Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 August 2022   Psalm 4:8.

25 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 4:8.        I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety.

And as we come to Thursday, the penultimate day in the work week, many of us are feeling a sense of anticipatory relief quietly washing over us as Friday and the weekend draw near. However, our sense of anticipatory relief should not be emanating from the nearness of the weekend or any man-made factor, but from our nearness to Jehovah God; the personal intimacy we share with the Creator of the universe and all therein, which includes our frail and fragile bodies and souls. 

For ONLY He can give us sincere, rock-solid promises and security when life doesn’t go the way we desire. ONLY our great God can assure us of His peace, mercy, grace and salvation when things go wrong and the darkness and the evil of this ungodly world clouds our very lives. And yuh know what friends? There is so much evil and darkness in our world right now, that at some stage and time of our lives, some of that pervasive negative influence will automatically invade our lives, at least for a short season. 

And if we don’t know Jesus as Lord and Saviour, it will be nigh impossible to get rid of it, once its evil, ungodly, octopus-like tentacles get a foothold in our souls and bodies. But when we know Jesus as Lord and Saviour… Oh then… ‘Beautiful Things Happen!’ Yes, they do my brethren, as this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin ascertains. So please read it with me, with a sense of anticipatory relief. (smile) 

‘O God Such beautiful things happen When I meet you day by day In quietness and confidence. There is a deep inner wholeness And the assurance of Your guidance. I am not so easily disturbed By changing circumstances. I am less dependent on others And more dependent on You. My eyes may be full of tears But my heart is full of joy. In discovering Your hidden treasures I learn how deeply I am treasured by You. When day by day I am responsive To your whispered secrets You do more for me in one day Than I could do for myself in a lifetime.’ 

Wow mih people! That is the God awesome truth! Our great and wonderful God can do so much more for us in one day than we can ever do for ourselves in an entire lifetime! But we have to believe, to buy into Him and His Word with the utmost confidence. We must be filled to the brim with the hope and faith that He is able to do all that He promises. That’s the only way to enjoy the marvellous wonders of a personal intimacy with Him. 

And I don’t know why it’s so hard for us to believe that our Heavenly Father, our Creator LOVES us and only desires the best for us nuh, when He sent His ONLY son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross of Calvary so that our sins could be forgiven and we could get back into His good graces. The Good Book says it so clearly and beautifully: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Yes friends, why would anybody, man or God, allow their only child to die for a bunch of sinful ingrates eh, unless they had a real true and genuine LOVE and compassion for them? 

And Jesus Himself said it to the disciples: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) And that’s exactly what He went out and did; laid down His life for us, so that we could obtain forgiveness, be reconciled to the Father, and have salvation and eternal life through His substitutionary death. 

So please, let’s forget this foolishness that God doesn’t LOVE us, and remember instead that He is our Sovereign Lord, as well as our Father, and just like we don’t take nonsense from our children, He doesn’t take nonsense from us. And just like we provide rules and regulations for our children to follow, likewise, there are rules and regulations we need to follow if we want to end up in His fold. And just like we punish our children when they don’t toe the line, so He punishes us when we move away from the straight and narrow path. 

But the one big difference between us and our heavenly Father is that He NEVER puts us out of His fold, NEVER asks us to leave when we misbehave to the point where He can’t take it anymore. That’s because He is long-suffering, LOVING and compassionate, while we human parents have a finite amount of patience and LOVE, and when we reach that point, we ask our children to leave our homes, and ofttimes have nothing more to do with them, unless they come up to our levels of responsibility. 

But our heavenly Father doesn’t do that. When we succumb to the evil and darkness of this world, that’s when He gets down and dirty and comes seeking us with a passion that can never be matched by a human parent, and He sticks with us through all the dark and tough times and helps us to renew our strength and confidence. The evil enemy Satan doesn’t do that, because he has no LOVE for us. He just wants to drag us as deep as possible into the mire in which he’s immersed. The deeper we sink, the more he gloats. 

And I’m chuckling here, because in my passion to prove that God LOVES us, it seems like I’ve completely forgotten about our poem, and the Bible Verses on which it was based. But that’s how it is when the goodness and grace of God gets into your spirit. And that’s exactly what our poem is saying; although life can be rough and tough, walking with Jehovah God is so wonderful, so mind boggling, so unexpectedly different, that at any moment anything can happen, a new adventure could just rise up unexpectedly and carry you away to a land of bliss you’ve never known or even expected. 

And finally, (smile) here are the Bible verses on which the poem is based. None other than the last two verses of Psalm 4 – An evening prayer of trust in God. Please read and inwardly digest with me, these wonderful words of Bruh David. ‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety.’ (Ps. 4:7-8) 

Oh my fellow believers, how wonderful is that eh! When we sincerely have Christ in our lives, then our hearts are filled with gladness, and we can lie down and sleep in peace despite all the troubles around us! Now it just doesn’t happen overnight, or with no effort on our part, but the Lord is such a good God that He bestows benefits and blessings on us that we don’t truly deserve, but which enable us to do His earthly work, to be good ambassadors on his behalf. We call them our Thursday Blessings, which we need to say out loud for them to be activated. 

So, let’s do that right now nuh. In strong 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 go out and use those magnificent blessings to help others come to Christ. That’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!

…LOVE never fails…LOVE never gives up…LOVE is the be all and end all… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   24 August 2022   Psalm 37:23.

24 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 37:23.      The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. 

Well, it’s Wednesday, the middle day of the work week. So how are we going my dear brethren in Christ at this point in time? Let’s hope that with Christ surrounding us that we are doing pretty good, catching our second wind and moving forward with faith, despite all the confusion and evil workings that currently have our world in grip. 

And regardless of what’s happening in our lives right now, I believe it is of the utmost importance for us to believe these marvellous words promised by Bruh David on God’s behalf from Psalm 37. ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.’ (Ps. 37:23-24) Now, if we don’t believe that promise what hope is there for us then eh? None whatsoever! 

And Bruh David drives home that amazing hope in Christ Jesus when he continues: ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever (always) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed.’ (Ps. 37:25-26) Oh my people, how wonderful is that statement eh? Most wonderful! Why? Because when we walk faithfully with God, it ensures the goodness of God to our families after we are gone. And who doesn’t want that assurance? 

But before it can happen, we must faithfully do certain things. Bruh David puts it simply, but it’s ever powerful in truth. ‘Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord LOVETH judgment (justice), and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever; but the seed of the wicked shall he cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.’ (Ps. 37:27-29) It couldn’t be put any simpler or more truthfully my people!  The Lord, as it were, bends over backwards for the righteous, while He crushes the wicked without mercy. 

And why would the Lord do that eh? Because ‘The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgement (mercy). The law of God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide (slip).’ (Ps. 37:30-31) Wow! What encouraging and reassuring scriptures! But then we talk about the ‘law of God,’ what exactly is that? Ah friends, the scholars give us a lengthy but very useful discourse on the subject. (smile) 

They say, ‘The law of God is the extension of God’s nature and expression of God’s will in His creation. God’s law is expressed in different forms, relating to different areas of His creation. The physical law of God includes the laws of nature which govern the continuous physical existence of this world (Gen. 8:22; Col. 1:17). The moral law, also called “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:15), governs the immaterial issues of life (2 Tim. 3:17). 

The social law of God affects interpersonal relationships and can be summarized by “the royal law” (James 2:8). The spiritual law deals with a man’s relationship with God. It is summarized in “the first and great commandment” (Matt. 22:37-38). And we all know what that is: ‘LOVE the Lord with all thy heart, mind and soul…etc. etc.’ 

Illustration: The purpose of the law is to reveal the sovereignty of God (Ex. 20:2), to place a restraint on the sinner (Ps. 68:7-8), to show the greatness and reality of sin (Rom. 3:19-20), and to lead the sinner to Christ (Gal. 3:24). The purpose of the law did not change with the gospel. When the Judaizers in Galatia sought to teach their erroneous view of the law, they failed to realize that the law has never been able to save anyone. Application: As Christians, we should be concerned to live decently and orderly. (First ref. Gen. 2:17; Primary ref. Rom. 7:7-14; cf. Ex. 3:13).’ 

Glory be my people! There’s enough scripture and other info there to keep us occupied for the rest of the day! (smile) And I expect us to look up those scriptures, so that we can get a better understanding of God’s law. Why? Because how can we live a godly life, one in tune with God’s law if we don’t know and understand that law eh? 

Now, I believe there’s one thing, we need to further explain; that’s about ‘the Judaizers.” They were ‘a group of Jewish Christians who insisted that their co-religionists should follow the Mosaic Law and that Gentile converts to Christianity must first be circumcised.’ They considered that the Old Testament laws were still binding on all Christians. 

But Bruh Paul made it quite clear otherwise in his letter to the Galatians.  He begins by saying in 2:15: ‘We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,’ That was a derogatory term against Gentiles, who were considered synonymous with sinners, since they didn’t live under the Jewish law, which kept the Jews somewhat restrained in their own sinful behaviour. 

Then Bruh Paul continues: ‘Knowing that a man is not justified (declared righteous) by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of (in ) Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.’ (Gal. 2:16) 

Please remember that friends. It’s not by works we are saved but by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:8-9) And yes, we definitely ought to do good works, but those works don’t mean anything when it comes to saving us from hellfire and damnation. They may bring us rewards in heaven, but they will NEVER get us to heaven! 

And since we began with the awesome words of Psalm 37, it only makes sense to end with some of them. (smile) And we can never go wrong when we follow this marvellous advice of Bruh David. ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.’ (Ps. 37: 34) Yes, my fellow believers, waiting patiently and expectantly on our God is one of the best things we can ever do, for He will exalt us in His own time. 

And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do just that, let’s go home now declaring (oh yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one confident and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Now my fellow saints, that means we must do whatever it takes to keep on keeping on. And don’t forget, that if we endure to the very end, that future with Christ will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Mama Mia! What an amazing life is to be had with Christ! Much LOVE

…only in Christ…can the real and true life be found… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 August 2022   Romans 12:13.

23 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

Romans 12:13.      The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 

And then it was Tuesday…Monday’s gone bye bye! And isn’t it interesting how one day morphs into the next so easily, ofttimes without us even noticing it. Oh, how quickly today becomes yesterday and tomorrow today, with us looking forward to another tomorrow! But the truth of the matter is that tomorrow never comes. We only have today, and that’s why we must live today as best we can, without thinking too much about tomorrow, for who knows if we’ll be alive on what we consider tomorrow. 

That’s why our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ made this profound statement in His famous Sermon on the Mount. ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) And there’s’ great wisdom in that statement my brethren. In other words, Jesus is saying to us, don’t worry too much about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself, but rather, concentrate on today, which is what you have, and all that you may ever have. 

It’s wise to consider tomorrow to some extent, just in case we live to see it, (smile) but today is the essence of our lives, when we need to buckle down and make things happen, for us and through us! We can’t wait and put everything off for tomorrow, as so many of us do, for in the meanwhile, the important things of today are passing us by without any or much input on our part. And once the opportunities of today have passed us by, then they are usually gone forever. That’s why Bruh Paul in his letter to the Roman church, after warning them to LOVE each other: ‘LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law.’ (Rom. 13:10) 

He turns around and warns them about rising from sleep, or putting off God’s demands. ‘And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we firsr believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly (properly), as in the day; not in rioting (revelry) and drunkenness, not in chambering (licentiousness) and wantonness (lewdness), not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.’ (Rom. 13:11-14) 

Now friends, that’s a wakeup call we also need very badly today, in these dark, evil and ungodly times. And what does it all really mean? The scholars explain it thus. ‘Sleep means insensitivity to the demands of Christ on the Christian’s life. Now is our salvation nearer: The coming of Christ to deliver us from this sinful world grows nearer every day. The night is the time while Christ is out of the world, and the world has been delivered into the control of the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). The day is a reference to the time when Christ will return and establish His reign of righteousness.’ 

Ah mih people, Christ’s return draws closer every day and there are still a lot of people who don’t know and accept Him as Lord and Saviour, who are still living in the darkness induced by the enemy, and also many of us believers who are not living up to the covenant we have with the Lord. And as we said right at the beginning, we cannot wait until tomorrow to set our lives straight and help others come to Christ, we must do it today. For what if Christ comes back tomorrow eh, or today? A lot of us will be found wanting. 

That’s why that last verse warns us to put on Christ and refuse to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, to satisfy our carnal desires. The scholars say: ‘One should not seek opportunities to satisfy the deep-seated desires of the sin nature, but should seek occasion to manifest works that are consistent with the new life in Christ.’ It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) 

That means once we receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, all the old stuff we used to do that involved our carnal nature, should be laid aside in favour of new things that are associated with Christ. As Bruh Paul continues: ‘And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor. 5:18) Yes friends, it’s all been God’s doing. He took the awesome responsibility to reconcile or bring us back to His fold through Christ Jesus, and for that we ought to be very grateful, otherwise we would still be on the wide and winding path to hellfire and damnation. 

So, we have serious responsibilities to consider and perform. Bruh Paul states it thus: ‘Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray (implore) you in Christ’s stead (behalf), be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:20-21) Ah my fellow believers, we are indeed agents or ambassadors for Christ, therefore we must behave in the required manner, bringing positive results to His church, to His name. 

Oh my people, Christ paid such a high price for our reconciliation to God; taking all our sin on His shoulders, so that we could receive God’s righteousness. The least we can do is try to live righteously and thus set a good example, so that others will want to come to Him. Now, for those of us who are sincerely attempting to do that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. 

In confident but humble 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 said that, it now behooves us to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…Christians need to stop talking so much…and begin doing much more…for time is running out on us… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   22 August 2022   Psalm 119:18.

22 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 119:18.        Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Monday has come around the bend once again my people, like it’s been doing for eons, and will continue doing until Jesus comes back and changes things…that is if He sees fit to change the arrangement of the days of the week. (smile) And if He doesn’t, then we’ll simply be enjoying Mondays till the end of His kingdom…or maybe all through eternity, who knows. That means the sooner we get used to Mondays and preparing properly for a new work week, the sooner any anxiety Monday causes us will disappear. 

Yes, if we know what to expect, then we ought to be prepared for it. And we know that Monday will come around every seven days, so why are so many of us always in a dither on a Monday morning eh? Because we lack self-discipline and self-control. Monday should be a piece of cake, just like any other day…or rather, Monday should be our best prepared day, since we have the whole weekend to prepare for it. But hard-headed and prideful human beings that we are, we stubbornly refuse to make suitable plans for the opening day of the work week, and thus end up rushing around on Monday mornings like chickens with our heads cut off. 

And I know some of you will refute what I’m saying by quoting Jesus, when He said to the people: ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body more than raiment (clothes)? (Matt. 6:25) Then He went on to discourse how the Father looks after Mother Nature; the birds and the bees etc. and we are more important than they are, so He will look after us too. (Matt. 6:26-32) 

But what we forget to quote is verse 33, which says: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ And to do that, we need to not only truly believe in Christ Jesus, but to have considerable self-control and self-discipline in our efforts in His name! Jesus was one of the most disciplined and controlled persons who ever lived. He had to be, else His whole ministry and purpose for coming to earth would have fallen apart. 

Don’t think for one moment that He wanted to endure all the suffering He endured and be crucified on that horrible wooden cross, but that was His avowed purpose, and He faced up to it like a man. And if we are to be His true disciples, then we also need to have strong self-control and self-discipline and face up to our purpose mano-a- mano. (smile) No organization or individual can ever grow properly without those two things. And have you noticed how the enemy and his evil cronies are very focused and disciplined? Just look around and you will see it. 

Unfortunately, our Christian organizations and people don’t seem to be as well focused and disciplined, otherwise we would not be as far behind the eight ball as we currently are, and the evil doers would not have such a chokehold on our world. Oh my people, both physical and spiritual discipline are necessary if we are to be victorious in Christ’s mission, but spiritual discipline is the more important element. As Bruh Paul told Timothy. ‘For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.’ (1 Tim. 4:8) 

Yes friends, physical discipline offers some help down here on earth, but the spiritual kind is useful both here on earth as well as in the life to come. So please, I’m pleading with us to get serious about spiritual discipline, for without it, we’re completely lost. And how do we get it? By constantly meditating on God’s Word, being steadfast in prayer and fellowship with other believers. As the Good Book says: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) But we first have to get into the word and then stay in the word! 

Unfortunately though, that’s where too many of us supposed believers are falling down, we don’t stay in the word, we’re somewhat wishy-washy when it comes consistent Bible reading and studying. And until we improve that consistency, things will never get better. Now here’s a good verse to pray at the beginning of our prayer time. Ask the Father to ‘Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. I am a stranger in the earth; hide not thy commandments from me.’ (Ps. 119:18-19) Our wonderful God will never refuse such a request, and He will reveal truths to us as we read and meditate on His word. 

Oh my people, it’s all about keeping God first place in our lives, being serious about it and being willing to build the discipline and self-control it needs to make Christ come to life in a dark, evil and ungodly world. And there are enough believers in this world, that if we get really serious about fighting for Jesus, we can take back our world from the enemy. But we must operate as a strong, confident, purposeful body, and with the number of divisions and dissension amongst believers right now, that seems like an impossible task. 

But please remember that ALL things are possible with our God, and if He sees us making the effort, He will add whatever is necessary for us to succeed. But it all depends on us. So, let’s begin with first things first nuh, (smile) that’s prayer. As one voice, let’s take our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to the throne of grace. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

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

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

Now friends, if we expect to see positive results to our prayer, it’s up to us to keep our promises and turn from our evil ways. It’s as simple as that. Much LOVE!

…don’t expect the Lord to heal and save us…if we’re not sincere… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 August 2022   1 John 4:18.

21 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 John 4:18.        There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.

It’s Sunday once again my people! That means it’s gathering time. Gathering time to celebrate the Lord’s Day with praise and worship, with thanksgiving and joy in the fellowshipping of His people. Sunday is always such a great day, because it’s the day we get serious and come together to sing and dance before the Lord, with spiritual joy, like Bruh David did when he brought the ark of the Covenant home to Jerusalem. (smile) Yes friends, the Good Book tells us: ‘And David danced before the Lord with all his might, and David was girded with a linen ephod (an apron worn by the high priest in sacred Hebrew rites).’  (2 Sam. 6:14-22) 

And we’re going to open that singing and dancing today with a fairly new worship song, one written in this 21st century, and made popular by the American Gospel Artist, Tasha Cobbs. It’s aptly titled ‘ No longer a Slave to Fear.’  And that’s how we should definitely be thinking of and seeing ourselves. No longer enslaved by the enemy’s hold of sin and fear, but now, thankfully servants and children of God. So let’s raise our voices in sacrificial praise, in a soulful, mid-tempo version of the song. And please, please, let’s sing it like we really mean it nuh. 

In loud, harmonious voice, let’s open with the chorus a couple of times. ‘(Chorus: I’m no longer a slave to fear, For I am a child of God (2) You unravel me, with a melody, You surround me with a song, Of deliverance, from my enemies, Till all my fears are gone. (Chorus: I’m no longer, a slave to fear, For I am a child of God (2) From my mother’s womb, You have chosen me, Your LOVE has called my name, I’ve been born again, Into your family, Your blood flows through my veins. (Chorus: I’m no longer, a slave to fear, For I am, a child of God (2) 

Oh oh, oh oh oh. Oh oh, oh oh oh! You split the sea, So I could walk right through, My fears are drowned, In perfect LOVE, You rescued me, so I could stand and sing, I am a child of God …You split the sea, So I could walk right through it, My fears are drowned, In perfect LOVE, You rescued me, so I could stand and sing, I am a child of God, I am a child of God, I am a child of God…. I know who I am, I know who I am, I am a child of God! He calls me the head and not the tail, Above and not beneath, a lender and not a borrower. So I no longer walk in fear, but in faith. For I am a child of God. If you are a child of God, sing Hallelujah to His glorious name!’  

Oh my fellow believers, if in these perilous and fearful times we don’t know who we are, then we’re in real bad shape! For it’s only if you’re a child of God that you have any hope of a glorious future. As we’ve been saying the last couple of days, the essence of fear is raging all through our world. The powers that be are using fear to bring us to our knees so we can do their evil work. They are using every tactic associated with fear to try and trap us. But they don’t know that we are smarter than them, and we have a High Priest and Advocate named Jesus, who has given us a spirit of power, of LOVE and of a sound (disciplined) mind to counteract their spirit of fear. (2 Tim, 1:7) 

And Jesus clearly promised that in Acts 1:8, when He told the disciples: ‘But ye shall receive power, after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ And we know that the Holy Ghost first came upon the believers on the Day of Pentecost, some fifty days after Jesus ascended to heaven, when they turned Jerusalem upside down with their message and acts of faith. Read all about it in Acts chapter 2. And since then, the Holy Spirit has been indwelling every believer with His power and drive and discipleship for Jesus, drastically cutting into the enemy’s hold over our lives! 

And throughout the song we see references to moments when fear was heavy upon God’s people, but He delivered them through His omnipotent power; with ‘songs of deliverance from their enemies.’ There are several psalms which attest to that, like in Psalm 125, where it’s declared: ‘As the mountains are round about (surround) Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about (surrounds) his people from henceforth even for ever. For the rod of the wicked (sceptre of wickedness) shall not rest upon the lot of (land allotted to) the righteous; lest the righteous put (reach) forth their hands into iniquity.’ (Ps. 125:2-3) 

And Psalm 126 faithfully declares: ‘The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity (bring back our captives), O Lord, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.’ (Ps. 126:3-5) Then the song alludes to one of the times of greatest fear of God’s people: ‘You split the sea, So I could walk right through, My fears are drowned…’ 

Yes friends that’s when the Israelites in their Exodus from Egypt were on the brink of the Red Sea with Pharaoh and His mighty Egyptian army right behind them. There seemed no way for them to escape, but in God’s might and faithfulness, He made a way, by splitting the sea so they could walk through on dry land, then drowned Pharoah and his army when they came after them. And you can read all about that in Exodus 14. 

But this is my favourite part: ‘In perfect LOVE, You rescued me, so I could stand and sing, I am a child of God…’ And what does the Good Book say about perfect LOVE? John says in his first epistle: ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18) 

Now, the scholars explain ‘Fear hath torment,’ by saying: ‘Abject fear of God is based on dread of punishment. But God’s LOVE for us renders such dread obsolete. Fear is still a part of the Christian walk in the sense of profound reverence, the unwillingness to violate God’s trust in us. Believers need not fear eternal rejection as a result of God’s judgement (John 5:24), but this does not mean a Christian’s approach to God is to be flippant and casual.’ 

So there is no need to fear if we are sincere believers in Christ Jesus, but we must have sincere reverence for the Lord’s power, position and sovereignty over our lives and the entire universe He created. And since we now know who we are, children of God, above and not beneath, lenders and not borrowers, no longer walking in fear but in faith, let’s go home very appropriately singing ‘Hallelujah to God’s glorious name!’  Yes, shout it out my people: ‘Hallelujah to God’s glorious name!’ Much LOVE!

…nothing but faith in Christ Jesus…casts out fear… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   20 August 2022   Psalm 139:23.

20 Aug 2022 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: 

Saturday, oh blessed Saturday! Where we can laze about and do as we want. No alarm clocks, running to the baby-sitter or day care with the children and then facing the constant traffic jams that have become a normal part of today’s commute to work! No wonder we LOVE Saturday! And with all of that to do five days a week, it’s not surprising that so many of us are tired and worn out physically, emotionally and spiritually. 

But not all of us can sleep in on Saturdays. The ole fella still has to be up and about the Lord’s business, figuring out something to say about the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Ah Lord eh! No rest for the wicked. (smile) But I can’t really complain because the Lord usually helps me with that task since He’s allotted it to me, and He always gives us the tools to do the work He requires. So Lord, I ask you now to give me those tools, let your Holy Spirit lead and guide me to write sensible stuff today that will not only serve to open the eyes and hearts of our readers, but even more importantly, praise and glorify your holy name. Amen! 

And the first quote goes off with a bang! ‘The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.’ Now that’s wonderful advice, but not so easy to put into action, since nowadays fear is all around us. Fear of disease, fear of fraudulent operators, fear of economic failure, fear of natural disasters, fear of government actions, fear of church brethren, and all of that leads to fear of life itself. Yes friends, everywhere we turn these days, fear seems to be staring us straight in the eye. But fear can be overcome through faith in Christ Jesus. Yes, that’s a guaranteed fact. Oh, we’ll always feel it, but with Jesus in our corner, it won’t get us down or cripple us like it’s doing so many people today. 

One of Jesus’ favourite statements was ‘Fear not!’ And I guess it’s only right to quote two of His most famous sayings on the subject. Listen to this first one. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Yes friends, when we have true peace, fear cannot invade our souls or bodies. And the true source of real peace is Christ Himself! No one or nothing else can give you the kind of uplifting, spiritual peace that He offers; the peace that conquers fear. 

Now listen to Him again. ‘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) There you have it! With Jesus and His Holy Spirit in your life, you have the peace of God living right there within you, so there’s no need to fear anything, because your Lord and Saviour has already overcome the evil world and all its tricks and trade. But for good measure, (smile) here’s one more scripture that as we said yesterday ought to be continually in our mind’s eye. These famous words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) 

Ah mih people, the only way to numb fear is by having Jesus Christ in our lives, and then sincerely accepting what He tells us. But that doesn’t come easily or overnight, which leads us to this next quote: ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’ Now that’s gospel truth right there my brethren! We simply cannot live a life without examining it, to see what kind of life we’re living. And I guess the best way to begin doing that is to by following Bruh David’s example in Psalm 139, 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) 

Oh friends, how refreshing and renewing is self-examination! Especially when we do it with God’s help. It shows up the things we need to drop, and the places we need to improve. But we need to take it seriously and do what the Lord shows us, or what we know needs to be done. And it helps when we go to the Lord with sincere sentiments like Bruh David does in Psalm 51: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps. 51:10) The Lord will never turn us away with those kinds of sincere sentiments in our hearts. 

That brings us to this next quote which advises: ‘Turn your wounds into wisdom.’ And it does make sense to let our hurts teach us a wiser way to live. It’s basically learning from our mistakes. And that’s exactly what successful people do, for if you don’t learn from your errors, you will continue making the same mistakes and thus getting the same hurtful and wounding results. 

And how do we do that? I believe this advice from Cousin Sol in Proverbs makes a good start. He says: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear (reverence) the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:5-8) Yuh know friends, if you must choose one passage of scripture to remember, one that encompasses all you need to know, that’s it right there! Once you have the basic knowledge of scripture in your hearts and souls, that’s all you really need to live by. 

And that segues very nicely into our next quote, which offers great advice: ‘Don’t settle for what life gives you; make life better and build something.’ Ah mih bredrin, with Jesus in our lives, that’s exactly what He expects of us! When life gives us lemons, He expects us to take them and make lemonade. (smile) That means to improve on whatever we are given. Don’t just sit there and accept life’s handouts without any thought of making them better. Unfortunately though, that’s just what many of us do. Life hands us misfortunes and instead of trying to build something better on them, we simply accept them, and do the proverbial thing, lie down and die. 

But when you’re follower of Jesus, that’s not acceptable. He expects us to be always improving, always learning, always persevering to become more like Him. Look at the hand that He was dealt when He came to earth nuh. One of persecution, rejection, and abnormal suffering, what I like to term ‘sufferation’ Most of us would have gone crazy and run away. But He stood up and faced it all, obviously with the help of His heavenly Father, and turned the whole world upside down, an upheaval from which it still hasn’t recovered two thousand years later, and never will! 

And as the Good Book reminds us, He is the example we all must follow. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb.12:2) So whatever life slings at us, we must let Jesus help us to take it and make it better. That brings us to our last quote: ‘Sing like no one’s listening, LOVE like you’ve never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like it’s heaven on earth.’ 

Oh friends, that’s the abundant life, and it’s just how God intended for us to live! But nowadays, in this fallen and sinful world we can only live it if we’ve received Jesus as Lord and Saviour, and keep Him first and foremost in our hearts minds, bodies and souls! That’s the kind of life Jesus died for us to have. He said very clearly. ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10b) So, the long and short of the story friends, is that to do all those things our quotes tell us, we must be true and strong followers of Christ Jesus! Anything less than that will not cut it. End of story! Much LOVE!

…living for Jesus…that’s the ONLY way to go… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   19 August 2022   1 Timothy 4:8.

19 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Timothy 4:8.       For bodily (physical) exercise profiteth little: but godliness (the result of spiritual exercise) is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

TGIF friends! TGIF! Yes, thank God it’s Friday and another arduous week of work is almost over, and a glorious weekend is imminent. (smile) And sadly, instead of living for Christ, a lot of us simply live for the weekend, that’s rest from our earthly labour and enjoyment of the worldly pleasures available. No wonder our lives seem so arduous and out of our control. But when we live for Jesus, our lives are never arduous. They might be hard, difficult, even very trying, but never arduous, because arduous implies a lot of our own energy and strength is put into our daily living. 

However, when we make Jesus our number ONE companion, He enables us to work smart, to work with wisdom and not as laboriously as we do on our own. As the song says: ‘With Jesus I know I can make it. No matter what may come my way, I know that I can make it, My life is in your hands.’ And that’s the only way to live this earthly life; with Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, Good Shepherd and Comforter! 

When we surrender our lives to Him, His goodness runs after us. He breaks whatever chains of sin and sadness in which we are entangled. We no longer have to run down life or anything in it, because He provides everything we need. He said it very clearly in His Sermon on the Mount. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) 

Yes my people, just as the Lord looks after all the other things He created in Mother Nature, He will likewise look after His greatest creation, the human being. And why wouldn’t He eh, when we’re made in His image, and are filled with His breath of life, and He controls all that we are and do? It just wouldn’t make any sense to just ignore and abandon us to the evil enemy Satan, after taking so much time, energy and pride to create us. The problem though is that in this fallen and sinful world, the enemy wields much power and influence and thus wants to frighten us into doing his ungodly will. 

But there again, when we give our lives to Jesus, He imbues us with His Holy Spirit that then fills us with spiritual power to do His will. As Bruh Paul so confidently said to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7). 

Oh my fellow believers, that verse of scripture should be one we hold right at the front of our minds and hearts because in these days of constant fear, where fear seems to be bombarding us from all sides, we need it to keep reminding us that fear is not something that we deal in, that we have a spiritual power in Christ Jesus that overcomes fear. And we do need to exercise that spiritual power just like we exercise our bodies. 

Why, you ask? Listen to Bruh Paul again as he advises Timothy on the subject. ‘For bodily (physical) exercise profiteth little: but godliness (the result of spiritual exercise) is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.’ (1 Tim. 4:8) And that’s the awesome truth my brethren. Spiritual exercise or godliness ‘has unlimited value, since it brings blessings for both now and eternity.’ And who doesn’t want to have a good life now and in the hereafter eh? 

That’s what we all want, but it only comes through strong association with Jesus. However, for any number of reasons, most of them foolish and prideful, and thus sinful, many of us choose not to have an association with Christ Jesus. But that’s the worst decision any human being can ever make, for it deprives them of so many wonderful benefits available under Jesus’ all-encompassing umbrella. 

I don’t like to keep harping on it, (smile) but it’s my job to keep reminding us that without Jesus as the mainstay of our lives, neither the abundant life on earth nor salvation that leads to eternal life in heaven are possible. The only other option we have is that of spending the afterlife with Satan in total damnation and death in hell and eventually the lake of fire where all the damned will be destroyed forever. Now, if you believe that the sinful pleasures of the world are worth that kind of end, then go right ahead and enjoy them. 

But if you don’t like that kind of ending to your life, then you need to put your trust in Jesus Christ right now, for later might be too late. The grim reaper might just come calling sooner than you expected, or Christ might choose to come back today, and if any of those situations occur without you accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe. In other words, it’s too late and Satan’s place is where you’ll automatically be headed for. That’s why it’s ever so important to accept Christ as soon as possible. And that’s the end of today’s sermon! (smile) 

Now, let’s turn to the most important and powerful weapon in our arsenal; that of prayer, or communication with our Creator. We’ll do that by declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Friday Chant. As one strong and confident, but humble voice. ‘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!’ 

And now it’s time for us to get serious and show the Lord that we are truly faithful believers by our words, deeds and motives, so that He can positively answer our prayer. Much LOVE!

…Jesus…the only wise and sensible choice in this life… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 August 2022   Psalm 147:5.

18 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 147:5.      Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite (cannot be measured).​

And the week keeps moving right along to this new and sparkling day of Thursday, where all God’s mercies and compassions are also new. Yes friends, it’s a new batch of those wonderful things that our great and merciful God has brewed up afresh this Thursday morning, since we’ve either used up yesterday’s batch, or He just doesn’t like to use leftovers on a new day. (smile) But whatever the reason, we ought to give Him much thanks and praise for being the awesome God He is! A God of LOVE, Mercy, Forgiveness, Grace, Justice and Righteousness, Salvation and Eternal Life, all in one! 

Yes! As the psalmist so rightly declares: ‘Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite (cannot be measured).’ (Ps. 147:5) And I’m chuckling here because that was not what I meant to write, but once I got into the description of our marvellous God, I just got caught up and lost in it! Oh, it’s so easy to do that when you truly appreciate your Creator and the Provider of your livelihood. 

Anyway, what I had intended to say was something like this. Have you ever noticed that despite all the happenings in our world and in in our individual lives, the forces of nature never stop carrying out their jobs, they never change from one path to the other? The days keep moving on, the birds keep singing, the flowers keep growing as the bees keep buzzing around them, seasons change from summer to winter and back again, the sun rises in the day and the moon at night, with no interruptions, regardless of the wars, strife, hatred and enormous evil that fills the world. 

That can also be attributed to the amazing power of our God, for His creation of the universe with its beauty and continuity, and oh so intricate workings, still leaves us awe stricken when we truly consider it. That’s also why the psalmist proclaimed that all creation ought to praise Almighty God. So please read with me, these beautiful words from the opening verses of Psalm 148, a psalm of universal praise. 

‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!): Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him from the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise ye him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.’ (Ps. 148:1-5) 

That’s what I’m talking about my people; the mighty power and awesome creativity of our magnificent God. He simply commanded all those things to be made and put in place…and they were! And what I truly like is the following verse, where the psalmist proclaims: ‘He hath also stablished (established) them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.’ (Ps. 148:6) Glory be my faithful brethren! The Lord’s made a decree that will never pass! Wow! Can any other supposed god or idol do that? No way Jose! 

But the psalmist doesn’t stop there, for there are more things than the heavenly beings and bodies to praise the Lord. So, let’s continue reading: ‘Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons (sea creatures) and all deeps: Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour: stormy wind fulfilling his word. Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:’ (Ps. 148: 7-10) Yes, friends, the psalmist then turns there to the things of the earth; even Mother Nature ought to praise the Lord because she is so wonderfully made! 

And no, he hasn’t forgotten God’s greatest creation; mankind, the only thing He didn’t speak into existence but actually made with His two hands! So let’s continue reading. ‘Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent (exalted); his glory is above the earth and heaven.’ (Ps. 148:11-13) 

Now we getting down to brass tacks mih bredrin! The Lord God Almighty deserves the praise of all His creation, especially mankind, whom He’s made in His own image, and gave His breath of life, His Holy Spirit to aid us in living a good and abundant life on His marvellous earth. That’s why the psalmist concludes the psalm with these telling words. ‘He also exalteth the horn (strength, dominion) of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah!)’ (Ps. 148:14) 

Now do we still need encouragement to praise our great God? We shouldn’t after reading of all His mighty works and experiencing His LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, grace, compassion and salvation. But we’re such a disobedient, stubborn and prideful human animal that we take pleasure in using our free will to thwart the Lord’s desires for us. But yuh know what friends, the joke is really on us yes, because we’re not doing the Lord anything by being disobedient and intractable, we’re only harming ourselves. 

Think about it nuh! The Lord is sitting on His fine throne in His marvellous heaven, enjoying life, while we are down here struggling with sin and evil, the punching bag of the enemy, stubbornly refusing God’s LOVING advances, filled with all sorts of good things to make this life and the other more wonderful than we can even imagine. Nothing we do will affect God’s good living, except possibly break His heart for the umpteenth time by stubbornly and foolishly refusing His wonderful gift of salvation and eternal life. 

So, who’s the loser in this whole scenario eh? Definitely not God, the Creator…but we foolish human beings, the created! But thankfully our God is so good, and a handful of us are wise enough to accept His marvellous offer. That’s why, to do His earthly work, He’s bestowed so many undeserved blessings on us. We call them our Thursday Blessings, and it’s time for us to declare them so that they can be activated and show out in our lives. 

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

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

And having said all of that, let’s go out now and use those blessings to encourage others to come to Christ in all sincerity and truth. Much LOVE!

…let everything that has breath praise the Lord…and even those that don’t have breath…let them also praise Him…for He rightfully deserves the praise… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   17 August 2022   1 Corinthians 9:24.

17 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

1 Corinthians 9:24.      Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.

Wednesday, oh Wednesday! The middle day of the work week, where we catch our second wind, so we can finish the week’s race, strong in Jesus’ name. Yes friends, every week is a sprint race, with life being an overall marathon. And we win them just one day at a time, then one week at a time, with rest and rejuvenation on the weekend, to come back out bursting with confidence and energy on a Monday morning, ready to take on all comers in the race of life, in the mighty and wonderful name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 

That’s how Bruh Paul characterized the Christian life, like a race, when he told Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim. 4:7) Oh my fellow believers, it’s important that we realize that our Christian faith is indeed a race, and a long one too; one necessitating much faith, sacrifice, and perseverance. It’s definitely not meant for the faint of heart, or the weak in spirit. And we can only run it successfully by having the utmost faith and trust in our Triune Godhead, sincerely believing that through their amazing help and assistance we will eventually be victorious. 

That’s how all the great men and women of God were able to run their difficult races. And though our races today might be somewhat easier than theirs back then, it still necessitates great faith, because the enemy is still out there just chomping at the bit to cut us down and make us useless to Christ, like unflavoured salt or darkness of spirit. Now, listen to how Bruh Paul explains the Christian race to his readers in Corinth. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.’ (1 Cor. 9:24) 

And the scholars tell us that ‘Paul draws on a scene familiar to his Corinthian readers in order to drive home his point. The Isthmian Games were an athletic event known to all of his readers. They were held on alternate summers in the vicinity of Corinth. It was an event not to be missed by anyone of importance in all parts of Greece. As a national institution, it was familiar to his readers as modern football is to most Americans.’ 

I guess those games was the forerunner to our modern Olympic Games. So, since everybody knew of them, the idea of a race was something they would all understand. It’s like Jesus talking about a shepherd to His listeners, something with which they were all familiar. And me talking to us about Christ, whom we all know about. (smile) 

Anyway, after proposing the race idea, Bruh Paul sets it up thus: ‘And every man that striveth for mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate (has self-control) in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown, but we an incorruptible (imperishable). (1 Cor. 9:25) 

That’s the big difference between the physical and spiritual races friends. The physical one gives us a crown that perishes or can be destroyed by moth or be stolen by thieves. However, the spiritual crown is set up for us in heaven, incorruptible, imperishable, cannot be destroyed or stolen. That’s what makes it so important, and the winning of our earthly race so necessary. 

Consequently, Bruh Paul strenuously advises: ‘I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I. not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified). (1 Cor. 9:26-27) Ah mih people, as we said earlier on the Christian race is indeed not for the weak in spirit or faint of heart. And if you don’t believe me, listen to the scholars explain what Bruh Paul was writing about. 

They say: ‘ The expression I keep under loses much of the original sense. It has the idea of to “give one a black eye,” “buffet,” or “bruise.” Paul’s readers knew that in the Isthmian Games, the boxers wore gloves consisting of ox-hide bands covered with knots and nails, and loaded with lead and iron. To prepare for such an event, a man would have to brace himself to endure all forms of physical abuse. 

Lest that by any means…I myself should be a castaway (lit. “So that…I myself will not be disqualified”). Paul was not afraid of losing his salvation: his subject is still Christian liberty. The point is that the believer must discipline himself to avert both being disqualified from Christian ministry, and forfeiting the rewards for such service.’ 

And we think that our modern-day boxing is brutal! Hn! Bruh Paul’s zeal about the Christian race must have frightened off some people, thinking that to be a believer, they had to put up with such awful physical abuse. It’s no different from the way some of us behave today, desiring no sacrifice or hard times on our Christian journey. But that’s simply impossible, for life itself brings hard and sacrificial times whether you’re a believer or not. 

It all begins with self-discipline though my brethren! If we are to live successfully for Christ, we need to conquer our flesh, our carnal nature, and that can only be done by constant training. And that training means constantly meditating on God’s word, through prayer and thanksgiving, and putting it all into action in our lives. 

But don’t believe me, hear it directly from the horse’s mouth, (smile) when the Lord Himself explained it to Joshua, on making him the Israelite leader after Moses’ death. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) And friends, if the Lord says it’s so, then so it is! (smile) Who are we to dispute it eh. 

So please, let’s get serious about living for Christ nuh. Life itself is difficult enough, and Christ’s desires adds more to it. But the good thing is that He never asks us to do stuff we can’t do, or not give us the tools to do it. But we must believe, to come up with the necessary faith. And that only comes from daily experience with Him. As we give our lives to Him, and see how He faithfully handles them, then our faith grows. But we have to let go and jump in feet first, take the first step; then, taking one step at a time grow in grace and faith. As Christ reassuringly advises: ‘Fear not.’ That’s the only way to do it. 

Now, for those of us who are doing our best to live for Christ, let’s go home letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Him, by declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail. As one strong, confident voice. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Now, let’s get out there and run that race of glory for Christ, as is our bounden duty. Much LOVE!

…to successfully run a race…one must prepare seriously for it… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit   16 August 2022   Psalm 23:1.

16 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 23:1.      The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 

So what’s happening this bright and colourful Tuesday morning eh friends? Hope all is well, but if by chance it isn’t, then I pray that you have placed your problems in God’s hands and are waiting in eager and expectant faith for a positive answer from Him, because that’s His desire when problems beset us. 

Regardless of how big or problematic our problems, (smile) the important thing is to NEVER lose hope in Almighty God for He is our Creator and Provider, who’s promised never to leave nor forsake us and work everything out eventually for our good. And with those two promises under our belts, earthly life is certainly worth living! Like Bruh David so marvellously declares in our ‘favouritest’ psalm. ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) 

Yes friends, when you are a member of the Lord’s fold, you will never lack anything you truly need! That’s because, ‘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.’ (Ps. 23:2-3) 

Wow! What a marvellous shepherd! There’s none other like Him! None other who can do the amazing things He can do! That’s why we need to put out total trust in Him and not allow the enemy to bamboozle us into thinking that our godly shepherd is not interested or actively involved in our daily affairs, because that just isn’t true! Our God is interested in EVERYTHING that concerns us! 

But we have to believe it, have the hope and faith to let it resonate positively in our lives. We’ve got to come to the stage, where like Bruh David expounds in the psalm: ‘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: 4) 

Mama Mia! What outstanding faith and trust Bruh David had in the God of his forefathers. That’s why the Lord considered him a friend and a man after his own heart. Despite his many failings and wrongdoings, he never faltered in his faith, always looked towards God for answers, and tried to keep His word in his heart. 

As a shepherd himself, Bruh David was mostly alone out in the wilds with the sheep, and that’s where he learned the value, the great benefit of trusting God. And usually, when we’re alone, that’s also the time we truly learn the great potential of placing our faith in the One who so marvellously created us. It’s when we come to the end of ourselves, the end of our proverbial rope, that the Lord usually reaches down and lifts us up out of the mire we’re floundering in. 

As Bruh David says: ‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’ (Ps. 23:5) Oh my fellow believers, there’s no one else in this universe who can do that for us when we are desperately down and out! Only the God who created this amazing universe and all therein has that awesome capability! 

So it makes sense, it’s totally logical for us to put our undying trust and faith in Him. Anything else is unwise, in fact rather foolish! And why is that, you ask? It’s simple mih people. Hear Bruh David: ‘Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6) 

Glory be! Now, who wouldn’t want to live such a glorious life eh? The truth is that all of us desire to live such a blessed and prosperous life. But are we willing to put in the time, talent and effort it requires? Are we willing to put Almighty God first and foremost in every aspect of our lives? Are we willing to forsake friends and family, even to the sacrificing of our lives on His behalf? That’s the billion dollar question! 

But that’s what Bruh David did, and that’s why he prospered despite his human errors. Sadly though, too many of us are not willing to pay the price for the benefits involved…but we do want those benefits. Oh friends, unfortunately nothing is really free and gratis in this world. On the surface things might appear to be free, but they all have some price that you, or someone else, will eventually pay. As the man said, ‘you can pay me now, or pay me later, but pay me you will!’ 

Even God’s free gift of salvation requires a price; the price that you believe. Yes, it’s free, in the sense that you don’t have to work or pay for it, but if you don’t believe in Him, you’ll never receive it. It simply means that every action has a reaction, and every mistake has a consequence attached to it. 

That brings us to this most important point. If you believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, then that action will bring the positive reaction of you receiving salvation and eternal life. But the action of not believing in Christ Jesus will have the negative reaction of you being denied salvation and eternal life. Now, some of us might foolishly believe that’s no big deal, but believe me, it’s the biggest deal in every human being’s life! 

The question of where we will spend eternity is the most important one we will ever have to answer. And as most of us know, there are only two options: with Jesus in heaven, or with Satan in hell! The first one brings eternal life, while the latter provides nothing but eternal death and damnation! The choice though is there for every individual to make. 

Like Moses said to the Israelites a long, long time ago: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (to witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) Oh my people, the same choice still stands before us today. And like Moses did, all I can do is advise us to choose life; life with Jesus, because it’s the best option going. 

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

And having made such a powerful statement, it now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…some choices…like life and death…are irreversible…so please think wisely before you make them… 

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

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