ‘6:19-21. The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term treasures implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (on earth, or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasures in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather as rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus.’ Oh friends all the wealth in the world won’t get us into heaven. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong to have earthly wealth, but it’s how we use it. 

Hear Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Charge (command) them that are rich in this world (present age), that they be not highminded (haughty), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute (give), willing to communicate (share); Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.’ (1 Tim. 17-19) Yeh friends, once we believe in Christ, we must use our earthly treasures to help others, to further God’s kingdom, thus we will store up rewards, treasures in heaven…and you can’t beat heavenly treasures! Much LOVE!

…labour not to be rich…do not overwork…cease from thine own wisdom… (Prov.23:4)

Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 November 2019 Philippians 4:19.

07 Nov 2019 Leave a comment

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

Philippians 4:19.    ​But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
 

Welcome folks, welcome! Welcome to the first snowfall of this winter season in my area! And if you have forgotten, the snow does look beautiful when it covers the rooftops and the grassy areas. And how can you not admire it as it’s falling down like li’l pearl teardrops, so innocent and unassuming! (smile) Yeh, but it could also be the devil in disguise. Thankfully though, right now it’s the wet stuff that’s falling, so it’s not really causing any problems on the roads, and whatever is on the grass and rooftops hopefully won’t stay long as the day warms up. 

Ah mih people, it’s a wake up call to begin winterizing; take out your winter attire; hat’s boots, scarves, gloves etc., winterize your cars, get your snow shovels and snow blowers ready, make sure your furnace is running efficiently and all the other little things we need to get done as we set in for a long, cold season. Ah, you friends living down south don’t know how blessed you all are nuh, because winter can be such a frustrating, difficult and expensive time.

And the days can be so dark and dreary, that they automatically weaken your spirit and your desire to do anything constructive. But as always, our great God is right there with us, providing the necessary sustenance, the necessary strength of all kinds, and lifting our spirits so that we don’t fall prey to the negative emotions of despair, hopelessness, and the winter blahs, or what we now calling ‘SAD,’ Seasonal Affective Disorder). 

And there are two paramount scriptures that we need to hold dearly and tightly come the winter blahs. The first is that ole faithful; ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called (elect, saints) according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Ah friends, there is no better time to believe that verse of scripture than in the upcoming months of winter, as it gives us a solid foundation to handle all the negative winter stuff that comes against us, knowing that our wonderful God is working out everything, both good and bad, in our favour, because we truly LOVE and trust and surrender our all to Him! 

And the next verse is like the first, (smile) producing overwhelming hope and faith in a rough and tough season. Remember these awesome words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ Yes my fellow saints in Christ, our magnanimous and magnificent God WILL satisfy all our needs as we sacrifice our thoughts, words and deeds in His honour.

Hear how the scholars explain it. ‘4:19. Because the Lord is aware of the sacrifice (v.18) the Philippians made in meeting Paul’s needs, God will surely supply all their need. God will meet their “need” (1) according to his riches, that is, in proportion to His unlimited resources; (2) in glory, that is, He will meet their need “gloriously” on “in a splendid manner”; and (3) by Christ Jesus.’ 

And we know that our God keeps all of His promises, so there is no need to be anxious over our earthly needs. And to really help us set up this strong winter foundation, let’s bring to mind some other foundational and faithful scriptures nuh. (smile)

Remember this big and oh so important one from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Himself? ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That says it all right there friends, but as they say, there’s strength in numbers, so check out this one. ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6:7) 

Mamacita! What can be more beautiful or inspirational eh? How about this one? ‘And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:’ (2 Cor. 9:8) There again my people, we have the promise of God’s power, His generosity and unfailing faithfulness!

And we’ll close with some of the most awesome and inspirational verses in the Good Book; the immortal words of Bruh David: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:1-4) 

Oh my fellow saints in Christ, what wonderful words of hope and reassurance! And they are not meant to strengthen only those of us preparing for winter, but for ALL believers, so that we can remain strong and steadfast against the enemy, and do the work God has planned for each of us.

Now let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Thursday Blessings, blessings that the Lord has magnanimously granted us so that we can do His holy will. All together in strong 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 everyday! Amen!’ 

And if we’re sincere in those pronouncements, then the next step is for us to go out and put those blessings to work in Jesus’ name. Much LOVE!

…I will never leave you…nor forsake you…that’s God’s faithful promise…believe it…

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